CHAPTER~10
The Witch of the Story (1)
“Why now… of all times?!”
My head felt like it was about to burst as a jumble of thoughts collided inside me.
There was still no shadow of anyone near the door. Yet, Kallio’s presence felt unbearably heavy.
Judging from the question about whether it was a man, it seemed he had noticed someone else besides me, though he probably didn’t realize it was Kyrus.
What should I do? Should I say I got lost while paying respects alone in the tomb? That I accidentally met Kyrus and he helped me find my way…
Kallio’s voice rang low again.
“That man can be killed, right?”
Accidentally, my footwork alone…!
If I stayed foolishly frozen, the male lead would be dead at the hands of this psychopath.
“I have to hide Kyrus.”
I urgently grabbed Kyrus’s hand and pulled him close.
“H-Your Majesty—”
“Shh, you heard what I said just now, right? If anyone finds out, we’re dead.”
I whispered quickly and glanced around. Fortunately, there was a pile of objects nearby.
“Hide in here, quickly.”
“…Then what about Your Majesty?”
“Is that really important right now?”
“It is important to me.”
Kyrus stubbornly argued, but the footsteps were getting closer. My panic only grew.
“Your Majesty surely remembers. Those who were once in the imperial palace couldn’t last even a day…”
Thanks for the concern, but that’s not the issue right now!
I gripped Kyrus’s hand tightly.
If the male lead died here, much of the setting I was trying to remember from my debut work might become useless.
Anyway, the story revolves around the main characters. If the protagonist’s narrative collapses, the story itself would turn chaotic.
So Kyrus must not die.
“I survived the night. And even a few nights after that.”
“You were just lucky.”
“I will survive, no matter what it takes.”
Pushed this strongly, Kyrus finally moved.
The timing was perfect.
Just as Kallio’s shadow became visible, Kyrus was fully hidden.
I steadied myself, pretending calm, though my legs almost gave out.
Kallio’s low voice echoed in the hall.
“You said you were going to greet my father and mother. Strange to run into you here, Radi?”
Kallio, in his black uniform, strode toward me.
Despite his neat appearance, his bangs were disheveled, damp with sweat, partially hiding his golden eyes.
Before I knew it, Kallio and I were uncomfortably close.
Our breaths almost touched as he reached out, letting my hair slip through his fingers.
“Where have you been?”
Kallio asked with a chillingly charming smile.
“…I got lost. Anyway, you arrived quickly, Your Majesty.”
“I said I’d wait until the incense burned out.”
“……”
“But it burned faster than I thought.”
Was he up to some trick with the candle?
I almost lost my composure as Kallio shook the nearly burned-out incense stick.
My body stiffened at his next words and movements.
“By the way, where is the man you secretly meet?”
His golden eyes flashed like he was hunting prey, while his face smiled radiantly, an eerie contrast.
Uneasy, I clutched one of my arms tightly.
“Secretly meet a man? There’s no one else here but me.”
“There?”
Kallio slowly raised his arm, pointing to the pile of objects behind me.
He was perceptive.
Apparently, he realized the stage’s back was a dead end with no place to hide.
Feeling Kyrus might be discovered, I quickly changed the topic.
“…How did you get here? Did Your Majesty also get lost?”
Kallio ignored my words.
“Should I stab to check?”
His eyes gleamed wildly, as if he were some reckless warrior.
Facing that alone made my spine chill.
“While you greeted your parents, I found a strange passage.”
“…Yes?”
“But coming this way, I found my wife here.”
I couldn’t make sense of the conversation.
More than that…
I had closed the door when entering the passage. How did he find it?
Then I realized the answer.
‘Did Kallio come through the passage Kyrus used?’
Suddenly, Kallio stepped closer.
This time, he wasn’t heading toward me directly, but to my side.
“Step aside for a moment.”
Fear made my mind go blank. I had to move, either to step aside or protect Kyrus.
But my arms and legs felt glued in place.
“Rivie.”
He called my name. His voice had a lower, colder edge than before.
“Step aside.”
Before I could turn, Kallio drew a long sword from the scabbard at his waist.
‘Damn!’
With things as they were, it was do-or-die.
From now on, my future goal would be to act like a moth to a flame.
Before turning to ashes, I would at least make a fiery scene.
Clang!
I struck a flint rod with all my might to create sparks.
I grabbed a dry wooden stick from the pile.
The sparks from the flint caught the stick, flaring into a large flame.
Having made a torch in an instant, I stepped back, ready for defense.
“Your Majesty, you should stop advancing. If you come closer… I’ll set this place on fire.”
“Then you’ll burn too.”
“Even if I stay still, you’d die anyway!”
“Ahaha!”
Kallio laughed, clutching his stomach.
While I sweated nervously, he looked unreasonably pleased.
His eyes curved like a crescent moon, lips forming a neat line, oddly cheerful for the situation.
But that cheer faded like a lie.
“But this isn’t fun.”
He murmured softly.
“To think the man you’re willing to protect so fiercely.”
“There is no such person. The only one here from the start was me…”
“I feel a bit jealous, as a husband.”
“…Huh?”
Jealous? Ridiculous.
Hearing “jealous” from Kallio sounded insufferably absurd.
“My Empress is so… promiscuous.”
His eyes twisted maliciously.
I staggered. What?
‘Pro… promiscuous?’
He’s been married three times and calls me promiscuous?
I was outraged.
Even if Kyrus and I wandered a maze, Kallio had no right to say that.
Besides, I was a virgin even before transmigrating!
Distracted by the absurd accusation, something brushed against my side.
Swoosh.
I hadn’t noticed it moving until the sound came.
Thud!
Then came the sound of a sword piercing something.
Red liquid flowed to my feet.
In an instant, it pooled like a small stream.
No matter how I thought about it, this was… blood.
My hand holding the torch trembled.
Kallio calmly withdrew the sword that had pierced the pile of objects.
“Gone, I suppose?”
“Now… what is… this…”
My mind went blank.
But I had no time to speak to Kallio.
A familiar figure appeared at the entrance.
“Let’s play…”
The woman’s smile stretched unnaturally wide.
Her head twisted repeatedly along with her long hair with a snapping sound.
“….”
Kallio, witnessing this grotesque sight, did not even flinch. He simply extended his sword.
Crack!
His sword pierced the woman’s chest center. Yet she bled not; instead, she gripped the sword firmly.
Her smile instantly disappeared.
“You. You killed my child, didn’t you?”
The groping tone vanished, replaced by a chilling presence. Kallio answered evenly.
“There are too many dead; I don’t remember.”
“Diiieeee!”
The woman gripped Kallio’s neck with pale hands.
Her long nails pressed hard, but he calmly met her gaze, unafraid.
As she glared at Kallio, I felt something touch my foot.
A hand slipped out from the pile, tapping me lightly.
It was as if to show it was safe.
