HPBUY Chapter 123

“It seems the Marquis hasn’t heard yet.”

It was the commander of the knights who spoke instead of the healer.  

“When His Majesty was discovered, it was difficult to recognize his original appearance.”  

“Yes…?”

“He was burned black, and if it weren’t for His Majesty’s horse and the decorations on his uniform that were nearby, we wouldn’t have been able to identify him.”  

The Marquis blinked, looking bewildered. Instead of continuing the explanation, Sir Stefan clicked his tongue briefly.  

“Once we confirm His Majesty’s condition, we can no longer protect the Grand Duke.”  

“No, well, what I’m saying is that there’s no specific evidence that the Grand Duke is involved in this yet… Hey, Sir Stefan!”  

The commander of the knights didn’t even listen to the Marquis’s words and went inside the residence where the Emperor was.  

The Marquis, who hurriedly followed, entered the room and immediately frowned, quickly covering his nose and mouth.  

‘What is this smell?’

It was like the smell of something burning, but also subtly different.  

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact difference, but it was a disgusting smell that made the food he’d eaten at lunch churn in his stomach.  

“Sir Stefan….”

“Your Majesty, can you recognize me?”  

Only then did the Marquis’s gaze turn to the direction Sir Stefan was facing. Even in the darkness, the white object on the bed was quite visible.  

It was only when he got closer that he realized it was a person’s body covered in white bandages.  

The moment his eyes met the pale blue eyes that barely showed through the bandages, the Marquis couldn’t help but be shocked.  

“Y-Your Majesty…”

But the Emperor only made a groaning sound, as if struggling, and couldn’t utter any words that resembled human language. His condition was utterly miserable.  

Not only was his once handsome appearance nowhere to be found, but only one eye was unscathed on his upper body.  

“I heard that his muscles and nerves are so damaged that he can’t even sit for long periods, let alone stand properly.”  

“….”

Despite Sir Stefan’s explanation, the Marquis just stared at the Emperor with a dumbfounded expression.  

Even when the healer returned to the bedroom for treatment, he couldn’t say a word.  

Sir Stefan and the Marquis finished their brief meeting and stepped outside.  

“It’s the Grand Duke and the Princess’s doing.”

The commander of the knights asserted firmly.  

Unlike before, the Marquis couldn’t immediately offer a rebuttal. He still seemed unable to shake off the shock, his face completely blank.  

Regardless, Sir Stefan continued speaking.  

“I heard that this Princess has disappeared without a trace. Along with the horse she rode out on during the hunting festival.”  

“……”

“What do you think, Marquis? Where do you think she went?”  

Instead of answering, the Marquis swallowed hard.  

There was only one place that the Princess, who had left Sendelk, could have gone.  

“…But Sir Stefan. Even if the Princess headed there, it’s just a meaningless escape.”  

“The day before the hunting festival, the Princess had a private meeting with His Majesty the Emperor, didn’t she?”  

The Marquis flinched as Sir Stefan reminded him of that day’s memory.  

“She must have asserted her rights to Ricata. And His Majesty’s response is obvious.”  

“So, are you saying that the Princess held a grudge and harmed His Majesty the Emperor?”  

The Marquis asked, sounding incredulous, and let out a hollow laugh.  

“Even if that’s the case, the blame should be placed on the Princess, not the Grand Duke…!”  

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

Sir Stefan looked at the Marquis with a frustrated expression.  

“You should know better, Marquis. About how close the Grand Duke and the Princess were.”  

“That’s….”

“I, too, am quite surprised that the Grand Duke would be so blinded by a woman to commit such an act.”

Who wouldn’t be?  

When the scandal between the Grand Duke and the Princess first shook the empire, Sir Stefan was no exception.  

He was a man who seemed uninterested in women, despite having a handsome appearance that was a waste to neglect. It was honestly surprising that the woman the Grand Duke, who had lived a life far from scandals, fell for was this Princess.  

But that was all there was to his impression.  

Wasn’t the Grand Duke someone who didn’t hesitate to bow his head to the son of the enemy who killed his parents, all for the sake of his own gain?  

He thought that momentary infatuation with a beautiful woman was just an unavoidable instinct, and that he would eventually regain his reason.  

That was the expectation of everyone, not just Sir Stefan. The fact that the Grand Duke had feelings for the Princess was surprising, but they didn’t think it would come to fruition.  

“If you don’t like my judgment, you could always meet the Grand Duke yourself.”

Sir Stefan gave up on explaining further.  

In this chaotic situation, his duty was immense. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time persuading the Marquis.  

Even after the commander of the knights left, the Marquis stood there, frozen, before finally turning around.  

