Toxin

The Black Martial Emperor spread my legs apart as if I were being executed with thousand cuts, as he sat me on his thighs. His gaze remained fixed on the hole brimming with semen as he thrust his member deep inside. The penetration was alarmingly intense. I clawed at his hair, pushed against his ironclad shoulders, and dug my nails into his skin, desperately resisting.

His royal robe became disheveled during the struggle. Just as I caught a glimpse of white cloth beneath the parted robe, his short and forceful thrust made my vision blur. My wet hair flung through the air, clinging to my body. His sharp and relentless thrusts hit the mark with fierce precision, sending waves of pleasure through me. My own member dribbled semen from the overwhelming stimulation, causing my hips to twist. As I clung onto whatever I could, the draped curtain over the door was torn apart.

“Ugh…! Ha… Ahh…!”

I let out a moan so horrifying I wanted to rip my own ears off. Tears streamed endlessly into my mouth. The tremors rising from below echoed in my head. The crimson curtains swayed like pools of blood, while the lamplight flickered, mocking me in white. The space, filled with the sounds of moans and flesh colliding, was as dreamlike as it had been that first day.

If we were bound by chains that could never be broken, if those chains had to burn into ashes before this ended, I wouldn’t stop either. I had nothing left—reduced to a primitive state—and this room was the perfect place for our graves.

I bit my lip until it bled. Hurry up and die. Please… His member struck as though trying to swallow his testicles whole, and I tensed my inner walls, gripping him tightly. He cursed under his breath.

“Hah… Ha…!”

“Hah… Ah… Ugh…!”

He lost control, thrusting his hips wildly. His fingers dug into my hair, yanking it back, and his tongue reached deep into my throat, wrapping around every bit of flesh. His crazed gaze bore down on me. I flicked my tongue, covered in his semen. His lower body thrashed inside me like a starving beast. His face, twisted with a mixture of murderous intent and ecstasy, was no longer calm like before. His long, unnervingly thick member penetrated as far as it could go. The orgasm exploded inside me, tearing my insides apart. My vision went white, and every muscle in my body seized up. Even as I was impaled, my body continued to tremble. His ragged breath and the slapping of flesh drowned out my thoughts.

***

I blinked slowly, like a fish struggling for air. The bedding had been pushed off the bed from our violent intercourse, and the surrounding area was in chaos. The Black Martial Emperor bandaged me carefully and then placed a smoking pipe between his lips. He inhaled deeply, looking down at me as I lay there, naked. Semen dripped from the ravaged hole, and both my front and back were slick with saliva from an unknown source. His gaze lingered on my buttocks, which were soaked with his fluids, before moving up to my chest, now wrapped in bandages.

The Black Martial Emperor, despite the stains of saliva on his clothes and the slight dishevelment of his attire, appeared otherwise disturbingly clean. Amid the chaos, he alone seemed out of place. It had been nearly three months since we started mixing our bodies together, and yet there were no outward signs of change in me other than the initial numbness. His theory that my mixed blood would slow things down seemed to have proven correct. Still, this was too much—wasn’t it unreasonable for him to remain so unaffected? Couldn’t he show at least a hint that he was human? If only he would, it would let me breathe… Please…

The wounds felt as if they were being continuously stabbed with a knife. The unbearable itching made me scratch the wound on my chest hard. Even though I scratched enough to fray the bandage, the itch wouldn’t go away. At that moment, a large hand swiftly grabbed my wrist. His voice, sharp like a blade, sliced through the air.

“If you don’t want your wrist cut off, stop.”

I yanked my captured hand away furiously. The itch was maddening. I had to scratch it. Just as my hand was about to reach my chest, he grabbed me again. As my body jerked in response, the wound screamed in agony. I curled up as much as I could. The Black Martial Emperor hesitated for a moment, his rough breathing falling upon my hair. It was then that a woman’s shadow appeared beyond the platinum-embroidered door.

“Your Majesty, the meat for the child’s meal has been prepared.”

The Black Martial Emperor strode to the door, his pipe still in his mouth. He cracked the door open just enough for a sliver of light to pass through. The maid with her braided hair and the older woman holding a food tray both froze in place. The Black Martial Emperor leaned against the doorframe, blocking their view entirely. His head dipped slightly, and he muttered in a low voice.

