A Desperate Prayer to a Silent God
A room thick with frost. Dozens of beef carcasses hung in neat rows. Massive hooks pierced the chunks of meat, where stark white bone and crimson muscle tangled in a gruesome display. Deep inside, hidden within a wooden cabinet large enough to fit two people, were the Imperial Princess and a man shrouded in black.
"Mmph!" Gagged and weeping, she was none other than Princess Joy, beloved by all the citizens of the Empire.
"Shh... Quiet down, Your Highness. Keep still, and no harm will come to you." At his words, Princess Joy trembled pitifully.
Once the soldiers expand their perimeter around Roman, the rest will be easy. He had absolute faith that his teammates would play their parts perfectly.
Just in case, we should hold out here for today. Looking at the winter gear and the day's worth of rations he had prepared in advance, he pondered his next move.
As time passes, they will widen their search area, and a gap will inevitably open. That is when we slip away.
"Mmmph!"
Meanwhile, at that very moment in the Gold Area.
The court physician, carefully examining the wound with trembling hands, looked up at me.
"Your... Your Majesty... Forgive me, but... the dagger was laced with poison. We cannot use a potion. You must summon the court priest and the court mage immediately."
Poison...?
At his words, I barked at the surrounding guards. "Bring the priest and the mage here this instant!"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"
Looking down at the unconscious Deviang, I felt the blood drain from my fingertips. Deviang, you cannot die yet. Not yet... I haven't even told you I love you. My nose stung, my vision blurred, and tears began to track down my cheeks. I hurriedly wiped them away.
"Are the priest and the mage not here yet?" I asked again, my anxiety mounting.
"Not yet, Your Majesty. It has barely been five minutes since you issued the order..."
"Right. Of course."
I gently stroked Deviang's dark hair as his breathing grew ragged. Why... why did you go so far to protect me? A profound sorrow washed over me at the realization that he had taken the dagger in my stead.
Deviang. My husband, a man worthy of being called the genius of the century. The fact that he was on the brink of death because of me filled me with a crushing sense of loss, as if my entire world were collapsing. I am not worth risking your life for. If I were merely an emperor to him, he would never have thrown himself in harm's way. Coldly speaking, an emperor can always be replaced.
"Ugh..."
Deviang, who was always so quick with political calculations, would have known that better than anyone. He risked his life because I was his wife—his beloved wife.
"Deviang... please don't die..."
Dark blood seeped from Deviang's back. Seeing that blood soak through his clothes tore my heart to pieces.
"Court physician, the Grand Duke... will the Grand Duke be alright?"
At my desperate plea, the physician shook his head with a grim expression. "It... will likely depend on the type of poison."
Gritting my teeth... Damn them. Who dared to try and assassinate me? I will never forgive them.
"Y-Your Majesty! Did you summon us?"
"You called for us, Your Majesty?"
Hearing the two voices, I turned my head to look at them.
"Save my husband... Please, save my husband."
"We... we will do our absolute best."
As they spoke, the court physician interjected, "Priest, the Grand Duke has been poisoned. We must neutralize it immediately."
The priest stepped forward, carefully examining Deviang's back.
It will be fine. Deviang... you'll be alright, so please, just hold on a little longer. I stroked his unconscious head, clinging to hope. No matter what kind of poison it was, a court priest would surely be able to purify it. Yes. If they knew not to use a potion because of the poison, they must know how to cure it. I had heard that potions should never be applied to poisoned wounds. These men were highly capable. It would be fine. Right, Deviang?
"Hmm... It is indeed poison." The priest muttered, parting the wound on his back... and as he did, dark blood gushed out in torrents.
Is he losing too much blood? Fear gripped my heart, but I tried to soothe myself. The people treating Deviang were the finest minds in the Empire. It will be fine... It has to be fine.
"This appears to be a mineral-based poison. It is not something that can be purified with holy power." The mage standing beside the priest lightly touched the blood, smearing a small amount onto the back of his hand.
"Yes, it is a mineral poison. I can feel a faint trace of mana stone energy on my skin. It was wise of you not to use a potion." The mage continued, "I will fetch a neutralizing agent for mana stones from my laboratory. Please wait just a moment." With that, he rose and hurried out of the room.
