The Terminally-Ill Lord Desires Hospice Care

After finishing his morning duties, the Emperor was made to doubt his own eyes upon entering the bedchamber for a brief rest.
For the Empress had laid Rizehl on their bed and was attending to her duties by her side.

“Empress. Could it be that the second prince’s depraved tastes have extended even into our bedchamber?”
“Have you truly gone mad?”
“If not, then why is this damn brat lying in our bedroom? Could this perhaps be that vile thin-”
“There is also a method of searing your mouth shut with a red-hot poker.”
“You truly do not understand jest, Empress.”

The Emperor deliberately took a seat on the sofa farthest from the Empress.
“For me to be unable to lie on the Empress’ bed, yet this scrawny brat can. For the first time, I envy her.”
“…Raul would have been enraged if he heard that.”
“While I can excuse this brat’s misunderstanding of Raul…I cannot forgive her insolence towards you.”

Yet the Emperor did not draw his sword.
“It may be better to inform this fool of her brother’s condition. For her to know the time she wasted would be true torment.”

A subtle fury flickered across the Emperor’s expression.
That fury was not directed at Rizehl, but rather his fiancée and mother.

“That foolish boy has been reduced to a body with less than a year remaining…Yet those two remain blissfully unaware, carrying on arrogantly, which greatly displeases me.”

He wished he could upend them right then and there, but could not.
Even the commotion at the lord’s inauguration ceremony paled in comparison to what they would consider ‘justified retaliation’.
Especially his fiancée, whom Raul had strictly warned him not to harm.

“Is it not utterly pathetic, Empress? That we are the ones who sacrificed, yet we are the ones suffering?”
“…I.”
As one of Raul’s victims herself, the Empress too had the right to voice her opinion.
“Would make the same choice again if that moment came once more. For Raul too would do the same.”
“……”

The two silently reminisced about the past. Though no words were spoken, they recalled the same thing. Only the perspectives differed, for the pain, sorrow, and rage all carried the same weight.

A few years prior.

Around the time the Demon Lord’s madness from losing his partner took on the objective of annihilation, he had taken countless lives in pursuit of that goal.
Eventually, the allied forces comprising various races including humans rose to confront him, but before the fearsome Demon Lord called the Cursed Blade, they were mere dust forming ranks.
The misshapen beings virtually enslaved by the Demon Lord, including the dragon tribe, also threatened the allied forces.
Among them, the most formidable was the vampire.

“Fuck…!!!”
Penelope, the brilliant commander who would become the future Empress, slammed the table repeatedly in a show of rage.
“That goddamn bastard saw through my stratagem again and fled…! We have already suffered sacrifices on our end…!!!”

The vampire lord Chepesh was a particularly vexing foe, with wits surpassing Penelope’s and an inherent immortality.
Even Raul, capable of slaying giant Demonic beasts over 5km in size, could not kill him.

“…I hear driving a silver stake through his heart will kill him.”
“If silver pierces my heart, I too would die!”
“We at least have a chance of surviving.”
“It will come for somewhere other than my heart before I can drive a silver candlestick into it.”

Raul, who had offered his input, immediately fell silent at Penelope’s irritation.

“Our defensive lines keep being pushed back, and at this rate, even our main camp will be overrun, fuck…! That damned wretch!!!”

Normally quite composed, Penelope could not maintain her rationality against the vampire Chepesh.
An existence who ceaselessly hurled taunts and all manner of insults at her, who always gleefully shattered her schemes while mocking her, and who had slain her younger brother, her mortal enemy.

“If our main camp is overrun, we will truly be defeated…”
“If someone remains behind to buy time, the rest may survive.”
“Raul, I know that already, but who would…”

Suddenly reining in her rage, Penelope began calmly analyzing the situation.
The first prince was currently battling the King of the Dead, Camilla was independently tracking the Dragon Queen, and their other friend ‘her’ was fending off the dark elves’ assault.
The only ones remaining at the main camp were herself and Raul. Moreover, Raul was ill-suited against Chepesh.
Additionally, the vampires would undoubtedly attack the main camp to capture and torment her.

