CH 100

15. Break the Cage

“Your Majesty, calm down. You must not move yet. Your Majesty!”

“Can’t you get away? Oh, even you’re ignoring me. You, like Duke Rubius, despise and look down on me.”

“No, Your Majesty. How can I… I’m just afraid that the wound will open…!”

“Is it true that you cured me? Huh, you might be a spy sent by Duke Rubius. For some reason, I was told that it would be difficult to breathe even though I received treatment. You were just pretending I was to be cured.”

“No. no! Your Majesty, no. I did not take orders from the duke. I am Your Majesty’s wizard!”

“It’s noisy. I need you to shut your dirty mouth.”

Deltinus took the decorative sword hung on the wall and cut the healing wizard. However, the decorative black blade was blunt and did not inflict deep wounds.

Sometimes things like garbage have a long lifeline. Deltinus, who muttered briefly, drew the sword of the knight standing guarding the bedroom door and stabbed the wizard. The wizard fell to the floor and slowly died with his eyes wide open.

Such violent movements made his heart ache. Deltinus threw down the bloody sword and placed a hand on his chest.

“Ugh… huh. Yulif… After all, you, Yulif…”

He remembered the terrible pain he had experienced in Pionia again. The shocking sensation of broken bones piercing through the flesh was vivid. Deltinus sat down on the bed and took a deep breath.

Physical pain did hurt, but he could hardly forget the insults Yulif gave him as he looked down at him from above. He was humiliated and ashamed.

He was the emperor who deserved to rule on the highest place in the empire. By the way, for him to be despised by the duke, who has the surname Rubius, not Elemian?

Yulif said this. That the oath was broken. Now he had nothing to protect him. Day and night, the anxiety that had tormented him suddenly soared and suddenly came to reality. He regretted the past days when he couldn’t capture Canaren, who he thought was Yulif’s only weakness.

In the end, what was left of him? There was no leash that their mother fastened around Yulif’s neck, nor the golden bird that captivated him at first sight.

Deltinus clenched his empty hand; not even a feather was left.

‘I will kill you in the most painful and wretched way.’

“How dare you, you dare threaten the emperor when you’re just a duke!”

Deltinus shouted and threw the vase on the side table. Fragments of the bottle splattered in all directions shattered over the corpse of the wizard, whose blood had not yet cooled.

He was the ruler of the Elemian Empire. The one and only supreme being who has everything under his feet. Everything in the empire could not disobey his orders. The only things higher than the emperor in the empire were the sky and the sun.

He had numerous knights and soldiers who would go forth to behead Duke Rubius as soon as he gave him an order. The emperor’s privilege and symbol of power were still in his hands. Even that great Yulif didn’t have it!

“It’s Count Enderk, I’m coming in.”

“Did you find it?”

Count Enderk, who was waiting outside the door, came in and bowed his head. Deltinus fidgeted with his nose, which had been broken by Yulif’s fist. A haunting, gloomy murmur escaped his mouth.

“Gather our troops. We can’t just leave the traitor Yulif Rubius like this, can we?”

“…All right.”

“You seem unwilling. What’s on your mind?”

Count Enderk shook his head. The emperor, who had gone to Pionia, returned after being assaulted by the duke, almost tortured. Whatever the reason the emperor went to Pionia, the duke’s guilt was deep in that circumstance alone. The Duke of Rubius, who had lost his oath, was the most dangerous being in the empire. And he even harmed the emperor, so he could not escape the sin of treason.

But Count Enderk was even more afraid of the duke. It was dubious. He couldn’t have not known that the moment he attacked the emperor, he would become a traitor. This duke became emotional because of the duchess… a man famous for being cold-blooded and not swayed by emotions. Then…

“I don’t think the duke’s magical abilities should be taken lightly. How will we deal with the duke?”

“Tell me what you want me to do.”

“I think it would be nice to face him in the Imperial Palace. Even if it seems impossible, we can try to prevent the duke from using magic. Put in a device to weaken his power and call him here.”

“Are the wizards under my load capable of that?”

“Pardon me, but do we have the luxury to choose any means and methods? If it’s really difficult, you have to get help from a monster.”

In the process of throwing people to the monsters as food, he accidentally learned that drinking the monster’s blood would temporarily but explosively increase his physical abilities. Of course, there were side effects, but there was nothing he couldn’t use to catch Yulif.

