IHDOE Ch 109
Satina blinked several times, unable to believe the sight unfolding before her eyes. Even if facing imminent execution at the guillotine, she wouldn't be this astonished.
Seeing that red hair and sharp golden eyes, the man before her was unmistakably her fiancé, Crown Prince Lexion.
Naturally, as one of the bad endings, his appearance was hardly surprising in itself. Yet the scene before her proved shocking.
Lexion set a table of food before her, gazing with a worried expression.
What on earth is this situation?
Satina surveyed her surroundings cautiously.
Judging by the attire of the people standing nearby, this was likely inside the imperial palace. It was a room far more lavish and luxurious than anywhere she had stayed before.
Even at a glance, the furniture appeared meticulously crafted by master artisans, and a dress placed to one side, perhaps newly arrived, glistened as its hem was decorated with diamonds.
While she struggled to even guess the situation, Lexion spoke.
[Lexion] "I heard you skipped meals again."
[Satina] "..."
She remained silent, in line with her ingrained memories.
[Lexion] "Are you protesting against me for locking you up here? Would you rather starve to death?"
Hearing his words, the person who locked her in this exquisite room was seemingly Lexion himself.
[Lexion] "If you starve to death, I shall behead your followers one by one. Yes... starting with the information broker you were close with. Hedzel, was it?"
He spoke in a low voice.
[Lexion] "Does that not matter to you?"
Despite his threat, Satina remained silent. She gazed quietly at the food laid out before her.
Savory crab soup, a sandwich packed with fresh vegetables and seafood, and refreshing lemonade. They were all her favorite dishes. Though two days had passed since her last proper meal, appetite eluded her completely.
Yet she possessed no desire to see Hedzel lose his life because of her. He was her good friend and loyal subordinate. Furthermore, unlike her, he had a younger brother and many family members to care for.
Reaching out slowly, Satina lifted the soup cup. Though nausea surged at the scent of food, she endured it.
She then began finishing the food slowly. A slow, tedious process ensued, yet Lexion remained seated opposite her, watching her finish that small soup cup to the end.
When she finally emptied the soup cup, a maid standing nearby cleared the table with a relieved face.
Since Satina ate something at least, today would pass relatively peacefully.
The maid viewed Satina with pitied eyes. Her originally delicate frame had grown even thinner and frailer after failing as a Saintess candidate.
Seeing that figure made Lexion's forced feeding through threats somewhat understandable.
Naturally, releasing her from confinement in a place like this would be best, yet such words were hardly for a mere maid to utter.
Lexion was not a cruel master to his servants, yet he exhibited strange reactions whenever Satina was involved.
Exiting the room, the maid left as Lexion spoke while looking at Satina.
[Lexion] "Tomorrow is the wedding between the new Saintess and me."
He spoke while looking at Satina leaning against the bed.
Her pink eyes, which sparkled even while facing torment in social circles, were empty like a corpse's. The eyes that once looked only at him regardless of his actions now stared into empty space.
Disliking that sight, he grabbed her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.
[Lexion] "If you tell me not to do it right now, I will stop."
She let his words pass nonchalantly, like a deaf person. Yet he held onto her forcefully, speaking desperate words.
[Lexion] "So tell me you love me like before. Tell me not to marry. Beg me to love you."
Initial threats in his voice gradually grew wet with tears. Lowering his head at last, he gripped her shoulders.
[Lexion] "...You love me, don't you?"
Satina looked down quietly at his head.
In the past, encountering this man invoked countless emotions, whether love or resentment. Yet now, none of it mattered.
When she offered no answer, acting like a broken doll, Lexion let out ragged breaths while holding her shoulders before composing his emotions and raising his head.
[Lexion] "Fine. It matters not."
With reddened eyes, he grabbed her ankle hidden beneath her dress. A thick iron chain was attached to her ankle, securely fastened to the bedpost.
[Lexion] "You will remain here for the rest of your life anyway."
He muttered.
[Lexion] "Marrying the Saintess will grant me power no one can challenge. Then I can protect you from the other fellows who covet you."
His eyes appeared thoroughly unhinged, yet she closed her eyes, turning away from him.
After Lexion departed, Satina washed, changed clothes, and went to bed as guided by the maids.
Though she hadn't slept this much in the past, she slept at every opportunity now. Sleeping allowed her to think of nothing, which brought comfort.
Just then, someone opened the door and entered.
Access to Satina's palace was strictly restricted, guarded in shifts by skilled knights. Could Lexion have returned again?
As she sat up in bed, a dark-haired man stood leaning against the closed door. Instead of screaming at the unfamiliar intruder, she gazed quietly at the figure beyond the darkness.
[Katan] "...It's all because of you."
