Chapter 84
The dirt streets were rough, bearing the marks of dozens of horses that had recently passed through.
A sudden sense of unease gripped Fernand. He raised his hand, signaling his knights to halt.
“I sense something amiss. Some of you, protect the High Priest and guard the temple’s exterior. The rest, follow me discreetly.”
“At your command!”
At his order, the knights dispersed in all directions. Fernand, accompanied by only a few, swiftly rode through the streets once more.
He changed course, heading not for the temple’s main entrance but toward the rear, where a small passage lay.
It was a hidden pathway Mateus had once pointed out, prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Soon after dismounting, Fernand muted his presence and slipped inside.
As he ventured deeper, the temple, bathed in dawn’s light, seemed untouched—perfectly still, as if nothing were amiss.
Yet Fernand detected an odd tension in the air.
“Your Highness, I will scout the interior discreetly,” whispered his aide.
Fernand gave a curt nod.
Turning on his heel, he made for the rear garden. Even the dimly lit garden was eerily silent.
Yulia was kept in the temple’s lowest level, accessible not through the main building but via a small stone tower at the garden’s edge. A stairway within led to the passage.
Hurrying forward, Fernand abruptly paused midway through the garden.
His eyes narrowed as he spotted figures standing guard around the tower.
Two men, vigilant as if keeping watch, rolled their eyes restlessly in the shadows.
Studying them, Fernand’s gaze turned icy.
The unsettling aura he had sensed—it emanated from them.
Deliberately making his footsteps audible, he strode toward the tower.
“Who are you?”
Alerted, the men tensed, eyeing his armed figure warily.
Fernand roughly pushed back his hood, revealing his face, and drew the sword concealed at his waist.
Before they could unsheathe their weapons, his blade flashed, cutting them down in a single stroke.
Stepping inside, he saw more men standing before the barrier leading to the stone stairs—and a priest channeling sacred power to dismantle it.
“Wait—intruders!”
As Fernand fully revealed himself, the men’s eyes widened in shock.
They clearly recognized him.
After a moment of stunned hesitation, they hastily drew swords hidden in their robes.
Fernand’s gaze locked onto the insignia engraved on their hilts—undoubtedly the imperial crest.
So, they were the Emperor’s men.
There was no time to ponder why they were here, breaking the barrier to the tower where Yulia lay.
Raising his blade, Fernand met their charge head-on.
“Attack!”
The clash of steel echoed through the tower repeatedly, but the fight was brief.
After effortlessly cutting down four men, he drove his sword through the last.
Stepping over the fallen knight, who hadn’t even managed a final scream, Fernand fixed the trembling priest with a piercing stare.
The priest, who had been using sacred power to dismantle the barrier, cowered on the ground.
“P-please, spare me! I was just—!”
Fernand pressed his sword to the priest’s throat and growled,
“So, you’re the one who leaked the information.”
A bribed priest within the temple—that was how the Emperor’s men had infiltrated this far.
As Fernand raised his blade, a voice shouted from beyond the barrier on the stone stairs.
“Your Grace!”
Fernand froze and looked up. Cedric stood midway down the steps, staring at him in shock.
Lowering his sword, Fernand watched as Cedric hurriedly dispelled the barrier.
Grabbing the trembling priest by the collar, Fernand shoved him toward Cedric.
“We’re relocating Yulia immediately.”
The only reason he spared the priest was to extract details of the Emperor’s plot.
Without further delay, Fernand crossed the barrier and swiftly descended the stairs to the door at the end of the hallway.
Yanking it open, he saw Yulia lying neatly on the bed.
Unchanged from his last memory of her, she lay peacefully in a white dress, eyes closed.
Rushing to her side, Fernand held his breath for a fleeting moment, taking in her pale face.
Gently, he reached out and gathered her into his arms.
Without hesitation, he carried her out of the tower. Cedric, having handed the priest over to Mateus, followed close behind.
They left the temple and boarded a carriage prepared in advance by the knights.
Inside the carriage bound for the Grand Duchy, Cedric spoke in a subdued voice.
“They appeared at the temple just before Your Grace arrived.”
Having deliberately come at dawn, they had known Yulia was in the tower and tried to break the barrier.
When Cedric resisted, they attempted to bribe him, promising great rewards if he surrendered the woman inside.
“Had Your Grace been even slightly later, things might have taken a dire turn.”
As the barrier began to crumble, Cedric had prepared to use teleportation magic to escape with Yulia.
He wouldn’t have gotten far carrying her, but there had been no other choice.
Then, chaos erupted beyond the barrier—Fernand had arrived, slaughtering the intruders.
Taking a shallow breath, Cedric continued,
“Some time ago, someone came to the temple asking about the woman Your Grace brought months ago.”
Cedric bit his lip guiltily.
“We were cautious to prevent leaks, but… I never imagined there’d be a traitor within the temple.”
The priest who had leaked information and tried to dismantle the barrier had been bribed by the Emperor.
In exchange for his cooperation, he was promised a position as a palace priest and vast rewards.
“…I see.”
Fernand kept his eyes on Yulia as he murmured lowly.
The Emperor, ever desperate to destroy him, would never overlook even the slightest rumor.
Not content with sending assassins to Carnocia, he had targeted Yulia as well.
A vein bulged briefly in Fernand’s jaw before fading. Calmly, he added,
“Yulia will remain in my castle for now. The High Priest has also been sent there.”
The carriage carrying Calrosa had already departed ahead of them for the ducal estate.
By now, the Emperor would know his plan had failed—but he wouldn’t easily abandon his surveillance of the temple.
For the time being, taking Yulia back to his territory was the safest option.
If she had fallen under the Emperor’s notice, keeping her within his protection was the only way to ensure her safety.
Reaching out, Fernand tenderly brushed her closed eyelids.
Then, as if checking for a heartbeat, he lightly pressed a hand to her chest.
A faint but steady pulse thrummed beneath his fingers.
Yulia was holding on—by the thinnest of threads, but holding on nonetheless.
Gazing at her closed eyes, Fernand sank into thought.
If she lost her memories after drinking the holy water, he had intended to let her leave his side.
That would have been the right thing to do. But…
His grip on her shoulders tightened imperceptibly.
In truth, he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to let her go.
Now that the Emperor had taken notice, nowhere would be truly safe for her. Keeping her close under his protection was the wiser choice.
…No, if he were honest, this too was just an excuse.
The truth was simpler: he didn’t want to let her go.
Fernand slowly blinked. Silence filled the carriage as he lost himself in thought.
No one spoke for a long while, until gradually, the sun began to rise.
By then, the carriage had safely crossed into the Grand Duchy’s borders, racing toward the castle.
“Your—Your Highness!”
As the carriage halted at the castle gates, servants who had received word in advance lined up to greet him.
Fernand stepped out without sparing them a glance and strode inside.
Calrosa, having arrived earlier, had been escorted to his chambers.
The High Priest was leisurely surveying the room when the door opened.
“Took you long enough. I nearly died of boredom waiting,” Calrosa remarked dryly.
While he muttered, Fernand carefully laid Yulia on his bed.
“So, this is your wife?”
Calrosa studied her with calm eyes before slowly approaching.
His gaze swept over her body, assessing, before his eyelids lowered slightly.
Yulia was clinging to life by the barest wisp of sacred power.
An ordinary person wouldn’t have lasted this long with so little strength.
