The Demon King Seems to Conquer the World

Upon opening the door and entering the third room, Carya was there. She must have heard the sounds of battle echoing down the hallway. Carya appeared to be alone, staring at the door. She wore an elaborate, pure white dress adorned with embroidered frills, and a sparkling necklace adorned with numerous jewels. It was luxurious enough for a queen, yet lacked solemnity.

Upon entering the room, I glanced around to see if anyone else was present. Besides Carya, there was no one else.

“Carya is here. Stand guard outside and give us some time alone.” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (??)

The door was closed.

“Yuri…” (Carya)

Carya looked at him with a fearful expression, like a condemned prisoner awaiting judgment.

“Carya.” (Yuri)

Calling her name, I casually took a seat on a chair. I could have killed her immediately, but I felt like having a conversation, even if brief.

“Carya…” (Yuri)

Before I could say ‘stop’, she continued.

“I guess I should apologize first… I’m sorry. But I want you to understand that it wasn’t a lie. I would never try to kill you, Yuri. I only meant for you to drink the antidote, so I put it in your drink… So, you see, it wasn’t intentional, right?” (Yuri)

‘What was she saying? No matter her intentions or whose orders she followed, the fact remained that she had done it. Luke and Suzuya were vomiting blood… What must Carol be feeling lying in bed right now? Had she ever truly grasped the magnitude of her actions? That’s what I wanted to say.’

That was what I wanted to say, but I remained silent. Even if he said it, she wouldn’t understand.

“So, um, I’m really sorry. I know I’ve done something irreversible. But I want you to understand. I truly love Yuri, so…” (Carya)

“Stop it!” (Yuri)

Driven by anger, I slammed my fist onto the tea table in front of me. Bam! With a sharp sound, the tea table folded in two and crashed to the floor. It seemed to be a collapsible design. Several teacups that were on top shattered, leaving stains on the broken tablecloth.

“S-sorry…” (Carya)

Carya cowered in fear.

“…Sorry for startling you.” (Yuri)

‘There are things humans can and cannot do. Somewhere in this vast world, perhaps there’s someone, likely a woman, who can accurately understand even the subtle movements of Carya’s heart. There might be someone who can explain things to Carya in a way she can understand. But not me. Whatever I say won’t be understood, and I can’t prompt her to reflect on it. I don’t feel that kind of patience or tolerance within myself.

I didn’t have the confidence to teach her that it was already too late. Carya directly killed the Queen. Under the Witch’s plot, it’s not considered murder, but if Carol takes over, that won’t hold. In that case, no matter how hard she tries, it’s capital punishment.

Originally, she would be executed in a brutal way, but even if it’s softened, it’s still the ultimate penalty. In about a week, she’ll be kept alive in a high-security prison, a rope around Carya’s crying neck, publicly hanged. Even though she’s her sister. Carol will be sad when she hears the news and will be burdened with unnecessary worry.In that case, it would be better if she felt responsible and committed suicide. Rather than saying that she died in a horrible way, Carol’s worries would ease if she committed suicide out of pride.’

“No, I couldn’t stand how pathetic I was. I was wrong too. I ignored your feelings and said selfish things.” (Yuri)

“Huh… What’s wrong?” (Carya)

“I’ve lost so much, and I’ve thought about how I really felt about you again.” (Yuri)

When I said that, Carya’s eyes began to sparkle.

“Really!?” (Carya)

“The thing with Carol was a little mistake… but she ended up pregnant, so I was pressured by the Queen to marry her. I couldn’t say it then, but I had no choice.” (Yuri)

“I see… That makes sense! Finally, our feelings have reached each other after such a roundabout way…” (Carya)

‘She’s truly a psychopath. I haven’t said a word about loving her. Doesn’t she understand my feelings after my parents were killed like that…? Maybe she can’t grasp the concept of parents, hating her mother and her father passing away when she was young…’

“Hey, what did the Witches tell you?” (Yuri)

“They said there was a way for me to become Queen and get Yuri as well. They suggested getting a confession before giving the antidote. I never thought they’d deceive me… Of course, I intended to give the antidote to Yuri and your parents! You believe me, right!?” (Carya)

‘I’ve heard enough. The conversation is looping. These kinds of conversations are truly exhausting.’

