069 – Assassination

—

[But isn’t the Emperor married? I don’t remember ever seeing the Empress.]

I know there’s a curse where the daughter dies before she turns 10.

If the daughter dies before 10, does the mother die too?

The Empress has never once shown her face.

*Sigh…*

[Comments]

– You gonna do the nasty with the Empress too?

ㄴ (Author): Even if I’m crazy, do you think I’d mess with the Emperor’s wife?

ㄴ What if she’s super pretty?

ㄴ (Author): Sorry, my character wouldn’t. Just one time and then die. I’ll use you well as a fap material.

ㄴ LOLOLOLOL

– Come to think of it, I’ve never seen the Empress either. Maybe she’s the secret mastermind?

ㄴ (Author): The Emperor’s a furry, perhaps? I literally can’t stand that, LOL. Just sticking a cute animal in his mouth and licking it all over, kissing it, and then *hee hee hee* at night…

ㄴ Please, just hold your breath for two hours. Go underwater and hold it, please.

– You’re insane.

ㄴ (Author): Suddenly with the insults? That’s a bit much…

ㄴ No, the Empress is insane.

ㄴ (Author): Why?

ㄴ Her daughter is dead.

ㄴ (Author): Our daughter is alive and well, why are you picking a fight?

ㄴ (Author): Apologize.

ㄴ (Author): Apologize!!

ㄴ (Author): Correcting it is too suggestive…

ㄴ Fix it.

ㄴ (Author): Fixing it is also suggestive…

“Just patch it already.”

＞ (Author): “Agh… You shouldn’t have removed the patch there…”

“??????????????????”

—

Sorting out formalities with Isabella-ssi, a subtle truth began to dawn on me.

‘She likes me.’

The undeniable fact that Isabella-ssi really liked me.

And the “like” here wasn’t the pet-and-owner kind of affection…

*Myaaaoow*

Isabella-ssi liked me as a man.

*Thwack thwack thwack thwack*

Not that I’d ever consider spanking the posterior of a woman who fancied me, but…

Having Ella-ssi, such an extraordinary person, by my side, and then becoming entangled with Isabella-ssi in *that* way…

‘…Would I become like that guy I saw yesterday?’

I couldn’t help but think I’d turn into that womanizing scoundrel whose name I couldn’t even recall from yesterday.

And why wouldn’t I?

Ella-ssi was the daughter of the Margrave, who guarded the Northern border of the Magic Kingdom.

She was also the next head of the illustrious Eloise Duchy, and, more than anything, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

‘Hmm…’

And then look at me.

Blessed by the Goddess.

Able to have His Majesty upgrade my Marquisate to a Dukedom with a simple request.

Considered an uncle by Princess Asher… What even *am* I? What makes me so great?

“Huh?”

*Myaang?*

Does this mean a polygamous arrangement would be acceptable for me?

Would it be alright for me to take Isabella-ssi as a wife as well?!

“What’s wrong, Master?”

Isabella-ssi was finally recovering from her heat cycle, and now *I* felt like *I* was going into heat, but…

“The important thing right now isn’t my heat.”

“Suddenly?”

For now, whether it was polygamy or polyandry, resolving the immediate problem at hand was far more crucial.

“We haven’t exactly decided *when* we’re visiting the Eloise family yet, have we?”

“That’s right, nyan.”

“Let’s cleanly resolve the relationship between Isabella and Mihan before we go.”

“What about the Emperor’s homework?”

“That…I caught one, so wouldn’t that be enough?”

“You caught one?!”

“I caught one while Isabella-ssi wasn’t around.”

“It’s Seol.”

“I caught one while Seol wasn’t around.”

“I didn’t see it! That’s so unfair!”

“I’m not feeling unjustly treated, no.”

Myaaang! Myaaang!

Look at her, sulking because she missed out on the fun.

Serves her right for getting all worked up the night before.

Ah, is it because I named her, perhaps?

Hmm..

“I believe you’re forgetting something, the Heart Reaper is currently slumbering within my heart.”

“Even without the Aether, Master can wield the Goddess’s power!”

“So my safety is of no concern to you now?”

“It’s alright. If Master ends up in a situation where he’s about to die, I can legally turn him into a vampire.”

For a moment, a chilling sound seemed to pierce the air.

Lady Isabella would wait for me to die… Wait just a moment.

“..You will help me if I’m in danger, right?”

“Yep! I’ll help!”

“That doesn’t involve turning me into a vampire or anything, does it?”

“That’s right!”

“…”

“?”

Ugh, I can’t just throw that cat.

Just this morning, Isabella-ssi was eager to devour me.

Now, she wants to devour me in a different way.

“..After visiting Ella-ssi’s place, let’s head to the slums and try to clean up some criminals.”

“Yay!”

“You’ll really protect me? Just so you know, I’ll take my own life if I become a vampire, understood?”

