CH 43

Chapter 43

“Where?”

The hand pulling her arm to take her out was strong. It was unbelievable power for an ordinary Edward. The days where he was in good shape could be counted in her hands, and even if he was in good condition, he didn’t have the strength to drag her like this.

“Brother…? Why are you doing this?”

“You have to go.”

There was madness in Edward’s eyes as he dragged Elysia away, saying she had to go. She had never seen Edward look like that… It was the eyes of a person who was driven to the limit.

“Where am I supposed to go!”

“You must run…!”

“What do you mean, run?”

Edward was now terrifying and insane. He was not thinking normally, and Elysia could figure out what was driving him into it.

“Edward Caitlyn, calm down.”

“Elysia, you need to run away now. I have a carriage ready.”

He was so afraid of Damon, yet Edward did not know the true fear from him yet… There was no way he could get away from him. If she could escape, Elysia would be the first to run away. However, she couldn’t, so she was going to divorce him when Damon no longer needed a wife.

…Before he killed her.

“I’m not going.”

“Elysia, you’re doing this because you don’t know yet.”

“What do I not know?”

“Grand Duke Raphael…”

Edward’s fingertips were trembling even as he spoke about Damon. It wasn’t just a fear of hearing his notoriety. He knew something about Damon.

“He…!”

Elysia took the opportunity to shake off his hand that was holding her.

“I can’t run away.”

“Elysia, you have to run now.”

“Where? Do you think you will be able to avoid Grand Duke Raphael in this Empire?”

“If you leave the Empire…”

…Again, Edward knew nothing. The only way out of Damon was death — until he lets her go.

“If I leave the Empire, will I be able to escape?”

Even after leaving the Empire, there was no place where the power of Grand Duchy Raphael did not reach.

“…But, if there’s a substitute, it doesn’t really matter.”

“A substitute? No way…?”

When she heard the word ‘substitute,’ someone flashed into Elysia’s mind. She thought it was strange. The Countess couldn’t have come so suddenly.

“Did you bring Rowena with you?”

Edward did not answer the question when she mentioned Rowena. Seeing that reaction, Elysia realized. Now, he was about to swap her and Rowena even though he knew Damon had already seen her face. It was reckless.

“I told you it was definitely impossible!”

“After all, Damon Raphael wants a bride with only a name, right? Because of that damn Grand Duchy’s secret.”

“You knew…?”

Even Edward knew the secret of Grand Duchy Raphael. Obviously, in the novel, it said that other people didn’t know…

“Elysia, I know more than you think.”

The Edward in front of her was not the Edward she knew. It was not her caring brother, who always had a gentle smile. Perhaps, this appearance was Edward’s nature.

“Damon Raphael, if you married him…”

The real figure he was hiding from the Countess.

“Elysia, you are going to die.”

* * *

…Elysia, you are going to die.

Elysia was not surprised by his words as he said that she was going to die. Rather, it was Edward who was bewildered by her reaction.

“Elysia?”

“….”

“You are going to die.”

Even when he spoke of her death, she was extremely calm. It was a fact she knew better than anyone else. She already gave her life halfway when she knew that she was going to marry him.

“So?”

“Elysia…? Don’t you understand now?”

“No, I know. Grand Duke Raphael is going to kill me.”

“But, why… why do you look like that?”

Was she supposed to look surprised here…?

Damon Raphael was hardly any exaggeration compared to her being a transmigrator. She knew all the evil deeds that had not yet happened and the murders that had already taken place. He didn’t know how evil he was and what an unusual psychopathic killer he was.

“What about my face?”

“It’s an expression that says nothing is wrong.”

Elysia frowned that her expression was saying that it was nothing. No one would be okay if they were being told they were going to die.

“There’s no way it’s okay.”

“Elysia, I can’t lose you. You are my only blood.”

“So do I.”

Edward was her only blood.

“So, let’s run away. If you flee to another empire, you can avoid Grand Duke Raphael.”

