※This work contains scenes that involve gruesome and violent acts and depictions. Please be advised of this as you read.

“UGH!”

Swish-.

The man whose arm suddenly was severed by a flying sword screamed, and then he fainted. His pants were soaked and wet the floor.

“AHHHH!”

Screamed the people who witnessed the scene, the sound echoed through the banquet hall. The orchestra’s delicate music, being played under a gorgeous chandelier, abruptly stopped.

“Volaf!”

The emperor, blinking in shock, screamed as he saw his son, missing arm.

The attacker had merely thrown a sword. Yet his son lost an arm and fainted making a disgraceful scene.

The emperor, with his mouth agape, stood, frozen, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.

“Wha-What is this madness!!”

“Oh, I threw it as a warning for he dared to glance at my wife-to-be. I didn’t expect him to fail at dodging it. Should I have used a knife?”

“W-What did you just say…?”

“I should have known that the men of Roshan were weaker than paper… It’s a relief that I didn’t aim for his neck. You almost had to produce a new heir at your age, Emperor.”

“……….”

The man with sun-darkened skin casually tipped his glass and tapped a dinner knife with his finger tips, he spoke with a leisurely tone.

Contrary to the tone that conveyed regret, a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

The emperor could only gape, unable to utter a word. For good reason as well, as he was in no position to speak.

No sooner had the dark-skinned man’s words ended than the banquet hall was filled with cheerful laughter.

“Hahaha!!”

“Hahahahahahaha!!”

“Kagan! Even a knife is too much for these pale Roshans! A toothpick would suit them better!”

One of the people of the delegation shouted while he heartily tore into his meat.

“Ah, that wouldn’t be bad either.”

The beastly man called Kagan chuckled as he narrowed his red eyes.

The carefree conversation paled the faces of the Roshan Empire nobles, including the emperor, who were attending forcibly by Xieman’s command, who had won the war.

They were little more than extras.

Naturally, they couldn’t touch the food and were just there to watch the Xiemans enjoy their feast.

The emperor, too, was unable to move in the face of the inhumane scene unfolding before his eyes.

“Why are you just standing there? Hurry and treat the crown prince! Move quickly!!” He couldn’t even protest. All he could do was berate his subordinates to quickly summon the physicians.

The recent actions made it clear how little their lives meant to the enemy.

In their own country, all the royals and nobles stood, while those seated were the king and the delegation from Xieman.

The crown prince, the carefully raised heir to the Roshan throne, had become one-armed in the blink of an eye.

Yet, none of those responsible for the act seemed surprised.

No, rather than being surprised, they showed no hint of remorse or intention to apologize, despite calling it a mistake.

They laughed and tore into the meat as if watching an amusing play.

The sight was chilling, like watching wild animals.

The woman sitting next to the man with red eyes, was frozen in place, surrounded by the sight of blood and the sound of hearty laughter.

Her inability to breathe properly reflected her fragile nature.

‘It’ll be a problem if she gets shaken like this over something so small.’

The king of Xieman, named ‘Kagan,’ who was leisurely looking at her, his head propped up by his hand, smiled with a peculiar expression and set his glass down.

“What’s the matter, princess? You look terribly unamused. This is a banquet celebrating your departure, so please, enjoy it.”

The man downed his liquor in one swig and spoke as he cut into the meat that was dripping in blood.

She took a beat and realized that the words were directed at her, and slowly opened her mouth.

“… I do not take pleasure in mocking the injured.”

Her pleasant, yet solemn voice touched their ears. It was a clear yet delicate voice, seemingly ready to crack at any moment.

She seemed shocked at her statement, but instead of turning tail like the others, she responded curtly and then kept her mouth firmly shut.

At the very least, she was not as cowardly as those who couldn’t even look him in the eye, or say what they really wanted to say.

“Oh dear, it seems my princess isn’t enjoying herself much.”

He leans toward her bringing his lips close to her ear. He whispers.

“Wasn’t that the hand that dared to grope my future wife? I expected you to be happier and praise me more.”

“How… How did you…?”

“Or was he more to your taste?”

“Of course not…!”

She yelled, startled by this teasing voice, she held her breath.

He chuckled softly as he straightened his body and continued to speak.

