I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 141

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 141

 

The Emperor standing on the platform looked down at me with a cold gaze.

 

“Elisia La Lombard, your crimes have been announced!”

 

“….”

 

“You have deceived the people by masquerading as sacred law and disrupted the Empire’s order by borrowing forbidden power. However, since God knows all truth, the sin of disguising faith with a soul stained by evil is—”

 

Long.

 

At first, I was curious about what he would say, so I listened for a moment.

 

But this was not much different from the Monastery Head’s sermons that were repeated during every assembly.

 

Already sleep-deprived, I began to feel drowsy.

 

What’s more, he seemed to be talking about heretical crimes at first, but later even the topic changed.

 

“You challenged the imperial authority of me, the son of the sun, and dared to covet power you should not desire…!”

 

At this, hushed murmurs could be heard among the people.

 

“Didn’t they say this was a heresy trial?”

 

“Of course. In the end, he’s just desperately trying to protect his own power.”

 

“I actually wish the Former Duchess had really coveted power.”

 

“Actually, me too. Is there a law saying only the northerners can monopolize a good leader? Good things should be shared by everyone.”

 

Even the people’s conclusions began to veer in increasingly strange directions.

 

In a direction that made the back of my neck stiff!!

 

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I interrupted.

 

“Your Majesty, I have never coveted power.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Let me speak honestly. I want to play around. I want to roll around in bed from morning to night. I want a life where I just lie comfortably and do breathing exercises. I hate using my brain too. Regardless of how smart I am, my head hurts just looking at trashy documents.”

 

People’s eyes widened as if they would burst at my honest and straightforward answer.

 

Even the soldiers surrounding the plaza were rolling their eyes inside their helmets, wondering if this was right.

 

But I was confident.

 

“Social activities? Meeting people? I hate all of it. I like being alone. I just wish you’d leave me alone. Oh, except for Edwin and Nero. Nero is my lovely cat.”

 

“…Ugh.”

 

“Oh, wait! I’ll exclude Berry, my servant, too.”

 

Since Berry, who had been by my side, hung her head weakly, I hurriedly included one more person.

 

It seemed ruined from here already.

 

Even a runaway carriage with a drunk coachman and horses would be better than this.

 

The Emperor, who had been blinking blankly at my spectacular reckless driving(?), belatedly retorted.

 

“Then why did you challenge my authority?! What was your reason for colluding with the Holy Ministers and disrupting the Empire’s order and agitating the people?!”

 

“Because I couldn’t just stand by and watch this damn mess!”

 

“Wh-what did you just say?!”

 

“No matter what you do, you should do it in moderation so I can pretend not to see and keep my mouth shut. You’ve gnawed away at every part of Baldin like rats, leaving not a single healthy place, and the people’s tears of blood form rivers and seas—how could I pretend not to see this?!”

 

I was the one who was truly frustrated.

 

I should say what I need to say while I have the chance.

 

“I may love my bed, but I’m not a cold-blooded person who doesn’t know human duty. When people are suffering right before my eyes, I don’t have the kind of personality that can ignore it!”

 

“Th-this…!”

 

“In the first place, wasn’t it Your Majesty who forcibly dragged me to the Imperial Capital when I wanted to stay holed up in Lombard? You show a legendary trash house to someone with cleanliness obsession and then ask why they cleaned it up?!”

 

The Emperor staggered while clutching the back of his neck, but my words didn’t end there.

 

I had a tremendous amount built up.

 

I was listing the Emperor’s numerous corruptions that everyone now knew about through the flyers, when the Emperor shouted and cut me off.

 

“How dare you, won’t you shut up?!”

 

“Why should I shut up? You falsely accused me of coveting power, so I’m just explaining my grievances. What’s the problem?”

 

Once my mouth opened, the words I wanted to say flowed out smoothly.

 

“Isn’t a heresy trial supposed to be a trial? If this was meant to end with Your Majesty simply declaring me a heretic without even giving the defendant a chance to explain, what’s the reason for staging this farce in the plaza?”

