I Sought Out the Tragedy's Scheming Mastermind

‘Once the contract is sealed, you can use my power.’

‘Then I can get my revenge right away. I should say thank you in advance.’

‘You don’t have to. It’s all up to you anyway.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Do you think a weak human body can easily contain a demon’s power?’

‘Ah…’

‘If you don’t take my full power, you’ll suffer just by being alive, let alone revenge. A body that cannot die will suffer as much as it wants.’

‘…’

‘Oh. You look scared all of a sudden. Should we not go through with it?’

‘No. Not at all. I just needed a moment to prepare myself.’

‘Excellent. Then, you have until your sister’s debutante. If you cannot control my power until then, then it is your destiny. Just think of me like a piece of trash.’

The demon had no mercy.

He didn’t care about Verkley’s circumstances. This was just a game to him.

In the meantime, Eliana, whom he met, came to mean a lot to Verkley.

Eliana Mussieux.

She was a strange woman. It bothered him whenever she’d strangely stare at his face.

Her piercing gaze was uncomfortable. It was as if she already knew everything.

She knew that he was blind but still made eye contact each time she talked to him.

Others just went on to do their own things, but she did not.

She treated him friendly, like someone who wanted to please him.

Verkley held Eliana’s hand whenever he had the chance, using the excuse of being blind.

He felt good when she placed his hand on her forehead.

Who knew that this tedious etiquette would help so much.

He was allowed to reach for her without a question.

It was disappointing when that clear energy would disappear.

He wanted to keep touching her, but he couldn’t, so his thirst deepened.

It was amazing how she talked to him without hesitation, even though he was the emperor.

Although there were many who scornfully talked about what a puppet the emperor was, she approached without prejudice.

Sometimes he could clearly see that she was afraid of him, but he kept staring at her because he didn’t know why.

It was rather cute watching her talk to him despite seeming scared.

What was the root of that curious capability? The unknown always provokes human desire.

As time passed, Verkley became attracted to Eliana.

The part of the demon’s power that responded to the feeling of desire was drawn to her.

“Were you lonely?”

It was a bold question.

Loneliness. It had become a dull emotion.

Loneliness is just one of those emotions that always exist.

So he just said he was used to the feeling of it, but Eliana held his hand with a very defiant face.

“I’ll stay by your side, Your Majesty. I’ll hold your hand like this whenever you need it!”

He felt very strange.

Come to think of it, has anyone ever held his hand this warmly since his parents’ death?

Has anyone ever said they’d stay by his side?

Even if there was, they were already dead.

Verkley stared at Eliana.

‘Will there come a day when this girl will also die at the hands of Hera?’

Will he save this woman on that day?

Was she that valuable?

He didn’t know yet.

He had no other answer except that he didn’t know.

* * *

It was a night of groaning in pain as usual.

Verkley stumbled the entire day. The pain was so extreme that he rolled off the bed.

Because he slapped the table with his hand, the bell on top jingled and fell to the floor.

“Cough.”

Verkley’s condition was too serious to quiet the ringing bell.

His pain was similar to a few years ago when he stopped breathing.

While he was in agonizing pain, waiting to die and come back to life, Eliana burst into the bedroom.

“Your Majesty! Listen to the way I breathe, and take a deep breath!”

As soon as Eliana came to his side, he grabbed onto her arm.

But because of the demon’s raging power, holding onto her arm did not solve the issue.

He could only feel a slight amount of clear energy, but his pain remained the same.

Verkley held her arm more tightly.

He didn’t think he’d die if he stayed like this, even if it took a while.

It was when Verkley frowned at his slightly fading pain that…

Out of nowhere, she placed her lips on his.

“Eup!”

It was so sudden, and the feel of her lips was very hot.

Verkley’s skin temperature was low, so Eliana’s lips felt hot.

And it wasn’t just oxygen she pushed into him.

A different level of energy rushed against the demon’s power, different from when he held onto her arm.

Verkley was drawn to Eliana helplessly as if his deepening thirst had been quenched.

He clung to Eliana as if she were his lifeline.

He bit his bottom lip and breathed with her.

He couldn’t stop this feeling of ecstasy, something he experienced for the first time in his life.

While Eliana gave him mouth-to-mouth, Verkley continued to lean on her, feeling unsatisfied with the way her lips separated from his.

