Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Turning Point
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Enji kicked the knight holding Uni right in the Achilles tendon with all his might.
“Ugh!”
The knight’s knee buckled sharply, and his grip on Uni loosened. Uni seized the momentary gap and shoved him away. As Uni leaped down, Enji grabbed his hand and bolted.
“Catch them!”
The knights shouted as they gave chase, but the children slipped through the narrow iron bars of a fence to evade them. While the knights fumbled against the bars, Uni yelled as he ran.
“Lin!”
Uni called out desperately for Lin.
“Liiiin!”
Amid the chaos, a clanking sound echoed from behind. Enji turned at the ominous noise and gritted his teeth upon seeing the knights vaulting over the bars.
‘What do I do? Where can we go?’
At this rate, they’d be caught. In his desperation, Enji suddenly felt his breath catch.
“Huhk, ugh!”
Stricken by sudden shortness of breath, he collapsed to his knees without thinking. He’d been moving too violently for too long. His lungs, at their limit, ached as if they were tearing apart.
“Hey!”
Uni grabbed Enji’s hand in alarm and yanked. Enji shook it off, gasping for air. It was a signal to go on alone. But it was already too late. The pursuing knights had caught up and snatched Uni again.
“Eek, let go!”
Uni thrashed wildly as his body was lifted. Enji lunged at a knight, but it was futile. As Uni resisted with his whole body, a rumbling vibration shook the ground. Hoofbeats. Uni realized the Eastern Knights had arrived and raised his voice once more.
“Liiin……!”
The knight hurriedly clamped a hand over Uni’s mouth. Uni bit down hard on the hand and screamed again.
“Lin! We’re here, here! Your Grace!”
“You little……!”
The frantic knight raised his hand high to strike Uni. At that instant, a sharp whistle cut the air, and something flashed into his hand. The knight glanced around, bewildered at what had flown at him, then belatedly realized his hand was pierced by an arrow and shrieked in horror.
“Argh……!”
The knight crumpled in agony. Uni turned toward the direction the arrow had come from. The moment he saw it, his strength drained away. Lin stood there, bow in hand, glaring fiercely in their direction.
“The Eastern Duke……!”
The knights a step behind spotted Lin and whirled around. Two abandoned their fallen comrade and fled, but Lin did not pursue. Instead, he nocked an arrow, then fired two in rapid succession. Twang! The taut bowstring sang as the arrows pierced the fleeing knights’ shoulders and legs. The Eastern Knights subdued the toppled Southern Knights, and Lin leaped from his horse to rush to Uni.
“Are you okay? Why are you out here alone?”
Lin helped Uni to his feet as he asked. At the gentle question, Uni’s emotions welled up unexpectedly, and he bit his lip hard. Meanwhile, the Eastern Knights lifted Enji to his feet. Supported unexpectedly, Enji gazed at the Eastern Duke in confusion. He was nothing like the rumors. And it wasn’t just the Eastern Duke who differed from the tales. Enji stared at the Southern Knights bound by the Eastern Knights, feeling as if he stood on the edge of a cliff.
. . .
Even thinking back on it, it was a bizarre experience. Being chased by his father’s men, then finding safety with the Eastern Duke—a man he’d never even spoken to. The Eastern Duke, infamous for his brutality, was more courteous than expected. And the Marquis Rubel, known as a man of character, was perhaps, instead……
Enji bit his lip secretly as he eyed his father from afar. But the marquis, oblivious to his son’s gaze, was entirely focused on his daughter. The marquis observed Lena, cradled in the Eastern Duke’s arms. Lena dangled limply like a corpse, her limbs swaying with his movements.
‘Is she dead?’
The death of the unwelcome guest Lena Rubel. It was something the marquis had long wished for. But now, imagining her truly dead, he felt an emptiness in his gut. The image of her whipping the wraith just moments ago flashed in his mind. That radiant sight still lingered on his retinas, something he wanted to boast about more—and for it to end like this? The marquis realized he hoped for Lena’s survival and smiled bitterly. Humans were so cunning. They shifted stances and flipped emotions based on circumstance. They scrambled desperately to live, no matter what. The marquis felt his own plight all the more pathetic and smiled a little wider. It hurt. He’d done every vile thing to survive, yet he was still human. He had a heart, felt emotions. Even now. The marquis pitied the fallen Lena. So he resolved himself. If she died, he would mourn her sincerely. And if by some chance she survived, this time he would truly cherish her. The marquis was already pondering ways to bring his daughter back into the fold. It was then, as the gazes of House Rubel crossed, that the rift shimmered again. A Northern Knight burst out from the tomb.
“Everyone, evacuate!”
At the knight’s shout, the people outside murmured in confusion. As they reacted sluggishly, the knight yelled again.
“Wraiths are coming!”
Right after the knight’s cry, black-and-red knights poured out from the rift all at once. Those who emerged split left and right by color. The knights wheeled their horses in wide circles to turn, then swiftly formed ranks facing the rift.
“All units, hold.”
Iura, at the forefront, commanded in a low voice.
“From now on, we seal off Do-um Palace and hold back the wraiths.”
Iura’s voice settled heavily. Knights from east and north alike obeyed without distinction. As the knights assumed battle formation, even Lin, who had been tending to Lena, remounted his horse. The Eastern Duke and Northern Duke stood side by side before the rift, their knights encircling it. Black shadows rippled within the crimson rift. The knights outside recalled the day they first opened the tomb’s entrance. But those who had emerged from inside thought differently. They already knew the horde approaching now dwarfed that day’s scale. The rift’s red glow erupted, wraiths surging forth, only for the Northern Duke’s slashing strike to cleave through the corpses of the already-dead.
