Part 0: Prologue

　　“What a dreadful downpour.”

　　The one who addressed Johannes was his secretary, Andesandro Dias.

　　Johannes was leaning against the expansive window of his office, watching the rain pour down.

　　The cigar held between the index and middle fingers of his right hand had burned down. Lost in the vision of rain outside the window, he seemed to have completely forgotten the tobacco he had been smoking.

　　“Ugh. With rain like this, the eastern hunting grounds His Majesty headed for must have turned into quite the quagmire.”

　　Glancing around, Andesandro brought over an empty ashtray for his master. Johannes pressed down firmly on the burning stub, extinguishing it with a noble, elegant gesture.

　　“Indeed. The god of weather is fair to everyone.”

　　The acrid, cold scent of nicotine drifted from Johannes’s answer.

　　It was an unannounced shower.

　　Emperor Kavil Helius’s hunting expedition was scheduled for a week. The meteorologist assigned to the Imperial Palace had forecast clear skies and cool temperatures throughout the trip. Contrary to the prediction, however, rain lashed down fiercely from the very first day.

　　Johannes briefly pondered what kind of punishment the Emperor would mete out to the meteorologist.

　　If the Emperor happened to be in a decent mood, it might end with a few slaps to the face. But if luck were against him, the meteorologist might have his limbs bound to swift stallions to be quartered, or be dragged to the guillotine to yield his neck to a pitiless blade.

　　The meteorologist would have to pray all week that the Emperor might capture a large, fierce beast in a single stroke and return to the palace in peak condition.

　　“Do you think His Majesty will withdraw?”

　　“No.”

　　“Even in rain like this?”

　　“A mere shower is no hindrance to a slaughter. Especially for someone mad for blood like Kavil. If anything, the rain pouring down like this may afford him even greater amusement.”

　　“Good heavens, Your Grace, watch your…”

　　There were only two people present: himself and Johannes Heisack. Even so, Andesandro turned pale and hurriedly scanned the office, terrified that someone might overhear. The secretary was famous for his prudence and caution.

　　“Please rest. I shall take my leave now.”

　　Andesandro offered a bow as he prepared to go. Johannes merely gave a light nod of his head in response.

　　“Um, Your Grace.”

　　Yet less than five minutes passed before Andesandro, who had said he was leaving for the day, returned to the office.

　　“Take my carriage. I shall speak to the driver.”

　　Johannes assumed he had returned because the heavy rain made travel difficult. Thus, he generously offered Andesandro his carriage bearing the crest of the Grand Duchy of Heisack.

　　“No, Your Grace. It is not that.”

　　However, Andesandro waved his hands dismissively.

　　“You have a guest.”

　　“A guest?”

　　A guest in such foul weather?

　　Suspicion etched itself into the subtle furrow of Johannes’s brow.

　　After the death of his father, Grand Duke Arnold Heisack, visitors to Heisack Manor had ceased entirely, almost as if by magic. Johannes Heisack, the next head of the house, had been barely thirteen years old at the time.

　　The Heisacks had long been revered throughout the Nesburg Empire. It was around that time that they began to be pushed away from central government posts, facing overt hostility from the House of Helius, with less than twenty years into their rule and an unstable position.

　　The one who had summoned Heisack back after more than a decade had passed was the new Emperor, Kavil Helius, who ordered his cousin, Johannes Heisack, to fight in the border war.

　　Since Johannes was the sole male heir to carry on the line of the Heisack Grand Duchy, his vassals opposed the order fiercely. No matter how far the family had fallen into decline after drawing the Emperor’s ire, it was still a prestigious house that had produced loyal vassals for generations. Sending the sole son of such a family into a death trap was an appalling outrage.

　　Even so, the Emperor acted with utter tyranny, ultimately succeeding in dispatching Johannes to the battlefield.

　　Of course, Johannes returned alive. Not only did he return intact, but he had also achieved brilliant military exploits. And these legendary military achievements made Johannes Heisack the most famous figure in the empire. This irked the young and ambitious Kavil Helius, leaving the Heisack family increasingly isolated once more.

　　No noble dared draw close to Heisack at the risk of becoming an eyesore to the Emperor. Though a few approached on occasion to build rapport, they were merely slippery nobodies from baronages without political standing, or unremarkable merchants lacking even a title.

　　A guest coming to Heisack under such circumstances?

　　Just as the suspicion etched upon Johannes’s brow deepened, the dark shadow standing behind Andesandro revealed itself.

　　The visitor was draped in cheap cotton cloth, completely concealing every strand of hair, making their identity impossible to fathom.

　　“Hello, Your Grace.”

　　Rumble, crash, BOOM!

　　No sooner had the guest opened her mouth than thunder and lightning crashed violently.

　　“Eek!”

　　Though prudent and cautious, Andesandro was extraordinarily faint-hearted, and he let out a startled shriek.

