Natya was a lady from Baron Kemerot. Despite being a lady-in-waiting, she chose to stay behind at the palace, claiming that she was too shy to stand in the ballroom.
I felt a bit disappointed; she had taken the time to dress me up beautifully but chose not to enjoy the party herself.
She had been quite assertive when styling me.
“What are you talking about? A fire?”
The Empress stood up from her seat.
Julion also approached with a furrowed brow.
Natya seemed overwhelmed by the attention, her face turning red as she breathed heavily while trying to convey the situation.
“It, it’s true. There’s a big fire! I was tidying up the princess’s pharmacy in the infirmary when I noticed something strange. By the time I realized it, the fire had already spread to a large extent…”
Natya’s face was smeared with soot, and her dress was stained as well.
As people started to grasp the situation, panic spread among them, as they looked out the window.
In the distance, a plume of black smoke could be seen rising.
Natya continued to gasp for breath as she tried to convey the situation.
I instinctively looked for Roxis.
I couldn’t see him anywhere, and I began to worry about when he had disappeared.
“Julion!”
I urgently called Julion, and he nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.
“Summon the knights immediately. Protect the banquet hall and send water to the infirmary. Hurry!”
With his command, Freck quickly moved into action.
Julion, accompanied by a few knights, also rushed outside. The gathered people grew restless and anxious as they realized the gravity of the situation.
The palace was large and spacious, and the infirmary was relatively far from the banquet hall, so there was almost no chance of harm reaching this area.
Nevertheless, due to the uncertain danger, some wanted to escape outside.
“It’s dangerous. This place is actually safer. Please wait until the situation calms down.”
The fast-moving knights swiftly surrounded the banquet hall, and in the center, the Empress stood, taking command and guiding the nobles.
“Everyone, be quiet! The infirmary is far from here, and the royal knights are in action, so the fire will be extinguished soon. Maintain your dignity as nobles!”
The initially weak empress, whom I had seen, now appeared to be unimaginably strong.
The problem lay with the people in the infirmary.
And…….
“Natya, was Garnet Palace okay?”
Roxis suddenly disappeared, and the sudden fire in the infirmary. It was likely the work of Roxis.
But if that were the case, there would be no reason to set the infirmary on fire.
“Garnet… Garnet Palace… when I was there… there wasn’t anything unusual…”
Natya replied but continued to gasp for breath.
It seemed her breath hadn’t returned to normal after rushing to get here.
“Natya, it’s best for you to rest for now. Zenid!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I entrust Natya to you.”
“Are you going to investigate?”
“I have to. I can’t just sit around in a safe place and later regret not checking.”
Although Julion went ahead, it’s too early to be relieved.
If he’s gone this far, he must be determined. Roxis wouldn’t back down, even if his opponent were the Empire’s Crown Prince.
‘That’s why I have to go.’
As a member of the Cassian family, Roxis’ vassals cannot harm me, and they wouldn’t be able to point a sword at me unless my father allowed it.
‘Besides, Roxis himself didn’t wish for my death.’
Though it was unclear to me, Roxis Cassian seemed to desire to break my spirit rather than kill me.
He had multiple opportunities to kill me, yet he spared me each time.
This time wouldn’t be any different.
If there is an opponent on the scene who cannot be killed, the flow is somehow disrupted.
As I approached the entrance to the banquet hall, I found knights guarding it.
“Your Highness, you may not leave.”
Although they hesitated, they still blocked my way, as they hadn’t received any specific orders to allow me to pass.
Instead of trying to convince them with words, I took a different approach.
“Sir Ares!”
Then, with a puzzled expression, Ares revealed himself.
The knights who had blocked my path seemed surprised to recognize him.
“Your Highness, even if you call me, I can’t help this time—”
“Julion called for me. He said he needed me. It’s dangerous, so he insisted that Sir Ares accompany me.”
Ares added some unnecessary words, so I hurriedly brought up my hastily prepared statement.
Ares seemed taken aback by my unexpected words, but he didn’t argue.
“His Highness?”
The knights looked at me and then back at Ares with suspicion.
I gestured to Ares with my elbow, urging him to say something.
“It’s complicated,”
Ares scratched the back of his head in annoyance, then sighed.
“What Your Highness says is true. I’ve been assigned as the Crown Princess’ escort.”
“Now, please step aside. We need to hurry.”
I urged them before they could ask more questions, and finally, the knights cleared a path.
“Very well, Sir Ares, if that’s the case.”
