The Emperor's Last Command
In front of everyone, stepping forward from the carriage, stood the sole ruler of the empire.
The Emperor.
True to his title as the hero who saved humanity, the Emperor possessed a power that drew people to him.
It wasn’t something like aura or mana. The very existence of the Emperor served as the empire’s central axis.
With that power, he had transformed the empire into a peaceful and prosperous nation.
Of course, that was all in the past.
Now he was nothing more than a frail, aging old man.
Even controlling his own children had become too much for him.
In short, imperial authority had collapsed.
Even the Information Bureau, his direct agency, had slipped from his grasp.
He was like a lion whose teeth and claws had both been ripped out.
Yet this lion still had some fight left in him.
The Imperial Guard remained—the swords sworn to protect him—and the Church, which had quietly supported the Emperor from the shadows, still stood by his side.
And then there was Armand, who would protect Violetta.
In other words, he was not alone.
Trusting in them, the Emperor made his decision.
He would set the empire upright once more.
[That place should be safe. You might even find clues about Violetta’s symptoms there.]
The Emperor’s words suddenly came to mind.
As both a father and the ruler of the empire, he had entrusted me with his daughter for three days so he could set everything right.
It was a shame, but his body was no longer what it used to be, so he could not protect his daughter himself. She was the one he cherished more than anyone else.
Of course, humans could not easily kill a dragonkin princess.
Even so, the Emperor had ordered Violetta to take refuge.
[You are Violetta’s sword. If a monster appears, just cut it down. Like last time—.]
…Even if it meant facing a monster attack.
In other words, he had judged the imperial palace to be more dangerous than monsters.
The sight of someone aiming for his daughter’s life must have shattered his last ounce of patience.
‘Yeah, that Second Prince really doesn’t seem like an ordinary opponent.’
The Second Prince was openly cunning and cruel.
He was the kind of man who could use any means necessary.
No—he had already planned the princess’s assassination.
He had even developed Black Heart Poison powerful enough to stop the Demon King’s resurrection.
Still, it was uncertain whether it could truly kill a dragonkin. After all, the assassin’s blade had failed to pierce Violetta’s skin.
But one thing was certain.
The Second Prince could not kill the princess.
If he could have, the story would never have reached the final chapter where the Worst Evil Magic Dragon awakened.
‘Still, I got lucky.’
[Stay at the Church for a while.]
The Church—more precisely, the Holy Academy under its jurisdiction—served as the early setting of the original story. If I was fortunate, I might even meet the original protagonist, whose name had already grown faint in my memory.
Even if I didn’t meet him, it wouldn’t matter.
[…Because my sword is there.]
The Emperor had said that the sword he used to unify the empire after the Holy Sword was kept at the Church.
It wasn’t for nothing that I had taken an interest in the Emperor’s blade.
[That sword is very special. It’s a dangerous thing, like a double-edged blade… but it might be able to cure Violetta’s symptoms. You’ll understand once you hold it.]
Those were the words he had left me with privately before we left the palace.
The sword the Emperor had used throughout his prime after the Holy Sword—called a double-edged blade. If used well, it seemed like it could be useful for assassination.
[…And you found this, didn’t you? Take it with you.]
Not only that, the Emperor had even placed a sample of Black Heart Poison in my hand, though I had no idea how he had obtained it.
As expected of an emperor.
To give such incredibly dangerous information to the very person aiming for his daughter’s life…
[Please take good care of my daughter.]
When I recalled the Emperor’s face as he saw us off with eyes full of expectation, I felt a wave of guilt that surpassed even the pressure.
But this was something that had to be done for the sake of the world’s destruction.
“My lady, we’ll be departing soon.”
“……”
“I’ll stay by your side, so please don’t worry.”
Of course, right now I was faithfully playing the role of the escort knight protecting the princess.
It was the middle of the night, with the moon hanging high in the sky.
I had secretly slipped out of the room with the princess and climbed into the black carriage.
It was something the Emperor had prepared in advance.
Instead of soft cushions, the interior of the carriage was densely covered with intricate magic circles.
They were tracking-prevention spells and protective wards against monster attacks.
“Armand, everything’s ready.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Once we were aboard, a brown-bearded man waved at us from outside the window. It was Darkhan, Captain of the Imperial Guard.
“Stay inside quietly until we’re out of the outer walls. We’ll handle the movement.”
“Understood.”
Right now, it was difficult to trust anyone outside the Imperial Guard.
That was why we planned to leave as secretly as possible.
Once we were beyond the outer walls, I would drive the carriage myself.
“Oh, right. Before you go, take this.”
“What is this all of a sudden?”
Darkhan pushed a long, cigar-like cigarette through the window gap.
He couldn’t possibly be telling me to smoke while sharing the carriage with the princess.
“If you feel tense or things aren’t going well, just take a long drag.”
“I’m a non-smoker, though.”
“I was a non-smoker at your age too. Just take it. Life can take you in unexpected directions.”
With those cryptic words, Darkhan shoved the cigarette inside. The tension weighed even heavier in his eyes.
“I’ll hold onto it for now. When I return, let’s smoke one together.”
