I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

"Is this... just a waste of time?"

"Yes. Forget about work and just leave it behind."

"...."

[The evil god, 'Kali,' warns that the empress is not behaving normally!]

The fake empress smiled mysteriously. At that moment, I became even more certain.

This wasn't the real empress.

The moment I stepped into the palace, there was no part of it that seemed calm or orderly. Everything was chaotic, yet she declared a holiday for herself and planned to just relax? It wasn't that she had never done this before, but those times were when she had completed her work and needed a break due to burnout. This wasn’t one of those times—there was still plenty of work piling up.

'Sylvia must be thinking the same thing.'

I glanced over my shoulder and caught Sylvia’s eye, who gave me a subtle nod. After everything we had been through together—crossing lines of time and space—I could read her thoughts with just a glance.

If anything were to happen, I could trust Sylvia to act and take down this imposter empress. There was no need to worry about an ambush.

'What method did she use? Disguise? Or maybe another spell from Sephiroth?'

A mix of thoughts crossed my mind. I had almost 90% certainty, but it was still just a suspicion. I lacked proof.

The person who had deceived everyone in the palace, to raise a theory of disguise without solid proof would only make me a target for political maneuvering. I needed concrete evidence.

Since the imposter wouldn’t have the real empress’s ability to read minds, I decided to wait for a mistake. It was only a matter of time before she slipped up and revealed something that could serve as proof.

"I’ll give you some space to finish getting ready." "No need for that. I was going to change my clothes and do my hair before you arrived, but since you’re here now, I won’t bother." "Wasn't there an outing planned?" "Outing? In a time like this, with so much work piled up, how could I leave the palace? For the time being, I’m as good as a prisoner trapped here." "...."

Sylvia and I exchanged glances. The palace was in disarray, and the empress surely couldn’t leave. But what she was doing right now didn’t match her usual behavior.

Why would she start getting dressed and put on makeup when she wasn’t going anywhere? Normally, on days without scheduled meetings, the empress never bothered with cosmetics. She always preferred to stay barefaced, claiming that makeup was an unnecessary waste of time.

And now, halfway through getting dressed, she suddenly decided to stop? Was there a reason for this interruption? I couldn't understand her actions, so I couldn't shake off my suspicion.

"You look confused. Are you figuring something out?" "Yes, Your Majesty..." "Hmm... Well then, guess what I’m thinking."

The empress gave me a playful smile. I nearly broke my poker face from the surprise.

'That was too obvious.'

This person... Was she really trying to impersonate the empress?

The real empress is a person who values efficiency above all else. She hates unnecessary meetings and conversations, and she has no patience for pointless small talk.

She would never drag out a conversation unnecessarily, especially with the kind of whimsical behavior the imposter was showing.

"Honestly, I don’t know what you’re trying to do. All I can tell is you’re playing games with me..." "Well, that’s not entirely incorrect. Please, sit down."

"Yes..."

The empress gestured for me to sit, then walked up behind me. As she did, I felt her head lightly touch my back. The gentle warmth of her breath reached me, and I felt it on my skin.

"...." "...."

I was waiting for her to speak, but she remained silent, not saying a word. Why was she acting like this? Was there something wrong with her?

I was sure that, with Sylvia right behind me, there was no need to worry about any sudden attack. Still, something about this felt off.

"Your body feels so cold..." "It seems like Your Majesty’s body temperature is a bit higher than usual." "Hmm... Why do you think that?" "...."

I was now sitting with the imposter so close to me. Despite being turned around, I could still smell a faint scent in the air. At first, I thought it was the usual scent of the empress, but something was different. It was subtly sweet—like a peach fragrance—but with a hint of something sour.

'What is this? A fruity scent?'

The smell was sticky and tart, but it definitely wasn’t sweat, as she wasn’t even perspiring.

That confirmed it. This wasn’t the empress.

I couldn't stand it any longer. I immediately stood up from my seat.

"Enough. You thought you could fool me?" "....Huh?" "Nice try. I almost believed you were the real empress, but you can't fool my nose. The real empress doesn’t smell like peaches or anything sweet. It’s a completely different scent." "Wh-what? The smell!? That’s impossible...!"

The fake empress stood up abruptly, pointing at me in shock as her face turned bright red.

"You're really telling me that today, of all days, the empress has nothing better to do than to ask me to come here just to pass the time? You think the empress is some kind of lazy person?" "...." "Then you’re in such a hurry to change into these thin pajamas and greet a guest? You think the empress is some kind of exhibitionist?" "...." "And the empress doesn’t like meaningless chatter or dragging conversations out. Do you really think she would start acting like some lovesick fool?" "...."

[The evil god, 'Kali,' is impressed by your chilling deduction!]

As I systematically pointed out the contradictions in her actions, the imposter’s head dropped lower, her face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t deny any of it; everything I said was spot-on.

"So where is the real empress? You better stop resisting. Without magic, which has already been countered by dark magic, and without the strength of a Swordmaster, you won’t be able to stop me." "Th-this is ridiculous...!"

"Finally, the mask comes off, huh? A fake." "Fake!? There's no way! You're just doing this on purpose! You’re trying to make a fool of me!"

"...Excuse me?"

In a flash, the fake empress lunged at me, grabbing my collar. I had expected Sylvia to step in and stop her, but when I turned, I saw Sylvia standing still, not moving at all. I was left frozen in surprise.

Why was Sylvia looking at me like I was the one who was stupid? My perfect deduction couldn’t possibly have been wrong!

"Really, Your Majesty... Is this really you?" "Let’s just say it’s not. At this point, we’ll have to make up some story about an unprecedented imperial kidnapping and impersonation incident."

"I’ve committed a grave sin, Your Majesty!!!"@@novelbin@@

[The evil god, 'Kali,' shakes her head at your hasty judgment.]

I acted quickly, standing up and immediately bowing down to the floor, having realized I had spoken rashly. I had made a terrible mistake. If I wanted to live, I had no choice but to beg for mercy.

"My lord, the family will be fine. Irene will be the new head and continue well, so don’t worry, you can die in peace..."

"Hey!?"

Sylvia was already offering me her condolences, preparing for my inevitable death. Was I really about to die?

"This shameless little—did you really just accuse me of being a fake to make me say everything I’ve been holding back? Is that it?" "Not at all, Your Majesty! I just thought you were acting a bit differently today, that’s all... You... You’ve been doing things you wouldn’t normally do." "...So now you want to add even more charges to the crime?" "Should I just sew my mouth shut, Your Majesty?"

"Should I sew it shut for you then...!"

In one swift motion, the fake empress grabbed my chin, lifting my face to meet hers. Her expression was a mix of embarrassment, anger, and confusion, but it was perfectly blended and somehow seemed harmonious.

Her eyes shook uncontrollably, and seeing her in this state was truly a rare sight. It was a moment that would stay with me forever.