TVLT 02

Chapter 2

Artizea knew very well how many evil things she had done.

That was why she had never wanted to be recognized as a good person, nor did she expect to be forgiven.

But there was one person she had asked only once.

Saint Lishia.

「Don’t you resent me?」

She had asked because she naturally assumed Lishia would resent her.

But Lishia only gave her a faint smile on her haggard face.

「Would it make you feel better if I resented you? Would it make you feel as though you had paid back even a little of your sins?」

「…….」

「What should I do? I’ve already forgiven you.」

Lishia spoke with pale, bloodless lips.

Lishia was a saint.

Artizea had threatened her and forced her to marry Lawrence.

The influence and symbolism of a saint were necessary to make up for Lawrence’s lack of legitimacy.

All the people of the Empire rejoiced when the saint became the Crown Princess.

When Lawrence was crowned, the flowers brought to the Empress piled up like a mountain around the walls of the Imperial Palace.

The Empire covered her body in gold and fur and laid silk beneath her feet.

A woman born to a poor baron’s family in the northern frontier had become someone who could enjoy every luxury in the world.

And yet she became more miserable than when she had first entered high society without a single jewel, or when she traveled through plague-stricken regions wearing old clothes that could not even keep out the cold wind.

Her beautiful golden hair, once touched with a reddish glow, lost its shine and became pale and dry.

Her translucent, lively skin grew dull.

Her once-plump, red lips turned pale.

Lawrence had always possessed a sadistic nature.

On top of that, he had an inferiority complex about his legitimacy.

When those two things came together, they gave birth to his feelings of inferiority and hatred toward the Empress, who was adored by everyone.

Artizea tried to protect Lishia from Lawrence.

She was the one who had dragged Lishia into this hell, so she had at least owed her protection.

She had even sworn that she would protect her.

But the most Artizea could do was prevent Lawrence from physically abusing Lishia in public.

She could not stop what happened in the bedroom.

Lishia withered away, abused and isolated in a prison decorated with expensive southern embroidery and gold.

Her divine power was so great that, as long as she still had breath in her body, she could heal even someone who was on the verge of death.

Yet it was useless against her own illness.

Even so, Lishia smiled at Artizea.

「Tia, I am much, much stronger than you think.」

「Your Majesty the Empress……」

「Whatever the reason was, whatever you did to me, in the end, I was the one who chose to marry His Majesty Lawrence. So my being here is my responsibility, not yours.」

Lishia spoke quietly.

「And I know how hard you have struggled to survive. It cannot excuse the harm you caused to others…… but I have chosen to forgive you.」

「…….」

「So, Tia, take away as much of the weight you’re carrying as I can bear.」

It was Lishia who was dying.

And yet Lishia reached out and gently stroked Artizea’s cheek, comforting her instead.

「Thank you for coming to see me. Apart from my maids and servants, you were the only person in this Imperial Palace who genuinely worried about me.」

「That’s not true. Even now, countless citizens are kneeling outside the Imperial Palace and praying toward this place.」

「Those people only know the saint and the Empress. They don’t know me.」

After saying that, Lishia hesitated before making a request.

「Tia, would you hold my hand?」

「Yes……」

「I thought I would be afraid when the time came to die. But I feel strangely calm. Perhaps it’s because I’m going to be embraced by God.」

「You’ll be able to get up and recover soon.」

Even though she knew it was not true, Artizea could only say that.

Lishia smiled.

「May I ask you for one favor?」

「Even if you asked me to bring you the heart of an Ice Dragon, I would find one for you.」

「It’s not something like that. If…… although I sincerely hope this never happens, if you ever happen to meet Sir Cedric someday……」

「Yes……」

「Please tell him that Lishia lived without regrets.」

「I promise I will.」

Artizea made the promise.

Lishia squeezed her hand tightly.

「I’m sorry. For not being able to save you……」

「I…… someone like me……」

「If there is another world, and I can live one more life, I would like you to call me Lishia then.」

Those were her final words.

Click. Click.

The sound of shoes coming down the stone stairs brought Artizea back to her senses.

She could not tell whether she had been dreaming or simply remembering Lishia.

How long had it been since she had been locked in the underground prison?

There was not even a small barred window, so she had no way of knowing when the sun rose or set.

Artizea had almost completely lost her sense of time.

A guard brought her food once a day.

But that alone was not enough to tell how many days had passed.

At first, her consciousness had been hazy because of the wounds from the torture.

Now the bleeding had stopped and her wounds had healed somewhat, but the aftereffects caused unbearable pain.

Hanging from the chains constantly drained what little strength she had.

Her shoulders felt as though they were being torn apart, and her lower legs, where the blood had gathered, were covered in bruises.

Her body was freezing cold, but she could not tell whether the prison itself was cold or whether the blood simply could not circulate properly through her body.

“You look pathetic, you wicked bitch.”

“Ugh……”

Artizea made no attempt to speak.

She simply kept her mouth shut.

