Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 45

Chapter 45

 

“No matter how much His Majesty has granted you full authority, hasn’t this crossed the line?”

Empress Elizabeth did not bother to hide her displeasure as she entered the interrogation room.

And understandably so. Alexis had summoned her to the tribunal under the pretense of giving a witness statement. It was an extremely humiliating treatment for the Empress of the Empire.

“There are no exceptions in an investigation, Mother.”

Alexis replied as if it were only natural. Though he addressed her with a special title, his expression as he looked at the Empress was as cold as ever.

“We both dislike facing each other just the same, don’t we? Please sit. Ending this quickly would benefit Your Majesty as well, would it not? After all, we’re not destined to keep seeing each other for long.”

“Alexis, you speak in ways that could easily be misunderstood by others.”

“Any conversation outside of the testimony will not be recorded. Please don’t worry and act at ease.”

With his arms crossed, Alexis fixed his gaze on the Empress. He looked as though he had been waiting for this confrontation.

After a brief standoff, the Empress judged that it would be difficult to bend Alexis to her will. Since she had already come this far, avoiding it was no longer an option.

The heavy hem of her dress swept across the floor as she sat down in the prepared chair, lifting her sharply defined nose haughtily.

“Fine. Do as you please. I don’t know what scheme you’re harboring to stir things up like this.”

“It was an attempted assassination of a member of the imperial family. Not something that can be brushed aside easily. Aside from His Majesty the Emperor, shouldn’t everyone who attended the hunting competition be investigated?”

“I heard the culprit was caught.”

“Baron Rowen was nothing more than a drifter. And now that he’s dead, we can no longer question him. A regrettable outcome.”

As expected of someone renowned for her composure, the Empress’s expression did not change in the slightest. She merely looked at the Crown Prince with her vivid green eyes.

Seeing Cecil’s face overlap with hers made Alexis let out a quiet scoff. Blood truly could not be deceived. He then uncrossed his arms, shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, and began the interrogation.

“You don’t seem particularly surprised. Weren’t you rather close with the Baron?”

“I had already received the news.”

“Then who do you think killed the Baron? One would need considerable audacity to plan a murder within the imperial palace. Whoever is behind it must wield significant influence.”

“…It sounds as though you are suspecting me.”

“Does it?”

Alexis smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing. It was a charming smile, but the Empress did not return it. Instead, she glared at him with sharpened eyes.

Alexis, however, remained calm. From the beginning, he had never intended to interrogate the Empress. His artificial smile vanished, and he continued in an even tone.

“In truth, the investigation is nearly complete. All the assassins are dead, and there is no evidence left at the scene. With the Baron, our only lead, now murdered, this incident can only be buried.”

“You summoned me here just to tell me that?”

“Yes. There is something I wished to impress upon you.”

Alexis took a step forward. It took only two steps to reach the Empress’s chair. He grasped both armrests and leaned down.

“Your Majesty, have you enjoyed yourself until now?”

At the low voice suddenly brushing her ear, the Empress flinched. But Alexis pressed down on her arms and the armrests, leaving her unable to move.

Bringing his face close, the Crown Prince whispered in a voice only she could hear.

“I know this was your doing. My seat must look very tempting to you… but what should I do? I have no intention of ever letting it be taken.”

“Step back! How dare you… Ugh!”

“You were lucky to escape this time, but things will not go the way you want from now on. I’ll be watching closely, with my eyes wide open.”

“…….”

“I warn you, if you wish to live elegantly as the Empress of the Empire, take my words to heart. Never touch me or those around me again. If you dare pull something like this once more, I will repay it severalfold.”

Empress Elizabeth glared fiercely. Her smooth jaw trembled as she struggled to suppress her agitation and rage. Swallowing the boiling fury inside her, she forced out a bitter laugh.

“Are you threatening me now? Do you really think you’re in a position to do that?”

“If you don’t believe me, then by all means, try it. Just be prepared. The position of Empress of the Empire is not eternal, is it?”

Alexis withdrew briskly. None of those present in the interrogation room heard the words he exchanged with the Empress. But judging from her trembling state, as though she might collapse at any moment, it was clear that nothing pleasant had been said.