The place he impulsively headed to was the imperial palace’s underground prison.  

Located beneath the shaded land outside the imperial palace, the prison was poorly ventilated, making the air heavy and unpleasant.  

The Marquis felt nauseous from the moment he entered, due to the unique musty smell.  

Born into nobility and raised so preciously that he never had to visit such a place in his life, he was utterly unaccustomed to the Emperor’s appearance earlier and this foul smell.  

Covering his mouth and nose, the Marquis went down the stairs for quite a while before finally arriving at Declan’s cell.  

While the Marquis, who hadn’t been here long, was making a disgusted face, Declan looked at him expressionlessly.  

His eyes seemed to say, “What brings you here?”

As the Marquis approached the bars where Declan was imprisoned with a stern face, the guards nearby tactfully moved away.  

“What on earth happened?”

Instead of a long explanation, Declan raised his handcuffed hands.  

“As you can see.”

The hard metal rattled around his wrists. Marquis Hoffman felt his neck stiffen at his nonchalant demeanor.  

“Are you really crazy?”

The Marquis shouted, keeping his voice as low as possible.  

“Did the Princess tell you to do this? To take all the blame for what she did?”  

“It’s as I stated. I did it all by myself from beginning to end, so the Princess has nothing to do with it.”  

His voice, repeating words he’d said dozens of times, was tinged with weariness. This was definitely not the attitude the Marquis had expected when he came here.  

He had hoped to see some sign of remorse, but Declan was not only calm but also excessively shameless.  

“Listen, Declan. The Princess has vanished without a trace. No matter how much you insist on that, the situation has already become too complicated to simply acquit her.”  

The Marquis said, sounding frustrated.  

“Do you really think the Princess will be able to reach the border safely, even if you protect her like this?”  

Everything the Grand Duke said was an obvious lie. There’s no way the Grand Duke himself doesn’t know that.  

The nobles were criticizing the Grand Duke’s behavior for that reason. The honor and power he had earned on the battlefield, a rosy future was practically guaranteed for him.  

But the fact that he was throwing all that away and risking the stigma of a traitor just to defend the Princess seemed incredibly foolish.  

Society was currently abuzz with talk from those who couldn’t understand how the Grand Duke could be so consumed by a mere woman and escalate things to this point, and those who sneered at the Princess for bewitching a man and using him.  

The Marquis, who normally paid no attention to stories related to the Grand Duke, was an exception this time.  

Putting aside his relationship with the Princess, his reckless behavior was simply appalling.  

This was nothing short of suicide.  

Moreover, the fact that he was willingly walking into the fire for a mere woman was absurd.  

Contrary to the Marquis’s thoughts, Declan showed no further interest in this story and changed the subject.  

“How is the Emperor?”  

“…How do you think? Is that even a question?”  

He surely wasn’t asking because he didn’t know. The Marquis clicked his tongue, and the Emperor’s gruesome appearance he had seen earlier flashed through his mind.  

His stomach, which had barely calmed down, seemed to churn again, and he let out a trembling breath.  

He wasn’t dead, but it was hard to call him alive.  

He had barely survived, conscious but unable to move at will.  

The healer’s opinion was that it would be nearly impossible for the Emperor to recover his former self, as the burns were so severe that his muscles had melted.  

At that moment, the Marquis dared to think that it might have been better for him to die in those mountains than to spend the rest of his life in his current state.  

“The Princess won’t be able to avoid punishment, no matter what the charges are.”  

That’s why the Marquis could say that with certainty. What she did to the Emperor was utterly horrific.  

Although the Emperor was in no condition to personally pass judgment, it seemed there was no way for her to escape punishment.  

“So stop trying to protect her. If you withdraw now, you might still get some leniency.”  

“Is that all you have to say?”

Declan chuckled softly.  

“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for nothing.”

It was an attitude that completely ignored his sincere advice. The Marquis sighed deeply.  

“The Empress will decide your punishment soon. If you’re going to change your stance, the sooner the better. I hope you make a wise decision.”  

With those words, the Marquis turned to leave. After climbing the long spiral staircase and exiting the building, the Marquis took a deep breath.  

The fresh air filled his lungs, and he finally felt like he could breathe.  

With a relieved expression, the Marquis was about to take a step when he suddenly looked back at the stairs leading to the underground prison.  

Staring silently at the dark staircase below, the Marquis’s brow furrowed in displeasure.  

That stubborn bastard.

Even when offered a way out, he insists on being difficult, so there’s nothing more the Marquis can do. Whatever happens now, so be it.

The Marquis turned away again with a resigned expression.