Chapter 375: The Fourth Painting Path!

PS: The side story has already been written.

But it will be finished.

Believe me, you can also become light! Adding a little Easter egg, written casually today as inspiration struck. ——Prologue—— Her status is incompetent ruler, Young Girl, and Empress. In the year 1223 of the Imperial Calendar, the former princess of the Amanshi Empire, the Empress who was overthrown by the people after only two years in office—Tina Amanshi, is about to be executed under the gaze of the entire capital's population! "Why... did it turn out like this."

Deep beneath the Royal Capital, inside a dark and Damp prison, a blonde Young Girl wearing a tattered long robe sat kneeling on a pile of prickly dry Grass, muttering to herself with vacant eyes.

Her name is Tina, that's right, the former Empress who is about to be executed.

The guard who just came to deliver food had already told her about the execution.

It is tomorrow morning.

Don't want to die, don't want to die, don't want to die! So scary, so scary, so scary! Why, why must she encounter such a thing!? Is it because she was very willful?

But, but clearly no one accused her of being willful.

Is it because she had almost no achievements after taking office?

But she clearly did everything according to what the ministers said; she should count as a good Empress, right?

Even if a famine occurred, that was a matter for the heavens; why blame her?

She had clearly tried very hard, even selling her grandfather's collection to provide disaster relief, but why were those unruly people still dissatisfied, even rising up to revolt? And that sentence, "If there is no grain, why not eat meat?" She only said that because she didn't understand.

Who on earth spread that sentence! The cold Wind of early spring blew through the iron window onto Tina's thin body.

Whether it was the Fear of facing death, or the cold, or perhaps both, the Young Girl couldn't stop trembling.

"Whoever it is, save me..."

Tina gripped the iron Gate with weak hands, her head hanging low, her blonde hair, which had become somewhat withered from lack of care for years, covering the tears flowing down her cheeks, as well as the quiet sobbing that no one cared about at all.

And at the corner of the dungeon corridor, a figure paused.

"..."

The man clenched his fists in silence, his nails almost drawing blood from his palms.

After a long while, he turned and left, not looking at the Young Girl's posture after crying.

The next morning.

"Wake up, it's time for the execution."

The big-nosed guard in winter clothes lazily tapped the cell door with an iron rod, and without caring if Tina was awake, he directly inserted the key into the lock.

"Yo, Empress Your Majesty, do you have no appetite?"

The big-nosed guard looked at the dinner Tina hadn't touched last night and Taunted, "Could it be that it wasn't to your taste?"

"Oh my, that's truly terrible. How could those guys in the kitchen be so negligent? I'll have them throw this dinner away right now and replace it with a new one for you..."

"Oh, that's not right, you aren't the Empress anymore, hahaha."

"..." Tina pursed her lips in silence, ignoring the other party's Taunt.

She was already used to this kind of thing. At first, she would have retorted a couple of times, but now she knew she couldn't gain any advantage from these guards, and if she made them angry, she would be beaten. At times like this, she just had to endure.

Yes, endure.

Tina closed her eyes tightly; this was something she would never have done in the past, because back then everyone would go along with her.

"Tsk, get up!"

The big-nosed guard looked at the silent Tina with some dissatisfaction; he grabbed her wrist and then pulled her up from the ground with force.

The pain from her wrist made Tina unable to help but knit her brows, but she still didn't say anything.

This is fine; once he finishes venting his anger, he will stop out of boredom.

"This won't do, Empress Your Majesty."

The big-nosed guard bent down at this moment and picked up the black bread from the tray: "You might think this kind of food is beneath your notice, but do you know, I once lived for five days straight relying only on one piece of black bread."

"The taste of that thing was really bad, hard and astringent, and it even had sawdust mixed in to fill it out, yet even so, many people starved to death because they couldn't even eat this kind of thing."

"We dug up Grass roots, peeled tree bark, and some people even ate dirt and literally ate themselves to death; and you?"

"What were you doing!?"

The big-nosed guard's tone gradually became agitated: "You were enjoying fine food in the castle, drinking delicious wine, saying with your mouth, 'If there is no grain, why not eat meat'!?"

