After I Lost All My Emotions, the Regent Went Mad

After failing my mission, the system sent me back to the modern world and stripped away all my emotions. But three years later, alarms suddenly blared through my mind as the system went into a frenzy. The system told me that Adrian Blackwood, the Regent I failed to win over, had gone mad. He bathed the royal court in blood and was determined to drag the entire Kingdom of Ashbourne into ruin. The only thing keeping him going was his obsession with seeing me one more time. I refused immediately. He had already ruined my life. Why should I go back and save him? The system grew so desperate that it started glitching. In the end, it offered me a blood-bound contract: if I agreed to return, all penalties would be erased. On top of that, it would give me a fortune large enough to let me live comfortably for the rest of my life. After weighing the pros and cons, I agreed. But when the emotionless version of me stood before Adrian once again, the Regent who held the entire kingdom in his grasp dropped to his knees at my feet. Chapter 1 “Host, be careful. Adrian's completely unhinged right now. Anyone who crosses his path ends up dead." The system's voice trembled inside my head. "He killed the young king, imprisoned the dowager queen, and left the capital awash in blood. He swore that unless you returned, he'd make the whole world pay for your death." I stood within the void, looking at the system's crumbling world. Three years ago, I failed to win Adrian over. To escape, I threw myself from a cliff that plunged into a seemingly endless abyss before his eyes, leaving not even a trace of my remains behind. I traded away all my feelings in exchange for a ticket home. Now, nothing could stir my emotions anymore. If anything, I'd become cold-hearted. “Three months. Ten million dollars.” I repeated my terms, my tone as casual as if I were discussing grocery prices. “Deal! As long as you can stop him from blowing up the World Core!” The system hurriedly shoved me down. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself inside a magnificent yet eerily oppressive manor. It was Adrian's estate. It was also the prison he built for himself. The courtyard gate was tightly shut. Only a few eternal lanterns swayed in the darkness, casting ghostly light. A man dressed in black stood with his back to me, holding a shattered jeweled hairpin—the only trace I left behind when I disappeared three years ago. After three years apart, the murderous aura surrounding Adrian had become so intense it was suffocating. He had grown thinner. His lonely silhouette resembled a solitary sword that could snap at any moment. “Get out.” He seemed to sense someone behind him. Without turning around, he spoke in a hoarse, icy voice. “I've already said that no one is allowed in here.” I looked at him, and a memory flashed through my mind. Three years ago, he abandoned me alone in a bandits' hideout for the sake of his cousin, Sharon Cook. Back then, I would have cried and been devastated. Now, I felt nothing. I mimicked the way I used to speak and breathe, then called softly, “Adrian.” The man froze instantly. “Adrian, I'm back.” The next second, a powerful gust of wind swept toward me. Adrian appeared before me almost instantly. He stared at me without blinking. Those eyes that once filled with arrogance were now bloodshot. Shock, overwhelming joy, and a trace of cautious fear churned within them. “Be... Bella?” He lifted a hand, wanting to touch my face, but his fingers stopped just short of reaching me. They trembled violently, as if the slightest touch would cause me to shatter like a dream. “Is it really you? Is it truly you?” I looked at him acting like this and felt absolutely nothing. I raised my hand and took his icy palm, pressing it against my cheek. The warmth of my skin met his fingers. “It's me.” I gave him a perfect, gentle smile. “I didn't die. I'm back.” “Bella!” Adrian pulled me into his arms with a violent force. His grip was so tight it felt as though he might crush my ribs. His entire body trembled. Scalding tears instantly soaked through my shoulder. He was crying. The feared Regent who slaughtered countless people and struck terror throughout the realm was now holding me in his arms, crying like a lost child who had finally found his way home. “You finally came back... I knew you weren't dead... I knew it... “Don't leave me again. Please, Bella. Don't leave me again...” I let him hold me. My hands mechanically patted his back. “I'm not leaving. I won't leave again.” The most heartfelt promises slipped from my lips, yet my eyes drifted past his shoulder to the flickering candlelight dancing through the hall. Cold and indifferent, I watched the flames sway. Eighty-nine days and twenty-three hours remained. Chapter 2 Adrian had gone mad, but he also placed me on a pedestal. He no longer attended court. He no longer ordered executions. Day and night, he stayed by my side. He turned the estate into an impenetrable fortress, not even a fly could get in. He became painfully suspicious and possessive. If I disappeared from his sight for more than fifteen minutes, he would spiral. “Bella, this is your favorite apple pie. I made it myself.” At lunch, Adrian carefully placed a slice onto my plate. The look in his eyes was so hopeful it was almost pleading. I looked at the apple pie without the slightest reaction. Back then, I spent countless hours baking this apple pie for him in the middle of winter, yet he hadn't even spared it a glance. Now he cooked for me himself, and all I felt was amusement. Everything I once dreamed of having was now within easy reach. “It's delicious. Thank you, Your Highness.” I smiled at him, polite and