Chapter 41

***

“What did Roman do to you?”

Without warning, the tree began to pour its memories into my head. Many scenes were violently displayed.

The tree seemed to have been moved here from another location when it was a seedling. In my earliest memories of the tree, the water was flowing.

It was a tree that lived by the Fahar river.

Then came the scene that I had seen in the other plants’ memories.

The red-eyed man who cast irreverent magic into the river.

This time I could see his face properly. He seemed to be in his twenties in appearance. He looked very sensitive and handsome. And the thing that stood out the most was…..

His hair was silver. Silver hair was a color reserved for the Pernen royal family…..

This was the dynasty that ruled the southern part of the country before Kwanach.

It was said that their hair shines silver with the blessing of the Goddess. However, incestuous marriages were repeated, and the psychosis that resided in the bloodline became increasingly severe, leading to a period of tyranny.

Kwanach eventually destroyed the clan. Not a single person was left behind.

…… I thought so. Was there anyone who survived? It’s the descendants of a royal family as sacred as that one.

An obvious threat element. No, it was already a substantial threat if this man spread sclerosis.

In the next scene that the tree showed me, I could see this forest owned by the Guilier.

Late at night, several men were heading somewhere, this time pulling a large wagon with Roman. The wagon was covered with a large cloth, so I couldn’t see what was inside.

Suddenly, the wagon was caught in a small stone beak and tilted. One of the objects loaded in the wagon jumped out.

“No way is that …….”

It was a blue-gray mass of decomposing flesh.

It was a human arm.

Soon the afterimages that had been etched into my mind came flooding in. It was all a memory of the tree.

Damaged bodies. Shapeless flesh. Crimson eyes. A gloomy voice…

The scene passed by quickly. It was hard to understand the back and forth of the memories. It was just like a series of horrible landscape paintings.

When the tree stopped sharing its memory, I was completely exhausted.

“Phew ……”

I felt like I was going to throw up.

I groaned, and the Kingsguard waiting behind me asked if I was okay. I took a deep breath, finally indicating that I was fine.

I felt nauseated. I touched the surface of the wood with my trembling fingers and asked,

“These, these men…. …Are they related to the Guilier? Who is the man you showed me before?”

<That man is also a Roman. >

“What?”

“The man with the red eyes?”

<Yes>

“What does that mean?”

The tree vibrated once more. Then it showed me another memory.

The man with the silver hair and red eyes. He grabbed the hand of a corpse that looked like it had died of hardening, or sclerosis.

Then after a moment he withdrew his hand. His red eyes gradually began to change as he finished his magic.

They turned purple.

Silver hair and purple eyes. It was undeniable, he was of the Pernen royal bloodline.

His change didn’t stop there. The smooth face of a man in his twenties began to melt like mud. It was a bizarre and horrifying sight.

Not long after that, the man shifted into the form of an ordinary middle-aged man, publicly known as the owner of Guilier, Roman.

The memory ended, and I heard the voice of the tree.

<That horrible butcher is Roman. >

“Oh my…”

I’ve never heard of such powerful and elaborate shape-shifting magic. It was only originally a matter of changing a few ages from your face or changing the color of your hair.

How could he change into a completely different person?

“What in the world is Roman doing while hiding his true form?”

<He has incurred the wrath of the Goddess. >

“The Goddess…..?”

<He has ruined this land! He’s made it sick!>

The tree’s voice grew stronger and stronger. It was not in a normal state.

The soul of this plant was twisted.

<He had experimented endlessly. And he buried all his cruel failures here! >

My mind drifted back to the memories I had seen from the tree.

The bodies died of sclerosis. Fleshy, squashed beyond recognition.

Has Roman been experimenting with something here ? Maybe the experiments were the reason the tree was twisted like this.

“What kind of experiment was Roman conducting? Do you know the purpose of the experiment?”

“No, I don’t know. I don’t know anything. But he’s very dangerous. He is, he is…..! >

The tree’s spirit grew more and more angry.

<I’m sick. It’s over! We’re all done! >

It was like a madman constantly cursing.

Just then, I heard Marianne’s voice behind me.

“Your Majesty?”

“Oh……”

Only then did I come to my senses and remove my hand from the tree. The crazy voice that filled my head was cut off.

“Are you okay? You look very pale, Your Majesty.”

“I’m …… I’m fine, Marianne.”

I tried to catch my breath and stand up quickly. I should not show agitation.

