Emilia lay on the ground, feeling half-dead.
Sylvie had repaired some of the damage to her arm, but Emilia couldn 't yet bring herself to move. She lay there in Sylvie's lap, shell-shocked as the elf continued to work to heal her arm. Emilia still couldn't believe how she'd surrendered herself to Regulus.
I gave him everything … I gave him Subaru, the person that I love …
I … I'm so pathetic. I'm unforgivable. I'm nothing more than a weak and selfish little girl who makes everyone around me miserable.
Maybe Regulus really was right about me …
Regulus had visibly regained his composure as soon as Sylvie assured him that Emilia would recover.
Regulus 's expression of relief was quickly supplanted by rage. He glowered at all the other wives, and they flinched away from him.
"There. Do you see how benevolent I am?" Regulus demanded. "This worthless Acolyte defied me. She refused me. She broke every one of our most sacred laws. I would have had every right to put her to death on the spot. But did I? No. No, I showed mercy because I am nothing if not merciful," He said through clenched teeth. His tone dared any wife to contradict him.
"I know that this Acolyte is worthless, but I saved her anyway. Just as I saved all of you. I rescued you. I gave you a place of safety. I took your worthless lives and gave you lives of meaning and purpose. And all that I ask in exchange is a little respect and a little gratitude. But some of you are so selfish and willful that you deny me even that! Does that seem fair? Does that seem equitable to you?" He demanded, his face red with fury.
The wives all cringed and whimpered, shaking their heads.
"No, Master," 128 said seriously. "We are the worst wives in the entire world. No one else would ever be willing to love us. Without you, we are nothing. You try so hard to teach us, but we remain selfish and willful. We all deserve to be punished for making you so angry, Master."
The other wives stared at 128, tears in their eyes as she volunteered them for punishment, but 128 's face was calm and resolved. If she felt anything, it was only shame at failing her master.
Regulus grumbled under his breath, biting off curse words as he stormed out of the room.
128 sighed and shook her head. She looked back at the other wives critically. "We all need to be grateful. The Master could have been cruel after such a show of defiance. Instead, he showed us a mercy that we do not deserve.
"It wasn't only the Acolyte who failed him. We all did. We failed him because we have failed her. We have not provided a sufficient example of why she needs to be embraced by our family, and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. A lesser Master would have killed us for this offense, but the Blessed One grants us another chance to earn his favor. We should all be grateful."
246 and a few others murmured in agreement, but the rest of the wives seemed too shell-shocked to say anything.
128 looked at Emilia coldly, "Stand up."
Emilia heard the words but she was too dead inside to even acknowledge them.
Only when Sylvie started trying to lift her off the ground was Emilia motivated to assist and stand under her own power.
Emilia looked dully at 128.
I don 't know what to do anymore. I gave up the most important thing in the world to me, and I did it just because Regulus hurt me.
This time, it was only words, but what about next time? If he hurt me badly enough, would I swear that I 'd hurt Subaru myself? Would I actually try to hurt him?
Emilia 's thoughts chased themselves in a tight, miserable circle as she stared at 128's stern face.
128 slapped Emilia sharply across the face.
The blow stunned Emilia, knocking her back into Sylvie 's arms, who barely managed to catch her.
"You have shamed us all, Acolyte," 128 said severely. "Your defiance is both sinful and ignorant. We owe everything that we are to the Blessed Ones. What they ask, we should give cheerfully.
"Your resistance is not only foolish but selfish. The Master is far above anything that you have ever known. He is more than just a man. He is blessed by the Divine. He was chosen by our Goddess to receive a shard of her divine Authority and to be her hand on this world. How could you possibly compare your feelings for that miserable boy over your duties to the Master? Your emotions are nothing compared to the obeisance that you owe the Blessed Ones who carry the Goddess's Authority. Surely, even you must see that."
Emilia lay in Sylvie 's arms, dazed. Then, without even thinking about it, she murmured, "Subaru… He also holds an Authority."
128 's jaw dropped. She stared at Emilia in disbelief, and then her face hardened. "You lie, Acolyte. No common boy could be so touched by the Divine. Do not compound your sins by lying about something so sacred!"
Emilia 's face grew set. "It's true," She said more loudly. Her voice was clear and defiant. "My Subaru holds an Authority."
I won 't abandon him again…No matter what happens, what they do to me… I won't renounce him ever again…
128 's cold expression twisted in fury. "I am warning you, Acolyte, " 128 whispered in a tone that made the other wives cringe. "My patient is exhausted. If you dare lie about something so sacred simply to try and justify your own inexcusable willfulness, then I myself will whip you until the blood runs. "
Emilia shuddered at the threat, but she refused to give in again. "Ask… ask him if you don 't believe me," She muttered, desperate to avoid calling Regulus 'Master' when he wasn't even present. "He fought my Subaru, and the fight ended in a draw."
"Blasphemy! You should be punished for this crime against the Blessed Ones!" Another wife shouted. She turned to 128. "128, should I go fetch the whip…" The wife's words trailed off as she saw that 128 looked conflicted.
128 's expression was stunned. She was clearly thinking hard. "I…" 128 whispered to herself. "I remember that I have heard that name before … The Master mentioned him when he returned from a mission. He said that the boy defied him and frustrated him and that the Master was forced to… But how could a mere boy do such a thing? It would only be possible if…"
The wives all looked at one another in confusion. 128 just looked stunned.
