Chapter 11
Favorite Character, Insulted
While I was nervous, I also had a sliver of hope.
Alios, who became a woman, had her personality change slightly.
So maybe… maybe Violet would have changed too?
I hoped that horrible personality of hers might've improved, but no.
Violet Zadenbium.
The current emperor of this empire, officially named the Zadenbium Empire.
And without question, the most insane one of all.
At 18, she killed the previous emperor, her own parents, and seized control of the empire.
Since then, she's ruled as emperor, flaunting her nasty personality across the entire country.
But despite that terrible attitude, she was actually competent as a ruler.
So while the people resented her, they didn't rebel. They simply let her be…
That's how the setting went.
Although, by the latter half of the novel, she became so obsessed with Ceres that her performance as a ruler fell apart.
"Hahaha!"
"What could possibly be so funny?"
Even now, the emperor was laughing, and Alios frowned.
She was the empire's greatest knight, but had zero respect for her sovereign.
"I can never understand what that woman's thinking."
"If we could, we'd be crazy too."
We whispered quietly and kept a close watch to see what she'd do next.
"Haha…?"
Violet's laughter suddenly stopped.
Maybe she noticed us watching, her gaze turned in our direction.
Our eyes met.
"…"
"…"
Tension spiked for a moment.
Not knowing how she'd react, I raised my guard—
but she did nothing.
Wiping away her smile, she simply stared at me.
"Ceres, this way."
Ares stepped in, blocking me from view and leading me elsewhere.
"Are you okay?"
Once we were in a secluded spot, She asked, concerned.
"She called me, didn't she? Shouldn't I at least go over and greet her?"
I didn't want to, but she was the emperor, and the one who had summoned me here.
I clearly remembered in the original that Ceres had been introduced reluctantly.
"You only just learned to walk yesterday. There's no need for us to approach her first."
"But—"
"If she has business with us, she'll come find us herself. Even if we said no, she'd come anyway."
That was true.
It made sense, so I stayed in the corner and observed the situation.
"Your Majesty, thank you for inviting us."
A noblewoman greeted Viola stiffly.
She looked like she didn't want to, but she was a noble, and the other was the emperor.
Violet's eyes lit up as she saw her.
"You're Viscount Hanassian, right?"
"You remember me?"
"You came to the last party. Even then, you clearly didn't want to talk to me, but made the effort because it was a noble's duty. It was pathetic, but you had guts. That made you memorable."
"I… see."
Was that a compliment? Or an insult?
The woman called Hanassian replied awkwardly to the mocking tone.
And that's when someone foolish mistook the moment for an opportunity.
"It's an honor to meet you! I'm Olivielle, the second daughter of Count Hascent!"
In the worst possible moment, a woman named Olivielle stepped up.
She must've thought that if she greeted the emperor too, she'd be remembered like the previous noblewoman.
She was dead wrong.
"Why are you speaking to me? Who gave you permission to speak, you lowly second daughter of a mere count?"
"B-but, the person just before—"
"I spared her. Does that mean I have to spare you too? Is that some law now? Why don't you go ahead and become emperor and make it one?"
"N-no! I would never!"
Olivielle went pale and looked on the verge of tears.
The rest of us nobles looked on with pity.
She was from a count's house, but maybe from the countryside?
She clearly didn't know what kind of person Violet was.
Her moods changed faster than boiling water.
Even in the exact same situation, she'd act differently depending on how she felt.
"Please… let me go home."
"Why should I?"
"You said you'd send me back after thirty days!"
"Did I? I don't remember."
There were countless times Violet toyed with Ceres like that in the original novel.
You'd expect an emperor, even a villainous one, to have some weight behind their words.
But not Violet.
To her, everything was just a toy to cure her boredom.
Yet despite that, she kept looking at me.
Even as she toyed with others, her eyes never left the corner I was in.
…What is this? If she's interested, she should come over.
Why is she just watching?
Is she waiting for us to approach her first?
…That doesn't sound like Violet.
"Ceres, enough of that woman. Try this instead."
Alios, noticing that my attention was fixated elsewhere, quickly brought food over to distract me.
That's When It Happened.
Violet, who had been watching me closely, suddenly narrowed her eyes and began walking in our direction!
"I thought I'd grow old and die waiting."
The moment she arrived, she started mocking us.
"If I personally invited you to this party, you should've come to see me immediately."
"My apologies. I assumed Your Majesty wouldn't appreciate being approached lightly," Ares replied, bowing slightly to excuse us.
"How eloquent. You're always like that, aren't you? Looking down on me even as you speak words of loyalty," Violet said, glaring at Ares in irritation.
The two of them clearly didn't get along.
Violet knew that someone like Ares would never truly pledge loyalty to a madwoman like her.
Still, she could tell the difference between public and private matters, so she left her alone, for now. But in the original story, things eventually spiraled into disaster over Ceres.
That time hadn't come yet, so Violet only gave Ares a momentary glare before turning away—
"It's been a while, Your Majesty—"
"Are you Ceres?"
She completely ignored Alios, who had spoken to her, and shoved her aside as she focused only on me.
"To finally lay eyes on you, what an incredible honor."
She exaggerated every word, clearly being sarcastic.
"So you're the empire's most beautiful person, huh? Even I, the emperor, have a hard time getting to see you."
"…Until now, I had to decline invitations due to illness."
"Such a sweet voice! But did you know? You're not the only one who's refused to meet me under the excuse of being 'ill.'"
Just like in the original, she started picking a fight.
There was never a clear reason for it.
It was never explained in the story, probably just her terrible personality acting up.