distant. The light in Adrian's eyes dimmed instantly. He stared at me, as if trying to find even a trace of the admiration and gratitude that once filled my expression. “Bella, do you still blame me?” He set down his fork, his voice strained. “No.” I shook my head and answered honestly. I didn't blame him. Blame required emotion, and I had none. As for Adrian, he was nothing more than a mission to me now. What was there to blame? “Then why...” He stopped himself, panic flashing through his eyes. “Why are you being so formal with me? You weren't like this before.” The old Izabella Lock would have been happy for half a day because of a single word of concern from him, and secretly wiped away tears over his indifference. The Izabella standing before him now was utterly unmoved. “People change after they've died once.” I said calmly, ladling some soup into a bowl for him. “You're overthinking things, Your Highness. Eat before it gets cold. Adrian stared at the bowl of soup. His fingers tightened around the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. He had noticed. He could feel it. Even though I was right beside him, my heart seemed separated from him by an uncrossable distance. The helplessness gnawed at him. It made him restless and afraid. And then, the person responsible for the tragedy between us arrived. Sharon. Given how I used to treat Sharon, this was the moment when I should have demanded to know why Adrian still allowed her to stay. Instead, I merely glanced at her. No emotion stirred in my eyes. “Since your cousin is here, she should join us.” My tone was calm, almost generous. “These grapes are quite sweet. Your Highness, let her try some as well.” The grape in Adrian's hand burst beneath his grip. Purple juice ran between his fingers like blood. “Izabella Lock!” He shot to his feet. His voice trembled with barely restrained fury. “You don't care? You truly don't care?” I looked up at him innocently. “Why would I? She's your cousin. You grew up together. It's only natural that you're close. If I were upset about it, wouldn't that make me seem childish?” I behaved like the perfect lady. I was gracious, understanding, and considerate. Wasn't this exactly the kind of wife every man dreamed of having? Yet Adrian looked as though someone had struck him across the face. His eyes turned crimson as he stared at me. His chest rose and fell violently. "How generous of you..." The words escaped through gritted teeth. Without warning, he yanked Sharon into his arms and held her against his chest. Then he looked at me with open provocation. “Since you're so generous, what if I spend the night in Sharon's chambers? Would you be perfectly fine with that too?” Sharon let out a startled cry before melting into his embrace. A smug smile appeared on her face as she looked at me. I set down my fork and dabbed my lips with a napkin. “Where Your Highness chooses to spend the night is entirely your decision.” I rose to my feet and gave a proper curtsy. “Then I won't interrupt your time together. I'll return to my room and rest.” With that, I turned and walked away. My steps were calm, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance. A deafening crash erupted behind me. The table had been overturned. The sound of shattering glass followed. Then came Adrian's roar, filled with despair and fury. “Get out! All of you, get out!” Chapter 3 Adrian began to grow increasingly unreasonable. He couldn't stand my complete lack of reaction. To provoke me, to force even the slightest emotion out of me, he started relentlessly testing my limits. He deliberately flaunted his favoritism toward Sharon. He arranged for Sharon to stay at the estate and showered her with expensive gifts, sending one lavish present after another to her guest suite. He even made a point of having Sharon sit on his lap while he was taking his medicine whenever I came to deliver it, her clothes deliberately disheveled. “Adrian, this medicine tastes terrible. You have to stay here with me while I take it.” Sharon pouted sweetly as she spoke, shooting a provocative glance toward me at the doorway. Adrian held the medicine, but his eyes never left me. “Bella, if you're unhappy, all you have to do is say the word. I'll have her removed immediately.” He was gambling that I still cared enough to be jealous, to cry, to make a fuss over him. I stood in the doorway and watched the performance with nothing but boredom. Three years ago, it would have felt like a knife through my heart. Now, all I could think was that their posture looked terrible for their backs. “You must be joking, Your Highness.” I walked over and set the jar of honey on the table. My voice was gentle and flawless. “Medicine is supposed to taste awful. If Sharon doesn't like it, she can have some honey afterward. Please, don't let me interrupt.” I even thoughtfully closed the door behind me. The moment it clicked shut, Adrian's furious roar erupted from inside, followed by Sharon's startled scream. That night, Adrian stormed into my room reeking of alcohol. He shoved me onto the bed. His eyes were bloodshot, as though he wanted to tear me apart and consume me whole. “Izabella!” He gripped my chin and forced me to look at him. “Is your heart made of stone? After everything I put you through, you're still not angry? Do you not love me anymore?” I looked at his twisted expression of pain and sighed inwardly. Two months remained. For ten million dollars, I could endure it. I raised a hand and gently stroked his face. I followed the system's instructions and spoke words I didn't mean. “Adrian, stop this. I just thought that if you liked her, I could let you go. “As long as you're happy, a little heartbreak on my part doesn't matter.” “I'm not happy!” he shouted. “I'm not happy at all!” