The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 89

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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 89

 

“Ca, Cayen? What are you saying right now? That everything the Bishop says is correct? Really?”

 

Cayen slowly nodded his head. Then, as if in pain again, he frowned with a pained expression before slowly losing consciousness.

 

Cayen’s powerless, unconscious form looked almost like he was dead.

 

However, no one could voice their concern for him. The words they had just heard were too shocking.

 

“Empress… Empress? Our child promised to make you Empress?”

 

Now that she had confirmed the puppet potion had properly taken effect on the First Prince, there was nothing to hold back.

 

Nicole was still kneeling, but she gazed at the Empress with a calm expression.

 

“Yes. He did.”

 

“Why on earth would Cayen…!”

 

The Empress’s movement to shout stopped. It was because Nicole’s earlier words came to mind.

 

“I have an oracle!”

 

“Oracle… You said you have an oracle.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What is the content of the oracle? What could it be that made the First Prince promise to make you Empress?”

 

Nicole took a deep breath before answering.

 

“Please go to Archbishop Seiji at the Central Temple and ask to see the stone tablet. Then you will know.”

 

“…Guards!”

 

The Empress immediately gave orders to the Imperial Knights. The two Imperial Knights who had heard Nicole’s story together in this place immediately rushed to the Central Temple.

 

And how much time had passed?

 

Archbishop Seiji entered the bedroom with the Imperial Knights, holding something wrapped tightly in black cloth in her arms.

 

“God’s servant greets Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

“Enough with the greetings, Archbishop Seiji. Hand over what you’re holding.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Seiji deliberately avoided looking at Nicole, and Nicole also couldn’t bring herself to look at her and lowered her head.

 

‘Archbishop…’

 

Her coming here was beyond Nicole’s expectations. Why didn’t she just hand over the stone tablet but came here personally instead?

 

While Nicole was restless, Seiji approached the Empress and held out the stone tablet she had been carrying.

 

“Please examine it.”

 

“Before that, let me ask one thing. Why did you hide the existence of this stone tablet?”

 

The way for Seiji to survive here was to reveal the true owner of the stone tablet even now.

 

But instead of exposing Nicole’s crime, she kept her gaze lowered and answered in a respectful tone.

 

“…I wanted to keep that child by my side and raise her. That’s all.”

 

“Why her specifically? Among so many children, how did you come to adopt a child with an oracle as your foster daughter? Were you planning to use that oracle someday?”

 

“No! Archbishop Seiji would never do such…!”

 

“She is my daughter.”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“That child is my… biological daughter.”

 

Biological daughter! A cleric forbidden from marriage, and an Archbishop at that, had given birth to a child!

 

This was an enormous scandal and a sin worthy of excommunication from the temple.

 

Even though she knew this better than anyone, Seiji had spoken such a great lie to protect Nicole.

 

“Ar, Archbishop…! No, no. The Archbishop is my…!”

 

“You keep your mouth shut!”

 

At Seiji’s fierce expression, Nicole was startled and closed her mouth, realizing at the same time.

 

The words had already been spoken. Even if she denied it now, it would be contempt of the Imperial Family.

 

Nicole realized too late.

 

The lie she had spoken thinking she couldn’t harm Seiji had made her participate in this absurd fraud.

 

‘This… this isn’t what I wanted…!’

 

Revenge against her parents’ enemy and all that – what consumed Nicole’s entire being at this moment was guilt. If she could turn back time, she wanted to go back to just moments ago and simply accept death at the Empress’s hands.

 

While Nicole hung her head and tears streamed down, Seiji continued speaking calmly.

 

“Because she is a child I bore from my own womb, I was able to create that child’s oracle into a stone tablet with my own hands and hide it.”

 

“…Ha! How ridiculous. Did you think you could keep a child who received an oracle about becoming Empress by your side for life! And you, one who serves God’s will!”

 

“A mother’s heart… isn’t that how it always is?”

 

“A mother’s heart – I’m hearing all sorts of nonsense from an Archbishop’s mouth.”

 

The Empress unwrapped the black cloth to reveal the stone tablet inside.

 

A pure white stone tablet with golden letters carved into it.

 

After confirming that the sentence formed by those letters was no different from what Nicole had said, the Empress closed her eyes tightly.

 

“…Bring holy water!”