"Your words are too harsh," Alios said, quickly trying to mediate.
"Your Majesty, my son didn't mean anything by it," Ares added in a hurry.
"Why are you reacting so sensitively? Can't the emperor even say a few words now?"
"Don't cross the line, Your Majesty."
"…You're the one who's crossed the line, Ares Hyperion."
A dangerous red glint flashed in Violet's eyes.
Damn it! I quickly jumped in.
"I don't mind, so Mother, please step back. I'm honored Her Majesty is speaking to me."
Honored, my ass!
I just said it to diffuse the situation and redirect Violet's attention back to me.
My only two allies were forced to step back, leaving me alone to deal with this lunatic.
"You must live such a charmed life. Born pretty, pampered by everyone, and protected like your life depends on it."
"That's true."
"And now they say you use holy power too? Must be nice, being treated like a saint. You must feel like the world belongs to you."
"That's true as well."
"They say you gathered all the people in your territory to heal them. Must've felt great, being the center of attention like that. Feeding that pathetic need for recognition."
"I see."
Violet went silent, frowning.
She must've been expecting some kind of reaction, but I had no intention of giving her one.
The original Ceres might've been weak and mild-mannered, but she wasn't so timid that she'd let open insults slide.
Even if it was the emperor, she slapped her.
That scene had been extremely satisfying to read, but it ended up backfiring, drawing Violet's obsession in full.
"You're the first person to ever do that to me."
That line wasn't a joke, Violet really said it and then began obsessing over Ceres.
So no matter what she says, I need to stay calm.
"I hear that Alios woman visits your home every day. And judging by what you two were doing earlier, I guess you're not as pure as you look."
That level of insult? Child's play.
"Your innocent appearance doesn't suit you. Now that I look closer, you're not even that pretty. Your body's too slim, your skin too pale. Even the name 'Ceres' is stupid."
…Excuse me?
"Ceres. Did you really think giving yourself some fancy-sounding name would make you beautiful? Ceres, Ceres, what a stupid-sounding name. I can see how simple you really are."
"…"
"Good thing you're a man. If you were a woman, I bet you'd be pathetic—like that Olivielle girl earlier. Probably the type to cry after getting slapped and not fight back. Useless, whiny little brat."
You—
Did you just…
Mock Ceres in front of me?!
I knew she was doing it on purpose to provoke me, but I couldn't take it.
At the very least, not from you people.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the spaghetti right next to me and hurled it at Violet's smug face!
The spaghetti splattered across her face, and the room fell silent.
Ares' pupils trembled.
Alios covered her mouth in shock.
The other nobles stood frozen.
"…You're the first person to ever do this to me."
Violet, face dripping in spaghetti, repeated the infamous original line—
And then added a line that hadn't existed in the original:
"And you'll be the last."
Chapter 12
…What?
"You'll be the last."
What did she mean by that?
Did she mean I'm the only one who would ever do something like that to her?
Or was she saying she'd make an example out of me so no one would ever try it again?
One thing was clear:
Viola was furious right now.
"Stop this at once!"
Alios quickly stepped between us.
"Your Majesty, Ceres acted out of line, but you were the one who insulted him first."
"So that makes it okay to throw spaghetti at the emperor's face?"
"Surely Your Majesty isn't so petty as to take revenge just because a weak man slapped you with pasta?"
"I am."
Viola's burning eyes locked onto me.
And then—
"What the hell are you doing?"
She stared incredulously at Alios, who had taken up a fighting stance.
"Has this bitch finally gone mad? I tolerated you because you were useful, but now you're getting cocky."
"I only intended to give honest advice since Your Majesty was about to do something unjust. If you withdraw now, nothing needs to happen."
"That's my line, you idiot. And a Sword Master picking a fight without even a sword? Foolish."
"I do have a sword."
Alios picked up a dinner knife.
And from that knife, aura flared, the mark of one who had reached the peak of swordsmanship: a Sword Master.
Viola looked at the glowing knife, now as lethal as a legendary weapon, for just a moment, Then scoffed.
"Is this a joke?"
And punched her.
Alios quickly raised the knife to block, and the punch clashed with it.
The result was an explosion of force that blasted Alios backward.
She flew across the banquet hall, flipped midair to slow herself, and landed gracefully on the floor.
"…You drew blood?"
Viola scowled at her hand. The skin had slightly torn, a thin line of blood showing.
She clashed barehanded with aura, and only got this injured?
It was almost absurd how tough she was, but that's a trait of imperial bloodlines here.
All royalty had uniquely resilient bodies, and Viola was a monster even among them.
"First this one, now that one. None of you know your place anymore. Don't think I'll let this go."
"Your Majesty, please show mercy!"
Ares fell to her knees in front of Viola, pleading.
"Punish me instead. But please, I beg you, spare Ceres!"
"No."
Everything had descended into chaos, yet I—the person who started it all—remained strangely calm.
I coolly analyzed the situation.
Why had I suddenly snapped like that?
Even I didn't really know.
Sure, I liked Ceres, but that was when she was just a character in a novel.
This world is my reality now.
And Viola hadn't even insulted Ceres directly. She didn't know him.
She was just mocking me to get a reaction.
So why did I lash out?
Maybe because this body, while male, is Ceres'.
…I must've grown more attached to Ceres than I realized.
"I need to take responsibility."
Since it was my mistake, it's only right that I deal with the consequences.
"Hey."
I strode toward Viola, locking eyes with her as she gave me a startled look.
"I apologize for overreacting. You're mad, right? Take it out on me. Leave Alios and my mother alone."
