Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Value Test
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Lin stared at the collapsed palace with empty eyes.
“Lena….”
His face pale, he searched for Lena. The outer wall of the palace had crumbled pathetically, red cracks blazed fiercely through the gaps, and Southern Knights groaned while bleeding. But Lena was nowhere among them.
“Put me down!”
Uni, who had been held in Lin’s arms, shrieked. Lin listlessly set down Uni, whom he’d been holding with one arm, and she bolted straight into the ruins to find Lena.
“Miss! Miss! Uncle, where’s our miss? Huh?”
Uni asked a wounded Southern Knight. But the knight, seemingly in deep shock, stared blankly and didn’t answer the child’s question. Growing frantic, Uni stomped her feet. And Lin just stood there like a man trapped in a swamp, watching the whole scene unfold.
. . . That morning, not a single soul had imagined the Do-um Palace would collapse. Five hours before the Do-um Palace crumbled—that morning—the Do-um Palace was moderately lively and relaxed. The Southern Knights loosely carried out their now-familiar guard duties, the Northern Knights bustled back and forth through the rifts as usual. And Clavis, appearing with nothing better to do, was pestering Lena.
“Really?”
Clavis leaned against the backrest of the sofa where Lena sat, whining.
“You’re really dating the Eastern Duke?”
Lena pretended not to hear and looked elsewhere, but it was no use.
“You’re joking, right? You’ve got the time to date now, of all times?”
Clavis persisted, teasing her relentlessly.
“How could you be so cold to me?”
At his petulant tone, like a lover betrayed, Lena finally glared at Clavis, unable to hold back. Delighted at finally getting her attention, Clavis grinned happily, but Lena was genuinely annoyed and growled softly.
“I’m on guard duty. You’re interfering, so please leave.”
“I’m in overall command here.”
Lena was speechless at his fact-based retort. Seeing her face, Clavis ran his hand over the surface of the sofa where she sat and added,
“I’m the one who brought this sofa here, too.”
No sooner had he spoken than Lena shot to her feet. Clavis burst out laughing at her horrified reaction.
“Ah, alright, I get it. I won’t tease you anymore. Sit, sit. A commander shouldn’t stand around.”
“If you touch me, you’ll get hurt.”
When Clavis reached out as if to soothe her, Lena warned sternly. So Clavis slyly withdrew the hand he’d extended toward her. Instead, he quickly took the spot where she’d been sitting, flashing a beaming smile as he nodded toward the far side of the Do-um Palace.
“Anyway, check that out.”
Lena turned her head absentmindedly and spotted Rubid glaring sharply at them. Rubid was eyeing Lena and Clavis with a look that said ‘having fun, are we’ or ‘what a bunch of bullshit.’
“Cute, right?”
‘Where?’
“He’s mad because you stole his attention. He’s been pouting like that since forever whenever I don’t play with him.”
“Not something I particularly want to know.”
“How stingy. We’re all in the same space for once—wouldn’t it be nice to get along?”
As Clavis kept grinning, Lena turned away as if she’d heard enough. Then Clavis tossed out one more line to stop her.
“Did your audience with His Imperial Majesty go well?”
“…Thanks to you.”
“He said he’d make you his possession, right?”
Lena shot a displeased look at the man asking what he already knew. Clavis read her irritation but played dumb, chuckling.
“Be careful. One slip-up, and you’ll suffer. He’s still playing nice for now, but soon you’ll get it—why I want to kill the Emperor.”
Clavis whispered, lowering his voice. Over a hundred knights and priests filled the Do-um Palace where they were. The distance was too great for anyone to overhear, but even so, Lena felt uneasy with Clavis discussing assassinating the Emperor in such an open space. She stared at him like he was a madman, but Clavis laughed it off, as always—beautifully, like an angel in a holy painting.
. . . Three hours before the Do-um Palace crumbled, it was still morning. The Northern Knights were still coming and going through the rifts, and Lena was starting to get curious about what they were doing. So she approached a rift to take a peek, when Rubid spotted her and snarled like an angry cat.
“What? Get lost!”
“…I wasn’t approaching you specifically, Rubid, but even if I was, I have no reason to take orders from you.”
“Don’t get cocky, you bastard’s concubine…”
“Concubine?”
Lena laughed in disbelief at Rubid’s crude word choice. Then, as if it wasn’t worth getting angry over, she smiled serenely and said,
“Want to get scolded again?”
“What?”
“Looks like one scolding wasn’t enough for that attitude of yours.”
“Ha!”
Rubid scoffed at Lena’s provocation. Then he sobered coldly and glared at her. His purple eyes turned sky-blue, just like Nihil’s. Rubid was on the verge of seriously losing it.
“Whoa, Your Highness!”
Someone called Rubid from afar and came dashing over. Before Rubid could even turn, they grabbed his waist.
“Hold still!”
“Ugh!”
“You can’t fight here!”
“Hey, let go!”
“Dad said to stop you before you cause trouble…!”
“Trouble? You think I’m really trying to—”
Rubid grabbed the nape of the boy priest Enji—who was treating him like a walking disaster—and hoisted him up. With his upper body dangling, Enji pleaded in that position.
“The most handsome person in the world, my revered Highness, please look at my face and calm down, hold back your anger, soothe your heart, and face the world with peace and gratitude instead of violence and conflict—another outburst here, and you’ll never live down the ‘fighting cock’ label!”
Enji blurted it all out without taking a breath, and at that frantic begging, Rubid’s rage cooled instantly. His eyes returned to purple, and his expression filled with its usual irritability.
“Fine, now get out of my face, you snitch.”
“I love you, Your Highness.”