It was a sweet energy.

Verkley was stunned by his temptation to have her completely.

He had barely just touched her lips, but he felt like he wanted to touch more. A throbbing sensation in his lower stomach.

A distant mind. A pleasant heartbeat. Stability. Satisfaction.

All sorts of indescribable emotions tore through Verkley.

He wanted her.

He wanted to own her so bad that he’d go insane.

Verkley failed to calm his rising instinct.

He wanted to get rid of this fog of pretending to be vulnerable and take her lips roughly until he cut through her skin.

As soon as his line of reasoning was about to snap, her sweet lips moved away.

Eliana wiped her mouth with her hand.

Verkley stared at her in amazement.

Even though she wasn’t touching him, there was no pain.

His headache, which returned every time she let go of him, was silent.

He felt freedom.

It was strange to feel that the space that had always been holding him back was lifted.

Verkley had no choice but to remain silent. After a long time, he was in comfort.

“Did I make you feel uncomfortable? I’m sorry.”

Did his expression look weird? Eliana apologized with a sullen face.

What did she mean by “uncomfortable?”

He was literally going insane he was so happy.

He felt like getting drunk to his heart’s content, not caring about Hera’s connections to Eliana.

If she had moved away even just a second later, he might have kissed her.

Like a child who couldn’t eat the sweet candy placed in front of him, Verkley was irritated.

“I feel rather clear-headed.”

Verkley muttered with a blank face. Soon, a smile naturally spread across his mouth.

Only then did Verkley realize what he wanted to do with her.

‘I want to have her, and that’s insane.’

He’s met numerous people, but no one he wanted completely.

So he will leave Hera to die.

But Eliana was different.

He had no intention of losing the very existence that stabilized him with just a single touch. Not to Hera.

Even after Eliana left, Verkley was still immersed in his emotions, the way his lips touched hers.

His eyes turned red before he knew it.

‘I should have her.’

Verkley decided he would have her.

Appearing when Mary’s debutante was approaching, she felt like a gift from God.

Verkley murmured in an eerie voice.

“God blessed me with a gift just in time.”

4. A character that was not in the original novel appeared.

After a while, Sophia came to visit Eliana early in the morning.

“Miss Sophia?”

Verkley was next to Eliana, so she greeted her with a surprised expression.

Straight off the bat, Sophia asked Verkley for his understanding. 

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is inviting Miss Eliana to teatime in the afternoon.”

“Huh? Me?”

“I would be grateful if you’d allow me to make this request to the young lady.”

Sophia didn’t respond to Eliana’s confusion, only said what she wanted to say.

Verkley, who was quietly listening, agreed. “Of course. Tell her that I’ll send her over on time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sophia walked away without glancing at Eliana.

Eliana was very confused, but then she wondered when Sophia was ever friendly, so she moved on.

After kissing Verkley that day, Eliana and Verkley’s relationship became quite different.

His kindness, which had been subtle, changed blatantly and also seemed excessive.

Whenever he did, Eliana responded, pretending to be shy.

It was a close relationship as if they had just started dating for the first time.

In fact, Eliana was unfamiliar with Verkley, who kissed her more easily than she thought since that day and allowed her to be around him.

She didn’t know what he was up to by trying to keep her by his side.

Usually, when Verkley used a beautiful woman, it was when there was a need.

‘But… What did Verkley need from me?’

Eliana didn’t know his intentions, so she just kept a close eye on him.

After their deep kiss, she was worried that Verkley would ask for more, but he was surprisingly light-hearted.

Even though Eliana’s room was close to Verkley’s bedroom, he never crossed that line.

He wouldn’t go beyond a kiss.

Just touching her hands made him shy, and it was like he was entranced whenever they kissed.

The strangest thing was that his expressions looked subtly real.

Eliana started to get a bit confused because he looked a little too happy to be acting.

‘Does he really have feelings for me?’

Eliana narrowed her eyes at him.

He murmured as if he felt her gaze on him. “Do you have something to say?”

“Your Majesty can sense when I’m looking at you better than I thought. You can’t even see me.”

Eliana muttered quietly, averting her gaze, startled by his sudden revelation.

Then Verkley approached her carefully.

He reached out and fumbled through the air until he palmed her cheek.

She’d never get used to his cold touch.

He whispered in a low voice.

“Is it because I’m always focused on you?”