CH 153

“Y-your Majesty!”

The Lesprey mansion was in chaos. Many people, including the butlers Roban and Jihanna, had been dispatched from the palace. They recognized him immediately. Ravis stayed frozen, a bright smile on his face.

“Sorry for showing up without an appointment,” he said. “Is Viscount Lesprey here?”

“H-high Priest.” Butler Roban, who had come running at the news of the emperor’s arrival, called on Ravis like he was a savior. On realizing he needed to report his master’s absence to the emperor, he froze.

Ravis suddenly realized how quiet the house had gotten. Even if he stayed only for a night, it wouldn’t be this quiet. Not with Dylan and Eris living in the same place.

“Did she go out?”

“Out?’

At Ravis’s question, the emperor shot him a sharp look. Going out at such a dangerous time…regardless of how many guards were put on him, he couldn’t relax. They were against demons. Seeing the look of displeasure on the emperor’s face, he quickly bowed.

“S-she left to grab some dresses.”

“To buy clothes? Instead of calling in the merchant?”

“She said she’d never been downtown, so she left with the bodyguards.”

“Hm.” Ridrian closed his mouth. He understood why she’d left personally, instead of calling merchants as others did. Sadness washed over the emperor, but he masked it with a cold expression. “Then I’ll wait.”

Every attendee in the Lesprey mansion seemed to freeze. It was as though they were praying for their master’s return as they waited with the tyrant who killed when he wanted.

Two hours later, the sound of a carriage approaching reached the emperor’s ears.

“It seems she’s back.”

He’d been checking out the interior of the house, sipping sweet tea. He looked out at the approaching carriage and stepped out to meet it. If his people were here to see this, they would be at a loss for words.

The carriage finally slowed to a halt.

Iona.

That was who Ridrian was waiting for. All he wanted was to take her long, pale hand and lead her into the dark bedroom, to sleep with her in his arms. Only a day had passed since he’d last seen her, but it felt like an eternity.

To his utter amazement, it wasn’t Iona that climbed out of the carriage. An orange-haired maid stepped out, instead.

“Where’s Iona?” Ridrian croaked.

“Y-your Majesty?” Lina stammered, a terrified look on her face.

“Why are you back alone?”

Lina froze at his question. She still had trauma regarding the emperor.

“I…Iona was kidnapped,” she managed to say. “Miss Deron and Crusader Fortis are chasing—”

“What?”

Lina tried to summon her courage, but the emperor’s face had morphed.

“Your Majesty!” Ravis called, but the emperor didn’t seem to hear him.

“Iona was kidnapped?”

The first thing that sprang to mind was Liliana’s missing case. She’d disappeared all of a sudden, without a trace. A second later, he remembered what state she’d come back in.

Kill me.

She’d given up, completely broken. This sense had suddenly overcome him was the first in a while. Dammit!

Iona!

Someone was after her—that was clear as crystal. He never should have let her out of the castle. Even though this wasn’t the first time something he cherished had slipped through his fingers.

Who dared go after my Iona? I will find out and destroy you. I will make you into dust. I’ll make it so that you never existed to begin with.

Thump! Ridrian’s world collapsed suddenly.

“Ah—Your Majesty!”

His world brightened up with displeasure. Through the broken space, Ravis’s panting face was visible, light particles floating about him.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty?”

A huge crater had formed around Ridrian. His power must have lashed out all of a sudden and hit everything around him. Ridrian summoned his favorite sword as though it didn’t matter. The sword of darkness revealed its cruel self. Ravis moved to stop hm..

“Wait just a moment!”

“Shut up!” Ridrian snapped. “Even at this moment…”

He set Lotuburu against Ravis’s neck. He didn’t like how he was talking back to him lately.

Ravis could sense that the sword against his neck was no ordinary sword. Ignoring it, he went on. “I know a way to trace Iona.”

“What?”

Ridrian reacted instantly. No matter how great magic was, it was hard to find someone without evidence. Ridrian’s magic wasn’t useful, since it was especially for attacking.

Ridrian lowered Lotuburu, but his golden eyes still flashed. The red aura inside of him indicated his dwindling patience.

“Speak,” Ravis said, “With this.” He revealed a small silver ring.

“What is this?” Ridrian demanded. “Iona has a ring just like this.”

The emperor’s eyes shone aggressively, and Ravis felt his world turn upside-down. He opened his mouth in confusion, and a hot sensation filled his shoulders. What was going on?

After a few seconds, the shock died. Ravis opened his eyes. His stepbrother was staring down at him with scarlet eyes, as though he might strike him dead at any moment.

“I didn’t realize you had a death wish,” he said.

I made a mistake.

Ravis quickly recovered his senses. The Emperor’s tone was casual, but his expression was serious. It took Ravis a moment to realize the Lotuburu was slightly embedded in his shoulder. As if on cue, pain flooded his senses.

“Y-your Majesty.”

It was the emergence of the tyrant they hadn’t seen in a while. The dark side of his brother that he feared and had difficulty handling had reared its head again.

He’d put divine power into the ring because it was the easiest accessory to carry around. There had been no other reason, other intention. To be honest, if he’d known what Ridrian was thinking about Iona, he wouldn’t have done that.

No, to be honest I…

Ravis felt something, but his thought ended with the arrival of the unfamiliar. As he groaned in agony, Ridrian picked up the silver ring.