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and once again, his scalding tears burned against my skin. “All I want is for you to love me... Even if you hated me, cursed me, or couldn't forgive me, it would be better than this. Just don't treat me like this. Don't look at me with those empty eyes... “Bella, what do I have to do to prove it to you? How can I make you see that my heart still belongs to you?” He grabbed my hand and pressed it firmly against his racing heartbeat. I let him unravel. My gaze drifted past the window instead, settling on the moon hanging in the night sky. The moon was beautiful tonight. I wondered whether the moon would look just as beautiful from a quiet seaside town after I collected my ten million dollars. Chapter 4 I thought our days would continue like this—my indifference against his madness, until three days later. Three days later, on the kingdom's annual Lovers' Day, Adrian said he wanted to take me to Saint Aurelia's Abbey outside the capital. It was the place where we first fell in love three years ago. “Bella, let's ask for another blessing together, all right?” He looked at me, hope shining in his eyes. “Let's pray for a lifetime together. For us never to be separated again.” I nodded. “All right.” The carriage rolled out of the capital and headed west. But when it reached a secluded mountain road, it suddenly came to a stop. Shouts erupted from all directions. A group of masked men dressed in black burst out of the forest, each carrying a sword and wearing a murderous expression. “Ambush! Protect His Highness!” The guards drew their weapons and rushed into battle. Chaos erupted instantly. At that moment, one of the attackers broke through the defensive line and charged straight toward me. The man hoisted me over his shoulder and sprinted deep into the mountains. Eventually, we arrived at an abandoned chapel. Inside, seven or eight ragged-looking vagrants were already waiting, leering as they watched me. “So this is His Highness's precious lady?” The leader threw me onto a pile of straw and lit a bundle of dried herbs. A moment later, a thick, sickly-sweet scent spread through the ruined chapel. “Izabella, are you awake? Are you scared?” “Sharon, what you're doing is a serious crime,” I stated matter-of-factly, though discussing laws in a place like this felt almost ridiculous. “Hahaha!” Sharon's laughter was sharp and grating. “Do you know whose idea this was?” “This was all approved by Adrian! He said all we had to do was scare you a little and make you cry.” Then her tone suddenly darkened. “But I have no intention of following the plan. I want to ruin you right here.” She pointed at the men behind her. “I want them to destroy you. By the time Adrian arrives, the woman he's been obsessing over won't be here anymore. All he'll find is a broken, worthless woman. “Let's see if he'll still want you then.” The moment she finished speaking, she turned and ran. The men had already received their instructions. They grinned and began closing in on me. The sweet, cloying scent grew stronger by the second. Heat began spreading through my body, while my limbs gradually lost their strength. The burning herbs had been laced with a powerful aphrodisiac. “System.” I called out in my mind, my voice remaining calm. “Run a diagnostic.” The system sounded horrified. “Host, this is bad! It's Bliss Dust, one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs known to man! Not only does it induce desire, but in a large enough dose, it can cause heart failure!” Just as I expected, a wave of nausea rose in my stomach. “When you sent me here, you personally guaranteed my safety,” I reminded the system. “Are you seriously telling me I'm supposed to endure this?” The filthy hands of the men were already reaching for my skirt. Their ugly faces loomed closer and closer. “Don't be scared, sweetheart. We'll take good care of you...” The system's voice trembled. “I did promise you'd be safe, but I never expected the supporting female character to go this far... And I certainly didn't expect the male lead to approve a kidnapping...” “Then what part of this qualifies as safe?” I asked. The system suddenly sounded guilty. “Ahahaha... but your three months aren't up yet...” “You failed to uphold your end of the agreement first. Now you need to minimize the damage.” My eyes turned cold as I watched a filthy hand reach toward my skin. “Activate the emergency extraction protocol.” My voice left no room for argument. “Apologies, Host! Your vital signs are collapsing due to a fatal overdose. Emergency extraction conditions have been met. Extracting now!” My vision blurred. The next moment, my soul was pulled free from my body and returned to the dark system space. A massive screen hung before me like something from a theater, displaying everything still happening on the other side. After my consciousness departed, the body still retained a few lingering signs of life. The men were just about to make their move when the woman lying on the straw, my abandoned body, suddenly convulsed violently. A mouthful of blood burst from her lips. With the soul anchoring the system-created body now gone, her heart was the first thing to stop. Then the entire body went limp like a puppet with its strings cut. Her eyes remained wide open, lifeless. The men froze in shock. One of them shakily reached out to check for a pulse. Moments later, panicked screams erupted throughout the chapel. “She’s dead?!” At that exact moment, the chapel doors burst open. Adrian arrived at last. A sword hung in his hand as he charged inside, his face filled with panic and desperate devotion. “Bella! Don't be afraid! I'm here!”