"Sister?" 246 said awkwardly to 128.
128 clasped her hands together, tears streaming down her face. "Oh! Oh, it must be true! Oh, what a glorious day! The Goddess's blessing rains down upon all of us! A new champion blessed by the Goddess has descended to walk among us! This is a blessing beyond anything we could possibly deserve! I must send word to the others! All members of the Order must join in the celebration!"
Emilia stared at 128 in helpless confusion.
I … I thought that this would get a reaction, but I wasn't expecting… whatever this is…
128 reached out to squeeze Emilia 's shoulder. Emilia flinched back, but the touch was gentle. "I understand, Acolyte," She said softly. "I do . It must feel confusing leaving behind someone of such monumental power, even to serve a great man like the Master. And I understand that while … empirically, your descending in service from Wrath to Greed might be viewed as a step downward , this is simply the short-sighted view of the ignorant.
"The Master is and remains a great man, worthy of all the love and reverence that you have to give. In time, you will see that your feelings for Wrath were just a fleeting infatuation common among the young. In time, the love that you bore for Wrath will fade, and your heart will overflow with love and longing for our Archbishop of Greed."
"Wrath?" 246 asked before Emilia could respond.
"Yes, dear," 128 said fondly. "The only seat available at the moment, ignoring the rumored Apostate of Despair, is the seat of Wrath."
"But… if they've both been touched by the Goddess," 246 said uncertainly. "Then why are they fighting each other?"
128 looked pained. "Unfortunately… such things… are not unknown to happen. Ultimately, the Blessed Ones must be true to their own natures. It 's likely that this dispute was all Wrath's fault. He is young and inexperienced and simply flung himself at the Master when he lost control of his temper. The Master undoubtedly spared him out of pity."
"Subaru doesn't hold Wrath," Emilia cut in.
128 's face darkened. "Is the boy that accursed Apostate of Despair?" She asked menacingly.
Emilia had no idea what this meant but quickly shook her head. "Subaru holds the Authority of Pride."
128 stared at her. "That's… that's impossible…"
"It's the truth," Emilia said firmly. "We've heard it confirmed by both Lye and Capella."
"Lady Capella!" 246 shouted, sounding scandalized.
128 stared at her, shaken by both the mention of Pride as well as the names of two Archbishops.
The other wives all stared at 128, uncertain what this meant.
"The King of Pride," 128 choked. "Truly? Has the King finally returned to us?"
The wives just looked at each other. These words meant nothing to any of them. They meant nothing to Emilia as well.
128 fell to her knees, clutching her hands to her heart. "Blessed Satella!" 128 whispered, weeping openly. "Oh, Goddess! You have allowed me to see the dawn of a new age! After all these long ages of waiting, the Sun will rise ! " She cried out in ecstasy.
"Sister," 246 said uncertainly. "What is this?"
"Oh, sisters," 128 wept joyfully. "The King has finally returned. The Goddess's rightful consort has come at last."
128 gently cupped Emilia 's cheeks and stared into the discomforted girl's eyes. "Acolyte, do you understand? This… This is the fulfillment of every promise! Every prayer!" She whispered tenderly.
128 's eyes suddenly widened, and she drew back. "It's you …" She whispered in awe.
Emilia swallowed hard.
"I didn't realize it before… you are not simply a half-elf. You are stamped with the very features of the Goddess!" She gasped. "You must be the Frost Queen! The hidden face of the rising sun! The touch that soothes the flame!"
Emilia took a wary step back. "What are you talking about?"
"I can see it so clearly now!" 128 said in rapture. "Why the Master brought you here and why he's been so fixated on you! He brought you here to train you! You, my dear Acolyte, are to be the flesh that will welcome the great Satella when she returns to us!"
Emilia stared at her. "What?" She asked in complete bafflement. She looked around, but all the other wives seemed equally confused.
"It's all so clear now! When the Goddess returns to this world to unite with her destined King, she will need a body worthy to carry her divinity. Satella has blessed you with silver hair and a beauty to match her own. You will be her sacrifice!"
Emilia 's face paled. " Sacrifice ? " She whispered.
128 held Emilia 's hands. "Yes, child, you will be giving up your mortal life but for a cause greater than anything you could have imagined. Through this gift, this sacrifice, you will be giving the world a Queen. A true Queen! A living Goddess to rule over it!
"Your spirit will willingly step aside and make way for the Goddess who is love personified. She dreams of nothing but her King ruling at her side. And you will give your Subaru the greatest gift imaginable: A Goddess as his bride! The Queen that he deserves! Surely you must rejoice at this?"
Emilia could only stare at her.
This woman is completely insane!
128 sighed in rapture. "Oh, bless the Goddess that I have lived to see the Dawn. And you, Acolyte, you must work very hard to become perfect in the Master 's service," She said in a friendly voice. "You are being prepared for an honor beyond imagining.
"You must labor tirelessly to become empty. You must become nothing but a vessel, bereft of thought or feeling, so that the Goddess may fill you with her glory.
"Let your love for the King inspire you. Few women are so blessed as to provide their beloved with such a wondrous gift. Only our Goddess can be worthy of the King, and through you, she shall reach him.
"You have been preparing for this great calling your entire life, Acolyte. You simply were unaware of it. Now, you must concentrate on preparing yourself to be dissolved under the Goddess's guidance. Work hard to forget yourself, to be empty, to not exist. This will make it easier for the Goddess to fill you with her glorious purpose."
