She was fortunate to have prepared in advance. Otherwise, she would have been unable to hide her dismay.
“An indictment?”
When Rasilia feigned ignorance, Rascal, seated beside her, arched an eyebrow.
“Didn’t that immature bird say anything?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything.”
Rasilia was keeping it a secret that she understood Pippi’s language. If Pippi were to talk about something as complex as an indictment, it wouldn’t make sense.
“How absurd. I told her to deliver the message.”
“……”
She had unintentionally made Pippi out to be a liar.
‘Sorry, Pippi. I’ll apologize later.’
Avoiding the Emperor’s gaze, which was too intense to face at this distance, Rasilia slightly turned her head.
“What is the indictment about?”
“……You are accused of killing seventeen palace women.”
Her eyes slightly narrowed; they seemed incredulous.
There was no changing the statement.
“I have nothing to say. I don’t remember.”
Grasping the hem of her robe, Rasilia closed her eyes and prayed briefly for the deceased.
“There’s no need.”
Rascal laid his hand over Rasilia’s and spoke. Though he didn’t know, his grip seemed overly tight.
“Don’t anguish over the past.”
Was it consolation?
Did he console her, knowing that she had killed these people just to lie to him?
“……It’s not easy. Given that I have killed.”
“The truth remains uncertain.”
“Evidence must exist for an indictment.”
Biting her lip with a sour expression, Rasilia watched as Rascal pulled their clasped hands towards him.
“What do you want me to do?”
“……What are you talking about?”
Rascal flipped his hand over, interlocking his fingers with hers. Today, in particular, his golden eyes sparkled through the gaps between their fingers.
“I assumed you wouldn’t want a trial.”
“Can I avoid it just because I don’t want it? Besides, surely you, Your Majesty, would be curious if the indictment is true.”
“……”
For a moment, Rascal looked at Rasilia, then lowered his head, bringing their eyes very close together.
She couldn’t avoid it. To dodge at this distance would be too obvious.
“I’m curious.”
……Indeed.
“So, won’t you tell me?”
Everything felt close, not just their gazes.
The proximity distorted her senses. His voice, probing her for her fault, came to her as a soft whisper.
“I……don’t remember why I killed them.”
“I know there’s a brand on you that signifies you as my companion. They say you killed the palace women who saw it disappear.”
“That……is so. Unfortunately, I don’t remember.”
“And since then, no one has verified the brand?”
“Don’t you know that I can’t see it myself?”
“And neither the bath attendants nor palace women?”
“……Yes. After losing my memory, others’ touches have become unfamiliar.”
Unexpectedly, Rascal nodded.
“That’s good.”
“What?”
Rasilia didn’t understand his words, and in the meantime, Leskal quickly changed the subject.
“If you don’t like the trial, say you don’t. If you dislike it, there won’t be a trial.”
She couldn’t understand this either.
Why. Even though the mark disappeared, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s not his companion.
Why does the Emperor seem to not care about it?
“What if the indictment is true?”
Unconsciously, Rasilia grasped Leskal’s sleeve with her unoccupied hand. Leskal’s gaze quickly moved to his shifting sleeve.
“Would you still say there will be no trial? How can that be? Doesn’t a companion need to have a mark?”
“Strangely, I like that you’re doing this.”
Leskal moved the hand that Rasilia had grabbed. The next moment, for some reason, they found themselves holding hands.
“When you first grabbed me, it seemed like you were only looking at me.”
“Why are you saying that now… No, answer me. Your Highness, do you not believe the indictment?”
Leskal chuckled softly.
“Yes.”
“Why…?”
“Because I know you’re my companion. The mark doesn’t matter.”
“The mark exists to identify companions…”
“Eyes exist to recognize.”
He meant that there are other ways to recognize someone, besides the eyes.
Like when he had found Rasilia in the northern tower by her scent.
“…”
Her thoughts became complicated.
The confusion that the loss of the Empress’s mark and her being a companion might be unrelated came to her.
‘Was the Empress born as a companion anyway… If the Emperor thinks that way, abdication won’t be easy.’
Leskal gently pulled Rasilia’s hand.
“What’s your answer? What do you want to do?”
“If there won’t be a trial… Is there another way?”
“We’ll have to talk to the regent.”
“Wouldn’t writing an indictment be pointless if talking was all that was needed?”
“We’ll make it that way.”
I don’t know. Does the Emperor have another method?
“Will you consider that a favor from me?”
But one thing was certain. The Emperor wasn’t making the trial disappear for her sake.
“I hope so.”
“What will you ask for in return?”
“…”
Instead of answering, the sound of him swallowing was heard.
Rasilia realized that Leskal’s golden eyes were fixed somewhere on her face.
“Lips.”
“…”
“I want to kiss you.”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
