Chapter 113
While watching the male leads’ deaths in the novel, I sensed something strange. Even if Psyche had grown stronger, I thought they died too easily.
Now that I think about it, perhaps the male leads didn’t die because Psyche was overwhelmingly strong. Maybe they simply didn’t care as long as they died by Psyche’s hand.
She narrowed her eyes. She felt she was catching onto something.
‘If… the culprit was someone who had no will to live.’
Great power, and death. These two conditions could exist without contradiction.
Psyche added one more condition to the culprit’s profile.
‘The culprit was stronger than anyone, but had no attachment to life.’
As this thought occurred, her heart began to race. She felt one step closer to the answer. She organized all the conditions once more.
The culprit was likely someone who had earned the Emperor’s trust,
Someone strong enough to slip past the tight security and into the Emperor’s chambers undetected,
And after drinking as many as 10 potions, would have become unimaginably powerful after the Emperor’s assassination.
However, having no attachment to life, the culprit’s end was a hollow death.
The four scattered conditions came together. Then four faces appeared in her mind.
Rezus Anocton, Serdin Hwi, Terche Fontos, Helios Zen.
The culprit was among them.
* * *
Psyche chewed her food thoroughly, regardless of Helios watching her from across. By her own assessment, she wasn’t in a good state, mentally or physically. To avoid reaching her limits during confinement, she needed to manage her strength.
When the body weakens, the mind follows. So for both physical and mental health, she needed to eat well at least.
She swallowed a spoonful of soup and made an inner resolve.
First, become stronger.
Even if she were to find the future Emperor’s killer, she couldn’t do anything in this pathetic state without manifesting her ability. So she had to become stronger. Only then could she do something – whether stopping the war or catching the culprit to prevent the Emperor’s death.
“Eating well now, are you?”
Psyche, who had been diligently eating, hesitated for a moment.
“Must suit your taste.”
“…”
Psyche glanced at Helios sitting opposite her. Helios was watching her intently with a smile, resting his chin on his hand. She stared back at him expressionlessly, then lowered her gaze again and concentrated on eating.
“Did you know? The more you ignore and despise me, the more stimulated I become.”
Psyche elegantly set down her soup spoon. After lightly wiping her mouth with a napkin, she rose from her seat without hesitation. Her expression showed she’d lost her appetite. She went straight to the washing table, rinsed her mouth several times, then walked toward the door.
“Going to the reception room now?”
Helios, who had been quietly watching Psyche’s movements from the dining room table, asked. Rezus had ordered her to come to the reception room right after meals. As Psyche was about to obey this command, Helios advised:
“If you go now, you’ll throw up everything you just ate.”
Psyche’s steps came to an abrupt halt. The reason Rezus ordered her to come down to the reception room was probably to show her Ruon being tortured. And saying she would throw up everything she just ate meant… they would now show the torture footage explicitly.
‘…No, maybe not. They haven’t made me watch the torture videos till the end before.’
But Rezus was the man who had ordered Serdin and Helios to violate her the very day after he had acted kindly while drunk.
‘What am I expecting from such a man?’
Psyche clenched her fist. Just as she was about to take another step, telling herself to stay strong and not break down no matter what happened next, she felt warmth from behind as Helios embraced her possessively.
“Phrena, why do you waver so?”
Warm breath and soft lips brushed against her ear. His voice was uncharacteristically low and deep.
“If only you hadn’t wavered, I would have kept my boundaries.”
Perhaps that’s why. What she would normally have ignored, Psyche couldn’t let this comment pass.
“…What do you mean by that?”
After a moment of silence, Helios turned her around. Their eyes met face to face. Helios, looking down at her as if measuring something, muttered softly.
“Your expression says you really don’t know.”
“…If you have something to say, say it properly.”
Helios appeared contemplative. His lips, usually carrying a faint smile, showed no trace of amusement. But the next moment, as if nothing had happened, his eyes curved and his usual playful voice emerged.
“Nothing much, just saying you’re pretty.”
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