Chapter 93

Chapter 93

‘…Who tried to poison whom? Me…? Grand Duchess Blaine and her children? For what?’

This was nonsense. It was obviously a conspiracy. She had no reason to hurt them, and she hadn’t even harbored that in mind. Still, it was so unfair that even though she didn’t hurt anyone, she couldn’t say anything.

While Min-ha desperately shook her head and indicated that she didn’t, Seth laughed coldly as if he thought the same and shouted at Oliver.

“What nonsense is that? Do you have any evidence?”

“Of course. Would you dare to bring the Duchess away without any evidence or witnesses?”

“There’s evidence? Nonsense. This person couldn’t have done that. Your Majesty must be misunderstanding something.”

“Such words should be explained at the trial that His Majesty will personally execute. Get out of the way, Your Excellency, unless you want to be punished for treason with that witch you’re so desperately protecting.”

“….!”

“Kyaak!”

As he responded with a sneer at Seth’s words, Oliver drew the sword he was wearing at his waist. When his sword, which drew a sharp parabola, aimed at Min-ha’s neck, Seth immediately drew his sword and struck away his swiftly at the same time.

Claang!

Oliver’s sword, which was aimed at Min-ha, was pushed aside with the sound of sharp metal clashing. Seeing that, he snorted before aiming his arm that was holding his sword at her again, taking a step closer.

“I’ll warn you again. Step aside, Duke Persen. The person you’re covering is a witch who dared to harm His Majesty’s people.”

“What if I can’t do that?”

“Oh, you’re completely possessed by that witch. To the point where he pointed his sword at me, the knight who came to deliver His Majesty’s orders and the Captain of the Imperial Guard. Your Excellency, you probably don’t know what it means to wield a sword against someone who has this edict.”

Saying so, he sarcastically turned to Seth while pulling out a document wrapped in gilded purple cloth from his pocket and holding it open in one hand.

Seeing Seth’s expression hardened at the sight of the edict, Oliver smiled leisurely and continued.

“Your Excellency must have received this edict. Perhaps, it was during the subjugation of Count Kain Joaquin?”

“….”

“You may not want to believe it though this edict is the same as the one Your Excellency received… the authority to summary judgment not only those who committed treason, but also the family members of the traitors and those who help the traitors.”

“Did Your Majesty tell me to cut down, too?”

“Of course not. Would His Majesty have given such an order to the Emperor’s sword, Duke Persen? His merciful Majesty has commanded that, as long as the witch and those who help them are politely handed over, others shouldn’t hurt even one fingertip.”

“….”

“So, please step aside. I’ll politely apologize to Your Excellency for the rudeness I committed today, and then dismiss the knights.”

There was no mercy in the image of Oliver, who was approaching Min-ha one step at a time with the point of his sword pointed at her. He was frantic only for the purpose of catching her witch, according to the order of the Emperor.

‘I-I’m scared…’

Min-ha trembled at the pure hostility she felt for the first time and clung to Seth’s shoulder even more.

Afraid and terrified, she felt that the sword would slash her if she strayed from Seth’s side, even for a moment. At the same time, he held her trembling body tighter and put a life force on the tip of his sword as he aimed at Oliver.

Oliver, who had a slightly surprised expression, immediately changed to a stern expression and said,

“…You must not forget that anyone who attempts treason will be stripped of his title, regardless of his rank, Your Excellency.”

“….”

“Even more so, if that title were bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor, it would be even easier.”

“Are you threatening me now?”

“I’ll call it earnest persuasion, Your Excellency. Are you really going to lose everything you’ve built because of that witch? Are you saying it doesn’t matter if titles, honors, and your knights are all sacrificed because of that one witch?”

Min-ha glanced back at Seth in contemplation of Oliver’s words. Still, he first reassured her with a friendly smile and then answered Oliver with a scoff.

“It doesn’t matter. I have no intention of sacrificing anything.”

“You’re confident.”

“I have always been, and I’m confident that I’ll be like this in the future as well.”

“Well, is that still the case even after you see this?”

However, Oliver’s expression became meaningful after hearing Seth’s answer.

He snapped his fingers behind him with his empty hand that wasn’t holding the sword. The next moment, while maintaining a heavy silence with his sword pointed, the eyes of the knights who were confronting were focused.

It was then.

On the same street where he and his knights had just come, several imperial soldiers dragged the two limp men tied to ropes and walked. At first, the two people’s figures, which were hidden by the trees at the corner of the street, caught her eye and Min-ha hurriedly took a breath.

“….!”

The two men who were dragged out by the Emperor’s army were none other than Gareth and Bediviel. The two men, with sword wounds all over their bodies and bleeding, were being swung here and there by the knights holding the rope in a gruesome appearance as if they were barely breathing.