“For a princess that was raised so delicately, this must have been a bit too stimulating. My lack of education has left me with poor manners, I’m afraid.”

“………..”

Despite his insincere apology and honey-coated words, she remained silent, with a stone-faced expression.

A splash of red blood stained her pale face, yet there was no wound.

The man, watching her while chewing the blood-soaked meat, smirked as he reached out his hand.

Whether he noticed if the woman flinched or not, he continued to reach his hand out and brush her cheek with his thumb.

The bloodstain on her cheek was hidden beneath his large hand.

The man quietly observed where he placed his thumb, then slowly rubbed it against her cheek as if to wipe the blood away.

After repeating the action on both cheeks he let out a small chuckle.

“Now you look more like one of us, princess.”

Kagan, the king of Xieman and the man who had overwhelmingly defeated the Empire, forcing all its people to their knees, said lazily.

Confused by his words and actions, the woman lowered her head, and saw her reflection on a glass of water.

On each of her cheeks, like the geometric red patterns drawn on the bodies of barbarians, two lines were symmetrically drawn, resembling cat whiskers.

The sticky, dark-red blood was unpleasant.

“Cough…”

As she struggled to hide her discomfort, she suddenly coughed, hiding her mouth behind her hands in surprise.

“Cough, cough!”

The coughing fit caught her off guard, she frowned and quickly reached for her water glass, tilting it to drink.

The Xiemans at the table all turned their heads to her.

Embarrassed by the attention, her face turned crimson, but even after drinking the entire glass of water, her coughing did not cease.

At that moment, a maid, who was standing in line, approached the woman with something for her, the maid’s face was pale with worry.

‘… That’s the woman who was with the princess back then.’

Kagan pondered, recognizing the familiar face.

The young maid with freckles dotting her cheeks approached the woman resolutely, despite the intense stares from the barbarians, and handed the princess a jug of warm water.

Only after drinking the water did the princess manage to calm down a bit.

Kagan noticed the familiarity between the two, and he furrowed his brow.

‘I heard she was frail, but…’

He hadn’t thought it would be this bad.

‘Does it matter?’

After all, she was just a normal woman, taken because of a prophecy, the first one in almost a century.

“This banquet was prepared for us by Roshan, so enjoy yourselves to the fullest today.”

Kagan glanced at her condition once more, then raised his glass and spoke.

The woman sitting next to him, Nisha Roshan, the princess of Roshan, clenched her fist tightly under the table.

‘How did it come to this?’

She was trying to find a way to escape…

“To Kagan!”

“To Xieman!”

As the loud toasts and cheers erupted, she closed her eyes tightly, recalling the events of a few days ago, and bit her lower lip hard.

There are a few unfair things in life that you can’t avoid, no matter how much effort is put in, some things cannot change.

In short, things like being born a woman, or who your parents are, and the day you were born, you don’t get to choose those.

Knock knock-.

Standing in front of the grand, gold adorned door, the woman, her face tense, knocked and clasped her hands together, frowning.

No response came, she was waiting, with her head bowed.

“Come in.”

The voice finally said, she had been standing there for over ten minutes, staring blankly at the door.

“You called me, Father….”

“Have you ever met the barbarians?”

The man, who had never summoned her since her first day in the royal palace, finished his sentence before she could complete hers.

“What? What do you mean… ?

“Answer.”

The man, frowning, not wanting anything other than what he asked, spoke curtly.

The woman became tense, she bit her lower lip lightly and obediently opened her mouth.

“No, I have never met them.”

She had never been allowed to leave the palace except for the rare times she snuck out in secret.

And the one who’s forced her to stay is none other than the emperor in front of her.

“Yes, I suppose so. But then why did they specifically request you?”

The emperor, sitting in his luxurious office, muttered quietly as if talking to himself.

A fresh cut of his cheek, still raw and red, seemed quite painful, causing him to grimace.

The emperor, annoyed, pounded the desk with his fist, and abruptly lifted his head with a fierce expression.

“You will marry the king of Xieman in a month, for the sake of peace.”

It wasn’t a request or a question, but a demand without context.

“What? Suddenly, what do you…”

“Even a piece of trash like you can finally be of use.”

Only after she spoke, did his cold, blue eyes, previously fixed to his documents, finally look towards her.

“I…”

She wanted to protest, but the man’s icy gaze silenced her.

