Chapter 87

Contrary to what she had remembered, now, only a very long table was prepared.

Just like an ordinary dining room.

‘No, it’s not ordinary.’

After all, it’s the Imperial Palace.

Aria thought as she looked at the white tablecloth, luxurious candlesticks studded with jewels, and countless empty chairs and utensils. It was really well decorated like a dining room.

“What are you doing standing there? Come on, sit down.”

The Emperor, who sat at the top of the table, gestured to them to come.

Dozens of escort knights and servants following the Emperor were lined up along the wall. A breathtakingly solemn atmosphere. All of the servants had expressionless faces, as if they were wearing masks.

Somehow, Aria felt an indescribable strange feeling in all these scenes.

‘I’m sure I remember there was a circle engraved on the floor here.’

Aria followed the handmaid to the table and sat down, then she sniffed the white tablecloth with her nose. Again, as she remembered, there was a magic circle. Originally, it was a room made for engraving this.

It was a magic that amplifies the effect regardless of the type of energy.

‘I’m sure you’re trying to do a trick.’

It was obvious, but for some reason Aria didn’t feel like running away right away. Because, no matter how hard she tried, the effect of her singing would also be strong.

‘Well, I don’t know if they can stop all my songs or not.’

Lloyd was right next to her. Whatever the Emperor may do, Lloyd can stop everything.

‘No, in the first place, what the hell was he trying to do with Lloyd…… ?’

She can’t even imagine. There was no sense of crisis.

Before Lloyd came to the Imperial Palace, he said, ‘even if he tied me up, we would die together.’

The Emperor could neither imprison, punish, nor kill Lloyd. If the Emperor touched Lloyd the wrong way, there would be chaos in the world and the Emperor would die.

‘…… I don’t know.’

How could she not know what the Emperor was thinking?

Aria told Lloyd about this. Through the wedding ring artifact that only the two of them can talk to.

– Be careful. I’m not sure exactly, but I think he’s trying to use some kind of magic on Lloyd.

She didn’t know that this wedding ring could be used in such a situation.

Apparently, Lloyd had foresight.

– What? Magic?

– It’s a room with amplification magic.

Then Lloyd looked at her as if how in the world did she know that? Aria asked if it matters now, and she shrugs her shoulders unnoticed.

– I’ll tell you later.

Well, this time, it seemed like he didn’t want to just pass it by. Obviously, it was some kind of Imperial secret.

Aria nodded her head.

Then Lloyd added one more word, to make sure she was worried for nothing.

– I’m not blaming you.

You were worried.

It was not delivered in real words, but it seemed to be heard.

‘It was a choice I made not to worry Lloyd, but it made me worry.’

Aria had no choice but to stare at Lloyd.

And, she thought to herself. She wondered if she had to go back and tell the story of the future to some extent, hiding only a few fatal truths.

– Anyway, it’s highly probable that it’s mental manipulation magic. It’s pretty well known that Valentine’s weakness is that.

Aria sent her message sternly.

It was because she realized too late that if a Valentine was mentally manipulated, even they could be helpless. Weren’t they actually vulnerable to madness?

“Ha.”

Then, as Lloyd looked down at Aria, he let out a breath, whether it was a laugh or a sigh. And he murmured a little as if passing by.

“Cute.”

Cu……. She heard words that shouldn’t be heard.

No, was he saying that in a situation like this? Her face had no choice but to get burned in this dire situation.

– I don’t know what the trick is, but you don’t have to know it.

Saying so, Lloyd got up from his seat once.

Huh.

Aria, who had her hands covering her blushing cheeks, was bewildered.

“Why, why are you getting up all of a sudden? The meal hasn’t come out yet.”

Even the Emperor stuttered as if he was bewildered.

“I’ll just go back.”

“What? No, why!”

“I’m not feeling well.”

“What?”

The Emperor seemed to doubt his ears because Lloyd put on a really absurd reason.

A servant who was carrying appetizers stood tall and was wandering helplessly. Perhaps they might be the biggest victim today.

“I’m not feeling well. To be precise, it’s disgusting and I feel like throwing up.”

It’s disgusting and feeling like throwing up…….

