The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 152

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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 152】

When the Empress Dowager heard that her son was going to force through the royal wedding, she simply thought he had gone mad.

[Everything will return to where it originally belongs.]

Even when she heard those words, she merely considered them nonsense and didn’t take them seriously.

Displeased with the fact that her son was marrying Yuna, the Empress Dowager didn’t attend the wedding and waited in her room instead.

She was killing time by handling business in her son’s place.

“That thing killed someone?”

She heard disturbing news.

Still, when the fact that Yuna was a murderer was revealed, she just thought it was only natural.

‘That child was more than capable of such things.’

The news that Yuna had been detained wasn’t particularly important information to the Empress Dowager.

However, the news that the Emperor had changed brides at the wedding ceremony was shocking.

‘Has that fool finally crossed the line?’

“Tell me the details of what happened at the site.”

The Empress Dowager pressed the Head Maid of the Empress Dowager’s Palace.

The Head Maid of the Empress Dowager’s Palace, who was relatively free from the Emperor’s authority, conveyed the situation.

Naturally, when the Emperor suddenly brought up the Former Empress’s name, everyone stirred and panicked.

What he presented as evidence was a soul identification stone.

It was usually an item used by making a donation to the Temple when one wanted to determine paternity.

Nobles who had no illegitimate children generally didn’t even know of its existence, so they murmured among themselves.

[That item cannot serve as proof that I was the Former Empress.]

Rianel also objected, but the Emperor wouldn’t let Rianel go.

[Proof is unnecessary.]

Because you will become the Empress.

[This is an improper action.]

However, despite the Emperor’s claim, his forceful attitude made many nobles frown.

Asil also protested, but.

[How dare you covet what belongs to me, and you still call yourself a noble who has received the Empire’s grace?]

[Your Majesty seeks to take my fiancée.]

[How can the Princess be your fiancée when I haven’t approved it?]

The Emperor trampled the torn Marriage Proposal Letter underfoot and gestured to the Imperial Knights who were still standing.

[If anyone refuses to comply, you may use force.]

As it was a national event, there were many Imperial Knights stationed for security, and the attending nobles were in a disarmed state.

Asil could only watch Rianel being taken away while being held by the knights.

“So where is the Princess now?”

“At the… Imperial Palace…”

Rianel was confined to the Imperial Palace.

The reason was that the Empress should be at the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace, as well as the room where she was staying, were heavily guarded by Imperial Knights, making security very tight.

But even at this moment, the Empress Dowager was someone who could be an exception in this palace.

“I must go there.”

If she was going to wield power, it should be used for proper purposes.

“Will it be alright? It’s something His Majesty ordered…”

“Even so, we can’t keep the Princess imprisoned in the Imperial Palace, can we?”

The Empress Dowager walked quickly.

She hurriedly descended the stairs of the Empress Dowager’s Palace and headed toward where Rianel would be.

With each step, the scenery of the Imperial Palace flashed by. The Empress Dowager reviewed everything from the moment she entered this palace until now.

‘I haven’t lived my entire life righteously.’

But this choice, at least, she wouldn’t regret.

‘I’m going to help you, whom I couldn’t help in the past life.’

In front of the Imperial Palace she arrived at, knights were standing guard as she had heard. They couldn’t bring themselves to stop the Empress Dowager.

“Step aside.”

They hesitated, unable to lower their weapons or open the door.

After all, what the Imperial Knights prioritized was the Emperor, who held supreme command.

“Do you really want to see this old woman’s blood?”

However, the Empress Dowager was someone who held power equivalent to her son’s.

This was the result of her son dumping troublesome and responsibility-heavy matters onto his mother.

Eventually, they lowered their spear tips.

Thus, the Empress Dowager entered the Imperial Palace. Since no one interfered, she headed to the room where Rianel was.

“Open the door.”

Once a door was opened, it opened even more easily the second time.

