They Asked Forgiveness From The Villain

Chapter 8: Emperor Hugo Alaric Septimus

Hugo

"Why do you hide your face Archmage? Perhaps are you ugly?"

"It is best if you think that way your majesty." He always spoke perfunctorily and distant.

"What if I ordered you to remove it?"

"Then your majesty would be forfeiting his oath to me."

His back straight and needlessly patient, regardless of whether he starved or was bleeding to death he would not remove the veil of mana that covered his face.

White hair long and untamed, modest purple robes like his eyes I'd only seen once when he'd saved me from a monster.

Thunder crackled in the reflection of his eyes like the surface of a clear pool, striking down the beast that was barely inches behind me.

I was grateful that Celestine had saved me and knowing of his strength and his commoner status, I made him my vassal. Asking him if there was anything he'd desired, clearly with a breath of killing intent he stated for the death of the current Empress and the worshippers of Ludisia.

Willing to give an oath, signing on mana paper promising his power to the imperial family, specifically the Emperor.

Hugo Alaric Septimus.

I will not deny that I was self righteous as the only son of the Emperor, thus I believed people should bow to my will. With that stereotype of only seeing his desire for greed and pitying Celeste, I took him in and resolutely believed that his desire could be easily achieved.

Thus signing an agreement in the honour of the imperial family, otherwise I would lose the strength and healing abilities found only in the blood of the imperial family.

A standard oath for the Emperors most important  subject.

But the nobility did not like him and he spared no effort to contort to their liking, a dirty man brought in the world of the 'clean' yet so overwhelmingly powerful.

They were jealous of him and abused him but he remained silent.

As if it were the most natural thing he always caught people's attention, whether it was because of what could be seen of him or his talent in magic.

Suddenly I found myself desiring to learn more of such a quiet and elegant person, no one able to tell of his slum origins with the way he carried himself.

I could not find what he liked, no matter who I spoke to or had people watch him to find out. Realising that Celeste was not what I'd thought him as, unlike  the rest of the people around me who could easily be read.

So I began to tailor him to what I thought he should be: presenting him with a title, gold, properties and land-yet he turned it all away.

Naturally I was furious.

"Why should I need such things your majesty?"

"For your happiness."

"What does that look like?"

Asking with blatant curiosity, in his typical blank voice, I was speechless and could not answer.

Forcing him to take it, Celeste had begun to use whatever money given to him however he wished and I had people watch over him.

Then I met her, Rose. My mind was muddled and day in and day out I couldn't help but believe that I couldn't live without her, this feeling was something that I didn't experience alone. So I attributed that feeling to love, possessiveness and obsession.

Knowing that she was a saint and would return to her kingdom, I wanted to tie her to me, my mind no longer in a feeling of confusion and pain whenever she was around me.

In a relaxed state of mind around her, I decided to make her Empress.

Suddenly a string of scandals involving Celeste came to view:accusing him of acting violently towards the nobles, spending money lavishly, embezzling money for the magicians tower to start a rebellion.

But she stood before them in court and in the face of criticism did not refute nor deny.

"Why did you not speak?!" I shouted at Celestine, pleading for him to not be stubborn.

I knew what he had spent it all on, how he lived in the dust and mould of the magicians tower.

"Do you think that I am like the other nobles your majesty? I do not rely on you, I have not depended on you once." He spoke the most words to him being in a state of complete honesty.

"I told from the beginning that I wanted the destruction of Ludisia, his majesty has become blind as a result of being overwhelmed by black magic. I warned you."

"Why are you so stubborn?! Because you're the Archmage must I yield to you time and time again?"

"Did you not think that if the throne was not your birthright another could fill your shoes? His majesty... I am not your most loyal subject."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Then why does his majesty make the saint of Ludisia the future Empress? You broke your oath to me and I do not wish to serve you." He hissed turning his face away.

Grabbing his wrist I refused to let go as a gold light then forced me away and threw him against the wall, the ancient oath in effect removing what I had promised.

"Unlike his majesty's other puppets, I know what I want and I don't want to play anymore, it's crazy how selfish his majesty is. You didn't even know I'm a woman." Removing her enchantment, a wide smile with crazed bloodshot eyes looked at him with laughter.  It was the only thing he'd seen before falling unconscious.

I knew I'd been tricked, I was in love: with feelings of possessiveness and obsession not for Rose- the harbinger of destruction.

But Celestine.

Soon everything had came to light as Celeste had predicted, fire burning and blood shed spreading across the continent.

She'd watched as her fellow mages die cut down and devoured only getting stronger by the second.

"The vessels ripened so of course the demons won't forget to pop out to say hi and they'll mate like rabbits. Spreading everywhere, opening up a portal to the devildom."

Her palm sized face covered with blood, looking at me with her hands clutching my collar and raising me up to look at the demon infested lands.

"Yet I'm the bad person, well that's fine look your majesty- is this the world you wanted: everyone's equal now huh?!"

"Celestine.." Pushing him away she laughed sardonically.

"Learn from this and be a better King to your people, there won't be a better doll to clean up your shit then me."

Using his sword to pull out her heart, she pierced it with his blade consecrated by the first saint as a large blast of white covered the whole continent.

Her body immediately set on fire and burned to ash,  dragged away unable to stop her body from disappearing.

How many times I've tried to stop this moment,
Why doesn't it work?