“……I shall now explain the stratagem, Raul. First, we shall retreat from the main camp. And for a safe retreat, someone must remain behind to hold back the pursuit.”
“Understood. I shall take on that role.”
“No. I alone shall remain.”
“Have you taken leave of your senses? Their goal is you, Penelope. I would rather not speak of the filthy acts they intend with my own mouth.”
“That is precisely why I speak thus, Raul. This is not a stratagem for a safe retreat, but rather…for the annihilation of the enemy.”

Raul gazed at Penelope with an expression that seemed unconvinced.
While usually obediently following his friends’ words, he would not tolerate endangering them.

“I demand an explanation.”
“…Haah. I shall explain, so listen well. And you must properly convey this to the other fools after retreating.”

Penelope carefully explained the scheme she had devised, but Raul’s expression only grew darker.

“…You have lost your mind. You are insane. Such an insane stratagem. If there is even a slight misstep, everything will be rendered meaningless and fall apart.”
“Then should we resign ourselves to utter defeat just to sate your petty pride? Did you not promise the soldiers a return home during your speech? Or were those arrogant words mere bluster?”
“I did not mean to sacrifice you.”
“It is merely my single life. With just that, countless soldiers and many times that number of their families can live in peace.”

Reminded of his own family by those words, Raul bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
For he too loved his family, so he could not help being swayed by talk of family.

“…Very well. I shall convey this to the others as well, and ensure they follow the stratagem.”
“Thank you, Raul.”
“And I shall spend a lifetime regretting this day and reproaching myself, imagining countless ‘what ifs’ and berating myself for being unable to act upon them.”
“…..Yes. For that much, I apologize.”
“As I imagine ‘what ifs’, you shall dwell on reality and suffer anguish. It will be an ironic sight.”

With those words, Raul went outside to prepare for the retreat.
An uncharacteristic sorrow seemed to emanate from his expression.

The next night.
Amidst pitch darkness, the vampire lord Chepesh led his forces in pursuit of the retreating allied army.
A retreating army was supposed to be at its weakest, so it was an opportune time to deal a devastating blow.
But there was one who stood in their way.

“Ho…This is unexpected. No, an ‘unexpected harvest’ would be more apt, would it not?”
The one who had revealed herself was none other than the empire’s brilliant commander Penelope, the only one who could somewhat discern his schemes.
“…”
“Such silence is rather regrettable. I had wished to hear that voice.”

Unsheathing her sword, the Empress resisted while cutting down the myriad vampires.
But as the weakest of the five heroes, she was eventually overwhelmed by their collective might and captured.

“Uhuhuhuh…Just as I was growing vexed under that madman’s single-minded commands, a magnificent prize has fallen into my hands.”
“……”
Even so, Penelope only retained a resentful expression, not uttering a single curse.

“…It seems even your voice is too precious to waste on me. Very well. The joy of a hard-earned reward has its own value. Let us depart.”

Thus, she was dragged away to his castle like a dog, bound in iron chains.
To inflict humiliation upon her, they did not hesitate to strip her naked and drag her by a horse’s tail.
Even so, she only glared at them with eyes filled with hatred, still refusing to open her mouth.

“A remarkably tenacious wench.”
Chepesh ordered his subordinates to whip the bound and dragged Penelope with barbed lashes woven from steel and leather.
Even as several whipped her simultaneously, she clenched her jaw tightly, not letting out a single scream from the pain and humiliation.

“Not once did she open her mouth, even until reaching the castle. I shall acknowledge that stubbornness of hers. However, from now on, everything until this point shall seem like mere child’s play.”
“……”
“I truly anticipate whether the first sound from those lips shall be a scream or a plea.”

