Night Led By The Empress - Chapter 1

The Trapped Empress

Time had passed, and the Musanje festival was just around the corner.

The Musanje Festival was a festival held to be thankful for surviving another year and wishing for good health during the month the fog lifted from the “Fog Forest”.

As this year marked the millennium anniversary, all the family members of the Imperial Palace were busy preparing for the festival.

Except for her, the Scarecrow Empress.

She and her maids were having a boring time because Jacques banned all of her activities as Empress.

She decided to ask about the rumours that were circling in the Imperial Palace while watching the faces of the ladies who were only touching the teacups while looking at her.

“Tell me, you two are being quite careful in front of me these days.”

Hilda kept looking at Beatrice as if her mouth was itching to say something. And this opportunity couldn’t be missed.

“Hilda, I’ll give you rose water. With just one application, your skin becomes as white as white jade.”

Hilda opened her eyes and cried out,

“The Emperor has resurrected the Black Knight!”

“The Black Knight?”

“He has formed a new knighthood in the name of increasing military power.”

“Hilda!”

Beatrice shook her head as if she had given up.

“As long as they have skills, opportunities will be given to merchants, farmers, and even beggars. Perhaps that’s why people who are thirsty for money and honour are flocking. The salary is beyond imagination!”

“The Black Knight only allowed the most righteous and dignified knights among the nobles.”‘

Her fists clenched on their own when it became clear that Jacques was trying to insult her and her father.

“I heard that real men who are not of this world in appearance and body are gathering? A true Black Knight who will fight for us!”

Beatrice hit Hilda on the side, smiling brightly.

‘What the hell, are you planning on remaking the Black Knight?’

It was then…

The emperor’s guards suddenly rushed into the room.

“I’m here tonight on an order from His Majesty the Emperor to imprison Empress Diane Fla Garnett in the dungeon.”

Hilda frowned and confronted the guard.

“What do you mean, a dungeon at this time of night! What’s the reason this time?”

The reason was obvious.

Because when the drunken Jacques wanted to see the dead Catherine, he couldn’t calm down and would put her in the dungeon.

“Alright, wait.”

At first, she used to be so startled that she resisted and begged, but now, she had learned to give up in moderation.

Today was one of those days.

Thud

As the iron gates of the dungeon closed, silence lingered.

Diane couldn’t explain it, but today, somehow, she felt unusual energy that was different from a normal day’s.

‘Where have all the sentries gone?’

Soon after, the drunk Jacques, with his concubine beside him, sat down at the table set in front of the iron bars.

Away from Jacques’ eyes, staring at Diane with a fishy smile, was a fake woman dressed up as the dead Catherine. This time, as always, a silver-haired cat-like statue. It was a spectacle to see Catherine’s wedding dress on her.

“Oh, poor thing. What crime has our Empress committed to be imprisoned in this place, Your Majesty?”

“I want to ask, too. Empress, what the hell have you done? Huh? Haha.”

Jacques, who was drunk and laughing unpleasantly, suddenly raised his glass with a straight face and toasted to the fake Catherine.

“For Catherine.”

It was the beginning of torture.

“Don’t forget, Empress, that everything you enjoy was originally belonging to Catherine.”

Diane bit down on her molars and looked straight into Jacques’ eyes.

“Really, Catherine was completely different from her.

The dead and the living cannot be the same!”

Jacques slammed down onto the table and kicked the chair, standing up.

“I’m sorry. Pardon me to hell. Can’t I say that?”

“Well, what have I learned from the traitor’s family? Except to covet other people’s belongings by being caught up in jealousy and desire!”

Jacques beckoned the fake Catherine to get out.

Somehow, Diane was nervous about being left alone with Jacques, so her body moved reflexively as if to hold onto the woman.

“Why? Does the empress want to follow Catherine?”

Jacques got up and stood close to the iron bars and whispered in his sarcastic tone.

“Then should you experience the world of death here?”

Then he left without looking back, leaving only a mean smile.

It was the first time Diane was left alone in an empty prison with no one around.

She shook the iron bars out of fear and shouted for anyone outside, but eventually gave up and sat down on the cold stone floor and closed her eyes.

How much time had passed?

It was as if she had fallen asleep for only a second.

Thud

When she woke up to the sound of the lock being picked, there was already an intruder wearing a black hood standing in front of her. It was like a shadow heralding death.

“Who are you?”

Drop!

He was so fast that there was no time to defend herself.

When something sharp was stuck deep next to the ankle bone, she felt like blood was being sucked out at once.

When he hurriedly pulled the dagger from his waist, a hand hit his neck first.

The intruder approached her one step at a time.

‘When I thought I was going to die like this…’

“Ahh…?!”

The intruder vomited blood and immediately lost consciousness and collapsed.

Soon after, a woman in a black dress appeared from behind the fallen intruder.

Her face was obscured by the black veil on her hat, but she was very energetic.

She came slowly and whispered into Diane’s ear.

“I have repaid the favour I received from the House of Athenas. Soon the blue-eyed black panther will come to find you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Diane felt a heavy touch on her palm.

She took her hand, quickly rolling something round into her palm. Diane unconsciously gripped it.

Her eyes move to her hand, which had the round object that she had been holding on to from the dying spirit.

The round jewel shimmered like the waves of the sea under the blue light.

“P-Pearl..?”

As soon as she uttered the name of the jewel, the dying spirit who had been standing in front of her dissipated like smoke.

***