Chapter 29

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 29

“That’s right. It doesn’t make any sense that those who dared to invade the Imperial Palace left their trace.”

Things he couldn’t see when he was frantically chasing, began to appear one by one. It was as if they were enticing them to follow them…

“Haa, are they going to play with me?”

Declan’s green eyes were dyed coldly.

“Your Majesty, this seems like a trap.”

Power entered Declan’s hand, which was holding the reins. Even if it’s a trap, he can’t stop here. If he gives up like this, he won’t find any clues.

Declan peered up at the sky again.

‘I don’t have time.’

After Erica is trapped in her doll, if they take her and leave the Imperial Capital, the way to find her becomes even more difficult.

“I know in advance that it’s a trap, so I can prepare for it.”

Saying so, he sighed as he shook his head.

“First of all, we can’t waste time like this. Divide into two teams and search around the alley.”

Liam split the team with a stiff face.

Declan’s eyes widened as he stopped the horse at the entrance to the alley and was about to disperse.

“….!”

A familiar figure running out of the alley caught his eye.

“Erica!”

She was running towards somewhere and stopped her steps and turned her head. As she looked around, she found Declan and smiled brighter than the morning sun.

“Your Majesty!”

His heart throbbed at the moment she saw her smiling brightly.

“…It’s not too late.”

What she thought she would never see again is now in front of her own eyes.

“Are you all right? Where are you hurt? Is there any pain?” Declan said, forgetting that she was a soul, glanced meticulously for any injuries.

“I’m fine. Your Majesty, before you go looking for the doll, please do one thing.”

Her desperate and anxious appearance made Declan nervous about what had happened to her.

“What happened?”

“I can’t explain in detail because I don’t have time right now, but you have to listen. Yes?”

When Declan furrowed his eyebrows and didn’t answer her, Erica rolled her feet up nervously, looking up at the sky.

“You said you believed in me.”

Seeing her clasping her hands together and speaking earnestly, Declan sighed briefly.

“I get it.”

“You promised to do my favor.”

“The Emperor doesn’t say empty words.”

As though reassured by his words, she blinked her eyes and began to speak quickly.

“The people with the doll are the Jemina people. Please don’t kill them. We must save them.”

“As expected, the Jemina guys.”

Declan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Then, Erica looked at him anxiously.

“…I got it. For now, let’s postpone their disposal.”

Only after receiving Declan’s promise did she reveal the location of the warehouse where the doll was held and where the kidnappers were.

“You don’t know how lucky I am that your Majesty has come.”

After finishing her explanation, Erica stroked her chest.

Declan’s heart fluttered as he saw her relieved that he had come himself. He was relieved that he was not late this time.

Her expectations and hope that he would be able to protect her.

More than anything else, he felt strangely satisfied with the sense of satisfaction that she believed and depended on him.

“You must not forget the promise you made with me. You must save those people. You know?”

“…Okay.”

Declan nodded his head reluctantly, still with a displeased expression on his face.

“Waiting for His Majesty to come…”

His heart sank in an instant as she stopped talking to him and suddenly disappeared.

‘Are there any problems with the doll?’

As he thought about it, his hands trembled with anxiety.

‘What if this was the last…?’

In a moment, his head went blank, and his heartbeat pounded his whole body.

‘Snap out of it. Are you going to lose her again like this? Don’t be stupid!’

He shouted to himself and barely held onto his reason. After that, the brightening surrounding caught his eye.

‘Yes, it’s just that the time is up, and she’s back as a doll. I think so. That must be it.’

So, muttering inside, he reached out to the place where she was. Nothing is caught. As if the figure he had just seen was a mirage.

‘Just looking at Erica, this was the reason I was anxious.”

Because she was a soul that could disappear at any time.

‘It can’t be like this.”

She has to be by his side no matter what, as she has always been. He clasped his hand, which had reached for her in the air, and curled it tightly.

‘Now, the first thing to do is to save Erica.’

Having struggled to shake off his thoughts, Declan turned to the knights.

“Split the team again.”

“Do you have any other plans?” Liam asked Declan as he approached him.

“I found the place where the kidnappers are.”

“Yes? How can you…”

Another knight behind Liam asked, perplexed. The reaction of the knights who were with them was similar. In addition, the Second Knights were a bit perplexed when they first saw Declan talking to himself.

However, they were more puzzled to hear that Declan suddenly found out where the kidnappers were.

Only Liam seemed a little startled, though he came back with a grim expression again as though he had convinced himself of the situation.

“You don’t need to know that.”

