Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Invitation
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“The Emperor does that sometimes. If someone catches his eye, he pushes them to the brink and breaks them in.”
“Breaks them in?”
Lena asked again, and Rin nodded with a displeased look.
“He’ll hound you relentlessly until his interest fades. Treating you like a plaything. I had a bad feeling when he summoned you...”
“Was it the same with Duke Naza?”
At Naza’s name, Rin gave a heavy nod. He seemed about to say more, his lips parting, but then clamped them shut. In truth, it hadn’t been just Naza. After Naza died, the Emperor had turned that same attention on Rin once.
—You’re the reason Naza died, so fill his place.
—That’s an order. Go wipe out the rebels in the East.
—Prove you belong to me.
To Rin, who had been just a boy then, those were commands more horrifying than a death sentence. The Eastern rebels Nihil had targeted were Rin’s own people, their homeland stolen by the Empire.
“...Did he ask you to do anything else separately?”
“No, nothing special beyond the tomb conquest...”
As Lena spoke, realization suddenly struck her. The reason Nihil had been so lenient yesterday. He’d let it slide. Since he planned to throw her into the fire anyway, there was no need for him to punish her himself.
“Have many people been treated like a plaything by the Emperor?”
“I can only guess it’s more than one or two. Only he knows for sure.”
“What happened to them?”
“Most died. Only a rare few were released.”
And Rin had been one of those rare few released. When Rin silently obeyed the orders, Nihil eventually lost interest in him. Watching the Emperor turn his torment to another noble, Rin realized he had finally been freed from that vile hobby.
“Is this something people in the imperial palace know about?”
“No. Only those who’ve experienced it firsthand.”
In an Empire far beyond the bounds of normalcy, the Emperor’s actions weren’t well-known to bureaucrats or nobles. Especially not what happened in Nihil’s private chambers.
“But the North might know. The late Northern Duke was killed by the Emperor, after all.”
“The late Northern Duke...”
Lena quietly mulled over Rin’s words. She’d had a private audience with the Emperor yesterday. Had the North foreseen this upon hearing of it?
‘Does Father know?’
Know? He might not know exactly, but he’d suspect. He’d be watching her closer than anyone.
‘Then maybe...’
Lena felt several suspicions interlocking.
“...It seems like there’s someone from Father’s side among our knights.”
“What?”
Rin stared at her in surprise, and Lena narrowed her eyes with a smile. She’d already thought it odd. At their first meeting, the knights had united in rejecting her. And that hadn’t seemed like the behavior of recent ragtag recruits.
‘It’s more like they were incited.’
Moreover, right after one knight committed insubordination, malicious rumors spread, and Clavis assigned Lena to lead the vanguard. None of it could be coincidence. Plus the knights’ reactions today and Eden Pieta’s request.
“Rin.”
Calling his name, Lena pulled him—who had risen—back toward her. Caught off guard, he lurched forward and grabbed the tree to avoid crushing her. As Rin looked down at her in alarm, Lena smiled faintly and spoke.
“It’s sudden, but there’s something I want to discuss about tomorrow’s rift watch.”
“...Like what?”
Lena brought her lips to his cheek. Even if watchers were observing from afar, they wouldn’t hear, but she whispered in his ear like someone sharing a secret.
“I don’t think we’ll need the East’s support tomorrow after all.”
***
The next morning, Lena and the Southern Knights received the watch duty handover at Do-um Palace. Contrary to the under-the-table negotiations, all the Eastern Knights had withdrawn, and Eden, watching them go, spoke gladly.
“I figured a lady like you would understand.”
“Yes, I thought about it, and you were right on all counts.”
Lena answered innocently, and Eden and the knights looked satisfied. But then, a voice utterly out of place—like a sparrow chirping—rang out.
“Wow, I’ve never seen that before. It’s huge!”
The one who shouted was a young maid peering around beside Lena. The maid sat on a massive bag, staring wondrously at Do-um Palace and the rift.
“And that child is...?”
“She’s my friend. She said she’d be bored alone, so I brought her.”
“Ah, I see.”
Eden nodded with a slightly flustered expression. He wanted to ask why she’d brought a maid, but since Lena had granted his request, he held back. He was curious about the huge bag—big enough for a person—but soon dismissed it.
“Then we’ll move to our positions.”
The Southern Knights scattered in small groups into the empty Do-um Palace. Lena sat on a sofa prepared at one side of the rift palace with Uni. The half-day passed very peacefully. But in the afternoon, commotion arose outside, and a large force of knights burst into Do-um Palace. They were all Northern Knights in red uniforms. As the Northern Knights barged in without warning, Lena rose from her seat. She addressed the familiar figure at their forefront.
“What’s this about all of a sudden, Rubid?”
“Watch your tone, don’t get cocky.”
Rubid scowled at the sight of Lena and practically shoved a single sheet of paper at her. It was a church permit allowing tomb exploration. Dressed sharply in his red uniform, Rubid glared at Lena with jewel-like eyes and spat.
“You ran wild last time.”
“I don’t recall running wild.”
“Just wait. I’ll pay you back tenfold.”
Growling, Rubid shoved past Lena’s shoulder.
The Northern Knights followed. Dressed in red, their morale was as high as during the first expedition, pushing the Southern Knights unwittingly to the corners. Rubid stood before the rift. The knights bowed respectfully to the prince’s back as they headed into the tomb.
