Please Kill Me - Chapter 193
“But there was a story that His Majesty did not die of illness.”
The rumors surrounding the dramatic recovery of Duke Rostislav and the sudden death of Emperor Evgeny IV began to spread among the social circles.
Especially as the story that Evgeny IV’s death was not from illness, as previously believed, but possibly due to poisoning. Suspicion spread like wildfire, fueled by whispers in every corner.
“They say the Emperor’s lips were purple, as if he had been poisoned!”
“They also say that his silverware turned black during his last meal!”
“They say the Emperor’s dog died foaming at the mouth! Surely it must have eaten some poisoned crumbs!”
“But the Empress always guarded the Emperor’s chamber… who could have done such a thing?”
At first, it remained just a rumor. But as the silverware was found to be discolored, and the Emperor’s dog died from poisoning, the suspicion slowly turned into certainty.
And finally…
“The Empress’s maid has testified! She says she was ordered to poison the late Emperor!”
“Wait, so does that mean the Empress was the one who did it?”
“Yes! She was plotting to kill the late Emperor and place the second prince on the throne!”
The full story behind these revelations unfolded as follows,
When First Prince Yuri ascended to the throne and Emperor Evgeny IV lay dying, the Empress felt her first real sense of danger.
Her power had always been strong only as long as the scarecrow Emperor was under her control. The rest of her power came from her family and from Offenbach, but now Offenbach had distanced itself from her as a new generation took charge.
The Empress feared that the cruelty she had once used would now turn against her.
— If Yuri ascends to the throne, both my son and I are as good as dead. I must stop that at any cost!
So, she used her loyal maid to obtain poison and fed it to Evgeny IV.
However, what the Empress didn’t know was that this supposedly loyal maid had long been waiting for an opportunity to betray her, trembling at the Empress’s cruelty.
The maid had been secretly biding her time and, when the opportunity arose, she turned herself in.
— My younger sibling came to the palace with me, but was beaten to death by the Empress! Since then, I’ve been waiting for the chance to take revenge. I am also an accomplice, so if you wish to kill me, I will accept it. But please, kill that evil woman!
The maid pleaded in tears, and the newly crowned Yuri, now taking the Arlan’s name, did not ignore her testimony.
The Empress and the second prince were immediately imprisoned. The second prince was beheaded and hung on the city walls, while the Empress was dragged to the plaza, stoned to death.
The story spread that many unknown individuals, who had been wronged by the Empress, threw stones at her while crying. The blood-soaked days passed, and as the commotion began to subside,
Yekaterina opened her eyes.
It was a week after the death of Evgeny IV.
* * *
‘People really don’t die that easily.’
That was the first thought Yekaterina had when she opened her eyes.
When she collapsed, she had wondered if she might never wake up again. But in contrast to that thought, the familiar ceiling appeared before her eyes, making her past thoughts seem ridiculous.
‘It feels like I’ve woken up from a very deep sleep.’
She couldn’t even remember who she was or what she had been doing. Yekaterina was in a state where she was unconsciously mocking her past thoughts without even realizing it.
Her body felt heavy and sluggish, as if it were a lump of stew. She thought she might want to close her eyes again.
She squinted as sunlight poured in through the window, and only when the brightness became more familiar did she remember the word ‘sunlight.’
Then, the thought came to her that she should get up.
Slowly, Yekaterina lifted her body. Her eyes were still dazzled by the light, so she kept one eye closed, while the other began to regain the ability to perceive the world.
She saw familiar things around her: a wardrobe, a sofa, and even a rocking horse.
‘…Ah.’
This was, well…
She felt something nostalgic, but couldn’t remember how to express it. It seemed like a very unfamiliar word, something she hadn’t pronounced out loud much before.
But more importantly, something else seemed to stand out.
Even though she had just woken up, she felt a distinct emptiness in her chest.
Something she absolutely couldn’t lose…
“….Yekaterina?”
The sound of the door opening reached her. A man holding a tray appeared, likely having come to fetch a water bowl and towels.
The tray clattered loudly as it fell, spilling water onto the carpet. However, there was no time to worry about such things.
Joy spread across the man’s face as he rushed to Yekaterina and hugged her.
It was only then that Yekaterina felt herself return to reality, as if freed from magic.
“Leo… nid.”
Her voice cracked as she called his name. Instead of answering, he simply held her tightly.
And at that moment, Yekaterina realized what word she had recalled earlier when looking around the room.
Home.
It was home.
