“Now, I’m more afraid of becoming the emperor. I know what kind of responsibilities that position entails. At least the burden of being the lord of Pervaz should be lighter than that of the emperor, right?”
He snickered and raised his head.
“That’s why I raise my sword.”
Asha’s eyes, cold as winter, had been watching Carlyle without wavering since before.
“Now, I know who I have to protect. I have to stop the empire from regressing to what it was a thousand years ago.”
“So, in the end, you’re saying that you want to suffer through this fight?”
“I think that’s my reason for being.”
Asha slowly lowered her gaze from him. She saw his hands, which had been deformed and calloused from holding a sword for so long.
Unlike his hair and face, which seemed to have been well-groomed even though he lived on the battlefield, his hands alone told the story of his tumultuous life.
If he had been a man who sought wealth, fame, or beauty, he would not have rolled around on the battlefield until he reached that state.
His arrogance was a means of proving his worth, but it was also a mask to hide his painful life.
‘There’s no reason for him to lie to me.’
The fact that he said he didn’t know Giles had started a war in the south, and that he took up the sword to fight for the people, not the nobles, was probably not a lie.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t have any responsibility, but Asha decided to trust Carlyle once again.
Asha nodded and finally spoke of her own business.
“Tomorrow… Please give me a unit.”
“Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. You’d better rest here.”
“I’d like to be given part of the Haven’s Knights.”
“I’m not ignoring you. You’re in no condition to use your full strength. If something happens, even if it’s just a small chance… how can I face the people of Pervaz?”
Asha looked straight at Carlyle, who was trying to dissuade her, and said,
“Please.”
At that one word, Carlyle’s movements stopped.
“Every night, I dream of the day the savages came out of the castle walls. My men were dying in front of me, but I couldn’t save them because I was busy cutting down the enemies that were pouring in.”
It’s not a dream. It’s a memory of that day. It’s what really happened.
“The reason I was able to stay sane and hold out until the end that day was because I vowed to get revenge on the bastards who did it.”
“Asha.”
“If I don’t cut them down, I don’t think I’ll be able to escape the nightmare of that day. Please allow me to take revenge. This is my last request.”
Many words of rebuttal came to mind, but Carlyle could not say anything.
He knew that revenge was not for the dead, but for the living.
If he refused this request, then Asha would truly collapse.
“…Promise me one thing.”
Carlyle took Asha’s despair into his own heart and spoke.
“Never die. Don’t give the people left in Pervaz the same despair you have.”
It was sad that he had to use the people of Pervaz as an excuse. But he didn’t even have the right to be sad about it.
“I understand.”
“You promised.”
“Yes.”
“Pinky swear.”
“Yes…?”
Carlyle approached Asha, who was bewildered by the sudden words, and pressed his forehead against her shoulder.
Then he took her hand and intertwined his little finger with hers.
“A promise made like this must never be broken.”
Asha nodded awkwardly, embarrassed by Carlyle, who buried his face in her shoulder and muttered.
“I will definitely survive. I promise on my father’s name.”
Only then did Carlyle exhale deeply.
The scent of his body mixed with his breath felt strangely sweet, but Asha clenched her fists and hardened her heart.
‘This is the end of it. Revenge, and my relationship with His Highness Carlyle.’
It seemed that their hearts, which could not reach each other, would scatter and fly away along with the snow.
TL/N: idk abt y’all but truly teared up a bit…lol.
* * *
It had been an hour or so since dawn. Someone rushed down the empty corridor of the Soleil Palace and burst into the emperor’s bedroom.
“Your Majesty! Prince Carlyle has rebelled! The nobles and the army are gathered outside the North Gate!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Matthias, who had just woken up, couldn’t think straight and just rubbed his disheveled hair after hearing the word “rebelled.”
“I’m saying that the rebels are pouring into the palace!”
The official shouted again, as if he was about to explode at Matthias, who was still asking stupid questions even in a life-or-death situation.
Matthias, who had been listening blankly, looked for his mother as he always did when faced with a difficult problem.
“Send a message to the Empress bedroom! Quick!”
“The Empress is already in the Soleil Hall. You must hurry and get ready, Your Majesty!”
Unlike the anxious official, Matthias was relieved by this news.
‘Mother will take care of it somehow.’
