It took a good minute to make Yuri remember what that odd woman told her—the one in robes. She proposed a bargain that she would let her live once more on one condition: saving the kingdom of beasts from its ruin. Yuri could vividly remember what the woman told her in that dream-like place.
"Connections are such a magical thing. They can either build dynasties or ruin empires. Yorenheim Lantis, save my kingdom, and I will forever give you the throne of beasts. Save my children and unite them against foreign invaders," said the eccentric woman before pausing. The woman's red-colored eyes sharpened like a feral as if something in her gears had turned in the wrong direction. "But if you cannot redeem my children's future, misfortune will follow you with the price of your life. One must grant a wish to make a wish. Always remember that, Yorenheim Lantis."
"Are you alright, my lady?" The Baron's voice snapped Yuri from her reverie.
The words of the woman remained in her mind. Gone was the nonchalant behavior of Yuri. Moving with grace as she curtsied in front of the Baron, she gave them her best innocent smile.
"Worry not, Lord Kyner. I am grateful to be standing right before the great Imperial Palace." Yuri saw the Baron smile with her grace as he accepted her hand—a gesture of acceptance as a guide for her. In her peripheral vision, Yuri saw how the old weir couple went speechless as their jaws slackened.
'Ha! Take that, you weird oldies. This one is easy. Pretending to be a royal is easy. After all, I have once bedded a monarch to fulfill my mission.'
The two oldies followed them as she was being guided by the elegant young man. As they entered the reception hall, Yuri saw the grand ceiling painted with vivid frescoes. The tiled floor was spotless, and paintings depicting the royal family's history hung upon the cream-colored walls. The oldies followed them silently, along with the servants, that remained silent the whole time. Baron Kyner kept a suitable distance as they walked towards the throne room. Now she knew why she was here in the Imperial palace as Yuri finally remembered who Lady Ivynia was.
'I cannot believe that the last Netflix series I binge-watched would be the second chance given to me! But hell yeah, I am alive! I am fucking kicking and breathing!'
This was her second chance in life, and hell would freeze over before she would let this chance slide.
The information about Ivynia Ilorde Rosehil, who later became the Bezarius Empire's last empress, flowed like a river in her mind. The Bezarius Empire, also known as the kingdom of beasts, worshipped the goddess, Rhea. The goddess was a beautiful woman with a lower body made of a gigantic sea serpent. She was the guardian deity of the great empire, and Yuri deduced that the woman in robes had a connection to Rhea, or she was Rhea herself. The kingdom of beasts was a kingdom made of beasts - one of the focal reasons why the once small kingdom of Bezarius became an empire was because of the ability of the citizens to manifest the power of the beasts. The Bezarius Empire had a simple hierarchy system. They would grant those who embodied the power of the stronger beasts a higher standing in the caste system. Yuri could remember that Ivynia's family got the wolf's power, except for the poor Ivynia, who only got a dragon scale on her face instead of the wolf's blessings. The Rosehil Duchy, led by Duke Sigred Vin Rosehil, represented the wolf clan—one of the stronger beasts in the kingdom of beasts.
'Poor Ivynia. Though she did not inherit any special strength from the fucking wolf beasts, she got the wit to outsmart the dolphins. After all, she became the last monarch because of her tactics. And now I'm Ivynia Ilorde fucking Rosehil.'
"Announcing Lady Ivynia Ilorde Rosehil together with Duke Sigred Vin Rosehil and Duchess Sasha Esther Rosehil," announced Baron Kyner before the grand double doors of the throne where Emperor Livius Veza Bezarius would be waiting.
The Bezarius Clan, the monarch of the kingdom of beasts, remained on top of the hierarchy. Since the foundation of the kingdom and the only reason would be their blessings inherited from the ancient beasts—the dragons. According to the eight seasons of "Serenade of Death" on Netflix, only two ancient beasts existed—the dragons and the sea serpents. The dragons were like the fucking dragons in the HBO hit "Game of Thrones" with all those wings and shit. While the sea serpents were like the ancient dragons of China that got no wings but still could fucking fly.
While the sea serpent represented the goddess Rhea, the dragons behind the power of the Bezarius Clan made them the monarch.
The moment the enormous double doors opened, Yuri met the eyes of the most powerful man in the empire. Cold, electric blue eyes met her curious ones before she got the chance to curtsy.
"Blessings to the Empire's Sun, Emperor Livius Veza Bezarius." The four paid respect to the old emperor, who was sitting arrogantly on his throne—the throne given by the goddess Rhea herself.
'That is where I will sit in the future, the throne of beasts.'
Yuri's eyes lingered on the emperor's throne longer than they should be.
"I like your eyes. It is good that you know what you want, Lady Rosehil." The emperor's cold eyes were staring at her the entire time. He saw how greed flashed in her eyes, but Yuri did not care. After all, she was here to discuss her marriage to the crown prince, Prince Leonedas Esca Bezarius.
Yuri showed her best innocent smile, just like how she pictured Ivynia in this situation—the ever-kind Ivynia.
"It is my greatest joy and honor to be chosen as the Crown Princess, Your Majesty. The Rosehil Duchy will forever remember this kindness."
'You accepted the 'beast' Ivynia for the Crown Prince Leonedas for one reason. You need the power of the Rosehil Duchy to shield you from the aristocratic faction.'
The arrogant smirk resurfaced on the emperor's face as he looked down upon them from his high throne. "You will be an excellent empress, Lady Ivynia."
'Oh, I will be the empress. But I will change Ivynia's title. Rather than be the last monarch, I will be the wicked widow in this wretched plot.'