As Seth, who was startled at that terrible sight, lowered the arm holding the sword, Lancelot and Gawin, who were confronting Oliver’s knights, also withdrew their swords and ran toward the two men tied to the rope.

“Sir Gareth, Sir Bediviel—!”

“Bedi, Gareth! D*mn it, I’m going to kill you…!”

“Stop them from approaching the sinners!”

“Yes!”

Nonetheless, Lancelot and Gawin were blocked by numerous imperial knights who appeared on the road at Oliver’s command and couldn’t get any further.

Glancing at Gawin and Lancelot, who were screaming at the two people who were bleeding and losing consciousness, Oliver opened his mouth sarcastically to Seth as he was still glaring at him with a formidable gaze, along with Min-ha, who was next to him.

“Maybe it was because they were Persen knights, or perhaps it was because they borrowed the power of a witch… they were quite strong. I had a hard time subduing them.”

“I’m sure His Majesty had ordered you not to touch others, or did you violate the imperial order out of a desire to make a contribution?”

“Your Excellency, have you forgotten? That His Majesty ordered only the ‘innocent’ to be touched. And, aren’t the knights’ collaborators of witches?”

“…What?”

“Aren’t they the ones who got an order from the woman behind Your Excellency to deliver the bracelet to Grand Duchess Blaine? Therefore, I think it’s a very natural thing to do.”

Seeing Oliver pointing at him as he spoke, Min-ha breathed heavily with a stunned face.

‘…Was he talking about that by any chance?’

At that time, Grand Duchess Blaine was boasting an emerald bracelet that she proudly wore at Loengram Castle. She saw the bracelet for the first time at that time, so what kind of curse did she put on it?

Looking back at Seth, Min-ha shook her head slightly while he patted her hand knowingly and growled at Oliver.

“All the presents sent to Grand Duchess Blaine were sent by my order. This person knows nothing.”

“Oh, you’re saying that again. If so, did the otherworldly characters engraved on the bracelet also come from the Duke’s order?”

“…What, letters from another world?”

“As expected, His Excellency didn’t know about it.”

Seeing his surprised face, Oliver snorted and lightly swung the sword in his hand. Then, as if he had remembered something, he glanced up at the sky and looked at the pocket watch he had put in his pocket with a fuss.

“Oh, dear. It’s been too long. Now, don’t waste any more time and hand over the witch’s body.”

“I can’t do that.”

“All right. Then, we can wait since His Excellency may change your mind… By the way, will that be all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“While His Excellency is wasting time, blood will continue to flow from the bodies of the two tied knights over there, won’t it?”

“….!”

“If this continues, I wonder if we’ll end up in a state where we can’t even properly argue before going to trial. Perhaps, at the end of bloodshed, a precious life may be lost.”

“….”

“In addition, it’d be best not to misunderstand that His Excellency’s knights, who haven’t yet arrived here, will help us overcome this situation. I have sent troops to all the families of His Excellency’s famous knights. I have also given orders to catch and kill all of them if they try any nonsense.”

“….”

Oliver pointed at Gareth and Bediviel towards Seth, who wouldn’t back down as if he was making a mockery of him. Even more so, he didn’t forget to threaten until the end.

As Seth’s shoulders trembled, Gawin and Lancelot glared at Oliver and the knights with sorrowful and enraged eyes, and the knights of Persen lowered their heads in dismay. At the same time, Min-ha, who was watching the whole situation, bit her lip with a face full of tears.

‘Because of me…’

Even though it must have been someone’s ruse, she didn’t want to believe that this whole situation was created because of her. Min-ha was seized with a sense of resentment that made her feel like she was going crazy at any moment and a sense of despair that she had fallen into a well-organized trap.

Still, it wasn’t the resentment or despair of being falsely accused that trampled on her heart even more cruelly.

…Even at the moment when his knight was injured and he could lose everything he had built up so far, her guilt for Seth and the knights of Persen who followed him stood in the way of protecting her was even greater.

At this moment, it felt like her heart was being crushed by the terrible guilt and sadness towards them.

‘Who am I… why is he doing such a thing for me?’

Min-ha gazed at Seth’s big, broad back with sad eyes.

…Perhaps he would protect her, even at the cost of his own life, if she said he would never go.

‘I can’t do that.’

Just as he protected her, she wanted to protect him, too, because she didn’t want to lose the people they both cared about.

As she felt that way, Min-ha was no longer afraid. After roughly wiping away the tears with the palm of her hand, she let out a big sigh as if to clear her complicated mind and walked forward with a determined expression on her face.

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