CH 73

The messenger came with the servants of the Imperial Palace. After hearing the message from the messenger and realizing how serious it was, they seemed to allow them to enter the emperor’s bedroom.

“Your Majesty, the Duke and Duchess of Cardian have been attacked by the teleportation circle! The Duchess of Cardian has gone missing……”

“What?”

It also came out of nowhere. The servant who had just informed the messenger that the Duke of Cardian had broken into the Second Imperial Palace regarded the messenger with a perplexed expression.

The emperor observed the messenger standing next to him and the servant speaking with a perplexed expression.

“Tell me. Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. omeone near the teleportation magic circle used magic to blow up the carriage, summoning the monsters to attack.”

The messenger continued, his face filled with despair.

“The Duke was seriously injured with a broken arm, and the Duchess was missing……The remaining knights are scouring the area. Your Majesty, it’s urgent! Send soldiers and knights to help them search for the Duchess!”

The emperor’s expression twisted in a fury.  He painstakingly took the daughter from the Marquis of Montague and handed it over to Leonis, but something was interfering.

“The Imperial Family should handle this situation! Send the soldiers and knights we need right away!”

The messenger expressed his deep gratitude and withdrew from the palace servants who had accompanied him. The servants from the First and Second Imperial Palaces were the only remaining staff members.

Samuel had been unable to come to find Celia by urging the soldiers to send another servant.

“……How about the Duke of Cardian?”

The Second Imperial Court servant was unprepared for Orkan’s question, which was asked with a sour frown.

“Your Majesty! The situation was the same! He was wearing a mask and armed, so I couldn’t tell who they were!”

“Your Majesty! You must go quickly. It seems that Prince Giel is really trying to harm His Highness Michael! ”

“H-His Highness is also in danger! The assassin……”

The second imperial palace’s servants cried urgently in response to the first imperial palace’s servants’ pleading with the emperor. The emperor said while firmly pressing his temples.

“Stop!”

When Orkan stood up, the attendant approached him and draped a golden silk robe over his shoulder.

“If an assassin appears, it is necessary to call the Imperial Knights, not me. Do you mean that I, the emperor, have to go all the way to the Second Imperial Palace and risk my life?”

“T-That’s……”

In disgrace, the servant of the Second Imperial Palace rolled his eyes down.

As Orkan said, he was the Emperor. Just because an assassin attacked his son, he was not in a position to run into the scene. Conversely, as an assassin entered the palace, he was the subject of protection.

“I will go to the First Imperial Palace. I’ll have to sober up Giel.”

Purification, his ability, was capable of detoxifying poison and even waking up a drunk person. He used it sparingly as an emperor but did so a few times because Giel found it offensive.

“B-But Your Majesty! His Majesty Phil has already had his arm severed and is being held captive by the assassin……”

Orkan became astonished as the servant remarked and stared at his face.

“You idiot! If that’s the case, shouldn’t we have to call the knights even more? Hey! Send the knights right now to rescue Phil!”

The servants retreated in all directions as if their tails were on fire at the emperor’s command.

Orkan was worried about Phil, but he knew he could do nothing about it. Giel needed to calm down right away.

‘Why are these things happening all at once?…… Something doesn’t feel right.’

The emperor hurried his steps.

✦ ✦ ✦

Celia was startled when she heard a terrifying cry through the wall. She could hear Phil’s voice and recognized the foul language he used.

‘I can tell this guy’s voice is different.’

That’s how it’s been since he was running around screaming here and there. Celia overcame her fear and approached as he screamed at the soldiers and knights.

It would have been much easier to flee if she had known how extensive the search was. She figured she could stay hidden like this for a few days or so if she was wrong.

‘Was using the Second Imperial Palace as a means of escape a good idea? It seems that Leonis and the others haven’t come yet……’

She didn’t want to be caught without checking the hidden passageway. She reasoned that she could escape the Imperial Palace by exploring the secure area.

Actually, Michael was using this hidden entrance to enter and exit the palace. Michael refused to reveal this secret passage to his closest aides because he did not trust anyone.

Celia was about to turn around when she heard Phil’s yell.

“You bastard! You bastard, Leonis! You filthy a**hole! Where are you going? … Argh! Argh!

