Revolutionary Princess Eve

CHAPTER 3

Aftermath of the Faded Rose

"What the hell happened here?"

Mikael's voice echoed so heatedly that it seemed like a voice rumbling out of the underworld. All the knights and soldiers in the vicinity trembled as his furious tone struck them.

"How could this..."

After being gone less than half an hour, Mikael had returned to the Birdcage only to see an unthinkable sight.

Eve lay in front of him, a lifeless corpse. he had been speaking to her a moment ago.

Everything was finally going the way I wanted. Why this now?

Evienrose Chloelle Hadelamid, the seventh princess of the empire. Famous among Mikael's kind, he has set his sights on her five years ago. Never, in the entire history of the empire, had there been a princess who had demanded better treatment for the homunculi, who had refused to accept the deep-rooted vices of the imperial family, and who had allowed herself to be the laughing stock in the process.

Many homunculi had admired her and wanted to her personal knight. Mikael was one of them. However, Eve did not allow any homunculi to have the position. Mikal himself had approached her multiple occasion to change her thoughts on taking personal knight, and tried to show her how much more powerful he was compared to the other homunculi. But she had stood firm in her decision.

Even after he gave up on the idea, he hadn't been able to get Eve off his mind. His eyes followed her at every opportunity. Despite his distance, Mikael found himself moved to emotion whenever Eve was mistreated or mocked for refusing to follow the imperial family's ways.

He couldn't remember the point when even her unskilled, tactless ways started to become attractive to him. By the time he realized his feelings, they already ran too deep. He was struck in a one-sided love with an insurmountable gap in social station. Mikael refused to accept this reality, however, and through years of careful planning, he brought down the imperial family.

His original intention was, over the course of several years, to take over the imperial palace through moderate means. But as Bridgitte's tyranny had been growing day the day, and Eve's marriage of convenience was suddenly announced by an imperial decree, he'd had no choice to but to take a faster, more violent approach.

Whether he liked the methods employed or not, his revolt had succeeded. Nothing stood in Mikael's way now that he was emperor. All that remained was to have Eve take her spot by his side. And his goal was finally within the reach... until now. Something had caused all his efforts to be in vain.

"..."

Mikael gazed down at Eve, bewildered. Her slim form was like a rag doll-no pulse and no breath. Mikael's purple eyes burn with fury.

"I asked you a question! What has happened here?"

"Y...your Majesty..."

Mikael's furor was so palpable that the armed soldiers and even his closest vassals shrunk away. However, one figure stepped forward, fearless I the face of Mikael's rage. It was Rosinitte.

"My sister took her own life. She said she anted to take responsibility as a member of the imperial family and atone theirs crimes with her own death."

"She committed suicide?"

"Yes, she drank poison made from the belladonna plant."

"And how do you know this?"

"I watched her do it," Rosinitte replied

Her tone was soft and seductive. As she spoke, her fingers gently caressed his shoulder.

When Mikael's eyes turned toward her, she made sure to stroke the slight bulge in her belly with her other hand.