　　In that fleeting instant, Johannes saw a lock of golden hair poking out from beneath the cloak, utterly mismatched with the dreary, bleak weather. It was hair he had seen before.

　　Brianne Paradia. My goddess of misfortune.

　　Once certain of the hair’s owner, Johannes’s expression twisted in perplexed displeasure.

　　“T-Then I shall truly take my leave now. Thank you kindly for offering your carriage, Your Grace.”

　　Sensing the subtle tension between Johannes and the unidentified guest, Andesandro beat a swift retreat and vanished.

　　Only after confirming that he had vanished completely did the guest remove her cloak.

　　“Forgive me for coming without notice, Your Grace.”

　　Rustle.

　　What caught Johannes’s gaze first was her lush golden hair, which seemed quite wet.

　　“Did you ride a horse here?”

　　“Yes.”

　　“Not a carriage?”

　　“If I took a carriage to the Grand Duke of Heisack’s residence, the imperial emblem would be far too conspicuous.”

　　“Brianne Paradia rode a horse? Alone? By herself?”

　　“As I said, yes. No matter how many times you ask, my answer will remain the same.”

　　Johannes asked again in disbelief, but Brianne’s green eyes remained perfectly calm.

　　Few women in the empire knew how to ride a horse. Of course, not every man excelled at it either.

　　The horses bred in the empire were of superior stock, boasting such exceptional strength that even other lands coveted them. They were the sole item in the empire banned from export.

　　But because they were so superior, they were extremely difficult to manage. An increasing number of people suffered severe injuries by falling while taming them or being kicked by their hind legs.

　　Countless people could not ride, including royals who had to learn before they could properly walk and noblemen who prided themselves on their masculinity. Thus, riding a horse was an immense source of pride within the empire.

　　Even among soldiers participating in battle, cavalrymen who handled horses skillfully were an elite minority, and one of the finest among that elite few was Johannes Heisack.

　　And yet, what?

　　A petite, fragile, young woman who looked as though she couldn’t even sit properly in a saddle, let alone ride, had ridden all the way here?

　　“Unbelievable.”

　　Uttering an exclamation that fell somewhere between awe and mockery, Johannes pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb.

　　“Where do you think you are, to show yourself so fearlessly…?”

　　As he muttered irritably to himself, his gaze shifted toward the water dripping from Brianne’s hair.

　　But it was not just her hair that was wet.

　　The house dress she wore was crafted from paper-thin white fabric. Being soaked through, it exposed her skin underneath.

　　Her delicate arms and wrists, her slender waist. But what stood out most was her voluptuous chest. A sensuous, full silhouette showed through the drenched dress, more than enough to capture a young man’s attention for a good while.

　　“I do not know what game you are playing.”

　　Johannes quickly turned his head away, then picked up a blanket resting near the bookshelf and wrapped it around her shoulders. He did not forget to tie it in a knot so tight that she could not untie it on her own.

　　“But is the Emperor’s mistress permitted to leave the Imperial Palace as she pleases?”

　　“All who would tattle to His Majesty have left for the hunting grounds with him, and no one considers me dangerous enough to scheme on my own in a palace without His Majesty. And I assume Your Grace knows what they call me in the palace.”

　　Brianne’s voice was self-deprecating.

　　A blonde plaything, a cheap imitation emerald.

　　The names the servants whispered behind her back. Titles far too cruel and heartbreaking for a survivor to bear.

　　“Even so, there must be ladies-in-waiting and maids monitoring your every move. The moment they realize you are gone…”

　　“The maid I cherished most was murdered. There is no one left to…”

　　Her voice trembled as she paused, pressing her lips together before letting tears fall.

　　Were a beautiful woman’s tears not a time-honored seduction tactic passed down since ages past? Johannes averted his eyes hurriedly to avoid being swayed.

　　“I do not care who you cherished or why she died. I simply want you to leave this place.”

　　I do not wish to spend even a second with you.

　　Swallowing his final words, Johannes stepped past her and threw the office door wide open. He then gestured outside with his chin.

　　He meant it when he said he did not wish to spend even a moment with this woman.

　　That night, when he encountered her…

　　Johannes had nearly died. Fortunately, he had not, but he had lost two people he held dear.

　　Fortunate… Fortunate, is it?

　　Can I call this misfortune fortunate?

　　“So, Miss Paradia. Get out of my house, immediately.”

　　Whose life did she crawl all the way here to claim this time?

　　As he clenched his jaw, his sharp jawline stood out prominently.

　　Despite the silent threat, Brianne did not budge. Standing right where she was, her green eyes met Johannes’s blues.

　　“…Please help me.”

　　“Why should I?”

　　Johannes shot back coldly.

　　Not “with what,” but “why.”

　　Even to himself, it sounded like a petty response.