“That’s what the duke said. Only monsters can catch monsters.”

‘If you want to catch the monster Yulif, you have to become a monster too. Hah.’

Deltinus growled. His eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

“It’s true that the duke attacked me, but there are many people who have not seen it in person, so it will not be easy to believe. The more methods, the better.”

“Then what…”

“Where is the empress?”

*******

With a happy expression, Estella looked at Lucian as he painted.

These days, Lucian was immersed in painting. It was natural for him to paint himself, and he also liked to admire the works of famous painters. When she asked if he had any reason to paint so hard, he answered shyly with a blush on his cheeks.

“I want to draw portraits of people I like. If Mama allows me, I will draw you first.”

Estella hugged the sweet and gentle Lucian and kissed his red cheeks. To her, he was the most precious and lovable child, more than anything else in the world. She could do anything to protect her Lucian. Whenever Deltinus’ shoes, hands, or objects he threw flew in, Estella thought it was fortunate that they didn’t turn towards Lucian.

“Lucian, who do you plan to draw next?”

“Well… I am worried.”

Having no doubt that it was Duke Rubius, Estella was a little surprised. Lucian diligently transferred the scenery through the window to paper with charcoal, and continued the conversation. The charcoal he was using now was noticeably shorter than yesterday. It was because he was drawing whenever he had time.

“I want to draw my uncle too… I also want to draw Madam Canaren. Mama, have you ever seen Madam Canaren’s wings? I’ve seen it. The white, large ones. They are really pretty.”

“Did you?”

“Yes. I can’t do it yet, but… I will definitely draw it someday. I will draw it prettier than the real thing.”

“Is that so? The duke and duchess will love it.”

Estella stroked Lucian’s hair as if cheering him on. Lucian raised his head and smiled brightly.

The calm moment ended abruptly. Suddenly, the door flew open and Deltinus came in. Appearing with the secret knights, he walked over and slapped Estella’s face.

“Father! Why, why are you here? Why are you doing this to Mama… Mama…!”

“You’re telling your father to go away? I’m here for business with the empress.”

“I… I hate it! You can’t come here. Mama is very ill. I heard that my father punished Mama. The wounds from that time have not yet healed!”

Lucian exclaimed like a scream. If it was the usual, he would have been shivering under the pressure of Deltinus’ aura, but the child’s sixth sense felt something unusual. An ominous feeling that if he stepped back here, he might never see his mother again.

“I told you to go away. Did your mother teach you to rebel against the emperor? Still. The prince liked the duke more than his father. Now even the prince seems to be very defiant.”

“The prince was surprised and made a mistake. Your Majesty, forgive him generously and punish me.”

Estella knelt down on the floor and grabbed the hem of Deltinus’ robe as he turned to Lucian. Deltinus gave an order to Count Enderk with a nasty smile.

“Take the Crown Prince to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

“Yes. Your Majesty, I will do so.”

“Don’t do this! Please let go. Count, let me go! Mom! Mama…!”

Lucian cried out as he was dragged away by Count Enderk. The knight closed the door, cutting the mournful echo off.

Deltinus grabbed Estella’s chin and lifted it up. Estella’s lips burst open with a groan, and blood flowed.

“Your wish has come true. Duke Rubius finally exposed his claws and scratched me.”

Estella was silent. Deltinus also continued talking as if he didn’t expect an answer.

“Isn’t it strange? Why did the duke, who acted like a toothless tiger, suddenly go crazy? Come to think of it, it coincided with the time the empress recently started getting involved in my affairs.”

Estella’s eyes widened. No, it has nothing to do with the Duke. She desperately tried to deny it, but Deltinus pressed hard on her cheek, preventing her from speaking properly. It meant that he wouldn’t even give her a chance to make excuses.

“Even if you had a man other than me in your heart, I forgave you. You are the woman who gave birth to my prince. But the empress eventually betrayed her burden. What was the next thing you did after you had a relationship with Duke Rubius and messed with government affairs? Did you try to help the duke load up inside? And did you intend to put the duke on the throne and be empress for all eternity?”

Deltinus’ grip hurt so much. The tooth weighed down by his finger was about to break. But more than that, what scared Estella was the fact that he might framed Lucian and her father. And Estella’s prediction was exactly right.

“Put the traitorous empress in jail. Also, imprison the Duke of Theodore, who is the father of the empress. I, myself, will investigate and drive out all the traitors.”