I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 51

At the boy’s cry, those battling the strange being quickly turned their heads. All eyes turned toward a familiar small figure huddled on the floor.

“…This can’t be happening.”

A voice, belonging to no one in particular, escaped like a groan. Though the creature’s attack had ceased, the screams no longer filled the air. All attention was now on the small, fallen figure.

“That wretched fiend hurt Lady Lindel…! Waaah!”

The young boy burst into tears, overwhelmed with anger. His cries jolted everyone back to reality. No, this can’t be true, it can’t be happening. Their disbelief quickly turned to despair, spilling from their mouths as sighs.

While the adults stood there dazed, the boy moved. Forcing his fear-frozen legs to stand, he ran precariously towards the fallen hero. He wrapped his small arms around Lindel, as if trying to shield her from harm.

The sight sent a ripple through everyone’s hearts. Clenched fists, the tips of swords, and suppressed groans trembled in unison. Their eyes grew hot.

“Get away! Get away from her!”

The boy’s voice grew louder, trying to hide his fear as he shouted at the enemy. But the trembling of his body could not be concealed.

…Still, the small boy held his hero in his arms.

“…What did I even do?”

The malicious voice of their enemy feigned innocence. It wasn’t enough that she’d injured their hero; now she dared to mock them.

Anger distorted the faces of those watching.

“Somebody, help us!”

The boy’s cry ignited a flame within everyone’s hearts.

“Protect Lady Lindel!”

“Kill that monster!”

Uwaaah!

The hero who had always protected them—now they had to protect her.

***

“Ugh!”

“It’s alright! Everyone’s coming, so please don’t move!”

When I tried to move my head, the boy hugged me even tighter. Though his voice was full of hope, it wasn’t the words I needed to hear. I felt like I was going to throw up; I wished he would just let me go. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that to a child, so I forced myself to endure it as the boy hugged my head.

For your sake, please let go of me!

My throat burned like it was on fire. Since I couldn’t speak, all I could do was grasp the boy’s arm with my trembling hand.

Meanwhile, I heard people running toward us, accompanied by a massive roar.

“Save Lady Lindel!”

“Protect the hero!”

“Defeat that monster!”

Fierce shouts filled the air. Somehow, everyone’s strength seemed to surge, and they were now driving the creature back as they advanced towards us.

“What did I do to deserve this?! Why are you treating me like this?!”

The woman shouted in protest, but no one listened.

“That crazy thing suddenly went berserk on its own! What did I even do…?!”

“Do not disgrace Lady Lindel any further!”

A young noblewoman shouted with a tearful voice.

“I’ve been watching Lady Lindel fight from the beginning! But I didn’t see that woman attack her! Everyone, be careful!”

“Could it be magic?!”

“I don’t feel any mana. It can’t be that.”

“I saw it! I saw her move her hand towards Lady Lindel!”

“Could it be an assassin’s hidden weapon?!”

A noble nearby began to describe in detail how I had suddenly collapsed in pain. Fortunately, the vial had been small enough that they hadn’t seen it. Instead, from the way he described it, it sounded like I’d fought a desperate battle alone.

The people’s suspicion deepened over the unseen, intangible attack.

And the woman—

“What are you talking about?! There’s no such thing! And you! When did I move my hand?!”

She ranted and raged, shouting that they were making things up. Her focus seemed to waver, and as a result, the movements of the creatures she controlled came to a halt. Thanks to this, the knights who had been held back by the creatures were now able to charge toward us.

Their sharp blades were all aimed at the woman. It was a spectacular sight.

Leading them was Cryan, who had been guarding the emperor.

“Atone with your life!”

With a mighty swing, Cryan’s sword came crashing down. The woman hurriedly blocked the attack with both arms, but Cryan wasn’t the instructor of all the knights for nothing. The woman’s body, overpowered by his strength, crashed into the wall with a resounding thud.

“Kugh!”

“Come forth!”

Cryan raised his sword toward the woman once more.

“You shall bear the punishment for injuring my student!”

At this point, I was too embarrassed to even lift my head. The pain from the powder I had ingested still lingered, but as time passed, it no longer overwhelmed me as it had before. In fact, the embarrassment was becoming more of a distraction than the pain.

As I was debating what to do, I heard the woman’s voice.

“She did it on her own! She inflicted the wounds on herself…!”

“Nonsense!”

“Eek!”

…I decided to just stay still. As I lay quietly in the boy’s arms, his small body suddenly shuddered.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“You did well.”

The boy’s arms loosened at the familiar voice. Before I could lift my head, a firm embrace enveloped me, different from the boy’s. A large hand pressed my head gently against his chest.

The familiar scent washed over me.

A calm voice, as always, called my name.