Emilia was utterly speechless.
128 looked at the other wives fondly. "To work all! We must make everything perfect today! A new age is dawning, and we must prepare for it!"
The wives all stared at her silently for a moment. Even 246 and the other faithful wives looked confused.
128 smiled ruefully. "To work now. 42 in the kitchen. 14 in the laundry. Acolyte, you will assist 14 today. 78, to the garden…" She continued, and the wives vanished into the mansion to perform their chores.
Emilia trailed uncomfortably after 14. She took a hesitant look back at 128 and saw that the woman was now staring at her with naked adoration.
Sylvie hurried after Emilia in the hall. "Be careful with your arm today," She whispered, looking around carefully to make sure that no one except 14 could hear her. "If the monster had gone any further, he would have completely twisted it off. "
Emilia stopped in her tracks and shuddered. The pain of the experience washed over her all over again.
Sylvie gave her a sympathetic look. "You should make a full recovery. But be careful with it for a day or two," and with those words, she hurried off.
14 gave Emilia a confused look. "Acolyte," 14 whispered, "Did anything that 128 said… make any sense to you? "
Emilia shook her head. "No. It didn't make any sense to me," She said slowly, but even as she said this, something in the religious fanatic's rambling was gnawing at her.
128 called me the Frost Queen … But that's probably a meaningless coincidence. Any chance I ever had of becoming queen is long gone. And everybody has forgotten about it anyway.
And her guessing that I use frost magic is probably just a random chance. There are only six elements, after all. If you just guessed at random what kind of magic someone has an affinity with, you 'd stand fair odds of getting it right.
So why am I worried? I know that Roswaal and the Cultists keep acting like Subaru 's coming here was some sort of prophecy. But… that couldn't have anything to do with me, right?
I don 't have any extraordinary powers. I'm nothing special.
I 've just been following where Subaru led…
After the procession had finished, the funeral service stretched on for hours. Everyone had gathered inside the grand pavilion which had been reshaped to become one enormous room, lit by glowing pyroxene lamps. Hundreds of seats filled the grand tent, all facing the silk-wrapped sarcophagus that rested on an elaborate platform. Next to the sarcophagus was a podium for speeches.
Every seat in the pavilion was filled. Priscilla sat imperiously at the very front, surrounded by the highest-ranked Vollachian officers. Subaru had found a seat in the back row and was trying to be unobtrusive.
A tall, thin man with a severe face stood behind the podium. The man was wearing a heavy red cassock, and he stood so stiffly that he gave the impression of a soldier at attention.
The man spoke for nearly an hour about Vincent 's accomplishments, speaking at length about the countless battles he had won and the political alliances he had secured. The priest appeared to gloss lightly over Vincent's failure to secure his line by producing an heir, as well as his politically unpopular decision not to go to war with the northern nations.
When the priest had finally finished speaking and departed, there was a brief recess as the chairs and sarcophagus were removed and servants put out refreshments. Strangely, they had left the podium where it stood.
Subaru quickly learned why. As the crowd gathered in the room to eat and discuss the events of the past few weeks, each high-ranking aristocrat took it upon himself to get up and make a speech commemorating the Emperor 's passing.
The speeches were well polished, and many made references to events and people that Subaru had no knowledge of. The underlying theme of each speech appeared to be that even though Vincent was dead, the empire lived on.
Many of the speakers appeared openly smug on this point.
Subaru noticed that Priscilla was very isolated. She stood expressionless and ramrod straight, but there seemed to be a large moat of space separating her from anyone else in the crowd.
The new empress, recently returned from abroad, is bereft of any allies, Subaru thought.
On an impulse, during a break in the speeches, Subaru approached her.
Priscilla became aware of his approach before he had covered half the distance. Her eyes flashed at him with a mix of curiosity and warning.
Subaru gave his lowest, most reverential bow. "My Empress," Subaru said differentially, his voice carrying to all corners of the tent. "I wish to offer my most heartfelt sympathies to Your Majesty on the occasion of the death of her brother, who was truly a great man."
Priscilla 's eyes flickered with surprise, and she gravely inclined her head.
One of the attendant generals, a towering man whose body was heavy with muscle, looked at Subaru with disdain. "Who are you?" The general sneered. "And by what right do you pollute this sacred affair? Are you some hanger-on that our 'empress' has brought from Lagunica?"
Subaru stood up and looked the general straight in the eye. "I am Subaru Natsuki," He said in a voice that could be heard through the tent. "The Trollbane, Vanquisher of Armies, Breaker of Chains, and Destroyer of Cities," He declared. With each word, he took another step closer to the General, standing so close that his presence could not be taken as anything other than a threat.
Subaru wordlessly dared the flustered General to admit weakness by taking a step back. "And I am here to declare my full support to the Empress in her efforts to bandage the wounds Vollachia has suffered. As I'm sure that you are. Aren 't you, General?"
The room was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
"Thank you, Subaru Natsuki," Priscilla said graciously. Subaru turned to look at her, but her face was entirely unreadable. "We are certain that your strength will be a pillar around which our throne can be rebuilt and resolve these dire events that ravage our Empire. I eagerly look forward to our wedding day."
A gasp ran through the crowd from all the officers not important enough to have already been told the news.
Priscilla hesitated and then pressed forward. "Also, know that wheresoever our rule shall extend, your voice shall be second in authority only to our own."
