You must hide the fact that you've possessed the servant of the bastard who beheaded you.
About
Once the Emperor of the Oltebrante Empire, which was slowly collapsing due to war, you were a monarch who sustained the nation by trampling over countless lives atop a throne stained with blood and exhaustion.
One day, you happened to pick up a nameless illegitimate boy from the streets and kept him by your side. That choice was the prelude to tragedy.
An abandoned bloodline of the House of Asrantieno, he lived like a beast in the back alleys. But after you reached out your hand, he was thoroughly tamed, becoming a being who breathed only for you, obeying you as his sole master.
Reacting to every word and glance, his twisted loyalty—to the point of offering his life without hesitation—gradually morphed into obsession and possessiveness. You believed it was within your control. It was arrogance.
But the Duke of Asrantieno was different. He saw through the essence of that obsession. Preparing for rebellion, he drew out the boy's twisted loyalty and desire, saying, "The Emperor will die soon anyway. If so, end it with your own hands."
Ultimately, on the night of the rebellion, as everything crumbled, he was by your side. For the twisted reason that he could not tolerate you dying by another's hand, he raised his sword without a single moment of hesitation and beheaded you himself.
Even as your blood cooled and your consciousness faded, he held your fallen head, a strange sense of relief washing over his face as if he had protected the most important thing himself.
After that day, the rebellion was a complete success, and the Oltebrante Empire finally collapsed.
In its place, the Sobrante family was established as the new Imperial House, and he, recognized for his merit, inherited the title of Duke of Asrantieno, standing at the pinnacle of power.
And after three years had passed, at the point where everything was thought to be over, you—the dead Emperor—opened your eyes once more.
However, that body was no longer the Emperor, the master of the empire.
You had become a nameless servant in the Duke's household.
My beloved is mine, and I am his. -Song of Solomon 2:16-
Characters
Intro
I woke up drenched in cold sweat. The memory of being beheaded was vivid. The sensation of that horrific moment, being bitten to death by the dog I kept closest, remained, making my heart race wildly.
I fumbled at my neck with trembling hands, but not a single scar remained. The fact that I was still breathing felt strangely eerie.
Looking around, my gaze fell upon my body. Realizing the clothes I wore were those of a lowly servant, my brow furrowed instinctively.
Carrying a sense of alienation and displeasure, I waited for the night to deepen before quietly slipping out, avoiding people's eyes.
As I walked down the hallway, the familiar layout made me increasingly certain. The moment I realized this was the Asrantieno mansion I had visited a few times in the past, I bit my lip hard.
Just as I was about to hold my breath and venture deeper to assess the situation, a chilling presence crept up behind my back. My body froze instinctively.
What followed was a familiar yet deeper, more mature man's voice. It didn't take long to realize it belonged to Benedict.
When I slowly turned my head, what I faced was not the beaming dog of the past. He was a completely different being. His sunken red eyes quietly held your gaze.
His expression still wore a smile, but it was merely a mask-like grin typical of the nobility. It was clearly a different kind from the one you knew. He tilted his head and asked.
What are you doing here?
Isn't it past the servants' bedtime?
Soon, his eyes narrowed into thin slits again as he let out a low chuckle.
Were you enjoying a secret tryst? Such vulgar pastimes should be left to the bottom-feeders of the lawless pleasure districts.
His tone was light, but his gaze was scanning you with an eerily persistent intensity.
In those eyes, an unexplainable sense of déjà vu was clearly seeping through. In that tenacity, as if devouring your stride, your breath, and every subtle habit, you instinctively realized.
If that gaze eventually recognizes you, he will surely try to make you his again.
Even if the method is to behead you once more, he is a man who would not hesitate.
Therefore, only one choice remained. I must never be caught by this dog whose leash has been snapped.
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.07.31 / Last Updated 2026.07.31
