Diana’s eyes gleamed with firm resolve. Seffield couldn’t bring himself to say anything in front of her.
After all, Diana had lived like a shadow all this time—enduring a life where even with her family in front of her, she couldn’t speak to them or reveal her identity.
But even so, Seffield couldn’t bring himself to support Diana’s decision either.
Seeing Seffield unable to hide his inner turmoil, Diana gave a reassuring nod.
“Don’t worry. Do you really think His Majesty and I have left the Empress alone all this time just because we found her charming?”
Diana was the only one who had directly witnessed the Empress’s connection to the demons.
If Diana, who was considered missing, were to return to Gray, the Empress would stop at nothing to eliminate her.
She might even drag the entire Gray Duchy into danger.
“If His Majesty makes a proper example out of the King of Pavan, he will gain an influence so great that no one will dare to oppose him. The day the Empress falls into despair isn’t far off now.”
“In the end, it all depends on me doing well, doesn’t it?”
“If Cherrya and Enoch awaken their powers, we won’t need to fear the demon forces the Empress controls anymore.”
The Emperor had been keeping a close eye on the Empress’s behavior for a long time—ever since he began to suspect that she possessed a strange power.
After Diana testified that the Empress had aligned herself with demons, the Emperor had been constantly busy.
Just the fact that the Empress allied with demons was enough for the entire continent to brand the Lutinas Empire as a common enemy—and attempt to wipe it out entirely.
Knowing this, the Empress, who wished to hand the Empire over to Arthur, was desperately trying to keep her alliance with the demons hidden.
“Let only the Empress be branded as the continent’s enemy. Show the King of Pavan a lesson—and let him witness the true strength of Lutinas.”
Even if the Empress, driven into a corner, decided to destroy what she couldn’t have, others still needed to see that Lutinas was indispensable.
The Emperor had made careful preparations. On top of that, Enoch and Cherrya had been fortunate enough to awaken the power of Swordmasters.
Diana couldn’t help but cling to the hope that she might be able to return.
“You’re putting so much pressure on me, it’s hard to move forward, you know.”
Seffield muttered with a deep sigh, brushing his hands together and turning his gaze toward the presence of the King of Pavan.
Seeing the cold clarity return to Seffield’s eyes, Diana spoke, as if reassured.
“Since the King of Pavan dared to lay a hand on Cherrya, I’m sure you’ll do just fine even without any pressure from me.”
“…Let’s go.”
Leaving Diana behind, Seffield launched himself forward. With a single step, he shot through the air—changing the scenery in an instant.
“Ugh… guh…”
Right in front of him came the groans of the King of Pavan, struggling to open the door of a completely wrecked carriage.
Though the landslide had hit it hard, the royal carriage, built with the dignity of a monarch in mind, had not broken—only toppled onto its side.
But that meant one window was embedded in the ground, and the door was blocked by dirt and timber from the slide.
No matter how desperately the King struggled from inside, without breaking through the interior, escape was impossible.
“Is anyone out there? Is no one there?!”
The King of Pavan was lost in helplessness he had never known before. His voice, once always regal and commanding, trembled with undeniable fear.
Born into nobility and raised from Crown Prince to King, he had never once been left alone.
There were always attendants by his side. He hadn’t stepped outside his bedroom without a bodyguard in tow.
Even on this secretive journey, he had brought only a select few—but they were the kingdom’s finest knights, accompanied even by his trusted advisor, often called his right-hand man.
That was why this unexpected isolation felt so unreal.
He hadn’t imagined something like this could happen.
“Useless fools!”
He yelled and kicked the carriage in frustration.
Those who should’ve prioritized his safety above all had allowed him to fall into this situation—and it infuriated him.
“When I return to the palace, the first thing I’ll do is replace every last one of them!”
Just as the King of Pavan was grinding his teeth, thinking about how to deal with his subordinates—
Rumble!
The ground shook once more, and the carriage walls began to tremble violently.
“Eek!”
Dignity long forgotten, he curled up tightly inside the carriage.
Before the forces of nature, a human was nothing. And even the King of Pavan, in the face of a collapsing mountain and flying debris, was reduced to nothing more than a trembling mortal.
All the grace, authority, power, and cunning he had built over the years were utterly useless now.
“P-please… spare me…”
A massive tree, completely uprooted, slammed into the carriage with a thunderous crash.
The King tumbled inside, screaming as the sound of the carriage splintering echoed around him.
Now he was so deep in terror that he couldn’t even scream anymore.
The carriage was completely buried by the landslide.
‘What if no one finds me like this?’
He’d sneaked out in secret to begin with.
It would take much longer than usual for anyone to even notice he was missing.
Considering even his elite guards had been unable to stop the carriage from ending up in this state, they had likely been caught in the landslide as well.
“No… no, this can’t be…”
The icy brush of dread swept across his body.
What if the search party was buried too? What if they didn’t even realize he was trapped here?
The very idea flooded his mind with suffocating fear.
“Tsk tsk. What a shame.”
A voice clicked its tongue in pity just then.
Startled, pale-faced, and trembling, the King of Pavan snapped his head up.
“Looks like the whole mountain’s collapsed.”
The voice was drawing closer—heading straight toward where he was buried.
“Hey! Is someone there?! Over here!”
He shouted as if it were his last chance.
Never in his life had he called for someone with such desperation.
“Hmm? What was that sound?”
Thankfully, the stranger seemed to hear him and came closer.
“Whoever’s out there—save me! Do that, and you’ll be handsomely rewarded!”
“Must be my old age—my hearing’s not what it used to be. What was that now?”
“Save me!”
“Is that a person or a beast I’m hearing?”
“I’m the King of Pavan! If you rescue me, you’ll be honored as a savior of the kingdom!”
“Pa… what now? Ah, your voice is too quiet, I can’t make it out.”
The teasing voice came from right above his head, as if mocking him.
Veins bulging with rage, the King finally screamed—
“YOU BASTARD!!!”