　　“Help me kill the Emperor.”

　　“…!”

　　Yet the words that left the woman’s lips were entirely unexpected.

　　“Do you even understand what those words mean, to spew them out so recklessly?”

　　Johannes furrowed his brow, glaring at her in outrage.

　　“What you just uttered is treason.”

　　When she offered no reply, Johannes answered his own question.

　　“Why bring your outrageous demand to overthrow my lord to…”

　　“Maximilian Heisack.”

　　From her crimson lips escaped a name that had long been taboo.

　　“How dare you.”

　　Johannes grabbed her damp collar violently.

　　Maximilian. My dear Max.

　　How dare a wench like you speak the name of that innocent child!

　　“Do you not wish to kill Kavil Helius too, Your Grace? We hate a common enemy. So…”

　　“Did the Emperor send you?”

　　Cough!

　　Johannes tightened his grip on Brianne. Strangled, she began to choke.

　　“I asked if you were ordered to watch how I react when you spew such filth at me.”

　　“If… Ngh… if that were the case… cough… I would have appeared looking presentable, not in such filthy attire.”

　　Brianne denied it, asserting her innocence.

　　And indeed, the extravagant jewels and dresses she wore in the palace were nowhere to be seen. She was not even wearing makeup. It was muddy water that streamed down her face. It was quite the unusual sight.

　　Yet how was one to explain that she still retained such graceful beauty?

　　Even in attire ruined by rain and splattered with mud that must have surely smelled musty, she exuded an air of allure that could seduce a man. Was this a calculated temptation?

　　The light in Johannes’s eyes wavered violently as he looked down at her.

　　“What will help you most in taking revenge is not the sword you wield. It is me, the woman who attends to the Emperor’s nights.”

　　The words deepened Johannes’s confusion.

　　“From the Emperor’s innermost habits to his darkest tastes, if Your Grace but says the word, I shall uncover every single detail and bring it to you. So long as it brings his death a moment closer.”

　　Brianne Paradia. Are you Kavil Helius’s pretty lapdog, or my savior as I wallow in the mire?

　　Johannes loosened his grip around her collar.

　　“…So the claim that you knew the common language was no boast.”

　　Johannes could vaguely surmise where Brianne’s hatred for the Emperor had begun.

　　He had run into her by chance at the Imperial Palace’s History Hall not long ago.

　　You saw something there, Brianne Paradia.

　　An inexplicable arousal quickly enveloped Johannes’s whole body.

　　“Complete your revenge. Plunge your blade dozens or even hundreds of times into the captured Emperor’s body. You may behead him or slash that abominable face until no one can recognize it, whatever you desire.”

　　Pausing, Brianne steadied her breath. Johannes waited patiently until she spoke again.

　　“You may even drown him in the pond at the center of the Imperial Palace garden to suffocate him.”

　　She slowly continued after her brief silence.

　　But at her final words, which left both speaker and listener feeling unsettled, Johannes’s gaze turned razor-sharp and cold.

　　“However, Your Grace.”

　　Brianne traced the ashtray on the desk with her fingertips. Slowly and gracefully.

　　In the ashtray lay the cigar Johannes had discarded moments ago. The sight of her white fingertips touching what had just passed through his hand gave him a strangely sensual sense of incongruity.

　　“The Emperor’s heart belongs to me alone. So long as you do not pierce his heart, I will not stop you from ravaging Kavil Helius’s body to your heart’s content.”

　　Brianne whispered, stepping closer to Johannes.

　　Drip.

　　The rainwater dampening her hair fell onto the left side of Johannes’s chest, and this time, he was unable to avoid it.

　　He tried brushing off his damp chest with the back of his hand, but it was useless. The droplet had already soaked in and spread silently, eventually dampening the entire area around his chest.

　　“I shall help you with anything you desire. Just tell me what to do, Your Grace.”

　　“Without knowing what I might command?”

　　Johannes’s hushed voice came slowly, tinged with feigned malice.

　　“How can you make such a fearless declaration without knowing what I might demand of you, Miss Paradia?”

　　His quiet whisper was so sharp it seemed capable of cutting Brianne’s delicate flesh.

　　“I shall do anything. Whatever Your Grace commands.”

　　Even so, Brianne did not waver. Neither in gaze nor voice.

　　Johannes threaded all five fingers deeply and gently through Brianne’s golden hair.

　　“Brianne Paradia.”

　　Staring down at Brianne, he tilted his head ever so slightly to the right. His lips, brimming with heat as if about to shower her with kisses, brushed against her left cheek. Brianne involuntarily closed her eyes.

　　“Do not expect me to be gentle.”

　　BOOM!

　　A tumultuous clap of thunder echoed outside the window, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning.

　　The lightning soon shattered into fragments, scattering in all directions before vanishing without a trace.