A second gasp, louder than the first.
Subaru carefully controlled his expression, or he would have looked dumbfounded.
That 's probably the most conciliatory gesture that I could have expected from Priscilla in a million years.
Alright. This definitely won 't be any kind of fun. But maybe… Maybe this won't be… awful.
Subaru gave her another low bow. "My Empress," He said. "I desire no more than to be Her Majesty's most humble servant."
Emilia spent all morning washing and folding laundry with 14. She struggled. Even with Sylvie 's healing, her arm still throbbed with pain, which surged into a white-hot spike of agony whenever she tried to bend it. This meant that washing and trying to fold laundry was a challenge.
The fact that she hadn 't eaten in two days had caused Emilia's unhappy stomach to at least stop audibly complaining about how hungry she was, but she still felt weak. And only sleeping about five hours in two days didn 't help either.
14 keep looking at Emilia oddly. She seemed to want to say something but was uncertain how to start.
Emilia kept trying to fold the laundry. 14 was at least being nice enough not to comment on how slow Emilia was working today, and Emilia didn 't want to do anything to disrupt that.
Emilia 's mind wandered as she studied the laundry room.
This could actually help me escape. I haven 't seen any sign of a rope yet but maybe I could find a way to make one. What if I grabbed twenty or forty towels and tied them all together? Maybe that would make a rope long enough to reach the ground from the roof?
"Did you really meet Lady Capella?" 14 asked abruptly.
Emilia looked at her. 14 shifted uncomfortably.
Something tells me that 's not really the question she wanted to ask.
"I have," Emilia admitted. "But trust me, she's no Lady. Even among the Archbishops, Capella is foul, cruel, and spiteful. Subaru and I defeated her in Gusteko, and she was imprisoned there."
14 stared at her in disbelief. "Really?" She whispered.
Emilia gave her a small smile and then nodded. "We also fought Lye, and he ran away."
14 hesitated. "So… you served a different Archbishop before you came here?"
Emilia 's face went flat. "Subaru is not an Archbishop, " She said sharply. "He's nothing like these monsters! "
"Right, right," 14 said hurriedly. "So… 128 says that he's a King instead? Does that make him the monster's boss? Why didn't he make the monster give you back?"
Emilia flinched and then sighed. "Listen. Subaru has nothing to do with the Witch Cult."
14 cringed and looked around nervously. "Don't call it that here! " She whispered urgently. "That term makes 128 furious . "
Emilia ignored her. "Subaru isn't Regulus's master, they're enemies. But Subaru stood up to Regulus before, and he forced him to back down," She said proudly.
"Wow," 14 whispered. She thought for a moment. "And you were one of his women?" She sounded very impressed.
Emilia closed her eyes. "I… Listen. Subaru is nothing like Regulus. He 's a kind and decent person who cares about people."
"But he has an Authority?" 14 asked skeptically.
"He does," Emilia admitted.
"42 says that Authorities turn people into monsters," 14 added.
Emilia flinched violently. "Listen to me," She almost snarled. "Subaru is a kind and good person! He cares about people. Yes, he's made mistakes. And yes, he has done bad things with his power, but he is not a monster! He helps people! He…" Emilia trailed off. "When he makes mistakes, he's brave enough to admit it and to try and make things right," She finished.
Emilia kept folding laundry. 14 seemed to be mulling that over.
"Where are you from?" Emilia asked quietly.
14 started. "We… We're really not supposed to talk about that…" She said in a small voice.
Emilia gave her a small smile. "It's just the two of us here," She shrugged. "What's your real name?"
14 hesitated. "I… I don't know…"
Emilia frowned. "You don't know what your name is?"
"No!" 14 said, sounding very offended, "I don't know if this is a good idea! If 128 catches us…"
"It's bad enough that we all need to be terrified when Regulus is here," Emilia said shortly. "It would be unbearable if we had to be terrified of him even when he isn't here."
14 fidgeted uncertainly. "Marie," She whispered so quietly that even Emilia's elven ears struggled to hear her. "My name was Marie."
"No," Emilia corrected gently. "Your name is Marie. My name is Emilia. And it's very nice to meet you."
Marie hesitated and then nodded. "I used to live in Sanshe with my parents. Then, one night, the monster saw my mother. My mother was very beautiful, and the monster wanted her," She whispered, her expression anguished. "My mother and father tried to fight back, and the monster got angry, so he killed them both. I… I might have been OK, but I cried out at the sight of their murdered bodies, and the monster noticed me, " She said, sounding ashamed. "He told me that I was younger than he usually preferred his wives, and I wasn't as pretty as Mama anyway, but he thought… he thought that maybe he could train me to be better behaved than she was…" She finished miserably.
Emilia looked at her with a devastated expression. "I'm so sorry, Marie," She whispered. "I understand how you feel. Regulus was… he was involved when my mother died too, " She finished awkwardly, not wanting to get into details. "And I know it's not my business to say this, but… you're very pretty."
Marie gave Emilia a weary smile. "Please don't say that," She whispered. "In this house, the pretty ones have it harder. The monster notices them more. They're the ones 128 puts out front to entertain the monster. I'm much happier working back here in the shadows."
Emilia nodded. "I can certainly understand that," She murmured. She thought for a moment. "Sanshe's in Gusteko, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"One of my good friends is from Gusteko. She's the Princess of Siros."
