Ernanth’s previously relaxed expression instantly hardened into an icy demeanor.

With this completely changed expression, as if he had become a different person, he responded to Martin.

“Ah yes, you’re here too.”

Ernanth muttered as if just now noticing Martin’s presence, then continued.

“But isn’t that a meaningless request? To stop the mischief in the imperial palace. There’s no way I’d meekly agree to that just because you said so.”

“You bastard…”

“More importantly, Yulia, how did you break the curse from the contract?”

Ernanth ignored the angry Martin and addressed me again.

His attitude of blatantly only dealing with me made me signal Martin with my eyes to step back for a moment.

He hesitated but, as always, followed my instruction and retreated for a bit.

As Martin stepped back, indicating he wouldn’t interfere, Ernanth’s face brightened a little.

I calmly told him:

“I love the empire. If faced with a situation where I must sacrifice my life for the empire, I would hesitate a little but ultimately give up my life. That’s how much I love it.”

Ernanth nodded while perched on the edge of the table, and I continued:

“Therefore, I am prepared to bloody my sword willingly in order to eliminate any threat to the empire.”

“…”

“The research Your Majesty is conducting threatens the empire. I believe you understand what this means.”

I spoke as directly as I could within my limits to clearly convey my intent.

Fortunately, he seemed to quickly grasp the meaning behind my words.

“Are you really planning treason?”

When I affirmed Ernanth’s words with silence, emotion showed on his face.

Surprisingly, that emotion was not anger.

He replied with a smile, as if pleased:

“Such a situation might not be so bad.”

“Not so bad…?”

“You according to your will, I according to mine, we would fight ready to kill each other. And if defeated, one would be in the position of kneeling at the other’s feet, begging for their life.”

I couldn’t understand, but that scenario seemed to stimulate his gloomy desires.

Capturing me in his eyes gleaming with obsession and desire, he said:

“You probably have no intention of returning under me now anyway. Then forcibly subjugating and possessing you wouldn’t be so bad.”

His final words seemed to finally snap Martin’s patience.

Martin, who had been standing back just listening, came forward again.

Slamming the marble table as if to break it, he bared his teeth at Ernanth.

“That kind of delusional situation you’re imagining won’t happen. If we draw our swords, there will be only one outcome. Your severed head hanging on the city walls.”

Ernanth’s expression sank back into the same icy demeanor as before.

Staring at Martin with an emotionless gaze, as if looking at a pebble on the road, he eventually said:

“How annoying. Butting into our conversation. I should have snuffed out your pathetic life long ago.”

“Hah, look who’s talking. As I said before, I could have killed you anytime. Now I deeply regret not doing so then.”

Martin faced the silent Ernanth with his most serious expression yet.

“This is no joke. I sincerely believe I must eliminate you now. The only reason I haven’t taken action is because Yulia said we should try to persuade you first.”

“…”

A bitter smile suddenly spread across Ernanth’s face as he continued to remain silent.

“Right, I’ve always hated that arrogance of yours. Acting like you hold my life in your hands. Even though I’m the emperor, just because you were born with that ability…”

“Cut the nonsense and answer already. Will you continue your madness or stop?”

“Don’t make me say it twice. You already know my answer.”

Ernanth declared with a provocative grin, his unchanged intention.

“I will not stop.”

“Then you must die.”

As soon as he heard Ernanth’s answer, Martin said this while drawing the sword he had hidden.

Ernanth didn’t seem surprised, as if he had already anticipated this.

He merely calmly snapped his fingers to signal the soldiers he had hidden.

Soldiers who had been concealed in other passageways poured into the hall, wielding crossbows.

The sharp tips of crossbow bolts were aimed at us.

We also pointed our sharply honed sword tips at Ernanth’s neck.

Though I had wanted to persuade Ernanth without bloodshed.

In the end, this scene unfolded again.

Even with sword tips pointed at him, Ernanth spoke without losing his smile:

“Yulia. It’s not too late. Return to your place even now. Then we can return everything to how it was.”

“…”

“You know you can’t use your ability here right now. So if my soldiers shoot their crossbows, you two won’t be able to block them, and you’ll surely lose your lives.”

Ernanth continued in a calm voice, as if reading a fairy tale:

“It means you’ll die with one gesture from me. Both of you.”

Well. Ernanth was saying we would die, but I couldn’t agree.

Could those crossbows really end my tenacious life?

I will not die.

My husband probably won’t die either.

So instead of begging Ernanth for my life, I decided to tell him the reality.

“It cannot be undone.”

“…”

“It’s already too late. You said to return to my place even now? I am already in my place. My place is by my husband’s side.”

“…Husband?”

Ernanth asked with a slightly dazed expression.

I nodded slowly but surely.

“We held a wedding ceremony.”

“…”

“Given the circumstances, we couldn’t invite many guests. Your Majesty wasn’t invited either, so you probably didn’t know, but we are already husband and wife.”

Even after my words ended, Ernanth’s response didn’t come.

Silence piled up layer by layer for a long time.

It seemed he couldn’t easily accept the reality, as he was still stuck in the past.

After a while, he finally showed emotion. This time it was clearly anger.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”

“…”

“I am the master of the empire and the one who gave you your first sword. When you received the sword from me, you clearly swore. That you would devote your life in loyalty to me. Yet what have you done without my permission?”

Now no trace of a smile could be found on his face.

Seeing his green eyes trembling finely, I tried to understand how he might be feeling.

It was difficult.

He seemed to be angry, but in a way, he also seemed afraid.

Shaking his head in an unsteady motion, he opened his mouth again.

“You cannot do this.”

“…”

“You, who are mine, cannot dare to become another man’s wife. I do not allow it.”

Just as I was about to reply to him, Martin stepped forward first and sneered.

“It’s so absurd I can’t just listen silently.”

With a smile that felt somewhat cruel, he told Ernanth:

“We have already been officially recognized as a married couple through a priest during our wedding ceremony. We were united by mutual agreement without any coercion, and we proved that fact with vows of love and a kiss in front of the guests at our ceremony. Yulia is already carrying our child in her womb.”

“…”

“We are already undeniably husband and wife. You don’t allow it?”

Martin openly sneered and spat out his final words in a voice suppressing his anger:

“Nothing will change even if you don’t allow it.”

Ernanth didn’t give any response until Martin finished speaking.

He just stared at us with blank eyes, as if he had stopped breathing altogether.

Meanwhile, Martin whispered to me in a low voice:

“My lady, when I give the signal, run to the passageway behind us.”

“The passageway?”

“I’ll distract the soldiers for a moment. So don’t miss that chance and—”

His words were interrupted.

Ernanth’s stiff body suddenly swayed to the side.

Nearly losing his balance, he barely managed to steady himself by grasping the table.

Is he in pain somewhere? Or is he just like this from the shock?

While I was wondering, Ernanth, who had straightened up again, slowly raised his head to look at me.

His dry lips soon parted sluggishly.

“The fairy tale books we read together…”

“…?”

“Didn’t they all end happily?”

Bewildered by his sudden words, I saw him give a fragile smile.

Then he said:

“It seems reality sometimes ends in tragedy.”

There was no time to respond.

As soon as he finished speaking, he snapped his fingers to signal, and the soldiers waiting tensely behind us simultaneously fired their crossbows in our direction.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.