"Ah..."

The guard used his fingers to break open the front end of the black bread; it could be seen that there wasn't a speck of sawdust mixed into it.

He put the broken-off bread into his mouth, a look of memory flashing in his eyes.

"Wasting food is not good."

A cold light flashed in the guard's eyes; the next second, he gripped Tina's face with his broad palm and then crudely shoved the black bread into her mouth.

"Cough, cough..."

Tina coughed in pain; with her strength, she couldn't resist the guard's actions at all.

"... It's not the same." She retched painfully.

"What's not the same?" Hearing her words, the guard was a bit strange.

"The situation I heard about was clearly not like that."

As it turned out, the Young Girl was referring to the things the guard had just mentioned; there was no doubt she had been deceived by those ministers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Tina apologized to the guard with tears flowing.

If she could have seen through the faces of those ministers sooner, if she hadn't been so willful before, if she could have learned to put herself in others' shoes sooner.

Would the ending have been different? Having experienced that kind of thing, being hated is normal, right? It was her who failed to fulfill the duties of an Empress.

Even if she is executed, it is a deserved result for her crimes.

The guard looked at Tina in a daze; he suddenly felt he had done something wrong, and a sense of unspeakable shame and guilt shrouded his heart.

What was he doing? Could such a thing really be considered avenging those dead companions? And just as he was lost in confusion, his companion sent a urging sound to him, signaling that the execution was about to begin soon.

The big-nosed guard then suddenly snapped back to his senses and hurriedly took Tina toward the execution ground.

Only this time, he became silent and subconsciously began to look after Tina's needs.

"This is the final stretch of the road."

Above the ramparts of the Royal Capital castle, the big-nosed Soldier looked toward the guillotine in the distance and led Tina out from the interior.

A whistling, cold Wind mixed with fine snow blew against both of their faces.

Aside from a thin, ragged tunic, Tina had no other clothing to keep her warm.

Her bare feet stepped onto the icy bricks, and the iron shackles on her ankles were frozen as cold as frigid iron.

After a moment of thought, under the surprised gazes of those around, the big-nosed Soldier took off his own warm overcoat and put it on the Young Girl, Tina. Afterward, he bound the Young Girl's two arms with a rope.

"This is all I can do," he said.

"." Tina stopped her body from trembling, not quite understanding why the other party would do this.

"Go." However, the other party shook his head with a complex expression, showing no intention to explain.

Having said that, without giving her a chance to reply, the Soldier turned and left this place.

With no other choice, Tina could only suppress her confusion in her heart and walk slowly toward the guillotine.

Is it ending? With scenes of Hallucination flashing before her eyes like a revolving lantern, Tina finally knelt down before the guillotine in resignation.

Below the city wall were countless citizens of the Royal Capital, as well as Soldiers of the Revolutionary Army; besides them, there was also that legendary Young Girl who had mastered magic, who was also the leader of the Revolutionary Army—Feleiya, who had no surname because she was a commoner.

"Princess, please open your eyes."

Just at this moment, the Soldier responsible for the execution suddenly spoke to her.

"Hm?"

Tina looked at the other party in confusion; she felt she had heard this voice somewhere before.

It... it is Archer!

The loyal minister her father trusted most while he was alive; after the previous King passed away from illness, it was Archer who had been helping her manage everything in the country.

Yet, because of the words of treacherous officials, she had doubted Archer's loyalty and ultimately imprisoned him deep in the dungeon, the reason being that he had always insisted she must wait until she was an adult to inherit the throne.

How foolish I am.

If Archer truly had intentions of treason, how could he have been imprisoned in the dungeon by her without any resistance?

But why... "Why are you here?"

"It is alright, Princess. I have already prepared everything. In a moment, take advantage of the Chaos and you must escape." Archer seemed to have already plotted a plan to save the Princess.

However, at this moment, Tina only cared about one question.

"Will people die?" she asked.

"This..." Archer did not quite understand what she meant.

"Sigh." Tina let out an imperceptible sigh. At the final moment, she suppressed the Fear of death in her heart and commanded with a solemn expression: "Archer, this is my final order as the Empress of the Amanshi Empire."

