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Instead, she began to hate the Emperor. That hatred was so vivid that Elio found visiting Iris an absolute delight.
The Emperor's attendants, who had initially gone empty-handed, began bringing bouquets, jewels, and beautiful gowns.
Iris Achen rejected them all. It didn't matter. The detached palace of the Imperial Castle was vast.
Rumors spread that the Emperor was courting the Saintess. Elio had encouraged them.
The people of the Foldenbach Empire were inexplicably pleased. The Church of Eridrahan welcomed it as well.
Archbishop Victor openly demanded donations while preaching that 'the Saintess, who showed the people true love, must also find true love herself.'
Finding it amusing, Elio gave them a fair amount of money, and now the entire Church of Eridrahan followed suit.
For Iris Achen, it was horrific. She wailed, wishing she were dead instead. Self-harm became a daily occurrence.
Of course, the vivid hatred did not last long. This was thanks to Elio obtaining a tool to manipulate Iris Achen.
Regardless, lately, Iris Achen had begun to resign herself. She stopped eating and stopped washing.
Since he disliked that, Elio ordered her to be washed by force. As for dressing her, that was solved with a single word from him.
"Dirty."
At Iris's words, Elio snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. Eyes still filled with rage were glaring at him.
It had been rare for her to engage with him like this lately, so he couldn't let this opportunity slip.
"You're the one who's dirty, Iris. I hear you haven't washed for seven days. Doesn't the doctrine of the Church of Eridrahan emphasize cleanliness?"
"Aren't you ashamed to discuss cleanliness when you've contracted with a demon?"
At the woman's words, Elio finally let out a short laugh.
"What are you talking about? I didn't contract with a demon."
It was a petty lie. But it was also a fact. Strictly speaking, it was the mages who contracted with the demon Behemoth, and the House of Ahen that dealt with them.
Thus, as the Emperor of Foldenbach, Elio had simply cleared away the wicked things that had contracted with the demon.
"Didn't the Church of Eridrahan teach you that those who command demons are also worshippers?"
Of course, he had used them briefly before clearing them out. But wasn't that only natural?
"If even trash has a use, you should use it to the end. Frugality is the key to a good life, Iris."
Then he added one more thing.
"Besides, you're not one to talk. Aren't you the one who contracted with a demon?"
"..."
"That pink lizard. It looks quite curious, so it's fun to watch."
At those words, Iris's complexion changed.
"Give it back."
Elio shrugged.
"I can't let such a filthy creature stay beside the Saintess."
"Give it back!"
Iris lunged to grab him by the collar. However, as an Emperor, he could not allow himself to be grabbed by a woman's collar in such an unseemly manner.
Elio lightly stepped away, and Iris, unable to handle her own momentum, tumbled from the bed to the floor. There was a thud, like a piece of dry firewood falling.
Even so, does a person make that kind of sound when they fall? Elio clicked his tongue.
"I can give it back."
Iris glared at him with wide eyes. Elio crouched down, looked down at her, and grinned.
"If the meals at the detached palace don't suit your taste, why don't you dine with me?"
* * *
The cutlery made a loud clattering sound. It was because the Saintess had not learned the dining etiquette of the Imperial Castle. However, no one blamed or scolded her for it.
The Emperor was the same. The words coming from his mouth were mostly telling her to eat properly rather than lecturing her on etiquette.
"Put the spoon in your mouth properly. If you keep doing that, I won't give you the lizard."
"..."
Iris, who had been repeatedly scooping up soup only to let it slide back onto the plate, grit her teeth.
The lizard. He was talking about Leviathan. That axolotl... no, the one he was temporarily holding for her.
When Iris woke after sleeping for 100 days, that axolotl was by her side. But something had changed.
'Libi! Speak. What is happening right now?'
<...>
'Libi! Please!'
The axolotl, who used to chatter excitedly to her, had lost its voice. She didn't know why. Looking at its mouth gaping, it was clearly speaking, but she could no longer hear its voice as before.
Just as Leviathan's voice had suddenly become audible, had it suddenly disappeared again?
She could vaguely guess the reason.
'Um, Saintess. While you were unconscious... are you aware that you suffered significant hemorrhaging?'
'Hemorrhaging?'
'Yes. Perhaps the baby... Ah, please do not be too heartbroken! Since it would have been the child of a demon, it is rather a blessing...'
Only then did Iris realize why Leviathan's voice had suddenly been audible. And why it was no longer heard.
Every night, Iris held the lizard and cried in a sense of loss. The problem was that Elio caught her doing this.
Knowing that it was something Iris cherished, Elio took it away with ghostly precision and locked it in a cage.
And he only showed it to her when he felt like it. Mostly when Iris was on the verge of starving to death, or when she self-harmed.
'If you eat, I'll show it to you.'
'If you promise to receive treatment, I'll let you have the lizard for three days.'
Iris resented Leviathan and hated it deeply.
She found out later that her husband had been framed as a demon worshipper because of Leviathan. She wanted to kill that axolotl.
Though it had bragged about being a great Underground Creature, in reality, that axolotl could have died simply by Iris crushing it with her palm.
But Iris couldn't do it. Because that thing was the only thing Rahan had left her.
"Blegh."
Iris, who had been forcing herself to swallow the soup, eventually vomited right onto the table.
"Oh my, what to do! Saintess, are you alright?"
"I will clear this away for a moment."
Unlike the fussing maids, the Emperor only slightly furrowed his brows upon seeing her.
"I hear it's a trend among parents to say they'll send children who fuss about their food to Til Nebe Cedric."
Iris let out a weak laugh.
"Whether it's Til Nebe Cedric or anywhere else, please just let me out, you bastard."
One of the maids cleaning up the vomit gasped. Unthinkable. To use such insolent language toward the Emperor.
She remembered Priest Vera, who had visited recently. He had returned with a dark expression after seeing Iris Achen, who spoke politely and beautifully to everyone, hurl insults at the Emperor.
But the Emperor only smiled as if he were enjoying it.
"Iris. I really have to get married now. The cabinet members are in an uproar lately."
He was the sole Emperor of the empire. At twenty-six, he was by no means too young to produce an heir.
Since he had killed his own imperial consort with his own hands during his time as a prince and hadn't approached any woman since, it was only natural for everyone to be anxious.
Fortunately, the imperial power was solid thanks to the Saintess, but it was uncertain if there were no successors.
"I couldn't care less."
"Now, it's not as if you don't know why I'm telling you this."
Iris shut her mouth. Even if she asked why he was acting this way, it was obvious that only nonsense would come out.
Regardless, Elio began counting on his fingers.
"She's from a good family, and she's pretty. The dowry has already been paid."
Iris knew exactly what that dowry was, having heard it until her ears were calloused.
For several years, the Emperor had been spouting the nonsense that she had paid the Foldenbach continent as her dowry.
It wasn't technically wrong. It was just foul to hear.
"Ah. Her ability to produce an heir is a bit doubtful, though."
Iris's shoulders flinched. Elio glanced at her and added playfully,
"Or maybe not. Come to think of it, I don't know because I haven't opened it up to check?"
Finally, unable to endure it, Iris reached out, grabbed the wine in front of her, and splashed it on the Emperor.
"Good heavens! Your Imperial Majesty!"
The maids screamed. The Emperor, who took the wine directly to the face, could not smile this time.
"That's enough. You can't see the lizard today. Drag her out."
The escort knights expressionlessly dragged Iris Achen away. Even as she left the Emperor's table, the Saintess remained unruly until the end.
Ptooey. The spit she spat stained the tablecloth before soaking in.
The Emperor spoke irritably.
"Call Bishop Marid or whatever he is."
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