emperor chapter 22

Knock. Knock.

The untimely interruption of his servant’s knock grated on his nerves. Annoyed, Lowell snatched the nearest sword and drew it, his movements radiating a lethal intent as he stalked towards the door. The knocking continued, unanswered. Lowell’s hand, reaching for the door, froze mid-air.

‘Stop it!’
‘Please stop!’
‘You mustn’t hurt anyone.’

He didn’t know why he was hearing her voice now, a phantom echo in his mind. “…Tsk. Lucky.” Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Lowell flung the sword to the floor. Oblivious to the brush with death, the servant, as the door opened, hurriedly relayed his news.

“Your Majesty! Her Highness has left the Imperial Palace…!”

“….” Perhaps he should have killed him after all. Glancing at the discarded sword, Lowell hesitated for a moment. “I know.” Wanting to devote his full attention to his wife, he dismissed the servant with a cursory response. Fortunate for the servant, though he remained blissfully unaware. He wasn’t in the mood to be splattered with someone else’s blood while intoxicated by the memory of his wife.

Closing the door, Lowell snapped his fingers. A shadowy figure materialized, a henchman who had previously encountered Miniel. Retrieving the sword, Lowell addressed the knight. “Five days. Find Miniel’s whereabouts.”

“We currently lack sufficient information…”

A sickening crunch of bone and sinew filled the air. Lowell sliced through the knight’s wrist as if it were paper. Blood welled up from the clean wound a moment later. The unsettling part was the knight’s stoicism, his demeanor betraying no sign of pain.

“Three days. Find Miniel.”

“As you command.”

Information… A thought struck Lowell, and he offered the knight a hint. “Focus your search around the temple’s location.” If Miniel had an accomplice, it would be Raphaerd. The matter of shared oracles due to their political marriage. The agreement stipulated that if one spouse chose not to receive an oracle, they were obligated to inform the other. Even in Miniel’s flight, Raphaerd’s meticulous adherence to protocol was evident.

If Miniel hadn’t acted alone, then this was a sanctioned escape facilitated by Raphaerd. In that case, the temple was the most likely destination. That irritating priest, always meddling.

To isolate Miniel, perhaps I should eliminate him first? If Raphaerd’s assistance proved futile, Miniel, heartbroken, would return to her only remaining sanctuary – him. Perhaps witnessing Raphaerd’s execution would be a fitting way to instill the necessary despair. Or perhaps he could use that Helion again? Miniel had shown him an unusual degree of care; his loss would surely devastate her.

Miniel needn’t worry about losing everyone. He would fill the void in her heart, every last crevice. Lowell’s mind teemed with visions of breaking Miniel, of her clinging to him in the aftermath of his torment. The thought sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine.

“Have your hand treated at the temple. And don’t forget, next time it will be your neck.” Satisfied, Lowell extended a modicum of mercy. The knight, gathering himself, paused before leaving.

“What shall I do when I find her?”

“Inform me immediately. There’s no need to bring her back right away.”

“I fear she may attempt another escape, placing Your Majesty in a difficult position.”

“There’s nowhere in the Dalencia Empire she can hide from me. My wife seems to be laboring under a significant misapprehension.” Lowell exuded an air of calm control, savoring the situation as one might savor a delectable morsel saved for later.

Once the henchman departed, Lowell picked up Miniel’s letter again. Tracing his fingers over the familiar script, he noticed a faint embossed mark he’d missed earlier. A common occurrence when papers are stacked together, an imprint from another document had transferred onto the edge of the letter. Faint and tucked away in a corner, it had escaped Miniel’s notice. But Lowell, accustomed to reviewing documents from various nations, recognized it instantly. The seal of the Caro Duchy.

A territory renowned for its temple, rivaling even the imperial one. The imprint could be a coincidence, but it warranted investigation. “Saving me the trouble, are you?” Lowell’s twisted smile deepened. His body and mind thrummed with a feverish excitement, his thoughts consumed by a torrent of irrationality. Thoughts that would horrify Miniel if she ever heard them. The slick, unpleasant sensation of the henchman’s blood beneath his feet went unnoticed as he continued his work.