"Do not incite any Chaos, do not harm any of the Empire's citizens, and then—" she took a deep breath:

"Behead me." ——Prologue—— Her status is a foolish ruler, a Young Girl, and an Empress. In the Imperial Calendar year 1223, the former Princess of the Amanshi Empire, the Empress who was overthrown by the people after only two short years in power—Tina Amanshi—is about to be executed under the gaze of the entire capital's population! "Why... did it turn out like this?"

Deep beneath the Royal Capital, in a dark and Damp prison, a blonde Young Girl wearing a ragged tunic knelt on a pile of prickly dry Grass, muttering to herself with vacant eyes.

Her name is Tina; that is right, she is that former Empress who is about to be executed.

The Soldier who just came to deliver food had already told her about the execution.

It is tomorrow morning.

Don't want to die, don't want to die, don't want to die! It's so scary, so scary, so scary! Why, why must she encounter such a thing!? Is it because she is very willful?

Bu—but clearly, no one has ever accused her of being willful.

Is it because she had almost no accomplishments after taking office?

But she clearly did everything according to what the ministers said; she should be considered a good Empress, right?

Even if there was a famine, that was a matter for the Heavens; why blame her?

She had clearly tried very hard, even selling her grandfather's collection to provide disaster relief, but why were those unruly people still dissatisfied, even to the point of starting a revolution? And that phrase, "If there is no grain, why not eat meat?"—she only said that because she did not understand.

Who on earth spread that phrase! The cold Wind of early spring blew through the iron window onto Tina's thin body.

Whether it was the Fear of facing imminent death, or the cold, or perhaps both, the Young Girl could not stop trembling.

"Whoever it is, save me..."

Tina gripped the iron Gate with powerless hands. She lowered her head, her blonde hair, which had become withered from years of neglect, covering the tears streaming down her cheeks and the quiet sobbing that no one cared about at all.

And at the corner of the dungeon corridor, a figure paused.

"."

The man silently clenched his fists, his nails almost drawing blood from his palms.

After a long while, he turned and left, not looking at the Young Girl's post-crying posture.

The next morning.

"Wake up, it is time for the execution."

The big-nosed Soldier wearing winter clothes lazily struck the cell door with an iron rod, and without caring if Tina was awake, he inserted the key into the lock.

"Yo, Empress, do you have no appetite?"

The big-nosed Soldier looked at the dinner Tina had not touched last night and Taunted, "Could it be that it wasn't to your taste?"

"Oh my, that is truly terrible. How could those guys in the kitchen be so negligent? I will have them throw this dinner away right now and replace it with a new one for you..."

"Oh, that's not right, you aren't the Empress anymore, hahaha."

"." Tina silently pursed her lips, ignoring the other party's Taunt.

She had grown accustomed to this kind of thing. At first, she would have retorted a couple of times, but now she knew she could not gain any advantage from these Soldiers; if she made them angry, she would be beaten. At times like this, one just needs to endure.

Yes, endure.

Tina closed her eyes tightly. This was something she would never have done in the past, because back then, everyone would have gone along with her.

"Tsk, get up!"

The big-nosed guard looked at Tina, who remained silent, with some dissatisfaction; he grabbed her wrist and then pulled her up from the ground with force.

The pain radiating from her wrist made Tina frown tightly, but she still said nothing.

This is fine; once he finishes venting his anger, he will stop because he finds it boring.

"That won't do, Your Majesty the Empress."

The big-nosed guard bent down at this moment and picked up the black bread from the tray: "You might think this kind of food is beneath your notice, but do you know, I once lived for five consecutive days relying only on a single piece of black bread."

"The taste of that thing was truly terrible, hard and astringent, and it was even mixed with sawdust used as filler, yet even so, many people starved to death because they couldn't even eat this."

"We dug up Grass roots, peeled tree bark, and some people even ate dirt and literally ate themselves to death; and you?"

"What are you doing!?"

The big-nosed guard's tone gradually became agitated: "You are enjoying fine food in the castle, drinking delicious wine, and saying things like 'why don't you eat meat if there is no grain'!?"

(End of chapter)