The man spoke in a voice dripping with malice. Recognizing the somewhat familiar voice, Satina realized he was Katan.
[Katan] "Had it not been for you, we wouldn't have ended up like this. You ruined the Empire. You have no idea what you did."
A horrific, murderous intent emanated as the man stepped toward her. Seemingly, Katan's Bad Ending consisted of him killing her.
[Katan] "His Highness set Tyron Ascalon's execution date. In a week, he will be beheaded at the guillotine and become a corpse."
[Satina] "..."
[Katan] "Do you know why? Tyron's feelings for you were exposed! The Crown Prince has gone completely mad! No, not just the Crown Prince!"
The man shouted in rage.
[Katan] "Sharlan Bersabet committed an unfilial crime just to win your favor, and Serpens, a promising priest, fell into corruption because of you! It's all because of you! Because of you!"
Every single word dripped with intense hatred toward Satina.
[Katan] "The Saintess cries secretly every day! Because of those people still rambling that you are the true Saintess! Do you know how chaotic the world became after you framed the Saintess, claiming she tried to kill you? People think the Saintess isn't the real Saintess! So she doesn't even have the mind to check what kind of man her groom-to-be is!"
Before long, the man approached the bed where Satina lay.
[Katan] "So I must protect the Saintess."
Straddling her, the man clamped both hands around her neck.
[Katan] "If only you... if only you die. If you die, everything will return to how it was. The Saintess won't cry anymore, and the Crown Prince and Serpens will return to their senses!"
As force entered the man's hands, her neck was constricted.
Knowing she would lose her life shortly at this rate, Satina offered no resistance.
How many deaths had this been already?
She was far too exhausted to struggle to preserve her life now.
She hadn't desired much from the start. She merely wished to live happily alongside someone she loved, yet that ordinary goal proved most difficult for her.
Repeated deaths over a long time wore Satina down slowly, to the point where even death evoked no emotion within her.
Breathing grew faint gradually.
Illuminated by moonlight streaming through the window, the man's face was visible briefly. His light brown eyes held a mixture of ecstasy at killing the villainess Satina and desperation that everything would return to normal once she vanished.
Pain eluded her now.
As death neared, a white hand extended from the darkness, grabbing the man's head and snapping his neck with a crack. With a broken neck, the man died instantly.
Emerging from the darkness, a man looked down at Satina. Though his face remained unseen and his voice unheard, Satina knew all too well who this man was.
Reaching out her hand, she mumbled his name faintly.
[Satina] "Kill me..."
She detested this now. No matter how many times she died, no path existed for Satina to attain happiness. If it was an unachievable wish anyway, she preferred to end it here.
Lowering his body, the man grasped her hand. He then pressed his forehead against her hand as if in prayer.
[Man] "You said you wanted to live. You told me you wanted to live..."
Was he weeping? Hot tears fell onto her hand.
[Man] "This is the last time. So..."
Opening her eyes, Satina immediately met the gaze of Katan, who was watching over her from beside her.
[Katan] "...Are you alright?"
Instead of answering him, Satina grabbed his cheeks with both hands. Unlike the brown eyes seen in the Bad Ending, pitch-black pupils and irises stared intently at her.
[Satina] "I'm fine."
Releasing his cheeks, she thought.
Was it a misinterpretation in the dark? Or...
Yet her thoughts failed to wander further at his subsequent words.
[Katan] "Are you not angry?"
[Satina] "Me? Why at you?"
Pressing her lip with his thumb, Katan spoke. Only then did she recall him kissing her before she lost consciousness.
[Katan] "Because of what I did before you lost consciousness, My Lady. I expected you to be angry the moment you opened your eyes. If not..."
Leaning closer toward her, he whispered.
[Katan] "May I do it once more?"
As she hesitated, a knock sounded at the door, followed by the maid's voice.
[Cheney] "My Lady, I brought your medicine. May I enter?"
Startled, Satina pushed his shoulder, prompting him to smack his lips and step back.
[Katan] "What a pity."
[Satina] "Pity? I didn't give permission."
[Katan] "May I target the next opportunity instead?"
Instead of answering him, Satina called Cheney in.
Yet while Cheney administered medicine to her, Katan never diverted his gaze from her for a single moment, resembling a snake eyeing its prey.
Under his gaze, Satina's cheeks flushed red for no reason, eliciting Cheney's concern.
[Cheney] "My goodness, My Lady. Do you have a fever? Have you caught a cold?"
The final trial to select the Empire's Golden Star was determined by who hosted the most magnificent party.
Everyone hosting a party on the same day, victory belonged to the one drawing the most guests.
Following the downfall of Coraline, a powerful contender, other ladies prepared their parties with the anticipation that they might become the Empire's Golden Star.
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