I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 234
I slowly lifted my still heavy eyelids, making sure I didn’t look suspicious. I tried to sit up, but a scream escaped me.
The pain was visible on my face, and the man immediately apologized.
“I’m sorry, Euel. I was too rough, wasn’t I?”
With golden hair, lake-like blue eyes, and a gentle appearance. This man looked like someone I’d never met. Yet, he treated me as if he knew me very well.
It was clear that he must have done his research on me since he had kidnapped me, but I hadn’t expected him to call me so familiarly.
I had to get out of here. If that’s the case, I need to deceive my captor first.
Setting aside all other possibilities, I decided to act like I was struggling to adapt to the situation, as anyone else might.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Miel. Call me Miel, Euel.”
You insane bastard, tell me your title, not the name. I can’t pretend I know you’re the Emperor just yet.
“What kind of person are you to kidnap me?”
“I’m the Emperor of the Southern Empire!”
The man puffed his chest out proudly. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
“How does the Emperor of the Southern Empire know about me?”
“We met, right? Don’t you remember?”
I expected the answer to be something like, “You’re the betrothed of the Emperor of the Northern Empire,” but it was another surprise response.
I didn’t remember meeting this man at all. There was no reason for me to ever meet the Emperor of the Southern Empire.
“I went to Varen to meet you, Euel. Don’t you remember? You helped me up when I fell!”
As I sifted through my memories, a faint image started to come to mind.
“Ah.”
“Do you remember now? Right?”
That man who was foolishly walking on the ice!
“I was there to meet you. I thought I wouldn’t get to see you, so I was relieved to meet you, even like that.”
“How did you know about me and want to meet me?”
“Don’t take it the wrong way, Euel. I couldn’t resist after receiving a prophecy about you after such a long time.”
His prophecy, that damned prophecy.
I wanted to ask what it was about, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to reveal any weaknesses in front of the enemy.
“To receive a prophecy that I didn’t receive, I was curious. When I actually saw you, Euel, you were so beautiful and cute, I couldn’t help but be thrilled.”
The Southern Emperor spoke nonstop.
“Back then, the goal was just to see your face, so I left right away. But if I’d known you’d grow up this wonderfully, maybe I should have kidnapped you sooner.”
“Varen is part of the Northern Empire’s territory. Are you saying you had secretly hid and kidnapped Northern Empire citizens?”
“The Southern Empire and the Northern Empire are enemies, after all. What harm would it do if I made one more mistake?”
The Southern Emperor smiled widely.
After just a few words, I could already judge the man. He was crazy, completely mad in a different way from Tess.
“If it were anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been able to try it. But Varen is protected by the power of nature, so even the Emperor of the Northern Empire can’t touch it. Thanks to that, I was able to sneak in without any consequences.”
The price.
Right, this man said he had even come to Alin. According to Tess, he must have paid a price for it.
“Does that mean if it weren’t for Varen, you would have had to pay a price? Well, since you invaded the Northern Empire, it’s only right you face the consequences.”
Pretending to be angry, the Southern Emperor widened his eyes in surprise. But soon, he smiled and responded.
“Oh, the only one who can demand a price from me is the god I serve.”
“Lux, is it? Did he allow you to invade the Northern Empire?”
“He didn’t allow me to go to Alin, though. By defying his will and going to Alin, I lost something important.”
“Alin?”
I feigned shock, as if I were hearing about it for the first time. The Southern Emperor’s eyes glinted with pleasure.
“Yes, I wasn’t going to see you back then. Oh, are you upset?”
“Of course not. But why did you go to Alin? When?”
“Just before the war broke out.”
The Southern Emperor seemed to think that I couldn’t escape, or perhaps he didn’t care if I knew now, and he started talking freely.
“Naturally, I went to kill the Northern Emperor. If he dies, the war will stop.”
I could feel my anger rising, and I instinctively reacted.
“Don’t speak carelessly, using that open mouth. How dare you insult His Majesty? I will not forgive you.”
“Wow. How wonderful, Euel. Could you say that ‘open mouth’ line again?”
But the Southern Emperor remained strong.
“I am human, but I have received the blessing of the holy Lux, and I have been granted the name of ‘El.’ I am nothing like the vile Northern Emperor.”
The Southern Emperor smiled widely, crossing his hands in front of his chest.
The sacred name of El. Only those who are blessed by the God of Light, such as elves and fairies, can bear it. The name ‘El’ carries divine power, and those who are not children of the Light will be cursed if they try to use it.
“Did you receive it at birth?”
“No, I gained holiness when that filthy devil made a pact. He and I are like two sides of the same coin.”
Since he infiltrated Alin and used Ruby and the Prince, he must have gathered information on me as well.
Rather than pretending I didn’t understand anything, I thought it would be more convincing to act as if I understood just enough to ask.
“So, does that mean that for the Northern Imperial family’s devil to manifest, a holy one must appear in the Southern Empire as well?”
“Exactly! Euel, you’re so smart! They said you were a rising talent in Concium, and your understanding is impressive.”
Of course.
The Southern Emperor clapped his hands, impressed, but I had to hold back a laugh.
So he’s fake.
Without the devil, holiness cannot manifest. What he means is that in order for him to have the blessing of the God of Light, there must be the devil.