Chapter 2 : Another Villain (8)

*****

Regina was a little surprised. Of course, it wasn't because Arsene had killed the Emperor, but she was surprised that the empress dowager had said that to her.

It was a known fact from the novels that he had killed his own biological father. Was it because she read it as a novel?

She just wondered if it was because he was a crazy villain. He was the type of person who would remove all obstacles that stood in the way of his goals. She had nothing to expect from a man without morals.

But she didn't know what the person who tried to kidnap her meant, and told her about Arsene killing his own father, maybe she thought it could be a weapon for her?

She wasn't going to let her live anyway, so she told her that. Nevertheless, when Regina closed her eyes and covered her mouth, she heard the rustling of cloth.

All her nerves were swept through her ears. She bit her lip, as if to reveal that she was subconsciously nervous.

But as time passed, nothing happened. A moment of silence. Eventually, when she opened her eyes, she saw the empress dowager approaching her.

The black veil, who was looking down at her from above, tilted her head slightly and gestured to a woman who appeared to be an aide.

"...?"

An aide who approached Regina sat on her knees and held her hand, which had been tied behind her back. She shivered not knowing what would happen to her, but all she did was take her engagement ring.

"Take it away, "

"Yes." Said the aide, who bowed her head with a firm voice, went out with it.

When Regina looked up at her again without realizing it, she heard a laugh as if it was funny.

"I brought Arsene Greroy fiancee here out of curiosity because he's getting married, and it's not something fun."

Then she slowly circled around the chair where she was sitting. "It was interesting to try to run away, but the reaction was lame," and her fine fingers grabbed Regina's dark hair and swept them down. "Your hair is amazing."

A softly clasped hand twisted the tips lightly and then released them. Contrast with pale fingers. Her black hair fluttered down, and she took a deep breath feeling the back of her neck shudder.

"I came to meet you in person like this with a busy body. It's a pity."

She leaned down to look into her face, and she had the illusion that their eyes met through the thick veil that ruffled in front of her.

"I got rid of a few people to show what happens when they hold his hand, but there's still a lot of people around it. Why don't people know what it's really like?"

There was a feeling of displeasure in her voice. The temperature seemed to drop by one degree around the empress dowager.

She knows that their relationship wasn't so bad from the start. He was a child who didn't know anything yet, and the empress was trying to be a caring mother.

"Feel bad. Isn't it?"

Her cool hand, reminiscent of Arsene, gently gripped Regina's chin. The empress dowager, who looked back and forth as if examining her toy, took her hand and backed away without any hesitation.

"Take care of it."

As if to throw away some trash, she said it like it was a trivial thing.

Is she really going to die here? Was it too much to expect Arsene to look for her, if he knew she had been missing all this time? She seemed to believed Arsene would come to save her.

Otherwise, she couldn't explain this sense of disappointment and frustration. The black veil disappeared over the door and several people came inside to block the entrance.

She wouldn't be able to escape anyway, but for what they were worried about, a fairly large number of people were assigned to one helpless person. The large shadows created by the lanterns they brought in filled the wall.

One of the people who entered the door approached her with a knife bag. The sharp sword shone brightly.

The tip of her nose wrinkled, and she felt like she was about to burst into tears. What did she come into this body for? To die?

She risked her life the whole time, and it was unfair to end up in this situation.

If she died and became the soul, she would go to the gods and catch his back at least once. She closed her eyes, feeling the cold metal piercing her neck already.

*****

A deep sunset evening. Someone came out of the building at such a quiet time that everyone could hear the sound of running water. 

 What he was holding in his hand shone in the moonlight.
 

The next moment, something that had escaped from Regina hand fell into the river flowing right next to it. 

The aide who threw away the ring without hesitation turned around confirming that it sank and flowed along the current.

Another person, who approached her cautiously as she tried to enter the building, bowed his head and reported an investigation. 

When the aide replied, the person disappeared in an instant. She felt that she have to leave.

She had to go with the empress dowager, but she could see a black veil coming out of the building without her having to bother to go back inside.

"I've taken care of it.."

"Good job. "

The aide immediately followed empress side and reported on the handling of the ring. She praised her with a soft tone and walked towards the carriage.

"Are you going to kill me?" 

Still, she was arsene fiancee. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried about what Arsene might do in retaliation, but the empress replied in a no-mind manner and got into the carriage.

"That way, there won't be a second one." 

It was ridiculous that Arsene was in love with her. And it was a changed fact that if she really had a contract with him, that wouldn't be good for her.

It was better to root out yellow sprouts in advance. The empress dowager, with her legs crossed, pulled the veil that covered her face and pulled it back. 

The face that was revealed was a woman who looked quite young for her age. With bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and a good-looking impression, only her expression was cold.

"They say they're looking around this area." 

When she passed on what she received earlier, a smile appeared on empress dowager face. It was a smile that reminded her of someone. 

The carriage departed. The city seen from the window of the carriage passing through the area without a sound was quiet.
 

*****

There was a sound like tearing the still air. The sound of horses galloping on the road was reflected from the walls of the building. 

The light obtained scattered around Arsene.

Purple eyes that fell into the darkness stared at a certain place. The ring started moving again. 

Regina's engagement ring had tracking magic on it. And the empress dowager was enough to recognize it.

He looked around at the sudden movement and suddenly heard the sound of water. Colored in darkness, the black river opened its mouth as if it were sucking everything. 

'Did you throw it in the river?' 

He licked his tongue and went upstream along the river.

Since the ring is coming down, the place it was thrown away must be higher than that. 

'I hope to see you alive.'