Teasing the Tyrannical Empress
After the meal was finished, we cleared the dishes to one side and faced each other. I was pretending to be calm, but I was pretty tense. I knew she wouldn't seriously injure me, but she could do plenty of other things. What did the original Viol do to Seres? When Seres wouldn't listen, she ordered the palace servants to ignore him to break his pride. Ignore me? I didn't really care. There was also the threat to kill Ares, but she'd already promised not to do that. Ah, and to show the difference in our power, she grabbed him by force and pinned him down so he couldn't move? I was recalling all sorts of things and steeling myself when Viol finally spoke.
"Do you know why I granted your servant's request and dragged you here?"
I answered her question firmly. "Because you're going to fall in love with me."
"No, to correct that insane notion of yours!"
Viol glared at me ferociously. "You're the craziest bastard I've ever met. I thought I wasn't normal, but next to you, I'm a model citizen."
She was treating me like a total lunatic.
"You're deluded into thinking everyone will love you just because of your pretty face."
"Didn't you say earlier I wasn't that pretty?"
"Shut up!"
She snapped back when I pointed out the contradiction. Viol tried to brush off the direct hit and pressed on.
"Arrogant little shit. You've been talking down to me like it's natural since earlier."
"Even if I switched to polite speech now, it wouldn't sound right anyway."
"I'll make sure you never pull that attitude again. And I'll shatter that sweet little delusion that I'll ever love you."
Her words were downright menacing, but I stayed nonchalant. "Then why bother feeding me? Starving me would've been more effective. Or is that the plan going forward?"
"...No, meals will come."
Viol eyed me with clear displeasure. "If you skip meals and drop dead with that scrawny body, it'd be a hassle. I still have more torment in store, so three squares a day it is."
"That'd actually be a problem for me. This body gets full off one proper meal a day. I'm a light eater—can't handle more."
"...What's the deal with your body? Fine, one meal as you wish!"
Viol snatched up the remaining dishes. "Today's a rest day. Tomorrow's when the real fun starts, so brace yourself. From now on, I'll train you until you can never defy me again."
Those were her parting words, delivered with a mocking sneer before she left.
As expected, she had no intention of letting me off easy. Whatever she had planned, the way she said it meant it wouldn't be anything ordinary. I steeled myself as best I could and got through the day.
"Even if you can't handle chewy stuff, rejecting meat altogether isn't healthy. I soaked it, mashed it to hell, and made stew. Eat."
The next day brought a ridiculously elaborate dish. I'd been bracing for "training," so I just stared blankly at what Viol set before me. The meat was ground so fine it was invisible in the soup stew. No blenders in this world—she must've slaved over it.
"What're you doing? Eat before it gets cold."
"Yeah."
I was dumbfounded by the "training" turning out to be this, but I didn't call her out. She stared at me silently the whole meal, then spoke once I'd finished.
"How was the taste?"
"Just as good as yesterday's. Tell the chef I enjoyed it."
"No need."
Then why keep asking?! It was utterly baffling, and she kept it up for days.
"Today's the usual stew, plus a salad with special dressing and fruit. Honey tea too."
"Vinegar and tangy fruit sauce on fish today. The flesh is soft, so you should manage. Drained the oil ahead of time."
"Bread with fresh cream and strawberry jam. Cocoa with reheated milk on the side."
Elaborate dishes every time, always asking about the taste, always trying to chat.
"You... Never mind."
Short and awkward at first, but she talked more as days passed.
"Is this room cold? I can warm it up. Anything else bothering you? I'll switch the room entirely."
"Doesn't matter—still a solitary cell."
Mostly pointless chatter, but she was pitifully desperate to talk. Was she falling for me way faster than expected? Bad news for both of us.
"Hmph! Can't do a damn thing alone, just scarfing down my food. Like a little kid."
One day, running out of things to say, she picked a fight like our first meeting.
I didn't hold back or snap—just played along casually. "That's rich. You locked me up—why am I the kid? Says the one rocking twintails."
The original Viol had long red hair too, but worn loose. Even as a psycho bitch, she kept a cool style—no childish twintails.
"What's wrong with it?"
She hadn't expected me to call that out. No anger—just a weird expression as she touched her twintails.
"You prefer something else? I can change..."
"It's not about preferring other styles. Doesn't suit your age. You're twenty-eight, right?"
"...Still twenty-seven!"
In the original, Seres was early twenties while Viol was late twenties. There was a scene where she said she was twenty-eight. We'd met earlier than canon, so she was a year younger. Either way, not a late-twenties look.
She blew up at the jab. "Tease me a little and you hit back like this? What business is it of yours how others wear their hair?!"
"Exactly. None. So ignore me."
"Aaaah!!"
Viol screamed and stormed out. I'd literally told her to ignore it—why freak?
The next day.
"Meal time."
She showed up with food as usual, but her hairstyle had changed. Long and loose with soft waves. She'd clearly put effort in. I felt a twinge of guilt. Did my words bug her that much?
I couldn't focus on eating and kept glancing at her hair.
"Well? How is it?"
She pretended not to notice my stares at first, then asked outright. "Changed it like you wanted."
"I didn't exactly tell you to redo your hair."
"Shut up and say if it's pretty or not!"
"Pretty."
Not flattery. Long, ornate red hair styled with care? Impossible not to be.
"Hehe, knew it."
She beamed at the praise—but then...
"Sorry, twintails suit you better."
Her face twisted. "You said this was prettier—why?!"
"Long loose red hair reminds me of some asshole I hate."
"Who?!"
You, back when you were a guy. The similar style made the male Viol come to mind even stronger—uncomfortable as hell. But I couldn't say that outright, so I trailed off. Viol exploded.
"You bastard—you were just messing with me!"
She misunderstood and flew into a scary rage. She snatched my half-eaten meal.
"No food for you for a while!"
She took the food and didn't come back.
And the next day.
"She's really not bringing any."
It was already late at night, and still no Viol. I was locked alone in solitary, starving.
"Boring as hell."
Without her as a conversation partner, the boredom hit hard. Harder than the hunger, even.
Nothing to do here anyway. I could finally move around, but zilch to entertain myself with. Back when it was a mess, at least there were books in bed.
To forget the boredom—and the hunger—I needed to focus on something else. Protagonists usually train their powers in situations like this, right? And mine was divine power...
"Might as well try. Healing myself."
Divine power couldn't fix health issues caused by itself, but anything else was fair game. No chances to use it before—perfect time now.
I pulled a fruit knife from the drawer. Viol had brought it yesterday for fruit with the meal, then rushed off and left it. I'd planned to give it back later, but I'd use it first.
"Hm."
I dragged the knife across my hand. The soft, fragile skin tore easily and bled—but only for a moment. It knit shut on its own. Not because I'd healed it deliberately; the divine power moved automatically.
This damn ability tortured me but kept me from dying. That's why the original Seres endured every horror until his divine power finally ran out.
Time to test something stronger? I went to slice my wrist—
"What the hell are you doing?"
Viol, back to twintails and carrying a meal, walked in right on cue and saw me.