The nobles who gave way to the capital joined the rebels.
They knew the rebellion would fail if knights loyal enough to give their lives to Kaiden at the border came. Neutral nobles who had previously served Prince Ashes, not Kaiden, and almost collapsed joined them.
They were the ones who lost things big and small when Kaiden took the throne.
From their point of view, Kaiden was evil. But from Kaiden’s point of view, they always tried to kill and depose him. They were the ones who tormented his time as Crown Prince.
There was also a reason why Kaiden kept them alive. He deliberately kept some alive even when he thought Prince Ashes was dead. All corruption and enemies could not be rooted out at once. They would have to leave a remnant to get to where they wanted.
‘I want to live well with you.’
Kaiden clenched his fist as he recalled Evelina’s words in the cellar. Maybe, this wouldn’t have happened if he was a mercenary, just a commoner, Evelina’s husband. But then he couldn’t make a perfect fence for Evelina.
He realized he would have recovered this and the throne he sought one day.
“Those ambushed do not come out until I give my order.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kaiden had already told his loyalists the strategy for this.
They had been trained several times to deal with an unexpected rebellion. He only shared all this with those who would never betray him. They were the ones who followed Kaiden with their lives. They were the heads of state who now held key posts when Kaiden became Emperor.
They were doing their best in a position where they could protect their power and the monarch they served.
“The knights of Marquis Heinel ambushed inside the palace.”
“The knights of Duke Ruskun are divided in half and follow the inside of the capital and behind the rebels.”
“All the knights of Marquis Bendellas were taken out in the ambush.”
“Marquis Ramel blocked the passage of the eastern waterway and had the knights stand by.”
“The knights of Viscount Jorge and Count Levina are standing by blocking the passage of the western waterway.”
Kaiden smiled when he heard that everything was going as he expected.
“Then the only way to come is through the main gate and the southern and northern waterways.”
“Lord Ruskun has already taken care of the southern waterway. The water route from the aqueduct to the capital is blocked. But in that waterway…”
“You must have released the poison I told you about.”
“…Yes.”
Kaiden had released a newly developed poison in the southern waterway.
“What about ice?”
“He says he’s ready.”
However, the poison was dispersed into the air only when the temperature was lowered.
“Who decided to do it?”
“The knights of Count Nise, who are resistant to poison, have decided to do it.”
“What shall we do with the northern channel, Your Majesty?”
Kaiden was also expecting the north to be empty.
“Place the knights of the Marquis of Peran.”
“But the Marquis of Peran…”
The aide nodded as he realized what kind of person the Emperor was while running.
“I will obey your orders.”
Prince Ashes’ knights entered the capital, not knowing that all preparations had been completed. It didn’t really matter how many knights they lost. The important thing was to slit Kaiden’s throat. If only Kaiden died, there was no one to succeed to the throne other than Prince Ashes.
Princess Elsius and Dowager Empress Isabella were confined to Lesis Island and deprived of their authority and all rights as an imperial family before being restricted. The imperial daughters who married into a nearby kingdom and gave birth to children lacked legitimacy.
As long as Kaiden died and Prince Ashes was alive.
Then all the triumphs would go to the living.
~~~~
“Where are we going?”
Evelina was moving in a carriage brought by the Duke of Ruskun. She felt a slight motion sick, perhaps because the carriage moved roughly. But it was a serious situation, so she didn’t want to show it.
“There is an air-raid shelter under Duke Ruskun’s residence.”
“Ah…”
“If you go there, it’s safe because it’s also connected to the waterway.”
“Is it the northern waterway?”
“Yes.”
The southern waterway was, in fact, dangerous due to poison, and there were many knights in the eastern and western waterways, so there could be skirmishes. Therefore, he tried to go close to the northern waterway, where they wouldn’t be welcome. The northern channel was also connected to Lake Heliben. And there was a forest, so it was rugged.
“Your Majesty. No, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Instead, when Evelina closed her mouth in fear, Duke Ruskun first opened his mouth.
“Yes, Duke.”
“I’m a longtime friend and brother of Kaiden.”
“…Yes, I know. Kaiden often said.”
Evelina recalled what Kaiden had said about him. That he might be her father. However, Evelina knew that he was six years older than her. It took him a little while to become a father who was six years older.
“Do you remember that His Majesty the Emperor made a picture of Devin to give to Your Majesty the Empress?”
“Oh, yes.”
Devin was a famous painter. Because he wasn’t someone who drew pictures under someone else’s influence, he was such an eccentric artist who raised the quality of his paintings until he was satisfied and only then released them when he was happy. The paintings he drew were no different from national treasures.
