‘Who could it possibly be? The mastermind instigating the rebellion and targeting the royal family.’
Before my regression, the rebel leader led the execution of Emperor Fritz and inspired the populace to destroy the entire royal family.
However, that person’s identity was shrouded in mystery, and I had to die without knowing who they were until my last moment.
‘That’s why I first tried to sway Parakel into fully controlling the firearms.’
Currently, only the officially certified manufacturer, Parakel, could obtain the guns that had become symbols of the Royal Guard.
I thought the traitor leader would secretly contact Parakel or somehow reach out to the Royal Guard to smuggle firearms.
‘But I never imagined they could create similar replicas without obtaining the actual firearms.’
Indeed, that person was truly cunning.
The way they managed to evade the traps I had set in advance was impressive.
Yet again, I don’t know anything about them.
I didn’t know how much they knew about my identity, and if they did, why they were targeting my child first.
‘In the end, uncovering their identity and motives is a task I must accomplish. I must eliminate them for the sake of my child’s and my own future.’
As I stewed in my thoughts about this unknown enemy, someone called out to me.
“Master.”
Sardin seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something. Eventually, he opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to properly detect the enemy’s presence due to my shortcomings. However…”
He seemed about to say something else but then closed his mouth. Seeing this, I sighed.
‘It seems he’s blaming himself.’
I trust Sardin, unlike anyone else. I handed him the Demian I was holding in my arms as proof of my trust.
“Sardin, take him inside the mansion for now.”
“But, Master…”
Seeing the worry in his eyes, I reassured him.
“You don’t need to worry about another attack. The Empire’s hero, Duke Blant, wouldn’t allow any harm to come to his wife and child.”
I said this while glaring at Erich.
‘Yes, I need to deal with this guy first.’
My damn husband, Erich Lennon Blant.
If it were up to me, I would want to banish that despicable man. But as he said earlier, we are still not divorced. Simply letting my emotions take over and banishing him wouldn’t solve the underlying issues.
And now that he’s seen me alive, it’s only a matter of time before word reaches the capital.
‘Moreover, just driving him away would… well, that’s a concern,’
I looked back at Sardin and said,
“Quickly take the child inside.”
At my command, Sardin bit his lip and bowed his head. Then I addressed everyone.
“I have something to discuss with Duke Blant. Everyone else, return to your posts.”
I glared at him and said, “Follow me.”
A moment later, as I entered the reception room with him, I turned to Janet, who was trying to follow us.
“Stay outside. I have something to discuss with him alone.”
With a wary look at the Duke, Janet nodded and replied,
“Please call for me whenever you need me.”
I watched her retreating figure with a troubled expression.
‘I wish you had nothing to do with this.’
Just a moment ago, when the gunfire rang out, she had thrown herself around me, disregarding her own safety.
Just like that day, when she protected my child even though she knew it would harm her.
‘But… I can’t trust you completely right now.’
Soon, I glared at the one who had shattered my trust with her.
“Erich Lennon Blant, what on earth…?”
But before I could finish, he interrupted.
“Am I not needed?”
“What?”
As I questioned him in disbelief, he replied with a brazen expression.
“Your guards were powerless in front of the gun. You know it would be foolish to banish someone like me, who can block bullets, in such a situation.”
Erich’s blue eyes pierced through me.
“Moreover, in a situation where there is someone to protect.”
His cold gaze, devoid of emotion, resembled the one I dreaded seeing.
Yes, even when he knew Demian was his child, Erich would look at him with that same expression.
‘In the end, he didn’t value Demian much back then either. It was as if he was looking at someone else’s child.’
My insides boiled with anger, but I recalled what had been bothering me.
‘The letter that Xenon showed me just before my regression.’
The agreement stamped with the seals of Arzen and the head of the Blant family, along with the fact that they were offering me and Demian as sacrifices to guarantee their safety, pointed directly to the leader of the traitors.
Of course, there was a chance that the leader of the traitors wouldn’t have recklessly contact at this point before the rebellion had begun, but I doubted Erich Lennon Blant’s intentions in wanting to stay close to me and my child.
