After hearing my question, Ernant responded nonchalantly.
“They were monsters once. Not anymore though.”
“Not anymore…?”
“Alchemists used their abilities to synthesize monsters. Modified them to be more docile, stronger. Now they’re closer to livestock for humans than monsters. We’ve removed most of the aggression typical of monsters.”
Listening to Ernant’s nonsense, I stood frozen in a daze for a while.
Then, as soon as I came to my senses, I approached him and gripped his shoulders firmly.
“What on earth are you talking about? Monsters are monsters. No matter what you do, they can’t become livestock. They kill people and try to take our world – they’re humanity’s enemies!”
“Calm down, Yulia.”
“Do you really think it’s possible to turn monsters into livestock? Why are you so careless? Do you even know how many Imperial knights, how many of my subordinates, have been killed by monsters?”
I simply couldn’t contain my boiling emotions.
Until now, I had devoted my entire life to hunting monsters.
Because monsters were humanity’s most terrible enemy.
Because they were horrific beings that needed to be completely eradicated from our world.
Yet surprisingly, Ernant was raising those monsters in the underground of the Imperial Palace.
For a moment, a doubt flashed through my mind.
Could the massive monster outbreak in Brausenberg territory before the regression have been because of Ernant…?
Before the regression, there were three terrible disasters that struck the Empire.
And one of them was the ‘massive monster outbreak’ that occurred in the Margraviate of Brausenberg.
An uncountable number of monsters swept through the Brausenberg territory, and there were many suspicious points at that time.
First of all, there were no rifts in Brausenberg.
There was no place for monsters to appear, yet they were suddenly attacked by monsters in the middle of the night.
Moreover, the attacking monsters were entirely new species that had never been reported to academia before.
At the time, I thought they were like chimeras, as if someone had artificially mixed different monsters together.
What’s more, the Margrave of Brausenberg was also an ardent supporter of Commander Martin.
In other words, he could be considered a thorn in Ernant’s side.
So it made sense if Ernant had attacked the Margraviate of Brausenberg with monster chimeras he had created himself.
I glared at Ernant and muttered.
“So many people have been killed by monsters… How could you, the Emperor, do such a thing…”
“I understand how you feel, Yulia. It’s natural to be shocked when suddenly shown something like this. But please, listen to me too.”
This time, Ernant placed his hand on my shoulder and whispered in a quiet voice.
“Monsters are terrible things as you say, but that’s precisely why they have more value to be utilized.”
“…”
“If we domesticate them, we can use their abilities for the benefit of people. For example, we can create a chimera from a monster with healing abilities and remove its aggressiveness. If we raise such docile monsters like livestock, there would be no need to buy potions.”
“…”
“There are countless other ways to utilize monsters. We can use their strength in construction or rescue operations, and on the battlefield, they could be excellent soldiers. This is an innovative plan to develop the Empire into an even more powerful nation.”
“…”
“Ah, and there’s a good reason why I set up this laboratory in the underground of the Imperial Palace. This place was originally an underground prison for holding awakened criminals. It’s protected by a special power that seals abilities. Thanks to that, the monsters can’t rampage freely. It means it’s much safer than other places.”
I listened to his words all the way through.
I was curious to see what nonsense he would spout as an excuse.
Now that I had heard all his nonsense, it was time to show him reality.
“Your Majesty, you don’t understand the true nature of monsters. Monsters are beings that exist solely to kill humans, to kill humans and take this world from us. The idea of trying to utilize what is essentially a disaster itself… I can only think it’s excessive arrogance.”
“…”
“I have nothing more to say. I will dispose of these things with my own hands right now.”
I couldn’t bring my sword as I was attending the ball, but with my ability, I could handle these things barehanded.
Fortunately, they were all caged, so they couldn’t attack me.
Just as I was about to use my ability, it happened.
“…!”
Thump. A terrible pain shot through my heart.
A pain that seemed to burn my mind white.
Unable to withstand the pain, I soon collapsed to the floor.
As I was gasping for breath with the pain not subsiding for a long time, I heard Ernant’s voice from above my head.
“I told you just now. This place was originally a prison for holding awakened individuals with abilities.”
“Er… nant…”
“There’s a special power imbued throughout this room. If you try to use your ability, you feel pain.”
I had heard it was a place to confine awakened individuals, but I didn’t know such a power was imbued here.
Such terrible pain.
It was dangerous.
I could feel my consciousness gradually fading due to the shock just now.
With eyes that kept trying to close, I glared at Ernant until the end.
“You’ll… regret this… No matter how useful, in the end, they’re still monsters…”
“I won’t regret anything. If I, a non-awakened, can obtain the power you awakened ones have… the ability, through these chimeras, I’m prepared to endure anything.”
I wanted to ask what he meant, but my tongue and lips wouldn’t move.
It was because the pain was still burning my mind white.
Despite trying to hold out until the end, I eventually collapsed.
Ernant caught and held me just before my body hit the floor, and that was my last memory before losing consciousness.
[This is the timeline separator]Holding the collapsed Yulia in his arms, Ernant let out a long sigh.
Yulia’s resistance was stronger than he had anticipated.
This was not good for him, as he needed to continuously supply monsters to create chimeras.
Yulia, who faced monsters on the frontlines, was the most suitable person to bring them.
For that reason, he had taken the risk of revealing the laboratory to Yulia, but he hadn’t expected such strong resistance.
Although she wouldn’t disclose what she saw today to the outside due to the contract, this situation was troublesome.
Was I too hasty? He clicked his tongue, questioning himself.
Originally, he hadn’t planned to rush like this, but lately, Martin’s actions had been grating on Ernant’s nerves.
To counter Martin, who kept eyeing what was his, he needed to obtain an ability as soon as possible, which meant he had to hurry the chimera experiments even more.
That impatient mindset led to the mistake of revealing the laboratory to Yulia too hastily.
“Haah…”
Letting out another long sigh, Ernant left the laboratory as he was.
Carrying Yulia, he left the underground and headed back to the annex.
On the second floor of the annex, there were several guest rooms where tired guests could rest after dancing.
Ernant chose a suitable room among them and laid Yulia down.
Yulia was still unconscious even then.
As he quietly looked down at Yulia’s face lying there so peacefully, Ernant suddenly reached out his hand.
The carefully extended fingertips.
Using those fingertips to tuck Yulia’s disheveled silver hair behind her ear, he thought.
He wanted to possess her completely.
An intense desire for possession was boiling up inside him.
“…”
Ernant, who had been silently tucking Yulia’s hair, suddenly stopped.
He withdrew his hand and instead leaned down to whisper in Yulia’s ear.
“I wanted to have everything today. Your heart, and if possible, other things too.”
As he whispered, he slowly clasped Yulia’s hand.
As their fingers intertwined, the pale fingertips twitched slightly.
Placing a light kiss on them, he continued to whisper.
“But I’ll postpone it. It seems more time is needed for now.”
Afterward, Ernant released the clasped hand and stepped back.
After he left, only Yulia’s quiet breathing echoed in the room.
[This is the timeline separator]“Yulia, Yulia!”
In the midst of my hazy consciousness, I heard someone’s desperate call.
I soon recognized who the voice belonged to.
It was the same voice I heard when I was dying before the regression.
Commander.
The Commander who had desperately called my name as I was dying from poison was calling me again.
Before the regression, I couldn’t answer him.
I lost my life without being able to respond even once to that desperate call.
Fortunately, unlike then, I could respond to him now.
“Commander.”
______
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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