“I’ve been away for too long. Let’s go back.”

I wanted to look into this and that more in the forest, but my mental strength had reached its limit. I also knew that if I didn’t show up for a long time, people would suspect me.

First, I went back to the tea party hall again. I pretended to be fine and maintained my dignity as an empress, but I was a mess on the inside.

Kwanach still hadn’t returned from his hunt. All I wanted to do was to tell him quickly about everything I had found in the forest.

‘Is he the last of the Pernen royal bloodline?’

So much information all at once. My mind was a jumble.

When I looked back carefully at Roman’s trail, I couldn’t help but be amazed. He took control of the Guilier after cheating on his identity with magic. Mastering the highest organization on the continent in both name and reality.

He finally pushed on, leaving no stone unturned in inflating his wallet. He deliberately spread the plague of sclerosis and made a lot of money by distributing the medicine exclusively.

But it wasn’t simply about the money.

The tree didn’t seem to know the exact details either, but it seemed that Roman was conducting some sort of experiment related to sclerosis.

Since he had incurred the wrath of the Goddess, it must be an experiment against nature.

‘Is he planning to start a rebellion?’

I didn’t know what the experiment was, but I was sure that it wasn’t in favor of the empire.

We have to prevent Roman.

No, we must eliminate him if possible.

But for now, I couldn’t be careless.

Through my abilities, I saw Roman’s fraudulent schemes and evil misdeeds, which were close to perfect crimes, but I needed proof to catch him.

Also, I didn’t know who might be behind Roman.

‘Is Roman alone? Or…is there an accomplice?’

Until I found out Roman’s complete ulterior motive, it wouldn’t be easy to catch the big shot, Guilier’s master.

* * *

Around sunset, those who went hunting returned. The various animals caught during the hunt were to be used for cooking at the banquet that was soon to be held.

No one was injured because the horses were hunting and they were extremely safe.

On the spacious lawn, round tables and chairs began to be set up.

Kwanach came straight over to me and checked to see if I was okay. I could smell the faint scent of blood coming from him.

“Usphere. Was everything alright? Did you like the food at the tea party?”

Kwanach told the Guilier that all the imperial chefs would be attending the outdoor banquet.

They were the best cooks on the continent when it came to the Imperial Palace, so when the Guilier suddenly heard about it, it seemed that the Emperor had granted them a favor, but the truth was that Kwanach just couldn’t trust the Guilier.

He was well prepared, but he was anxious because we were outside the imperial palace.

“It was all delicious. It’s just that ……”

I stared at Kwanach.

For a few hours, I waited, frustrated and alone with my enormous, suffocating secret.

When I turned to face Kwanach, I felt relieved. It was nice to have someone I could confide in and rely on about this dire situation.

It was a moment of relief, even if only a little, I felt emotional.

It was only a few months ago. When he came to marry me in the kingdom of Achaia, Kwanach was both familiar and terrifying to me.

He was the enemy of my previous life that destroyed my homeland, and my husband with whom I joined hands politically for the sake of peace. It was nothing more and nothing less. I was nervous, lied, and worked hard to prevent him from divorcing me.

But now, more than anyone else, I relied on Kwanach.

Unlike my previous life, Kwanach would not go mad, if only the war could be prevented. And if I somehow solve the fertility problem…

I suddenly felt that I could live with this man for the rest of my life.

Now that I faced those black eyes that were the only thing that brought me stability in the midst of my horrible fear, a very clear trust in Kwanach swelled up in my heart.

I held onto Kwanach with a slightly trembling hand.

“I saw something in the forest, Kwanach.”

My voice was shaky. I finally realized that for hours I had been in a state of great fear.

“Kwanach…What we were worried about was right.”

I guessed with Kwanach that it was the Guilier who spread the sclerosis.

Kwanach’s dark eyebrows twitched.

“But that’s not all.”

There were too many people around to talk about it in detail. Everyone was at their assigned table, but there could be ears around.

I wondered if Roman knew. Would he know I saw what he did in the woods, his own private property?

And Roman was a wizard, too. As long as he was here, I had to be careful.

“What did you see, Usphere?”

Kwanach’s eyes were full of worries.

At that moment, Roman appeared. He was greeting the guests.

Gray hair with a stiff body. Now Roman was a middle-aged man who looked ordinary.

I whispered quietly to Kwanach, indicating Roman with my eyes.

“We have to watch out for him. That’s not all we were worried about.”