“I told you, I don’t eat cooked food.”

The older woman bowed her head deeply as she handed over the tray.

“Ah, it’s not cooked. It’s finely minced raw meat. The child’s stomach is in such poor condition that it can’t handle solid food yet… If you feed it slowly, it should be fine. And here is a tonic to help with digestion. It should be taken right before or after the meal.”

The Black Martial Emperor took the items from her hands. Both the giver and receiver seemed familiar with this routine. He shut the door and walked back to the bed. On the hexagonal tray lay finely minced raw meat and a steaming bowl of medicinal broth. He tossed the pipe aside and wiped his hands clean with a damp cloth.

“It seems Raonhiljo kept you starving while feasting on your body. Your stomach is in tatters.”

He lifted me from where I lay dazed, resting my head against his shoulder as he picked up the raw meat with his bare hand and brought it to my lips. Blood dripped down from his large hand. The sight made me shudder, and nausea surged up, causing me to recoil. His hand instantly gripped my chin.

“Open your mouth.”

“…”

“I said, open.”

I clenched my teeth, refusing to let anything in. His fingers forcefully pried my lips apart, and the raw, blood-soaked meat was thrust toward my mouth. I struggled as much as I could, but in my weakened state, all I could do was twist my head. His arrogant face filled my vision.

“Have your tastes changed? If raw meat doesn’t suit you, I can bring you some female meat. I’ll mince it finely, so pick whatever you want.”

The Black Martial Emperor cast a brief glance at the maid reflected in the door. I stared blankly into space. He pressed both sides of my jaw hard, forcing my mouth open. I wriggled away from his reach, crawling out of his grip. His lifeless member dangled as dried semen clung to my bare skin like melted wax. The burning pain in my wounded flesh caused my arms to lose their balance, and I slumped forward. Before I hit the floor, his hand grabbed my waist, and the hard muscles of his chest convulsed violently as though grinding his teeth. His hand slid behind my neck, tilting my head back so we locked eyes. His gaze was sharp, fixated on my sealed lips. His long, slit-like eyes twitched.

“What do you think you’re doing now?”

I looked at him with eyes devoid of any emotion. My mother once said there was no torture more agonizing than when I shut my mouth. Orumun and Raonhiljo both couldn’t bear it when I remained silent. If I couldn’t break down an impenetrable iron wall with force, and if no words of curse could put a crack in that arrogance, then at the very least, I wanted to bleed him dry like this until the uncertain day of judgment.

***

The Black Martial Emperor persistently tried to shove food and medicine into my mouth. I refused to accept anything. When the wound opened and started bleeding, he temporarily held off on his mission. The room was left in chaos after a storm of struggle. Scattered pieces of meat entered my blurred vision. Only then, after I calmed down, did I realize it was beef. Even so, I turned away in disgust, unable to bear the sight.

The consequences of the earlier outburst were harsh. The pain in my wounds was indescribable, and I had no strength to move even a finger. In the afternoon, Unsa came to visit with a royal physician. He said I had been unconscious for a full ten days. He also said that if the wound had been even a little deeper, I wouldn’t have survived. After the physician withdrew, Unsa, who was about to leave the room, turned back. His appearance, more gaunt than before, gave off an odd aura.

“I warned you not to drive him mad, didn’t I? But you people always have to experience the pain firsthand before you regret it.”

His eyes, fixed on me, were filled with annoyance and disdain. I said nothing, only stared up at the ceiling.

“On that day, I thought we’d have to replace the emperor. It’s troublesome since there’s no heir yet, right? When I arrived late, I found him miraculously alive. He probably got caught on some protruding rock or branch, slowing his fall. He’s had a few close calls before, you know. Even on the way here, the expression on His Majesty’s face was priceless…”

It was too noisy. I didn’t want to listen. I closed my eyes, cutting off Unsa’s words. Then came the sound of the door sliding, followed by his indifferent voice.

“A spy staying in the emperor’s chamber instead of a prison cell. Should I call that a stroke of fortune or a curse for you…?”

