Splaaat—
Hot liquid sliced through the air.
It was indiscernible whether the droplets falling were blood or rain.
“Argh!”
A knight screamed, collapsing onto the ground.
His body lay motionless, lifeless.
Twelve knights lay dead in total.
Including the leading investigator and the coachman, the eleven other people were strewn around the carriage.
Everything unfolded as the carriage was traveling down a forest path, having left the Valentine estate.
Suddenly, figures in black cloaks emerged from the bushes.
“Ambush!”
“This is— damn it!”
The knights, unprepared for such an attack in this location, reacted too slowly.
“M…Mages!”
By the time they drew their swords, they were already impaled by fireballs and ice spears that came from nowhere.
“What do you want? How dare you attack the imperial knights and think you can… keuugh…”
The investigator, who had boasted bravado against the duke, didn’t last long either.
His confidence proved to be mere arrogance, his end ignominious.
I sat inside the iron cage, a mere spectator to everything unfolding.
No, I had no choice but to watch.
The imperial family’s sacred relic seemed to be doing its job. Within this cage, neither qi nor any other power could be used.
Just sitting here was exhausting.
The mages, having commandeered the carriage, hastily cleaned up the grisly scene and changed direction.
Into the dark, foreboding woods.
“Where are you taking me?”
I asked, but no one answered.
“Who sent you? Leo?”
Again, no response.
However, not all reactions were absent.
Mentioning Leo caused a noticeable stiffening in some of their backs.
‘So, they’re Leo’s men after all.’
Then, naturally, Urien must be behind this.
I had suspected they might concoct something at the second trial, but not to this grand scale.
The notebook and necklace were sent suddenly.
The investigator arrived just at the right time.
And in the end, I, with my own hands, turned my back on my family, forsaking them, deliberately hurting them, and walking right into his trap.
Grinding my teeth, I focused my qi from my core, but it was to no avail.
I sighed and leaned against the cold iron bars.
Wasting energy on the impossible isn’t my style.
“Tell your boss, will you? Take it easy.”
It was exhausting.
Whether it was my body or something else, I couldn’t tell.
A deep sense of fatigue washed over me, and closing my eyes, various faces flashed in my mind.
First, Diana.
She was the first I had left behind.
After the investigator arrived and Diana turned pale, I confided everything to her.
The truth about Alicia and me being switched at birth, and hence, the person the investigator was actually seeking was me.
And right after saying everything, I followed the investigator.
Of course, Diana tried to dissuade me.
“It’s obviously a trap set by that bastard. Can’t you just not go? Or let me come with you, okay?”
“Stop being stubborn, Diana. Have you forgotten? You have Ria. You’ve done enough for me until now. So, there’s no need for you to be tied down by me anymore.”
“Milady…”
“You have to think about Ria. And don’t worry too much. I promise I’ll come back alive.”
Diana sat down right there and sobbed profusely.
She covered her mouth to muffle the sounds.
Her silent crying looked so sorrowful and pitiful.
What could I say?
I gave her a faint smile and patted her back.
Then I turned away.
I deliberately didn’t look back.
In case the soft-hearted Diana would insist on being taken along with me until the end.
The faces that came to mind next were…
Father.
Brother.
Alicia.
As I thought of my family, laughter unwittingly escaped my lips.
Each time a smile leaked through my lips, my lungs felt like they were jolting.
‘They must be deeply hurt.’
Alicia cried a lot.
But it couldn’t be helped.
In a situation where I might or might not return alive, I didn’t want to show any pathetic attachment.
I didn’t want to become a lifelong emotional burden for them.
It was better to play the part of the villain.
Besides, if I hadn’t gone to such lengths, the investigator would have hesitated between me and Alicia until the end.
‘What if both of us had been captured?’
That would have been the worst scenario.
If Father or Brother had unsheathed their swords to protect me, that too would have been a disaster in its own way.
Well, even now it seems like the lesser of two evils.
Anyway.
I had no regrets.
‘But still, if things turn out well and we meet again…’
I’ll kneel and apologize.
Say it wasn’t true.
Say I’m sorry.
That, in fact, I…
‘I love you all. Really, truly. Very much.’
Rattle—
Either the carriage hit a stone or something, but it jolted heavily.