‘Yes, it’s time to figure out his true intentions.’
After a moment, I calmed my boiling insides and spoke calmly.
“So, the hero of Schwanhild, Duke Blant, is saying that he will protect me and my child?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that? I’m nothing but a troublesome person who not only committed infidelity but also deceived you and ran away.”
For a brief moment, a crack appeared on his face at my cold question. But before I could discern what emotion it was, that crack vanished without a trace.
“As I said, you’re my wife, and both you and the child are my responsibility.”
‘Ah, so you intend to be a generous husband who embraces his runaway wife and her child?’
His answer, as always, was heavily influenced by the awareness of others’ gazes. I smirked and glared at him.
‘Right, I never expected you to answer honestly. So…’
After my regression, I was thinking of ways to survive against Erich Lennon Blant. I came up with two solutions.
Either run away so he could never find me and wait for him to remarry, or keep him close, take measures to prevent him from killing me, and use him to my advantage.
However, the option of running away became void the moment he found me.
Thus, my answer was acceptance.
“Fine. But I have conditions.”
Currently, I was in a situation where I was hiding my identity and disguising my death. If it were to be revealed that I was alive, it would cause a huge uproar.
“You need to come to the capital and corroborate my story.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Erich brushed aside my hair that had fallen over my face and stared at me with his intense blue eyes.
‘What on earth is he doing right now?’
At that moment, Erich leaned closer to me. Just as I involuntarily drew a breath, he whispered softly in my ear.
“It doesn’t matter what it is. I will do whatever you ask.”
With that, he left the room. I stared blankly at his retreating figure, then clenched my teeth and tightened my fists.
‘Crazy bastard, does he think he can do what he wants?’
Just wait; I’ll survive by using you.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Meanwhile, Sardin sat with a face full of guilt.
‘I couldn’t tell her.’
He wasn’t entirely sure who tried to kill Demian, but Sardin had a rough idea of who the culprit was.
<Kill Cornelia’s child. That way, there will be no obstacles for my successor to become emperor.>
He clenched his fists so tightly that his veins bulged, and sweat formed inside.
Sardin trembled, not loosening his grip, as the terrible feeling he had just experienced lingered.
‘If it weren’t for the duke, Young Master Demian might have died.’
However, Cornelia would either cast him out or, in the worst case, kill him if all the facts became known. But what was even more frightening was…
‘I’m afraid my master will blame me; that’s what terrifies me.’
Because of that fear, Sardin found himself unable to speak to her.
‘Still, even if I lose my life, I should tell the truth.’
At that moment, someone poked his cheek. It was his young master.
“Sadi, are you thinking something silly again?”
“Young Master, I…”
“I already knew who was behind the attempt on my life. So why did I stay silent?”
Demian soon wore a bitter expression.
‘Yeah, because of causality, I can’t tell Mom and Dad.’
Sardin could tell because he already knew Reinhardt’s true identity.
However, telling anyone else would be against the law of causality.
Damien fixed his violet eyes on Sardin.
“As you know, I’m quite strong. However, the reason I don’t step forward myself is because my magic power has its limits.”
Demian clenched and then opened his small hand. With this meager magic, accumulated for less than four years, he could only use mid-level spells a few times a day.
Even then, using up all his magic would leave him unconscious.
‘I need to conserve my magic for that day. Besides, there’s a high chance Mom and Dad won’t believe me.’
Soon, Demian looked at Sardin again and parted his small lips.
“Of course, I could try to talk to Mom somehow. But the reason I’m staying quiet is that I have faith in someone.”
“Faith in someone…?”
At Sardin’s words, Demian smiled brightly and replied.
“My dad.”
Soon, a sorrow beyond his years appeared in his violet eyes.
<Demian, I will protect you with my life. And if I get the chance… I will definitely protect your mother as well.>
‘Yes, you kept that promise.’
Demian looked at Sardin with a face that appeared to be on the verge of tears and spoke.
“Dad will definitely protect both me and Mom.”
Even if it costs him his life.
The child swallowed those words, looked out the window, and said,
“Since Dad found the person who tried to kill me earlier, he will find out who is behind it, right?”