“Hey, I said move!”
Rubid just raised his voice but didn’t actively shake off Enji clinging to him. Having successfully calmed the prince, Enji peeked at the Proxy of the Southern Duke from behind his side. But contrary to the boy’s hopes, Lena Rubel had already turned and headed elsewhere.
. . . Forty minutes before the Do-um Palace crumbled. Uni sat alone on the sofa, observing the boy priest who kept glancing her way. Naturally, that boy priest was Enji Rubel. That punk used to haunt the underground laundry nonstop, but lately he’d been showing up at the Do-um Palace every day. His goal was obvious. So Uni made a show of it, rolling around on the sofa and laying her head in the lap of Lena, who sat beside her. An action never allowed for a normal maid, but Lena naturally stroked Uni’s hair.
“Sleepy?”
“No.”
“Bored, then?”
“No, it’s because Enji Rubel keeps staring.”
“Yeah, I noticed too.”
Lena replied with a smile. So Uni stared at Lena’s face, then looked back at Enji far away. He was gazing at them endlessly with an expectant face.
. . . Twenty minutes before the Do-um Palace crumbled. Enji watched from afar as Uni acted spoiled toward Lena, then flinched and looked away when their eyes met.
‘What’s with her.’
Why’s she acting so chummy?
‘Like she’s his real little sister or something.’
Enji grumbled inwardly and looked back at Lena Rubel. Earlier, while stopping Rubid, he’d gotten a close-up look at the Proxy of the Southern Duke.
‘She really does look like her….’
Like his sister. Enough to vividly recall his sister’s hazy face, which he hadn’t seen in ages.
‘Then why doesn’t she act like she knows me?’
If she’s my sister, she’d recognize me. Enji kicked idly at the floor, pondering. Should he go over and talk first?
‘…Dad would hate it.’
Enji’s father hated him showing interest in the Proxy of the Southern Duke. Still, Enji wanted to know the truth. No matter how much he asked the servants, the mystery remained unsolved.
‘A few words wouldn’t hurt, right?’
As Enji debated approaching Lena, the Northern Knights in the Do-um Palace suddenly began withdrawing. Enji just watched, thinking it was finally over, when his father’s attendant approached and said,
“Young master, your father calls for you.”
“Me?”
“He says to come to the Main Palace with him.”
“Huh?”
Enji was currently on duty as a priest guarding the Do-um Palace. Dressed in priestly robes, he was of Northern origin but not affiliated, so this summons from the marquis was unusual. Tilting his head, Enji headed to his father.
. . . Ten minutes before the Do-um Palace crumbled, the marquis was persuading Rubid.
“Your Highness, I’ll handle the remaining situation. Return to base and rest until the expedition.”
“No need. I’ll have to come back out anyway.”
“Rest is necessary to be fully prepared. Just for a day.”
At the marquis’s polite urging, Rubid finally stood. Just then, Enji arrived with the attendant, and the marquis ordered their withdrawal while looking after Rubid and Enji. But then a Southern Knight suddenly approached and handed the marquis a note.
“The Proxy of the Southern Duke asked me to deliver this.”
The marquis, about to leave, paused at the unexpected turn. He glanced at Lena across the palace, then unfolded the note from the messenger. It contained a single short sentence.
—Please watch till the end this time. Me fighting.
. . . Nine minutes before the Do-um Palace crumbled.
“She asked me to watch.”
Lena muttered, not sounding particularly upset. With the Northern Knights withdrawn, the Do-um Palace felt empty and hollow. The Northern Knights, who had packed the palace tight these past few days, had ebbed away like the tide, led by Marquis Rubel. Now only Lena, Uni, and the Southern Knights remained. As the Southern Knights wandered the suddenly spacious palace,
“Something’s coming!”
A knight watching the rift shouted urgently. Right after, the rift’s red light exploded, and Northern Knights came leaping out like from a grave. The knights, tense thinking wraiths were emerging, sighed in relief. It was premature. The Southern Knights calmly watched the frantically charging Northern Knights, then froze upon spotting what trailed behind them like a tail.
“De….”
It advanced on the world, spewing terrifying heat. Their forms resembled insects but were the size of the living. Massive vermin-like creatures flying with vicious flames attached.
“W-Wraiths!”
The wraiths belonging to the King of Burning and Scorching, Hiems Grasha—the Ash Bearers—were swarming blackly out of the rift.
“Argh!”
Fiery orbs flew about, wreaking havoc inside the palace. But the Northern Knights decisively spurred their mounts and retreated, leaving the Southern Knights flustered, unable to advance or retreat. Watching the chaos, Lena stretched briefly. Suspiciously in and out these past days, and sure enough, the North had brought wraiths. If even one escaped outside and damaged the Main Palace, it would all be Lena Rubel’s fault. No one knew how the Emperor would punish her. Confirming the true nature of the marquis’s scheme, Lena smiled wryly.
‘Inviting me in front, digging a trap behind.’
Looks like Father still plans to be stubborn. A bit annoying, but as his child, Lena decided to understand that much obstinacy.
“Uni.”
“Yes, Miss. I’ve got it all prepped.”
Before Lena could finish, Uni opened the bag she’d been babysitting these past days.
“It’s been a while since we took it out.”
“It’s precious.”
“Right. It’s one of the top reasons we’re poor, after all.”
Lena reached into the bag with a smile. At their master’s touch, the iron segments, folded neatly like a snake’s scales, undulated and rose. Inside the bag was a whip of gleaming silver, its length impossible to gauge. Lena eyed the chaotically flying fireballs and unfurled the coiled whip with all her might, like stretching after a yawn.