Chapter 1. Kill the Empress
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Sponsored chapter by Blank. Thank you 💖
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“You may do so in my presence, but you must not do so elsewhere.”
“…What?”
Tamon’s lips gently grazed her cheek. His large, firm hand wrapped the back of Roselyn’s head.
His voice was serious and calm, unlike the voice that had teased her earlier.
“I never want to see you crumble again.”
“…”
The man’s thick, sensual lips came to rest on her cheek, then moved against her lips.
“So hang in there. Don’t hold back your anger. It’s okay to get angry and swear. You can do that.”
It was very unfamiliar to receive a slow kiss.
Perhaps it was because Roselyn wasn’t used to it, and her body froze more.
Her heart swelled little by little as she forgot to breathe.
Tamon did not do anything except whisper and kiss, but Roselyn felt as if something had hit her on the head.
This man was a poisonous plant.
It smelled sweet, and its lushness bewitched her.
But what would happen if she swallowed it?
Roselyn stared blankly into Tamon’s eyes.
His flame-red eyes blazed brightly. Hot and fervent as if to burn her all right away.
As she gazed at him, exhaling slowly and shallowly, Tamon moved.
He came closer, soft and slithery like a snake, and entwined his lips with hers.
Their breaths intertwined and her lips opened.
His tongue slowly occupied the inside of her mouth, as if expanding its territory little by little.
Roselyn stepped back just as he approached, licking and sweeping her with soft movements, as if she herself was not a threat.
“It’s not your fault.”
“…… What?”
“Whatever it is.”
A muffled voice broke into her earl
“You’re not to blame.”
“…… Don’t.”
Tamon told her not to be weak.
But did he know that he was making her weak?
After all, Tamon was difficult to deal with.
He was complicated and annoying.
Roselyn closed her eyes.
As he had said, she didn’t want to be weak anymore.
So she closed her eyes and put up with it, her face distorted.
“It was my will that released the power to keep you alive. It was my choice. So this pain you are experiencing now is merely my responsibility for my choice.”
“…Yes, you’re right, you tried to keep me alive. But I have never asked for your help.”
Tamon laughed. The low voice dissipated with a suitable echo.
“That’s right. But, why do you look so sorry?”
“No, I’m not.”
“No, look at me.”
He lifted her chin.
When she stubbornly closed her eyes, his lips once again held her lips.
She frowned and opened her eyes nervously with a tingling sensation.
She bit her lip tightly and he laughed.
“Look, you do feel slightly responsible. You feel responsible for my outbursts. Even though it just happened by itself.”
“I said it wasn’t.”
“Well, okay. If you feel a tinge of burden and responsibility for me, I’m good. Because in return for that sense of burden, you’ll be helping me.”
He sounded like a clever man.
Roselyn gave him a desperate glare.
He didn’t care for the irritated look in her eyes and brushed his lips over hers.
“Aren’t I a generous master? I’m giving you a choice. Help me.”
“Who’s the master of whom? Don’t be arrogant about something I’ve never given.”
“Why are you sad now? You were thrown away. It’s me who saved you. It’s me who’s saying it’s okay, and I’m hugging you and kissing you.”
It was a man whose tongue was poisonous.
Roselyn was dumbfounded and didn’t reply.
He was a man who laughed so much.
He smiled again, obliquely, and while she was off guard, he spoke again.
“Be with me, Aranrosia.”
He selfishly called her Aranrosia.
“……Why would I?”
“If you stay with me, my power will stabilize, and you can have the same strength as me.”
“I don’t need it.”
“You won’t die easily. If you don’t like that, yes…… What can I give you? I’ll listen to what you want.”
“Nothing. Nothing.”
“Gold and silver treasure? You’ve probably seen enough of this stuff. Then…….”
His lips rubbed endlessly over her cheeks and chin.
Roselyn frowned, and no matter how much she pushed him away, it was useless.
What about a beast that will remain loyal to you forever?”
“You seem to know that you yourself are a beast.”
Tamon didn’t seem to mind her sarcasm.
What a strange man he was.
Is he a lunatic?
She looked at him with more sober eyes, but her expression seemed to pose no threat to him.
“I swear, I’ll never betray you.”
“A man’s heart is secretive, and you will betray me if need be.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“You are very confident.”
