A Woman Who Was Nothing

“Please… just spare me! Please let me live!”

Pim’s pathetic plea echoed loudly.

In the northern frontier of the Elschweig Empire, a deep forest held a large mansion.

The lord of this remote land—where the terrain was harsh and almost no people lived—felt something ominous the moment he heard that the Emperor himself would visit such a worthless place.

The perceptive lord quickly guided the Emperor to a mansion far away even from the smallest village.

With a hardened expression, the Emperor entered the mansion with his soldiers.

The “criminals” he had captured were also thrown into the mansion’s basement.

“I’ll cooperate with everything! Ask me anything! I’ll tell you everything! Just spare my life… please?”

Locked in the secret room, Pim felt like he was going insane.

Why isn’t anyone asking me anything even though I’m begging like this?!

After sobering up, he realized he had been captured by the Emperor’s army.

But that was all.

There was no interrogation.

No questioning.

Do they not know I’m a member of the Alliance? Or has my turn not come yet?

They didn’t even ask his name.

The silent stares watching him were driving Pim mad.

Just as he was about to lose his mind—

the door to the chamber finally opened.

A figure stepped inside through the narrow beam of light.

Th-the Emperor? The Emperor himself?!

Even though it was only a dark silhouette approaching, the pressure alone strangled Pim’s breath.

His knees trembled.

Tears filled his eyes.

If I had known my life would end like this, I would never have joined the Alliance.

“Y-Your Majesty… I will tell you everything. Everything I know about the Alliance. I’ll obey any command and devote my loyalty to Your Majesty from now on—”

“Silence.”

“….”

Hearing the Emperor’s icy voice for the first time in his life, Pim froze completely.

Still, if he wanted to live, he couldn’t lose his mind now.

He needed to prove his usefulness somehow.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak again—

“Nothing special. Remove him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor had grabbed Pim’s chin and briefly looked at his face.

Then he simply let go and turned away.

“Your Majesty! Y-Your Majesty!”

Pim didn’t even know how to address the Emperor properly.

But he knew that if the Emperor left like this, he would definitely die.

“I-information! I’ll give you valuable information! It will definitely help Your Majesty—”

“You don’t know anything.”

“E-excuse me?”

The Emperor’s shadow, which had been moving away, returned and covered Pim again.

Standing against the light, only his blue eyes shone sharply.

“All you did was argue with the temple’s archbishop a little and run away with Greta without even knowing why.”

“You can’t even name a single Alliance officer.”

“So how exactly do you plan to buy your life?”

“Th-that…”

The Emperor’s lips were perfectly straight.

His face was cold, as if even a mocking smile would be a waste.

Pim felt his heart drop.

“…H-how did you know…?”

Pim muttered in shock.

But the Emperor did not answer.

He simply left.

The door closed again.

Pim squeezed his eyes shut.

In the darkness— he felt the executioner approaching.

* * *

“As expected, we couldn’t get anything useful from them. Shall we check on the princess now?”

“Yes.”

Herhan let out a deep sigh that had been simmering inside him.

“You told us to keep her alive, so we left her breathing.”

Jes led him into another room.

Greta was tied to a chair.

She hung limp, almost like a corpse.

“At first glance she looks dead, but she’s conscious. There should be no problem with Your Majesty using your power.”

Herhan walked toward Greta.

His steps toward the black-haired woman were heavy.

This was a task he truly did not want to do.

“…Disgusting. To think I must see all the memories and emotions of a woman like this.”

Herhan lifted Greta’s chin with his fingers and looked into her unfocused black eyes.

And inside those empty pupils— he read everything.

Greta’s jealousy.

Greta’s desire.

Greta’s despair.

Even the moment her soul was completely destroyed when Fabian stabbed her.

All of Greta’s twisted thoughts stood in front of him like weeds growing taller than a man.

Herhan cut through them mercilessly.

Only after clearing them away could he finally uncover the truth buried beneath.

“I want you to find something I’ve lost.”

“You still don’t understand. I’m not the impressive one—the thing I want is.”

“My ability? Hmm… maybe it’s the ability to dream interesting dreams?”

When Herhan finally saw the man hidden within Greta’s memories—

his blood boiled.

