Chapter 141 (1/2)

Translator: Wawaa

Editor: WilsonWilson

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“This way.”

Lara arrived at the Emperor’s castle and got off the carriage. An aide around the Emperor’s age approached and guided her.

As spring flowers fell, the weather began to get hot. While looking at the lush green leaves, Lara walked to the place where the Emperor was waiting.

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Come on in.”

All the complicated procedures that had to be gone through to have an audience with the Emperor were omitted. Lara stood in front of the antique and heavy-looking door that had opened after the Emperor gave his permission.

“Welcome.”

The Emperor was eating. Even though the weather had become quite hot, he was wearing a thick cloak on his shoulder. Luxurious but not fancy shirts, fluffy slippers, and grayish-white hair that was haphazardly combed could be seen.

The man who looked big like a giant at the victory banquet had now looked friendly like a local herbalist grandfather. The tea that the Emperor drank smelled like a pungent herb.

Was the rumor true that he was in poor health?

Lara’s gaze stayed on his teacup for a while.

“It smells terrible, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t.”

“I can’t sleep these days. The doctor is doing everything he can to put me to sleep.”

“Is it a sleeping pill?”

“No, it’s supposed to calm my heart but it’s just a pure scam. If my heart can feel at peace by drinking something like this, I will produce it in large quantities and distribute it all over the continent. So that humans will no longer scream and fight.”

“If that’s the case, I want to have it too.”

“You can’t. It’s expensive.”

The Emperor laughed wickedly. Lara did not entertain his joke but sat in the seat prepared for her. She gestured to the attendant. The attendant who had a warm impression approached her and poured the same drink that the Emperor was drinking into Lara’s teacup.

“My my, such impudence. How dare you give what’s mine without permission?”

Without responding to the Emperor’s silly joke, Lara picked up the teacup and had a sip of the tea. Then, her eyebrows, forehead, and lips were distorted at the same time.

“It’s not good, right?”

The Emperor smirked.

“That’s why I said I won’t be giving it to you.”

Then, shouldn’t you just say that directly?

Lara did not dare to spit out the tea and barely swallowed the bitter drink. It was like water that was boiled with tree roots, soil, burnt ashes, and soap all at once. Looking at Lara grumbling without being able to change her expression, the Emperor drank the tea peacefully.

“Are you okay?”

“If I were able to live even a day longer, I can drink something even stronger than this.”

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Do you know how many people I have killed to sit here? I want to sit down for as long as possible.”

Lara did not laugh at the Emperor’s mean yet humorous words. So did the attendant next to him. If his aide had been here, he would probably have been the same.

The Emperor was sick. The rumor which was thought to be false was true. The Emperor’s fingers trembled slightly while holding the teacup. There was also an awkwardness in the simple movement of putting down the glass after drinking the tea. His right eyelid drooped further down than the left, making him look uncomfortable. Whenever the Emperor took a deep breath, there was a rough sound from his chest.

Lara recalled what she had experienced in the past. When she was acting as a fake saintess, she was an immature young lady who was not interested in the world. And yet, she still remembered when the most powerful man on the continent died.

There was a deep regret over the Emperor’s face even while pouring out mischievous jokes. He put down the teacup he was drinking out of and spoke heavily.

“I will probably die soon.”

“No.”

“What?”

“You will live a long life.”

Lara refuted what he said. There was no sign of difficulty or hesitation in her words. As if she was questioning what kind of nonsense he was spouting, she said it very clearly.

“You will be fine for the next 20 years.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know because I’m a saintess.”

“That doesn’t make sense. No matter how omnipotent God is, the human lifespan is…”

The Emperor stopped mid-sentence and laughed. Lara quietly drank her tea, not saying anything more than that.

The Emperor would soon collapse. Before the end of this year, he would suddenly collapse and become unconscious, being in a life-or-death situation. That was what Lara remembered.

The Emperor thought that Lara had lied to cheer him up.

“What do you think of my son, saintess.”

“I think he’ll be a heroic Emperor.”

“Don’t you see him as a man?”

“I know he’s a man.”