Chapter 759
Chapter 759
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 759
Chapter Title: Beauty's Dire Fate
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I spread my hand to check the small pebble in my right palm. It was the one Viktor had secretly slipped me earlier when he helped me to my feet. A commonplace light brown stone you might find anywhere on the street.
I focused my eyes on it. Tiny Hangul letters were etched into the pebble's surface. Viktor, being a native of this world, wouldn't know Hangul. This had to be Park Su-ho's doing.
'So Viktor and Park Su-ho met up beforehand and talked things over before seeing Ekaterina. Not exactly surprising.'
What mattered was the message on the pebble.
-Come to my room secretly, without Ekaterina knowing.
It wasn't hard to guess why he wanted me to come in secret. Beyond Ekaterina's surveillance, they needed my help for something.
I toyed with the pebble as I entered Ekaterina's room. She was perched on the edge of the bed, having removed her cloak and high heels. She extended her stocking-clad foot toward me. I naturally took hold of her leg and began kneading it.
"Lady Ekaterina, Viktor and Park Su-ho sent me a message. They slipped me a stone written in our world's script."
"Oh? That old man's at it again."
Ekaterina responded calmly. It seemed she'd anticipated this situation. She examined the pebble this way and that before shattering it with magic.
"It says to come to his room secretly, without you knowing. What should I do?"
"Go see him in a bit. I have a rough idea of what scheme he's plotting."
My hands kneaded her foot and slowly worked their way upward. I massaged her calf, then pressed firmly into her thigh. Even as my hands ventured to the brink of indecency, Ekaterina offered no resistance. She simply lay back on the bed, languidly enjoying the massage.
I glanced at the table beside the bed. There were some documents there I hadn't seen before. I couldn't read this world's script, but the illustrated map was somewhat intelligible.
"Curious about that?"
"...My apologies. It caught my eye for a moment."
"I can show you. You're my pet, after all, even if Park Su-ho isn't. It's not particularly important anyway."
"I wouldn't understand it. I don't know this world's writing."
"Heh heh heh. True enough. But you should recognize this, right?"
Ekaterina flicked her fingers. The map floated up into the air.
"...No idea. I'm not familiar with this world's geography."
"It's a map of the Solit Republic."
I examined the map more closely. The Solit Republic was divided into sections by lines, each shaded in a different color: red, green, blue, yellow, black, and white. Six colors in total. Yellow dominated the most area, while blue covered the least.
"I still don't get it from looking at the map."
"It's the territories of the Demon Sovereigns. White is neutral, and the other five colors represent the Demon Sovereigns."
"...Is blue you, Lady Ekaterina?"
"Right. I hold the smallest share on this map. Meanwhile, yellow—Viktor—commands a full 30% all on his own."
Seeing it laid out like this, I could grasp just how disadvantaged Ekaterina was. Her territory didn't even reach 10%.
"At this rate... I could believe Viktor is the king."
"I agree with that assessment. But it's unavoidable. He's held the title of Demon Sovereign for nearly 40 years—the longest in history. I've only had mine for 4. Even gathering as much power as I could, this is all I've got."
"The white—neutral—could be swayed if..."
"It's not that simple. Maintaining neutrality means they have considerable hidden strength. More than that, the other Demon Sovereigns keep a close eye on them. The atmosphere is such that if one of us can't claim it, better no one does."
"That's why you want Verofrin City."
"Exactly. I pulled strings at the Sovereign Council to secure it. That's why I came here alone. To claim it for my forces before the Solit Republic's influence could interfere. ...Viktor showing up was unexpected, though."
The map descended back to the table.
"The reason you're building your forces, Lady Ekaterina, is..."
"To avoid being looked down on. And to survive. When you're too outstanding, envy follows. Especially from Viktor. That old man's jealousy toward me is intense... I've nearly died by his hand twice, and he's tried to bury me politically seven times."
"He seems so kind on the surface."
"Don't judge by appearances. If you knew the dirty tricks he pulls behind the scenes, you'd faint in shock."
My hand hovered perilously between her skirt, right at the juncture of thigh and hip.
"Ahh... ngh..."
A sweet moan escaped Ekaterina's lips. I paused. She beckoned me closer. Magical force pressed down on my head, stopping my face just inches from hers.
"Why haven't you betrayed me? I had no idea about the stone until you told me. You could've easily done it."
"I prefer you over that decrepit old man."
"...How cute."
Ekaterina grabbed my head and pulled me in. Our lips met. They were soft and slightly moist. I was a bit surprised. She'd never kissed me before.
Her lips parted, and her tongue slipped into my mouth. It moved awkwardly at first, then skillfully. I moved my hand, sliding her panties down and rubbing her slick folds with my palm.
'Maybe we'll have sex tonight after all.'
My prediction missed the mark. We kissed, but it didn't go further.
???
I left Ekaterina's room and entered Park Su-ho's. He and Viktor were waiting.
"Hyung! Where's Ekaterina?"
"Doing magic experiments. She won't be looking for me for a while."
"Phew. Good."
Viktor rose and approached, extending his hand.
"We didn't properly greet earlier. I'm Viktor Drozkov, Demon Sovereign of the Solit Republic. Call me Viktor."
"Sung Yu-jin. Sorry you saw me in such a pathetic state before."