When my eyes opened in reaction, I could feel several of the mages watching me closely.
Clearly, to them, I was not just ‘some criminal to be dragged along’.
This confirmed again that Urien was behind all this.
I turned my head to gaze into the dark shadows of the forest.
Even in broad daylight, the dense trees made the forest dark as the night.
It reminded her of someone’s pitch-black hair.
‘Cassion.’
The name I had been avoiding immediately came to the forefront of my mind.
Just thinking of his name made my heart pound fiercely, like someone’s desperation to escape danger.
Given my current situation, it was likely that Cassion wouldn’t be safe either.
Deep in thought, I slowly clasped my hands together.
As if to pray.
‘Be careful. Please. Cassion.’
In a situation where I despised the gods more than anyone, it’s ironic how I would turn to them in times of need.
What a ridiculous sight.
I scoffed silently to myself, closing my eyes tightly.
Praying continuously, over and over.
Finally, amidst the long prayers.
Creak.
The carriage came to a halt.
* * *
At that same time—
The Valentine residence was in utter chaos due to the sudden appearance of countless monsters.
“There are too many of them!”
“Did you contact the Imperial Palace?!”
“Yes! We just sent a messenger pigeon. But the sky is also occupied, so… I’m not sure if the message will get through…”
A knight, responding to Damian’s query, looked up at the sky.
It was swarming with as many birds as there were monsters on the ground.
Each one was blue and had a vacant stare.
They swooped down on the messenger pigeons as soon as they took flight, cutting off their escape, as if to completely isolate the Valentine residence.
The monsters were more ferocious and more wild than those seen at the hunting festival.
They seemed to have evolved.
Clang—!
Fortunately, the knights of House Valentine, reputed to be the strongest in the empire, were holding up well, but it was still quite troubling.
And the duke.
Fitting his title as the empire’s sole swordmaster, every time he swung his sword, monsters fell in droves.
However, it wasn’t easy to deliver a fatal blow to each one, so even when he felled ten monsters, five would rise again.
Their tenacious vitality was infuriating.
Moreover, his mind was preoccupied, making it hard to concentrate.
The duke glanced fiercely towards the forest opposite the residence.
‘I’m sure I heard screams from that direction.’
Multiple screams, at that.
Though others might not have heard, the duke, with his exceptionally sharp hearing, heard them clearly.
It sounded like about a dozen people.
And coincidentally, the number of knights who had taken Rosetta away was twelve.
“Father, leave this to me and go find Rosetta!”
As Damian spoke, the duke turned to look at him, his hands never ceasing.
“Guoooh!”
“Graahh!”
Several monsters groaned in agony as they fell.
The duke stomped on their ribs as he approached Damian.
“There are too many. I can’t leave you here alone.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s the opposite. You are the one who is leaving alone, Father. The knights and I will stay here.”
Damian replied seriously, then chuckled dryly.
For a moment, they stopped talking and, back-to-back, continued to slash through the monsters.
“You seem to have forgotten that I am a hundred times stronger than you.”
“I’m not so sure. That seems like a long time ago, so distant I can hardly remember.”
“Can you really hold on if I leave?”
“If I’m the one who’ll leave, I won’t be able to take a few steps before being overwhelmed. I’ll hold the fort here, Father. We need to prioritize saving Rosetta.”
“……”
“All this timing is too coincidental. Just as the carriage with Rosetta left, and you were about to follow, these creatures appeared. It’s as if they’re trying to hold us back. Perhaps, these monsters are…”
“Right, Rosetta might be the target.”
“Yes. And the screams from the forest, you heard them too, right?”
“Yes.”
“Please go, before it’s too late. Fortunately, it seems the monsters haven’t entered the mansion where Alicia is sleeping. Leave Alicia and the residence to me, and go, Father.”
Save Rosetta.
The duke wiped his face smeared with blue blood.
His sleeve was damp.
Just like when he had wiped away his tears earlier.
He gazed solemnly at the mansion, then slowly surveyed his surroundings.
And he started to walk.
Following the tracks of the carriage that took Rosetta.
His pace quickened.
“Trust me.”
Damian chuckled at the duke’s departing, grim voice.
‘Rosetta. Wait just a little longer.’
