I Became the Emperor’s Sleeping Pill - Chapter 83

Schedule: Tuesday and Friday

The Empress and the Marquis had initially planned to seize control of the southern territories. Their reason for choosing the remote northern border, so far from the Imperial Palace, was to keep both Luigia, who could see dark magic, and Edin, who could dispel it, occupied in the north.

While Luigia and Edin were occupied with the dark magic in the north, they intended to launch a full-scale rebellion in the south with the other heretics. However, the unexpected presence of Lysei complicated their plans.

Luigia and Trey worked tirelessly, starting from the edge of the village, to save as many people as possible from the suffocating dark magic. Meanwhile, Lysei and Edin infiltrated the heart of the affected area, eliminating the heretics. Their combined efforts quelled the northern uprising much faster than anticipated.

The Marquis received a belated report that Lysei and Edin had eradicated all the heretics in the north. He was astonished to learn that there was more than one person capable of seeing dark magic, and even more so that one of them had immediately identified the heretics’ base.

“The daughter of Baron Orphe, you say?”

Marquis Benneretti’s attention immediately shifted to Lysei, the one who had pinpointed the heretics’ location. His informant confirmed this, providing a detailed account of the events in the north.

After hearing the full report, Marquis Benneretti instructed his aide to investigate everything about Baron Orphe, leaving no stone unturned.

“Father!”

Raz, who had moved to the Marquis’s residence after the rebellion began, rushed to Marquis Benneretti.

“I just heard from Seiren that the former Nyxna can now see dark magic. Is it true?”

She desperately hoped it wasn’t. The thought of her possessing such an ability was unbearable. She was the woman Raz intended to kill first upon the rebellion’s success—the woman who had crippled Seiren and captured Edin’s heart. Why would such a woman…?

Raz gritted her teeth.

“It seems to be true. Of all people, the daughter of Baron Orphe…It appears the gods are on our side, Your Majesty.”

“On our side…?”

“The heretics have been growing increasingly demanding, causing me considerable distress. This Nyxna, with her ability to see dark magic, would be a valuable weapon to control them.”

“What?!”

“Killing isn’t always the solution, Your Majesty. Even if we succeed in the rebellion and seize the empire, we must consider what comes after. There’s no guarantee those barbarians won’t turn on us once we’ve won. They might even try to seize the fallen empire for themselves.”

“…!”

“We must bring that Nyxna to the Marquis’s residence.”

“No!”

Raz’s face paled as she cried out.

“She’s the one who crippled Seiren! The one the Emperor adores! We can’t let her live! I won’t allow it!”

Knowing her father all too well, Raz was horrified by his words. Bringing Lysei here meant keeping her alive, using her for some purpose. It was unthinkable. Lysei was the first person Raz wanted dead. She couldn’t bear the thought of her living in this very house, becoming useful to her father.

“Just kill her! That’s all we need to do!”

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty. And did you hear what I just said? The heretic leader’s demands are becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate. At this rate, they’ll trip us up before we even succeed.”

“…!”

“That Nyxna will be a potent threat against them.”

“But there’s another Nyxna! We don’t need her specifically…!”

“The other one can’t see dark magic clearly. The Nyxna who can is the one of value.”

“But Father!”

“My decision is final, Your Majesty.”

Marquis Benneretti spoke with a resolute expression.

“You simply prepare to ascend the throne. I will handle everything else.”

Raz clenched her jaw at her father’s words. He intended to use Lysei as leverage against the heretics, which meant she would be living here, in the very house where Raz had grown up. The woman who had maimed Seiren and held Edin’s affections.

Raz knew this was absolutely unacceptable. Returning to her room, she informed Seiren of the situation. Seiren, in turn, comforted Raz and suggested they find a way to kill Lysei before the Marquis could bring her here.

***

Upon returning to the Imperial Palace, Lysei and her companions immediately sought out the Emperor’s physician. Worried about the unconscious Edin, Lysei stayed by the physician’s side, constantly inquiring about his condition. Meanwhile, Theor, Trey, and Luigia explained the situation in the north to Zerga and discussed their next steps.

After receiving a detailed explanation of Edin’s condition, Lysei despaired, realizing he was unconscious because of her. Edin was already weakened from giving blood to Trey, and he had further depleted his holy power by using the shadows’ power to save her. On top of that, he had shielded her from the full force of the dark magic. It was no wonder he was in such dire straits.