"…Are you mentally ill or something?"
She stared at me like I was insane.
"Like I said before, I'll admit it. I'll never meet anyone like you again. Not anyone this insane."
"Probably not."
Because no one else in your life is going to mess you up as much as I will.
"I could twist your neck and kill you right here, you know!"
She extended her hand toward me as if to do it, and honestly, she could.
But—
"You can't."
"Are you mocking me? And why wouldn't I be able to?"
Because—
"You're going to fall in love with me."
"…What?"
Viola froze.
"Ceres?!"
"What are you saying?!"
Alios, who had been ready to fight again, and Ares, who was about to pull me behind her, both stared at me like I'd lost it.
In the silent hall, I kept speaking alone.
"You're already obsessed. It won't take long until you're completely in love."
"You lunatic."
"If you don't believe me, I'll prove it."
I walked toward her extended hand.
Viola flinched and backed away.
"What are you doing?!"
"Go on. Kill me if you can."
I grabbed her hand and guided it toward my neck. She recoiled like she'd been burned.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"What's wrong with you? Didn't you say you could kill me right now? Then go ahead."
"…"
Viola hesitated, and I smirked.
"So you really can't."
"Shut up! I'm not killing you yet because I plan to make you suffer. You think I'm in love with someone like you?!"
She snapped, then turned her glare to Ares and Alios.
"Even if I do love you, so what? You think I can't kill the people around you? Should I start with these two—"
"Then I'll kill myself."
"…What did you just say?"
"If you hurt either of them, I'll take my own life."
I picked up a sharper fruit knife, meant for peeling fruit, off the table.
It was sharp enough to deal serious damage to my soft neck.
When I brought the knife to my neck—
"Ceres!!"
"You crazy bastard!"
Alios, shocked, tried to rush over, but Violet was faster and beat her to it.
Violet snatched the knife and broke it with her bare hands.
"Y-you…!"
She was so agitated, she couldn't even speak properly.
What happened to being able to kill me at any time?
Watching her panic the moment I actually looked like I might die, I thought—
Yeah, just as I expected.
I've tried so hard to steer away from the original plot.
Even so, Alios and Hames ended up liking me quite a bit.
But what if I just followed the story more closely, maybe a little excessively?
I was sure of one thing.
Violet would fall for me. She might torment me, but she could never kill me.
"Mother."
"C-Ceres?"
"Please head back home first. I'll return later, I promise."
"How?!"
"Don't worry. You saw just now, right? She can't kill me. So don't do anything rash out of concern."
I made sure to warn Ares not to do something like starting a rebellion in search of me, then turned to Alios.
"You too, go home. I appreciate your help, but if things escalate any further, there'll be no salvaging it."
"Then what about you, Ceres?!"
"Don't worry. Like I said, the Emperor can't kill me. She can't even let me die."
I spoke calmly, and Violet yelled in response.
"Don't be ridiculous! You think I'll just let those who defied me walk away free?!"
"You will."
Just like when Ceres, unable to endure injustice, risked her life in protest and you couldn't bear to say no, so you gave in to her demands.
"Y-you…!"
Violet instinctively reached for my collar, then stopped.
How pitiful.
Poor woman.
You had to go and pick a fight, and now look what happened.
It would've been better for you if you hadn't grown obsessed with me.
To the woman who still didn't understand, I added conditions, and told her what was to come.
"Instead, I'll stay here."
"…And what does that have to do with me?"
"A lot. No matter what you do or where you go, your thoughts will be filled with me, so much so, nothing else will matter anymore."
Violet's face twisted.
***
"This way, please."
"You'll be staying here for a while."
Two female soldiers escorted me to a room within the Imperial Palace.
"Her Majesty will visit shortly. Please don't try anything foolish."
"I won't. I promised I'd behave."
In the end, Violet gave in to my stubbornness and let Alios and Ares go.
Instead, she pinned all the blame on me and decided to keep me confined in the palace for now.
I accepted it without complaint.
It was a situation I would've liked to avoid, but it all happened because of me.
What now?
In the original story, Violet locking Ceres in the palace happens much later.
She fabricated a reason to summon her, then forcibly imprisoned her.
But now I agreed to stay in the palace after smearing spaghetti on her face. At least it's a more justifiable reason.
I have no idea what's going to happen from here.
I can confidently say she won't seriously injure or kill me.
But maybe… I should be prepared to take a few hits?
***
"Dinner."
While I was mulling over everything, food arrived, brought by someone completely unexpected.
"Why is the Emperor bringing food herself?"
That was never in the original story. Violet personally came, holding a tray of food.
When I asked her why, her answer was absurd.
"If I send some weakling, you might seduce them and escape, so I brought it myself."
What the hell?
I stared at her in disbelief as she set the tray down on the table.
Then she sat in the chair directly across from mine.
"Eat. I have to keep you alive to make your suffering worse."
"…."
"What's wrong? You'll eat what that wench gives you, but not mine?"
It's not that.
I looked at the steak on the tray, troubled.
"I can't eat stuff like this. My body can't handle it."
"What are you talking about? You ate what Alios gave you."
"She only gave me salad and plums, stuff that doesn't put a strain on me."
This body is so frail, it rejects heavy food like steak.
Even if I'm a little better now, I can't push myself too far.
"Then what can you eat?"
"Soup, soft bread, and some vegetables and fruits."
"Tch. Now I have to throw out something I made? Wait here."
Violet got up and left with the tray.
She must've gone to tell the chef to switch it out. But why talk like she made it herself?
***
"Here. The soup, bread, and fruit you wanted."
