CH 3

3. Death of the Moon (2) 

The Demon Clan had made a contract with a human magician to stay on earth.  

A contract was made to subordinate the blood of demons to humans and in return, maintain their human bodies. The blood of the demons has since been born in pairs with humans. The partners, called the companions of fate, were born alternatively in five families of the Empire. These five families, which were descended from the Magician, became the center of the Empire along with the Imperial family. 

“I’ll go first.” 

Shyang! 

Riyan stuck the knife into her waist band. Riyan, who usually likes to roll around on the floor of the Imperial palace, kept her knife untied because it got in the way. 

“You don’t know if her majesty will run if you inform her you’re going there.”  

Riyan was serious, and also cautious.  

It was certain that Cartagena Peirion was born in a pair with Lescal. In the year Cartagena was born, Peirion, one of the five families, made a public declaration and revealed the markings on her body as proof of being a companion. 

Until Lescal and Cartagena were formally married four years ago, no one doubted that. 

The blood of the demons and their companions were always born as a pair. Among the previous Emperors, some were born without the characteristics of a demon, and in some cases, no companion was born at all – but after Lescal, Cartagena was born. 

The markings were undeniable evidence. 

It is said that those born in pairs recognize each other’s existence even if they don’t see each other’s faces. Contact, a method of controlling the blood of the demons, also came into effect automatically. 

However, during the four years after the wedding, the empress made all sorts of excuses to avoid contact. 

No one knew why. Riyan and Serben alone suspected that the Empress was a fake. However, in the year Cartagena was born, the chief priest himself checked her mark. In the course of the engagement ceremony, Lescal too, saw the markings. They couldn’t doubt Cartagena as long as the marks were there. 

That was the problem. 

The Empress was torturing Lescal with the existence of a weapon that could never be replaced by anyone but her. That was why the two shadow knights grind their teeth when they saw the Empress Cartagena. 

In particular, Riyan was on the side that they should dispose of the fake companion, the Empress, and find the real one before it is too late. 

“He can’t miss it today.” 

Lescal would soon celebrate his 30th birthday. 

If Lescal was not able to control the blood of the demons in him until then, he might lose all of his character completely and become a demon. No one knew exactly what was going on because no such case existed in imperial history so far, but the rapid onset of the symptoms meant that the demonic power was growing stronger.  

“I feel the same way. But why don’t you leave your knife with me?” 

Serben reached out to Riyan. 

“Why?” 

“I keep thinking of a scene where you threaten her majesty with a knife to her throat. She is still the Empress.”  

Riyan shook her head with an expressionless smile. 

“There’s nothing I can’t do. My role as his majesty’s guardian knight is to protect his majesty. If her majesty continues to threaten him by using contact as leverage, there is no reason why I can’t use a knife.”  

“Ah, I mean…your majesty.”  

Serben, who knew his twin sister’s personality better than anyone else, asked Lescal for help. But Riyan had already whisked out of the office with her sword on. 

“Oh! Riyan!” 

Serben reached out but was too late. Liyan used the window, not the door, to her credit.  

“I have to go quickly. Before Riyan ends up causing an accident.”  

Serben hurriedly opened the door of the office. 

In that short time, the scales grew to the size of half a fingernail. Lescal, who was holding his hands on his wrist – turning black like a horse’s foot – moved. 

He couldn’t put off contact anymore. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t know if he’d get another chance to negotiate with the Empress over contact like today. 

Fortunately, the Empress’ Palace was not far away. 

And the empress, who said she was suffering from Amnesia, remained quietly confined to her bedroom. 

* * * 

“Your majesty the Empress! The blood flowing of the highest part of the continent, Lescal Lovaniallen Falken, Emperor of the Eliaden Empire is entering!” 

It hasn’t been long since the maids were sent out. 

Lasilia, who had taken time to sort out her thoughts alone, suddenly had to greet the emperor. The prophet was usually calm. Lasilia had never thought of herself having a flustered personality. 