– Isn’t that too much?

Although she sympathized with his words from the bottom of her heart, that person was still the Emperor.

– If you’re going to say something, turn it around a little. No matter how disgusting the Emperor is, to say that he is disgusting to his face is blasphemy…….

But it was then.

‘What is this energy?’

Aria was starting to feel really disgusted and about to vomit, as Lloyd said.

‘It’s hard to breathe.’

A faint sensation that was barely felt at first, gradually deepened, and now began to be distinctly felt as if she could grasp it with her hand.

To put it bluntly, it felt like mixing up all kinds of garbage. It’s dirty and sticky, like it’s sticking to your skin…….

‘The gutter rat?’

Aria was startled. It smelled like the gutter rat that had been explained directly by Carlin the other day.

‘Very faint, though.’

Aria jumped up from her seat and quickly looked around.

Knight, servant, maid, kitchen assistant……. However, there was no one anywhere that matched the appearance of the gutter rat that Aria had heard of. They had a creepy expressionless expression as everyone was taught when they first entered the palace.

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s efforts continued.

“No, no matter what. I have prepared a meal, so why not get a drink?”

“Because I don’t know what I’m going to do because I’m very unwell. I might end up being rude to Your Majesty.”

“There is no greater rudeness than this situation now! Are you breaking an Imperial order!”

“That’s right.”

The Emperor seemed to be at a loss for words because his opponent was so proud and shameless.

Then Lloyd, who smiled darkly, twisted his lips and said,

“I am a loyal servant.”

In this part, no matter how much Aria believed in Lloyd unconditionally, she couldn’t agree with it.

“I can’t help without leaving a piece of advice that becomes blood and flesh to Your Majesty.”

“……”

“Would you please let me go at this point, Your Majesty? This is the last piece of advice I give as a loyal servant.”

Since when did intimidation become advice?

‘It means that if he tries to do more here, Lloyd won’t let it go.’

Aria paused for a moment, and she stiffened, but she decided that it would be better to get out of the Imperial Palace quickly.

– Lloyd, it looks like the gutter rat is hiding here…….

But it was then.

Aria’s eyes met one of the servants, who was bowing his head.

Even as his eyes met head-on with the Grand Princess, the mouth burst open and laughter leaked out without showing a sign of embarrassment. Then he lowered his head and started muttering something.

Aria thought she had just seen a hallucination. When their eyes met, the servant smiled.

‘What…….’

A language she had never heard before. No, it was around the time she thought it was more of a spell than a language.

The servant suddenly pulled out a dagger from his arms and took it to his neck.

“…!”

“Uh, uhhk! What!”

“Kyaaak!”

“Gasp!”

At the moment of the self-injury, screams erupted from all directions.

It was an indescribable horror. Flowing blood began to seep into the magic circle spread throughout the room. He suffered fatal wounds that would not be strange even if he passed out immediately, and the bleeding was profuse.

But the servant was fine.

Aria stiffened as the servant lifted his head and met her gaze accurately again. He staggered, got up, and went straight to Aria without any hesitation.

He ran as if to kill her.

No, he tried to run.

“How dare you…”

After Lloyd knocked down a nearby knight, he cut the servant with a stolen sword.

The whole place was instantly dyed red.

“Ah, aahh…….”

Some of them vomited and some collapsed and passed out.

Aria didn’t close her eyes and looked at the servant who collapsed like a marionette doll with a broken string.

But then, the servant rose again.

‘A bit…… clumsy.’

So, that…… body.

She couldn’t believe it was moving. Aria stiffened, pale and tired. Even she, who resolutely reacts to most things, was surprised by this.

That being said, it was almost like a walking corpse.

‘A walking corpse…… The gutter rat?’

She realized later.

What if the gutter rat had a body that did not die even if it was killed from the beginning?

‘Then everything fits.’

It also solves the question of why the gutter rat was still alive.

Aria hastily turned her head away.

The knights who found the gutter rat drew their swords. And they blocked the exit quite naturally. That is, the escape route from which Aria and Lloyd could escape.

“I can’t let that violent thing get out of here and mess with the Imperial Palace!”

The Emperor shouted loudly.