"RODRIGUEZ!!!" Alexandros released a bloodcurdling roar as he stormed into the dungeons, eyes bloodshot and sword in hand. A dense, almost material murderous aura hung around him.
Few cells in the imperial dungeons were occupied and hearing the enraged emperor's shout, most of the inmates crawled to the very back of their cells, not daring to catch his attention. They held their breaths, becoming as lifeless and unremarkable as the wayward rocks lying at the edges of the roads.
"WHERE IS HE!?" Alexandros directed his furious enquiry to the nearest dungeon guard. The latter gestured to the cell located at the far end of the dungeon with a shaky hand.
Like an unruly tempest waging war against the sea, Alexandros stormed his way to the last cell of the dungeon. Within the cell, he found Rodriguez sitting atop the stone bed in a meditative posture. His legs were bound by iron chains whose ends were hammered into the stone wall on the far side.
Looking at the calm, unworried expression on his face, Alexandros felt his emotions go berserk. He crashed against the cell's iron bars with a mighty force and screamed, "YOU DEGENERATE BEAST! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER!?"
Hearing his question, Rodriguez unhurriedly opened his eyes. He scanned Alexandros' furious figure from top to bottom before casually replying, "The debts of a mother must be shouldered by her daughter. I simply exacted what I was owed."
BANG! BANG! BANG! Alexandros maddeningly slammed against the iron bars. His strikes were so mighty that a part of the dungeon's stone construction shook from the weight of his attacks. "AND SO YOU VIOLATED HER!? HOW COULD YOU!? SHE WAS YOUR NIECE, YOU SICK BEAST!!"
Rodriguez seemed to ignore the young emperor's rants. Instead, a reminiscent and lewd expression appeared on his face as he disgustingly said, "I must admit; her body was much softer than her mother's. Ah, those buxom breasts with pale pink tips; I must've tasted them at least a thousand times. And how could I forget those plump and meaty bottoms and the pleasure I felt when I slapped them and heard her moan like a wh*re."
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! Alexandros had nearly lost his mind. The five-inch thick iron bars bent and dangerously began to creak and groan.
"But simply violating her had become boring after the first few times. So, I resorted to adding some 'spice' to our sessions," continued Rodriguez, seemingly undisturbed by the young emperor's overflowing rage. "Her incessant cries and struggles had also begun to get annoying, so I drugged her until she knew nothing but how to squeal like a pig."
"A few weeks later, I started becoming bored once again. So, I introduced her to a few of my friends. Who knew that she would suddenly regain consciousness and unexpectedly bite down with her teeth, grievously injuring a dear friend of mine? I couldn't overlook such disobedience and so had her teeth forcibly removed."
"Later, I do not know how, but she seemed to learn the news of your arrival. She tried to escape and got dangerously close to succeeding. Fortunately, one of the patrolmen caught her. I rewarded him by permitting him to use her and after he was done, I punished her by removing her legs. Now, even if she wished to escape, she would be unable."
"Still, she never stopped struggling and miraculously, she even began to resist the effects of the drug that I kept feeding her. Fearing that I would lose her, just like how I lost her mother, I used on her a drug that I obtained from the Eastern Archipelagos. Who would've known that the drug's effect would far outstrip what I've heard about it? Unexpectedly, it shattered her spirit and retarded her mind. Now, she is nothing but a mindless creature that—!"
BANG! The bars of the cell shattered and fragmented into many, many pieces. They were sent flying through the air, some of the fragments piercing Rodriguez's body. Alexandros' figure flashed through the distance, his long sword cleaving the air in two as he struck Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was bisected into two halves. He had been killed.
"ARGHH!!!!" The enraged emperor let out a mighty bellow. Even after killing the man behind his sister's tragedy, he was unable to quell the rage in his heart. His bloodshot, madness-sunken eyes searched around in desperate need to commit a slaughter.
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In the end, Alexandros brutally massacred every inmate imprisoned in the dungeon. When he ran out of bodies to cut, he lost strength and broke down into a mess of snot and tears.
The grim and cold dungeon was his only company.
---
When he managed to waddle his way to the medical wing, Alexandros was a mere husk of his former self. His physique had visibly thinned and many strands of white had sprouted on his previously lush, golden head. His eyes had sunken to resemble someone who suffered from insomnia and his gaze resembled that of a corpse.