It has always been like this.

She was a tiny insignificant being in front of her father, the emperor. She had been taught to live like that.

“If you have any sense of shame and gratitude, you will leave, quietly.”

At those cold words, the woman, who had been lowering her head in pale terror, hurriedly knelt down.

“Father, please give me a chance to leave instead. I swear, I will never come near this land again, so please…”

“Who are you calling father? Watch your words, or do you want to be re-educated?”

“Ah… no, Your Majesty.”

The woman’s body trembled like a leaf in the wind at the emperor’s angry outburst.

The deep-seated fear had bore its head once again. Nisha tensed her neck.

“This is your last chance to save your life.”

The emperor spoke with a fierce expression, as if warning her not to press further.

“…”

“Do you understand?”

“… Yes, Your Majesty.”

Biting her lip slightly, she bowed and slowly rose from her seat.

The man, meanwhile, had his head buried in his documents again. As she bowed and turned to open the door to leave, he spoke again.

“The defeat in war was painful, but at least something good came out of it. We can be rid of you, the sewer-rat, for good.”

“…”

“In a few days the delegation from Xieman will arrive. Since you’ve inherited your mother’s looks, make sure you are properly prepared without any shortcomings.”

The malicious words ended with a humiliating warning.

Biting her lower lip, Nisha pushed herself through the half-open door, and exited the room.

“I will escort you to your room.” a maid said, bowing.

So that’s why a maid suddenly accompanied her instead of the servant. This was the plan all along.

It was an unspoken warning that, from now on, she would be monitored and managed like a jewel to be sold at auction. 

‘So in my life’s final moments, I’m to be sold off.’

No words could describe how horrible it was.

Though it was called a betrothal, even she, with little education, knew it was essentially a hostage situation. 

And from Roshan’s perspective, she was a worthless sacrifice, one they wouldn’t miss even if she died.

‘A lifetime of imprisonment, only to be locked up again?’

And this time, in a land of so-called barbarians, marrying a man she had never seen, living as his wife?

But the so-called sewer-rat princess had no choice in the matter. 

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Xiamen, a nation founded by the Kashan Tribe, who were known as the mightiest among the barbarians.

There were many rumors about Xieman, the most famous being that the moment you crossed their border, the smell of blood and iron would make you dizzy.

Corpses were said to be everywhere, skulls rolled like stones. Their national bird, the crow, was considered an omen of misfortune in Roshan – a land where “survival of the fittest” trumps all.

Moreover, the current leader of Xieman was rumored to be merciless, executing those he disliked without hesitation. 

Those who met him all described him as a beast with a beast with a vicious temper.

A cruel beast with neither blood nor tears. 

Everyone who has seen the King of Xieman said the same thing. 

‘I’ve heard the current ruler of Xieman is the young chieftain of the Kashan…’

The ‘Kashan’ were an infamous minority tribe. 

They had united the scattered barbarian tribes and minority groups, and was arguably  the most dangerous of them all.

Moreover, the current King of Xieman, was said to be the strongest leader in Kashan’s history.

At the mere thought of this, her legs felt heavy and she began breathing heavily as she made her way back to her room. Her heart pounding with the weight of her fate decided by others. Struggling to hold back tears, she forced herself to walk, only to sense someone approaching. 

Lifting her head slightly, she saw her half-siblings, a dazzling twin brother and sister, striding toward her. 

Like the other servants, Nisha stepped aside, lowered her head and cast her eyes down. 

Even though she was royalty, her status was worlds apart from theirs.

Not a single member of the royal family welcomed her presence in the palace.

The reason was simple: Nisha was born bearing all kinds of ill omens. 

“Oh my Volaf. Don’t you smell something foul?”

I’m bound to, with a dirty sewer-rat stinking up the castle.”

There was never a day without such encounters. Nisha sighed inwardly from exhaustion. 

With snickers and laughter, malicious words sharply fell upon Nisha.

 “Ah, there’s the rat. No wonder it stinks around here. So, you’re getting married to a barbarian? Congratulations! Honestly, who else but some uncivilized savage would take you? You’re a perfect match!”

“…”

“My sister’s right. You should be grateful. It’d be best if you never set foot here again. You smell awful.”

