To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

At those words, Emmett’s lips quivered as he tried to speak, then he sighed and rubbed his face. To make his wife, with whom he had just spent the night, say such things. At times like this, he truly resented the gods who had imposed this divine punishment.

“Hah, Liv…”

“Yes.”

Emmett called Liv’s name but didn’t continue speaking for a while, then finally moved his lips to utter only these words.

“No. Don’t worry anyway. I’m confident I can raise our child well.”

Well, many children grow up well even without receiving sufficient love. For example, hadn’t Hildegard grown up with an upright character despite being alone? Liv nodded, having reached the conclusion that there would be no problem even if they had a child soon.

Emmett stared at Liv for a moment, then kissed her again. Feeling like it was a sign that things were about to start again, Liv subtly moved her body backward.

“Today I’m really tired…”

At that moment, a pain like burning fire enveloped Liv’s body.

“Ah!”

“Liv?”

“Aaagh!”

“What’s wrong?!”

The feeling of flesh being scorched by fire. Sharp needles piercing through flesh and bone. Sharp things meticulously dissecting the body…

Tears wouldn’t stop, and saliva dripped from her mouth. Liv couldn’t even clean it up and tried to suppress her screams with her head buried in the pillow.

“Liv, where does it hurt?”

Liv knew the identity of this familiar sensation. It felt like a brand was being seared into her body. The Emperor had activated ancient magic, using Liv as a sacrifice.

“Ugh…”

The area around her waist stung especially. It felt as if a hot brand was being pressed there. To endure the pain, Liv clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug into her flesh, causing wounds.

“Liv!”

She felt the startled Emmett grabbing her hands to separate them. Emmett held Liv’s hands, preventing her from injuring herself. However, Liv could barely open her eyes and only groaned in pain.

After a while, she felt the pain gradually subsiding. Only then could Liv open her eyes and look up at Emmett.

“I’m okay now…”

“Why is this happening! Where does it hurt? I’ll call a doctor.”

“No!”

Liv grabbed Emmett’s arm to stop him.

“This… this is normal. It’s not something like an illness.”

“What on earth is it? Then why…”

Liv blinked her tear-filled eyes and told Emmett the reason she was suffering so much.

“It’s because His Majesty the Emperor is using the Supreme God’s power by making me a sacrifice.”

“…What?”

“It’s been like this since I was confined in Abgrund. Usually, the sacrifice loses their life as the price for using God’s power at will, but that’s not the case for me. Even if I die, they would think it’s for the better. That’s why His Majesty made me a sacrifice.”

At those words, Emmett’s mouth fell open. He covered his face with his palms as if unable to accept what he had just learned.

“Why… why on earth…”

“Where else could you find a sacrifice as good as me?”

“Liv…”

A little later, Emmett raised his head with a reddened face. He called a servant and instructed them to bring warm blankets and heated stones, then covered Liv with a blanket.

“Are you alright now?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s sleep. Everything will be fine…”

It sounded like he was saying that to himself as well.

* * *

Looking at Liv’s sleeping form, Emmett raised his head with reddened eyes.

-Should we… not have children?

-…What? May I ask why you think that?

-…Emmett, will you be together with me?

After that conversation, Emmett’s feelings became more complicated than ever. Liv seemed to think that he would never love her. But he couldn’t offer any explanation.

-Anyway, I’m confident I can raise our child well.

That was all he could say.

Although he had no choice but to do so to get Liv out of Abgrund, Emmett sometimes resented his past self. He didn’t know he would receive such divine punishment. He should have told Liv he loved her back then.

However, what troubled Emmett even more was what happened next.

-It’s because His Majesty the Emperor is using the Supreme God’s power by making me a sacrifice.

He had been offering relics containing the Supreme God’s power to the Emperor until now. It was none other than Emmett himself who had offered relics to the Emperor. He had helped the Emperor use ancient magic. He knew that ancient magic came with a price and that the Emperor was maneuvering to avoid it, but he never thought that Liv would be paying that price.