“I saw the picture. But do you know who the person in the painting was?”
“Who was it?”
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…what?”
“I heard he was going to draw a portrait and hang it in Your Majesty the Empress’ room.”
“Ah…”
“Originally, it was said that he would draw the Empress’ portrait to hang in his room.”
“Oh… I see…”
“But maybe he’s changed his mind. Recently, he asked to draw a picture of the two of you together.”
“Oh… yes…”
She was strangely relaxed but thought Duke Ruskun didn’t seem to hate her as much as she thought.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“No.”
This was the first time Ruskun Weimar had a direct conversation with Evelina. There were a lot of antipathies because Kaiden was wrapped around with affection. At the same time, contrary to what he expected, she didn’t seem like a witch. It seemed like she had no intention of trying to control Kaiden.
“Your Majesty the Empress will be my daughter.”
“What? Oh, yes. I heard from Kaiden.”
Perhaps because Evelina thought the words were shameless, she lowered her head without realizing it because she grew up as the daughter of the Marquis of Logias. Even if it was a fake relationship, people who don’t know the truth would hate her.
Evelina involuntary covered her stomach, fearing he might have a bad heart. Even so, she came to the idea that she wanted to believe in the people Kaiden believed in, and found stability.
“His Majesty and I are like brothers.”
“Yes.”
“So I know everything. And I was light-mouthed, so I told everyone everything I knew.”
“What are you talking about?”
Seeing Evelina’s expression, the Duke of Ruskun sighed and said, Because he could see she was still nervous.
“I know all the circumstances of Your Majesty the Empress. You were from a poorhouse and grew up being exploited for blood. And that your memory was not intact because you took <Memory of Dreams> for a long time.”
“Ah…”
“Most of us do not hate Your Majesty the Empress. Your Majesty the Empress is also a victim.”
“…Ah…”
Evelina was relieved by the words and shed tears.
“Can you still forgive me?”
“It is not a matter of whether we forgive or not. If His Majesty has already forgiven everything, we have no reason to hate Your Majesty the Empress.”
At that moment, Evelina missed Kaiden so much. It was as if she realized that the weight of forgiving her was great.
“Thank you.”
At Evelina’s words, Duke Ruskun opened his mouth.
“Thank you very much. For accepting His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Kaiden is a very kind person. I… I always receive it* like this…”
*TN: his kindness
“It is because Your Majesty the Empress is here that His Majesty the Emperor is still alive. That alone is enough for me.”
Because Ruskun Weimar knew how easily Kaiden would throw his life away if she weren’t alive. He meant it with all his heart.
But Evelina didn’t know that, so she was grateful he had told her nicely.
“I heard that no matter whose child it is, it will register as a child of the Emperor.”
“This is Kaiden’s child. I’ve never done anything dishonest with anyone but Kaiden.”
The Duke of Ruskun was slightly surprised by the words, but he said with a face that soon found composure.
“I hope it’s a son.”
“Oh… yes. Because we have to continue the throne?”
Ruskun said as if he was sick and tired of recalling what Evelina had overlooked.
“It’s terrible just to think about how much the Emperor will tease me when the child comes out.”
“Kaiden…will that happen?”
“It remains. It’s because he’s narrow-minded.”
At Duke Ruskun’s words, Evelina forgot the tension and laughed.
“If possible, it is convenient to solve it at once.”
“Come to think of it, Kaiden was worried about the delivery. Many births go wrong when mothers give birth…”
“…never. You must not die.”
“Oh, yes, I shouldn’t.”
Evelina smiled gratefully and looked at the Duke of Ruskun. The Duke abandoned his prejudice against Evelina at this time, and Evelina realized that he was like a brother who truly cared for Kaiden.
~~~~
“We have planted our spies in the knights of the Marquis of Peran.”
The Marquis of Logias said to Prince Ashes. Then Prince Ashes nodded as he pulled the reins of the galloping horse.
“I don’t like the northern waterway because it’s rugged because of the mountains.”
“When the knights who have gone to the main gate fire a signal flare, we must advance immediately.”
“I know. It’s just that I don’t like the road because it’s rough. It’s not that I won’t go.”
– Piyuuong!
At that moment, the signal flares of the knights who went to the main gate of the capital pretending to be a smoke screen were fired.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Thus, Prince Ashes, Marquis of Logias, and the knights of the Tenesi Kingdom, who were charging into the southern waterway to help them, all started running to the palace.
Without knowing that the flare was a ruse that Kaiden had already devised.
