Chapter 168 - North Korean rabbit

Episode 168

Ani's expression was stiff with anxiety and tension, but I was not particularly surprised.

‘It was bound to happen.’

The letter’s contents were simple.

「I shall visit to meet the guest who has set foot in my domain.」

There was no simple mention of who sent it, nor any signature.

But anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the Black Market and the one who ruled it could think of only one person.

‘The Black Serpent.’

Though his presence had faded in the last three years, the Black Serpent was the one who had ruled the nights of the capital’s back alleys.

No matter how well the Imperial Family maintained public order, shadows inevitably form where there is light.

The Black Serpent was the nickname of a man who had seized control of the capital’s slums about ten years ago.

The king of entertainment districts, pickpockets, petty thieves, and beggars.

I knew. The Black Serpent’s real name. And why he had not shown himself in the capital for the past three years.

‘Of course, he was in the north.’

The Black Serpent’s real name was Klaus Teslan.

The current Duke of Teslan.

Born as the illegitimate son of the previous Duke, he built his power in the capital’s back alleys before returning to the Duchy of Teslan, assassinating his father and brothers, and seizing the ducal seat.

After becoming Duke, he likely had no time to spare for the capital over the past three years while solidifying his control over the duchy.

Thanks to that, it was convenient for me to create the intelligence agency Penny Terrace in the void he left.

‘In fact, Milan, the manager of Penny Terrace, was also originally a subordinate of the Black Serpent.’

The Black Serpent probably thinks that while he, the master, was temporarily away, I completely took over his backyard.

‘Well, who told him to leave it abandoned for so long?’

Even though he abandoned it first, he’s probably seething, thinking Milan betrayed him and vowing to kill him.

That man’s personality… was more vile than Arpad’s.

He was the one who, upon seeing my wretched state, said this:

“Why are you alive looking like that? It would be better to just die. Need help?”

He was the one who, upon seeing my horrific state when I came to meet the Tower Lord, asked me that as if offering a favor.

The Black Serpent’s warning letter arrived along with the report Milan sent.

Milan’s report was as follows:

「It appears the serpent has not yet left its nest. However, it seems likely to move before the New Year’s Festival.」

“…….”

Anyway, it will take some time before I directly clash with this man.

I was confident I could use this man sufficiently. Because I know what he wants.

Right now, I had something else to deal with first.

It wasn’t the matter of my feelings toward Arpad, which I had decided to postpone until the Crimson Moon.

That is something I can do nothing about right now.

‘Evangeline and the Archbishop are still unharmed.’

I couldn’t let them roam freely.

No matter if I leave Arpad’s side, they must be properly dealt with first.

* * *

Screams and groans overflowed in the Imperial underground prison.

“Agh! Save me!”

“I was only following Her Majesty the Empress’s, no, Isabel’s orders.”

“I know nothing!”

Amid the noise and screams from the nightmarish torture, Evangeline huddled in her own small cell.

“Ah, aah…….”

A rough groan escaped, but she forced it back down.

Because she had learned enough over the past few days. Making a racket only made the treatment worse.

“Let me out! I am pregnant with the Imperial grandchild!”

“If I get out, I’ll kill every last one of you!”

“How dare you lock me up in a filthy place like this?”

At first, she raged and cursed with great bluster, but soon her strength ran out.

The meager meals and water she was given were promptly taken away when she threw a tantrum.

If she wasn’t quiet, she couldn’t even fill her hungry stomach.

Having been reduced to a state like a floor-rag, Evangeline ground her teeth.

‘All of this is definitely that woman’s doing.’

She must have given the orders filled with malice.

Otherwise, she couldn’t have been this harsh to me.

‘As expected, she’s jealous and resentful of me.’

She suddenly recalled the day she was supposed to receive the oracle.

The sight of Hilia returning proudly with Arpad.

The light pouring down from the ceiling seemed almost meant for Hilia.

And Arpad, who was looking at such a woman with the gentlest face in the world.

The scar on her cheek throbbed again.

Tears of misery welled up.

“Sob, no! Nooo!”

Hunger and fear ultimately could not overcome her misery.

Evangeline wept like a child in the darkness.

It was then that footsteps approached.

“…?”

Evangeline wiped her streaming tears and snot with her sleeve and looked up.

From far away, the shadow of a person holding a lamp was slowly approaching.

It was definitely heading toward Evangeline herself.

Forgetting her fear and misery for a moment, she crawled on her knees closer to the prison door.

“Help me. Please, just get me out…!”

Only when the light and shadow drew near could she see who had come for her.

“Hilia……!”

“Long time no see, Evangeline.”

Hilia was softly and brightly adorned. It wasn’t an excessively lavish attire compared to usual.

But today, she looked different. Her clean skin glowing down to her pink nail tips, her neatly pinned-up hair decorated with diamond and pearl hairpins.

Below, a three-strand necklace of pink diamonds encircling her snow-white neck and large ruby earrings sparkled.

Though only illuminated by the small lamp light, she shone so brightly it was dizzying.

And the Star of Stytilia on Hilia’s left ring finger.

She was so utterly different from herself, reduced to a rag rolling around in the despairing darkness.

It was truly like comparing a diamond to a shattered pebble.

Misery and anger surged anew.

“Did you come to laugh at my state?”

She glared at Hilia with malice, but her tears wouldn’t stop.

Hilia looked down at such an Evangeline with eyes that were utterly impassive.

She examined Evangeline’s appearance piece by piece for a moment, then uttered words entirely unexpected.

“How does it feel, Evangeline? No, that’s not your real name, is it.”

Evangeline’s shock was layered.

How does she know about my real name?

No, before that, there was a bigger problem.

‘Korean? Are you speaking Korean right now?’

Though it sounded a bit awkward from long disuse, it was definitely Korean.

Hilia was confident she would understand Korean.

“How?”

Then Hilia smiled softly and tilted her head.

“Haven’t you caught on yet? I thought I’d acted enough for you to know.”

Hilia’s white, slender fingers gently touched the iron bars of the prison cell.

“Isn’t that right? Possessor Yushin?”

“…!”

Unlike what the Archbishop had said after reading the <Book of Fate>, her pronunciation was very smooth.

* * *

I still remembered vividly. The last words I heard just before my third death, when my neck was severed and the world was spinning.

“Farewell. Miss Original Work’s Heroine.”

“Ahaha! Now I’m the real heroine.”

The shock, pain, and terror of that time still remained within my soul.

Now, unlike me back then, Evangeline was not bound to a guillotine. Her execution had not been decided either.

The situation—Evangeline in her miserable state inside the cell, and me watching from outside—felt unfamiliar.

Because it was always me suffering inside there. Stripped of everything.

Now, we were in the exact opposite situation of that time.

I returned the words I heard then in reverse.

The Korean I uttered after so long felt foreign in my mouth, but it seemed at least understandable to Evangeline.

Judging by how her green pupils were trembling like that.

“Isn’t that right? Possessor Yushin?”

A base, yet undeniable thrill was washing my mind white.

“How does it feel to covet the heroine’s seat and fall all the way to the bottom?”

The expression on Evangeline’s face, distorted with shock, crumbled in an instant.

“Aaaah!!!”

Romance, Fantasy,