That’s Not What Kissing Means! - Chapter 118

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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That’s not what kissing means!
Episode 118

The Emperor sat in his bedroom, a rare smile gracing his lips.
He gazed upon a small frame resting on the table.
A gently rendered smile, kind eyes, and resolute lips.
A face unchanged by the passage of time—only his own visage bore the wrinkles of the years.
The Emperor caressed the frame and spoke.
“My Empress, you remain as beautiful as ever.”
A faint smile played across his lips.
“They say she returns soon. That child who bears your likeness so perfectly.”
Today was the day the Empire’s Princess Rosina, who had been studying abroad, would return home.
“She inherited your brilliance. Her eyes shine whenever we discuss matters of learning.”
Then his smile gradually faded.
“How I wish you could have seen her grow.”
His voice carried profound melancholy.
“She is like witnessing your youth anew. That child is the gift you left behind.”
Even now, his longing for the Empress remained acute.
He yearned for her endlessly, wishing to see her once more.
Then, a servant’s voice echoed from beyond the bedroom door.
“Your Majesty, Duke Ashford has come to call.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened at this unexpected visitor.
“What brings him here?”
The servant, having received permission, opened the door and entered.
“He says he has urgent matters to discuss with you, Your Majesty. He asked that I relay his message with haste.”
To the Emperor’s knowledge, Duke Ashford had never been fond of visiting the Imperial Palace.
He came only reluctantly when summoned.
Moreover, he was not the sort to arrive unannounced without prior notice.
“Now that I think of it, I have heard nothing of his circumstances since sending him to the Holy Kingdom.”
Could it be related to the prophecy of Goddess Yulia?
The Emperor rose from his seat.

