The Tyrant Couldn’t Fall Asleep

The boy had an outstanding appearance that made even the assassin startle.

However, the form in which he held his sword looked sloppy.

'I'm in trouble if he screams, so I'll have to kill him right now.'

The assassin ran straight to the boy and tried to kill him.

At that time, the images of his dead companions came into his sight in a miserable state.

It was his companions who should have headed to the Imperial Palace.

‘Wait, this is…'

On the blade of the sword, a blue air stream shone. It was an aura called the symbol of the transcendent.

"Sa, save...”

As a young boy, if he looks pitiful, he might spare his life.

The assassin thought so.

Until he saw the boy's indifferent eyes.

‘Those eyes that have already killed people to the point of getting sick of it!’

Upon awakening, a blue flash of light quickly drew a trajectory.

Ern looked down indifferently at the assassin who had screamed as his head was decapitated in an instant.

“Ern, a king must value the lives of his people. They are the backbone of this empire.”

For a moment, Izaya hardened her expression and spoke firmly.

“But don't forget. You must never look down on those who seek your life.”

“There is nothing to feel guilty about for killing those who tried to harm you. Otherwise, you would be dead.”

Recalling the past for a moment, Ern wrinkled his brow.

‘Who cares about whom?’

Not long after Ern had dealt with the assassin like that.

“Lord.”

They appeared in black uniforms.

Shadow Sword, they were a secret society that had been protecting the imperial family from generation to generation.

“Did you complete your mission?”

“Everyone has been killed. After all, it was Duke Lauchen.”

Soon the head of the Shadow Sword stared at the corpses with the heads and necks separated.

“We could’ve handled it. Until the Lord has to step forward like this...”

It was before he had even finished speaking.

"Not required."

Soon, Ern looked at the Empress's Palace, and he said, staring coldly at the Shadow Swords.

“So it would be best not to even dream of stealing Izaya.”

The head of the Shadow Sword, Grehen, sighed deeply at those words.

'It's not spying, it's a close escort. Who is it that harbors impure feelings…?'

* * *

Meanwhile, Melanie was heading toward the Empress Palace with an incense burner.

‘I don’t think they even know how to turn on the sleep scent.’

They didn't even know this before, because she had directed everything herself.

'Well, thanks to that, I was able to meet the Empress, so I’m lucky.'

Now that this has come to pass, should she say something that touches the empress's feelings? Such a weak thought lifted her head.

For a moment after she had lost her bitter smile like that, she saw a knight guarding the front of the Empress's bedroom.

“I came to the Empress's bedroom to bring incense for sleep."

Of course, Melanie knew the empress would let her in right away.

However, the answer of the knight guarding in front of the bedroom was different from what she had thought.

“Wait a minute.”

‘Um, are you trying to inquire about the intentions of Her Majesty the Empress?’

Melanie nodded her head and took a step back, waiting for the knight to announce her visit to the empress.

But the knight didn't say anything to the empress and just stared at the door.

As if he was waiting for a response from the Empress.

'What?'

She felt strange at his behavior, and Melanie spoke.

“Sir, please tell her Majesty the Empress.”

But instead of answering, the knight just stared at the door.

When her patience ran out, Melanie announced her visit to the empress.

“Your Majesty, this is Melanie!”

The knight glared at her with bloody eyes, but Melanie spoke her words without hesitation.

“I brought the sleeping incense, can I come in?”

Soon, an answer came from inside the door.

“Yes, come in.”

Melanie glanced at the knight and went inside.

“Why did you bring incense?”

Izaya's question was more curious than questionable.

"That… No one could turn on the sleep scent.”

After a moment of awkward reply, Melanie put down the incense burner.

“Then, rest peacefully.”

Instead of saying she would step back as usual, Melanie, who gave her greetings, tried to leave the Empress's bedroom as if to run away.

It was then.

“Yeah, it was hard. It's late, so get some rest."

Tears welled up.

It was only a single sentence, but it felt as if today's hardship was rewarded.

‘If you think about it, she used to be such a kind person…'

As she left the room, Melanie was startled.