 

“Are you done talking now?!”

 

“Do you think this is all I have to say?! No, wait.”

 

I talked too much and my voice cracked.

 

I had words piled up like mountains, I could even compose them into poetry and sing them with lute accompaniment…!

 

Unfortunately, my fragile vocal cords were one step away from declaring a strike.

 

After clearing my throat with a cough, I made my final statement.

 

“Drawing stripes on a horse doesn’t make it a zebra, and just having the form doesn’t make this place a legitimate trial. If you don’t want to become a sinner before God’s name, release me right now!”

 

“Right!”

 

“Tell us what’s wrong with the Former Duchess’s words!”

 

The people, who had been blinking blankly at my relentless harsh words, began sending enthusiastic cheers at some point.

 

‘Hmm, this atmosphere… I’m getting déjà vu.’

 

I had felt this kind of cheering when I crossed the tournament finals.

 

While speaking my mind to the Emperor, I also intended to shake off the people’s foolish expectations, but instead the atmosphere heated up even more.

 

“A straightforward Emperor doesn’t seem bad either, right?”

 

“I like it much better too. A hundred times better than a hypocrite putting on airs.”

 

“Listening to every word really cleared my chest!”

 

Ah, shit…

 

I just decided that once this is over, I’ll flee to the north without looking back.

 

It was right then.

 

Stefan, who had been blinking irregularly as if having convulsions while I was speaking, whispered to me.

 

“Our allies are hiding among the crowd just in case. They say Lord is already here too.”

 

“Was that blinking just now military code?”

 

“Yes, but it would be better if you don’t look around.”

 

“Because we might get caught. I understand.”

 

It was good until I spoke my mind to the Emperor, but my innate small citizen mentality was belatedly kicking in, making me feel a little scared.

 

But Gareth’s words just now made even my last remaining worry disappear completely.

 

Was he annoyed by me standing confidently amid the people’s enthusiastic applause?

 

The Emperor, grinding his teeth, shouted.

 

“There would be no end to words.”

 

“Oh, you’re not denying that you were overwhelmed by my eloquence?”

 

“Then I shall prove with the sacred power of God that you have committed the sin of heresy!”

 

The Emperor, who ignored my words by pretending not to hear them, raised his hand.

 

“Messengers of God! Perform the purification ritual on this impure woman!!”

 

From behind the platform where he stood, three cardinals wearing golden robes walked forward.

 

Even if they hadn’t heard the information in advance like I had, the black cassocks under their robes and the long rosaries hanging down allowed people to guess their true identities.

 

“My goodness, what is that?!”

 

People froze in surprise at the sight they were seeing for the first time.

 

When the priests gripped their rosaries and recited prayers, golden power enveloped their bodies.

 

I was equally shocked.

 

‘Has the Emperor gone mad? Bringing out the cardinals so openly like this?!’

 

It’s not like I didn’t have other options.

 

When I first faced heresy charges, I could have asked the Cardinals of the Holy Capital for help, and they actually said they would gladly step forward.

 

But I refused. There were two reasons.

 

First, I didn’t want to drag them, as outsiders, into the Empire’s political problems.

 

I didn’t want to set a precedent of solving internal imperial problems by borrowing external power.

 

Second, the moment the Holy Ministers, who were the highest authorities of the Holy Capital, got involved, the matter would inevitably turn into a diplomatic issue.

 

If we had friction with the Holy Capital, other religious nations would also turn their backs on the Empire, which would inevitably deal a significant blow to our already crumbling diplomacy.

 

Yet the Emperor completely disregarded this and boldly revealed that he had bribed the cardinals of the Holy Capital.

 

This was truly a matter that could escalate into a diplomatic dispute.

 

‘Oh, my head…’

 

The Emperor seemed determined to just smash diplomacy to pieces.

 

I could almost hear the anguished cries of diplomats from somewhere.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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