All he had to do was sign where his mother told him to sign and read the documents she told him to read.
However, the atmosphere in the Soleil Hall was much worse than he had expected.
“Why are you so late, Your Majesty!”
Beatrice, who was wearing a simpler hairstyle than usual and no makeup, rebuked Matthias.
“M, Mother…?”
“Sign here quickly!”
Matthias signed the document that was pushed in front of him without knowing what it was.
“Are the officials from the Imperial family and the Imperial Court here yet?”
“They’re on their way!”
“They’re so slow!”
Only when he saw Beatrice revealing her true nature did Matthias begin to realize the seriousness of the situation.
“Mother, what is this all about?”
“What is it all about? Didn’t the person who woke you up tell you anything?”
“No, I heard that Carlyle had rebelled… .”
Beatrice glared at Matthias as if he didn’t know what the word “rebellion” meant.
“That bastard Carlyle is coming to kill you!”
“Huh? W, why?”
“Why do you think! It’s a rebellion! He’s going to kill you and take the throne for himself!”
Beatrice beat her chest in frustration.
Matthias, who had been taking Deatoxin continuously, had become very simple-minded since some time ago. He couldn’t understand the hidden meaning of words, and he would ask the same question several times. It was natural that his emotions would be extremely volatile.
Beatrice had been suspicious of the side effects of the drug for a while, but she had continued to give it to him. However, instead of reflecting on her own mistakes, she blamed her son.
“Are you stupid like your father, or what…,”
She muttered to herself, but her voice was not so small that Matthias could not hear it.
Beatrice clicked her tongue and handed Matthias the announcement of the revision of the Imperial Law.
“The officials of the Imperial Court and the Imperial Family will gather soon. When I put my hand on your shoulder, you will read this announcement. You can do that, right?”
“Yes…”
Matthias, who was ‘again’ scolded by Beatrice, answered with a slight displeasure.
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.
‘No matter how much she is my mother, I am the Emperor of this country now! How dare she nag and embarrass the Emperor?’
He was even more annoyed that Gabriel, who was next to Beatrice, seemed to be ignoring him. Even though he was here, Gabriel was only talking to his mother.
Matthias pretended to read the announcement given to him and gritted his teeth.
Just then, the senior chamberlain reported to Beatrice.
“Your Majesty! Most of the officials have gathered. Those who haven’t arrived yet seem to be on the other side.”
“They are like traitors! There is nothing I can do. I will announce the imperial decree now!”
Beatrice put her hand on Matthias’ shoulder before the officials could even sit down.
“Your Majesty. You remember what I gave you earlier? Read it.”
“……”
However, Matthias kept his mouth shut and stared at the announcement.
“Your Majesty?”
“I haven’t finished reading it yet. It’s my imperial decree, so shouldn’t I at least know the contents?”
“There is no time for that now! Hurry up and read it!”
“Wait!”
Matthias shouted.
“I am the Emperor! Don’t order me around!”
Everyone in the room, including Beatrice and Gabriel, was surprised by his sudden anger. After all, no one didn’t know that Matthias was Beatrice’s puppet.
“Matthias, what on earth is wrong with you?”
Beatrice hurriedly lowered her voice and tried to calm Matthias down. However, Matthias, whose anger had already exploded, could not calm down his anger even with his mother’s gentle whisper.
“If coveting the Emperor’s power is treason, then aren’t there traitors here too?”
His eyes were fixed on his mother.
Beatrice was already pressed for time, and now Matthias was acting strangely, so she felt her heart sink.
“Your Majesty, now is the time to strike at your true enemy first. Carlyle is right before our noses.”
Seeing that Matthias still didn’t take his fierce gaze away, Gabriel, who couldn’t stand it any longer, stepped forward.
He immediately put his hand on Matthias’ head and whispered a spell.
“{Room Artica Pahl.}”
At the same time, Matthias’ expression disappeared.
“Your Majesty. I know you are upset because of the traitor, but now is not the time for this.”
Matthias nodded obediently at Gabriel’s words.
“Then please announce the revision of the Imperial Law.”
“I, Matthias Kendrick Beatrice Ruban Bondel Evaristo, Emperor of the Chad Empire, hereby announce the revised law befitting the new empire…….”
Matthias didn’t hesitate at all and read the announcement he was holding in his hand.
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