Marie 's eyes widened. "Aren't those people all witches who use black magic?" She whispered.
Emilia managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. "No, Marie. The people who use black magic are Witch Cultists . You don 't need to go to Siros to find them. There are plenty right here."
Marie actually laughed. The sound echoed off the walls, and it sounded so welcome and refreshing in this house of horrors that Emilia briefly wanted to applaud.
"Acolyte, 14."
Emilia froze as she slowly turned around.
128 stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable. "When you finish here, I want you to join 78 in the Master's study. Give it a thorough cleaning."
Emilia struggled to keep her hand steady on the feather-duster.
Emilia stood in front of a tall, freestanding cabinet. Each shelf was filled to the point of overflowing with exquisite objects d 'art. There were tiny sculptures, jewelry, porcelain dishes, and cups encrusted with jewels. This single cabinet was worth a king's ransom several times over, and every wall in Regulus's study was lined with them.
"Such beautiful things," Regulus whispered into Emilia's ear, making her cringe.
The wives had been cleaning the study all afternoon and the entire time, Regulus had hovered around Emilia. He had swiftly noticed that Emilia, still traumatized from her horrible injury this morning, flinched each time that Regulus moved.
Regulus had reacted to this development with sheer delight. Ever since they started cleaning, Regulus had been lingering around Emilia, brushing against her as he inspected his treasures and whispering into her ear. Each time that he moved, Emilia had shuddered, and each time that she shuddered, Regulus 's smile widened.
"At my age," Regulus said grandly. "You lose interest in most things. The only pleasure that remains to me is the celebration of beauty. I've gathered these treasures over a lifetime of journeys around the continent."
Emilia cringed as Regulus reached past her, brushing against her arm, to caress a tiny frog statuette that appeared to have been carved from a single piece of jade.
"Look at this. Flawless craftsmanship," Regulus whispered to Emilia, his grin widening at her obvious fear of him. "Pure art of a degree that none of you could ever hope to understand. This is a real man's treasure, something beyond the reach of… simpler minds. I honestly pity you a little. None of you will ever understand what it's like to own something of such incalculable worth. But I suppose that's why you're here: to serve and to admire from afar as you should."
As Regulus stepped away from the cabinet, his hand accidentally brushed Emilia 's neck.
Emilia cringed and flinched away from his ice-cold hand.
"Jumpy, aren't we?" Regulus murmured with sheer delight. "I suppose I should have expected no less from someone so cowardly. Remember, Acolyte, all that I ask is to see you grateful. Gratitude is all that I ask. Such a little thing in exchange for all that I have given you and the others."
Emilia swallowed hard and kept cleaning.
Why is he doing this? He 's acting like a child poking someone with a stick, looking for a reaction. He can't really find this amusing, can he? And why are Marie and Sylvie here?
I can 't help but worry that Regulus is just building up to something bigger. What more could he possibly want from me? If he hates me so much, why not just kill me?
As Emilia asked herself that, the doors opened, and all the wives quietly filed into the room, led by 128.
Oh no …
Emilia stopped her dusting and turned around to look at Regulus.
Regulus 's expression was pensive. "Do you have any idea what this world is like for someone like myself? How difficult it is to tolerate all of the tiny mistakes that you all make every single day? It is infuriating . But I suppose that this is hard for you to grasp. You 're all accustomed to mediocrity. I have to constantly remind myself to be patient with all of your vexing flaws. I must force myself to patiently endure your errors caused by clumsiness and ineptitude but deliberate selfishness and disobedience, that I will not abide. "
Emilia swallowed hard as Regulus began to pace around the room, his face black as a thundercloud. "Something has gone missing," He murmured. "Something has been stolen from me. "
All of the wives shivered like trees shaken by a frigid wind.
Stolen?! What could have been stolen?!
Who would dare steal anything? Where could they hide it?
Regulus continued. "Obviously, I expect the culprit to confess their crime and beg forgiveness. Because the one thing that I absolutely will not stand for is ingratitude in the form of theft. "
He waited, but nobody said anything.
"78," Regulus murmured, his voice cold as ice.
Sylvie jumped and then stood there trembling.
"Where are my tarts?" He murmured.
Sylvie blinked, staring at him uncertainly.
Tarts? What tarts?
Regulus walked slowly up to Sylvie until the elf recoiled. Her expression was desperate, pleading as Regulus trapped her against the wall without laying a hand on her.
"I asked you a question, 78," Regulus growled.
Sylvie licked her lips. "I… I don't know, Master. I didn't notice any tarts."
"You didn't notice…," Regulus said quietly.
What tarts?! There were no tarts! We 've been cleaning this room for hours, and there hasn't been even a crumb of food here!
"Unfortunately, Sylvie," Regulus hissed. "I do notice. I notice everything that happens within this mansion. My gaze is all-encompassing. My eye sees the tiniest action of each and every one of you. It sees the innocent, and it sees the guilty…"
Sylvie closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
"Someone within this room has committed an unforgivable crime," Regulus said seriously. "There were three wives in this room, and one of them dared to steal my tarts. Since we have all the wives present and gathered here now, there is only one logical course of action: We will hold a trial. Yes, we will hold a trial to find the culprit, and the punishment shall be death."
Emilia stared at Regulus in horror.
Regulus 's grand oratory was marred by his evil grin. "Yes, death is the only fitting punishment for such a terrible crime. For daring to steal from me. For taking the bread from my mouth? Only execution is acceptable."