***
“Your Highness, it is time to rise.”
A polite notification from the head chamberlain drew a languid reply from the bed.
“I’m already awake.”
At the sound of Clavis’s voice in the darkness, the chamberlain and servants entered as if on cue. They drew back the blackout curtains, prepared water for washing, and laid out fresh clothes. A court musician began playing the piano. The basin for his hands was gold, the footbath silver. Pearls draped the bed’s canopy. Clavis emerged from the canopy in his nightgown, having washed his hands and feet. He then sat by the window and leisurely lifted his teacup. The soft sunlight, the gentle music, the aroma of freshly brewed black tea—nothing lacked sweetness. Savoring the morning leisure, Clavis asked the head chamberlain.
“What of Do-um Palace?”
“After Your Highness retired, wraiths swarmed as far as the palace grounds.”
“Oh my, and then?”
“Fortunately, none breached the other palaces, and the passage closed at midnight.”
“Who did it?”
“The Eastern Duke sealed the passage, but they say the Northern Duke cleared the path to the altar.”
“Well, it had to be those two. True protagonists, as expected.”
Clavis chuckled lightly and tilted his teacup again. Bathed in sunlight as he savored his tea, Clavis appeared utterly serene. Even the head chamberlain grew weary of the sight. The imperial palace had been pandemonium last night. Do-um Palace’s surroundings were still a mess, countless knights injured or even dead. Chaos had reigned all night, yet the cardinal retired at his usual hour and awaited reports the next morning. The head chamberlain was appalled by the irresponsibility, then realized the state of the lands Clavis had held as Western Duke. Swallowing a sigh, the head chamberlain heard Clavis speak again.
“And the Southern Duke’s proxy?”
“He has not yet awakened.”
“That won’t do…….”
“Pardon?”
Unsure of the meaning, the head chamberlain sought clarification, but Clavis merely smiled deeply. He had already heard that Lena Rubel had been rescued in a comatose state by the Eastern Duke. What an unfortunate turn. A monster he had crafted himself—surely not.
“He won’t disappoint me like this.”
Clavis murmured lightly and set down his teacup. He then shed his nightgown. Smooth silk slid away, revealing his pale, slender form. Unaccustomed even after all this time to the dazzling nudity, the servants averted their eyes and approached with his vestments. People despised Clavis. Irresponsible, extravagant, devoted to pleasure over duty—no one respected him. At the same time, people adored Clavis. His gentle smile as he overlooked others’ suffering was devilishly alluring, his beauty too otherworldly. Receiving both hatred and love in equal measure, Clavis donned vestments far grander than he deserved. As ever, in dazzling splendor, he commanded.
“Summon the dukes. His Majesty will be curious about last night’s events as well.”
***
At that moment, the Southern Duke gazed at Lena lying on the sickbed with a somber expression.
“How is she?”
“No external injuries, and her breathing and temperature are normal. She seems fine overall.”
“Then why won’t she wake?”
“Forgive us, but we cannot determine the cause at present.”
The physician examining Lena’s condition replied in bewilderment. The Southern Duke exhaled a long breath from deep in his chest. Lena Rubel, rescued from the tomb yesterday, lay with eyes peacefully closed as if merely asleep. The sight vexed him, drawing another groan. He then addressed Uni, who sat glued to the bedside.
“I’ll send someone to tend to her, so you go rest.”
“I want to stay by the Young Lady.”
But the young maid stubbornly shook her head. Moreover, her voice was hoarse. She must have cried in secret when no one was around. The Southern Duke clicked his tongue at her haggard appearance, when his secretary approached and whispered.
“Your Grace, His Majesty the Emperor has summoned the dukes.”
At the secretary’s report, the Southern Duke felt it was inevitable. Do-um Palace had crumbled overnight, wraiths rampaging in the heart of the imperial palace. The emperor would surely reprimand them, and the south, tasked with security, bore unavoidable responsibility. The Southern Duke swallowed his bitterness and nodded.
“Understood. I’ll go shortly.”
“And a visitor…… has come to pay respects.”
“A visitor?”
Rather than name the guest, the attendant cautiously glanced toward the door. Following his gaze, the Southern Duke’s face subtly hardened. A man in black stood at the threshold. The Eastern Duke, Rig-nan Aiterner, who always held his head arrogantly high. The Southern Duke’s face twisted upon spotting his nemesis. But that revulsion faltered at the bandages around the Eastern Duke’s neck and the splint on his arm.
‘Why is that damned fool here…….’
The Southern Duke feigned displeasure but already knew. This man had rescued Lena from the tomb. Loathing the debt and gratitude alike, the Southern Duke yielded the room with a stiff expression instead of issuing an eviction. Once the Southern Duke and his retinue pretended not to see Lin and departed, Lin approached Lena immediately.
“Still not awake?”
At Lin’s question, Uni nodded gloomily. Then, noticing Lin’s pale face, she rose from her seat.
“Talk with the Young Lady.”
With even Uni stepping aside, Lin was alone with Lena. He sat by the bed and gazed at her still-closed eyes. Even that was painful. Amid feelings of collapse, he realized it more clearly. He truly liked Lena. And he feared she might never wake like this. Lin brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and called to her.
“Lena.”
Only the soft texture of her cheek remained in response. The silence tormented him further, and he groaned in a raspy voice.
“Wake up…….”
***
Sensing someone call to her, Lena slowly opened her eyes. But no one there could have called her. Before Lena’s eyes rose roaring flames and swirling ash, with pitiful women bound at the center. At the hellish scene, Lena muttered to herself.
“I’m screwed.”