If You Remove the Kind Protagonist’s Mask

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling. 

That was a lie. 

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar gallows greeting her.

‘Hello? I’m a gallows and your neck is going to be tied here.’

Like that.

Clang! Clang, clang! 

No matter how much she banged on the bars, it was useless. However, there were strangers staring at her, annoyed.

“There are thirty minutes left till the execution. May God bless you in your next life, Mr. Yoidel.” 

[note: ‘Mr. Yoidel’ is not a mistranslation]

“But I’m not Yoidel!”

“We won’t commute your sentence even if you pretend to lose your memories. Please be quiet!”

“We can’t let you go but if there is something you’d like to have as your last meal, please say so. You are allowed that mercy.” 

“He’s allowing such a terrible criminal such kindness. Ah, he’s truly worthy of Holy Emperor’s seat.”

Tears seemed to appear when they replied with those scornful words, but she held them in.

“It’s a misunderstanding! I really didn’t attack His Holiness. That’s because I…” 

“Ha, are you going on about that again?”

The judges, who’d heard that tearful cry around a hundred times now, sternly shook their heads. The look in their eyes was as cold as a great wall of ice.

“Everyone begs for mercy just before their execution.” 

“Yeah! So you know how I feel, right?” 

“But there’s no escaping life and death. You must have a humble heart to obey life.”

They prayed as if bowing in front of an altar before firmly turning their backs to her.

“Does it look like I’m thinking about that? Hey! Excuse me! Don’t go!” 

“There’s not much time left. May you be blessed.”

Bang! 

The iron door closed and she remained alone in the dark. It was complete solitude.

“I’m really not Yoidel, what do I do… sob.”

Looking at her tied wrists, she sniffled and cried silent tears. 

It was unfair and frustrating, but she couldn’t explain herself so she felt like she was going crazy. She went to sleep normally and when she woke up, she was in this state. 

She had a hobby. 

Late at night, she’d read fantasy novels before going to sleep. 

It was no different for the novel she’d last read.

It was the life story of a gracious and kind protagonist who had both looks and abilities. 

It was a fantasy story without romance. 

The protagonist was the master of the Holy Nation Palladium. It was a great thrill to experience that world inside a fantasy.

Her heart pounded when she got to see his abilities. 

Yeah. Even so, who’d want to enter inside of that story?! And as a villain too?!

‘I’m Yoidel.’

Among the countless villains, the extra ‘Yoidel’ was a bit special. That’s because she was a stalker-like character who loved the Holy Emperor to the extreme and was a woman who disguised herself as a man.

That fact was only revealed after her execution.

“I don’t want to die… I’m scared.”

Yoidel crouched down and stared at a puddle in one corner of the prison. 

When the sun shone through the window exhibiting the sight of the faraway gallows, she saw her reflection in the puddle. 

Remarkably beautiful pink hair, poisonous red eyes. That was the appearance of Yoidel in the novel.

‘If I meet the protagonist, wouldn’t he listen to me?’

If this was really the story she read, and if she could meet the protagonist in that novel, she would try to beg.

If it was the protagonist, who was the master of the Holy Nation and described in a benevolent and warm light, wouldn’t he reconsider it?

‘No, who’d try to help the person who harmed them?’

She’d probably get treated like a maniac. 

Right now she was in prison on charges of attempting to kill the Holy Emperor. What on earth did she do? 

There were thirty minutes left. The time remaining before her death was trickling. She didn’t have any more time to think.

At this rate, she’d really die.

‘Ah, right!’

Yoidel suddenly remembered the words said earlier. They said they’d allow her one mercy.

Clang! She hit the bars one more time and called for someone.

“There’s something I want to eat.” 

“What?” 

“If I can’t avoid execution, then I’ll accept that. Instead, I’d like to have one last meal.”

That was a lie. She had not the slightest intentions of accepting that. But for an instant of carelessness to open the door and escape, she needed a moment’s opportunity.

“Please prepare it quickly. There’s no time.”

Yoidel decided. Anyhow, if she was going to die, she’d die trying.

Creak– 

A few minutes later, the door of the grim prison opened with an old and metallic sound.

A prison guard entered Yoidel’s cell with a tray.

He had a strange feeling. A while ago, there was the noisy sound of wailing, but why was it so quiet now?

The moment the guard recognized that sense of déjà vu…

Bang!

A quick black shadow popped up and rammed into his chin.

“Argh!”

Thud! 

In the chaos where both the tray and dish broke, the black shadow was seen breathing heavily. It was Yoidel.

“Ha, haa… phew!”

He’s fully unconscious, right?

Clutching her chest a bit, she waved her foot in front of the unconscious man. Even so, he didn’t wake up.

“Oh no, I’ve really done something bad.” 

Her voice trembled. Half out of fear, the other half out of joy because she could escape.

She cut the rope on her wrist with the guard’s sword and laid a finger under his nose. Thankfully, he was still breathing. He simply fainted, so it was possible to immediately wake up.

“I’m so sorry. I apologize from the bottom of my heart. But I really, really want to live. I hope you have a fast recovery!”

She repeatedly bowed her head and apologized to the already unconscious man.

She hurt someone for the first time in her entire life. She hadn’t even done as much as step on an ant before, but now she’s committed a crime like this.

