CH 135

Berylia asked in annoyance.

“Why are you lying like that, Archduke?”

The two of them indulged in each other?

It was really absurd.

She couldn’t possibly have had such an affair with him since she had married Rixus.

‘That, too, with Rixus’s uncle!’

Johann’s black eyes were more fascinated than ever.

He whispered, as if licking honey with his depraved tongue.

“I’m not lying. Your Majesty was quite fond of me.”

The corners of his lips rose strangely.

“Especially my body.”

At that moment, a dagger made of ice was forged in an instant from Berylia’s hand. Bang! And at the same time, she pushed him away.

Johann was slammed hard against the wall, and the dagger hung around his neck; though he bit his lips like crazy, on his face was a smile full of confidence.

The slight scratch was red.

She said coolly, her eyes gleaming.

“If you insult me any longer, you will be beheaded here. Archduke Marquis.”

The eyes looking at him were cold.

“That’s right, it’s a lie.”

“How dare you!”

“The part that you particularly liked only my ‘body’.”

‘…So, does that mean it’s true that I was cheating?’

“My Queen. You took pity on me and thought I was the same.”

“….…”

“We confided all our secrets to each other…”

The black eyes became kind and sweet.

“I gave you anything.”

Johann quietly closed his eyes despite the dagger still held near his neck.

“I, too, confessed secrets greater than Your Majesty’s secrets. Wouldn’t that be… proof of our relationship?”

“…What evidence?”

Then, something amazing happened.

Whoosh—!

A black flame blazed in Johann’s hand the instant he opened his eyes.

As extreme heat wrapped around her dagger, Berylia took a hasty step back with agility.

The flame was similar to a black sky dancing like madness, and it looked like a flock of crows flying around aiming for their prey.

He slowly tilted his head and said,

“This forbidden ‘magic of a demon’ is corroding my heart.”

“!”

“I prayed to God every day to save me from the ‘curse’ that started since I was born… but no one saved me.”

He whispered bitterly and took Berylia’s hand.

The flame faded like smoke, and only the black eyes of a friendly man were there.

“Only you, you saved me.”

“…….”

“Only you could understand my miserable life, where I was locked up in a temple, hiding this power for the rest of my life.”

Berylia’s expression fell apart for a moment.

He called it ‘curse’.

It reminded her of her life, who, over and over again, was cursed by the Odd-Eye and had to live in a swamp.

With alertness, Johann watched her reaction. She was conflicted, as he expected.

‘How lovely she is.’

It was a lot of fun, but he barely managed to hold it in, fearing that his upfront expression would cause her to run away.

Johann, who was good at acting, lowered his eyes in a pitiful way.

It was time for the winning move.

“If anyone else finds out, I will be burned and hung in the square, imperial or not.”

“…….”

“If you don’t believe me…”

Johann leaned over towards her and opened his eyes wide.

“Go and spread my secrets.”

“!”

Berylia’s eyebrows lifted upwards.

Not knowing the meaning of the change in expression, Johann became a little anxious.

But even such anxieties were an electrifying pleasure itself.

“…If you think you are being insulted by lies right now.”

Tuk, tuk.

Johann pulled out his shirt, grabbed Berylia’s wrist, and pointed the tip of her dagger at his heart.

A strange pattern was engraved on his chest.

Johann looked at her with onyx-like eyes between his black bangs and whispered as if seducing her.

“You can stab my heart right here.”

“….…”

Berylia frowned, and she looked carefully at the engraving on his chest.

She could only tell that it was a pattern related to ‘the power of a demon’.

Then, with a cold expression, she slowly gave strength to the hand holding the dagger.

Takk—

The tip of her sword pierced slightly, and red blood flowed out.

“……Ouch.”

‘Really, you’re stabbing?’

As if slightly embarrassed, Johann blinked his eyes with a face of broken pretense.

“You have no intention of dying.”

“……”

Haha—

Berylia sneered and removed her dagger from her cold hand.

“Don’t put on a show, Archduke.”

Johann said with a look of great shock.

“…You’re so mean.”

He was madly attracted to that ‘extreme’ point.

Berylia looked carefully at the man awaiting his punishment.

‘Are the Archduke’s words true?’

She knew the feeling of being born cursed and living in hiding for the rest of her life.

She still felt her heart pounding just thinking about the days in that swamp.

If the part about him suffering from the power of the demon was ‘true’… 

‘Maybe I was attracted… It might be.’

‘I…’

‘Because I’ve never seen a person who feels the same as me in my entire life.’

Because she had never seen a person enduring misery with his whole body.

If it was true that she felt pity for him and felt sympathy for him… 

Maybe he was right.

‘But it’s something I would never do.’

‘I’m in a hurry to survive, but I’m in love and taking more risks?’