So it was you.

You were the one.

Like a predator that had finally found its prey, every sense in Herhan’s body sharpened.

Just then—

he saw the blue necklace Greta had found inside the man’s drawer.

Herhan, who had been focusing only on the prey’s throat, suddenly froze as if struck from behind.

“It doesn’t have a name. I just call him ‘Young Master.’”

Young Master.

At that moment, the missing piece of the puzzle snapped perfectly into place.

The center of the entire story.

…So that’s how it was.

Hard to believe— but not entirely surprising.

In Hank’s memories, there had been a young boy clinging tightly to little Riela’s hand.

If that boy were still alive today— he would look exactly like this.

Kyle Parlante.

Herhan whispered the name with burning fury.

Just then Greta coughed violently, breaking his concentration.

“…If you just stare like that, what will it change?”

Herhan returned to reality at Greta’s weak question.

In his restored vision, Greta was staring at him blankly.

“Shouldn’t you grab my hair and shake me while asking questions?”

“Like who’s targeting Riela?”

Herhan released her chin.

Without his support, Greta’s head dropped weakly.

She couldn’t even hold it up herself.

Yet she chuckled quietly while looking down.

“How pitiful.”

“You thought everything would end once you caught me, didn’t you?”

“You didn’t realize there was another enemy.”

“Want me to cooperate?”

“Should I help you?”

“Hmm?”

“We don’t need your help.”

At that moment, Riela entered the room and cut in before Herhan could answer.

 

Riela immediately took Herhan’s hand and looked up at him.

 

Her clear eyes gently examined his face.

 

As if silently asking, Is the investigation of Greta finished?

 

Riela soon bit her lip firmly and stepped between them.

 

Her movement looked almost as if she were protecting Herhan from Greta.

 

Greta curled her lips in mockery at the sight.

 

“You don’t need my help? Are you sure about that?”

 

“Riela. I’m telling you there are people targeting you.”

 

Greta, who had looked like a corpse until now, finally showed a strange glint in her eyes.

 

Hatred toward Riela.

 

It seemed that hatred was the only thing left giving life to Greta, whose soul had already been destroyed.

 

“Yes. We don’t need it.”

 

“But without my testimony, you won’t even know who your enemy is—”

 

“Princess, you seem to think you’re a very important person.”

 

Riela interrupted calmly.

 

“But you’re really not.”

 

“….”

 

“You’re just a wanted criminal.”

 

“You committed crimes, ran away, and got caught.”

 

“You’re nothing more than a criminal.”

 

“So who exactly do you think you’re helping right now?”

 

Riela didn’t give Greta any chance to respond.

 

She simply turned away with Herhan and left the room together.

 

* * *

“How was it? Did I look like a prince on a white horse?”

 

It was an unfamiliar bedroom.

 

After dealing with everything at the temple, they had barely returned before ending up in another guest room somewhere far away.

 

Riela wasn’t afraid as long as she was with Herhan.

 

Still, it would not be an easy night to fall asleep.

 

As soon as they entered the room, Riela forced Herhan onto the bed.

 

Yet she herself could not lie down.

 

“Lie down with me, my prince on a white horse.”

 

“I’ll lie down after I see you fall asleep, Your Majesty.”

 

“I can only fall asleep if you hold me.”

 

Riela looked down at him worriedly before sitting softly on the edge of the bed.

 

Herhan turned his body toward her.

 

Resting his head on her thigh, he soon felt her gentle hand settle on his forehead, lightly playing with his hair.

 

A comforting scent drifted to his nose.

 

Herhan shifted his head around, deliberately pressing closer into Riela.

 

Riela cleared her throat awkwardly as his warm breath brushed against her stomach.

 

“Your forehead is hot, Your Majesty. Was it very difficult today?”

 

“Yes. Quite.”

 

He could have pretended it wasn’t difficult at all.

 

But whining quietly in the arms of this small woman didn’t feel bad.

 

In fact— it felt sweet and comfortable.

 

“I found an important clue.”

 

“Did you discover the identity of the Alliance?”

 

“…Something close.”

 

“Wow. There’s really nothing you can’t do. How did such an amazing person become mine?”