After Unsa left, I opened my eyes. My arm, sprawled on the floor, came into view. I had no memory of what happened after falling from the cliff. Neither the Black Martial Emperor nor I should have been able to survive such a fall. Yet here I was, with no injuries other than the bullet wound. There were no broken bones or even minor scratches. After staring at my clean arm for a while, I shifted my gaze. A sketchbook propped under a cabinet caught my eye, and I staggered toward it. Sharp pain flared up from the wound. I wiped away the cold sweat and lifted the sketchbook. It was the portrait I still hadn’t finished. Beside it were spare paper and paints, as well as the brush he had given me. As I blankly stared at the brown-handled brush, I heard a woman coughing outside.

“May we come in?”

Shortly after, the door slid open quietly, and a middle-aged court lady entered with three pale-skinned maids. The court lady surveyed the messy room and spoke sternly.

“This time, carry out your duties perfectly without a single mistake. If you make another blunder like last time, I won’t forgive it.”

“Yes, Mama.”

The maids, looking tense, moved busily to their stations. One began placing the scattered pipe and ceramics back in their places, while another tidied the disordered books. Something about their actions caught my attention. The maid who placed the ceramics on the cabinet set them off-center, not in the middle. The one stacking the books did so unevenly, and the pipe was laid half-hanging over the edge of the bedding. Their strange behavior seemed far from the ‘perfection’ the court lady had demanded. At that moment, a chubby maid began tidying the cabinet near me. Blushing at the sight of my bare upper body, she babbled without being asked.

“His Majesty has been so busy catching up on state affairs that he hasn’t had a proper rest. There’s a line of tasks stretching outside the city gates, and he hasn’t had time to visit the bedchamber.”

She cast a glance at me out of the corner of her eye.

“If it’s hard for you to lie down on your own, should I help you? Moving around like this will only make your wound worse. Please, for our sake at least…”

Fear flickered in her black eyes. Since entering this room, I may have already been shackled with unbreakable chains. I felt suffocated, desperate to escape through that door. But I was tired of bloodshed. I looked at her calmly and spoke.

“I’ll lie down soon. No one will get hurt… so don’t worry.”

Forcing a smile, the maid continued her duties. She straightened the paper near my feet, placed charcoal on it, and neatly arranged two brushes. I furrowed my brow, panting, and struggled to pull the sketchbook closer. The maid glanced at me and asked, “Are you seriously going to draw in your condition?” Getting no reply, she returned the sketchbook to its place. I pulled it toward me again, letting the brush fall to the floor. Her expression sharpened, but she stubbornly continued organizing the art supplies, placing them back exactly as they had been.

Once they left, I was alone. As I looked around the room, my mind went blank. The rumpled bedding, the haphazardly placed pipe and books, and the slightly off-center

… The room looked exactly as it did when I first arrived here. A carefully maintained disorder, where everything seemed out of place yet strangely organized. I stared blankly at the neatly arranged sketchbook and art materials. It was something I hadn’t even realized until now.

At some point, I too had become part of his order.

***

I sat in front of the blank paper for a long time before finally gripping the charcoal. My hand lost its way across the page. Despite my burning desire to draw, no thoughts came to mind. Pressing my cheek against the floor, I closed my eyes. The cool surface soothed the heat of my skin. No… no… The Black Martial Emperor’s words were nonsense. He must have crossed over to the continent. He would settle there, build a new home, and… rebuild the family that had been taken from him… He had to. The reason I hadn’t been completely swallowed by despair was not because of my shaky faith in an uncertain god but because I had a greater belief in Raonhiljo.

Even though he had spoken many words to me during our time together, only a few came to mind. His smiles faded into whiteness. The only things that remained vivid were his cries and the hand he had extended toward me. Reaching out, I tried to grasp the mirage. But my hand closed around nothing but air.

***

I dreamed. Flames consumed everything, and the sky was covered in thick black clouds. I ran madly through the village reduced to ashes, through the stench of blood. On an endless bridge, he stood. Below the distant cliff, a monstrous fire opened its jaws. The ground beneath me crumbled. Hanging from the broken bridge, he reached out his hand. No…! No…!! My scream, drenched in blood, refused to form a sound. The raging flames swallowed him whole, and I screamed again, trapped in an unending nightmare.

