Because You'll Fall in Love With Me
...What? You'll be the last. What the hell did that mean? Was she literally saying I was the only one who'd do something like this to her? Or was she planning to make an example out of me so no one else would dare?
What was crystal clear was that Viol was furious right now.
"Stop it!"
Arios jumped in between us in a flash.
"Your Majesty, Seres was rude, but you insulted him first."
"So that makes it okay to splatter spaghetti all over the emperor's face?"
"Surely you're not planning to retaliate against a fragile young man just because he landed one hit on you?"
"Oh, I'm doing it."
Viol's blazing eyes locked onto me. Then—
"What the hell are you doing?"
She stared at Arios, who had dropped into a fighting stance, like she couldn't believe it.
"Is this bitch actually insane? I let her stick around because she was useful, and now she's crawling all over me."
"I'm just trying to give you some frank advice, even if I have to use force to make you listen, Your Majesty. Step back now, and nothing will happen."
"That's my line for threats. A Sword Master challenging me without a sword? How foolish."
"I've got a sword."
Arios snatched up a dinner knife. And sure enough, an aura—the mark of those who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Sword Masters—flared to life around the blade.
Viol glanced at the knife, now a legendary named sword wreathed in aura.
"You're kidding me."
She swung her fist. Arios raised the knife edge to block, and the clash sent out an explosion of force. Arios went flying backward, soaring across the banquet hall. She twisted midair, killing her momentum, and landed cleanly.
"You made me bleed?"
Viol scowled at her hand. Her skin was scraped, blood trickling out. Bare-knuckling an aura clash and only getting a little cut? It was absurd durability—and that was the imperial family's trait. Every royal here was born with some special bloodline granting them freakish physiques. Viol was one of the strongest monsters among them.
"You two idiots, lashing out without knowing your place. Don't think I'll just let this slide."
"Your Majesty, please forgive him!"
Ares dropped to her knees in front of Viol, who was inspecting her hand, and begged for mercy.
"Punish me in his place. Just spare Seres, please!"
"No."
The area around us was chaos, but I—the real culprit—watched it all coolly. Coolly pondered it.
I had no idea why I'd suddenly gone off the rails like that. Sure, I liked Seres in the novel, but that was fiction. This world, this body—they were my reality now. My opponent was the empire's emperor, wielding absolute power and strength. And she didn't even know Seres; it was just a taunt to provoke me.
So why had I snapped?
Because this body was Seres's, even if the gender was swapped? ...Yeah, looks like I was more attached to him than I'd realized.
"Time to take responsibility."
It was my screw-up, so I'd deal with the fallout.
"Hey."
I strode right up to Viol and met her eyes. She looked shocked.
"Sorry for overreacting. If you wanna vent, do it on me. Leave Arios and Mom out of it."
"...Are you out of your mind?"
Viol glared at me like I was the craziest thing she'd ever seen.
"Like I said before, fine, I'll admit it. You won't see anyone like you again. Not some nutjob this deranged!"
"Probably not."
No one in your life will obsess over you more than me.
"I could snap your neck right now!"
She reached out like she was about to do it—and she could, no question.
But—
"You can't. Not anymore."
"Does my warning sound like bluffing? Why do you think that?"
Because—
"You'll fall in love with me."
"...What?"
Viol went blank. "Seres?" "What the—?" Arios, gearing up to fight again, and Ares, who had been trying to pull me away, froze too.
In the stunned silence of the hall, I kept talking.
"You're already obsessed with me. It won't be long before you're totally hooked."
"You're insane."
"Don't believe me? I'll prove it."
I stepped toward her open hand. She flinched back.
"What are you doing?!"
"Go on, kill me if you can."
I grabbed her hand and tried to pull it to my throat. She yanked it away in horror.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Why are you acting like this? You said you could twist my neck anytime. If you want to, do it."
"..."
I smirked at her hesitation.
"Knew you couldn't."
"Sh-shut up! I'm just planning to make you suffer extra, so I'm not killing you yet. Who'd actually fall for trash like you?!"
Viol snapped irritably, then glanced between Arios and Ares.
"Fine, say I really love you and can't kill you, like you claim. Think I can't kill the people around you? These two right—"
"Then I'll die."
