My Yandere Empress

"P-please don’t kill me... I truly don’t know where he is." The bald man pleaded, his priestly robes soaked through with blood.

His blood.

I watched him from a little distance away, careful not to stain my dress with his filthy blood.

I sensed a shadow stir as a figure, clad in the same dark robes as mine, stepped out of it and knelt beside me.

"Princess, we have searched everywhere. That man isn’t here anymore. Probably ran off somewhere else."

I glanced down at her kneeling figure, letting her words settle. Then turning towards the bald man, I asked, "If you don’t know his location, then someone else must. Who is that?"

The man flinched at my voice but I ignored it. Just like the umpteenth time when others reacted the same while speaking with me.

As if a devil from the Underworld had suddenly started talking to them.

...I’m not really that dangerous. My stoic face just sells that impression, for some reason.

But nonetheless, the man replied, "I am just a mere pastor... but the Bishop would know the answer to what you’re seeking."

Then, raising his head, he glanced at the corpses strewn across the courtyard. "But don’t you fear the Church at all? They won’t take this lightly."

I watched his bravado crumble as I took a step forward. "Maybe it’s time the Church was shown its rightful place. You’re supposed to be an institution of faith and devotion, not a political backyard spreading its influence over the royal family."

My hands rose in unison as a scythe materialized between them. Then with a single swipe of my weapon, I beheaded the pastor.

I didn’t waste any time there, walking back to the field where my horse stood waiting obediently. The shadow moved with me as she mounted a second horse.

"Mathilda, the Bishop is your responsibility. I want the Puppeteer’s location from him within a week."

The woman bowed from atop her horse.

I cast one last glance at the burning church behind me. Mathilda, as if sensing my thoughts, spoke. "Princess, you need not worry about this. Her Highness gave me permission to release the Shadow Marauders over them.

Tomorrow morning, when the Church discovers the condition of this building, they’ll no doubt launch an investigation of their own.

But alas, all they’ll find are Shadow Marauders roaming the grounds. And they certainly won’t blame us — not without evidence, even if their hearts knew the truth."

Reliable as always...

I almost smiled at the thought. And alongside it, someone’s face surfaced in my mind.

My heartbeat spiked, and a strange anticipation rose inside me.

Would... would he do the same for me one day?

Ah, what am I thinking...

As thoughts of him subsided, I turned to ask Mathilda, "The Isikolo test started today, correct?"

"Yes, my lady." Then Mathilda added, "Also, we’ve tracked down everyone who knew the boy’s name."

"Hmm." Instinctively, my hands tightened on the reins as a rare anger swept through me.

[Name: Valerie Windsor

Aspect: Crimson Lantern

Mana Core (Unique): Fall of the Last Star (D rank)

Core Trait: Cosmic Execution (0/100)

Total fragments: 15

Core fragments: 1613/18000

Soul fragments: 18/100

Physique: Expert

Affinity: Water, Thunder, Fire, Wind, Darkness, Light, Earth, Null.

Martial Techniques: Immortal Asura Body, Glacial Fist.

Weapon Techniques: Compression Strike, Flanking Crescent.

Skills: Battlefield Collapse, Finality, Butterfly Step Cut, Bloodlight Flicker.

Titles: Eighth Aspirant, The Brooding Killer.

Affiliations: Blessed of the Blood Moon, Princess of the Windsor Empire.

Ultimate: Final Beacon

Flaw: Diluted Emotions (Lvl. 6)

Quests:...]

As I summoned my runes, I glanced over them. Every step of my progress had been documented on this screen like it was writing my biography, completely free of charge.

Although I had my suspicions about this "charity," I never voiced them. You never know if the creator of this screen, or whoever hid behind the disguise of "the Voice of the World," might be listening.

For all I knew, it could even hear my thoughts.

But then my eyes fell on the last section of the screen. The Quests.

Specifically, on a certain quest.

[Global Quest: Kill Enzo Riccardo.

Re...]

Just reading the first line made my blood boil. Even my Flaw was proving useless at keeping my emotions in check.

"My lady, are you feeling well? You look a bit... frustrated?" Mathilda said from my side, confusion evident in her voice.

Made sense. She knew of my flaw, as did my parents and my siblings. Naturally, my emotions should never show on my face or even if it shows, it would look like my face muscles just twitched.

What however, didn’t make sense was the Voice of the World targeting Enzo.

Why...

Why would a great deity lock onto a mere mortal?

When the quest had first been generated, I was there behind the trees. Watching him.

He was severely weak, having only just awakened his mana core. Yes, he now had a Unique Mana Core — the highest grade possible. And yes, he was an Aspirant, like me.

But other than that, he had nothing...

My heart clenched as another thought crept in...

He was a mere puppet...

A sudden theory formed in my mind.

Could it be that a broken human regaining his soul had triggered the Voice to flag him as an anomaly? And if so, how had he regained his body in the first place?

I almost facepalmed myself, internally sighing at my own overthinking.

Obviously, he would tell me himself, once he became my Champion.

And then... and then, he would be my—

"My lady, we have arrived." Mathilda spoke in a low voice, addressing me. Her tone still carried an undertone of concern, her face creased as she studied me, as if trying to work out what was wrong.

I forced the mask of composure back onto my face — a surprisingly difficult thing, for someone who usually had to force emotion onto her face rather than off it.

I swung down from my horse in a single motion as we both headed towards a small house. Two Shadow Guards stood watch outside, kneeling at my approach.

"My lady, we’ve detained the soldier, as you ordered."

I nodded, then asked, "What about the others?"

"Dead." Both replied in unison.

I nearly sighed in relief. Instead, I simply nodded in acknowledgment before pushing the door open and stepping in with Mathilda.

Inside, a man leapt up from his chair at our arrival.

"Y-Your Highness, I didn’t do anything! Please forgive me if I’ve somehow offended you."

"You didn’t offend me. You’re just... unlucky."

Looking at the groveling soldier, I spoke. "Unlike the others though, you’ll be spared. It was my fault for speaking his name in front of you."

And indeed, this was me cleaning up my own mess. This man had helped the rebels escape — weakening a section of the carriage’s wooden walls beforehand, which they later used to break free.

But alongside that, I had also told him about Enzo. One of those rare moments where you daydream aloud and let slip words you shouldn’t have.

"You helped us, so I won’t kill you. But in exchange, you’ll swear a soul bond."

"S-swear what, Your Highness?"

I glanced at Mathilda. At my signal, she stepped forward and took charge.

Extending her hand towards the soldier, a pale light writhing around her wrist like a coiled snake, she instructed him to extend his hand in return.

"From this moment, you shall not whisper the name Enzo Riccardo. Nor shall you try to harm him, in person or in thought. Should you violate this bond, your soul will be burned to nothingness. Do you agree to these terms?"

The man’s eyes widened as he finally placed the name or rather, remembered the slave he had escorted to the carriage.

"Yes, I agree." He said it without a moment’s hesitation.

Instantly, the pale light leapt forward, coiling around his hand as well.

Seeing this, I wished I could have smirked.