Please Kill Me - Chapter 93
The palace of Ethiel, built on white stone and crystal, always shimmered beautifully as the sun set, casting a light that seemed to fill the air with the sparkle of a lake’s ripples. The harmony of meticulously crafted corridors and the grand trees, nurtured by both man and nature, created a breathtaking landscape that anyone would admire.
But why did this beauty make her heart ache instead of admiration?
The vastness of the space felt overwhelming, making her chest tighten with a sense of distance. There was no particular reason or sad memory, so why did she feel this way?
In her previous life, not too far back, she had never experienced this. Just getting through the daily routines was overwhelming enough.
But since the moment she realized the emptiness inside her, at the moment of her death, the void at her feet had never ceased to ripple.
A cold echo reverberated in the hollow space of her chest. It stopped only when she was busy with something, but when left alone in silence, the chilling sensation would return, making her bones ache.
Yekaterina was certain of this feeling.
‘It will probably be like this for as long as I live.’
Sad memories can be erased, but emptiness and futility cannot. How can one empty something that is already empty? So, she needed to die before this coldness became more painful.
‘There’s no point in wavering now, having come this far.’
Yekaterina collected her thoughts and continued walking along the corridor.
She had to inform Yuri about what she had learned while spending time with Larisa—that Larisa was trapped in a moment of the past, and there seemed no way to pull her back into reality.
It should have been simple, just another dry report as she always did. Yet, she felt sorry for Larisa.
‘There won’t be anyone left for her to mistake for Marina after I die.’
It would be nice if everyone could live well. It would be nice to close her eyes knowing that the world would remain unchanged, without anyone else to feel sorry for.
That was what Yekaterina was thinking about as Yekaterina turned the corner and entered the hallway.
She heard a hushed conversation.
“…So, we need to revise the plan. We’ll go to the hunting party without Yekaterina.”
It was Leonid’s voice.
* * *
Inside the room, two people were talking.
Yekaterina easily distinguished them. Leonid was the one presenting the argument, while Yuri was the one being persuaded.
“Yuri, I assume you understand that keeping Yekaterina in the palace means you can no longer use her as a pawn.”
“If you’re not blaming me, let’s not beat around the bush with what we both already know. We’re lucky enough that it hasn’t been discovered that we’re protecting Yekaterina Offenbach. I knew Offenbach was harsh on traitors, but I didn’t realize it was this severe. Did Sergei himself say that?”
“His son explained the methods of execution.”
“Dmitry Offenbach, then. They’re all the same.”
“Exactly. That’s why it’s not possible. The risk is too high. We need to change the plan. Yekaterina Offenbach can no longer be used as a pawn.”
Yekaterina stood in the hallway, listening to them judging her value, and lightly nodded. Hearing voices discussing how to use her might have seemed surprising, but Yekaterina wasn’t particularly shocked.
‘Well, I was a bit surprised.’
Realizing that the invitation to the hunting party was part of a plan to use her. But it was only as surprising as accidentally stepping on a wildflower.
People from a rival family plotting to use her was so expected it was almost yawn-inducing. Especially since Yekaterina never trusted favors without expecting something in return.
‘I figured they had some motive for keeping me around.’
She was just frustrated because she didn’t know what it was. But Yekaterina felt a sense of clarity now that her lingering questions were answered.
There was no disappointment. Considering what Leonid had done for her, there was no way she could repay him adequately.
After all, it had already been a burden when she suddenly showed up asking to be killed.
Moreover, she was Yekaterina Offenbach. The essence of her family was to use any means necessary to survive. So, why should this surprise her?
‘I’m going to die anyway.’
If she could help Leonid even a little before dying, it would be a way to repay his kindness.
In another situation, knowing Leonid’s plan might have made her turn away with these thoughts, and she would soon forget about it. She had always been better at forgetting than handling a sword.
But the situation is different now.
What she overheard wasn’t something that helped her plan, but rather to destroy her plan.
‘It was too dangerous, so they’re going hunting without me?’
What does that mean?
She heard it clearly, but she couldn’t understand.
From what she gathered, it seemed Leonid had met with Sergei and Dmitry. And something had changed, making Leonid decide it was too dangerous to include her in the plan.
The reason was…
