Chapter 67

Is there no safe place anywhere in the world? (1) – unedited

The summer moon shone on the crystal clear lake. It was a dull-looking lake surrounded by piles of stones with not one common statue, but Emperor Crihel liked the place of this solitary lake more than anywhere else in the Imperial Castle. The image of the moon waving quietly embracing the water gave him the feeling that it was comforting him after a tiring day.

“Your Majesty.”

It was a voice that suited the full moon night like today. In the place that he thought was his own space, he could hear other people’s presence, but Crihel wasn’t too surprised. No, he was rather used to it.

“Bella.”

Saint Serdebella lowered her white hood and approached him. Crihel took off his cloak and placed it on a small stone, Bella then sat down, with her legs crossed over it, as she had always done.

“Did you run away again?”

Even the Emperor who commands the world spoke respectfully in front of Saint Serdebella. Because she was the only human who was not subject to the laws of the human world.

She, who can speak the words of heaven, and may open the door to it as well. It was Saint Serdebella who stood on the borderline between life and death.

Bella burst into a small laugh, her seductive red and gleaming lips moving.

“If anyone hears it, they’ll think I’m a teenage girl.”

“The priests of the temple sneak in front of the imperial castle every day. they wondered if the Saint had gone into hiding again in the imperial castle.”

“I don’t know why they’re doing such a troublesome thing when they can’t even come in.”

“If the Saint had been staying quietly in the temple, there would be no need to do it.”

“Are you on the side of the priests now?”

Bella asked sternly in a playful voice. Crihel arranged Bella’s blonde hair as it flowed down her chest and brought it to his nose.

“I don’t know.”

“You have changed, Your Majesty. I think it’s because I come here often so you don’t understand how precious I am”

“If you say you are going to reduce your visits, withdraw it right away.”

Crihel’s eyes, as clear and good as the lake, turned to Bella. However, contrary to the words he uttered, there was no deep obsession in those eyes. It just felt like a casual greeting that he gave lightly.

That didn’t mean he didn’t want Bella. This is just Crihel’s personality.

It stems from an attitude that does not go beyond the limit in order for everything to be equal while being in the emperor’s position. Mad love would never be found in Crihel.

Bella had hoped that the good and upright emperor Crihel would be madly in love with her. Because of this, it was true that such a lukewarm reaction was not satisfactory to her.

But she did not express it. She played the story of an impeccable Saint who conveys the word of God while lightly pressing on her little desires.

“If you really want to, you can attend County Abitz’s banquet in a week.”

“Oh, I got the banquet invitation.”

“But are you saying you won’t go?”

“As you know, there are rumors that black magic is again prevalent in the country these days. If that’s true, there’s a great risk of rebellion. I have decided not to attend any banquets until the truth is known.”

Black magic. It is a magic that is cast by sacrificing the sacrifice of others, rather than the caster casting magic through their own magical power.

The sacrificial material is human blood. It absorbs and stores blood in a harness containing magical power, and then consumes it whenever black magic is cast.

At first glance, there was no difference from normal magic, but some high-class wizards could tell. Was it magical power that comes out of the activated magic or the smell of fishy blood?

Decades before Crihel was even born. A plague swept through a village, killing everyone.

They thought it was the wrath of God, so the surrounding villages stopped by the temple every day to pray, but it was not like the wrath of God. It was the product of indiscriminate sacrifice stemming from human greed.

Each of the corpses were skinned. The blood was drained from the body and only the shell was left behind and dumped on the road.

Those without magical powers took blood to use magic.

It was then that the imperial family realized the danger of black magic and banned it altogether. High-ranking imperial wizards were mobilized to put anyone on the guillotine if they had even the slightest hint of black magic, and gave a warning by hanging their heads all over the country.

It’s absurd, but educating with fear worked. Even immediately after Crihel took the throne, no black magic group was found except for cases where individuals could not overcome their curiosity and used black magic.

“Black magic? They must be those who take their lives lightly.”

“If it was true, there would be no mercy. It is unacceptable to do something so inhumane.”

As expected of the extremely competent monarch. He was so straight that she wondered if he should have been in the temple even more than Saint Bella herself.

He had the best golden age in history, and even though he had a strong vested interest that he could not dare to resist, he did not commit any wrongdoings. If he was the so-called tyrant, he would have devised a contradictory bill that would inevitably allow only him to access the banned black magic altogether.

“Don’t worry too much, Your Majesty. I will stand by Your Majesty.”

“It’s okay to have a bad day. I just need to come out to the shore like this once in a while.”

Crihel’s fingertips touched Bella’s white cheeks. Unable to press down with strength, je gently sweeps down with his fingers.

His warm and soft touch compared to his cold hands made her heart flutter. Bella took Crihel’s hand slowly.

“Count Abitz is a man you cherish. He is also a loyal follower of Your Majesty more than anyone else. It’s a banquet for Your Majesty, so how sad he would be if Your Majesty was not present.”

“Catching the treason of Marquisate Cherilyn deserves him a new estate.”

“Yes. It is an achievement that Count Abitz got after all night thinking of Your Majesty. So, go and visit.”

“… If the Saint says that, I will think about it.”

Bella smiled brightly. No matter how refreshing it was, the surrounding area lit up brightly even though summer was over and the flowers were preparing to hide in the ground. At that smile, Crihel felt his heart pound.

“Thank you.”

He didn’t say that he was going for sure, but Bella even thanked him as she seemed to already think so.

Crihel didn’t do anything to stop her joy. She smiled innocently like a girl, and her figure looked like a beautiful masterpiece. He didn’t want to splash ink on this.