He then subjected Penelope to all manner of unspeakable tortures while imprisoned.
There were tortures that inflicted indelible humiliation upon her as a woman, tortures that could drive ordinary humans insane, and tortures that trampled upon her very dignity.
He inserted insects into her body, denied her even a drop of water, and brought her slain brother’s corpse to desecrate.
He even severed her Achilles tendons to prevent her from escaping.

Even so, her eyes only grew more venomous. She did not open her mouth, let alone show her teeth.

“A full week has passed. Ordinarily, even I would have collapsed from such torment, yet she endures.”
“……”
“Ah, I recall the nobles value chastity above life itself, permitting only their loved ones.”
“……..”
“You, with your keen intellect, must know what I intend to do next. Shall I hear that precious voice of yours this time?”

Thus, she was dragged into Chepesh’s bedchamber and robbed of what she held most precious.
By that abhorrent monster who had slain her own brother, no less.
It was a time more painful and humiliating than any torture. Tears streamed from her eyes, but her lips remained sealed.

“Hah, tenacious to the very end…”
Even Chepesh, gazing up at her prone form, acknowledged her fortitude.
“Very well. Once this act concludes, I shall grant you mercy by beheading you. To think you would remain silent until high noon of the seventh day.”

Upon hearing those words, Penelope gave an ominous smile that would chill any who witnessed it to the bone.

“…!”
Sensing something amiss, Chepesh tried to push her away, but the Empress firmly grasped him, not letting go.
And after a full week, she finally opened her mouth.
But what emerged was not a curse, insult, or threat – only a glinting silver.
A silver candlestick carved into a makeshift stake had been driven into his heart.

“…You imbecile.”
“So this was your scheme? I underestimated you. To think you would gamble so recklessly. Even if I had forced your mouth open by other means, this foolish ploy would not have worked. For a soldier to gamble so.”
“If it worked, it’s a jackpot, you imbecile.”
“There were also far too many risk factors. Had you let out even a single scream from the torment, everything would have unraveled.”
“I had confidence in my endurance, unlike you.”
“Did you also have confidence I would embrace you like this?”
“Yes. I deeply pondered what you would do. While my talent in commanding troops may still fall short of yours…I had confidence in analyzing your actions.”

Even so, it had been a recklessly audacious stratagem.
One that would have utterly failed if even a single element went awry.
Yet she had staked her very life for the sake of that gambit alone.
Even if she failed, she could have the army retreat, and if successful, defeat the demon tormenting her friends.
For that alone, she had willingly sacrificed what she had most preciously guarded.

“You madwoman…You truly are a madwoman.”
“Shut your mouth and die, instead of babbling any longer.”
“Yes, I shall go to hell and die…but you too shall live in hell. Indulge in that victorious path to hell to your heart’s content.”

With those words, he turned to mere ashes and vanished.
Soon after, Raul and the other comrades stormed in, massacring the vampires within the castle grounds.
And the first to set foot in that chamber were those three.

“…Penelope.”
Even Camilla’s expression was etched with profound sorrow.
The future husband of the first prince Azhel closed his eyes briefly before speaking:
“You have won. Simply that. Any who utter words other than that shall be executed by military law.”
“…Your Highness. What of the other vampires outside?”
“She is handling them, so be at ease.”
“That is…a relief.”

Watching this scene, Raul silently approached her and draped his cloak over her.
Enough to conceal her crouched form.

“…This is an item Father had repaired from a coat he cherished in his youth, saying it would shield me from the cold if not provide strength on the battlefield.”

As he gazed at his cloaked friend, he did not betray any emotion.

“What you did inside, I could neither see nor hear.”
Then, readjusting his grip on his cane, he said as he headed outside:
“It is a precious item, so I shall return it to you personally later. I shall go assist the other half in finishing the clean-up.”
“……”
“You have labored hard, my friend.”