Elysia shook her head at his words. Like she said, the only way to escape Damon was death. As long as she was alive, she could never escape. In addition, getting a divorce was never going to be easy as well.

“No, it cannot be avoided.”

“…Elysia?”

“Unless the two of us take our lives here, there is no way to escape Damon.”

She never had any intention of taking her life… She will survive. She will persevere to the end and survive.

“Go back. Go back and hide what brother did.”

If Damon found out about Edward’s plans, he wouldn’t stand still… The worst could have happened.

He hated those who ignored him, that was the reason Damon was able to rise to the rank of Grand Duke even though he was not in the direct line. He also had overwhelming power, though because he slaughtered all who rebelled against him.

“If he finds out that Brother had a plan like this…”

He would never let it slide. At the very least, he would harm County Caitlyn. Even if he harmed the County, Elysia didn’t care. If only Edward could avoid it, she could sacrifice others.

“Elysia, let’s just run away with me!”

“What would be different if I ran away? You don’t really think so.”

“It’s because you don’t know!”

“What do I not know?”

Although she didn’t know how Edward found out the secret about the Grand Duchy, she knew Damon better than Edward.

“The Grand Duchess of the Grand Duchy dies shortly after giving birth to a child.”

“Died after giving birth to a child…?”

Medicine has not yet developed like modern medicine. There was magic and divine power, but it wasn’t perfect.

“Yes, they would die giving birth to a child because the brides of the Grand Dukes died during childbirth.”

There was nothing strange about that. Even in modern times, many mothers die while giving birth. No matter how advanced medicine was, childbirth was a dangerous thing.

“Though the brides who don’t die soon all die in an accident.”

“….”

“Do you really think it was an accident?”

It was amazing how Edward knew so much about Grand Duchy Raphael. He was not socially active, so Elysia was suspicious that he knew about the Grand Duchy so well when he had been resting in the Logan Empire except for a week.

“How does brother know all this?”

“In the Caesar Empire, the notoriety of Grand Duchy Raphael is lesser known. However, what about other countries?”

“Rumors have spread throughout the Logan Empire.”

“Yes, the notoriety of Grand Duchy Raphael is better known in other countries.”

It was hard to believe that Damon had just overlooked such a rumor. The reason why the public was quieter than the evil he committed was because the Grand Duchy had frantically stopped it. Even if it was a different country he couldn’t have left it alone.

“It’s like a rumor among commoners, but I know it’s true.”

Again, the rumors certainly didn’t spread. It was just known as a myth. Still, how did Edward know it was true?

“To keep the Grand Duchy’s secret, they’ll kill the Grand Duchess when her use is exhausted.”

“The purpose is to produce a new successor.”

Certainly, the nobles did whatever it took to preserve their power. Even if it was a cruel thing that went against ethics, the same was true of County Caitlyn. She and Edward were born to courtesans because the Countess was unable to bear children.

And, the two mothers who gave birth were murdered so as not to leave trouble…

“As long as you know everything, I can’t let you die.”

“Is it okay for Rowena to die?”

“That…”

It was commendable for Edward’s character to think of a plan to push Rowena instead of her. Of course, he would regret it for the rest of her life, but it was right in choosing her.

“Listen to me, brother. From now on, in order to survive, we must make both the County and the Grand Duchy enemies.”

In order to survive, she had to not hesitate to abandon someone.

“Now, please don’t do anything that could harm brother’s life to save me again.”

“Elysia…”

“Don’t take any medicine that Angelina forced to give you any more. And, for now, take refuge in the Logan Empire.”

By this point, Estelle would have noticed that she had disappeared from the waiting room. Today, Elysia would direct all these sins to County Caitlyn.

“Think again, Elysia. Leave with me now.”

“I don’t want to be killed today. I’ll survive for a long time.”

If she couldn’t stand the fear here and ran away with Edward, they would both die. To survive, she had to stay close to Damon even more… Even though every day must be a frightening day, like walking on thin ice.

“I am not going to die. Never.”

It was like a promise she made to herself.