Translated by Wealthy Whale

Edited by Iris Sakura

What a good night, Your Highness.

He stared at the Emperor with an emotionless face.

It absolutely is.

Sezh was dazed as she saw Raytan with blood all over his body.

It felt like she was in a dream.

An atrocious nightmare she had never wanted to behold again.

Ray tan, Between the Emperors frail lips, words that resembled a sigh flowed out.

Interesting how he mistook Sezh for Lillian but recognized Raytan at a glance.

Sezh then quickly realized the reason

I knew it was going to happen the day youd finally do something like this.

The Emperor still recognized Raytan even under the heavy dose of medicine hed consumed

Like what it said in that legend.

Because of his fear. The fear hed held all his life.

However, it hasnt been that long since Lize left

Dont put my mothers name in that dirty mouth.

Raytans voice was unbearably cold. No, everything about him was frosty that night: his crimson eyes staring at the Emperor and his aloof expression too.

He took a step forward to approach the Emperor, then pointed his sword at the Emperors neck.

Everyone could see blood from an unknown victim trickling down from the tip of his sword and dropping onto the Emperors clothes. Hiding behind the curtain, Sezh covered her mouth as she peeped at them.

Its all over, Carta Rowain. No one can help you.

Raytans voice overlapped with the horrible screams coming from the outside.

What he said was true. Here and now, no one in the palace could help the Emperor because they were all also dying at the moment.

Raytan

The Emperor seemed to know it too. There was a deep sense of defeat on his wrinkled face as he spoke his sons name.

My son How is he?

Isnt the person standing in front of him also his son? The Emperor still seemed to deny Raytans existence even now.

Its amazing. In this situation, are you instead curious about that? Raytan scoffed.

Help me choose, Carta, He smirked. Should I cut off your head and show it to Bern? Or should I do it the other way around?

.

I dont mind either way.

The Emperor looked at Raytan with a blank face and then made a strange laughing sound. His laugh sounded small and was closer to a sigh.

Everyone told me. The Emperors voice was fleeting. That I must kill someone like you.

If only so we could prevent terrible things

Your mother

Raytans brow twitched.

If Lize hadnt stopped me I would have done it

The Emperors words did not continue. It was because of Raytan who suddenly rushed to him. Even Sezh was startled at his sudden movement.

Raytan, who grabbed his fathers collar, showed that dreadfully cold face, just like when he cut her neck in the past.

What are you talking about?

Ugh

Im asking you what you are talking about?!

Raytan pushed the Emperor harshly. The young mans chest went up and down heavily.

Tying you to a stone and throwing you into the river. Even leaving you in a forest teeming with lions. Who could stop me?

It was a story that Sezh knew too. Wasnt everyone sure that the Emperor did such a thing to Raytan, who hadnt even been able to open his eyes properly at that time?

However, the Emperor shook his head.

She stopped me.

What?

While holding you Lize begged me.

Your Highness, this is my child, my son.

She said that if you die, she will die with you.

If Your Highness wants to do that, then do it to me too.

She begged like that.

Please tie a stone to my ankle and throw me into the river. Tie me and abandon me in the forest so I can be together with my son.

Lize was like a lake: always quiet and calm. No matter what happened, she never laughed or cried. Even when she received expensive jewels that low-borns could never touch in their lifetimes, or when he forced her to get drunk. she was always like that. Such a woman grabbed his leg while begging for her child. If he had to kill the child, Lize told the Emperor to kill her too.

Or I will die first.

Lize crawled and aimed the dagger at her slender neck.

Raytan was the child that the Emperor should have killed.

However, he couldnt lose Lize.

But contrary to what people knew and expected of me, I spread a rumor that said even when I threw you into the river or left you in the forest you would not die.

If I still insisted on killing you Lize said she will go crazy.

The Emperor did not throw the child into the river, nor did he leave him alone in the forest.

Hed left the child in the shallowest part of the river downstream with a maid. He also sent him to the forest with an escort knight.

The child survived, and everyone believed the ruse.

If it wasnt for Lize You would be dead. Undoubtedly.

Raytans eyes trembled ferociously. If it wasnt for his mother, would he have died? No, she was forced to do that. She left him alone. She pushed her son into this hell *

Your mother risked her life to save you, but you dare.

It was not because of motherhood or love that Lize risked her life to save him. Raytan knew it all too well. The only reason she clung to the Emperor, whom she hated, was for none other than

Shall I tell you a secret, Carta? Raytan grinned.

It was for this very moment that my mother risked her life to save me.

The Emperor startled and clutched his chest.

She always dreamed of it. The moment when that cursed child, I. will finally ruin everything like in the legend.