‘If I’m in Aktoum, I’ll surely be careful with every word and every action…’

‘…I must have tried hard to look like a perfect couple with Rixus.’

‘In that respect, the credibility is zero.’

What was the truth.

‘The holy relic that Johann gave was still in the drawer, and he knew my secret.’

Not only that, he had been open, revealing his own secrets.

But Rixus…

‘The man who tore me to pieces seven times…’

‘…Even when he saw the blue roses on my shoulder, he embraced me instead.’

‘I can’t understand the pain I feel that breaks my heart every time I see him.’

Berylia slowly closed her eyes and reopened them.

Then she looked at him with eyes that were more calm than confused.

“Archduke Marquis, if there was even a little bit of falsehood in today’s explanation…”

“….…”

“Pray every day that I don’t get my memories back.”

Johann’s eyes darkened.

“The day I regain my memories.”

His heart became cold.

“It will not be the flames in the square that will kill you, but me, whom you insulted.”

At the warning that pierced his chest, Johann quietly bowed his head.

Then he knelt down in front of her and kissed the back of her hand.

“My queen, so that you can regain your memories… so that you can trust ‘us’.”

“….…”

“Please see what kind of effort I’m making.”

Swssh, Berylia pulled her hand away.

But she already had a ring on her finger. It was a ring with a bright purple amethyst.

It was very beautiful. Above all, it fit her finger very well.

It was a choice befitting a man with a good sense of aesthetics. Just like Johann.

Johann placed his hand on his chest and smiled with bloody, yet affectionate eyes.

“That’s what I prepared to give as a token of love before you lost your memories.”

It was then that Berylia frowned and was about to say something about the ring.

Taktak— There was a knock on the door, and it sounded like it was a little urgent.

“Who is it.”

Laura’s voice came.

“I have something to tell you, Your Majesty.”

Laura, after asking for permission, hurriedly came in and whispered the news quietly.

‘Rixus woke up?’

The beating of Berylia’s heart began to quicken.

“Then go away, Archduke.”

“…Suddenly? Already? A little more.”

Berylia just left, leaving the very sad-looking Johann.

He whispered as he touched his lips with his long fingers.

“At any rate… you’re so cool. Pretty.”

* * *

[It’s a big deal, a big deal! How dare you lie like that!]

“Noisy.”

[Your powers aren’t perfect yet, so maybe she’ll get her memories back soon!]

Pak pak, the crow flapped its wings and rebuked Johann.

As soon as he entered his mansion, Johann quickly sat down on a chair and pressed his chin.

Then he bit the cork of the wine bottle with his white teeth and pulled it out lightly.

Tung, the cork was thrown onto the floor.

A sweet scent spreaded.

“When she gets her memories back…”

“…….”

“The ‘gate’ must already be open. By then, she might already have my child in her womb.”

Finding out after everything was over.

What good was it?

After all, her soul would already be tightly bound to him.

Johann squeezed the crown on his head with the naked wine bottle. Dark eyes gleamed.

“….…”

She would hate him for the rest of her life, but she wouldn’t be able to leave him.

She couldn’t help but cry, however in the end, she would have no choice but to let him hold her in his arms. As he would be the only one she could lean on.

Thinking about that day made him really happy.

[Crazy! Crazy!]

“…….”

[She didn’t even believe it at all! That woman!]

At Toulouse’s words akin to scattering ashes, Johann smiled leisurely.

(PR/N: ‘sprinkling the ashes’ is an act of disturbing and ruining the atmosphere.)

“Anyway, it’s enough to confuse her today. That’s how it starts.”

Slowly, he would be closer to her.

Like when one tried to get closer to a cat by giving it a small prey, one would keep standing out.

He would dig into her chaotic crevices and devour her completely.

His plan was perfect.

[…So, what was that ring? What function does it have?]

Johann shrugged, his black eyes shining.

“Nothing.”

[Eh?!]

“I just wanted to give it to her. I wanted to give the woman I love an accessory.”

How pretty would she be if she decorated her body with the things he gave her?

Johann laughed at his pretty imagination.

“The future is important.”

His eyes darkened.

“Rixus found her first and married her, but…”

Now it was different.

“From now on, the person who has luck with her memories first will have her.”

[Are you sure you can win?]

“Of course.”

Johann put his mouth on the spout of the wine bottle and took a sip and said,

“Rixus will approach her carefully and slowly, as she has lost her memories, but….”

[Then you?]

“I don’t care how. I’m going to get her by doing any dirty, sleazy, sly and evil thing.”

The crow shook its three heads and replied,

[It’s normal to go slowly and carefully like the Crown Prince…]

“I can’t afford it.”

Rejecting the advice, Johann leaned forward, dropping himself off the backrest.

His black eyes… shone dangerously.

“I’m crazy about her.”