A little later, she returned with food I could eat.
I had eaten a bit at the banquet earlier, but I hadn't been full.
Satisfied with the meal, I heard her ask:
"How was it?"
"It was good."
"…I see."
"Tell the chef I said thanks."
I said it without thinking, just because it was tasty.
"No need. I already know."
Violet curled her lips into a faint smirk, like she was mocking me.
Chapter 13
Training
After the meal was over, we cleared the dishes to one side and sat facing each other.
I tried to keep a calm expression,but inwardly, I was pretty tense.
Because even though I knew she wouldn't seriously injure me, this was someone capable of doing plenty of other things.
What did the original Violet do to Ceres again?
Right, because Ceres didn't listen to her,
she ordered the palace servants to ignore her, to break her pride.
Ignore me if you want. That doesn't really bother me.
There was also that time she threatened to kill Ares, but she already promised not to, so that's out of the question.
Ah, and there was that time she physically restrained her, to show her the difference in strength.
As I remembered the possibilities and grew more tense, Violet finally spoke.
"Do you know why I gave in to your ridiculous demand and brought you here?"
I replied firmly.
"Because you're going to fall in love with me."
"No. It's to correct that deranged belief of yours!"
Violet glared at me sharply.
"You're the most insane person I've ever met. I thought I wasn't normal, but compared to you, I'm completely sane."
She treated me like I was completely out of my mind, then continued:
"Because you're beautiful and people adore you,
you assume everyone must love you too."
"Didn't you just say earlier I wasn't that pretty?"
"Shut up!"
I pointed out her contradiction, and she got angry instead.
Trying hard to hide the fact I struck a nerve,
Violet kept talking.
"Arrogant little thing. Speaking informally to me like it's natural."
"Would you even take it kindly if I suddenly started speaking politely now?"
"I'll make sure you never act like this again. I'll shatter your sweet delusion that I love you, piece by piece."
Even though her tone was threatening, I remained composed.
"Then why bother feeding me? Wouldn't it be better to just starve me? Or are you planning to start starving me from now on?"
"…No. You'll get your meals."
Violet looked at me, clearly displeased.
"If you skipped meals with that frail body and ended up dead,
it'd be a problem. I haven't finished tormenting you yet,
so I'll make sure you get three meals a day."
"That's actually a problem. This body feels full after just one proper meal. I eat very little, I can't handle more than that."
"…What the hell is with your body?
Fine. I'll only bring one meal a day then, just like you want!"
Violet picked up the leftover dishes.
"Today was a day off. Tomorrow is when it truly begins.
Be ready, I'll make sure you never disobey me again.
I'll 'train' you thoroughly."
It was what she said with a mocking smile before leaving.
So she wasn't planning to let this slide.
I had no idea what she was going to do,
but based on how she phrased it, it wouldn't be anything ordinary.
I braced myself for it and got through the day.
***
"Even if you can't eat tough food, you still need protein.
Meat is good for you.
I ground it up as finely as possible and made a stew with it. Try it."
When the next day came,
what arrived was an incredibly well-prepared meal.
I had been on edge, expecting something horrible after the whole "training" remark, but instead, I stared blankly at the dish Violet set in front of me.
The meat was so finely ground you could barely see it,
blended into a soup-based stew.
There are no blenders in this world,
so she must have gone through a lot of effort to prepare it.
"What are you doing? Eat before it gets cold."
"…Okay."
After making such a big deal about "training,"
bringing something like this was so anticlimactic I didn't even bother pointing it out.
While I ate, Violet stared at me without saying a word.
Only when I'd finished did she finally speak.
"How was it?"
"Like yesterday's meal, very tasty. Tell the cook I enjoyed it."
"No need for that."
Then why do you keep asking?!
It was ridiculous.
Yet she kept doing it, day after day.
***
"Today, I brought the stew again,
along with a special salad dressed with fruit and vinegar.
Also, some tea sweetened with honey."
"Today's dish is fish, seasoned with citrus and light sauce.
The flesh is soft, so it should be easy to eat. I removed all the oil beforehand."
"Here's bread with cream and strawberry jam.
There's cocoa, too, made with milk I reheated several times."
She kept bringing food she clearly put effort into.
Then she'd ask how it tasted and try to strike up a conversation.
***
"You… never mind."
At first, she seemed to have nothing to say.
But day by day, her words grew longer.
"Is it cold in here? If it is, I'll warm it up.
If there's anything else bothering you, tell me.
I'll change your room if you want."
"It'd still be solitary confinement, so what's the point."
Most of what she said was meaningless small talk,
but it was kind of pitiful, like she was desperately trying to start a conversation.
Was she falling for me even faster than expected?
It wasn't good for either of us.
***
"Hmph! You can't do anything by yourself,
and here you are, eating food I made. Like a child."
One day, she seemed to run out of things to say,
and went back to picking fights like the first time we met.
This time, instead of holding it in or getting angry, I just lightly snapped back.
"Oh, come on. You're the one who locked me up.
How am I the child here? And look at you, with those twin-tails."
Original Violet may have had long red hair,
but she always wore it down.
She may have been crazy,
but she had good style. She never wore something so childish.
"What's wrong with this hairstyle?"
She hadn't expected me to comment on it,
so instead of getting angry, she looked oddly puzzled.
Violet touched her twin-tail hair and muttered.
"Do you… prefer something else? Then maybe I'll chang—"
"It's not about preference. It just doesn't suit your age.
You're twenty-eight, right?"
"…I'm still twenty-seven!"
In the original story, Ceres was in her early twenties.