Although she could hear Leonis’ name coming from Phil, her shoulders tensed up at his screaming in desperation. Celia became impatient at the thought that Leonis was going to kill Phil.

‘If you kill Phil while your identity is revealed……’

The emperor wouldn’t let it go. He was a man who cared for his children in his way.  After staring at the wall in disbelief, Celia discovered a pulling lever and pulled it down.

Clack!

The sound of the object hitting caused one side of the wall to turn. Celia examined the room in the shadows and inserted the mana stone into the magical enchantment ring.

The earlier noises had confirmed that there was no one in the bedroom.

Celia sprinted hastily to the bedroom door. She opened the door slightly and peered out through the opening, noticing three people facing away from her and the others who were lying on the ground.

She suddenly froze at the sight of everything being covered in blood.

‘What happened……’

Aghhh!

Celia collapsed as she witnessed a man’s arm fall off.  She knew Leonis was cruel, but this was her first time witnessing it firsthand.

Reading it and seeing it were two different experiences for her.

‘Leoni……’

Her heart was racing wildly in her chest. Leonis’ actions were terrifying, but they had to leave this Second Imperial Palace immediately.

Leonis could be seen conversing with Samuel, Phil’s attendant.  Samuel hurriedly runs, and the knights and soldiers who have lost their minds with them in the hallway…… And Phil has remained.

Leonis withdrew in response to Zeppel’s utterances, and he appeared to be roughly staunching Phil’s bleeding. Like the other knights, Phil was shocked and in a lot of pain.

‘Leon…..is that you?’

Having a pallid face, Celia opened the door. The stench of blood was horrifying. The Leonis she knew looked to have changed into someone else.

“Le-Leon?”

The three men suddenly turned away from the hallway where Samuel had disappeared. They knew someone was hiding behind them, but they had no idea it was Celia.

Leonis immediately tried to take off the mask. But Zeppel stopped him from doing so.

“You can’t take it off.”

“Come in here.”

The fallen or wounded knights and soldiers in the hallway seemed to have fainted, but who was eavesdropping was unknown.

Leonis, Zeppel, and the other knights sped into the bedroom in response to Celia’s call.

After entering the room, he shut the door, and the first thing he noticed was an unlocked secret entrance. Leonis and his party were surprised to see it. He knew that Celia knew a lot, but he didn’t know that she even knew such secrets about the imperial family.

Leonis removed his mask and drew down his hood. Leonis’ eyes were green, but his face brought Celia relief.

Leonis was relieved as he approached and hugged her with his bare hand.

“Hurry up and go in! The servant from earlier will bring the imperial knights!”

The Imperial Palace Knights were initially meant to protect the emperor. Because most of the Knights of the Second Imperial Palace had been defeated, the three didn’t worry about it.

Dispatching the Knights and summoning the Emperor’s Knights took time. To begin with, seeing the emperor would take about 15 minutes so that the soldiers would bring Celia in the meantime.

But now that it had happened, there was no longer a reason for them to be in the room.

Zeppel insisted on leaving no trace of the secret passage, bringing a decorated vase into the room and washing the blood off the three men’s shoes.

He left the window open after wiping away the moisture with the carpet on the floor and the bed linen on one side. Celia watched Zeppel and the other knights move anxiously.

“Will I be fooled this much?”

Zeppel, like Leonis, had magic work done on his voice. It was a strange voice until daybreak, but this naturally resolves with time.

“I’d like to be deceived.”

“Celia.”

Leonis took the lead, and Celia followed. Zeppel was next, and the other knight said he wouldn’t follow.

“Why?”

The knight in question grinned behind the mask as Celia asked in surprise.

“I can get out on my own. Don’t worry, Madam.”

All he had to do was keep the hidden passage in this room from being discovered. This secret passage could end up being their most valuable asset.

“…..I’m counting on you.”

The knight nodded as Leonis continued. Zeppel prods Leonis and Celia into the secret passage, and Zeppel enters last, closing the corridor door.

When the knight was alone, he removed all traces of the hidden passageway before exiting through the open window. The silhouette of the knight, which had been protruding from the window, vanished instantly.