Splaaat—
Hot liquid sliced through the air.
It was indiscernible whether the droplets falling were blood or rain.
“Argh!”
A knight screamed, collapsing onto the ground.
His body lay motionless, lifeless.
Twelve knights lay dead in total.
Including the leading investigator and the coachman, the eleven other people were strewn around the carriage.
Everything unfolded as the carriage was traveling down a forest path, having left the Valentine estate.
Suddenly, figures in black cloaks emerged from the bushes.
“Ambush!”
“This is— damn it!”
The knights, unprepared for such an attack in this location, reacted too slowly.
“M…Mages!”
By the time they drew their swords, they were already impaled by fireballs and ice spears that came from nowhere.
“What do you want? How dare you attack the imperial knights and think you can… keuugh…”
The investigator, who had boasted bravado against the duke, didn’t last long either.
His confidence proved to be mere arrogance, his end ignominious.
I sat inside the iron cage, a mere spectator to everything unfolding.
No, I had no choice but to watch.
The imperial family’s sacred relic seemed to be doing its job. Within this cage, neither qi nor any other power could be used.
Just sitting here was exhausting.
The mages, having commandeered the carriage, hastily cleaned up the grisly scene and changed direction.
Into the dark, foreboding woods.
“Where are you taking me?”
I asked, but no one answered.
“Who sent you? Leo?”
Again, no response.
However, not all reactions were absent.
Mentioning Leo caused a noticeable stiffening in some of their backs.
‘So, they’re Leo’s men after all.’
Then, naturally, Urien must be behind this.
I had suspected they might concoct something at the second trial, but not to this grand scale.
The notebook and necklace were sent suddenly.
The investigator arrived just at the right time.
And in the end, I, with my own hands, turned my back on my family, forsaking them, deliberately hurting them, and walking right into his trap.
Grinding my teeth, I focused my qi from my core, but it was to no avail.
I sighed and leaned against the cold iron bars.
Wasting energy on the impossible isn’t my style.
“Tell your boss, will you? Take it easy.”
It was exhausting.
Whether it was my body or something else, I couldn’t tell.
A deep sense of fatigue washed over me, and closing my eyes, various faces flashed in my mind.
First, Diana.
She was the first I had left behind.
After the investigator arrived and Diana turned pale, I confided everything to her.
The truth about Alicia and me being switched at birth, and hence, the person the investigator was actually seeking was me.
And right after saying everything, I followed the investigator.
Of course, Diana tried to dissuade me.
“It’s obviously a trap set by that bastard. Can’t you just not go? Or let me come with you, okay?”
“Stop being stubborn, Diana. Have you forgotten? You have Ria. You’ve done enough for me until now. So, there’s no need for you to be tied down by me anymore.”
“Milady…”
“You have to think about Ria. And don’t worry too much. I promise I’ll come back alive.”
Diana sat down right there and sobbed profusely.
She covered her mouth to muffle the sounds.
Her silent crying looked so sorrowful and pitiful.
What could I say?
I gave her a faint smile and patted her back.
Then I turned away.
I deliberately didn’t look back.
In case the soft-hearted Diana would insist on being taken along with me until the end.
The faces that came to mind next were…
Father.
Brother.
Alicia.
As I thought of my family, laughter unwittingly escaped my lips.
Each time a smile leaked through my lips, my lungs felt like they were jolting.
‘They must be deeply hurt.’
Alicia cried a lot.
But it couldn’t be helped.
In a situation where I might or might not return alive, I didn’t want to show any pathetic attachment.
I didn’t want to become a lifelong emotional burden for them.
It was better to play the part of the villain.
Besides, if I hadn’t gone to such lengths, the investigator would have hesitated between me and Alicia until the end.
‘What if both of us had been captured?’
That would have been the worst scenario.
If Father or Brother had unsheathed their swords to protect me, that too would have been a disaster in its own way.
Well, even now it seems like the lesser of two evils.
Anyway.
I had no regrets.
‘But still, if things turn out well and we meet again…’
I’ll kneel and apologize.
Say it wasn’t true.
Say I’m sorry.
That, in fact, I…
‘I love you all. Really, truly. Very much.’
Rattle—
Either the carriage hit a stone or something, but it jolted heavily.
