Chapter 100

Chapter 100

“Of course.”

“I’m of the same mind as Sir Gawin.”

Then, as if they had been waiting, everyone smiled as they answered the question.

“If you have even the slightest hesitation in your heart, you can run away.”

When Seth asked, concerned about their answer, and Percival, who had been standing there silently with a grim expression, opened his mouth.

“If you believe she isn’t a witch and you believe in the innocence of Bediviel and Gareth, what’s there to hesitate about?”

“…Sir Percival.”

“However, I’m not in favor of blindly committing treason as that unprincipled Sir Gawin would say.”

“Are you done talking, Percival?!”

At those words, Gawin sprang to his feet and rushed at Percival, but he was stopped quickly as Percival grabbed him by the collar with one arm and stopped him.

“The first thing we need to do is figure out who instigated Grand Duchess Blaine to do this and who helped them. The Grand Duchess I know isn’t the kind of person who would be bold enough to pull off a plan like this on her own.”

“Ugh, let go of me first!”

“Hm.”

At Gawin’s plea, Percival loosened his grip on his collar while Lancelot also nodded at his words and added.

“I think so, too, and I’m sure there are collaborators.”

“Then, who do you think would have done it?”

“Well, that’s obvious. It’s Viscount Rupert Guinivis. There’s no one else who can move Grand Duchess Blaine like that except him.”

At Seth’s question, Kay, who was next to him, shrugged his shoulders and answered. At his answer, Seth and the others also agreed with a wry smile.

Who would’ve thought that Rupert Guinivis’s bad relationship with Seth would last this long? He had turned a blind eye to many of his abuses during ‘Minase Persen,’ but now that he had touched Min-ha, Seth had no intention of letting him off the hook. He’d crush him so thoroughly that he’d never appear before his eyes again.

Thinking so, Seth brushed off his collar, which had been crumpled by Gawin as he uttered.

“Still, it was surprising. I didn’t expect him to touch someone other than me.”

“There must be an ulterior motive. We need to figure that out… but, before that…”

“Before that?”

“Let’s go persuade the indecisive Emperor first, Captain.”

As Gawin replied with a grin, Seth grinned back at him. It seemed that his fierce demeanor had disappeared as if it were a lie, and he seemed to have found his usual composure.

“Yes. We need to buy time.”

“Buy me some time while bending down as flat as possible and begging. In the meantime, we’ll investigate those who came into contact with Grand Duchess Blaine and Viscount Guinivis.”

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

“Ah… Now that I think about it, that’s a bit of a shame missing the Captain prostrating himself before the Emperor. If only I could see it with these two eyes, I’ll be able to make fun of you for the next ten years.”

“…Sir Gawin. Do you want to die?”

“Haha. When the matter is resolved, I’ll deal with it as much as you want, Captain.”

“Gawin. Do you really think you can win against his Excellency?”

“What?! Even though I always lose, I might win then, so what?!”

Seth smiled at the sight of Lancelot and his knights bickering over his words.

He thought they would resent and criticize him for hiding such a big secret like half-soul, and he thought they would blame and ostracize Min-ha for making it happen. Because of that, he wanted to save her, Bediviel, and Gareth and tried to solve the problem by taking all the blame alone.

However, the knights understood his situation and were even willing to give their lives for him.

Seth felt like a weight had been lifted from his heart.

‘…I’ll be right there with my knights. So, please wait a little bit.’

If they were the previous Persen knights, they would’ve thought of a plan to save only Bediviel and Gareth. Though seeing they planned to save her naturally as well, he couldn’t help but think of Min-ha again.

‘All because she treated them with good intentions and sincerity.’

She was a woman of unwavering good intentions to himself, Noah, and the knights, who were hostile because of the evil deeds done by ‘Minase Persen.’ And to accuse such a person of being a witch who, with that unwavering heart, turned even the enmity that had accumulated over the years into favor…

He couldn’t forgive them.

‘I’ll definitely save you.’

With determination, Seth pulled away from his knights and turned around. He was heading straight to the Imperial Palace.

13. For the Sake of You, My Beloved (1)

Parting ways with his knights, Seth headed straight for the Imperial Palace and met Oliver, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, who was guarding the main entrance.

“What’s this? Where are you going, Duke Persen?”

“…Imperial Captain Oliver.”

“I don’t recall the Duke of Persen being on the list of those the Emperor granted an audience with today?”

Oliver smirked sarcastically at him as he drew his sword from his waist and blocked him from entering the palace.

Seth bit his lower lip in frustration as Oliver’s appearance seemed to anger him, just like the day he had escorted Min-ha to the Capital. Still, he couldn’t afford to lose his reason and act recklessly… doing that once was enough.