Just then, the court physician let out a heavy sigh. "Your Majesty. The wound is deep. I fear... you must prepare yourself for the worst."
At those words, something boiled up inside my chest—a tempest of sorrow and despair that defied description. "No! No! You must save him! Save him, I command you...!"
The physician and the priest, their faces etched with solemn grief, lowered their heads and avoided my gaze.
"Y-You are the greatest physician, priest, and mage in the entire Empire, are you not? I... I have no doubt that you can save the Grand Duke... that you can save him... *sob*..."
But as they remained silent, despair closed its icy grip around me.
"Why do you say nothing? It was merely... merely the strike of a cowardly assassin! I have heard that with your skills, you can pull a man back from the very brink of death. So... so please..."
"He has lost far too much blood. I fear he cannot hold out much longer."
The cruel, unbelievable reality crashed down upon me. "No! No..."
I slowly lowered my gaze to Deviang's pale face. Looking at him, I could feel the shadow of death creeping closer.
"No, please, no... Deviang... I haven't even told you that I love you yet. *sob*... You can't... you can't die." The terrifying realization that he might actually leave me caused my emotions to boil over.
"You promised we would go out to Roman again... So... you can't die..." After our last incognito outing, we had promised to go out together again. Wasn't that a promise that our journey that day wouldn't be our last?
"My father, my brothers... everyone who loved me has already left. But... you won't leave me too, will you? You'll stay... you'll always stay by my side, right?"
I gently caressed Deviang's cheek. He did not answer my desperate plea. As I felt his warmth slowly fading, a fresh torrent of tears burst from my eyes.
"There is... there is still so much we haven't done together... You were always so busy... *sob*... busy with work, we barely even got to talk..."
"Please... don't go... Please..."
I looked up at the ceiling of the Imperial Palace and cried out. "Almighty El, I beg of you. Please save him... save the man I love, who has labored for this Empire more than anyone else. He cares for the people of this Empire more than anyone."
He was a man who truly loved the citizens and lived for the Empire, far more than I, its Emperor, ever did. Why was God trying to take such a man away?
"O El, have you not taken enough from me already? Have you not burdened me with a cruel enough fate? If you have even an ounce of pity for me, please... please... do not steal my beloved husband away. I beg of you..."
The family God had snatched from me. The harsh destiny forced upon me, thrusting me onto the throne—I had never wanted any of this. The throne belonged to my eldest brother, the Crown Prince. And even if something had happened to him, my second brother should have succeeded him. But because of Valorang, everything was twisted.
My beloved family was stolen from me, and I ascended the throne solely to fulfill our house's duty. It was the only way to protect what remained. If I did not become the Emperor... then fragile, innocent Joy would have been forced to take the crown.
"O El... at first, I resented you. I resented you so deeply for placing such a cruel fate upon my shoulders."
Resentment was too mild a word; I had cursed God. How could I not, when Valorang had brutally slaughtered my innocent family, and God had allowed it?
In those dark times, the powerful high nobles only interacted with me to further their own influence, utterly ignoring my pleas for help. At first, I thought he was just like them. I believed he had forced me into marriage solely to manipulate the Empire to his whim.
But... it did not take long for me to realize he was different. As he stabilized the chaotic political landscape and managed the state affairs, he always put my opinions first. He taught me what I did not know, showed me the art of negotiation, never treated me lightly, and respected me completely.
And in that split second, when life and death hung in the balance, he threw away his own life to save mine. So, I pleaded with God.
"I was wrong... I am sorry... *sob*... So please... do not take my husband from me. He is a good, devoted man who knows nothing but me, the Empire, and its people. If this is a punishment meant for me... then take me instead."
Yet, God remained silent. I loathed El for that silence. Clenching my fists, I prayed to the deity who always took everything from me.
If... if you dare to steal him from me... then... not a single one of your believers will remain alive in this world. Do you hear me?
I will drag this Empire into the abyss of ruin. I will sponsor the demon worshipers and bring about the end of this world. If you do not want that! If you do not want this world to plunge into absolute chaos, then save my husband right now, you useless God!
"Pant... pant... I have brought the medicine! Quick, apply this to the wound!"
Had my desperate prayer been answered? The mage, breathing heavily, shook a glass vial and handed it to the physician.
"I will neutralize the poison immediately."