“Ehhh… What’s that about? You have to be my Master for life as a vampire.”

The trustworthy bodyguard had vanished, replaced by Isabella-ssi, a True Ancestor vampire, always eyeing me with hungry intent.

“That won’t do. This is an order, Seol.”

Mya?!

To her, I abandoned the respectful title of Isabella-ssi, instead calling her by her name, Seol, asserting my authority as Master.

“From now on, you will diligently protect your Master. Understood?”

Mya!

“Answer in human language.”

“Trust me, Master!”

‘Why is this working?’

Perhaps Isabella-ssi simply needed an excuse to be called Seol.

…

“Do you remember everything?”

“Perfectly!”

The road to the Eloise family manor stretched ahead, Isabella at my side in her human guise.

A mere day had been spent weaving her and my shared childhood memories.

From this moment onward, I was the young head of the family, the loving brother raising his headstrong sister.

Of course, Isabella, having diligently observed humans for so long, confidently declared her mastery of aristocratic etiquette.

‘It all hinges on me…!’

You can do this, Meehan!

From now on, you are the son-in-law who has captured your future mother-in-law’s heart!

Don’t make any mistakes!

Huzzah!!

…

“When are you planning on having children?”

Pthwppt!

I sprayed the wine I was drinking straight onto the floor.

Julia Alleyne, Ella’s mother, fixed me with a gaze that suggested she cared not a whit about the mess.

“…Pardon?”

“You heard me perfectly well.”

We haven’t even been officially dating for a month.

And Ella’s mother already wants to see grandchildren…

“That’s…”

Lost as to how to navigate this situation, I scanned the room, my eyes pleading for help.

Ella was beet red, her head bowed low.

Isabella, meanwhile, regarded me with unrestrained amusement.

And Altmia Eloise, Ella’s younger brother, was still unable to tear his gaze away from Isabella.

“That is?”

Realizing I was utterly alone, I was met with Julia Alleyne’s expectant stare. I started to formulate the response that I’d consider it after graduating from the academy, but then…

“…Hmm?”

Isabella, as if suddenly detecting something amiss with the food, began to slowly scan her surroundings.

And then…

CRASH!

She abruptly flipped the entire table.

“!”

Even with the ‘raised without parents’ backstory, this was too much.

Cosplaying as someone who lacked even basic table manners.

But thank you, Isabella. Thanks to you, no one is paying attention to the grandchildren issue!

“…”

Everyone, startled by the sudden upheaval, stared at Isabella.

“…What is this?”

From amongst the overturned dishes, a thick, black liquid oozed from the inside of the roast duck.

To one whose bones were steeped in Korean-ness, that viscous black fluid might resemble medicinal herbs.

But such sticky, dark things were unknown amongst the foodstuffs of the Magic Kingdom…

“…”

“…”

“…”

Everyone present could feel it at once, a cold intuition blooming.

An unwelcome guest had found their way within the Eloise estate.

‘Not a doppelganger, nor a vampire, but… a succubus, perhaps?!’

Having dealings with so many different races as I did, the thought occurred.

Had a succubus, disguised as human, infiltrated the Eloise family’s manor?

‘Well, this falls squarely into my area of expertise.’

If so, then it seemed the time had come for this righteous Mihan to discipline said succubus with a large and sturdy club.

“Have all the cooks brought here, immediately.”

“Yes!”

I’d use every skill Earth had taught me against you, succubus!

…

“…”

To get straight to the point, the one who poisoned the food was not a succubus in human guise.

Nor, surprisingly, was it a doppelganger.

Not even a vampire resembling humankind.

It was merely…

“Name.”

A person.

Just like us.

Wasn’t it said that the scariest thing was a person?

“Kill him.”

Lately, the Eloise family had been catching the Emperor’s eye, and a rival noble, displeased…

Had sent an assassin to hide within the Eloise ducal kitchen.

“On a day when esteemed guests arrive, you are determined to create an unsightly scene, are you?”

“We should have died together for the cause. It is a pity.”

That too, at the moment when the reason the Eloise family came to the Emperor’s attention was present.

“Very well. If you insist on being tortured, then so be it.”

“No torture will wrest information from me.”

Julia Alleyne, determined to uncover the information about the failed assassin, was preparing to resort to torture, but.

—

Taylor Finn (38)

—

In my eyes, the other man’s age and name were already visible.

And so, I began to consider the most natural way to extract information from the man…

“I have a request, Mother-in-law.”

“Mother?”

“..Julia Alleyne, remember.”

“From now on, call me ‘Mom’.”

“Yes…yes?”

“Go on.”

“..Mother?”

“That’s right, darling! Why did you call?”

“..Would it be alright if I take the lead on this man’s interrogation?”

“Oh, whatever you want, dear!”

“Thank you, Mother!”