Even with Declan’s resolute answer, the knights could not completely erase their embarrassment.

“Split into three teams, one team goes to where the head of the kidnappers is, and the other two teams come with me to the place where the kidnappers are.”

At his subsequent explanation, the knights’ expressions became increasingly strange.

“Liam, you and the knights, take care to prevent Jemina from committing suicide. I’ll save Chloe.”

“Understand.”

“I will not tolerate mistakes.”

At that, the knights moved in unison.

The surroundings were already bright, but Declan and other knights skillfully hid their appearance and penetrated into the alley.

I was sucked into the doll again, and as the dizzy-like rite of passage subsided, I carefully looked around.

The people of Jemina were guarding the entrance and exit, each holding a dagger.

Just by looking at them holding a dagger, they didn’t seem to be particularly good at wielding swords.

‘Those who will be sacrificed, there is no need to have excellent skills.’

As I recalled the sassy face of count Nolan, my teeth were sharpened.

‘It’s about time for them to come. Shall I move slowly now?”

I moved little by little without them knowing. Since I was placed on a wooden crate, it looked like I could go down to the floor if it was done well.

Slowly… good.

Suddenly, the gray-haired man turned his head and quickly put his buttocks on the floor.

‘You surprised me. Have you seen it?”

I calmed my startled heart and looked at the man’s gaze.

“….?”

Anxiety spread over the man’s behavior as he looked at me and tilted his head.

“Don’t you think the doll’s position has changed a bit?”

The gray-haired man patted the yellow-haired man and asked.

‘He looks dull like a bear, but it’s uselessly good with eyesight…’

Still, I didn’t seem to be moving.

“What nonsense? Did the doll even move?”

The yellow-haired man patted the gray-haired man on the shoulder and laughed.

‘Yeah, that’s an illusion… It is an illusion.’

I stared into his eyes as if casting a spell on the gray-haired man and muttered.

“No, look closely.”

At the prompting of the gray-haired man, the other two looked at me openly.

‘This is difficult. I have to run to that wall quickly before Declan arrives.’

So, that will make it easier for Declan to subdue them. I glanced at the gray-haired man who was interrupting my plans.

“It’s the same as before. It’s on top of the box. What?”

“Aren’t you too nervous?”

When the two did not believe, the gray-haired man wrinkled his face.

“Old man, do you know what kind of coward you are? Why are you nervous when you have nothing to fear?”

“You might be nervous. Why are you jumping like that?”

“It’s the Emperor and death, and I’m not afraid of anything. If I can get revenge on that madman with my death, I can die again and again.”

The gray-haired man spoke bluntly, then turned his gaze back to the dagger. Meanwhile, the other two simply gave strength to the hand holding the sword without saying a word.

‘You’re not going to die today, I’m going to make sure of that. So, please don’t look back!’

As they turned their attention from me, I moved back a little.

Fortunately, boxes of different heights were attached, so I was able to get down to the floor safely.

“They don’t know yet?”

Turning their heads, they were still guarding only the entrance door.

‘Done. Now, I just have to go up to that wall.”

While I was close to the box and peering for an opportunity, suddenly, the inside of the warehouse began to fill with white smoke.

“Cough, watch out!”

“Damn, I didn’t hear anything!”

The men covered their noses and mouths with their sleeves, then jumped up and held their swords, and were on high alert.

‘It’s time!’

They stretched out their hands in front and stomped their feet.

“Don’t come close! If you touch us even a little, we’ll break the doll!”

The old man’s cry quickly spread through the smoke.

“You don’t want to see your sister’s limbs broken, don’t you? Stop right now, and don’t move until the smoke subsides!”

Yelling, the voices of Jemina’s people echoed through the warehouse, but none of the others could be heard.

‘There aren’t more people I don’t know, right?’

Because there are many people who will hold a grudge against Declan and aim for the doll.

“…What?”

The voice of the bewildered gray-haired man was heard.

“What, what? Don’t play around and grab the doll first.” Followed by the yellow-haired man lowered his voice to the gray-haired man.

“I’m not kidding! I’m sure I left it here.”

“Damn it!”

There was a hint of embarrassment in their voices.

“Ugh—”

Moments later, there was a groan, followed by a roaring and falling sound.

‘Who fell…?’

Then, out of the smoke, a long, white hand suddenly appeared and grabbed me.

“Damn! Let go of me!”

My head turned white, and fear came over me. I desperately waved my arms in the hopes of throwing out a slap, but nothing touched me.

When I thought that I might die from this, I could only think of one person.

“Your Majesty!”

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────