Chapter 75

“I didn’t kill everyone.”

Phillip laughed as if he was not guilty.

“What about my father and brothers?”

“I wouldn’t hurt them. They’re your family.”

I was relieved, but I couldn’t rejoice in the face of this tragedy.

“Why did you do this?”

“It’s all because of you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, it’s because of you! This happened because you gave her your powers! She was going to die soon anyway but you ruined it all!”

“You lied about Ser’s condition.”

He was going to kill her from the start. He had no intention of treating her disease in the first place.

“Well, you believed that.”

Phillip spat cynically. He’s been hiding his true colours all this time.

He pretended to be kind and polite. He also did not take off his mask when Ser was alone with him.

But now, he didn’t even bother to do so.

“Where’s Ser now?”

“She’s dead.”

“What?”

“She didn’t die as a goddess. There was no point in stabbing her and setting the place on fire. So I offered her as a sacrifice.”

“You did all of that?”

“Yes! I offered the people to kill her. Serphania tried to take away my power but in the end I won! Now this power is entirely mine.”

Phillip’s eyes flashed with madness.

“That’s why you killed Ser? You set the fire, defiled the earth and sacrifice many people?!”

Phillip answered confidently.

“If you didn’t do it, this wouldn’t have happened. Nothing happened if you keep the blessing to yourself.”

“If you’re so confident, don’t lie! Don’t tarnish Rakshul’s name! Tell everyone it was you!”

“Rakshul, Rakshul! How dare you mention that name again in front of me! What’s wrong? The people died because of him. If he didn’t take you away I wouldn’t have done everything. That bastard ruined everything!”

Phillip screamed. He wasn’t just trying to evade his responsibility.

He sincerely believed that Rakshul caused everything.

“Rakshul will now be deemed as a sinner! Everyone will point their fingers on him who caused this tragedy.”

“Do you think you can do that? The truth will come out eventually in the end.”

“I’m the emperor! What I said is always the truth.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“What can you do?”

He laughed and came closer to me.

“Let’s go to the new capital and start all over again, Laontel.”

“I won’t go.”

Phillip put the stone plate in the middle of the palace. He will do whatever he can to put the blame on Ralshul.

He will be deemed as the murderer who killed the innocent.

Getting rid of Rakshul and twisting the story to his liking would be a piece of cake.

However, there is a bit of truth that can be revealed in the statement.

I ran towards the innermost place in Tenlarn Palace.

Phillip followed me inside, the moment we arrived there, his mouth corners went up.

“Did you like being locked up, Laontel?”

“What nonsense.”

“Or do you like gold? I’ll decorate the new empress palace with it then.”

“…..”

I concentrated my mind to ignore his words.

“Ah…we need to clean this place up.”

Phillip raised his hand to get rid of the stone plate containing the record that Rakshul was already dead.

He tried to cast a spell but I was faster.

I put a protective spell on the stone plate.

Phillip’s face crumpled when he realized this.

“I guess she took some of of my power and gave it to you.”

“Your power? Don’t make me laugh! It was Ser’s power from the start!”

Phillip glared at me and tried to destroy the protective spell.

But he failed and it attacked Phillip instead.

His body was thrown out of the room because of the impact.

After I went outside, I used my powers to close the door.

The huge golden door sparkled with the power of light.

I casted a protective barrier around me and approached Phillip who was lying on the floor.

He tried to use destructive spell again without giving up.

“It’s useless. I already place a protective spell all over the place.”

“Now, no one can come into this place and break the stone plate without my permission. The record of you being an emperor because of the plague, and Rakshul that already passed away won’t disappear.”

“You’re only doing it to honor the dead right?!”

There was no guilt in Phillip’s eyes, only anger was visible because things didn’t work out.

“No matter what you do, there will always be evidence of the truth.”

I said to him coldly.

“I will reveal your sin to the whole world. Even the fact that you tried to frame Rakshul, who had already passed away.”

Phillip however laughed.

“Then I can just create another story so that no one can enter this land.”

***

Back then, I had no choice but to watch countless people died.

I felt sadness, helplessness, pain and despair.

I wanted to be buried in the darkness at that time.

Then I can hear Ser’s scream.

[Argh! Laontel! Laontel! Where are you! I’m scared!]

Her scream was louder than before, maybe I’m closer to her now.

This time, I must save Ser. And Blake’s curse must be lifted.

“Ser, I’ll save you.”

I gritted my teeth and gave strength to my legs.

In the endless darkness, I suddenly remembered the western tower, where I was locked up in.

***

Phillip tried to break my spell but always failed, but he didn’t give up.

He made several layers of wall to hide the room and erase the existence of the room.

In addition, he cast a spell to the land so that no once can step into the land.

Phillip abandoned the land and moved the capital to Senion.

In Zelcan, everything was concentrated in the capital and the nobles. This time, the emperor ruled the capital and did not let the nobles interfere.

So, the development was slower.

The nobles who were originally rooted for him rebelled.

They used to reigned like emperors in Zelcan, so they were not pleased with Philip and some nobles who followed him.

However, the protest didn’t last long.

The plague again spread in Senion.

Phillip used the disease again to remove the people who rebelled.

He used this method over and over again, making the people suspicious.

Phillip knows they will be suspicious too.

So he came up with another fake story.

‘The goddess of light, who saw Rakshul’s bad deed was furious. So the goddess sent Tancinol to punish the Roums.’

He put the blame on Ser and Rakshul, he also pointed to the Roums as the cause of Tancinol.

Most of Zelcan’s noble is a Roum. The people were angry and attacked the noble.

Phillip killed those who rebelled against him with the disease.

He put the people’s resentment to Rakshul and Roum as he took control of the new capital.

I wanted to reveal the truth, but I couldn’t.

Phillip kept me chained in the western tower of the imperial palace, my powers can’t even be used.

He also used my family to blackmail me.

“Laontel, the barrier is a bit broken. Were you trying to run away again?”

“Do you want your cute niece and nephew get Tancinol?”

“No! Don’t do that! My brother already lost his beloved daughter because of you! Please don’t.”

“Now his youngest son is going to die.”

When I tried to escape from the tower, Phillip killed my brother’s daughter without hesitation.

Whenever I disobeyed his will, he threatened me with my family.

“Then you can’t do it again.”

“Just kill me already! You’re good at that! I’m—“

“You know I can’t kill you.”

I saw his red eyes twinkling with desire.

“Laontel, you had some of the goddess’ power!

“It’s nothing compared to you. I only own a small part.”

His hand touched my face and I got goosebumps.

I tried to push his hand away but he grabbed my wrist.

“There’s still a room for the empress. If you want to leave this place, be my empress.”