At the raw, unfiltered insults, Nisha’s eyes trembled slightly. The twins were undeniably beautiful, their appearance angelic. Without hesitation, they hurled venomous words at Nisha as they headed toward the Emperor’s chambers.

Nisha, used to this treatment, kept a calm face, slowly exhaling to steady her breathing as she continued walking 

“Cough, cough-.”

Hearing the sudden coughing and wheezing sound of her unsteady breaths, she quickly crouched near a large tree, burying her face between her knees.

“Cough, cough-.”

Her relentless, choking coughs continued unabated. Only when her pale face had grown even paler, did she manage to hold her bloody, scratchy throat and stand up.

One year ago, a war broke out.

It was a sudden storm of bloodshed that descended upon the Roshan Empire, which had been steeped in peace.

The attackers were from a newly-formed nation called Xieman.

Xieman was a country formed overnight by various minority tribes who had been derided as barbarians, suddenly flying their own flag.

The Emperor of Roshan initially treated Xieman’s provocation as a minor skirmish.

So no one could have known that this small dispute would escalate into such a vast and tragic war.

To be frank, the cause of the war lay within the Roshan Empire.

The Emperor of Roshan, blinded by the glory of the past, arrogantly exerted undue pressure on the fledgling nation of Xieman, preventing it from trading with other countries, and went as far as to call them uncivilized barbarians. There were even frequent instances of killing or kidnapping their children and women to use as slaves.

Unable to endure it any longer, Xieman retaliated in anger.

The Emperor’s attempt to crush Xieman, which was just beginning to take shape as a nation, ended in a humiliating defeat.

To the extent that the Emperor was forced to sign an unfair alliance treaty with a sword held to his throat.

Though it was called an alliance, it was essentially no different from the Roshan Empire being subjugated by the nascent nation of Xieman.

Roshan now had to offer up a portion of its special products, tribute, and taxes each month, and during trade, they had to virtually waive all transit fees and customs duties.

 Of course, the Roshan Empire had to pay an enormous amount in reparations to Xieman due to their defeat.

The compensation demanded by Xieman amounted to five years’ worth of the Roshan Empire’s budget, nearly emptying the imperial treasury and causing severe financial strain.

Furthermore, Xieman demanded hostages.

Due to the enforced peace treaty, the once mighty military of the Roshan Empire was dismantled, and Roshan could no longer maintain a military force without Xieman’s permission.

In essence, unless protected by Xieman, Roshan would become prey to all manner of nations.

The emperor, who had always been arrogant and considered himself above the sky, ultimately had to kneel before Xieman’s envoy to beg for his life.

Not even before the king of Xieman, but to a mere representative of the king.

When drafting the alliance treaty, the king of Xieman did not show his face. Everything was handled by the minister, the king’s proxy.

It was a clear sign of disdain.

Immediately after the war, the Xiemans occupied the imperial city for a while, wandering around with their dirty feet.

It was during this time that Nisha first saw them.

These large figures, unashamedly, often showed off their bronze skin by going shirtless.

Their bodies and faces were adorned with black and red pigments, making them appear like beasts entirely covered in muscle.

‘They were like beasts.’

The primal vitality and heat they exuded left a powerful impression on Nisha. Yes, they looked as if they roamed the depths of hell.

‘Well, this is hell too.’

Even now, everything felt like hell, and the future seemed just as bleak.

Lost in thought, she had already arrived at the palace. Her palace, far from the main estate, looked old and desolate at first glance.

The unmanaged palace was covered in ivy, and the ground was overrun with weeds and grass.

Branches grew so wildly that they seemed ready to break through the windows.

A dirty, old palace in the remotest corner of the imperial city.

Yet, this small palace had been Nisha’s entire world from childhood until now, one of the reasons she was called the sewer-rat princess.

She lowered the hand that had been clutching her neck, straightened her clothes, and entered. A maid cleaning the floor abruptly bowed.

“Princess, you’re back?”

In truth, despite being called a maid, the paltry allowance she received was barely enough to pay the lowest wages. Nisha always felt sorry for her.

“Yes, Mary. Don’t overwork yourself and take a break.”

She replied lightly to Mary’s cheerful greeting and went up to her room on the second floor.

“Just a few days left….”

Entering the room, she collapsed onto the old bed and muttered.

