Chapter 102

Fernan, who had been thoroughly examining Julia for a long time, noticed that her eyes were wet.

His desperate eyes narrowed slightly.  He stretched out his hand and gently pressed the corner of Julia's eyes with his thumb.

“Are you hurt?”

At the end of the voice that was uttered while maintaining as much calm as possible, there was an impatience that could not be hidden.

Julia blinked her eyes slowly for a moment, as if she couldn't believe he was in front of her.

"No….”

The strength drained from her hand as she muttered.  The knife she was holding in her grip fell to the floor.

Fernan bit his lips as he looked at her hands, which were red with intense pressure.

Then he quickly revealed his still face and whispered small.

“It’s okay now.”

Fernan, with his arms outstretched, picked her up into his arms. Julia felt firm hands supporting her body, and pulled her out of the closet in an instant.

Just then, a loud noise was heard outside.

“Your Highness, knights are coming here. You must hurry.”

The knight standing outside the door hurriedly approached Fernan and spoke.

Fernan, who nodded, took Julia deeper into his arms and took his steps.

Julia, who looked up at him, lowered her gaze slowly.  Then, she saw that the collar of his shirt was dyed red.

Then, gradually, her mind began to clear.

“Your Highness, are you hurt?”

At Julia's words as she stuttered, Fernan looked down at her without stopping his steps.

"Don't worry, I'm not hurt."

Despite his clear answer, Julia bit her pale lips and placed her hand on the nape of his neck.

The blood on his neck rubbed into her hands.  Fortunately, the bloodstain was easily wiped off, so he wasn’t wounded.

Still, Julia couldn’t help but to lower her head with her face engulfed in guilt.

As soon as they stepped out of the annex, the scene of the battle where the sound of swords vibrated caught her eyes.

Julia, who was looking at the sight of blood splattered and men fighting and screaming in the distance, tensed up.

Everywhere was a battlefield to the extent of thinking that a rebellion had taken place.

As Julia’s gaze shook, Fernan embraced her soft body more deeply as if to block her view.

From a distance a little closer because of that, Julia muttered in a voice that contained her emotions.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.  Even if I hadn't been brought here….”

“It’s not your fault.”

Fernan didn't stop his urgent steps and answered straight away.

“Even if it wasn’t because of you, it must have happened.”

He was calm.  His reassuring soft voice made Julia's heart tremble even more.

Still, the battle continued on all sides.  However, as if he was in a world that was far away from this bloody battlefield, Fernan held her tightly and stepped forward without hesitation.

The Imperial Palace Knights, who discovered them while running in the direction away from the battle, began to turn their attack on them.

At the same time, the Fernan’s knights, who were advancing together while guarding the surroundings, shouted.

“Protect His Highness and Her Grace!”

In the escort of the knights, Fernan accelerated further.

With unwavering steps while holding Julia, he headed to one side of the vast backing, where a carriage was standing.

“If you leave here, my knights will take you to a safe place.”

Fernan's calm voice landed on Julia.

Naturally, at the words of excluding him, Julia grabbed his collar tightly.

"Your Highness?"

Fernan lowered his gaze slightly and looked at her hand holding his collar.

And he lifted her eyes again and met hers.

Her question implied how long this battle would last and whether he would be able to return without any problems.

Fernan turned his gaze away without a reply.  Soon, the carriage approached.

The knight standing next to him opened the door, and Fernan quickly lowered Julia into the carriage.  His hands fell off only after he sat her directly in her seat.

Fernan, who had straightened his body, whispered small.

"It's dangerous here, so leave the Empire. With the Marquis family entangled in this civil war, you will no longer be able to stay in the Empire."

“…  ”

“I’ll see you again when the time is right.”

Julia stared at him with her shaky eyes.

His words that he was going to meet again, for some reason, sounded different to her ears.  Behind Fernan, who looked calm, a brutal scene unfolded. While Julia gazed at the contrasting sight, his words continued.