Violet was in her late twenties.
There was a scene where she said she was twenty-eight.
But since we met earlier in the timeline, she's still one year younger now.
Anyway, twin tails really aren't a hairstyle for someone in their late twenties.
When I pointed that out, Violet got angry.
"You mock me just because I teased you a little?! What do you care how someone else ties their hair?!"
"You're right. I don't care, so you can ignore what I said."
"Aaaaargh!!"
Violet screamed and stormed out.
I did say she could ignore me, so why the outburst?
***
The next day.
"Meal."
As usual, Violet came to bring me food.
But her hairstyle had changed.
She had let her long red hair down, and it had a slight wave to it.
It looked like she had put a lot of effort into setting it.
I felt a little bad.
Was she really that affected by what I said?
I couldn't focus on the food, I kept staring at her hair.
"Well?"
At first, Violet pretended not to care about my gaze, but then she asked for my thoughts.
"I changed it just like you wanted."
"I never told you to change your hair."
"Just shut up and say whether it's pretty or not!"
"…It's pretty."
I wasn't just being polite.
When styled like this, her long, vibrant red hair really was beautiful.
"Heh, of course it is."
Violet smiled, pleased by the compliment.
But—
"Sorry, I think the twin tails suit you better."
At my next words, her expression twisted.
"Didn't you just say this looks better?! Then why?!"
"When I see long, loose red hair… it reminds me of someone I don't like."
"Who?"
You, as a man.
The hairstyle was so similar to male Violet's that it made me uncomfortable.
But I couldn't say that out loud, so I let the comment trail off.
And Violet exploded.
"You bastard, you were just mocking me all along!!"
She completely misunderstood and blew up at me.
Violet snatched away the food I'd been eating.
"No meals for you for a while!"
And with that, she stopped coming to my room.
***
The day after that.
"So she really doesn't plan to feed me, huh."
It was already late at night, and Violet still hadn't shown up.
I was alone, locked in my room and starving.
"I'm bored."
More than hunger, what I felt was sheer boredom.
Even though I used to dread her visits, now that she wasn't around to talk,
I felt more restless than anything.
And there was nothing to do.
I finally had a body that could move again,
but there was no way to enjoy it.
At least when I was bedridden, I had books to read.
I needed to do something, anything, to take my mind off the hunger and boredom.
I forced myself to find a way to focus.
Isn't this usually the part where a protagonist trains or something?
If I were to train my power, that'd be… divine power, right?
"Maybe I should try it. Healing myself."
My deteriorated health couldn't be healed due to the divine power itself,
but other injuries were fair game.
I'd just never had a reason to try.
Now seemed like the time.
I pulled out the fruit knife from the drawer.
Violet had brought it with the fruit yesterday,
but left in a hurry and forgot it.
I had meant to give it back when she returned, but I guess I'd be using it first.
"Hm."
I lightly sliced my hand.
My soft, delicate skin tore easily and bled, but only for a moment.
Almost immediately, the wound healed on its own.
I hadn't even activated my power consciously.
This cursed ability automatically protects me,
even as it tortures me with constant pain.
That's why original Ceres couldn't die,
no matter what she went through, until the divine power left her.
Should I test it more seriously?
I was about to try cutting my wrist this time—
"What do you think you're doing?"
Violet had come back.
Her hair was back in twin tails again,
and she stood there holding a tray of food, staring at me in shock.
Chapter 14
Stop the hate for no reason already!
The food Violet had been carrying spilled.
She threw it aside and rushed over, snatching the paring knife from my hand.
"What is this? Where did you get it?!"
Her voice blazed as she snapped the blade in one motion.
"I made sure everything dangerous was removed!"
"You left it yesterday."
"Why did you hide it?"
I didn't hide it. I was holding onto it to return to you, but you never came back.
I tried to explain, but before I could, she grabbed my hand and checked.
"Good, you're not hurt."
No, I was hurt. I just healed.
Of course, Violet wouldn't know that. She looked relieved, then scowled fiercely at me.
"You crazy bastard."
"…"
"You mean to tell me you tried to self-harm just because I skipped one meal?!"
…Huh?
The atmosphere turned weird. I watched her carefully, but she completely misunderstood.
"No, that's not it."
"Don't lie to me. I saw it with my own eyes!"
"I was just testing whether I could heal myself with my power."
"So your first idea was to slice your wrist?! Who the hell does that?!"
I told her the truth, but she didn't believe me at all.
"Oh, I get it. The great imperial beauty got his pride hurt, huh? All because someone dared to defy him, right?"
"That's not it—"
"If you wanted to make me regret it, you should've tried stabbing me with that! Instead, you went and cut yourself like an idiot where no one could even see it!"
Screw this! Think whatever you want!
She wouldn't listen no matter how I explained, so I snapped back just as loudly.
"Don't act like you care when you're the one who locked me in a solitary cell!"
"What?"
"Anyone would go crazy enough to self-harm if you keep them locked up alone for days!"
Sure, I'm used to lying in bed for days.
But most people would probably lose it in this kind of isolation.
When I pointed that out, Violet's expression shifted.
She flinched, then…
"Then… wanna go out for a walk?"
She made the offer, reluctantly.
"I can't let you leave the palace, but I can at least show you around the imperial grounds."
"At night?"
"Why not? Just dress warmly, it's chilly out."
I didn't argue. I swapped my light clothes for something warmer.
Even if it was based on a misunderstanding, going outside for the first time in a while didn't sound bad.
***
Once we stepped outside—
"Did something happen?"
The guard outside asked, and Violet's gaze turned icy.
