Chapter 9: I Searched for the Mastermind of the Tragedy (3)
“Immediately.”
Sophia hurriedly left the room.
Suddenly, the cat jumped into Eliana’s arms, trembling.
Eliana held the cat, unsure of what to do, until Hera’s voice filled her ears.
“Eliana, give me Shushu.”
Meow.
The cat stared at Eliana and meowed sadly.
Caught between the two, Eliana glanced back and forth.
But then Hera reached over and took the cat away.
“My dear Shushu, I think she’s feeling bored. She’s been acting so wonderfully lately.”
Nyaaang—
The cat continued to meow as if crying.
As Hera petted it, it trembled, as though unable to escape her grasp.
Eliana watched them in wonder. She had no idea why the cat was shaking like this.
After a while, Sophia returned with a tray.
On the tray was a golden pair of scissors, adorned with a large red diamond.
When the cat noticed the scissors, it struggled even more, meowing louder.
“Why? Don’t you want a makeover?”
Hera gripped the cat’s neck firmly with one hand and held the golden scissors in the other.
Then, despite the cat’s distress, she cut off pieces of its whiskers with an unaffected expression.
White fur fell onto Hera’s dress. Eliana’s mouth opened in shock at the sight.
She was mistreating the cat, calling it a ‘makeover.’
Cats were highly sensitive animals that needed careful handling, but Hera cut its fur without any concern.
Eliana struggled to stop her trembling hands.
In the background, the sound of the scissors snipping through the fur softly filled the room.
“Isn’t Shushu much prettier now? Now, go play.”
As if she had finished entertaining herself, Hera kissed the cat’s cheek before setting it on the floor.
Sophia picked up the dazed cat and looked at Hera.
“What should I do?”
“Pull out all its claws so it doesn’t make this mistake again.”
Hera ordered with a cold smile.
After Sophia carried the cat away, a painful scream came from the next room.
‘That cruel punishment… Would she do that to a mere animal?’
To Eliana, this seemed like a warning.
She would end up like that cat if she acted foolishly.
Eliana tried to stay calm, pretending she couldn’t hear the cat’s tortured cries.
But she couldn’t stop trembling with fear.
Eliana bit her lower lip painfully.
Hera brushed off the remaining fur from her dress and spoke in a calm tone.
“We’re behind schedule. We should go see His Majesty now.”
“Yes, Empress Dowager.”
In contrast to her calm reply, Eliana’s voice trembled violently.
Hera noticed Eliana’s fear but walked gracefully, pretending not to.
As they passed through the long corridor, Hera explained to Eliana what to do when meeting the Emperor.
“As you already know, Verkley is blind. So you must approach him and ask if you may touch him. Then take his hand and place it on your forehead.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“He’s a very sensitive boy. He’s been through many difficult situations, and it makes me sad.”
“…I understand.”
Eliana looked at Hera, who was acting like a caring mother to her son.
How could she say such words without blinking?
Moreover, Hera was the one who caused Verkley’s blindness. Eliana felt even more terrified because she knew this truth.
For a moment, her hypocritical behavior reminded her of someone.
Someone who pretends to be good in front of others but is filled with all kinds of malice and corruption.
Eliana instinctively recoiled from her.
For the record, Hera played a terrible role in cherishing Verkley, and he knew of her deceit, but Verkley pretended to forget.
[The Princess Who Blinded the Emperor].
When the novel first began, it gave off the vibe of a romantic comedy, but the story gradually turned into a tragedy when Verkley started using his powers seriously.
“I know I’m hard to please, but I want you to take good care of him for me.”
“Of course. I’ll try with all my heart.”
“Yes. I know you will.”
Hera responded with a gentle smile.
Hera’s demeanor was noticeably different from when she was outside the palace.
She was unrestrained outside, but here she acted like the affectionate Empress Dowager.
She was pretending to help Verkley, and she had no intention of revealing her true plans to Eliana yet.
She would disclose her real intentions after Eliana’s return was complete.
This was fine with Eliana. After all, she wouldn’t be on her side anyway.
She had no intention of acting like a moth jumping into the fire, knowing it would burn.
To survive, it was safer to stand with Verkley, the mastermind who was leisurely watching Hera.
It seemed Hera was one step ahead of him now, but he would defeat her in the end.
Eliana planned to take advantage of this situation, as Hera was leading her directly to Verkley.
Now that she knew Verkley’s tastes, she could easily act accordingly.
