My Yandere Empress

The next day, I visited the administrative office in the Southern Capital.

There, I checked the records and altered Enzo’s name to Vale.

A warm feeling passed through my chest as I stared at the name.

Maybe I should make him change his name to Vale as well...

After that, we tracked down everyone whose hands the records had passed through. A few minutes later, each of them carried a soul bond.

One word of gossip, and their lives would be as good as gone.

With that done, Mathilda stayed behind, saying my mother had given her some work to finish. I didn’t question it, since I had one last mission of my own to complete.

Taking my horse with me, I made a small detour, positioning myself at a corner of an isolated path built specifically for the smooth travel of merchants.

I shed the borrowed robes of the Shadow Guard. I wasn’t truly part of it but for today’s purpose, the disguise had been necessary.

I waited an hour. Even though every part of me wanted to ride straight to the test centre.

But I can be patient too...

Eventually, I spotted a caravan heading my way. At its front, a chubby man in luxurious clothes rode the carriage, his face all smiles, rings glittering on his fingers.

The closer his carriage drew, the hotter my blood began to boil. Rage swept over me for the second time in two days. Perhaps the worst I’d felt in an entire year. Maybe even longer.

"A bottom-tier noble... daring to cross my champion?" I muttered under my breath.

Perhaps it was the killing intent I gave off, but the man looked up.

Those greedy eyes studied me in confusion before recognition flashed across them. It quickly shifted into a sly smile as he leapt down from his seat and hurried towards me.

"Your Hig—"

*Boom*

Lord Carlos never finished his words before his body burst apart, organs and bone spilling out, blood pooling across the concrete road.

I tugged the reins and turned my horse back with trembling hands.

It wasn’t fear... it was unadulterated anger.

Hearing his voice had been the final straw, and I hadn’t been able to hold my power in check. But even so, I didn’t regret the kill.

Just my lack of restraint.

At the gate, I caught up with Mathilda, who was waiting for me.

"Shall we head to the centre, my lady?" she asked.

I shook my head slightly. "Not today. I’ll simply rest for now."

In truth, my mood was still soured from the earlier encounter. And I had no intention of showing Enzo this irritable side of myself.

I spent most of the day lying in bed, lazing about.

But as night approached, restlessness crept in. My anxiety grew as the urge to see him only intensified.

So I slipped out into the silent city, disguised once more as a Shadow Squad member.

[Bloodlight Flicker]

My figure vanished and reappeared some distance away. Having already mastered this skill to a considerable degree, I used it in quick succession without fear of disorientation.

Earlier, back in the Underworld, I’d had to visit Elena and instruct her to make sure Enzo had somewhere to stay.

I would have preferred him housed in the noble district. But I knew being reckless and exposing my attention to him too soon, would only harm him in the long run.

"And what about his companions, my lady?" Elena had asked.

I’d been almost proud that he’d already made companions of his own... that is, until just a few hours ago— "His three friends — two boys and one girl — have been sticking together, from what I can see."

My thoughts ground to a halt.

"I see... and how many rooms did you arrange for them?"

"Originally I was thinking one room for all of them... er, is something wrong, my lady?"

I tried to soften the glare I could feel forming, even without needing to see my own eyes. Instead, I asked through a clenched jaw, "Go on."

"Uhh..." Elena, visibly flustered, answered, "I booked four rooms for them."

"Good thing you did. The consequences otherwise would have been worse."

It didn’t take long to find him. Though seeing him training at an odd hour was rather surprising.

I hadn’t expected him to be such a hard worker.

I climbed onto a tree branch and settled in to watch his training. His strikes were glaringly poor, and he looked like a complete beginner — a stark contrast to the reputation his clan had upheld for so long.

Then again... his future had been stolen from him by the Puppeteer.

I forced down the uncomfortable ache in my chest.

It was almost as if I felt guilty. Even though none of this was my fault.

Mother had contacted the Puppeteer for information on the Hermann, along with a few other clans.

After all, only a barbarian could provide proper intelligence on other barbarians.

What we hadn’t expected was the list of puppets he’d already planted within these barbarian clans, some for years.

In exchange, he’d asked for resources...not wealth or gold but specific rare materials.

It didn’t take a genius to guess he was trying to make or invent something.

My thoughts broke off as I sensed a presence some distance away. From my vantage point, I spotted a boy in finely made clothes attempting to sneak closer, his eyes locked on Enzo.

In his one hand was a small dagger; tied at his waist belt, a sword.

Before I even registered the decision, I had already teleported.

"Who sent you?"

The boy spun around in panic, about to shout, but was silenced by a single kick from me.

"N-nobody sent me. I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

"And exactly what for?"

"H-he cheated and eliminated me from the test yesterday! I was clearly bett—"

I activated a Null barrier around him, cutting off the air within it.

Within minutes, he would begin struggling for breath. His voice would never escape the barrier, and once he died, the barrier would collapse and drag him underneath the soil.

But that was none of my concern.

I settled back against the tree branch and watched Enzo train in blissful silence.