* * *

Theo and I waited for the Emperor in the Imperial Palace’s Reception Room.
With the thought that I would soon need to reveal the truth, my face grew tense with worry.
“He will be quite shocked, won’t he?”
“It will be a shock. Everything he has believed in will crumble in an instant.”
Theo spoke in a steady voice.
“But we must reveal the truth. For the sake of the Empire.”
Soon after, a Servant announced the Emperor’s arrival.
We rose from our seats and offered our respects according to Royal Court protocol.
The Emperor sat in the seat of honor and smiled benevolently. Yet his gaunt face was shadowed with darkness—far worse than before.
“It has been a long time. You both must have endured much hardship in the Holy Kingdom.”
“We are currently at Ashford Estate, not the Holy Kingdom.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The Emperor’s gaze fixed on Theo, his eyes questioning why they had moved without notice despite his imperial decree to go to the Holy Kingdom.
“Once we learned the truth, we could not remain there.”
“The truth? Has something happened to the Sacred Artifacts?”
“It is not the Sacred Artifacts—it is a matter concerning the Grand Cleric.”
….
The moment Theo mentioned the Grand Cleric, the Emperor fell silent.
His eyes betrayed anxiety—as if he feared Theo had discovered the nature of his relationship with the Grand Cleric.
Theo met his gaze directly.
“Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to bring before you. But first, please observe this.”
The Duke withdrew a glass rod from his robes.
“What is that?”
“A magical device developed by House Ashford. It records images.”
“Without reporting it to the Royal Court?”
“That is how it came to be. Please watch the recording.”
Theo displayed the immortality ritual we had recorded, showing not a trace of apology on his face.
The footage continued—people kindling flames while their souls were stripped away, the Grand Cleric performing dark sorcery, even Calimedes’ reaction.
Witnessing the grotesque scene, the Emperor’s brow furrowed.
“Is that truly the Grand Cleric…?”
Over the peaceful face I had always known, madness and fervor now overlaid themselves.
As the Emperor heard their conversation flowing from the recording device, his face drained of color in shock.
Theo continued his explanation.
“They are summoning the God of Death for the sake of eternal life. The mysterious fires that have plagued the Empire all this time—they are the Grand Cleric’s doing.”
“…That cannot be true of the Grand Cleric.”
“I anticipated you would say so. Your Majesty places great trust in the Grand Cleric, do you not? Because of the calming tea you drink every day.”
“…!”
The Emperor stared at me with a look of great shock.
“That tea is made from Sarun flowers—a poison the Grand Cleric has tamed with his own blood. The longer you consume it, the more blindly you follow the Grand Cleric.”
“Mind your words! I am the Emperor of this Empire!”
He cried out as if his pride had been wounded. But Theo continued without hesitation.
“That’s not all. The Grand Cleric has been using hallucinogenic herbs on the continent’s most powerful figures. For instance….”
A sharp violet gaze pierced through the Emperor.
“He creates the illusion of meeting the dead.”
The moment those words fell, the Emperor’s face turned deathly pale.
All movement ceased. He could not speak.
Theo broke the silence.
“Just as with the Empress.”
“….”
The Emperor’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly. The shock seemed to rob him of breath itself.
The Emperor remembered his reunion with the Empress vividly.
Her gentle voice, the soft touch of her hands embracing him, the warmth of her presence….
It could not have been false.
“B-bring me tea… calming tea.”
The Emperor barely managed to command the Servant.
In that moment, Evelyn stepped forward to stop him.
“You cannot. As I mentioned before, that tea contains brainwashing that clouds the mind and creates dependence on the Grand Cleric.”
She produced the documents she had brought and laid them on the Table.
“This is the proof.”
Transaction records with Oben, lists of powerful figures who performed “miracles”—she showed him everything.
Soon after, the recording crystal released the testimonies of the Senior Priests.
“….”
When the countless pieces of evidence and testimony ended, the Reception Room fell silent.
The Emperor breathed heavily. As if the shock had strained his heart, he clutched his chest.
A Servant rushed forward to examine him, but the Emperor pushed him away.
Theo ordered the Servant to summon the Imperial Physician.
Then, a faint voice escaped between the Emperor’s teeth.
“…It’s a lie.”
A weak, aged voice came again.
“That day, I certainly met the Empress. It was undeniable truth.”
Theo spoke in a flat tone.
“It was a hallucination.”
“That, that can’t be… it was real!”
“Your Majesty.”
Theo’s unwavering gaze seemed to pierce through him. His rigid stare, urging him to face the truth, was unbearable.
“It was merely a phantom exploiting your longing.”
“Please, stop…!”
It’s all lies… everything is a lie….
The brainwashing planted by the Grand Cleric and the miracle he had believed was his last hope shattered his mind into chaos.
As excruciating pain and sorrow crashed over him, tears streamed down his face.
“Ugh, uhhh….”
The Emperor gripped his head, grinding his teeth as if barely able to endure the weight of his anguish.
Evelyn regarded him with sorrowful eyes before speaking.
“Your Majesty the Empress will always be by Your Majesty’s side.”
“The Empress… my Empress….”
Theo spoke at last.
“Do not linger in the past any longer. It is time to look forward.”
“….”
“I do not ask you to forget your memories. I ask that you move forward together with them.”
These words came from hard-won experience.
In that moment, the Reception Room door burst open.
“Where does it hurt!”
At the clear, piercing cry, all eyes turned toward the entrance.
The Princess, her face etched with deep concern, rushed to the Emperor’s side.
“I encountered the Imperial Physician on the way. When I learned you were unwell, I hurried here.”
She embraced her father.
“Are you all right?”
“….”
The Emperor quietly felt the warmth of his daughter’s embrace.
After a moment, his hand rose very slowly. Then he gently stroked the Princess’s back—the most precious gift the Empress had left behind.
It was the heart of a father unwilling to burden his child with worry.
Evelyn observed them before speaking.
“Your Majesty, what you must see is the future of the Empire.”
The Emperor’s fingertips trembled. He understood at once whom Evelyn meant by that future.
Soon after, the Emperor shook his head.
“I will not….”
He held the Princess closer.
“believe your words.”
A heavy silence descended upon the Reception Room once more.

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