Emilia, Sylvie, and Marie all stared at each other in horror.
"Normally, determining who was responsible for this crime would be difficult," Regulus went on, his solemn tone completely contradicted by his delighted grin. "But fortunately, we have an advantage. We know that the Acolyte is innocent because she wisely clung so close to me while cleaning this room."
Emilia felt a chill run down her spine.
"So. We can certainly rely on the Acolyte's testimony to tell us which of these wives has betrayed their loving Master," Regulus continued. "So, tell us, Acolyte, who did steal my tarts?"
There were no tarts!
Emilia swallowed hard. "Forgive me, Master," She said slowly, "But I was concentrating so hard on carefully cleaning all of your priceless treasures that I never saw any tarts in this room."
Regulus regarded her with a stony expression. "Why are you so stupid, Acolyte?"
Emilia bowed her head, "I don't know, Master."
"Luckily for you," Regulus mocked, "I do know who stole the tarts. It was 78."
Sylvie 's eyes opened wide in horror. She shook her head violently. "No, Master! No, I didn't! I never even saw them! I-"
"Be silent, 78!" Regulus thundered. "You have betrayed me and all of the other wives! Do not compound your guilt with pointless lies! We can all see the jam stains all over your hands!" Regulus grabbed Sylvie's hand and held it out for everyone to see.
Sylvie 's hands were completely and utterly clean.
Regulus dropped her hand and stepped back, leaving Sylvie quivering against the wall.
"117," Regulus murmured.
"The dark-haired cat girl jumped. "Yes, Master?"
"Do you believe that 78 stole my tarts?" He asked mildly.
117 licked her lips. "I… I don't know, Master," She said weakly. "I wasn't in this room when the tarts were stolen. I never even saw the tarts. I… I don't know who stole them. Perhaps… she didn't…"
Regulus 's face darkened. "Are you saying that you think 78 didn 't steal the tarts? " He echoed in a deadly whisper.
117 stood there trembling. "I… I just meant that I didn't see the tarts, Master! I… I can't be sure-"
"But you can see me, can't you?" Regulus hissed. "Your loving Master who is standing right in front of you? The man who just told you that 78 did steal the tarts?"
"I-"
"You seem to think that 78 didn't steal them."
"I… Maybe she didn't…" She squeaked.
"But how can you know?" Regulus demanded. "After all, if you know that 78 didn't steal the tarts, doesn't that suggest that you know who did? Who stole the tarts, 117? Was it you…"
117 's eyes bulged out in horror. "No! Not me, Master!" She shook her head violently. "I wasn't here! I swear that I wasn't! I-"
"Who stole the tarts?" Regulus asked her in an unyielding voice.
117 bowed her head in despair. "It was 78…." She whimpered.
"You saw her do this?" Regulus pressed.
"Yes…"
"And how can you prove that she is guilty?"
117 winced. "Because… because of the jam stains on her hands…" She finished in a despairing tone.
This is all fake! Emilia thought in horror. There were never any tarts in this room! There are no jam stains on Sylvie 's hands! Why is Regulus doing all this? What is the point?!
"What about you, 42?" Regulus whispered smoothly. "Who stole the tarts?"
The tiny bunny-girl stared at Sylvie with haunted eyes. "It was 78…" She said in a dead voice.
"You saw her?"
"…Yes…"
"And you see the jam stains on her hands?"
"…I do…"
Sylvie was frantically rubbing her hands as if trying to wipe away the nonexistent evidence.
Emilia watched in horror as Regulus questioned one wife after another. A few briefly equivocated on their testimony, but Regulus always responded the same way: by asking them if they were the ones who had stolen the tarts. Every wife quickly crumbled after that.
In minutes, the decision was universal. Sylvie had stolen the imaginary tarts. Her clean hands were covered in jam. And, yes , Sylvie did deserve to die for this horrible transgression.
"Well," Regulus said pleasantly. "This has all been very interesting. But we still haven't heard from our star witness. The person best equipped to judge the situation fairly. Right, Acolyte?"
Emilia jumped, and her eyes opened wide.
"You were in the room with us the whole time," Regulus said sternly. "You must have seen what happened."
Emilia swallowed hard. "I… I never saw the tarts, Master," She whispered.
Regulus studied Emilia carefully, and his eyes widened as if suddenly realizing something. "Of course!" He cried out unconvincingly. "How could I have been so blind? There is another possible culprit! 14! "
Marie started and pressed herself back against the wall, trembling violently.
"14," Regulus said coldly. "Did you steal my tarts?"
"No, Master!" Marie cried out desperately. "I never even saw them!"
Regulus looked thoughtful. "Luckily, we still have our star witness to resolve this matter. Acolyte, who did steal my tarts? "
Emilia trembled. "I… I'm not sure," She whispered.
"Acolyte," Regulus said sternly. "I will not tolerate any further disobedience from you. You seem to have this idea that the rules are beneath you, but my law is absolute. There are two women in front of you. And you will decide which one is sentenced to death for this crime."
"Me?!" Emilia gasped. "But… but everyone else already-"
"We're not talking about anyone else," Regulus hissed in her face. "Just you. You will pronounce sentence, and you will decide which one gets executed. If you refuse, they will both die."