“Hah, I’d like that.”
You’re a good kid. Darkhan added briefly before turning away.
It was time to depart.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“…No. I’m anxious.”
The princess’s complexion looked terrible.
She had barely spoken since earlier.
Her purple eyes were deeply sunken.
“There’s no need to feel anxious. I’ll protect you.”
“Still, I’m glad I’m with you.”
“Nothing bad will happen.”
“Still… I’m anxious.”
She scooted closer and leaned her body against my shoulder.
“…Can you hold my hand too?”
The princess looked up at me with a pale face, asking. Her hand trembled violently, as if reflecting her complicated emotions.
“D-Don’t tell me your symptoms are acting up again?!”
“No. I just… don’t feel well……”
─She suddenly buried herself in my arms, cutting off her words. She grabbed my hesitant hand tightly.
‘Cold?’
A chilly sensation spread through me.
Dragonkin naturally had different body temperatures from humans.
Theirs tended to run lower.
But it wasn’t cold enough to feel this chilly. I remembered clearly because I had once buried my face in her chest.
“You really are warm. That’s why I like it even more.”
“My lady……”
“What? Is it that unpleasant to have a woman who isn’t your type in your arms?”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“Then stay still. That’s an order. There’s no one watching right now.”
“……”
“Just stay like this for a little while.”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t argue with her.
This was the first time I had seen Violetta like this.
She was openly relying on me.
With a fragile face that made it impossible to refuse.
That sight blurred my sense of purpose for a moment, and my protective instincts stirred.
‘I didn’t know moonlight would suit her this well……’
Before I knew it, I found myself lost in admiration of her face.
As I always thought, she was ridiculously beautiful.
Damn it. How did things end up like this?
I wanted to focus solely on assassinating the princess.
I thought that once I entered the Imperial Guard, I could somehow make it work.
Yet now I was her favored escort knight and prospective fiancé.
‘Still, there’s nothing I can do about it right now.’
My head had been a mess for a moment, but I quickly collected myself.
I decided to faithfully fulfill my role as escort knight until we reached the academy.
After all, once we arrived at the Church, I would be able to meet the future hero—the protagonist of the original story.
I felt like I could place my hopes in him.
Besides—.
─Clink.
A pitch-black liquid sloshed inside a small glass vial.
It was the Black Heart Poison I had obtained through the Emperor.
There was no need to rush. There would be plenty of opportunities and time ahead.
Even if it wasn’t poisoning, there were many other assassination options I could try.
‘Yes. Until we reach the Church—.’
I muttered to myself and tightly clasped the princess’s hand.
The moment I set aside my assassination plans for a while—.
“Armaaand……”
“Hmm?”
A warm energy soon began to flow through the hand of the princess who had fallen asleep.
─Hiiing!
The carriage that had been racing swiftly through the night road came to a stop on a quiet roadside.
Soon after, a knock sounded from inside the carriage compartment.
“You got out safely without any incidents. Is Her Highness asleep?”
It was Captain Darkhan of the Imperial Guard. Behind him stood the senior guards who had been escorting the carriage.
“Yes. I’ll be right out.”
I carefully released her hand and quietly slipped out of my seat.
“Mmm……”
The princess was still deeply asleep. Her now-empty hand twitched slightly.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“What hardship is there in something like this? The real hardship is what you’ll have to face from now on.”
“Armand, if it’s you, you can do it.”
“Please take good care of Her Highness for the sake of the empire and His Majesty.”
Darkhan and the senior guards who had escorted us to the outer walls patted my shoulder, burdening me with unnecessary pressure.
“I will do my best.”
Of course, my best would be directed toward assassinating the princess.
“Then we’ll take our leave now.”
“Yes. Please return safely.”
I saluted crisply toward the carriage of the departing Imperial Guard.
Since this might be the last time, I wanted to be as respectful as possible.
‘I never thought I’d come back outside like this. After all the trouble it took to get into the palace……’
The carriage had stopped on the outskirts of the imperial capital.
The magic-stone streetlamps erected at intervals along the road still indicated we were inside the capital.
The destination of this escort mission was the Church.
In truth, there was no absolute need to go to the Church.
All I had to do was keep the princess safe and return.
But I had too many reasons to visit the Church. More precisely, I planned to stop by the Holy Academy.
It was an institution that trained not only those with holy power but also those talented in swordsmanship and magic.
Thanks to the Emperor, the hero of the previous generation, the demon race had disappeared, but their byproducts—the monsters—still existed everywhere.
That was why, even after the war with the demon race had ended, academies across the land continued to steadily nurture talent every year.
‘It’ll take at least another half a day, so I should travel at a reasonable pace and rest when needed.’
I roughly calculated the distance in my head and climbed into the coachman’s seat.
The road ahead was much longer than I had thought.
That was why I needed to move diligently.
“My lady, are you still sleeping?”
“……”
I asked carefully through the window connected to the coachman’s seat, but there was no reply.
“Then I’ll be setting off.”
I muttered quietly and took hold of the reins.
A midnight drive while carrying my assassination target had a rather scenic charm to it.
The night roads of this world were extremely dark and rugged.