"Useless bastard. I told you to watch carefully…"
"Let's go!"
She looked ready to beat the poor guy to death, so I quickly dragged her away.
"Weren't you gonna show me around? Focus on that instead."
"…Right."
Reluctantly, she walked on and led me around the imperial palace.
"Is that…"
"Lord Ceres?"
Since we were openly walking together, everyone who passed by in the palace recognized me and stared.
"Why is he out?"
"Wasn't he locked in solitary confinement?"
They were shocked that Violet had brought out someone she'd supposedly imprisoned.
"Why's she treating him so gently?"
Violet was unusually gentle, hovering right next to me in case I stumbled, watching me closely the whole time.
"Is that really Her Majesty?"
"I heard she even brings him food personally."
"Wait, then that's just like…"
"Like Lord Ceres said at the party… maybe Her Majesty really…"
As the whispers spread—
"What, this is a freak show now? If you don't shut up and scram right now, I'll kill you all!"
Violet snarled.
The crowd fell silent and scattered in panic.
***
"Too noisy here."
Even after scattering everyone, Violet wasn't satisfied.
She changed direction.
"Follow me."
She brought me to a garden.
"This is the royal garden. Only royalty are allowed here. …Do you like it?"
"It's pretty."
The flower-filled garden was beautiful, and I gave a simple, neutral comment.
It's not like I'm into flowers or anything, so there wasn't much more to say.
Still…
The real Ceres really loved this place, didn't she?
In the original story, there's a scene where Violet brings Ceres to this exact garden.
Ceres was so depressed from being locked up in the palace that Violet took her here to cheer her up. It was a rare good decision.
Wow, it's so beautiful!
You like it?
It's the first good thing you've done.
Heh, still so sharp-tongued even now.
…Well, I'll say thank you, at least.
Ceres liked it so much that, despite being imprisoned by Violet,
she even managed to say thank you for once.
And now I, having become Ceres, am standing here in her place.
I wasn't sure how to describe the emotion that welled up.
Did the real Ceres really love this place that much?
Hmm… Personally, I don't feel it quite so strongly. It's nice, but not that nice.
I imagined how Ceres might've looked playing in this garden.
Visualizing myself in this current body, dressed in a soft, feminine outfit, striking a pose in the flower garden—
***
"…Who were you thinking about just now?"
Suddenly, Violet asked something strange.
"What?"
I answered curtly at first, but seeing her serious expression, I changed my tone and asked sincerely:
"What do you mean?"
She was dead serious, her expression looked grim.
"Tell me, which woman were you thinking about just now?"
"...I wasn't thinking about any woman."
I was thinking of female Ceres, but I couldn't exactly say that.
"I was thinking about myself. Like, when is this going to end."
Since I'm Ceres, it's not completely untrue.
In a way, I did tell the truth, but Violet's face twisted even further.
"You look at yourself with such tender eyes?"
"What?"
"Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not get it? Just now, your eyes looked like someone thinking about someone they love. I've never seen that look on you before. Not even once."
What kind of misunderstanding is this?!
Unable to take it anymore, I decided to give her something almost true.
"Honestly, I was thinking about a character I like from a novel."
"Don't be ridiculous, it wasn't anything like that. Was it Alios? You were thinking about her, weren't you!"
She grabbed both my shoulders and shook me.
"I did everything for you! I let your mother and that mutt Alios go, just like you asked! Isn't it basic courtesy to at least show me some consideration? I brought you all the way here, and you're not even impressed, just thinking about some other girl? Do you not have a conscience?"
"Enough."
Getting interrogated unfairly, I gritted my teeth, unable to take it anymore.
"If you keep this up, I'm not going to just sit back."
When I shook her arms off, Violet scoffed.
"And if you don't sit back, what then?"
"Then I'll resist."
When I took a stance, Violet looked dumbfounded.
"Are you crazy? You're gonna fight me?"
"Of course not. There's no way I could beat you. I'm not going to fight, just resist."
"You think some lame resistance is going to stop me?"
"Who knows. But at the very least, I can make it difficult for you."
I pointed something out to her.
"You've never actually learned martial arts or hand-to-hand combat, right?"
"Of course not. Why would I? I've been strong since birth."
That's what I thought.
After spending all this time observing her, I could confirm that Violet really didn't know martial arts.
It was odd.
As I recall, the original male Violet had trained in martial arts as a hobby.
He had the overwhelming body strength and layered on technique, he was supposed to be second in physical prowess among the male leads. Why is she different?
I don't know the reason, but it gave me a small chance.
***
I quietly stretched.
I'm weak, but at least I can move how I want.
I should at least be able to dodge if I can predict her movement.
"Let me warn you in advance. From now on, I won't let you lay a finger on me."
"With what skills?"
"I'm actually a martial arts master. For someone like you, a beginner, I can easily avoid any attack."
"And when exactly did you train, you shut-in who's been stuck in bed your whole life?"
"Meditation training. I lay in bed and meditated to feel the energy of the world."
"You really are insane."
Violet gave me a laugh, like she'd heard something absurd.
She ignored my warning and reached her palm toward me.
She was trying to give me a light push, but just as I moved to dodge—
Suddenly, my body lost all strength.
I couldn't even dodge. Her light touch pushed me back, and I collapsed.
"Ugh!"
When I fell backward, Violet gasped.
"D-Don't fake it. I barely pushed you."
"…"
"Ceres?"
She called out to me, but I couldn't answer.
"Aah, aaahhh!!"
My body, hurts so much!
All the endurance I'd built up felt meaningless.