"How is that your fault? It's all due to Ekaterina's tyrannical nature. As a fellow Demon Sovereign, it's embarrassing enough to make my face burn. Let me apologize on her behalf."
"No need. More importantly, why did you summon me?"
I was eager to return to Ekaterina's room and continue fondling her body.
"You were there, so no need for details. My original goal was to frame Ekaterina as a criminal and force her repatriation. But as you saw, things didn't go smoothly."
"Yeah. She plans to stay in Verofrin for at least a few more months."
"Her temperament worsens by the day. For your sake, and the Republic's, I can't leave her be."
"The Republic Court warrant, right? With that, you could take her, no?"
"Obtaining a Republic Court warrant takes considerable time. For an ordinary citizen, I could manage with my authority, but... Ekaterina is a Demon Sovereign like me. The process alone takes at least two months."
Bad news—for Park Su-ho, that is. I rolled my eyes to check his expression. His ashen, deadened face told how much he'd suffered.
"...You called me because there's another way. And it probably involves something I need to do."
"Sharp as ever. Exactly. I've decided to forcibly drag Ekaterina back home. Mayor Park Su-ho has pledged his cooperation."
Park Su-ho had jumped at the chance without much thought. Removing the biggest headache—Ekaterina—and aligning with Viktor's faction meant no future worries.
"I'll cooperate too."
"Straightforward. I appreciate it."
"I've suffered too much at her hands."
"I understand."
Viktor elegantly gestured in the air. Space parted, revealing a small vial of clear liquid.
"Do you know of Mister's Water?"
"First time hearing it. You mean the liquid in that vial?"
"Yes. This is Mister's Water. Ah, not medicine—it's closer to poison, harmful to people."
"......I get what I need to do."
"Quick on the uptake—fortunate. I ask you: tomorrow morning, slip it into Ekaterina's food to poison her."
"Understood. But what's the precise effect of Mister's Water?"
"It disrupts mana flow. One vial lasts at least 24 hours."
"A poisoned Ekaterina..."
"I'll subdue her and take her back home. She'll face trial there, so Verofrin City will be safe from her."
"Won't she notice if she uses magic right after?"
"The effect intensifies with each use of mana. Right after, she'll think it's just poor condition. No need to worry about immediate detection."
Viktor handed me the vial of Mister's Water, and I took it.
Viktor didn't smile. With utmost solemnity and seriousness, he said,
"I entrust this to you."
"Please, hyung."
Park Su-ho stepped up beside me and added his plea. I tucked the vial into my pocket.
"Leave it to me."
???
That night, I told Ekaterina everything about Viktor and Park Su-ho's plan. She snorted upon hearing it.
"That old man hasn't changed a bit. Mister's Water... Using something more annoying than poison shows he's really out for blood this time."
"What will you do? Shall I slip Mister's Water into Viktor's breakfast?"
"Useless. That old coot treasures his body too much; he'll have the antidote. For now... shall I play along and pretend to fall for it?"
Ekaterina grinned wickedly at me.
"You'll help me, right?"
"Of course. I'm on your side, Lady Ekaterina."
Ekaterina pounced on me. Like a serpent, she slithered seductively onto my body. Her cool hand rubbed my chest; the other slipped into my pants to fondle me.
"If you do well tomorrow... I'll give you a reward beyond anything so far."
"I'm quite looking forward to whatever that reward is."
Ekaterina licked my nape as she explained what I needed to do.
???
The next morning.
I pressed the radio and reported to Park Su-ho.
"Su-ho. Success."
"Not caught?"
"Would I be fine if I was? But it's only a matter of time. She said she's heading to do magic experiments soon."
Once she seriously used magic, she'd notice the mana flow disruption immediately. Well, since she wasn't actually poisoned.
"...Hyung, sorry, but could you coax Ekaterina out of the city?"
"Ekaterina? That might be tough. Why?"
"I wanted to minimize damage to Verofrin... If it's hard, forget it."
"......Not impossible. I'll give it a shot."
"Thanks, hyung. Always in your debt."
I cut the radio. Turning, I looked at Ekaterina. She was clad in her black cloak once more, fully geared for battle like when I'd first seen her.
"Lady Ekaterina. What do you think about leaving the city?"
"What do you think?"
"...It could actually benefit us. Fighting inside the city risks interference from soldiers or Verofrin's mages. Preserving the city's full strength would be far more advantageous for you in the long run."
"Heh heh. Agreed. Much better. I like choosing the battlefield too. Tell Park Su-ho I'm going for a stroll."
"Where to?"
"The small lake to the east, naturally."
"It's not that small."
I radioed again.
Park Su-ho prepared a grand escort for Ekaterina's "stroll"—to prevent her from using magic. Knowing everything, Ekaterina teased him mercilessly before boarding the carriage. Park Su-ho took the driver's seat and handled the reins himself; I rode with Ekaterina.
The carriage halted before the eastern lake. I opened the door and stepped out first.
My eyes met Viktor's, who had arrived ahead. He nodded solemnly. Park Su-ho dismounted, sword in hand. I armed myself with the Fire Lotus Sword.
Finally, Ekaterina emerged from the carriage.
"I came to see the lake, so why's this tiresome old geezer in my way? Annoying."