Even if Hera realized they got along well, Eliana could use the excuse of following her orders.
Although he gained great power by signing his soul to a demon contract, he couldn’t control his powers and had to keep them a secret.
Honestly, Eliana was walking on thin ice, as this would lead her straight to her death, because even the humblest person would lose their temper eventually.
‘I’ll make sure I stay alive. I’ll survive.’
Before she knew it, they arrived at the massive double doors.
There was a guard in front of Verkley’s room.
On the surface, it seemed the guards were doing their job, but in reality, they were all Hera’s men.
It was as if she was monitoring him 24/7.
The guard recognized Hera and Eliana and knocked on the door.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and the daughter of the Museau family have arrived.”
“Let them in.”
A soft voice flowed through the doors. It sounded mysterious and sweet but also deep.
Upon hearing his voice, Eliana recalled that he was the most handsome man in the world, as the author confirmed.
He had a captivating voice.
The guard opened the doors when Verkley gave permission.
The room was brighter than the corridor.
The lights were bright because it was the Emperor’s bedroom, though there was no need for lights since he was blind.
Nevertheless, the man in front of Eliana stood out more than the bright lights.
It was hard to tell if it was because of the lighting or because he was the Emperor.
Eliana muttered with a captivated expression as soon as her eyes fell on Verkley.
“…Is he a sculpture?”
Verkley Owen was by no means human. He was a statue carefully carved from heaven.
It was understandable why the author described him as the best-looking man in the world.
Eliana thought she should slap her past self for thinking she could be beautiful, because seeing Verkley made her realize…
They were on completely different levels.
‘Why did the author have to make the villain so handsome?’
Eliana felt embarrassed because Verkley was even more handsome than she had imagined.
Even his black hair, carelessly tied half-up, looked elegant.
His hair was glossy, as if made of silk, and his face was pale and flawless.
Even with long hair, he looked perfectly natural without any awkwardness.
His cold blue eyes, hidden under long lashes, were so clear that he didn’t seem blind.
With every blink, his long lashes seemed to flutter like tiny wings.
“This can’t be a real person…”
“Eliana, what are you doing? Show your respect.”
Hera touched Eliana’s shoulder, who was standing in a daze, and urged her.
At that moment, Eliana snapped back to her senses and hurriedly approached Verkley.
“I-I greet the sun of the empire. I am Eliana Museau.”
At Eliana’s greeting, Verkley extended his hand with an indifferent expression.
He seemed to be asking her to hurry up and be polite.
Eliana hesitated for a moment at Verkley’s unnerving reaction, then took his hand.
But…
Slap!
As soon as Eliana touched him, Verkley unexpectedly slapped her hand away.
In a momentary silence, all eyes turned to Verkley.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
Stunned by his rejection, Eliana stared at her hand in confusion.
She hadn’t done anything yet, but she felt an odd rejection.
Verkley stumbled over his words, but after a second, he smiled awkwardly and apologized.
“Oh, excuse me. I felt a sudden electric shock…”
Did that mean he was the only one who felt it?
Eliana instinctively noticed he was lying.
‘Even if I didn’t like meeting Hera, I wouldn’t do that to someone…’
At first, it seemed like he wanted them to leave.
Eliana was still nervous but smiled politely and asked.
“May I hold your hand, Your Majesty?”
“Yes.”
Verkley extended his hand again.
Eliana took his hand very carefully this time.
His hand was very cold, and it felt as if some chilly energy was wrapped around his fingertips.
Once again, Eliana sensed Verkley’s repulsion.
But this time, he held Eliana’s hand firmly.
He even fumbled with his hand, trying to grasp something to feel.
Eliana widened her eyes in embarrassment, then lifted their hands and brought them to her forehead.
Eliana didn’t notice that Hera’s expression turned strange, as she was still watching their interaction.
“I greet His Majesty Emperor Verkley Owen, the sun of the empire.”
Verkley lowered his arm limply.
He smiled but looked in the wrong direction, as if blind.
His eyes were unfocused.
The slow smile that spread across his face seemed somehow dreamy.
“Pleased to meet you.”
Eliana knew he had regained his sight when he signed that demon contract.
So, she deliberately leaned into the direction he was looking to make eye contact with him.
Then she smiled.
Eliana really wanted to meet him.
And now, she finally had the chance.
Meeting him felt like a reward for all those times she felt anxious and nervous if things didn’t go her way.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”
