"I didn't kill everyone."

Phillip laughed as if he didn't feel guilty at all.

"What about my father and brothers?"

"I wouldn't hurt them. They're your family."

I was relieved, but I couldn't rejoice in the face of this tragedy.

"Why did you do this?"

"It's all because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes, it's because of you! All this happened because you gave your powers to Ser! She was going to die soon anyway but you ruined it all!"

"You lied about Ser's condition."

He planned to kill her from the start. He had no intention of treating her disease in the first place.

"Well, you did believe it."

Phillip said cynically. He had been hiding his true colours all this time.

He pretended to be kind and polite. He did not even take off his mask when Ser was alone with him.

But now, he didn't even bother to keep up pretences.

"Where's Ser now?"

"She's dead."

"What?"

"She didn't die as a Goddess. There was no point in stabbing her and setting the place on fire. So I offered her as a sacrifice."

"What?"

"Yes! I offered to let the people kill her. Serphania tried to take away my power but in the end I won! Now this power is entirely mine."

Phillip's eyes flashed with madness.

"Is that why you killed Ser? Is that why you set the fire, defiled the earth and sacrificed so many people?!"

Phillip answered confidently.

"None of this would've happened if you didn't give her your powers. Nothing would've happened if you kept the blessing to yourself."

"If you're so confident, then don't lie! Don't tarnish Rakshul's name! Tell everyone it was you!"

"Rakshul, Rakshul! How dare you mention that name again in front of me?! What's wrong? The people died because of him. If he didn't take you away, I wouldn't have done anything. That bastard ruined everything!"

Phillip screamed. He wasn't just trying to evade his responsibility.

He sincerely believed that Rakshul caused everything.

"Rakshul will now be deemed as a sinner! Everyone will point their fingers at him for causing this tragedy."

"Do you really think you can do that? The truth will come out eventually."

"I'm the Emperor! My word is the truth."

"I don't think so."

"What can you do?"

He laughed and came closer to me.

"Let's go to the new capital and start over again, Laontel."

"I won't go."

Phillip put the stone plate in the middle of the palace. He'd do whatever he could to put the blame on Ralshul.

Rakshul would be deemed as a murderer who killed so many innocent people.

Getting rid of Rakshul and twisting the story to his liking would be a piece of cake.

However, there was a bit of truth that could be revealed in the statement.

I ran towards the innermost place in Tenlarn Palace.

Phillip followed me inside, and the moment we arrived there, the corners of his mouth went up.

"Did you like being locked up, Laontel?"

"What nonsense."

"Or do you like gold? I'll decorate the new Empress palace with it then."

"....."

I ignored his words and focused my mind.

"Ah...we need to clean this place up."

Phillip raised his hand to get rid of the stone plate that recorded Rakshul's death.

He tried to cast a spell on it, but I was faster.

I put a protective spell on the stone plate.

Phillip's expression distorted when he realized this.

"I guess she took some of my power and gave it to you."

"Your power? What a joke! It was Ser's power from the start!"

Phillip glared at me and tried to destroy the protective spell.

But he failed and it attacked him instead.

His body was thrown out of the room because of the impact.

After I went outside, I used my powers to close the door.

The huge golden door sparkled with the Power of Light.

I casted a protective barrier around me and approached Phillip as he lay on the floor.

He did not give up and tried to use the destructive spell again.

"It's useless. I've already placed a protective spell all over the place."

"Now, no one can come into this place and break the stone plate without my permission. The record of you becoming an Emperor because of the plague and Rakshul passing away won't disappear."

"You're only doing this to honor the dead right?!"

There was no guilt in Phillip's expression. He was only angry because he didn't get this way.

"No matter what you do, there will always be evidence of the truth."

I said to him coldly.

"I will reveal your sin to the whole world. Even the fact that you tried to frame Rakshul, although he already passed away."

However, Phillip only laughed.

"Then, I can just create another story so that no one can enter this land."

***

Back then, I had no choice but to watch countless people die.

I felt sadness, helplessness, pain and despair.

I wanted to be buried in the darkness at that time.

Then, I heard Ser's scream.

[Argh! Laontel! Laontel! Where are you?! I'm scared!]

Her scream was louder than before. Perhaps, I was closer to her now.

This time, I must save Ser and Blake's curse must be lifted too.

"Ser, I'll save you."

I gritted my teeth and gave strength to my legs.

In the endless darkness, I suddenly remembered the western tower where I had been locked up.

***

Phillip tried to break my spell to no avail, but he didn't give up.

He built several layers of walls around the room and erased its existence.

In addition, he cast a spell on the land so that no one could step foot in there.

Phillip abandoned that area and moved the capital to Senion.

In Zelcan, all of the power was concentrated in the hands of the nobles in the Capital. Now, the Emperor ruled the Capital with an iron first and did not let the nobles interfere.

Naturally, they wouldn't accept it lying down.

The nobles who originally rooted for him now rebelled against him.

They used to reign like Emperors in Zelcan, so they were not pleased with Philip or the nobles who followed him.

However, the protest didn't last long.

Once again, the plague spread in Senion.

Phillip used the disease to remove the people who rebelled.

He used this method over and over again, making the people suspicious.

Phillip also knew that they would be suspicious.

So he came up with another fake story.

'The Goddess of Light was incredibly infuriated by Rakshul's bad deeds, soo she sent Tancinol to punish the Roums.'

He put the blame on Ser and Rakshul, and he also pointed to the Roums as the cause of Tancinol.

Most of Zelcan's nobles were Roums. The commoners were outraged and attacked the nobles.

Phillip killed those who rebelled against him with the disease.

He directed the commoners' resentment towards Rakshul and the Roums as he took control of the new Capital.

I wanted to reveal the truth, but I couldn't.

Phillip kept me chained in the western tower of the Imperial palace and I couldn't use my powers.

He even used my family to blackmail me.

"Laontel, the barrier is a bit broken. Were you trying to run away again?"

"Do you want your cute niece and nephew to get Tancinol?"

"No! Don't do that! My brother already lost his beloved daughter because of you! Please don't."

"Now his youngest son is going to die."

When I first tried to escape from the tower, Phillip killed my brother's daughter without any hesitation.

Whenever I disobeyed his will, he threatened me with my family.

"Then you can't do it again."

"Just kill me already! You're good at that! I'm—"

"You know I can't kill you."

I saw his crimson eyes twinkle with desire.

"Laontel, you had some of the Goddess' power!

"It's nothing compared to you. I only own a small part."

He traced my face with his hand and I got goosebumps.

I tried to push his hand away, but he grabbed my wrist.

"The Empress' position is still empty. If you want to leave this place, become my Empress."