The moment he arrived before the shut doors of the medicine hall, he hesitated. Even now, when he recalled the broken figure of his sister that he had seen in the morning, his heart hopelessly wrenched and twisted with pain.
His elder sister; strong, kind, beautiful, and intelligent had now become… this.
The despicable and disgusting words uttered by Rodriguez, detailing the horrors and tortures suffered by his sister, refused to leave his mind. It stuck to him just like darkness stuck to the shadows.
He hated Rodriguez; he hated this damn world that made his sister suffer such a fate; and most importantly, he hated himself!
If only he hadn't been so obsessed with attaining the throne; if only he had begun searching for her earlier; if only he could've convinced her to leave with him a year ago… many such choices hovered in his mind and constantly haunted him
Alas, this world was cruel. Time only moved in a single direction; forward.
Alexandros pushed open the door. Just as he had entered his foot and was about to enter with his body, he heard a voice speaking within.
"Ah! Milady, slowly! You must swallow this slowly."
"Are you feeling cold? Do you want me to switch your blankets? Please wait a moment; I'll switch the blankets just in case."
"Do you like this porridge, milady? I cooked it myself! I don't know much about cooking, but I've recently been learning from some of the kind cooks in the kitchen. Sister Maria has especially been kind to me."
"Do you want to know why I'm learning? Should I tell you? Okay, but this is a secret between the just the two of us. Actually, there is someone that I love very much in this palace. I cannot marry him, because… well, because I'm just a scullery maid and he is somebody very important. However, it doesn't matter. I'm already very happy if I simply manage to steal one of two glimpses of him every so often."
"Are you curious about these bandages on my head? I'm very stupid and klutzy, you see. I accidentally tripped upon a carpet and banged my head against the stone floor. It hurt very much but I'm okay now. The Elder Maid advised me to take a day off but I really feel okay now! Besides, seeing milady all alone here, I figured that I might as well give my company."
"Are you bored hearing me ramble? Even the Head Groundskeeper, tells me that I ought to speak less often. However, it gets very boring after working the entire day in silence. I can't seem to keep my mouth shut."
"Ah, you've finished the porridge! Was it good? Would you like some more? No? Alright, I'll put the bowl aside now. What else should I talk about? Right! There is a guy that I really dislike—"
Alexandros retreated and quietly closed the door. Some life had returned to his eyes. He recognized the voice and the speaker; it was the maid from last night: Tia.
Initially, he was of the mind to evict her from the room and punish her for disturbing his elder sister's rest. However, as he stood for a few minutes and eavesdropped on the conversation, he realized that it was unnecessary and perhaps even wrong to do so.
Alexandros was not stupid; he had noticed how the servants and guards in the morning had looked at his sister. Their eyes contained grief, pity, and well-hidden disgust. He had remembered their gazes well and had even been of the mind to punish them for it.
However, he had now changed his mind. The crime that he had been accusing those servants and guards of… even he himself wasn't exempt from it. Alexandros remembered that the first emotions that coursed through him when he viewed the broken figure of his sister in the morning were horror and… revulsion. It was also for this reason that he hated himself.
That said, the reason why he did not enter the room and left Tia to continue caring for his sister was because he noticed that the young maid's gaze and tone did not hold the slightest bit of disgust or revulsion. She was gentle, respectful, patient, and most importantly, sincere in her interaction.
Alexandros made up his mind. He would station Maid Tia as his elder sister's permanent caretaker. In the meantime, he would not wallow in grief but instead look for ways to cure his elder sister.
The world was profound and infinitely mystical; there simply had to be a way to cure his sister of her injuries! The young emperor solemnly vowed to never stop looking for such a method.
The haze in his heart and mind cleared. Alexandros tightly clenched his fists. A determined light shone in the depths of his eyes.
"Fate's toying ends here; I refuse to be pushed around by it any longer. Hereon forth, my way will be the only way!"
The sound of something fracturing resounded in the depths of Alexandros' chest. The embryonic cocoon surrounding his heart broke, birthing a new form.
The Heart of the Inflexible Monarch!
Alexandros Centinni had finally stepped onto the realm of Rank 3.