The knights stepped aside, and the Empress Dowager grabbed the door handle herself.

The room she entered was quiet.

As soon as the Empress Dowager entered the room, she understood why.

Ah.

An exclamation naturally escaped her.

The maids were beside Rianel but were trembling while holding their breath.

Not knowing how to treat Rianel, they stood pressed against the wall.

Rianel was sitting on a chair with the hem of her skirt cut up to her ankles for easy movement.

“Have you come?”

Her clear gaze wasn’t that of someone forcibly imprisoned.

“I’m not the Prince you might be waiting for, but I’ve come to rescue you nonetheless.”

Soon, admiration turned into spreading laughter.

“But you’ve already prepared to escape, haven’t you?”

Below the shortened skirt, Rianel’s feet were visible. Her shoes were almost like flats with hardly any heels.

“I’ll help you return home. If you disguise yourself as a palace maid, you should be able to get out.”

“I’m grateful for your kindness, but I have something to do here.”

It was a statement filled with clear determination and strangely pleasant despite this chaos.

“You always have a plan.”

Being as clever as she was, she might have foreseen this chaos at the wedding.

Though curious about what that plan was and how realistic it might be, the Empress Dowager didn’t ask further and nodded.

“Then I won’t offer twice.”

You’ll handle things well on your own.

May we have divine protection.

* * *

The Imperial Knights were rough, and even more merciless toward prisoners.

“Agh!”

Yuna, thrown into the prison, rubbed her bottom while sniffling with tears.

Usually, people who only nodded like wooden dolls whenever they saw Yuna, she hadn’t realized it before, but being pushed into prison by them made her aware that they were knights.

The underground prison was a bleak space without a single window. The floor was cold, and there was no space to lie down. In a corner of the wall sat a bucket, crawling with maggots and excrement of unknown origin.

“Ugh.”

Having stayed only in her parents’ apartment in the original world and been revered as a Saint in good rooms here, the sanitary conditions were unbearable for Yuna.

What came out as a meal was just a piece of hard black bread.

Even that had mold growing on one corner, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was food or food waste.

‘I can’t stay in a place like this for even a day.’

Yuna grabbed the iron bars, shook them, and caused a commotion. Not satisfied with that, she threw the bread.

“How dare you lock me in a place like this? Do you know who I am? I’m the Empire’s only Saint and Empress,”

“Empress, my foot.”

When the commotion arose, a guard approached. He cut off her words mockingly and told her what had happened at the Imperial Palace.

“That, that woman is going to become Empress again?”

“That’s right. In other words, you’re completely cut off from all support.”

The guard spoke mockingly and then disappeared.

‘Is this really the end?’

Is waiting for death in this stinking prison my final fate?

Yuna trembled violently.

As her excitement subsided, reality came crashing down.

‘The Emperor will kill me.’

The secret that we killed the Empress together would disappear if he eliminated Yuna.

“I’m hungry….”

Yuna wrapped her arms around her stomach.

After all that screaming, she felt even more exhausted.

Yuna positioned herself as far from the bucket as possible and soon closed her eyes.

“….”

How long had she been asleep?

The sound of clanking was heard, followed by footsteps fading away.

“What, what is it?”

Yuna jumped up in surprise.

She wondered if the Emperor had sent someone to kill her, but that wasn’t it.

Yuna was alone, and the prison door was open.

‘Can I, can I leave?’

Yuna hesitated. The thought that this might be a trap crossed her mind.

However, her desire to get out of this prison moved her feet.

Yuna looked around cautiously and slowly stepped into the prison corridor.

The corridor was quiet, with all the guards having vanished without a trace.

She didn’t know who had opened the door for her, but Yuna decided to think positively.

‘Heaven is still on my side.’

Perhaps it wasn’t her time to die yet.

Yuna climbed the stairs, and the moment she escaped from the prison, she ran as if flying.

Breathing in the fresh air, Yuna recalled her next goal.

