Chapter 145
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145
His arrogant, unwavering blue eyes trembled.
He felt as if he could see her very soul, hidden deep within her eyes, dying once again. He could almost picture it—struck down by the sword he had wielded, collapsing to the floor and gasping for breath as a pool of crimson blood spread around it.
Helplessness, misery, and a deep self-loathing were etched onto her face, yet she couldn't even bring herself to cry. Barely able to breathe, Seo-ah clenched her jaw, knowing that the moment she opened her mouth, she would shatter into tears. Then, with a roughness foreign to her, she wrenched her hand from his grasp.
“……”
“……”
Oscar, who had been gripping her arm so tightly, didn't realize she had slipped away until her hand was already gone. Once free, Seo-ah tried to stand, to get off his lap and return to her own seat.
In a panic, Oscar grabbed for whatever he could reach. His fingers snagged on the soft fabric of her hair ribbon. He gripped the ribbon as if it were a lifeline—something he couldn't let go of even in his dreams. Seo-ah clutched at her own hair and spoke.
“Let go.”
“……”
“Let go, Your Excellency.”
At her firm demand, Oscar let out a dry laugh.
If I could let go, I wouldn't have done this in the first place.
Securing his arm around her waist where she sat precariously on his lap, Oscar slowly leaned his head back against the headrest. He glanced down languidly at the hand clutching her ribbon, then raised his gaze to meet hers, repeating the same words.
“Marry me.”
“Your Excellency!”
“It's not like you have anyone waiting for you anyway.”
The anger that had colored her agitated tone vanished, leaving her expression completely blank once more.
Oscar let out a laugh as dry as desert sand.
You're just like me. There's no one waiting for you, and no one you're waiting for.
“So…”
A dry, sandy laugh escaped him, but there was no mirth in the blue eyes fixed on her—only a heat as intense as a scorching sun.
“Just finish what you set out to do by my side, where you wanted to be so badly.”
The knuckles of the hand clutching the soft ribbon were stark white.
* * *
It was an era of transformation, one in which the old concepts of manors and estates were fading into history.
With the collapse of the class system, a new republic was being established, a milestone for a new age. In times like these, the royal family—once the pinnacle of the social hierarchy—had to walk on eggshells not only around the commoners but also the very nobles who had secured their new status.
No matter how powerful a king was, he could not enter another noble family's estate without a valid justification. That was why even the former king, who had killed Ernst, had been unable to breach these black iron gates.
The Wolf's Forest, where no one dared to tread lightly.
That forest had now opened.
The Wolves who opened the iron gates swallowed hard at the sight before them: the King's massive, ornate carriage, surrounded by his Royal Guards. Clad in red jackets, black trousers, and matching black military caps, the guards carried long rifles on their backs and sharp rapiers at their waists.
There were easily a hundred of them. Yet, the Wolves had no choice but to clear the way.
Two royal knights on pitch-black warhorses cleared the path. Behind them, the King's magnificent carriage, drawn by six white horses, passed through the iron gates.
Thanks to the hospitable mistress who had opened the gates from within, Leopold was able to set foot in the Wolf's Forest without shedding a single drop of blood. And with an army in tow, no less.
“So this is the Marquisate Residence,” Leopold sneered as he passed through the wide-open black iron gates.
The sun was setting. The dense forest absorbed the fading light, breathing out a reddish darkness.
“We have received word that a Reinhardt steel vessel has entered the Tekan Canal. The Norfolk Royal Union is said to be sending an immediate letter of regret to Reinhardt.”
“And Herod?”
“King Leonard has not made a move.”
“That cunning lion. He'll change his tune the moment he smells profit.”
Leopold clicked his tongue, recalling Leonard Astrid's cold, calculating face. But the king's face quickly faded from his mind.
Leopold stared out at the endless forest, thinking of its master.
“Oscar. Why hasn't he returned yet?”
“I apologize once again, Your Majesty. If only I had succeeded…”
“Enough. I asked why he hasn't returned.”
Peter carefully gauged Leopold's mood, shrewdly filtering what to say and what to keep to himself.
“As I mentioned, it is because of a woman.”
“Unbelievable.”
To think Oscar von Reinhardt would leave his post vacant for so long because of some woman he brought back from Pelfe.