This pain was on a completely different level from anything I'd felt before!
It felt like every part of my body was being sliced apart, bit by bit!
W-Why is this happening?!
Not even in the original story did Ceres suffer pain like this. Not even when she was terminally ill!
It's not like I did anything that would've made my condition worse.
Sure, I was locked up, but I ate and rested well.
I even got healthy enough to walk again!
…Could it be backlash?
Unlike the original Ceres, I didn't recover over months. I forced the recovery in just a week.
Maybe it happened too fast, and now my body is suffering the rebound effect?
Damn it, another unreasonable setback?!
"Ugh… ah…"
I cried out for a while, unable to bear the pain, but eventually even that was too much.
I was about to pass out completely.
The last thing I heard as my consciousness faded—
Was Violet's voice, calling my name.
"Ceres, what's happening?! Get a hold of yourself! Ceres!!!"
Chapter 15
You were wrong.
There wasn't much reason behind why the Emperor of the Empire, Violet, had forcibly summoned Ceres.
It was simply because she wanted to see Ares, whom she disliked, suffer.
Since that woman doted on her sickly son so excessively, Violet saw an opportunity to torment her using that as leverage, and called him out.
The Empire's greatest beauty? The Empire's most beautiful man, seriously. He's always hiding at home, using illness as an excuse, so no one even sees his face, how would they know?
She didn't believe the rumors about Ceres.
Neither that he was the Empire's greatest beauty nor that he was a saint.
But then—
So the Empire's greatest beauty is real.
The moment she saw Ceres at the party, she had no choice but to admit that she had been wrong.
Is that thing even human?
She considered herself good-looking, but next to him, she was just a firefly before the sun.
Silvery hair that fluttered beautifully.
Milky white skin, and features that could be called artistic.
It all drew the eye, but what stood out the most were his eyes.
Those eyes, sparkling like jewel-toned blue gems, contained a mix of emotions.
Hostility. Contempt. A faint trace of pity.
And the look of someone reluctantly meeting someone they really didn't want to see again.
Aside from the pity, they were emotions she'd faced countless times in her life, so she recognized them right away.
Have we met before?
A stunning beauty she'd never seen before looked at her as though he knew her, she couldn't help but become curious.
And then—
He's like he's floating all on his own. As if he's fallen into another world. Or like he knows something no one else does and is carrying it alone.
Was it his overwhelming, otherworldly beauty? She felt a strange aura surrounding him.
Is it because our situations are similar? I keep getting drawn to him.
She, too, had lived a life disconnected from others due to her royal blood and position as emperor.
Feeling a strange kinship, Violet wanted to speak to him, but couldn't move easily.
What do I even say? Thanks for dragging your sick body here because of me?
If it had been her usual self, she would've shamelessly walked up and spoken anyway.
But for some reason, she couldn't do that now and simply watched.
Then—
That wench!
She saw Alios trying to feed Ceres something.
She was irritated for some reason and approached to force a conversation, but still had nothing to say.
Why isn't he reacting at all?
She had no choice but to try provoking him to get a reaction and ended up going too far.
I learned something new, getting spaghetti thrown in your face feels awful.
When Ceres slapped her with spaghetti, she was angry, but more than that, she had another thought.
'Let's use this as an excuse to scold him a little, and keep him at the palace longer.
She pretended to be furious, but she was actually thinking of how to use the situation.
She was going to keep Ceres around as punishment.
But then—
That damned Alios!
When Alios attacked her with aura, she lost it.
She'd truly gotten angry, thinking she wouldn't forgive that girl.
"Because you're going to fall in love with me."
But when Ceres said that, those words made all her anger vanish, and her mind went blank.
Not that I actually planned to kill him, but what the hell kind of line is that?! This guy's delusions are on another level!
It was so absurd.
Everyone froze, Alios, Ares, the other nobles watching in fear.
But—
C-Could it be true?
Violet, the person in question, started to believe it.
When Ceres told her to test it by approaching, she couldn't bring herself to lay a hand on him.
Even when he was about to stab himself, her heart dropped, and she snatched the knife away.
"No matter what you do, no matter where you go, you'll be filled with thoughts of me until nothing else matters."
Even when he said ridiculous things like that, she found herself drawn to the simple fact that he was staying with her.
Had she ever been like this before?
Never.
Did that mean—
It's not that I will fall in love with him later… maybe I already am.
She couldn't be sure how she felt.
So she decided to confine him and observe him over time.
Good thing I learned to cook.
Back when she had spare time after finishing her government work, she was looking for something fun to do.
She'd debated between cooking and martial arts, but chose cooking.
She was already strong enough, and learning martial arts on top of that felt like it would make her even more of a brute.
Thanks to that, she could make food for Ceres, but the only reason she did cook for him was because of Alios.
That girl definitely can't cook, right? At most she probably fed him food someone else made.
The image of Alios sweetly feeding Ceres stuck with her, and she wanted to one-up that.
That's how her days with Ceres began, but they weren't smooth.
Every time she saw him, he looked like an angel, complete with a halo, and yet he was so picky.
She worked hard to cook, but he couldn't eat it.
She wanted an excuse to visit more often, but he only ate once a day, so she could only come once.
She tried scaring him to get a reaction, but he didn't seem afraid at all.
He said her hairstyle didn't suit her, so she changed it, only for him to say the previous one was better.
She got mad and tried to stop feeding him, but then worried and ended up cooking late at night and bringing it to him like a pushover.
Just because I didn't feed him for one day, he goes and self-harms! If it were anyone else, I'd have killed them on the spot.
There was nothing romantic about it, it just made her angry.