Once we left the capital, there were no more magic-stone streetlamps to be found.
And when even the moonlight that had been lighting our way was hidden by clouds, it became truly dark.
Darkness filled every direction.
That was why Armand had no choice but to stop the carriage not far from the capital.
Camping was unavoidable.
─Crackle! Snap…!
Armand found a suitable spot and lit a campfire.
There was no need for a tent.
This was to prepare for monster attacks.
It wasn’t for nothing that they had prepared a carriage inscribed with spells.
Even if it was cramped and uncomfortable, we would have to endure a day inside the carriage.
No one knew how many monsters might come swarming.
“Shall we heat up some water first?”
Armand placed a mess tin over the campfire.
He planned to simply satisfy the hunger he hadn’t been able to fill at the banquet.
“…Armand. Are you out there?”
At that moment, the carriage door opened slightly, and the princess peeked out, rubbing her eyes.
It seemed she hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep and had woken up midway.
“Ah, you’re awake?”
“Yeah. Have we already left the palace?”
“To be precise, we’re outside the capital. Once the sun rises, we’ll have to travel for another half a day.”
Armand approached and explained, carefully watching to make sure the princess didn’t unconsciously step out of the carriage.
“Hmm… It doesn’t really feel like we’ve left.”
“Please endure the discomfort a little longer. How is your body?”
“I don’t know. I’m tired but I can’t sleep.”
“Are you perhaps hungry?”
Armand pointed at the campfire in front of him to indicate that a meal was being prepared.
“It’s not that. The inside of my chest feels strange.”
“Hmm?”
“It feels like something is stabbing my heart.”
“Is that also one of the symptoms?”
“No, it’s different. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”
The princess clutched her chest with both hands and made a gloomy expression.
In truth, it wasn’t just her heart—her entire chest ached.
A dull, throbbing pain tightened around her lungs.
It was distinctly different from the curse symptoms she had experienced so far.
“Are you still feeling anxious?”
Armand approached and naturally took the princess’s hand.
He had decided to set aside thoughts of assassination until they reached the academy.
“You’ve gotten quite good at this.”
“I don’t think that’s something the person who asked me to hold her hand earlier should be saying—”
“Since you’re already holding it, keep holding it a little longer. Thanks to you, I feel a bit calmer.”
You really are warm—. The princess added softly and smiled faintly. Her face had regained much of its composure.
“What exactly are you so anxious about?”
“What happened earlier keeps bothering me.”
“By earlier, you mean……”
“During the banquet. Until Father told me to take refuge outside the palace, I was happy. Leaving the tiresome and stifling palace was something I had wished for. But now that I’m actually out, I keep thinking about Father.”
The princess poured out her inner thoughts in a gloomy voice.
Violetta’s hand was still cold.
“His Majesty will surely handle things well.”
“It’s not that kind of problem. I… I didn’t say anything.”
“…Hmm?”
“I wanted to leave the palace so badly that I left without saying a word. I regret so much that I couldn’t say even one sentence—that I would stay and stand by his side.”
The princess’s face darkened once again.
Her head lowered, casting shadows over her features.
Even while holding Armand’s hand, her chest still hurt.
‘Is she feeling guilty?’
Was it because she hadn’t yet awakened as the magic dragon? Or was it a temporary effect from her alleviated symptoms?
It was a more human reaction than expected.
She didn’t seem crazy at all.
She was purely worried about her father.
“That’s not your fault, my lady.”
“…Not my fault?”
“There was nothing you could do. Because of the curse, you can’t even take a life. Staying by His Majesty’s side would have only been a burden.”
“Hmm, are you sure those are words of comfort?”
“Of course they are.”
“Still… was there really no way I could have helped him?”
“There wasn’t. The only thing to do is cure the curse as quickly as possible and return—”
Armand spoke firmly, cutting her off so that her regrets and lingering feelings wouldn’t spread any further.
“You’re surprisingly cold-hearted, aren’t you?”
“What His Majesty wishes for is nothing but your full recovery. So please don’t amplify your symptoms with needless anxiety.”
“……”
At Armand’s sharp(?) words of comfort, the princess closed her mouth and quietly nodded.
For a while, only heavy silence lingered.
‘Ugh, what the hell am I even saying to my assassination target—.’
Armand could only click his tongue quietly to himself.
When the awkward atmosphere had somewhat passed—.
“Heh, how interesting.”
“You were anxious earlier, but now what’s so interesting?”
“Excluding Father, you’re the first person to lecture me so directly. I almost begged you to empathize with me without realizing it.”
“…Haha.”
At the princess’s grumbling tone, Armand let out a small laugh.
“I really do like you.”
Violetta smiled faintly in turn and spoke again.
“I’ll focus on treatment like you said. So—”
The princess pulled Armand’s hand deeper into the carriage as she continued.
“…My lady?”
“Let’s sleep together tonight.”
“???”
“When I’m pressed against you like this, my heart feels at ease.”
The princess's symptoms were clearly different from the usual curse.
A dull, throbbing pain tightened around her heart.
Was this the beginning of her transformation?
Or the first stirrings of an entirely new emotion?