How many people in the world wanted to tear Artizea apart and kill her?

Benya would have gladly sold her soul just for the chance to stand at the front of that line.

Benya had been Lishia’s maid.

Artizea had flooded the village where Benya’s family lived.

A plague had broken out in that region.

Lishia was the one who saved Benya, who had lost her entire family and was dying.

From then on, Benya devoted her life to serving Lishia.

Everyone Benya had loved had died because of Artizea.

It was only natural that Benya hated her.

When Artizea simply stared at her, Benya ground her teeth and spat out,

“Yes, you don’t have a tongue anymore. I wish I could hear what kind of absurd lies you would spout with that wicked tongue of yours.”

“……”

“Even the Emperor’s strategist, who was once said to be able to bring down birds from the sky, is helpless now.”

Slap!

Benya struck Artizea across the face with all her strength.

“I regret that your arms, legs, and tongue have all been cut off. There isn’t even anywhere left for me to use my knife.”

Slap!

“You piece of trash. How dare someone like you look at me with pity?”

Artizea closed her eyes.

Benya was right.

Artizea had no right to pity her.

Benya had lived her life by remaining loyal to Lishia.

While Lishia was alive, and even after she died.

After Lishia’s death, Benya flattered the new Empress so that she could remain in the Imperial Palace.

When the Empress was ill, she had even endured tasting the Empress’s stool with her own mouth.

All so she could remain in the Imperial Palace and one day find an opportunity to take revenge on Artizea and Lawrence.

Benya slapped her several more times.

Only a few of Artizea’s molars remained.

Even so, there were so many wounds inside her mouth that blood began flowing out.

Benya took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her hand.

Then she unlocked the chains binding Artizea.

‘Why……?’

Artizea found it strange.

Benya spoke quietly.

“I’d gladly tear you apart and kill you a hundred or a thousand times if it were up to me, but this is an order from Sir Cedric. He probably intends to drag you out and have you executed by dismemberment, so that the people you killed can finally have their grievances avenged.”

That could not be true.

Artizea knew Grand Duke Cedric Evron much better than she knew Benya.

That honest and righteous man was not the kind of person who would drag out a woman who had already fallen from power and been tortured, only to have her publicly executed by dismemberment.

Besides, if Benya helped her escape, she would have nowhere to return to.

The Imperial Palace was not a place where such things could be taken lightly.

The fact that she had brought the key down here would soon become known.

Benya was one of Cedric Evron’s people, as well as a spy whom the Empress had placed in a trusted position.

There was no way Cedric would waste such an important piece like this.

At least, if Artizea were in his position, she would not.

Perhaps Cedric Evron had given this order for an entirely different reason.

Not because he wanted to publicly execute a schemer who no longer even had a tongue, but because he wanted to save a valuable subordinate and the maid of his dead beloved, Lishia.

Without a reason like that, Benya would never have willingly left this hellhole.

But Benya had not thought that far.

She freed Artizea from her chains and covered her with her own outer garment.

After months of torture, and with all four limbs gone, Artizea’s weakened body was light enough for Benya to carry by herself.

Artizea was placed on a laundry cart and taken outside the Imperial Palace.

The jolting of her body caused a high fever to rise from her already weakened body.

Somewhere along the way, her consciousness became hazy again.

Artizea knew she was being moved, but she could not fully understand how she was being transported.

When she regained consciousness, she was inside a tent.

The wounds where her limbs had been severed were wrapped in clean bandages.

The face of the elderly man tending to her was familiar.

He was the steward of Grand Duke Evron.

“You’re awake.”

Though he was her enemy, the steward still spoke to her respectfully.

“If you can eat anything, it would be best if you tried.”

He scooped up some water with a spoon and let it trickle into Artizea’s mouth.

Artizea blinked and gave a slight shake of her head.

“I understand. The doctor said your condition is so poor that you probably won’t be able to tolerate food. I’ll make you some strong tea instead.”

The steward said this, stood up, and left the tent.

Artizea turned her head and looked around.

There was not much inside the tent.

There was a lamp for boiling water, a sleeping mat where she lay, and a lantern.

The steward did not return alone.

The curtain at the entrance fluttered, and Cedric Evron strode into the tent.

Artizea shuddered as she looked up at him.

It had been several years, but he had not changed.

His neat, handsome features looked as though they had been drawn with a few bold strokes.

The deep sorrow beneath his thick eyelashes remained unchanged as well.

Only his clear black eyes seemed deeper than before.

“It’s been a long time, Marchioness Rosan.”

“……”

“I heard your tongue was cut out.”

“……”

“Even the greatest schemer in the world seems to have been unable to save herself.”

Artizea lowered her eyes.

She did regret her own foolishness in remaining loyal to Lawrence despite knowing that she would eventually be betrayed.

But she did not feel guilty.

All human beings were evil.

Those who sought power were even more so.

That was Artizea’s unwavering belief.

But there were only two people in the world before whom she could never say such a thing:

Cedric Evron and Saint Lishia.