Emilia 's eyes widened. "I… I didn 't see! "
"Enough stalling, Acolyte!" Regulus snapped. "It's time for you to name names. You seem to enjoy doing that…"
Emilia 's jaw dropped. That 's why… That's why he's doing this. Somehow, Regulus found out that I was sharing names with these girls, and now we're all going to be punished for it…
Regulus 's stern expression twisted into a smirk. "Perhaps we should have the jury deliberate before closing evidence. All of you go out into the hall and assist the Acolyte with her recollections. 128, you will stand guard with me. We can 't have these two slipping off."
"Yes, Master," 128 said at once, bowing her head.
The wives began to slowly file out of the room. Emilia looked back at Marie and Sylvie. Marie was weeping silently, and Sylvie 's face was hollow and resigned as if she was already dead.
"I would assume," Regulus called after the wives mockingly, "That the Acolyte agrees that 78 is the culprit. After all, you all already told me that she was. The only alternative would mean that you all lied to my face," He finished threateningly. "I would be… displeased by that."
Emilia swallowed hard as she shut the door behind them.
A blond woman that Emilia didn 't know gave her a harsh look. "Stop stalling! Just tell the monster that 78 did it so we can get this over with!" She whispered.
Most of the wives cringed at her use of the word 'monster' and stared at the enormous wooden doors sealed behind them as if afraid that Regulus would overhear and come bursting through those doors to punish them.
"But he's going to kill her!" Emilia protested.
"Better her than us!" The blond countered. "You heard him. He already picked 78 to be the one to die. We're just reciting his script. If you don't read your lines, we'll all be punished!"
"How can you turn against 78 so easily?" The dark-haired cat-girl 117 whispered. "She's saved all of our lives over the years with her healing. She looked after us and protected us when we were new to this horrible place! Now you just want to abandon her?"
"78 survived here for forty years," The bunny girl, 42, said in a hard voice. "That's better than anyone else ever gets. 14 is barely more than a child. Are we really going to let her be murdered?"
"But what will we do without 78's healing?" 117 protested. "Without her, how many of us would die the next time that we got punished?"
"And how many of us will die tonight if we disobey?" A mousy brown-haired woman whispered. "You heard the monster. If the Acolyte doesn't pick 78, it means that we were all lying, and then we'll all be punished!"
"This is insane!" Emilia protested. "I was there the entire time! There were no tarts!"
All the wives stared at her coldly.
"Were you thinking that we'd be surprised by that?" 42 asked venomously. "Of course, there were no tarts! Of course, it's insane! It always is! We bow and scrape before the monster because he'll kill us if we don't!"
"That's the whole point," 117 said in a broken voice. "He wants us to prove that we'll believe him over our own 'lying eyes.'"
"He forced all of you to give false testimony," Emilia insisted. "And now he's threatening to punish you for it!"
"Congratulations, Acolyte," 42 grumbled, "I think you're finally starting to understand how things work in this hellhole."
"We can't do this!" Emilia protested. "This isn't just a beating! He's going to kill one of them!"
"And he'll kill them both if you refuse!" The blond snapped. "And probably a few of us as well. Just give the monster what he wants, and maybe he'll be happy for a few hours, and we can get some rest."
"But he's going to kill her!" Emilia said.
"Just pick one," The mousy brown-haired wife sighed. "It doesn't matter which. He'll kill all of us sooner or later."
"No! Pick 78!" The blond hissed. "Otherwise, we all get punished!"
"You have to pick 78!" 42 said intently. "I already lost my little sisters to that madman when he stole me. I'm not losing my best friend, too!"
Emilia hesitated. "I… I don't know if I can do that," She whispered. "78… she's an elf. I haven't met another elf in so long. What if… we're the last two in the world?"
42 seethed. "What? Because you're elves, you're so much better than us?"
"That's not what I'm say-"
"Who cares if she's an elf?" The blond spat. "Does it really matter if she dies next week instead of this week? It's not like the two of you can repopulate the race or something."
Emilia flushed. "I just-"
The wooden doors opened, and the wives all fell instantly silent. 128 emerged from the room, her face smooth and calm.
"It's time. The Master wishes to hear your verdict."
Emilia swallowed hard as the wives began to file back into the room. Many of them gave Emilia venomous looks as they passed.
Emilia followed along behind them with her head down.
Regulus grinned at Emilia with malicious glee. "Well, now, Acolyte. Do not keep us in suspense. Who will die for this terrible crime? "
Emilia took a deep breath and held it. She struggled with herself.
I can 't do this! This is just wrong! It's unfair! Someone is going to die just because this maniac said so, and he's forcing me to help him!
Marie is so nice and so young. She doesn 't deserve to spend her entire life in this hell. And Sylvie is sweet, nurturing, and a talented healer. The other wives need her to mend their wounds.
…But that's all beside the point, isn't it?
"I'm waiting, Acolyte," Regulus grinned. "Who stole my tarts?"
Emilia let out a shuddering breath. "It was 14," She whimpered.
Marie cried out in despair, and the other wives grumbled and glowered at Emilia.
Sylvie simply bowed her head.
Sylvie 's right… we might be the very last elves in the world… I can't just let her die like this…
Oh Gods … what have I done? I chose to sacrifice someone purely because she's not an elf. That's as bad as sacrificing someone purely because they are an elf.
"Then you saw her," Regulus pressed. "You watched her steal and eat the tarts?!" He demanded.
"…I did," Emilia whispered.
"And you see the jam stains all over her hands?"
"…I do," Emilia said in a broken voice.