She even wondered if confining him had been a mistake.
But now—
"Ceres, get a hold of yourself! Ceres!!"
Right now, Violet genuinely thought—
She'd preferred those troublesome days much more.
***
She had only pushed him slightly. So why had this suddenly happened?
"…
"
"Ceres, open your eyes!"
Violet tried desperately to wake Ceres.
At first, he had screamed and thrashed in pain, but now, he couldn't even do that.
He had lost consciousness, yet he continued to tremble as though convulsing from the pain.
"Is anyone there?! Bring every healer you can find, immediately!"
Seeing that the condition was serious, Violet picked up Ceres and carried him outside.
She moved him to a safe place and turned the palace upside down, calling people in.
Healing mages, doctors, pharmacists, and even priests working in the palace—
Every person related to healing was summoned in full force.
But—
"What… what is this?"
"I've never seen symptoms like this…"
Even though they were skilled personnel serving the imperial palace, all of them looked troubled.
They surrounded Ceres, who lay on the bed in one of the rooms used by the imperial family, drenched in cold sweat.
"What are you all doing?"
Even without medical knowledge, one could tell the situation was dire. Violet's expression hardened.
"What's the problem?"
"It's something we've never seen before. It seems to be a type of mana overflow. Highly compressed mana is flowing through his body, damaging him with micro-shocks."
"So you're saying you can't heal him?"
As Violet aggressively questioned the healing mage who diagnosed it, a priest responded instead.
"To be precise, healing is already underway. A certain power is repairing the damage caused by the mana overflow."
"Then why is he still in pain?!"
"Because even after it heals, damage occurs again, and then the healing starts again. The cycle is repeating."
Finally, the doctor and the pharmacist added:
"We tried to at least ease his pain with anesthesia, but it doesn't work."
"The unknown power healing his body seems to also detoxify painkillers and anesthetics."
Violet was speechless.
All the healers responsible for treating the imperial family had essentially given up!
These useless fools.
Suppressing the urge to beat them all to death for being useless when it mattered most, she spoke.
"If none of you can help, then at least tell me someone who can."
But everyone just looked at each other in silence, no one answered.
"You! Priest! Contact your temple and summon a High Priest!"
"Your Majesty, I've heard that Ceres himself possesses powerful divine power… If he can't heal himself, then even a High Priest…"
"If you don't call them right now, I'll send the army to drag them here!"
"…Understood."
Reluctantly, the priest contacted the temple. A short while later—
"Hames? Why are you the one who came?"
When someone familiar and renowned appeared, Violet looked surprised.
"There's a High Priest assigned to the capital's temple. It's not you."
"…I happened to be staying at this temple for a while due to other business."
Hames spoke coldly.
"They said there was an urgent issue needing a High Priest. Since I was idle anyway, I came in their place. Is this related to Ceres Hyperion, who I've heard has been staying here recently?"
"Yes. Come quickly!"
Though it was an unexpected visitor, it might have been for the best.
If she was a potential candidate for the Pope, she'd probably be even more effective. Violet quickly led her to Ceres.
"Ceres!!"
"Eh?"
The moment Hames saw Ceres lying in bed, she rushed over. Violet watched her with a strange expression.
"Ceres, wake up! Please, wake up. Ceres Hyperion!"
Gripping Ceres and calling his name in anguish—
The very thing she herself had been doing earlier was now being done by the typically cold woman, right in front of the emperor. Violet's mouth fell open.
"You know each other?"
"I helped treat him once. But that's not important right now!"
Hames shot her a sharp look.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know either. It happened suddenly!"
"Were there any warning signs or issues before this occurred?"
"That…"
Violet hesitated briefly before responding.
"I skipped his meal once… and pushed him a bit."
"Why would you do that?!"
"I didn't push him hard! And I only delayed the meal a little, and then he didn't eat it!"
She tried to excuse herself, saying she'd just been upset that Ceres ignored her efforts and seemed to be thinking of another woman.
She never intended to hurt him, but Hames looked at her with disgust.
"You feel good, locking up someone who couldn't even walk until recently?"
"He was walking fine here! I heard he even gathered the people from his territory and did something!"
"He pushed himself. With a body that couldn't even walk, he endured the pain!"
Hames glared at the emperor with eyes full of hostility, then turned to examine Ceres.
"…Certainly, skipping a meal and being pushed aren't the direct cause."
"R-right? There's a different cause!"
"No. You are the cause."
Hames, now completely ignoring her, focused only on Ceres and explained.
"There's an unusual mana overflow happening in his body. I have a guess. It's likely due to rushing his mana training in order to walk."
"Why would he rush it?"
"What do you think?"
…So you're saying it's my fault for forcing him to come?
Violet flinched. She walked over to Ceres with a hardened face and stared down at him.
Should've just gone to visit him myself.
If she had known it would turn out like this, if she had known she would come to think of him this much, then she would have.
"Ceres, you were wrong."
Seeing him suffer, she was finally certain.
It's not that she will fall in love with him—
She already had.
"If the problem is a mana overflow, then we need a mana expert."
Once she accepted her feelings, her head cooled enough to think of a good solution.
Violet gently stroked Ceres's silvery hair and looked at his pained face with sorrow.
"I'll call for Sibellius."
"I've heard she's eccentric and doesn't listen to anyone."
"There's a way."
She answered Hames and then summoned a subordinate to give an order.
"Deliver this: If she doesn't come immediately, strip her of her titles and make her a criminal, but if she does come, increase her research funding tenfold. Tell that to Sibellius, the half-demon archmage."