No one knew what she had done within that cloak.
But as it always had, fate flowed tragically onward.
Despite the first prince issuing a gag order, rumors still spread, twisted by the second prince into Penelope prostituting herself to the enemy to survive.
It was all lies, but no one believed her. For the second prince’s salacious rumors were more stimulating and intriguing.

Thus, even after returning as a war hero, Penelope was plagued by all sorts of malicious rumors.
Due to rumors of whispering sweet nothings to her brother’s killer, she was even disowned by her family, unable to see her parents’ faces.
Though she had sacrificed everything, she had gained nothing in return.

As she wandered alone in the rain, three ruffians appeared and draped her with their cloaks.

“Your Highness…? Camilla…? Raul…?”
“Your household is truly wretched.”
“It is the empire that is wretched. This nation is rotten from the core.”
“…Penelope.”

Thanks to the rumors, she could find no shelter, her honor had been utterly defiled by the second prince, and she had even been disowned by her household.
Though she had lost everything, she had not lost her friends.
For her friends were quite the unpleasant sort, so they would not leave her side.

“I am now a being without anything. No honor, no household, unable to even walk unaided by my own strength…”
“We did not become friends for such reasons, Penelope.”
Raul’s calm reply was enough to bring forth a single tear.
The first prince Azhel too was pained by her plight.

“You say you have lost shelter? That is only natural.”
“…”
“For one such as you deserves only the finest shelter.”
“Pardon…?”
“I shall take you in. These two recommended it, and I have accepted.”

It was an incomprehensible statement.
With the imperial succession at stake as he vied against the second prince, marriage was one of the greatest weapons at his disposal.
Yet to use such a weapon on one disowned from her household was illogical by any reasoning.

“You too saved us with an audaciously unconventional scheme. So I too shall save you by acting unconventionally.”
“But if you lose the succession battle because of this…!”
“I shall not lose. With you all by my side, I would prevail even if the entire empire became my enemy. Could a mere empire truly defeat us?”
“Even so, why would you go to such lengths? Even if we are friends, to do such a thing…”

“We are unbecoming beings. Fools unable to look after ourselves. Yet we are also great fools who dislike seeing our companions suffer.”

The first prince embraced the others as he spoke:
“So let us live for each other’s sakes, we fools. If we only think of one another, we may become slightly better fools.”

From the very start, those driven to that battlefield could never have led normal lives.

“Disregard the circumstances and only look upon each other’s scars as we live. Even if one of my friends annihilated half the nation, if a scratch appears on their body, I would annihilate the remaining half.”

Their hearts were moved by the words to live for each other, looking only upon one another’s wounds.
Thus, they came to cherish not their own scars, but each other’s.

And so the flow of memories accelerated, arriving at the present.

“…Back then, Raul did make one exception.”
The two let out a wry laugh as they gazed at the slumbering ‘exception’.

“It may have been jealousy.”
“After spending years together on the battlefield, he surely felt some envy that you chose your sister instead.”

Such banter seemed to lighten the mood somewhat, but the Empress took that opportunity to say:
“However, Your Majesty, would it not be time to take concubines?”
“What nonsense is this? Are you telling me to repeat the former emperor’s mistake?”
“I am a woman still unable to lie with a man due to being unable to shed past memories.”

As a result, the Emperor had been spending his nights on the sofa every day.
There was the option of sleeping in separate rooms, but he had refused out of concern for creating new rumors about the Empress.
There was also the option of the Empress sleeping on the sofa, but he had refused out of consideration for her frail body.

“I shall wait.”
“Pardon…?”
“For the day my foolish friend can fell the tree in his heart, the day my dimwitted friend can unearth and confess the heart he has buried, the day my vexing friend can shed the past.”

With a bright smile, he concluded:
“I can wait. Even if I never see an heir, what is this paltry empire to crumble? It is a trivial matter compared to you all.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Is not patience a virtue of sovereigns? Just as endurance is your forte, waiting is mine.”

In fact, Rizehl, who had been awake from some time ago, had struggled mightily to keep her hands and feet from cramping up.