‘Let’s turn everything back.’

The meeting place the Pope had mentioned.

There would be the key to reversing everything.

Yuna arrived at the meeting place the Pope had mentioned—the lake next to the Temple.

As if heaven was helping Yuna to the very end, she was able to find what she needed without encountering anyone.

“Books?”

Inside were only a dagger and books that glowed faintly.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

Yuna examined the books from various angles before opening to the first page.

The method was written there.

-When blood from the heart of one main character is applied, the story begins again.

There were three main characters in this story.

Emperor Torbiyan, Duke Asil, Empress Ensilen.

‘Then the female protagonist won’t work.’

Since she had lost her original body.

Though it was a bit disappointing, Yuna decided to be satisfied with the current situation.

After all, she had obtained the method.

The fact that she had to kill someone again bothered her, but she figured it didn’t matter since everyone would forget once they went back.

‘Yes, let’s start over from the beginning.’

That would be enough.

While running toward where the Emperor would be with the books in hand, Yuna encountered Rianel.

She didn’t know why this woman was here, but.

“Get out of the way.”

There was no time to waste here.

“Is that the original?”

Words that should never come from the female protagonist’s mouth.

Yuna stopped dead in her tracks. She wanted to confirm if what she heard was real.

But Rianel delivered the finishing blow.

“With that, you could return to the starting point of the story.”

“How, how do you know that….”

“Why do you think only you saw the Pope’s note.”

We were the ones who searched the Temple first.

“Then, opening the prison door was also….”

“It was done by our side. We couldn’t know the exact location of the original.”

It was Logan who helped the Saint escape, but Rianel didn’t give her the precise information.

“Are you going to regress?”

“Don’t worry, I no longer have any intention of taking your place.”

Yuna poked with her finger where Rianel’s heart would likely be.

“You can become Empress again.”

Yuna had now completely lost interest in the pathetic male protagonist.

‘The real deal is the sub male protagonist Asil.’

A man faithful to only one woman.

She planned to live long in this world, receiving that man’s love.

‘It’s disappointing not to become Empress, but well, being a Duchess isn’t bad either, right?’

“It’s good for you too. Isn’t it?”

“It appears to be a truly unrealistic plan with slim chances of success.”

Rianel smiled.

“The fundamental cause of villains committing crimes is their desire for shortcuts.”

For the first time, she showed a twisted smile tinged with emotion.

“Because they lack confidence or ability to reach their destination through proper procedures and competition, they try to achieve it through the expedient of crime.”

“What.”

“You have already proven your inability to become Empress on your own merit by usurping my position. Such a plan devised by you cannot possibly succeed.”

“This is really…!”

I was going to let it slide because it was bothersome, but now you’re provoking me?

Yuna raised the dagger that had been in with the books.

‘Right, killing one or killing two. It’s all the same thing.’

Whatever evil acts she committed at this point, everything would become as if it never happened once she turned back time.

“If dying like that is your wish—,”

“What’s all this commotion?”

Just as Yuna raised her hand high with the dagger.

From far away, the Emperor, who had heard news of Rianel’s escape, was walking over.

“Your Majesty.”

The most necessary person at this moment was walking over on his own feet.

The corners of Yuna’s mouth curled up wickedly. She shrugged her shoulders while letting out laughter close to maniacal.

“You don’t love me.”

Yes, it had taken far too long to realize that fact.

“But you called me Empress.”

So we are essentially no different from a married couple.

Even in that moment, there was a whisper echoing in Yuna’s ears.

He’s going to kill me.

‘So I’m going to kill him.’

She knew she wasn’t in her right mind.

But she couldn’t stop.

The madness soon spread from her lips to her hands. Yuna moved her trembling hand that gripped the dagger.

The moment the tip of the dagger pointed toward the Emperor, the trembling stopped as if the madness had been refined.

“Let’s be together at the end.”

Come to Hell with me.

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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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