The keen sword swung and made a horrifying sound. He pointed it at the Emperors chest.

My mother gave this to me on my 18th birthday. She told me that I would use it someday. Its not just the sword. She painstakingly prepared many things since long ago.

What?

From the day you smashed in my fathers head mercilessly.

The Emperors eyes, full of torment, shook wildly.

Have you ever had any doubts? Just once? asked Raytan in a cold voice.

No It cant be

Looking at the Emperor with an inscrutable face, Raytan pulled out the collar of his blood-soaked shirt. A grunt released from his mouth, and Sezh could see a button topple down to the floor. Now, his shoulders were visible.

Do you know what this is?

He pointed to his left shoulder, which had always been wrapped in bandages. Even Sezh had never seen it before.

On his tan skin. there was a mark.

A bird-shaped mark.

The mark of the Kunir tribe.

Why are you wearing bandages here, even though youre not hurt?

Sezh covered her mouth immediately as she recalled a question she once asked him.

Do you know how happy I was when I gave birth to you?

Lize tried to kill Raytan on the ship since she thought he was the Emperors blood. It was natural for her to be uncertain about the babys father. As soon as the Emperor touched her, she took medicine to abort the baby, just in case.

Pregnant Lize hit her belly with a stone and incessantly drank poison, but the child did not die. The fetus was attached to her body like a leech she couldnt get rid of.

So, in the end, Raytan was born.

It was right at the time when Lize, who lost her mind, was about to strangle the child with her trembling hands.

A familiar mark appeared on his shoulder: the Kunir tribe mark inherited from generation to generation. A bird-shaped mark

But it was strange. Neither Moonid nor I have black hair. Then suddenly I realized something.

Recalling Lizes words, Raytan smiled coldly.

You arean opportunity God has given me. Like the legend, youre the chance for me to ruin everything.

Embracing her newly born baby, Lize laughed. She squealed like a madwoman.

Look at this, Moonid.

I did it.

I did it!

You were deceived, Carta.

After that, I decided I will take revenge.

But Mother You wont be able to take revenge Thats impossible.

Young Raytan said so to Lize. He wasnt even seven years old at that time. Back then, he was already well aware that in the Imperial Palace, there was nobody on Lizes side. Besides, her target for vengeance was none other than the Emperor. It couldnt have been possible.

No, I can, said Lize with a smile. Thats why I gave birth to you and continuously keep you alive, isnt it?

I am not your son.

The Emperors face darkened. He instantly recalled a memory from years ago The words he heard from Lize when he was about to kill the newborn child.

This is my child, my son.

At least once in her life had she ever said something like, Its our child or, Its Your Majestys child?

You merely because of that

There was deep remorse in the Emperors eyes.

This thing

Merely, you say?

Raytans eyes filled with rage.

Mother never forgot about something you describe as mere, Carta. Mothers mother and my grandmothers mother would also never forget how you all persecuted us.

What made us like this is Denhelder. Dont forget that.

This is not the first time.

A woman who betrayed God gave birth. The Emperor threatened her life. She had no choice but to escape without even having time to cut her babys umbilical cord. They said that was the root of all of this.

The woman who betrayed God and the girl she gave birth to You all did the same thing to them. Am I right?

From here to there, from there to there. It was because of those people that we were unable to settle in one place and had no choice but to lead lowly lives.

Even after such a long time, you all still continually track them down over and over. Then after you find the womans bloodline, you kill them again and again

But look at me. Didnt I come back here after all? They didnt even allow me to have hope.

You brought the last of that bloodline to Denhelder. With your own hands.

This, too, must be the will of God.

You, you

The Emperor gave Raytan an disbelieving stare. Appearing on the Emperors face was a look of bafflement from being told something he should never have heard.

You and Lize? Its a lie. It has to be a lie. They said they died long ago. That womans descendants.

Its all your fault.

And you

The Emperor gasped with his face pale. All the things he had been afraid of all his life eventually happened at once.

Raytan stared fixedly at the Emperor then continued to speak.

Even if youre going to die, keep your eyes on me, Carta. Watch everything that happens.

Raytan took out the sword that hed stabbed into the bed before. He then directed it at the Emperors neck.

God

God will not forgive you Raytan

As the Emperor cursed him with a waning voice, anger dawned in Raytans ruby eyes.

Then pray now. Pray and wail with that throat. So that God can help you

.

Because Im going to kill you.

The sharp blade of his sword swung in a flash.

With a thump, something round rolled on the floor until it reached Sezhs feet, who was hiding behind the curtain.

It was the Emperors head.

Sezh fell to the floor with her mouth shut.