When my eyes opened in reaction, I could feel several of the mages watching me closely.
Clearly, to them, I was not just ‘some criminal to be dragged along’.
This confirmed again that Urien was behind all this.
I turned my head to gaze into the dark shadows of the forest.
Even in broad daylight, the dense trees made the forest dark as the night.
It reminded her of someone’s pitch-black hair.
‘Cassion.’
The name I had been avoiding immediately came to the forefront of my mind.
Just thinking of his name made my heart pound fiercely, like someone’s desperation to escape danger.
Given my current situation, it was likely that Cassion wouldn’t be safe either.
Deep in thought, I slowly clasped my hands together.
As if to pray.
‘Be careful. Please. Cassion.’
In a situation where I despised the gods more than anyone, it’s ironic how I would turn to them in times of need.
What a ridiculous sight.
I scoffed silently to myself, closing my eyes tightly.
Praying continuously, over and over.
Finally, amidst the long prayers.
Creak.
The carriage came to a halt.
* * *
At that same time—
The Valentine residence was in utter chaos due to the sudden appearance of countless monsters.
“There are too many of them!”
“Did you contact the Imperial Palace?!”
“Yes! We just sent a messenger pigeon. But the sky is also occupied, so… I’m not sure if the message will get through…”
A knight, responding to Damian’s query, looked up at the sky.
It was swarming with as many birds as there were monsters on the ground.
Each one was blue and had a vacant stare.
They swooped down on the messenger pigeons as soon as they took flight, cutting off their escape, as if to completely isolate the Valentine residence.
The monsters were more ferocious and more wild than those seen at the hunting festival.
They seemed to have evolved.
Clang—!
Fortunately, the knights of House Valentine, reputed to be the strongest in the empire, were holding up well, but it was still quite troubling.
And the duke.
Fitting his title as the empire’s sole swordmaster, every time he swung his sword, monsters fell in droves.
However, it wasn’t easy to deliver a fatal blow to each one, so even when he felled ten monsters, five would rise again.
Their tenacious vitality was infuriating.
Moreover, his mind was preoccupied, making it hard to concentrate.
The duke glanced fiercely towards the forest opposite the residence.
‘I’m sure I heard screams from that direction.’
Multiple screams, at that.
Though others might not have heard, the duke, with his exceptionally sharp hearing, heard them clearly.
It sounded like about a dozen people.
And coincidentally, the number of knights who had taken Rosetta away was twelve.
“Father, leave this to me and go find Rosetta!”
As Damian spoke, the duke turned to look at him, his hands never ceasing.
“Guoooh!”
“Graahh!”
Several monsters groaned in agony as they fell.
The duke stomped on their ribs as he approached Damian.
“There are too many. I can’t leave you here alone.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s the opposite. You are the one who is leaving alone, Father. The knights and I will stay here.”
Damian replied seriously, then chuckled dryly.
For a moment, they stopped talking and, back-to-back, continued to slash through the monsters.
“You seem to have forgotten that I am a hundred times stronger than you.”
“I’m not so sure. That seems like a long time ago, so distant I can hardly remember.”
“Can you really hold on if I leave?”
“If I’m the one who’ll leave, I won’t be able to take a few steps before being overwhelmed. I’ll hold the fort here, Father. We need to prioritize saving Rosetta.”
“……”
“All this timing is too coincidental. Just as the carriage with Rosetta left, and you were about to follow, these creatures appeared. It’s as if they’re trying to hold us back. Perhaps, these monsters are…”
“Right, Rosetta might be the target.”
“Yes. And the screams from the forest, you heard them too, right?”
“Yes.”
“Please go, before it’s too late. Fortunately, it seems the monsters haven’t entered the mansion where Alicia is sleeping. Leave Alicia and the residence to me, and go, Father.”
Save Rosetta.
The duke wiped his face smeared with blue blood.
His sleeve was damp.
Just like when he had wiped away his tears earlier.
He gazed solemnly at the mansion, then slowly surveyed his surroundings.
And he started to walk.
Following the tracks of the carriage that took Rosetta.
His pace quickened.
“Trust me.”
Damian chuckled at the duke’s departing, grim voice.
‘Rosetta. Wait just a little longer.’