“Hah… Hah…”

It felt as though my raw flesh was being plunged into boiling water. My entire body felt bound, as if both body and mind were shackled in iron chains. A fear, akin to sleep paralysis, crawled down my spine. Instinctively, I twisted my body. Suddenly, something cool touched my cheek, and a damp piece of flesh pressed deeply against the nape of my neck. It wrapped softly around my shoulder. My bleary eyes lifted. He was standing behind the faintly glowing oil lamp, looking down at me. Propped on his elbow, he used his other hand to gently stroke the tip of my nipple. His warmth touched my thigh through the fabric of my clothing.

All memory of what happened after I fell from the cliff was gone. Surviving such a fall should have been impossible. Yet, apart from a bullet wound, my body had no fractures—no even scratches. As if… I had been encased in a strong protective barrier…

Night reveals more than the day—showing even things we’d rather not see. His shoulders and chest, now exposed from his dragon robe, were flayed as if scrubbed raw with sandpaper. His collarbones and forearms were riddled with wounds gouged out by something blunt. His broad chest, arms, and waist—there wasn’t a single place not wrapped in bandages. The blood that soaked the bandages was so dark, it was overwhelming, as if hinting at the dreadful wounds beneath them.

The flame that seared my soul retreated, only to be replaced by a bone-chilling cold. My body shuddered so violently my teeth almost shattered. His pupils trembled intensely. He sat up and embraced me. It felt as though someone was stabbing me relentlessly with something sharp. As I curled up in pain, he quickly pulled away, staring at me with a stern expression.

“Haa… haa…”

The only sound in the damp air was my labored breathing. My sweat-soaked hair clung to my lips and neck. He gently brushed my hair aside and covered my lips with his. His moist tongue entered, languidly stroking every tender part inside my mouth. He licked my chin and lips deeply before pulling away. His broad shoulders tilted slightly, the dim lamplight softening his harsh features. He traced my lips with his fingers, his voice like a murmur submerged in water.

“Just endure it until today. I swear, no matter what happens tomorrow, I won’t let you be in pain.”

Tears that had welled up began to spill. They flowed down my cheeks, past my temples, and onto my earlobes. His gaze followed the path of my tears, but he did nothing to wipe them away. Whenever I looked at him, it felt as though I was drowning in a deep, black sea. Everything was slow, suffocating. His downcast eyes slowly lifted, penetrating deeply into me. His gaze, stripped of armor, was filled with countless unsaid words. His dark pupils reflected a rapid descent into corruption and madness. They were pools of shadowy solitude, an abyss of overwhelming sensuality, and a primal thirst in its rawest form.

…There was an unbearable, suffocating longing.

The sensation of body heat wrapping around me, along with the sound of someone else’s breath scattering over the crown of my head, woke me. The faint flicker of the oil lamp came into view through drowsy eyes after what felt like a refreshing sleep. As the presence of iron-hard muscles pulsing against my lower half became clear, my mind snapped awake. I pulled my cheek away from where it rested on his neck. Sure enough, the Black Martial Emperor lay there, and we were both completely unclothed. I bit down on my tongue. Again. Once more, I had fallen asleep against my will. Each time I woke from this deep slumber, an uncontrollable wave of fury and shame washed over me. I couldn’t understand it. Even when I was with Raonhiljo… Swallowing down the sharp sting in my throat, I fought the thought.

The idea of waking up like this and locking eyes with him was something I desperately wanted to avoid. I broke into a sweat, trying not to disturb him. Unintentionally, my face drew near the Black Martial Emperor’s lips. Drawn in by the breath spreading across my cheek, I unconsciously stared at him. The first thing I saw was his sharply defined nose. His hair, as if brushed with a single stroke, framed his face, with thick eyebrows and slightly full lips, neatly composed. Yet beneath those lips, hidden like a cruel blade, lay a tongue more brutal than an axe. Beneath his tightly closed eyelids, black jewels of both chilling coldness and scorching heat were concealed. Like that night…

Something caught my fingers, and I lowered my gaze. It was the scars that adorned his torso. I quietly lifted my awkwardly placed hand. Just as I was about to touch one of the deep wounds, my hand recoiled as if thrown into ice water. My heart trembled faintly. I pulled my chest away from his, hoping he wouldn’t feel the small tremors. As I placed my hands on the floor to try and lift myself up, a large hand wrapped around my waist, gently stroking up and down. His eyelids slowly lifted. His still sleepy, unfocused eyes found me.