As he let out a long sigh to calm himself down, he spoke in a calm voice.

“Tell His Majesty that I’m here and would like to have an audience with him.”

“I don’t think that will work.”

“…Tell him my request.”

“As far as I know, His Majesty has ordered His Excellency to return to the castle and gather his bearings. Do you wish to disobey the Emperor’s orders?”

Oliver’s sarcastic eyes were filled with hostility towards him.

Facing those eyes, Seth smiled bitterly.

Come to think of it, he had heard of Sir Agravein’s report. Oliver Vanadis, the head of the Imperial Guard, said that he was exceptionally loyal to the Emperor and that he treated anyone who tried to harm the Emperor as someone who should be eliminated.

‘…So, Min-ha, who was accused of trying to harm his beloved Emperor, and her husband, me, wouldn’t look good in his eyes.’

Oliver’s feelings were understandable, but the same was true. He couldn’t forgive Grand Duchess Blaine for unjustly accusing the person he loved. Therefore, he could never back down right now.

Seth smiled bitterly and slowly dropped to his knees on the spot.

“…What are you doing now, Duke Persen?”

Asking that, the sarcasm in his eyes was erased as Oliver turned to him with a frown. To the question, Seth lowered his gaze before answering in a low voice.

“I’ll wait here until His Majesty grants an audience.”

“…Ha. It seems that you’re getting desperate that you can’t even see what you’re doing, kneeling down before someone like me.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think. This is my loyalty shown to His Majesty in the palace.”

“Tsk… Do you think this will change His Majesty’s mind?”

At that, Oliver clicked his tongue disapprovingly though Seth just replied in a light tone.

“Well. Isn’t this something to try?”

“…Duke Persen.”

“In all my life, I’ve never fled from the battlefield that His Majesty commanded me to go to, and I always came back alive. Do you know what that means?”

“I don’t. I’m not sure.”

As Oliver shrugged his shoulders in response to his question, Seth parted his lips with a confident smile.

“That means I am strong against bad luck, and His Majesty will still consider me worthy of use.”

“Ha.”

“So, I’m sure that His Majesty won’t turn a blind eye to me completely.”

It was overconfident, even shamelessly so.

Hearing his words, Oliver looked at him in disgust before sheathing the sword he was pointing. Then, crossing with his two arms, he spoke as he walked in front of the Imperial Palace gate where he stood a moment ago.

“Well, do whatever you please.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope you don’t talk about dying later.”

“Sure.”

After answering Oliver’s sarcastic remarks again, Seth straightened up and stared at the closed imperial palace door.

…He wouldn’t get up from his seat until the Emperor opened that almighty door and let him in.

Seth clenched his fists firmly and vowed to himself.

Three hours of waiting for the Emperor to grant an audience.

A man dressed in plain clothes walked out in front of Seth, who was staring straight at the door as if he were a stone statue, leading several attendants. The moment he saw him, Seth deeply bowed his head and uttered.

“Your Majesty…”

The man who walked to his side was the Emperor.

The Emperor, who seemed to have changed clothes to avoid the eyes of those around him and came out with only a minimum of attendants, glanced down at Seth, who was kneeling with a sullen expression. Then, he let out a short sigh and asked.

“Do you think I’ll change my mind just because you’re doing this?”

“…Please listen to me, Your Majesty.”

“I don’t know what more you want me to hear from you, Duke Persen. Everyone in the courtroom confirmed that the woman imprisoned in the dungeon was a witch.”

“She’s not a witch, and she never cursed Grand Duchess Blaine.”

“Did you want to have an audience with me to say the same thing again? What a disappointment.”

At his words, the Emperor turned away with cold sarcasm. Seeing that he was turning to go back through the door, Seth shouted urgently.

“Please wait, Your Majesty…!”

“Is there anything else you want to tell me, Duke of Persen?”

“…Please give me a little more time for the conviction.”

“What kind of time are you asking for?”

“I won’t deny that Grand Duchess of Blaine has been harmed by nefarious magic, but I think it warrants closer investigation as to whether it was really my wife’s doing.”

“Deserves closer investigation?”

“Yes. I think a thorough investigation is needed to see if the curse was really my wife’s doing or if there was someone else involved.”

“A thorough investigation…”

Even though he tried to catch the Emperor, who turned around and tried to persuade him, the Emperor’s face was cold as if he had already made up his mind. He snorted at Seth’s words before he asked with a cold glare.

“Evidence and witnesses already exist, so what kind of investigation should be done? Besides, there’s something you overlooked.”

“Could I dare ask what it is?”

“Grand Duchess Blaine, who awoke a while ago, has named the witch as the culprit behind this hideous curse.”

“….!”

“Other than that, do you need other evidence and witnesses?”

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