“And Charlotte von Reinhardt suddenly pulling a stunt like this… is that really all because of that woman too?”
“Undoubtedly. When I saw the Marquis in the Rock Forest, I could hardly believe my own eyes.”
“……”
“Your Majesty, do you remember how the former king captured the previous Marquis?”
“I do.”
“You can capture the Marquis using that exact same method. I know it is presumptuous of me to say this after my repeated failures, but please trust me. This time, Your Majesty will surely take the wolf's head, just as the former king did. If we cut off the she-wolf's paws and set a trap, the Marquis will undoubtedly walk right into it.”
Leopold turned his head to look out the window. The chilling forest stretched on endlessly.
“I still find it hard to believe.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“That Oscar, that cold-blooded bastard, would actually crumble over a single woman?”
Peter smiled faintly at that. Beneath his benevolent smile, as gentle as a lady-in-waiting's, sharp fangs flashed.
“Ernst von Reinhardt crumbled as well.”
“Like father, like son, then.”
“That is why bloodlines are so terrifying.”
“Just what kind of woman is she to drive Oscar so mad?”
Peter bowed his head respectfully.
“Once we capture her, she will be presented to Your Majesty first.”
Leopold slowly scanned the darkening surroundings and muttered.
“Right… So, who are we catching today?”
“An old wolf.”
“An old wolf…”
Leopold fell into thought. Peter remained silent for a moment so as not to disturb the King's thoughts, but since time was short, he quickly continued.
“Barbara Wald. She's no ordinary old wolf. She's practically the only one who can advise the Marquis—in a way, she's his true mother. She's also the central figure who can command the Wolves even in his absence.”
“……”
“Later, when we cut off the she-wolf's paws to set our trap, things will go awry if Barbara Wald is by the Marquis's side. Even if the Marquis loses his mind, Barbara is the type of person who would slit her own throat to stop him from walking into the trap. The previous Marquis had no such person by his side.”
Darkness seeped into Leopold's eyes. As he merely tapped his long fingers against the ornate window frame, Peter spoke.
“Your Majesty has two choices. One is to abandon all plans to kill the Marquis and try to get along with him.”
“We've come too far for that.”
“Then you must eliminate him completely, leaving no loose ends. You must make a decision.”
“A decision? The things I've done, the things you've failed at! If those weren't decisions, then what were they?!”
“Those were all covert wars of attrition. Not an all-out war.”
“……”
“After what happened in the Rock Forest, the Marquis will be preparing for an all-out war with Your Majesty. So do not hesitate. Strike swiftly, precisely, and unpredictably. Slit his throat before he even has a chance to collect himself.”
Peter caught his breath.
“The manor's forces are depleted, the Marquis is away, and Charlotte von Reinhardt has personally opened the gates for you to enter.”
The moment he heard that Charlotte was ostentatiously hosting a banquet at the Marquisate Residence, Peter felt a new path opening up. This was practically a divine revelation, telling him to put an end to Barbara Wald.
No matter how depleted their forces were, forcing their way through the gates of the Wolf's Forest would have yielded nothing. It would have looked like an outright raid on the Marquisate Residence, and Barbara would have fought back with everything she had.
But entering proudly through an open door was a different story.
“Your Majesty is coming to this residence strictly as a guest. Barbara Wald won't be able to lay a hand on Your Majesty's army so easily.”
To do so would only put Oscar in a difficult position.
Nor could she simply abandon the residence and leave, as Charlotte would not let her go.
“I will capture Barbara Wald alive if possible. And before the Marquis and his Wolves can gather their wits, I will seize the Marquis's woman.”
“But tell me, if we fail to capture that woman, won't this all fall apart? We have to do it properly. How on earth do you plan to catch her?”
Leopold frowned. He seemed deeply skeptical of this sudden strike. However, swift decisions and execution tailored to the situation were what decided victory or defeat on the battlefield.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty.”
“You always say that, yet you failed this time too!”
Leopold roared, slamming his hand against the window frame. But Peter didn't even bat an eye.
“That woman will have no choice but to leave the Marquis's side of her own accord and come to Your Majesty.”
“I'm asking you how you can be so certain!”
“If this operation fails, then this time, I will forfeit my life.”