“Awake?”

The Black Martial Emperor immediately pressed his lips to mine, savoring the soft tissue inside. He pushed down on my awkwardly raised hips, and the half-hard length of him pierced into me, pushing out the semen stored inside. Wait…! Wait…! Just waking up and…! I bit down on my lips to suppress the sound that almost escaped. Maybe because of the bullet wound, he paused briefly, then slowly pushed in, his hips rhythmically moving. As the weapon inside me relentlessly stirred awake the remnants of half-asleep pleasure, I swallowed the moan rising up to my throat. The air quickly heated. The Black Martial Emperor pulled halfway out and began slowly rotating his hips. Lowering his gaze, he fixed on where his member slid in and out. Heat rushed all the way to my head. The sensual rhythm that scraped against my inner walls finally forced a sound from me.

“Hngh… ugh… ha…! Haah…!”

“Haa…”

As if my voice had triggered something, his breath turned ragged, and he thrust up and down with force. My hair fell onto his chest. Underneath the disheveled bandages, his torn wounds seemed to glare at me. I glared back just as coldly. A murderous demon… a murderous demon, untouched even by the gods… Wet, obscene sounds and sharp sensations reverberated through my body, and I felt like I would faint from the unrelenting lust crashing over me. Please stop… I twisted my body in a strong rejection. At the moment his relentless thrusts reached their peak, hot liquid exploded inside me multiple times.

Haa… The Black Martial Emperor bit into my lips and neck, savoring the lingering feeling of climax. Lately, he had been attacking like a starved beast. It felt as though his member spent more time inside me than outside. He pulled me up, expertly changing my loosened bandages. As he tied the knot, he cast a cold glance at my wet, swollen lower half.

“Now that it’s had its fill, it’s time for the upper hole.”

***

“Open.”

I lowered my eyes, clearly expressing my refusal. This had become a ritual I had to endure every time I woke up. A round before he went to attend his duties, a quick round when he returned at midday, and then another when he finished his work for the day, until he finally went to sleep. There had been a day when he forced food into my mouth while he was busy filling my lower half with something else. I hadn’t eaten anything for four days now. I had continued my silent protest. With my energy completely drained from the lack of food, I was still recovering quickly, thanks to a rare medicine I had never even heard of before.

The Black Martial Emperor held my head in place and stuffed finely chopped meat into my mouth. As his fingers and the raw meat pushed to the back of my throat, I gagged. I flailed my hand to push him away. Coughing violently, I spat out the meat and scrambled off the bed. His hand shot out, grabbing my ankle. He pinned me down with his upper body.

“You’re a strange one. You take anything just fine with your lower hole, but you refuse to open your upper one.”

His eyes twitched slightly, his gaze filling with cold, murderous intent.

“Speak.”

“……”

“Speak. Not just moans, real words.”

The Black Martial Emperor’s fingers pried open my lips, grazing my tongue with a sharp sensation.

“Let me hear your voice.”

His voice, hoarse and ragged, scattered at my lips. It was I who hadn’t had a drop of water, but the one who looked parched was him. He roughly threw me down onto the bed. Sensing the danger, I tried to spring up immediately, but his powerful grip held me back.

“There’s a method, you know. For dealing with the walking dead or those who refuse to eat. I thought it was quite clever, but I didn’t expect to use it like this.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his thigh forcefully spread my legs apart. At the same time, he yanked down my pants and grabbed my hips, pulling them open.

“After all, there’s not just one hole.”

Holding my entrance open with his fingers, he grabbed a piece of meat with the other hand. The revulsion was more instinctual than rational. This bastard…! With all my strength, I managed to break free. The sudden movement made my head spin, and my wounds throbbed sharply. I bolted for the door, pulling it open with trembling hands. My trousers, caught around my thighs, nearly caused me to collapse, but he swiftly caught me from behind. We tumbled to the floor together in a heap.