She couldn’t believe she did this herself.

But when facing life or death, it was possible to make extreme choices.

Yoidel apologized with the sincerity of her heart, but she did not regret knocking him out.

That was how much she wanted to live. She was very desperate.

Confirming her drive for survival again, she opened the door to the hallway. As expected, the outside of the prison was as dark and humid as the inside.

“No, how did you escape?!”

Bang!

Yoidel was surprised by the unfamiliar voice and flung the metal door wide open.

Just like that, she knocked down another guard. These heavy metal doors were very suitable for beating people half to death.

“I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!”

Yoidel apologized again and again, terrified by the fact that she had made two people pass out.

Then, she dragged the two men and laid them side by side in the corridor. She did it so gently that anyone who saw her would mistake her for a kind lover.

“Like this, they’ll be discovered right away.”

Strangely, she felt proud and wiped away her sweat.

Yoidel turned away while hoping they wouldn’t lose their memories or have any other problems.

Then, she sprinted as if she was crazy. 

She didn’t know the way so she headed where the light was first. To the place contrary to the dark prison.

‘Okay, no matter what, I’ll just run straight ahead.’

Yoidel whispered to herself, silencing the sound of her footsteps and running like a four-footed animal.

Sweat poured down like rain and her vision was blurry. To make matters worse, she saw people in white priest uniforms nearby.

As time went on, she realized this wasn’t a dream.

When she was in areas with many people, she stuck herself against the wall and walked on tiptoe. However, when she heard the sound of her breath and her chest pounding, it felt like her heart was going to explode.

“The priest-in-training Yoidel has escaped! Catch him!”

“That way!”

When she felt a bit at ease again, the inside of the prison quickly became noisy once more. Someone noticed that she had escaped.

This won’t do. She can’t break down like this.

Yoidel held her weakened legs and walked towards the light again. When she was met with a dead-end, she went through the underground waterway.

Around the time she was about to retch because of the awful smell, she saw a place where bright light gushed out.

It was the door to the outside.

Bang.

She pushed the door open and saw a dazzling sight.

It was a very different scenery compared to the place she was in before.

There was a great dome-shaped glass roof and ceiling that rose so high that even if twenty people were sitting on each other’s shoulders, they wouldn’t be able to reach it.

It was a castle so vast that even if you turned your head around, you would not be able to see the end of it and you could feel the magnificent and dignified energy.

Was this the Holy Palace? 

In the central area of the Holy Nation’s great temple, there was a Holy Palace. The place where the protagonist often stayed at.

“I heard a strange noise over there! Catch him!” 

“Huh? But that place is…”

This wasn’t the time to admire it. The voices of the people looking for her nearby were approaching.

She had to run away. As soon as she saw the stairs, she went down to the underground.

There was stuff coming out of the wounds on her legs and hands and it felt like she was going to burst into tears but she couldn’t cry yet.

She bit her lips and ran out. Then, she arrived at some area. It was a place full of bookshelves. 

Was this the library? She went inside and looked around.

There were at least a dozen and the bookshelves looked like a labyrinth. If it’s here, it’d be hard to find something. She immediately went over and listened to the surrounding noises.

“Phew…”

Thankfully, it looked like they didn’t follow her till here. The moment she moved her foot back inside, it got caught in the long hem of her clothing.

“Argh, kya!”

Thud! And when Yoidel’s body crashed into the bookshelf‒

Rumble– 

The bookshelf that she had her hand on began to slowly turn with a heavy noise. The floor started turning slowly with it, bringing along Yoidel.

When the bookshelf finished turning, a hidden space that wasn’t seen before was revealed.

The moment she discovered that area, she felt the remote and terrifying, almost unreal energy of what seemed like an eternity’s time passing by.

What stood in front of her eyes was another large library. To be more precise, a secret work area that looked like a library.

There was a man in it.

A man with silver hair and a beautiful, angelic appearance.

‘….blood?’

The man stood tall as if he were the owner of this area filled with coldness and a scene was displayed behind him.

Dozens of beast and human corpses were piled up.

She felt her breath stop at the unimaginable sight. She wasn’t being suffocated but she felt like she couldn’t breathe because of the overwhelming energy.

Why did she come here of all places? She escaped death and ran right into an even bigger danger.

Her arms shook uncontrollably. She couldn’t even make her fallen body get up.

When she felt only suffocating fear–

“There seems to be a rat.”

She heard a soft and low voice. 

The faraway man slowly approached her. The way he walked was elegant and beautiful, but at that moment she felt fear.

He swung his sword in the air and easily got rid of the drops of blood. Of course, that wasn’t his blood.

He had an annoyed look on his face as if the drops of blood flying away were filthy. However, his sword was still covered in bloodstains.

“Did you see it?”

He sighed and spoke softly.

“I asked if you saw it.” 

“What? N-no. I d-d-didn’t see anything.” 

“…what did you not see?”

She was able to clearly see the face of the man approaching. As if modelled after the moon in the night sky, he had an outstanding and sharp appearance.

Then, his eyes bent beautifully. He was a man who looked unbelievably bewitching.

He bent down and gently took hold of her chin before immediately pinning her with a cold gaze. 

That smiling face quickly became cold.

“You saw it.”

edit 1: changed ‘holy empire’ to ‘holy nation’