CH 75

Leonis rushed his movements in contrast to Zeppel, who paused his steps. Then Celia looked back at Zeppel, who was left behind. Instead of pursuing Leonis, he was turning away from them and returning to the direction they had come.

‘Why did he do that? Is it okay if we are separating like this?’

It would not be dangerous because only Michael and the emperor knew about the secret passage. Still, Celia was concerned about the two persons who had been separated.

Zeppel took away the mana stone containing the magic of light, but the mana stone was no longer needed as the entrance to the secret passage got closer. Celia leaned against Leonis’ chest, listening to his heartbeat.

She had thought that she might never see him again. She thought that when the carriage flipped over due to a massive explosion.

And when she awoke and realized she was in the sack, she thought maybe she wouldn’t make it out alive.

There is no way they will be safe if someone discovers that they abducted the Duchess of Cardian.

She thought Prince Phil would inflict harm on her, then murder and dispose of her body somewhere.

That could have happened if she hadn’t had her previous life memories or the Penina Flower Powder inside her ring.

“……Will the two of you be alright?”

“It’ll be all right. He’ll be joining us before the day is over, so don’t worry.”

As Zeppel turned around and returned the way he had come, Leonis deduced his intentions. After holding a nice card titled “hidden entrance to the Imperial Palace” in his hand, he’d be eager to discover the true value of those cards.

Zeppel, who was previously amicable with Celia, might win her over in this situation.

Celia looked back at him in surprise. She suddenly got a worrisome thought.

“You didn’t go to the second prince to take out a piece of heart, right? Because it’s already in my hands……”

“What?”

To an astonished Leonis, Celia explained how she overcame Phil and escaped. While Celia spoke, Leonis listened with a grim expression.

Leonis felt his blood run dry thinking about what might have occurred if Celia hadn’t kept her wits about him.

Even if she didn’t, he’d never forget that he showed up late. Celia was not what he had saved. Instead, she got herself out of the situation.

“I’m sorry….”

Celia was surprised to hear Leonis’ voice trembling. Because the passage was dark, she could see the exit but couldn’t see Leonis’ face.

“Don’t say anything like that. You are not the one to be sorry for in this situation.”

Leonis gasped when he heard Celia say it resolutely. Even if that were true, how many people could accept it exactly as it is?

“I…… I have to apologize to you. Forcibly end your engagement and coerce you into marrying me.”

“Leon!”

Celia’s eyes were dazzling even in the dim light. Leonis’ face was pulled closer to hers as Celia spoke.

“Marriage is…… Yes. That is something for which you must apologize. But please do not apologize for that dreck prince.”

Celia regretted that she had been terrified to witness Leonis cut off Phil’s arm only a few dozen minutes earlier. He is her man. He is afraid and heartbroken that she will be hurt.

He is completely mine.

“Why should anyone else apologize for what the trash did? That’s making an excuse for them!”

Instead of feeling such guilt, it would have been better for us to kick him again. Celia looked seriously at Leonis.

“I’m just glad I’m still alive to see you. Don’t mix it with other emotions. In that case, you should love me even more.”

After saying this, Celia grabbed Leonis’ face and kissed him passionately. Leonis felt himself come to life again when he touched her lips, and he was recognized as a breathing, living human being.

He felt like a real human, not a killer or a monster that people swear at.

Leonis dipped his head again and covered her lips as Celia raised her head. He was in the dark, but he could make out the expression Celia was wearing.

When he first met this woman, he was glad to learn he loved her.

“Let’s go.”

In Celia’s whisper, Leonis walked toward the exit. The fissures in the hidden passage let in soft moonlight.

✦ ✦ ✦

Although Michael’s injuries were severe, they were not considered life-threatening. Orkan sighed when he heard that Phil’s arm, another prince, had been cut off and that he had called a high priest to put his arm back on.

‘What a f*cked-up day.’

Even though Orkan refused to approach him, he was still his son. So he did purification at Giel.

