Tamed Monster - Chapter 144

Such a thing could never have been accomplished alone by the strength of a mere human.

No matter how strong the Grand Duke’s reputation, he could not have done all that without a single injury. Perhaps persuaded by Kuinan’s reasoning, the sharp intensity drained from the Emperor’s fierce gaze.

Recently, no amount of venting on humans or monsters had eased his rage, and the refined beauty that once defined him had grown faint.

“Damn it… Who the hell is trying to make a fool of me?”

The culprit, standing right before him, smiled inwardly.

“I’m not sure, but I’ll search diligently for the perpetrator. If I find them, I’ll deal with them thoroughly for Your Majesty.”

Whether his brother spoke foolishly or not, the Emperor sank into his own thoughts, tapping his fingers silently for a long time. The crimson gems hanging from the epaulettes of his tunic clinked softly. One of them was speckled with tiny bloodstains. Kuinan’s green eyes narrowed at the sight.

“…Forget it. I’ll handle the punishment myself. I’ve been using this incident as an excuse to eliminate people I never liked anyway. In that sense, the fire at the annex wasn’t entirely unfortunate. Ah… though it’s a pity that that marvelous monster’s arm I had preserved so carefully was burned to a crisp.”

He sighed heavily, clearly regretful. How much must he have loved that arm to lament it so? And how had this man become so fundamentally lacking in humanity? Kuinan studied the Emperor—who reeked of blood more than any monster—with fascination.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

The Emperor shrugged, then suddenly changed the subject.

“By the way… how is the Grand Duchess these days?”

Kuinan’s expression turned ice-cold in an instant.

The Emperor watched with delight as the usually placid Grand Duke openly glared at him, eyes blazing. Then, unable to contain himself, he clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! I’m joking, just joking.”

It was a question that pretended to be a joke but wasn’t. Kuinan found that recalling this man as the human bent on exterminating his species stirred far less destructive rage than remembering him as someone eyeing his woman.

He inhaled sharply, catching the faint scent of s*x lingering on the man—an odor that revolted him.

‘Shameless bastard. Daring to covet my delicate, innocent female.’

Kuinan had assimilated into human society so well that he now found himself thinking in terms of fidelity. Not that he had remained celibate for three hundred years out of virtue—he simply hadn’t encountered a female worth pursuing.

Suddenly filled with disgust for the Emperor, he wanted nothing more than to leave. So he set his cunning tongue to work.

“There is one person I suspect. Shall I bring him in immediately?”

With ease, he steered the conversation back from his wife to the arson case. One of the Emperor’s eyebrows rose.

“Who?”

“There are too many ears in the palace. Since I’ll bring him here anyway, there’s no need for you to know beforehand. Give me one hour.”

The idea had just struck him. Recently, several individuals around him had become… inconvenient. Some were sharp enough to suspect his true nature; others had criticized his careless handling of official duties. Any of them would do.

He would simply seize the nearest one. For someone who roamed the hidden corners of the imperial palace as if it were his own home, infiltrating a noble’s residence and abducting someone was child’s play.

Kuinan urged the Emperor further.

“Or shall I forget it? If you’re not particularly curious.”

He knew full well that whoever he brought would become the Emperor’s scapegoat, guilty or not. Yet he felt not the slightest pity. After all, murder was a pastime for a creature like him.

“…Hmm. Bring him.”

After only a few minutes’ consideration, the Emperor gave permission. Kuinan strode through the opened path, exited the chamber, and walked past the guards—who stepped aside at the Emperor’s signal.

Feeling the Emperor’s piercing gaze follow him, he calmly left the palace.

True to his word, he returned within a single hour, presenting a substitute victim. As if he had never suspected Kuinan at all, the Emperor’s wildfire fury shifted entirely onto the unfortunate noble whose name he likely did not even remember.