What on earth had he been doing all this time? It felt like he was endlessly falling downward. Grief enveloped him, and his heart felt like it was shattering.

‘What have I been doing all this time…’

It wasn’t something to be distressed about receiving divine punishment. Considering the atrocities he had committed against Liv all this time, he deserved the divine punishment. However, because of that punishment, he was making Liv suffer even more… Emmett found himself unbearably disgusting.

“What on earth should I do?”

Although he had never heard God’s voice since escaping Abgrund, Emmett muttered while glaring at the empty air.

“How can this divine punishment end?”

He didn’t expect an answer. The gods were cruel beings.

At that moment, as Emmett was about to shed tears looking at the sleeping Liv.

On the day my child reclaims her original place, the divine punishment will be lifted.

A voice was heard from the sky.

That was all. There was no more voice after that, but…

‘Original place.’

Shedding tears without even realizing it, Emmett focused on those words. There was only one way to wash away his sins and convey his love to Liv.

Yes, in fact, that place originally belonged to Liv. It was her rightful place, which Liv should have had… Liv should have been able to enjoy everything in this world. In his eyes, Liv appeared to be the most precious and valuable being in this world.

So the highest position would undoubtedly suit Liv.

* * *

From the next day on, Emmett began to contemplate specific ways to help Liv reclaim her original place.

For Emmett, who possessed excellent swordsmanship skills and had many opportunities to be alone with August, killing the Emperor wasn’t a difficult task.

But killing August wouldn’t immediately restore the imperial throne. There was his bloodline, Louisa. Then he would have to use the soldiers of the Lartman ducal family to suppress the imperial palace and deal with the imperial princess as well…

Although he felt reluctant to deal with Louisa in one go just because she was of imperial blood, Liv was more precious to him than anything else. Emmett could do anything for Liv. Even if it meant abandoning his beliefs.

‘To carry out this plan, I’ll need outside help.’

He needed help from other families. Among the Five Noble Houses, the only family he could think of that might help him was the Arendt Marquisate.

The Arendt Marquis family had traditionally been a family pursuing knowledge, famous for possessing the largest library in the Empire. They stayed in the Arendt Marquisate, not coming up to the capital, and devoted themselves only to researching scholarship. Above all, they were quick with information. It was said that they had planted informants all over the Empire. They were neutrals who didn’t take sides with anyone, and even if someone approached the Arendt family with a purpose, they would simply refuse without reporting to the Emperor.

Emmett decided to write a letter first to observe the situation. In his letter to Marquis Arendt, he subtly mentioned the deaths of the former Lartman Duke and Duchess and the extermination of the Gracia family.

And a few days later, the reply from the Arendt family was…

[To Duke Lartman,

Hello, Your Grace. It’s been a while since I received a letter, and I was surprised by the unexpected content. It would be better to give a warning next time if you’re going to send such content. At this rate, the tyrant might even try to harm Duke Lartman. Well, don’t worry about others seeing the contents of this letter.

I recently heard from an informant that Your Grace married some woman and your relationship with the tyrant is not the same as before, and it seems to be true.

I thought you already knew about the deaths of the former Lartman Duke and Duchess, so I’m surprised you didn’t know. I thought you knew everything but were pretending not to know. Well, your guess is probably correct. That’s all I can say.

And I didn’t know about the Gracia family either, so thanks for the good information. If you have any new information that I might not know, please let me know. New information is always interesting.

—Marquis Arendt, Maya]

It seemed that Marquis Arendt already knew about the secret surrounding the deaths of the former Lartman Duke and Duchess. Being a family that prioritizes safety and has no interest in politics, they probably pretended not to know.

Although he resented the Arendt family for pretending not to know the truth while he was being played by the Emperor, now was not the time to be swayed by his emotions. After pondering for a long time, Emmett wrote another letter to the Lartman Duchy. It contained orders for all soldiers who had left the Lartman Duchy to gather there without exception. If something were to happen, he would need military force.

‘Liv…’

Emmett closed his eyes, recalling her who always wore an innocent expression but sometimes smiled in an unfathomable way.

‘For you, I’m ready to overturn this country.’