 

The name *Kyle Parlante* had been stuck painfully in Herhan’s throat.

 

But at that moment, he simply laughed lightly.

 

“That’s what I should be saying.”

 

When he looked up at Riela, her gaze seemed distant for a moment.

 

“Then Princess Greta has truly become useless now.”

 

“Yes. As soon as we return to the imperial palace, she will be dealt with according to the law.”

 

*According to the law.*

 

After attempting to assassinate the imperial family several times, the punishment was obvious—

 

execution.

 

“But if you dislike that…”

 

“If I dislike it, what will you do?”

 

Riela smiled faintly.

 

“Will my opinion come before the law of the nation?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Riela liked it when Herhan answered her teasing so seriously.

 

“I suppose I should be careful. I shouldn’t become an Empress who shakes the foundation of the country.”

 

Her slender fingers continued playing with his moonlit hair.

 

She was wearing only a thin slip.

 

Every time Herhan spoke, the movement of his ear or jaw—

 

even his breath—

 

seemed to brush directly against her bare skin.

 

It made her dizzy.

 

So Riela sat stiffly like a statue.

 

She tightened her waist so she wouldn’t move at all.

 

Her fingers simply kept twirling his hair.

 

Herhan caught her hand.

 

Like playing a delicate instrument—

 

or teasing her intentionally—

 

his fingertips tapped along the back of her hand and slowly moved upward.

 

Soon his fingers slipped between hers, locking tightly together.

 

“Purification.”

 

Herhan pulled her hand toward his mouth.

 

He buried his lips into her soft palm and breathed deeply.

 

As if making an excuse first in case she scolded him.

 

Riela couldn’t hold it in and laughed softly.

 

The tension in her body finally loosened.

 

Riela immediately realized her mistake.

 

Just as she expected.

 

Herhan had been waiting for that moment.

 

The instant she relaxed, he rose.

 

Now—

 

Riela was beneath him.

 

* * *

 

The guests of the northern mansion began preparing early the next morning to return to the imperial palace.

 

Even as chains were placed back on her and she was loaded into the carriage— Greta still didn’t believe she would die.

 

She was certain she still held the knife by the handle.

 

The Emperor coming personally to capture her but not interrogating her— Riela refusing her help so firmly— she believed it was all just a psychological battle.

 

‘They’re pretending to be strong.’

 

‘Trying to scare me into revealing the truth.’

 

And more than anything—

 

she believed public opinion would not stay silent.

 

After all, the wedding of the Emperor and Riela was just around the corner.

 

Before a national celebration, tradition dictated that even a tree was not cut for fear of angering the gods.

 

Executing criminals was unthinkable.

 

Sometimes prisoners were even pardoned.

 

So Greta assumed the palace would quietly hide the fact that she had been captured.

 

But—

 

“Show that shameless face!”

 

“Murderer! Witch!”

 

She had been drifting in and out of consciousness, drugged to keep her alive until trial.

 

Then suddenly—

 

she woke to thunderous noise.

 

They had already reached the imperial city.

 

The carriage shook violently.

 

Something kept hitting it—breaking, smashing.

 

And there were furious shouts everywhere.

 

Only then did Greta realize—

 

those voices belonged to the citizens of the Empire.

 

They were shouting at her.

 

Greta sat there blankly.

 

Soon the carriage stopped.

 

Soldiers spoke briefly outside.

 

Then the door beside Greta swung open.

 

Greta breathed slowly, too weak even to widen her eyes.

 

“Get out of the carriage. By imperial order, the criminal will walk from here to the palace.”

 

Greta was dragged down roughly.

 

Her blood-covered feet barely steadied themselves—

 

when something flew through the air and struck her head.

 

*Smack!*

 

A dull pain spread.

 

Something sticky ran down her forehead with a rotting smell.

 

That was the beginning.

 

Rotten eggs.

 

Filth.

 

Stones.

 

Insults and pointing fingers.

 

A man shouting that if the palace didn’t execute the witch immediately, he would cut her down himself.

 

A woman from Riota screaming in fury.

 

The entire imperial city roared at Greta.

 

And within all that chaos—

 

Greta remained completely numb.

 

* * *