Episode 36 - Assassination at the Royal Palace 6 ‘Illusional Affections for the Great Emperor‘

“Sis.. sister”

Aeselak whimpered, not being able to breathe due to the tight grip around her neck. Her face slowly turning a bit blue, feeling her body slowly being pulled up by the arm on her neck, her feets almost dangling from the grass.

“You wench!” The old man held Aeselak closely, her height only reaching his fat belly.

“For a little kid, you sure run pretty fast” Sweat trickled down from his forehead onto Aeselak’s delicate face further elevating Aeselak’s tension.

“You bastards can’t even do your jobs right.” (Lady Aiya)

“..Tch”

The 2nd accomplice clicked his tongue, walking in an indifferent manner towards the woman holding the Crown Prince.

The lady holding the Crown Prince is a guest staying within the outer part of the Imperial Palace. The reason for her stay was because she proclaimed herself to be a Princess of a faraway country. Although the way the Imperial knights found her was suspicious as she was found in the woods, with the way she was dressed, portrayed herself, and the assets found on her, they had to accept that she was not just a commoner and had to take her words of proclaiming to be a Princess seriously. Although flabbergasted by her sudden appearance, they couldn’t just treat her unfairly if she really was a Princess of a faraway country, therefore with the Emperor’s permission, she was granted to stay as a guest in the Imperial Palace. All the while sending envoys to thoroughly check her background and validity at the country she came from.

Carrying herself really highly, she snickered at the two people she hired.

‘As expected commoners can’t do anything outside their tiny capabilities of farming, TSK.’

Not betraying expectations, Lady Aiya was actually not a Princess, but a Noble Lady from a small country located in the southern continent. How she dared proclaim herself to be a Princess and not expecting terrible consequences from her actions?.. Well.. that was because..

She believed in love.

-Cough- A one-sided one -Cough-

7 years ago, The previous Emperor sent the current Emperor of Xenperia to the small country she came from, for a friendship treaty with Xenperia. Emperor Zen visited as a student along with the current Great Nobles, to inspect and accelerate trading deals with that small country. How Lady Aiya came to fall in love with the then Crown Prince, was merely by a single glance.

Yes. All it took was a single glance.

Of course she at first gave up on such thought as she understood her position well enough. But during the process of calming her exploding heart by the beautiful sea, she once again met the Prince, who this time glimmered in the beautiful golden sunset. Not only did she not manage to calm her heart, she fell even more into the deep hole known as, Love & Fate.

7 years passed by in an instant, with multiple noble ladies getting married and her parents repeatedly calling her dreams of being together with her love, futile illusions. Wanting to show that her dreams weren’t illusional, she snuck to the West with no hesitations, to find her Prince charming once again.

Arriving in Xenperia, many mishaps happened! In summary, she suddenly got captured by the Imperial Knights who were guarding the country borders, but with great luck and acting, she managed to lawfully enter the Imperial Palace of Xenperia.

It was all fate, she thought. Knowing from the start that the Prince she fell in love with was married, with kids, she already prepared her heart. But what she didn’t prepare for was the onslaught of romantic stories about the Emperor and the Empress. True to rumors, the Emperor and Empress were lovey-dovey all day! Annoyed by the sudden situation, she decided to use her Princess status to manipulate two men into helping her kidnap the Crown Prince. From there on, she could lure the Empress out as a hostage exchange as the Crown Prince simply holds more importance to the Kingdom than the Empress. There she can get rid of the Empress, comfort the devastated Emperor, and sneak her way into his bed, asking him to take responsibility the day after.

A simple perfect plan! Yet the two commoners not only did not manage to kidnap the Crown Prince, they brought a group of 9 children with them!

‘IDIOTS!’

She silently cursed in her mind. In a dissatisfying voice, she continued while pointing her index finger at the young male.

“I laid out everything for you idiots, yet you can’t even do-”

CRACK-

Her long pretty finger was suddenly grabbed by the young male, and within seconds, twisted beyond belief, inciting a high pitched shriek of surprise and pain from the Lady.

“AHHH!!!”

Intense pain overcoming her, she momentarily let go of the Crown Prince, falling down in an ungraceful manner, clutching her black index finger.

“You damn!!”

Before she could finish her sentence, her hair was forcefully yanked back by the young smirking male, before slamming her head against the big tree creating nauseating cracking noise of her head being crushed. An abnormal amount of blood trailing down as her twitching body slid down, a huge dent imprint could be seen. Within seconds, no sounds or twitches cames from her, as she silently laid on the grass soaked with her blood.

Deep prolonged silence followed. No one daring to make a single noise, as a chill of realization shuddered down their spine. Terror paralyzing everyone on spot, their faces completely being drained of any colors, leaving faces as pale as a white sheet of paper.

‘There is no way..’

As if everyone's minds synchronized, they all came to a realization. No one was going to get out of this situation, alive.

They can’t escape...