The knight guarding the door was looking at her with a bitter gaze.

“Excuse me…

As the knight spoke, Melanie asked a blunt question.

“Do you have any business?”

“No, was there anything unusual about the room?”

“I apologize, but you’re a knight I haven’t seen…”

“Not long ago, I was appointed as an escort knight for the Empress. It's nothing special, I think I heard a strange noise."

“Nothing was wrong.”

The man nodded his head in response to the answer that came without hesitation.

"Alright."

Seeing him somehow disappointed, Melanie frowned.

* * *

In the gloomy dawn, Duke Lauchen asked the subordinate who came late at night with a grim face.

“The assassins didn’t go to the Empress’s Palace?”

"Yes, they did."

“Were they discovered?”

“No body was found. There were no new prisoners in the prison, and Grehen didn't even say anything.”

Duke Lauchen stroked his chin.

Soon he wrinkled his brows and muttered.

“Could the assassins have escaped?”

Then, the man intervened.

“I understand that when an assassin escapes, the guild kills them. They wouldn’t just escape unless they’re out of their minds."

At those words, the duke's face grew serious.

“It would be a good idea to contact the guild again.”

However, before he could contact the guild, the first contact came.

“What does it say?”

Upon reading the letter, Duke Lauchen smiled contentedly.

“They’re going to send them back with more people.”

The spy smiled and said to him,

“Oh my, that must be cumbersome.”

* * *

“A monster, a monster…”

The masked man trembled in fear and looked at the boy who had slaughtered all his companions there.

Despite the slaughter of so many people, the boy looked clean and without a drop of blood.

‘Where the hell did such a monster come from?’

The masked man who looked at the boy who looked somehow tired was startled.

‘Wait, if you have silver hair and purple eyes…’

He had a beautiful appearance that you will never forget once you see it.

Clearly, the boy had the appearance of the emperor of the rumors.

“Your Majesty the Emperor?”

The boy answered in a dry voice.

"What?"

At that affirmation, the assassin was startled.

‘The one who eliminated the assassins during that time was the emperor!’

If he informs the Duke of this fact, he will be forgiven for failing his mission.

The moment he finished his judgment, the masked man ran with all his might.

‘I can run away. Since then, I have been ranked at the top of our organization in terms of speed…'

But soon his eyes widened in astonishment.

All of a sudden, the emperor was standing in front of him.

“Save, please save me!”

"Why?"

"If I die, the master of the Assassination Guild will come forward to make up for my failures!"

"Master?"

As the emperor seemed interested, the assassin nodded his head.

“Yes, he is good at disguise, so even if your Majesty is a transcendent, you won’t be able to find him easily!”

The assassin said as he looked at the emperor, who seemed to be contemplating with his eyes wide open.

“Completing the quest is a matter of the trust of the guild, but if the client dies, the Master will not come forward.”

In fact, to kill the client is to betray the organization, and then you will be pursued by the organization.

However, it was important for the assassin to run away from the emperor immediately.

“If you just spare my life, I will take the duke by the throat!”

Then the king answered.

"No."

"What?"

Ern remembered Izaya's behavior, which he had seen for quite some time.

She called her father in her sleep, and when he said he was coming, the foolish figure got up immediately.

Soon he spoke softly.

“I can kill him with my own hands. But does he know the reason for keeping him alive?”

Come to think of it, the duke had a good image among the people and nobles.

If it is revealed that the emperor is behind such duke's assassination, he will most likely not escape criticism.

“Oh, isn’t it because there is no justification to kill the duke?”

This is the answer that rolled up his head, but the Emperor shook his head.

“It’s boring if he dies early.”

It was then that the assassin was about to protest the nonsensical answer.

There was life in those purple eyes.

“So, die here.”

Ern, who had dealt with the assassin with a single slash, gave an order to Grehen, who suddenly appeared.

“I want to know about the assassin gang sent by the Duke.”

And Grehen, who was staring at the back, sighed as if frustrated.

‘No matter how you look at it, it must be because of these variables that the last plan was stopped, right?’