The Shadow of the Original Timeline
A few candles cast a dim glow around the dark room. The cold, hard stone presses against the soles of my feet... and I find myself suspended from the ceiling, my arms bound tight. A sense of utter bewilderment washes over me.
Where is this? A strange, unfamiliar sight. It looks exactly like the underground torture chambers of the Imperial Palace.
Just then—creeeak! The door swings open, and a woman steps into the chamber. It is Theodora, holding a menacing whip in one hand, glaring down at me with eyes as cold as ice.
“Deviang Lion.”
I stare at her, utterly baffled. Why is she glaring at me like that? Did I do something wrong? The situation makes no sense. But what happens next is even harder to comprehend.
“P-please... spare me.”
Huh? That's strange. I didn't say that. Did I just speak? Just as a jarring sense of dissonance washes over me at this bizarre phenomenon—
“Very well. I shall spare you. Once you weep and beg me to kill you, only then will I send you to the guillotine.”
What? As she speaks, a flicker of madness dances in Theodora's eyes, sending a phantom shiver of cold sweat down my spine. She is somehow different from the Theodora I know. Her face is identical, but... how should I put it? Her aura is entirely different.
Crack! The whip lashes across my chest. Huh? Why doesn't it hurt?
“Aaargh! Y-Your Imperial Majesty! Spare me! Argh!”
Crack! Crack!
“Spare you? Spare you?! When We begged Valorang to spare the late Emperor and Our brother, did Valorang listen?!”
Crack! Crack!
“I was wrong! I'm sorry!”
Though the whip strikes me repeatedly... strangely, I feel no pain. It feels exactly like... a dream.
Is this the story of the original novel? There is no way I would be locked in a dungeon like this. Theodora doesn't possess the military force required to imprison me. So, this must indeed be the original timeline. I fall into deep thought as I watch the woman ruthlessly whip the man.
So he wasn't just executed in the original story. In the novel, Deviang's end was described in a mere two lines, so I assumed he was simply executed. But of course, someone as cruel as the original Theodora would never have granted him a quick death.
“Joy... My lovely little sister... Valorang defiled her, did he not?!”
Crack! Crack!
“Aaargh!”
I feel no pain, but the sight is gruesome. With every strike of the whip, flesh and blood splatter into the air.
“Defiling my sweet sister with that hideous, decrepit body of his?!”
Thud! She forces my chin up with the handle of her whip.
“And what did you do then? Did you stand against Valorang like your sister did? Or did you raise an army to kill him like your brother-in-law?”
Mary and Agrippa in the original story. Once Valorang assassinated the Emperor, both of them fled the Grand Duchy. They gathered forces, rebuilt the ruined Grand Duchy, and eventually succeeded in eliminating Valorang alongside the Hero's party.
“While your sister and brother-in-law fought, what did you do? You lived in luxury right here in the Imperial Palace, didn't you?”
Theodora's crimson eyes burn with murderous intent. Those red eyes glare at me as if they want to devour me whole.
“Why don't you answer! You traitorous dog!”
Crack! Rip! The whip slashes across my face. A misaimed blow, perhaps, because the vision in one of my eyes suddenly goes pitch black. Did I go blind?
“Aaargh! Ahhh! My eye! My eye!”
Am I experiencing the memories of the original Deviang?
Crack! Crack!
“And to top it off! You dared to violate my sister while Valorang was away?! You truly are a beast of a son, harboring lust for your own stepmother!”
Thwack!
“Aaargh!”
The original Deviang screams in pure agony. Theodora strikes my head violently with the whip's handle before tossing the weapon roughly to the floor.
“Haa... Haa... If it were up to me, I would erase the cursed Lion family from the face of this earth. But considering the achievements of Mary and Agrippa, I cannot. Still, a wonderful method of revenge has just crossed my mind.”
She reaches into the rack of torture implements behind her and pulls something out. Are those... shears?
Clank! Clank!
“You dared to rape my sister?!”
Uh... this is getting a bit graphic. One-sided violence and sheer madness. Since I don't actually feel the pain, I'm not particularly bothered, but... how should I put it? Theodora looks completely insane. Seeing her face splattered with blood, twisted into a manic, amused smile, sends a shiver down my spine.
Uh... I won't end up like this, right? Unlike the original Deviang, I haven't mistreated Joy, and my relationship with my mother-in-law isn't bad at all. In fact, she dotes on me so much it's sometimes overwhelming.
Well, regardless of that, watching this brutal version of Theodora only solidifies my resolve: I absolutely have to run away.
Deviang writhes in agony on the floor, pooling in his own blood. Eventually, having lost too much blood, he slips into unconsciousness. Panting heavily as she looks down at him, Theodora mutters,
“Tsk. And they call themselves Lions. Nothing but a sickly mutt.”
With those words, she turns to leave. At that exact moment, I am violently ejected from Deviang's body. What is this?
Like a soul detached from its physical vessel, I float in the air, staring down at the unconscious Deviang. What is going on? It is far too vivid to be a mere dream; I can tell this is no ordinary nightmare.