The crash echoed through the room.

“Kyahhh…!”

Outside, the Grand Chamberlain and the palace maids shrieked in alarm. Unfazed, the Black Martial Emperor pinned me down and forced my mouth open. The only thing I could do was writhe like a worm under the overwhelming pressure. His fingers and the raw meat invaded my mouth. No… no…! Shaking my head furiously, I bit down on his fingers with every ounce of strength I had, as if to tear them off. A sharp sound echoed in my mouth, and I spat his fingers out, managing to escape his grasp once more.

He hesitated for only a moment. Then, with a fierce pull, he yanked my ankle back, nearly wrenching it from its socket. I grabbed the nearest cabinet handle, clinging for dear life. The palace maids screamed in panic. A decorative vase toppled from its perch on the shelf and came crashing down toward me. I shut my eyes tightly. The shattering sound rang out, but the impact never reached me. When I opened my eyes, I froze in shock.

The Black Martial Emperor was shielding me from the falling debris. There was no time to process his unexpected action. Fragments of the broken vase tumbled from his shoulders and head. And then I saw it. A thin line of blood trickled down from his forehead to his temple.

“A…ah…”

A small gasp escaped me. The palace maids were horrified, and the guards who had rushed in after hearing the commotion stared with wide eyes. The Grand Chamberlain trembled so violently that even his double chin quivered.

“You… you monstrous wretch…! As if it weren’t enough that you’ve spied on His Majesty, now you commit this heinous act…!! Oh, Your Majesty…! Our Emperor has been bitten by this demon! He’s injured because of this traitor’s wicked schemes! What are you all doing?! Go fetch the royal physician immediately!!”

“Y-yes, right away!”

One of the maids dashed off in a hurry. The Black Martial Emperor didn’t bother to wipe the blood from his forehead as he pulled my pants back up. His gaze, full of quiet fury, pierced me.

“How did my fingers taste?”

Ha… ha… My breath came in ragged gasps as I avoided his eyes. I tried to rise, but he firmly pressed down on my shoulder.

“Don’t move.”

He held my gaze as he turned his head slightly.

“Clean this up.”

“Y-yes… yes, Your Majesty…!”

The palace maids, who had been in a daze, scrambled to clean up the shattered pieces of the vase. The Black Martial Emperor kept his hand on my shoulder as he stared at me intently. I couldn’t move, pinned under his piercing gaze like a bug on a needle. Something hard pressed against my thigh, growing firmer by the second. I bit my lip and lowered my gaze. Every time I faced this man in such battles, it felt like he could break my neck at any moment. And yet, since our return to the palace, his actions had been bewildering.

It was as if he were constantly trying to show me something—forcing me to understand him. Like a chaotic, multi-colored painting, he seemed to be demanding that I grasp some meaning behind his strange actions. The sound of footsteps and the clattering of items grew more hurried as the maids cleaned up the mess. The Black Martial Emperor glanced at them briefly. His sharply chiseled profile filled my vision, and my eyes unconsciously drifted to the blood staining his forehead. The trickle ran down his temple and jawline, seemingly endless.

“If you were going to make that face, you shouldn’t have bared your claws in the first place.”

I reflexively turned my head at the sudden voice. Standing off to the side, watching the scene unfold, Unsa gave me a strange smile.

“If you’re so concerned, why don’t you clean it for him yourself?”

What…? What kind of expression was I making…? At Unsa’s words, the Black Martial Emperor turned his gaze toward me as well. My face was already frozen in place. Unsa shrugged casually.

“Oh dear, it seems I was too late, Your Majesty.”

The Black Martial Emperor’s elegant brow furrowed. With the room now cleared, he pulled me to my feet. As we headed inside, the Grand Chamberlain cautiously spoke up.

“Your Majesty. A delegation from the Sumil Kingdom has been waiting since morning regarding the public works matter. How should we proceed?”

“Tell them to wait.”

“But, Your Majesty~ regarding Hanaru Mountain, how do you plan to proceed? It seems that if you wish to construct a fortress of the desired scale, it will be necessary to…”

“We can’t move the mountain, so we’ll just have to destroy it.”