 

Shortly after, when a servant brought holy water and sprinkled it on the stone tablet, the tablet did not crumble. Instead, it emitted brilliant multicolored light.

 

It truly was a divine oracle. Nicole truly had the fate of becoming Empress destined for her.

 

Then she could not be killed. Rather, she had to be kept alive and united with Cayen. To make Cayen Emperor.

 

‘Wait, if this is the fate arranged by God…’

 

This was actually good. An unprecedented justification for elevating Cayen to the throne had emerged.

 

An oracle given to a temple Bishop who was not of royal blood. The fact that God had given one of His servants as a companion to the next Emperor could be packaged, depending on how it was presented, as Cayen being the Emperor chosen by God.

 

“To hide the existence of this important stone tablet upon which the Empire’s fate depends. Do you know the sin you have committed?”

 

“I know. I will gladly accept punishment.”

 

“Archbishop! No, that’s not right! The Archbishop has done nothing wrong!”

 

“Don’t be so surprised. Would I cast out the biological mother of the future Empress?”

 

The Empress rose from her seat.

 

Holding the stone tablet in her arms as if cradling a newborn baby, she gently stroked the golden letters and approached Nicole.

 

“Now stand up. You will become precious, so from now on, do not kneel carelessly anywhere.”

 

“…”

 

“I too make this promise. I will definitely make you Empress.”

 

“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 

The moment Nicole took the Empress’s hand and stood up, her eyes met Seiji’s.

 

Her gaze, filled with devastation and regret, seemed to scold her more sharply than any rebuke.

 

How could she raise her head before that?

 

She had already crossed a river of no return. Now all that remained for her was to continue moving forward.

 

Even knowing that what lay at the end was an endless cliff.

 

* * *

 

The day the Emperor’s death was announced.

 

I waited until late at night, then lay in bed pretending to sleep while transferring my consciousness to Ruda.

 

‘Let me see…’

 

Despite the late hour, Ruda seemed to still be in Lionel’s jacket pocket.

 

I tapped Lionel’s chest with my wings from inside the dark but cozy pocket.

 

Shortly after, Lionel’s hand carefully entered the pocket to check if anyone was around and lifted me out.

 

“You weren’t asleep yet?”

 

“I did lie down to sleep. What about you, Lionel? Do you still have work to do?”

 

I sat on Lionel’s shoulder and read the documents on his desk. They were instruction letters for the people who would remain after he left this place.

 

‘As expected, he must have heard the news of the Emperor’s death.’

 

I wondered what to say to him, then decided to speak as if I knew nothing.

 

“You’re preparing to return to the capital?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see. I’m also preparing to go up to the capital. I’ll probably leave tomorrow, so I don’t think I can come before arriving at the capital.”

 

During travel, there was a high probability I’d share a room with Mother.

 

If Mother caught my limp body after transferring consciousness to Ruda, it would cause a huge commotion.

 

“Then we can meet again in the capital.”

 

“Yes. Probably…?”

 

Unless there are any particular variables, the place where we meet again will probably be at the Emperor’s funeral.

 

‘The Emperor’s funeral…’

 

Thinking about it again, it was too sudden. In the novel, the Emperor lived several more years than this, and he even died because of a rebellion that Lionel had instigated.

 

But why on earth did the Emperor die at this point in time?

 

‘Don’t tell me the Empress couldn’t bear to see Lionel ascend to the crown prince position and just… eliminated him…’

 

No way, surely not.

 

Since I couldn’t figure out the answer by pondering alone, it was best to just forget about it.

 

Shaking my head vigorously, I moved my wings and relocated to the top of the desk. Then I lifted my head high and met eyes with Lionel, who was looking down at me.

 

“Liri? What’s wrong?”

 

“Just wondering.”

 

I roughly flapped my wings and then examined Lionel’s face from every angle.

 

The Emperor was dead. This meant that Lionel’s father had died.

 

But nowhere on Lionel’s face could I detect any sign of grief. His eyes were too clear for someone who had been crying alone in secret somewhere.

 

‘Is he… not sad?’

 

Actually, considering the relationship between Lionel and the Emperor, it wasn’t particularly strange.

 

But no matter how poor their relationship was, it was still the death of blood family. There was no way Lionel hadn’t received any emotional blow.

 

…Or was there? Did he really not receive any blow at all?

 

This was also a question I couldn’t answer on my own, so I just asked directly.

 

“Are you okay?”

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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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