***
“Are those people planning to build a village or something?”
Uni muttered, chin propped on the huge bag. And just as the child said, the Northern Knights were hauling enough supplies into the tomb day after day to build a whole village.
“They say the North is rich, and it looks like it. If they have the spare resources, they should build houses for the frontier folk instead.”
“Yeah, nothing good comes from messing with a tomb.”
As Uni grumbled, Lena beside her smiled faintly and set down her teacup. Three days had passed since the South took over watch duty. But what the Southern Knights had done more than monitor wraiths emerging from the rift was watch the Northern Knights coming and going. The North was fully exploiting their endless supplies and the tomb’s timeless nature to explore at a frightening pace.
“That one seems pretty desperate too.”
“Rubid?”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen him rest once. I thought he was just some sleazy playboy who dumps booze on people, but surprisingly...”
“Uni, shh...”
“Don’t worry, miss. I’m whispering plenty quiet.”
Uni whispered while glancing sideways—at none other than Rubid. Over the past three days, Rubid had stood guard before the rift, receiving reports from returning knights and issuing new orders. And that diligence surprised not just Uni, but Lena too.
‘I thought he was just some thoughtless young master...’
His thorough information-gathering looked surprisingly diligent. No, more than diligent—desperate, somehow. As Lena watched absentmindedly, Rubid—sensing her gaze—whipped around toward her. Their eyes met, and he growled openly at her. So blatant it wasn’t even angering; Lena burst into empty laughter.
“What a temper.”
“Right?”
Lena picked up her teacup again, and Uni crunched cookies across from her. Thanks to the North, watch duty was lax. Of course, Lena didn’t think it was mere luck or coincidence. So she waited for when things would blow up, and Uni tugged at her skirt beside her.
“Ah, miss.”
At Uni’s small call, Lena looked up. And met an unexpected person.
“I came to beg a cup of tea.”
It was none other than Marquis Rubel, who had approached and spoken amiably.
“May I sit? Lady Lena.”
“...I wouldn’t dare refuse. Your Excellency Rubel.”
Sudden as it was, Lena responded gladly without surprise.
“Uni, mind stepping aside for a bit?”
“Yes, miss.”
Uni stepped back obediently with pattering steps, and the marquis sat on the sofa opposite Lena. As they faced each other, Lena felt the knights watching silently. These past few days, she and the marquis had crossed paths often, drawing meaningful glances each time. But they’d ignored each other, staying with their own camps—until now, the marquis crossed over on a whim. Expecting her father’s scheme, Lena poured tea herself and slid the cup over.
“It might be poisoned.”
“As if.”
At Lena’s chilling jest, the marquis chuckled and lifted the cup. Then, as if to show off, he savored the aroma.
“Fine tea.”
“What’s your business? Lots of eyes watching.”
Lena asked softly, eyes crinkling.
“Have you finally decided to seek my forgiveness?”
The abrupt question left the marquis momentarily speechless, so Lena added graciously.
“Take your time deciding. There’s still plenty of time.”
“You’re truly bold, lady.”
The marquis muttered as if conceding. Then, wiping his smile, he answered.
“Indeed. I want to beg your forgiveness now, at last. But...”
“But?”
“Your way would harm innocents too.”
“I don’t want that either, of course. But Your Excellency, think if what you just said is sincere or an excuse.”
Lena smiled serenely, and the marquis smiled back wryly.
“Too many eyes here.”
The marquis glanced around and muttered. Judging he had much to say but this wasn’t the place, he lowered his voice to a whisper.
“I’d like to invite you soon. To my home.”
The invitation to his home widened Lena’s eyes. Even she hadn’t expected this.
“Uncomfortable?”
“...I won’t decline.”
“I’ll send an invitation soon. Then...”
As the marquis rose to end the talk, Lena called him back.
“But, Your Excellency.”
He paused and looked at her.
“You’ve always worried about innocents. What if there’s no harm to them?”
“Then I’d have no more reservations.”
“...You’re too good at lying.”
At Lena’s inexplicable question, she smiled inexplicably again at his answer. Then, with a slightly weary face, she added.
“Someone truly seeking forgiveness doesn’t scheme behind the scenes.”
The marquis’s brow twitched slightly at her words. But Lena pretended not to notice and continued flatly.
“I’ll overlook this too. There’s still time. Come to think of it, I’ve never properly shown you.”
“Shown what?”
“How I fight.”
At Lena’s meaningful words, the marquis smiled with narrowed eyes. Wondering what she’d noticed. But if he had, he wouldn’t have withdrawn Eastern support. Or was he toying with her again, like before? A chill of foreboding rose, but the marquis smiled thickly, feigning ignorance.
“...I look forward to it.”
***
Two days later, Rin—who had rushed over upon hearing the news—stared vacantly at the ruined palace.
“Lena...”
Rin sighed at the rubble, once called Do-um Palace. It was just as he’d heard. Do-um Palace lay in devastating ruins. Disaster had struck. A huge swarm of wraiths had suddenly poured from the rift. The knights blocked them from reaching the imperial palace, but it wasn’t enough—they ended up demolishing Do-um Palace. It happened just five days after the South began rift watch duty.