“……!!”

My head shot up in shock. I knew about the plans to build a fortress in Imae Village, but I never imagined they would touch Hanaru Mountain. The realization hit me like a blow. There was a time when even mourning my mother’s death was a luxury I couldn’t afford. And now…

The Black Martial Emperor gently guided my stunned self inside. He glanced around the chaotic room before turning back.

“I’ll be back shortly. We’ll continue what we were doing once I return.”

Without realizing it, I clutched at his robes. The Black Martial Emperor looked at my hand with an impassive expression. His gaze then slowly moved up to fixate on my lips, which were trembling as I struggled to speak.

“What do you intend to do with Hanaru Mountain?”

My voice was cracked from days of disuse. He coldly regarded my parted lips.

“I didn’t expect this useless mountain to make you open your mouth.”

“What will you do with the mountain…?”

“Didn’t you hear me say it’s a nuisance?”

“So… you plan to cut it down?”

“No. I’ll have it erased without a trace.”

“……!”

A wave of dizziness hit me all at once. No… no… I didn’t care what happened to Imae Village, but Hanaru Mountain was where my mother’s remains were buried. I wanted her spirit to rest in peace there.

“Please… don’t touch the mountain. That mountain is…!”

It’s where my mother is resting…! Don’t kill her a second time…! Blood surged up in anger. This moment of clinging to a murderer was filled with loathing. Born to someone who tramples others, I shouldn’t have expected to feel any defeat. But the truth was undeniable: the fate of Hanaru Mountain rested with this man. I closed my eyes tightly and then slowly lifted them.

“Would it be possible to build the fortress around the mountain? It doesn’t have to be destroyed…”

The Black Martial Emperor regarded me with interest.

“Throwing a tantrum, are we? The construction is already underway, and I will build it to the scale I want.”

“Then…!”

I clung desperately to his clothing, fearing any movement. My fingers trembled faintly.

“Then… I’ll go to Imae Village for a few days. I just need to… take care of something.”

“Why are you so obsessed with the mountain? Is there a treasure buried there or something?”

“… Yes. I buried something important. If it’s just for a few days… even one day…!”

I gripped his robes so tightly that my knuckles turned white. His gaze, once fixed on my hand, now met mine intensely.

“I told you. Do whatever you want.”

“… Are you serious?”

The easy consent left me stunned. But my relief was short-lived.

“Whether you want to run around naked or go out for some fresh air, it’s up to you. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He had even blocked the final escape route. My hand fell from his robes in despair. I had once fled from the room in unbearable frustration, only to find myself staring at the sky from the hallway. The result of that action was the brutal death of soldiers and palace maids. Among the bodies strewn across the floor was the maid who had first spoken to me. The Black Martial Emperor had said something similar on that day when he calmly cleaned his bloodied sword.

My breath grew ragged. I had to protect my mother’s remains. That was the only thing…! I jumped up and dashed for the door. Before I could take more than a few steps, he mercilessly grabbed me. I struggled fiercely, hitting his stubborn shoulder.

“L-let me go…! No…! Please let me go!! Ahhh…!”

The Black Martial Emperor threw me back onto the bedding. Almost immediately, cold shackles were clamped around my ankles. He rose, cutting off my view. No…!! I clung to him desperately, my chest tightening.

“No! Please… I’m begging you…”

Our breath mingled so closely that it almost collided. His eyes scanned my tear-streaked face. For a moment, the dark, shadowy crystals of his eyes seemed to waver. I clung desperately to that fleeting hope.

“No, please…”

Suddenly, his deep breath reverberated through his throat. His hand changed direction, grabbing my hair roughly. He bit and sucked on my cheeks and chin, his tongue sweeping violently through my mouth. In an instant, his brutal presence centered on me. His fierce breathing shattered around my lips.

“Haa… haa… Did you always cling to me and act coy like this?”

“Ugh… ahhh…!”

He gnawed at my lips, scraping my palate harshly. The stimulation was so strong it made my head throb. His sharp, cold eyes penetrated me.

“Right. From now on, just think about the Hanaru Mountain that will be erased. It’s best to forget about everything else.”