“…Lindel.”

With a soft whisper of apology for being late, Sionel lifted me into his arms. As I took a deep breath when he effortlessly picked me up, the smell of the powder came rushing back. I hastily covered my mouth with my hand, narrowly avoiding a disaster.

But perhaps misunderstanding my actions, Sionel’s pace quickened.

“…Si… onel.”

“It’s alright.”

Though the battle wasn’t over, Sionel did not stop. The woman’s voice rang out, filled with anger as attacks rained down on her from all directions.

“Stop it, you lunatics!”

The clash of metal echoed energetically, and it seemed even Millior, who had been fighting the creatures, had joined in.

When I squirmed in his arms to get a better view of the situation, Sionel patted me gently, telling me it was alright.

I considered saying something, but the bitter taste rising in my throat made me close my eyes instead.

***

The incident at the Founding Festival’s banquet sent shockwaves throughout the entire empire. Strange creatures appeared, along with a suspicious woman whose humanity seemed questionable. People couldn’t stop talking about the events of that day whenever they gathered.

The woman fell helplessly before the two captains. Like a puppet with its strings cut, she collapsed to the ground, still insisting on her innocence until the very end. But of course, no one listened.

When the woman fell, so did the bodies of the creatures. Their twisted forms writhed grotesquely on the floor before dissolving into smoke. All that remained were puddles of blood, the only trace that the creatures had ever existed.

The imperial palace had yet to make any public announcement regarding the attack. They had found no evidence on the woman’s body. As for the creatures she had commanded, there were no remains to examine, making confirmation even more difficult.

“Among the palace staff, five attendants and three laborers who were delivering supplies that morning are missing.”

Cassius finished his report as he looked at the emperor’s unresponsive back.

“After questioning those who had seen the creature’s face at the banquet, we received statements that the missing individuals bore a resemblance.”

The creatures had once been people. Those who had attacked, their bodies drenched in blood as they howled and assaulted others, had once been human.

And yet, these former humans had disappeared without even leaving behind a corpse, as if they had combusted. Cassius bit his lip for a moment as his head throbbed.

“…What about the woman’s body?”

“It’s currently undergoing an autopsy, but I doubt we’ll find anything significant, even if we take our time. Her supposedly iron-like skin was found to be no different from any other human’s during the examination.”

Cassius sighed as he continued, “From what the two captains have said, it seems that the woman was indeed controlling the creatures. However, it also appears she herself was being controlled by someone else.”

Sionel carefully placed Lindel’s hand back down and turned his head slightly. His expressionless face was like a block of ice.

“Investigate forbidden magic. Specifically, any rituals that allow control over a human body and the ability to create and command multiple creatures.”

“You give difficult orders so casually.”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?”

“Of course not.”

Cassius smiled softly. Despite his gentle expression, his smile held an icy edge.

Cassius had been unable to attend the banquet due to other commitments. When he finally received word and made his way over, he had crossed paths with Sionel, who was carrying Lindel through the ruined halls.

Cassius remembered Lindel in Sionel’s arms. Her face had been flushed red and soaked with tears—a pitiful sight.

As he was about to leave, Cassius turned back to Sionel. His face, having momentarily shed its anger, now showed signs of concern.

“…There are rumors about Lady Lindel circulating. What should we do?”

The emperor’s frosty expression betrayed the effort it took to suppress his emotions.

“Lindel is fine. If anyone dares to spread nonsense, consider them unafraid of death and tell them I’ll personally see to it.”

“Understood.”

After Cassius left, Sionel remained by Lindel’s side as she slept. His clenched fist dug his nails into the soft skin of his palm.

According to the priests, Lindel’s injuries were internal. Her esophagus and stomach were damaged, and her intestines seemed to be in shock. The symptoms resembled those of someone who had ingested something harmful, but all she had eaten that day was a few pieces of meat—hardly enough to be the cause.

Seeing her flushed, tear-streaked face, Sionel couldn’t help but despise himself.

“…Even if it meant earning your hatred, I should have done it.”

Sionel regretted and regretted again.

He could have killed the creatures and gone to Lindel if he had wanted to. He could have used magic to remove anyone standing in his way. The palace’s barriers posed no obstacle to the emperor, who was their master.

But if, in the process, his allies had been hurt or killed by his hand, Lindel might have hated him for it. She was that kind of person.

The fear of being hated made him hesitate, and that hesitation led to Lindel getting hurt.

He had once resolved that he wouldn’t care if he were hated as long as he could protect her. But after experiencing her warmth, that resolve had crumbled all too easily.

He wasn’t afraid of blood staining his hands.

But if it changed the way she looked at him, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Seeing her sleeping face, so peaceful, Sionel suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.