The Abandoned Empress

Maybe that’s why I earnestly prayed that God would save her. Although I was offered the miracle of divine power, I earnestly begged God to save her, who I had been hating so much.

So, I wanted to ask her, who had the same experience as mine, how she overcame the sense of separation and empty feelings. But I didn’t ask her, after all.

“Hahaha…”

While laughing like that for a long time, I suddenly noticed a glass bottle she left behind.

I slowly raised my body and approached the table. Then I slowly reached out and held the glass bottle. Shining brightly under the moonlight, it was very cold to the touch, like her eyes looking at me.

“Did she say she didn’t want to see me die…”

Considering what she told me, it was highly likely that the bottle she left behind was poison.

Maybe she wanted me to commit suicide by taking this instead of being humiliated in the presence of everybody. I thought she might have recalled her memories before her return. It was definitely not a pleasant memory.

When I recalled how she was executed before my return, I made a bitter smile.

She fixed her golden eyes on him without casting a glance at me at all. Although she looked haggard because of her imprisonment, she was confident and elegant until her last moment.

If I didn’t drink this bottle, it was clear that I would have the same fate she did before my return. Of course, I was not sure if I could be as confident as her.

I still recalled how strongly her blood smelled, and how sharply she stared at him.

I shuddered as if I smelled the blood around me. I wasn’t confident enough to die like her. I didn’t want to die miserably in the face of those laughing scornfully at me as if I was a spectacle.

I never wanted to end my life like that.

What should I do? I tightened my grip on the bottle.

I wanted to die, but at the same time, I did not want to die. Since I lost the purpose of my return, I no longer wanted to live while I was hated in this strange world. I was sick and tired of living the kind of life that was despised and neglected by others.

But even so, I didn’t want to give up my life. Given that I returned to this world after regaining my life the hard way, I didn’t want to end my life miserably like this. Besides, I didn’t achieve anything that I wanted.

“Whew…”

When I was staring at the cold glass bottle hesitantly for a long time, I heard the tightly closed door opening.

I quickly concealed the glass bottle into the sleeve and slowly raised my head. Thanks to the torch hanging in the hallway, I could see two bright shadows standing in the bright doorway.

“…”

While examining the shadows to see if Aristia was back. I hardened my face a bit. I couldn’t figure out who they were because they stood with their backs against the lights, but they were simply too big for her shadow.

Then who the hell are they? Why did they visit me?

While I caught my breath to calm down, one of the shadows beckoned to the other gently.

After confirming the other shadow standing beside the door, I turned to the shadow coming toward me.It was clear that it was this man who came here to see her for some reason.

“Lady Jena.” His voice was chilly.

At the familiar voice echoing into my ear, I flinched while swallowing to calm down my anxiety and nervousness. Looking at her, he put the hood of his robe on the back of his head. Blue light was reflected over his robe, along with his navy blue eyes.

Why did he appear here?

My eyes trembled at his unexpected appearance. Even though I was surprised by Aristia’s visit, little did I think Rublis would come to see me. She had a reason to do so, but he didn’t need to. Moreover, all the trials on those including Duke Jena and the core members of the noble faction members were over.

Is it because I lost my attention for a moment? Something seemed to drop from my sleeve, then fell to the floor before I grabbed it. He looked at the glass bottle rolling on the fluffy carpet for a moment and said in a unique, cool voice, “It’s a transparent bottle. It’s that one as I expected.”

“… Pardon?”

“I expected she would give this bottle to you, but…oh, my head hurts.”

He was muttering something when I asked, then suddenly turned his head to look at me. While pretending to be calm, I looked at his cold eyes. I didn’t know for sure, but I felt something bad would happen if I didn’t act calmly.

How much time passed? After looking at me for a long time as if he was agonized, he asked with a sigh slowly in a subdued voice, “Lady Jena, do you know what that bottle is?”

“…”

I remained silent. Somewhere, I felt sad and irritated at the moment. What the heck was he doing to me when I had to commit suisuide soon? I felt indignant not only at Aristia who left a poison bottle behind and him who knowingly asked me what it was.

Did he read my mind? Unlike a moment ago when he seemed to treat me gently, he was now back to his cold attitude with an indifferent look.

“You don’t have to look at me like that. It is poison, but it’s not.”

“What do you mean?”

I asked, frowning my eyebrows.

What is he talking about? Does it mean that the bottle is a legendary medicine that if one drinks just a drop, it becomes a good medicine, but if one overuses it, it acts as poison? Or is it a medicine that can hold one’s breath temporarily, just like the one Juliet drank?

But Rublis remained silent with a pensive look, and said nothing. He was still silent when I asked again, just in case he didn’t hear it.

I felt irritated again, which I took pains to calm down until now, but I tried to speak to him as if it’s not a big deal. Anyway, it was me who was disadvantageous now.

“Please tell me, Your Majesty. What do you mean when you say it’s poison, but it’s not?”

“…”

“Your Majesty!”

“…”

“Would you please tell me?”

The moment he rejected my earnest request, I unwittingly lost my temper and stared at him fiercely. As I was to die anyway, I had nothing to fear.

“Are you kidding me?”

“… What did you just say? ”

“I asked if you were kidding me. Don’t you think you are so mean and cruel…Oh shucks!”

While screaming at him at the top of my voice in a fit of anger, I suddenly stopped when I felt something cold touching my neck. The man in a black robe was pointing the sword at my neck.

Rublis sharply looked at me when I was shuddering with fear.

“I’m fine. Just go back, Marquis. ”

“But Your Majesty…”

“I said I’m fine.”

“… Yes, Your Majesty.”

When the man reluctantly bowed out, Rublis said in a casual voice, as if nothing happened, “Go ahead. What did I do to you?”

Only

I touched my neck gently and stared at Rublis again. Although I was very surprised, I didn’t want to back out. In that case, I would not have dared to speak out to him from the beginning.

“What I said was not entirely wrong, right? Are you and Aristia playing games with me? She left the bottle behind, telling me she didn’t want to see me die in front of her, and you came here suddenly and said something beyond my understanding. Is it so fun to play the fool with me? A traitor like me doesn’t deserve any human rights?”

Although I spoke out without reserve in a fit of anger, I felt like crying because I was more and more upset while speaking to him.

Controlling my tears, I stared at him with glaring eyes fiercely. I could never let him see me crying.

“As for the treason charges against me, I can’t accept it. Who first told you about the raid? It was me. Why should I die because of Duke Jena? I saved Aristia who was slowly dying, and this is how you repay me? You want to use me fully, then dump me? Don’t you feel any guilt? Aren’t you sorry for me?”

“Why should I feel sorry?”

“What the heck?”