“So, forget everything that happened here.”

“…  ”

“Forget everything, this time……  ”

Fernan, who seemed calm, stared at her with a painful gaze for a very short time. Blood vessels sprang up on his hands, as if he was holding something back violently.

"Be happy….. stay like that.  Now, nothing is suppressing you.”

Whispering one word at a time, he grabbed Julia's hand.  He bowed his head, and slowly placed his lips on the back of Julia's soft hand.  Contrary to what he said to forget, he kissed her as if he wanted to leave his mark.

Love and guilt.  And his still simmering desire for her was reflected in his tenacious kiss.

Fernan, who raised his gaze, looked at Julia with intensely trembling eyes.  Julia was convinced at that moment.  That he was leaving her his last words. Saying that he would come to meet her later was just an empty promise, and he was about to let her go.

The man, who told her that he could never let her go again and asked her to stay by his side until she died, released her hand with a sad smile that she had never seen before.

Julia looked silently at his hand, which was slowly moving away.  Her heart was pounding, but she didn't know what kind of emotion it caused.

Was she sorry?  Or was she happy that she could really be free this time?  

Fernan, who had held her in her eyes for a moment, straightened his body.  Then he turned to the emperor's knights who were  approaching beyond the patronage.

“Your happiness will be my happiness in the end.”

With the last words that fell down meaningfully, Fernan took a step back.

The door of the carriage closed immediately, and Julia didn’t even have time to look at his back as he moved away.

Through the window of the rushing carriage, she saw Fernan pull out his sword.  Julia continued to stare at the window until his figure disappeared.

That was the last time she saw him.

***

[As it was revealed that the Emperor of Formene attempted to assassinate Grand Duke Caesar, the Grand Duke led the army and invaded the capital.  The Geranian Kingdom joined the Grand Duke’s army and participated in the civil war……  ]

Autumn. The empire was chaotic due to the civil war.

Fernan’s revolt was known as the "Civil War".  It was due to the circumstances and the testimony that the Emperor was trying to assassinate him.

It was not only the Emperor’s assasinated attempt that was judged.

Fernan threw all the corruption of the Emperor that had been in his hands to the public.

As the Emperor has been at the center of the imperial power since its foundation, embezzlement and corruption of the imperial nobles have been rampant.

In particular, recently, the commoners were dissatisfied with the huge tax issue, so the public sentiment quickly turned around.

The Kingdom of Geranian, which had recently signed an alliance agreement with the Grand Duke, participated in this civil war.

It was said that the civil war, which had continued to be tense, was moving in a direction favorable to the Grand Duke as the Geranian joined.

“… ”

Tak, Cedric, who covered the daily newspaper, fell in thought.

Two months have passed since the civil war began. He was in a foreign country, far from the Empire, and not affected by the civil war.

Two months ago, Julia, who was silently kidnapped and imprisoned in the Imperial Palace, left the capital safely before this commotion.

Before he met her, Cedric received a message from Fernan in advance.

‘Something big will happen to the empire, so take Julia with you and leave.’

After that, Cedric and Julia crossed the borders of the Empire.

Recalling that day, Cedric showed a complicated face.  He then raised his gaze and looked at the back of Julia standing in front of the window.

Julia was staring endlessly at the sunset sky.

“…… Julia."

After hesitating for a while, Cedric opened his mouth. Looking back at him, Julia had a calm face.

In the last two months, Julia seemed strangely calm.  It was like she hid all her feelings

“The Empire……  It's probably going to have a long civil war.”

Despite his careful words, Julia only slightly lowered her head, but there was no response from her.

“It is said that the situation is going in favor of the Grand Duke.”

“… .”

"So don't worry too much."

Despite the continuous words of consolation, Julia did not show any expression.

So Cedric could hardly figure out what she was thinking.  His eyes, filled with worries, reached her endlessly.