"And you are knowingly condemning 14 to death?" Regulus pressed.
Emilia wept. "….Yes," She croaked.
Regulus looked delighted. "Excellent, Acolyte," He said, clapping his hands together. "We finally know the truth, my darling wives. Now we all know who is responsible for this… breakdown in our unity. And now, the Acolyte has chosen who is going to pay for it …"
Regulus marched over to Marie, who pressed herself against the wall. Tears streamed down her face as Regulus bore down on her.
Regulus smirked. "Now, you shall all see the justice of the most splendid existence on this world: swift but fair," He said in a lofty tone as he strode calmly over to 14. "Tempered by wisdom yet unwavering in retribution. Nothing within these halls escapes my eye, my notice, my will."
Marie cowered in the corner. "Master… Please…" She whimpered.
Regulus wagged his finger at her. "It is too late to beg for my mercy, 14. You have displeased me, and there is only one penalty for such a grievous crime," Regulus stretched out his hands toward 14.
14 violently shook her head. "No… no… no…" She repeated, not even trying to evade Regulus as his hands slowly closed around her neck.
"Alas, my poor 14," Regulus said in a jolly tone. "Alas, that we were forced to part like this. But take comfort in the fact that you have managed to serve my magnificence. Surely, this is a greater reward than any woman deserves. Hold that thought close to you as you go into the darkness."
14 whimpered as Regulus choked her.
Emilia bit her lip. The mad Archbishop could clearly have broken her neck with a single blow, but he wasn 't doing that. He was slowly and deliberately choking off her air, dragging the death out and making her suffer.
Regulus wasn 't even looking at 14. His gaze was fixed on the other wives, his expression set in malicious glee as he watched them struggling to control their expressions.
"Remember, Acolyte," Regulus said with a wild grin. "You chose this. This was your decision. You decided who would die. But I must say, I admire your obedience. You're finally becoming a proper wife."
Emilia flinched.
As 14 's struggles weakened, Regulus gave a cold laugh. There was an audible crack that made all the wives cringe, and then 14 's body fell limply to the floor, her lifeless eyes staring at Emilia and the others accusingly, her expression frozen in horror.
Emilia clapped a hand over her mouth and wept.
"Well, good to be done with that," Regulus said cheerfully. "Acolyte?"
Emilia started, and her eyes widened.
Oh, Gods… What more can he possibly want from me?
"You just did a very difficult thing," Regulus murmured, his sympathetic tone completely at odds with the malicious grin on his face. "I feel like you deserve a reward."
Emilia wept. "…Thank you, Master," She forced the words out, and her voice shook.
Regulus 's grin widened. "Now, that's a good girl. And because you've been so obedient, I have decided to grant you a reward. You are no longer an Acolyte. From now on, you will be '64.' I accept you into our loving family. Your past and future are now sacrificed to me, and you will live only to please and serve me. You're finally taking your first step toward becoming the kind of wife that a great man, such as I, deserves."
Emilia trembled in despair. "Thank you, Master…." She whispered to the floor.
The more Emilia broke down, the wider Regulus 's smile grew. He studied the other wives. "What's this? Some of you don't seem too pleased with 64's promotion. How ungrateful. She's worked so hard, made such strides, and sacrificed herself to become part of our beautiful family. And you scowl?" He criticized.
Regulus 's smile instantly fell off his face. "Applaud."
The wives all stared at him in disbelief.
Regulus 's expression twisted into a scowl. "I said, applaud ! " He shouted.
The wives instantly burst into applause, all looking at Emilia with venomous glares hidden behind their forced smiles.
This is a nightmare …
"Ah. Your obedience comforts me, my dears," Regulus said pleasantly with a smile. "And we are all proud of 64, aren't we? In fact, I have another reward for you, my dear 64. I was going to deny all of the wives their dinner tonight for failing to prevent 14 from stealing my tarts. But, in my infinite mercy, I have decided that you shall be fed."
Emilia stiffened.
This isn 't mercy. This is punishment. He heard the wives screaming at me outside. He just wants to encourage them to hate me more.
Despite her aching, empty stomach, Emilia opened her mouth to declare that she wasn 't hungry, but Regulus cut her off.
"In fact," Regulus continued thoughtfully. "I am feeling so benevolent that I will allow you to choose three others to dine with you. Choose carefully, as all the others will go hungry tonight."
Emilia 's heart sank.
I can 't refuse now. But either way, I lose.
If I give in, the wives will despise me for being a collaborator. I might even make life more difficult for the wives that I pick to eat tonight. But if I refuse, I 'll look like I'm posturing for the sake of my morals, which is why most of the wives hate me in the first place.
Sylvie needs food after this ordeal. So does 42 since she just lost her best friend. I don 't know who else to pick… maybe the cat-girl? She at least seemed nicer than the others…
"Whom will you pick?" Regulus said with a smirk. "Go on, 64. Choose those worthy to eat with you."
Emilia sighed. "78. 42. And 117," She whispered, hoping to atone for at least some of the damage that she'd caused by her actions.
"No!" 42 hissed, but luckily, Regulus didn't hear her.
Regulus chuckled. "I see. You seem to be working hard to establish a loyal core in my mansion, " He said insinuatingly. "I hope that none of the others start to feel… left out…"
Regulus laughed. "128! Clean up that mess!" He announced, walking out of the room without a single backward glance at 14's broken body.