Ares awkwardly smiled at the knights, who trusted him, and then concealed his presence again.
‘I thought he was just a chatterbox.’
He seemed unexpectedly useful.
It appeared that he had earned the trust of the knights, and I suspected he would have a significant role to play in the future.
Our destination was Garnet Palace.
‘I wonder what happened at the infirmary, though.’
Since it was likely filled with physicians, there shouldn’t be a problem treating patients, even if there were any.
“Wow, that’s huge.”
Ares, who had reappeared, exclaimed as he looked at the spreading smoke in the sky.
The smoke, expanding like a dark cloud over the area, looked like an ominous omen above the imperial palace.
“Wow.”
Ares’s exclamations grew even louder as we arrived at Garnet Palace.
It was understandable considering that the garden, which had been pristine until morning, was now drenched in blood.
“They really left a mark here.”
There were a dozen corpses, men in the full regalia of the Imperial Knights, others in black robes and masks.
My heart sank.
There were several maids here who guarded the palace instead of attending the banquet.
I worried about whether they had managed to evacuate and what might have happened to them.
“It looks like the handiwork of our Prince.”
Ares, examining the bodies, casually commented.
It seemed that Julion, whom I thought had gone to the infirmary, had actually come here.
“We should go inside.”
Just as we were about to step into the palace, Ares stopped me abruptly and hissed.
“Wait, Your Highness!”
Simultaneously, a sharp metallic sound rang out near my ear.
A small black dart fell to the ground, and Ares was holding a sword that I had no idea he had drawn.
It was at an angle that probably would have pierced my ear if he hadn’t blocked it.
After briefly inspecting the tiny dart, Ares readied himself.
“Step back, Your Highness.”
His voice was no longer filled with his usual playful tone. However, instead of stepping back, I moved forward. I knew who the owner of that dart was.
Ares looked confused and tried to block my path again, but I stopped him and opened my mouth.
“Rulios, did you dare to aim that at a Cassian?”
Rulios, a vassal family of Cassian whose main weapon is darts.
Among them is Ian Rulios, the eldest son of the Rulios family, who wields black darts.
“…….”
As if on cue, a man with ash-colored hair emerged from the darkness.
Although he wore a mask, his ashy hair was unmistakably the symbol of Rulios.
Ares, perhaps sensing the situation, raised the corner of his mouth as if amused.
“Rulios. I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t it the name of some dog?”
Despite Ares’s mockery, Ian Rulios remained silent and stared directly at my face.
He must be in quite a dilemma.
It seemed that he had received orders from Roxis to deal with those who set foot here, but he probably hadn’t expected a Cassian to be among them.
‘In times like this, the name Cassian can actually be helpful.’
I don’t know why the vassals of Cassian were exposed like this, but it was actually beneficial to me.
I stepped forward more confidently.
“Step aside. I’ll overlook one mistake.”
Ian Rulios came from a family known for their integrity.
I moved a few more steps forward, and as expected, Ian Rulios did not attack further.
Ares looked at me curiously and tried to follow.
Boom!
Then another black dart flew towards us.
“Not you.”
Rulios assumed a combat stance and exhaled fierce energy towards Ares.
The sensation made the hairs on my body stand on end, my heartbeat quickened, and my palms grew sweaty.
“Anyone would think I’m the guest here,”
Ares grinned, his face full of amusement. Then he adjusted his sword.
“On the subject of intruders.”
With a swift shot, Ares’ new weapon slammed into Rulios.
Sharp, tearing sounds filled the air as the darts clashed with each other.
Ares reappeared with a grim expression and spat something on the ground.
A thin black dart was embedded in the ground, and his golden hair fluttered in the wind.
His ponytail had come loose.
“What should we do, Your Highness? Should we capture him?”
“If possible, yes.”
“As you wish.”
Ares replied cheerfully and stomped the ground again.
I didn’t look back and immediately leaped into the palace. Fortunately, the inside wasn’t as dreadful as I had feared. There were no signs of maids’ corpses.
‘Did they manage to escape?’
I quickly scanned the traces in the corridor and headed straight to Hemion Martin’s room.
“Please, let them be safe.”
Julion is not here, and Roxis is not here either.
There was no sign of other people’s presence at all.
The only way to figure out what was going on was to check on Hemion Martin’s condition.
“……!”
I bit my lip as I stood in the doorway of Hemion Martin’s room.
The door was halfway torn and almost completely destroyed.
“Hemion Martin.”
Would she be unharmed in this chaos?
I swallowed hard and stepped inside.