“Yeah, they’re awful… I’ll definitely get back at them. I’ll make them pay for manipulating you and making you do bad things. And those spreading bad rumors about you, they’ll be arrested too.” (Yuri)

“Really!? Please, it’s absolutely true!” (Carya)

“I won’t let anyone hurt you anymore. I’ll also stop the marriage with Carol.” (Yuri)

“And the child!? Will you… end the child too!?” (Carya)

For a moment, my mind went blank with anger. They often say your head boils with anger, but this wasn’t just boiling. It was a small explosion of rage.

“Between us, Carol is practically on her deathbed already. She’s in no position to bear a child. Don’t worry about it.” (Yuri)

‘With my head clouded by anger, how could I make this face and say these words?’

I felt like I had turned into a lunatic.

‘Was I really this kind of man?’

“Really!? So, you’ll marry me!?” (Carya)

“Of course. Honestly, I preferred you over Carol.” (Yuri)

“I’m so happy…” (Carya)

Carya seemed genuinely overwhelmed with joy, covering her mouth with both hands, tears welling up. She gazed at my face for a while, then seemed to grow tired of it, lowering her eyes. It must have been only a few minutes, but Carya had been emotional the entire time. After seeming to calm down, Caria lifted her tear-stained face and said…

“Hey, hold me.” (Carya)

She extended her arms towards me, waiting to be embraced. Perhaps due to the difference in physical activity since childhood, Carya was shorter and lighter than Carol.

I lifted Caria up with both arms and embraced her. Caria wrapped her arms around my neck, our faces close.

“Yuri, I love you.” (Carya)

Her words didn’t feel like a lie. In fact, they were likely true. I didn’t doubt that.

While holding Caria with my left arm, I drew a short dagger from my waist with my right hand.

“I love you too.” (Yuri)

With the blade horizontal, I thrust the dagger into the gap between Caria’s ribs, just above her waist. The dagger angled upward, likely grazing her lung and reaching her heart.

“Uh… Kuh…” (Carya)

The freshly sharpened blade slid in without resistance, not hitting any bones. Caria didn’t struggle or show much agitation. She just held onto my neck. She pressed her body against mine, savoring my warmth.

“Even if it was a lie… I was happy. Thank you.” (Carya)

Carya whispered these words in my ear, then twitched and went still. Her grip around my neck loosened, and her weight on my left arm felt heavier.

I laid Caria down on the bed, still with the dagger embedded between her ribs. Blood gushed out dramatically, staining her dress with a large red mark. I thought if I aimed for the heart and left the dagger in, the bleeding wouldn’t be so severe, but it was substantial. The dagger must have punctured organs around her lungs, causing air to leak out.

‘This wouldn’t look like a suicide.’

Caria’s final words lingered in my mind.

Before entering the room, my plan was to stab her and then throw the body outside. From the sixth floor, whether it looked like a suicide or murder, no one would know. It could be done even now. However, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I covered Caria’s body with a blanket and left the room.

“Your Excellency! How did it go?” (??)

A soldier who was waiting called out to me.

“Carya committed suicide.” (Yuri)

I replied, closing the door behind me with my hands behind my back, telling a lie. It wouldn’t be much of a problem if it were revealed that I had killed her. After all, Carya killed my parents, so while there might be sympathy, I wouldn’t be condemned. Even if it were exposed, declaring it as suicide would be more convenient.

“I want to at least show some courtesy. I’ll leave the handling of the remains to a woman.” (Yuri)

I walked down the hallway for a bit, then approached the body of Bronx, the breaker, and picked up the axe he had.

It was heavy. Too heavy, and the handle was too thick to grip comfortably. Returning to the door, I raised the axe and smashed the knob.

“You stay here and keep watch until a woman arrives.” (Yuri)

‘When the Second Army surrenders, the Queen’s Sword will come here.’