Nisha was the emperor’s child.

To be precise, she was the child born from the emperor’s affair with a maid.

Despite the emperor’s orders to keep the secret, her mother, who had been his mistress, revealed herself to the world, coveting the empress’s position.

And the Empress, shocked by the revelation, collapsed and never rose again.

In his rage, the Emperor ordered the maid to take an abortion elixir, but as fate would have it, she was born. Her mother never even set foot in the coveted Empress’s position and died giving birth to Nisha.

The new Empress was an old friend of the former Empress. It was clear that some sort of transaction had taken place, for she did not love the Emperor.

She viewed Nisha with utter contempt, seeing her as the embodiment of her dear friend’s demise.

All the Empress’s torment was directed at her, and the Emperor, aware of everything, turned a blind eye.

It was absurd.

Was it a crime to be born?

Her mother was the sinner, and the Emperor was blameless?

Astonishingly, it was so.

In this country, power was everything, and the Emperor was the sun of the empire, thus becoming the pitiable victim who lost his virtuous Empress to the schemes of a greedy woman.

‘I want to die.’

If everything was hell no matter where she went, she at least wanted to escape this imperial palace.

In her childhood, after hearing the cruel truth of her birth from the new Empress and attempting to take her own life for the first time, Nisha did not succeed in dying.

Instead, she received unprecedented care and survived.

As she opened her eyes after wandering the edge of death, the smiling Empress stood before her. The Empress soon whispered into Nisha’s ear with a sorrowful face.

“Don’t think of dying so easily. Since you have dragged everyone into hell, I will personally ensure that your life becomes a hell as well.”

Despite the cruel whisper, Nisha did not give up.

However, it wasn’t long before she realized that even death would not come as she wished, and for the first time, she despaired.

As if the heavens had shown mercy, she discovered she had acquired a mysterious power.

What might be a blessing to someone else was another form of despair for her.

Learning that even death was no longer hers to control, Nisha gave up on many things and lived quietly, hiding herself.

‘Marriage…’

She had been prepared for a political marriage, of course. But she soon realized that preparation and reality were vastly different.

The prospect of leaving for an unknown place, giving birth to and raising the child of a man she had never met, and living a confined life was horrifying.

Alternatively, she might have to live as she did now, confined and scorned for the rest of her life.

“Cough-.”

Another cough burst forth.

Nisha quickly rose and buried her face in the pillow, her face contorted.

“Cough, cough, cough-!! Ugh….”

She curled up abruptly as the coughs violently erupted from her. She tried to stifle the sound as much as possible.

The poison her mother had ingested while Nisha was in her womb had exacted its toll, not on anyone else, but on Nisha.

Nisha’s body had been frail from birth.

As she coughed violently, almost to the point of suffocation, she reached out and fumbled around the nearby bedside table.

Grabbing the familiar kettle from the nightstand, she took a few gulps, feeling somewhat calmer afterward.

“Really, it’s exhausting….”

If life is like this, I think it might be fine to end it now.

Muttering softly, she curled up and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

***

The Roshan Empire was once a very prosperous nation.

It boasted vast granaries, large mines producing high-quality diamonds, and a favorable climate year-round.

With such abundance, it built up its military strength, conquering numerous neighboring countries and creating many vassal states.

However, as time passed and the throne was succeeded, peace took hold, and the imperial family began to rot from within, as if it were its natural course.

Corruption and tax evasion became the new norm, taxes were raised almost daily, and while commoners struggled to afford even porridge, the nobles were busy enriching themselves.

Some nobles amassed more wealth than the Emperor himself.

The people’s uprisings, driven by their unbearable suffering, were all violently suppressed, resulting in countless casualties.

This marked the beginning of a reign of terror enforced by military might.

While the people bled outside, the imperial city glittered with lavish jewels and gold.

While the streets overflowed with people dying of starvation, the imperial food stores were so full that the food rotted, and banquets were held every day.

This was because the Emperor, having lost all will after the Empress’s death, had almost entirely abandoned state affairs.

Ironically, the Emperor, who had taken a mistress, truly loved the Empress.

The problem might have been that the Empress was naturally too weak to satisfy the Emperor’s s****l desires.

Yes, that ridiculous reason was the beginning of the former Empress’s and Nisha’s misfortune.