“Escort Her Majesty back to the Empress’s palace. She appears to be in a very foul mood, so attend to her with utmost care.”

After issuing the order, Alexis left the interrogation room with the clerk. The attendants left behind cautiously approached the Empress.

“Get away from me!”

She rejected their outstretched hands and stood up on her own. The luxurious armchair toppled backward. Then, screaming the malice she had held back all this time, the Empress tore off her necklace and precious ornaments and hurled them to the floor. At last, she burst into manic laughter.

“How dare you! You think you can… bring me down?”

Her near-hysterical shrieks spilled out beyond the door. Hearing them, Alexis continued walking straight ahead.

This was, after all, a tribunal where screams and sobs were commonplace. Even if the sound leaked out, no one would assume it belonged to the Empress.

His steady footsteps were filled with grim resolve, and the eyes staring ahead burned with determination.

Though the attempted assassination would have to remain unresolved, it had not been a total loss.

He had delivered a proper warning to the Empress, and above all, he had gained a reliable ally.

 

***

 

In the dead of night, when all were asleep, an utterly unremarkable carriage came to a quiet halt before a dark alley.

Soon after, the door opened and figures cloaked in black robes stepped out. Concealing their gender and status, they moved into a back alley reeking of filth.

Their destination was a shabby inn. Entering deliberately through the back door, the bell announcing guests did not ring. As if expecting them, the innkeeper merely yawned widely, pretending not to notice the suspicious visitors.

The figures, like congealed shadows, headed toward the deepest part of the inn. When the door opened, a musty, metallic stench wafted out. It was the distinct odor of an elderly gypsy woman.

The wrinkled old crone straightened her hunched back and rose. Facing the guests who had come for her in the dead of night, she bowed deeply.

“Thank you for coming. I greet an honored presence.”

“Spare me the formalities. What if someone hears?”

“Yes, then shall we begin right away?”

The old woman shuffled forward. Though a perfectly good table and chairs were present, she squatted on the bare floor in a corner. Spread before her were a black cloth and a blue crystal sphere.

The night visitor also stepped forward. Unable to bring herself to sit on the filthy ground, she remained standing with rigid posture.

After a moment, a pale hand emerged from beneath the robe and pushed back the hood. Thick dark-brown hair and emerald-tinted eyes were fully revealed.

Empress Elizabeth looked down at the old woman with a dissatisfied expression.

“So you are truly the greatest sorceress in the Verka Empire?”

“That is what people tend to call me.”

“I find it hard to trust.”

The Empress spoke skeptically.

The sorceress was nothing more than an ordinary old woman. Worn-out clothes, black grime under her fingernails, deeply wrinkled skin bearing the marks of time. She was merely a gypsy one could find anywhere.

But when the sorceress placed her hand atop the crystal ball, the transparent sphere began to glow with a bluish light. At the seemingly mystical sight, the Empress’s eyes sparkled as they followed the orb.

“Not bad. You’re not entirely without skill.”

“What is it that you wish to know?”

The sorceress was famous for her accurate prophecies. And true to her gypsy roots, she was exceptionally adept at casting curses.

Rumors of her uncanny abilities spread quietly among the high-ranking nobles of the Empress’s faction, eventually reaching the Empress’s ears and drawing her to this vile, filthy back-alley inn.

“There is only one thing I wish to know. Who do you think will become the next Emperor of the Verka Empire?”

As the Empress asked in a whisper, the sorceress stroked the crystal ball and focused. Her half-lowered eyelids trembled, and in an instant, her murky irises turned completely white. Though grotesque and horrifying, the Empress watched without changing her expression.

“I see the Empire’s brightest star preparing for his coronation. Ah… how solemn and… beautiful.”

“…….”

“At his side stands one who bears the aura of the Goddess Gaia. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“This person will play a great role in turning the great star into the sun. However, their life will not be long. They will fade away at the most beautiful age.”

The Empress, who had been disheartened by the prophecy of Alexis ascending the throne, brightened at the following words. That Yuria would die early was hardly unwelcome news.