He still smelled of alcohol, no matter how much he drank or how many times he was purified.

His inebriation has subsided completely, but what he did in the interim will live on in memory. Giel’s complexion grew paler.

Orkan clicked his tongue at Giel, who couldn’t even say an apology.

“Put Prince Giel in the Third Imperial Palace for punishment!  No one, even the Empress, will go to see Giel until I give them permission!”

Giel rolled his eyes in disbelief. No matter how drunk he was, he’d never done anything like this before, but he went mad when he found out Michael had poisoned Vivian.

“Your Majesty!”

Before being carried off by the knights, Giel yelled frantically. Looking at his problematic third son, Orkan squinted.

“What? Are you going to say it’s unfair again?”

“It’s not… Send Vivian Hermos to the Duke of Carta from the First Imperial Palace!”

Giel’s responses, in his opinion, were more nonsense.

Because Vivian was bedridden, the emperor had advised Michael several times to divorce. Every time, it was Michael who resisted getting a divorce.

“What do you mean by that? Do you want your brother to divorce the Princess of Carta?”

“Princess Carta became that way because of my older brother! I was told the truth by someone! He allegedly had witnesses and used the princess to foment war……”

“Shut up, you punk!”

Orkan, who had been silently listening, screamed in rage. Giel grinned while biting his lower lip. Orkan’s piercing stare was directed at Giel.

“Are you claiming that you threw your sword at your brother after being fooled by such a word? Michael is your brother!”

Giel, who had a pale complexion, bit his lip in response to Orkan’s shout. Orkan, on the other hand, was aware that Giel was not acting in this manner; instead, he was reflective.

‘You idiot.’

Michael realized he was desperate to make up for the fatal shortcoming that prevented him from receiving power from the imperial family.

He could turn a blind eye to the ‘that much’ actions he engaged in developing his own power. It wasn’t Michael’s father; it couldn’t have been anyone else!

‘I’m glad you could use your head like Michael……’

He was a guy who couldn’t even keep up with half of Phil. Orkan clinched his tongue as he stared at Giel being taken out.

The door to the room slammed shut.

✦ ✦ ✦

Even with a broken arm and other severe wounds, the Duke of Cardian insisted on going to go find the Duchess. He then was struck in the back of the neck by the escort knight, who then passed out.

Although the Knights commander, who was sent on the Emperor’s instruction, was worried about what happened next but failed to dissuade him.

‘I heard there was a riot on the grounds of the Imperial Palace as well…….’

In three places overnight, the imperial family was in danger. The Commander of knights began to have second thoughts about the possibility of an outside force targeting the Empire.

The soldiers and knights from the capital who had come to help were exhausted by the nightlong hunt.

“Commander!”

The knight commander turned his head toward the calling voice. He was walking toward the area where the soldiers were yelling, but he thought there was no possibility.

He was informed that a flock of queen spiders had appeared at the teleportation wizard’s guard post. Everyone thought it was strange that no monsters existed in such a place.

He expected it to be different than what had been reported, but what was discovered there was a more enormous monster than would have been expected in the wild.

‘Did you mean that only the escort knights of the Duke of Cardian did this?’

Almost half were injured, with two critically injured, but no one died. But they seemed to feel even more guilty because of that.

He couldn’t save the one they had to sacrifice their lives for.

The knight commander heard the emperor’s orders and came to aid in the search, but he did not believe the missing duchess was still alive.

Monsters were different from humans. A very uncommon species is claimed to save humans and then eat them, although there was only one of them.

The Duchess must have already lost her life while being dragged away by the monster. He believed that the only thing they could find was a piece of her body.

“This……”

Dress fragments covered in blood dangled from the bushes. Around it, there was a small amount of blood and flesh. The soldiers’ faces appeared disheveled, and they assumed it would be the last appearance of the Duchess of Cardian.

“……I’m going to call the duke’s entourage.”