"...What?"
"Touch them, and I'll kill myself."
To show I meant it, I grabbed a sharper fruit knife—one that could easily be fatal against my soft throat. I pressed it to my neck.
"Seres!!" "You crazy bastard!"
Arios lunged in shock, but Viol beat her to it, snatching the knife and snapping it barehanded.
"Y-you!"
She was too agitated to even speak properly. All bold when it was just talk of killing me. But the moment it looked real, she panicked and stopped me.
Yeah, just as I thought.
I'd avoided the original plot as much as possible so far. Still, Arios and Hames already liked me quite a bit. What if I acted mostly like canon, even if over the top? I was sure. Viol would fall for me. She could torment me, but she'd never kill me. I was certain.
"Mother."
"S-Seres?"
"Go home first. I'll come back for sure."
"How?!"
"Don't worry. You saw it, right? She can't kill me, so don't do anything reckless out of worry."
I warned Ares firmly not to start a rebellion looking for me, then turned to Arios.
"You go too. Thanks for trying to help, but any more commotion and it'll be unfixable."
"What about you?!"
"Don't worry. Like I said, the emperor can't kill me. Or let me die."
I spoke calmly, and Viol yelled.
"Don't make me laugh! You think I'll just let these traitors go?"
"You will."
Just like in the original, when Seres had finally had enough of the bullshit and went on a life-risking hunger strike like this—you couldn't say no and caved to his demands.
"Th-this..."
I pitied her as she reached for my collar but stopped short. Poor girl. You picked the fight and made this mess. It would've been better for everyone if you hadn't gotten obsessed with me.
I laid out the conditions and her future for the girl who still didn't get it.
"In exchange, I'll stay here."
"...And how does that concern me?"
"It will. Soon, your head'll be so full of thoughts of me—wherever you go, whatever you do—that nothing else'll matter."
Viol's face twisted.
"This is it."
"Please stay here for the time being."
Two female soldiers led me to a room deep in the Imperial Palace.
"Her Majesty will visit soon, so please refrain from anything suspicious."
"I won't. I promised to behave."
In the end, Viol couldn't beat my stubbornness and let Arios and Ares go. Instead, she pinned all the blame on me and confined me to the palace for the time being.
I accepted without complaint. It was a situation I'd wanted to avoid, but I'd caused it, so fair enough.
What now? In the original, Viol locking Seres in the palace happened after they'd met several times. She'd drag him in on some flimsy pretext and force him to stay.
But here, I had a solid reason—smearing spaghetti on the emperor's face—and I'd agreed to confinement. No clue how this would play out. I could be sure she wouldn't seriously hurt or kill me, but...
Probably gotta brace for a few punches.
"Dinner."
As I mulled it over, food arrived—carried by someone totally unexpected.
"Why's the emperor personally bringing this?"
Not in the original at all. Viol herself, tray of food in hand.
When I asked why, her answer was gold.
"If I send some halfwit, you might seduce him and slip away. So I'm doing it myself."
What the—? I stared at her, dumbfounded, as she set the tray on the table. Then she plopped down right across from my chair.
"Eat. Gotta keep you alive first to torment you more."
"..."
"What's wrong? You'll eat from that wench but not from me?"
No, it wasn't that. I eyed the steak on the tray, troubled.
"I can't eat stuff like this. My body can't handle it."
"What're you talking about? You ate what Arios gave you."
"She gave me light stuff like salad and plums."
This body was too frail for heavy dishes like steak. It had gotten a bit better, but I still couldn't push it.
"Then what do you eat?"
"Soup, soft bread, some veggies and fruit."
"Tch, wasting my effort. Wait here."
Viol took the food and left. Probably telling the chef to swap it—why'd she talk like she'd made it herself?
"Soup, bread, and fruit, as requested."
She returned soon with food I could actually eat. I'd grabbed a few bites at the party, but I wasn't full.
I ate contentedly, and Viol spoke up.
"How's the taste?"
"Delicious."
"...Is it."
"Tell whoever made it I enjoyed it."
I'd said it offhand because it really was good, but—
"No need. I'll pass it on."
Viol refused with a smirk, lips curling slightly.