Life in the temple was always quiet, and Lasilia was only ever shocked by a very esoteric prophecy. even that became familiar to her after 25 years. 

But since she opened her eyes as the empress of the empire, she seemed to be flustered all the time. 

“Hold on!” 

It was not until she heard that the emperor had come that Lasilia realized that she was in pajamas. The problem was that all the maids had been sent out. 

Lasilia hurriedly opened the chest of drawers that was visible to her. But the chest of drawers was filled with perfume and jewels, and she could not find a single piece of clothing. 

“I’ll open the door!” 

Hey! …. thud. 

Moreover, the Emperor of this empire didn’t seem to know how to wait. Let alone heeding my answer, the bedroom door was opened wide anyway.  

“Wait a minute, I say!” 

It’s too late. 

Further embarrassment was meaningless. With a short sigh, Lasilia got rid of her embarrassment and turned to face the emperor. Whether it was true or not, she was a patient right now, so it wouldn’t be too bad for her to be wearing pajamas.  

“Hell…..” 

But the moment she turned around, she met the splendidly shining gold eyes. 

She almost said, “Are you crazy?” without realizing it. Lasilia managed to shut her mouth. She couldn’t forget those eyes; he was the man from that dream. 

“Oh my….”

Her body turned stiff. 

It was as if that golden eye turned into a blade and pierced her chest. 

“I heard you’re not feeling well… I guess it’s true. Seeing that you haven’t even changed your clothes, yet.”  

How much time passed? 

When she closed her eyes because she couldn’t stand the glittering eyes anymore, the emperor opened his mouth. 

At the words, Lasilia slowly exhaled and opened her eyes. The emperor was staring at her face. 

“It’s not that I’m not feeling well.. I lost my memory.” 

Lasilia forced her stiff lips to move.  

Every word was carefully spoken. 

The Emperor’s Golden eyes were too flashy. It was to the point she was sucked into them and forgot what she was talking about. Lasilia had not yet made her decision. She was not sure if she should delay in telling him of the memory loss or reveal her true identity. 

But they said she was the empress here. Even if it wasn’t clear exactly, it wouldn’t be easy to claim that someone of the status of Empress had become someone else. A very complex would begin, both politically and socially.  

“I wasn’t prepared to face others because I didn’t even know who I was.” 

It was an excuse for still wearing pajamas, and a gentle request for him to leave considering the situation. 

Lasilia still needed time to organize her thoughts. 

“Is that why? It’s weird. It’s like a different person.” 

It may be that the emperor did not understand what I was saying, but he was muttering about something else altogether. With his chin tilted lightly to the side, he stepped forward. Lasilia immediately stepped back.  

“With all due respect, I don’t even recognize your face.” 

So, whether they were a couple or not, he was just an unfamiliar man right now. 

“That doesn’t matter.” 

“……?” 

One thing was certain, anyway. 

The emperor must not have liked the empress one bit. 

I still do not know whether the woman in that dream was not the empress or not. However, looking at what he was doing right now, I could feel that the Emperor did not cherish or respect his Empress. Above all, he didn’t seem to listen to the empress at all. 

The emperor, who narrowed the distance Lasilia had retreated to with an invisible speed, grabbed Lasilia’s shoulder. 

“Don’t do this, Your Majesty.” 

Lasilia tried to push the emperor away. However, the emperor did not budge no matter how hard she tried. 

“You can’t avoid me today.” 

The glittering gold was too close. She was afraid she would go blind if he came so close, but she couldn’t close her eyes in fear of what the Emperor might do. 

“I’m not avoiding anything…I’m confused because I’ve lost my memories. If you give me some time…” 

“There is no time.” 

“What…?” 

Lasilia couldn’t understand what the emperor was saying, asked back, frowning. 

“……different.” 