First... I should follow Theodora. Although the heavy door of the torture chamber is firmly shut, I pass straight through it as if I were a ghost. It's strange. It feels as though I already knew I could pass through this door...
Following her as she ascends from the dungeon, I make my way toward the Gold Area.
“Ah... Se-Seojun, it feels so good!”
“M-Mirine...”
I blink in confusion at the suggestive noises echoing through the Gold Area. Wait, Seojun? As in Lee Seo-jun? Well, if there's anyone with a Korean name in this world, it has to be him.
Seeing the arrival of the original protagonist, the Hero Lee Seo-jun, confirms beyond a doubt that this is indeed the original timeline. Should I take a look at his face? He is the protagonist of the original novel, after all.
Hearing those sounds, however, Theodora glances toward the room from which the moans are leaking, her shoulders trembling slightly. Coincidentally, that is our bridal chamber. As far as I know, that room was the one Theodora had used since childhood.
She must have known full well that Lee Seo-jun was holding an orgy in there... I can't help but wonder why she would lend him the room she had cherished since she was a girl. She pauses in front of her childhood room. Tears well up in her eyes. She wipes them away roughly with her sleeve and heads toward Joy's room instead.
The room is neatly arranged. Ah... is that it? Did she give him her own room because she couldn't bear to let him defile the rooms her family used?
Watching her slip into the bathroom, my curiosity gets the better of me. I want to see Lee Seo-jun's face, so I head toward our bridal chamber. Through the crack in the door, I can make out three silhouettes. It's too dark to see exactly what they're doing, but...
“Ah! I... I think I'm going to climax again!”
Hearing such scandalous sounds makes it pretty obvious what's going on. A beautiful elf with water-blue hair, and a man gripping her waist, thrusting vigorously. That must be the High Elf, Mirine.
And beside them, a woman with rich blonde hair and green eyes, her gaze hazy with pleasure. Is that Ea? Two of the main heroines from the original novel are right here. And with Theodora in the next room... does that make three? With those thoughts, I look at the face of the novel's protagonist.
An East Asian face, a rare sight in this world. It is definitely Lee Seo-jun. He is as handsome as the novel described. I study his eyes, which bear that characteristic look of utter apathy, as if everything in the world is a chore.
But why is this being shown to me? I have no desire to watch other people's intimate affairs, so I turn back toward the room where Theodora is. If my hunch is correct, there must be some entity showing me this. What is it trying to prove?
By now, she has finished washing up and lies down on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she drapes the back of her hand over her eyes.
“Joy... Mother... I'm sorry... I'm so... sob... sorry...”
Watching Theodora weep, I feel a strange pang of sympathy. Her life in the original timeline truly was cruel.
Creeak... The door opens, and Lee Seo-jun walks in, wearing nothing but a loose robe.
“Are you alright?”
Not wanting him to see her crying, she turns her body away.
“No... I want to be alone.”
At her words, Lee Seo-jun sits beside her on the bed.
“Alright. Hang in there.”
Smack.
I can't see clearly, but it looks like he just kissed her on the cheek. What a bizarre feeling. Seeing another man kiss my wife makes me feel incredibly strange. It's not that I'm furious, exactly. It's just... an odd, hollow sensation.
Several days have already passed since Deviang lost consciousness.
In the meantime, I have been busy interrogating the assassin. Under severe torture, the assassin finally confessed to everything. As expected, the mastermind was Yohanes. Leaving the torture chamber, I wash my blood-stained hands with cold water. I'm exhausted. How long has it been since I last slept? Between conducting the torture sessions and keeping up with the administrative work of the Grand Ducal Department, I feel like I haven't slept in ages. I look into the mirror above the sink. Dark circles hang heavy under my eyes, and my face is gaunt and hollow.
Just then, Lucius's voice calls out to me.
“General Agrippa. Representative Alexander has arrived to see you.”
Alexander. That bastard dares to show his face here?
“Where is he?”
“He... I have escorted him to the drawing room.”
“I'll head over,” I reply.
What is that sly old fox doing here? Leaving the washroom, I make my way toward the drawing room.
“Oh, General Agrippa! I have heard of your great hardships. How is His Grace the Grand Duke faring?”
Hearing such words from the close confidant of Yohanes—the very man who had a hand in putting Deviang in this state—makes a surge of murderous intent rise within me.
“He has entered a stable condition for the time being.”
Alexander offered a faint smile at my response.
“That is indeed a relief. Upon hearing the news that His Grace, who leads the Empire, was attacked by an assassin, His Highness Yohanes, myself, and all the citizens of the Empire were deeply concerned.”
Sly bastard.
“So. What brings you here?”
At my blunt question, Alexander adopts a cautious expression.
“Having recently heard of the attempted kidnapping of Princess Joy, His Highness Yohanes has raised serious concerns regarding the security of the Grand Duchy. Therefore, we request that Princess Joy be sent to the Kingdom of Nicaea.”
Rage boils over at his words, and I slam my hand down on the table.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Thud!