“You are, too.”
“… You’re not me.”
“Lie, you’re the one who’s always been at the top. It’s a place where you have to use your confidence.”
Roselyn realized something new. It wasn’t easy to beat this man with words.
Yes, what’s the point of beating him now?
She took a step back.
Roselyn said in a slightly softer voice.
“You know, your heart is now more of an impulse…”
Tamon’s eyes changed a little more intensely.
He placed his forehead against hers and lowered his voice.
“Don’t take the liberty of sticking a measuring stick into my heart. Did you judge all your men who swore allegiance to you with such eyes? They always betray you? But, why do you forgive those who betray you and why do you feel guilty about their deaths?”
It was a sharp rebuttal.
But that didn’t change the idea that his heart was an impulse.
The distrust was also not easily lifted. No, she wasn’t obligated to trust him in the first place.
After staring at her for a while without replying, Tamon sighed and stood up.
“You don’t have to answer right now. Tell me whenever you change your mind. I hope it’s before my outburst comes back.”
(*His outburst is his sickness which his power overload and needs to be released by mixing bodies (have s*x) with her.)
Tamon held out his hand to her, ignoring his swollen manhood.
“It’s time to eat. Let’s go get something to eat.”
Roselyn stared at the large hand in front of her.
The large, scarred hand didn’t even move as if it was guarding the spot until she grabbed it.
Roselyn ignored the hand and stood up.
Tamon grabbed her hand as she tried to walk past.
Holding her stiff white hand, Tamon said pleadingly in a soft tone.
“Don’t leave me like that. I’ll be hurt.”
Every word he said sounded like a joke. Why does he laugh when he only sees her?
It was hard not to trust someone who faced her with laughter.
The warmth bound in his cold fingers was unfamiliar.
**
*[ ] speaking in another language*
[Move quickly! If we get caught, they’ll confiscate everything!]
[Be quiet! Don’t you know that security is circling right now?]
[I know. That’s why I’m telling you to hurry. Come on!]
The noisy voices woke up Arsene. He could barely open his eyes due to his headache. However, just because he was awake didn’t mean that he could see.
Everything around him was black. Arsen raised his heavy body and traced his surroundings.
‘A cage…?’
He couldn’t see clearly, but he was trapped in a narrow cage. A black cloth covered it.
[We’ll leave when you’re finished loading everything.]
[ I finally got rid of them. We need to leave right now!]
What the hell is this noise?
He could hear them talking, but it was in a language Arsene could not understand. It wasn’t an official Tanatos language. It was a language used by the Nyruxians. (*Nyrux is a place where Tamon told Theo that he bought Roselyn.)
No way…
At that moment, Arsene’s face grew even paler.
Slavery was still existed in Tanatos.
Since even the previous emperor had developed numerous businesses through slaves, the current emperor also thought that slavery was a natural thing.
The nobles also had no reason to oppose it, since they got to live a convenient life while using humans like dogs and pigs.
The problem was the Empress.
She insisted that if she could not abolish slavery, she would at least have to improve the current system.
And she declared that slaves by fair trade and abduction would not be allowed, and that slaves without permission could become free people at any time.
She also enacted a law that if slaves died from unreasonable orders or harsh punishments, they had to be compensated.
The Empress and Emperor factions fought over this for a long time.
In the midst of this, the Empress won the exclusive right to trade red cocoons in Amor.
She handed over the trading rights to some of the imperialists on unbeatable terms, further empowering the Empress to have her say.
After a long confrontation, it ended in victory for the Empress, but that was only 2~3 years ago.
There was a time lag between the enactment and enforcement of the law. The system was much improved in the areas controlled by the imperial family, but not in the provinces where they could not see.
Looting, kidnapping, and illegal trade were still prevalent. And if the area was within the Emperor’s sphere of influence, there was even less need to be concerned.
‘Is Louvre the emperor’s territory?’
If that was the case, there was no way the Empress would have told Arsene to go to Louvre. Something was wrong.
Arsene listened more closely to the sounds coming from outside, shaking with the anxiety that was coming over him.
It was that moment. He felt the floor shake and heard the sound of splashing water.
‘Ship….?’
This was definitely a ship. Arsene was now being loaded onto the ship.
‘Human trafficking ……!’