The emperor, who muttered this, suddenly buried his face on the back of her neck. The sound of breathing came from above her neck. 

“Ha!” 

Frustrated, Lasilia stepped firmly on the emperor’s foot. She did it since it was useless to shake him off.  

“Oh, dear…”  

“Wow, she did even that now!”  

The knights standing behind the emperor like shadows spoke. The emperor, however, did not budge at all even after she stepped on his foot with all her might. 

‘Crazy. What’s wrong with you?’ 

The hand that clung to her shoulder was hot. Lasilia, who had been confined to the temple so far, was not immune to other people’s body temperature. She didn’t know if his temperature was originally this hot, but she at least knew that other people’s body temperatures usually were different from that of a stove. 

The emperor, who was breathing in still, put his lips on her skin this time. 

Lasilia, who couldn’t stand it anymore, shouted reflexively. 

“Don’t do it!” 

Everyone was surprised. The emperor’s knights’ shoulders flinched, and Lasilia became stiff and embarassed.  

“…if so, then.” 

What was more surprising was the reaction of the emperor. The emperor drowsed on her as if he hated to part with Lasilia, but reluctantly let her go. As Lasilia quickly widened their distance and wrapped her arms around the neck his lips had touched, she spoke. 

“I’m confused, very-very confused. I ask you to leave now.” 

The emperor answered slowly, staring into her eyes like before. 

“I don’t want to go.” 

“Your Majesty.” 

He raised his hands when she glared at him in amazement. 

“Well then.” 

“Thank you for your understanding. Please understand that I can’t see you off because I’m not dressed properly.” 

“…….” 

The emperor took off very slowly afterwards, as if he meant it when saying he didn’t want to go. Before leaving the bedroom door, the emperor looked back at Lasilia. 

“When will your memories return?” 

“I don’t know, Your Majesty.” 

“I hope they don’t come back.” 

“…….” 

What does that mean? 

“I’m going back now. See you again in the evening.” 

Thump. 

The door closed as if it would not listen to the rejection. 

* * * 

“What the hell was that just now, Your Majesty?” 

After leaving the queen’s bedroom, Riyan could no longer hold back and opened her mouth. 

“You know how her majesty is, don’t you? How is that possible!”  

Serben nodded profusely next to her. He looked like he was dying to ask this too.  

As far as the two knights know, there has never been such close contact between Lescal and the Empress before. The empress repeatedly avoided him, and Lescal, who was worn out by the empress’ rejection, was also not enthusiastic about the contact. 

To be exact, Lescal hated human contact. It may be because of the demon blood in him. It was no different even if the other side was the Empress, his parter of fate. 

The five sense, which were many times more sensitive to him than a human, made him come to dislike contact.  

“Well…today, she smelled good.” 

Lescal’s answer surprised the knights even more. 

“What do you mean smell… You mean the smell of Her Majesty? You used to hate her smell whenever you got close to her?”  

“It was different today.” 

“It was different? How? Do you mean to say that her majesty, the empress, sneaked in a great perfumer?”  

To Riyan’s surprise, Lescal seriously pondered over her question. 

“It wasn’t the smell of perfume. It was just the smell of the empress. It was even the same one.” 

“But why…?” 

“I don’t know. That same smell felt different today. I wanted to keep smelling it.” 

“What?” 

Riyan gaped and Serben, embarrassed, scrambled his hair. 

“That’s a little… Why are you doing that all of a sudden…” 

It was then. 

“Your Majesty! Your hand! Look at your hand!” 

Riyan suddenly jumped at Lescal and held his hand. 

“Scales!” 

“Ah…” 

What he said was right. 

The inside of his wrist, which had been growing scales until he met the empress, had become intact. Originally, after the blue moon fell, his body returned to its original state, but there has never been such a quick change. 

Riyan, who opened her eyes wide, muttered as if she couldn’t believe it. 

“Ha, what is this…then, are you saying that her majesty was real all along?”