The Massacre of Resinia.
It happened a few months before Ashid met Camellia. Using the invasion of the northern region under Ashid’s rule as a pretext—where the residents of the northern fortress and his knights were slaughtered—Ashid and his knights annihilated the Duchy of Resinia in retaliation.
Consumed by vengeance, Ashid and his knights massacred every single Resinian—leaving no one alive. Not just the adults, but the elderly and even newborns were mercilessly killed.
Because of this, Ashid’s northern stronghold enjoyed a temporary period of peace. However, his actions only solidified his reputation as a crazed war demon, a bloodthirsty murderer consumed by revenge—not just among neighboring nations, but even within the Ashilad Empire itself.
Moreover, this event played a decisive role in his downfall, leading to his eventual loss in the power struggle against Adrian and his execution.
This was because two daughters of Marquis Camelot—one of the elder members of the Empire’s noble council—were among those who perished in the Massacre of Resinia.
Marquis Camelot, filled with deep resentment and hatred for Ashid, sided with Adrian. Using all his influence, he obstructed Ashid at every turn, ultimately playing a crucial role in the execution of both Ashid and his entire order of knights.
In other words, the Massacre of Resinia was the turning point that led to Ashid’s downfall—the defining event that turned him into a villain, the type of “victim who became the perpetrator.”
“No.”
A deep, overwhelming fear gripped Daniela, causing her entire body to tremble.
If Ashid was her husband, then he could not become a villain.
She could not allow herself to be swept up in his cursed fate and die a miserable death. This war—this massacre—had to be stopped at all costs.
Daniela wrenched free from Mela’s grip and ran forward, standing directly in front of Ashid with her arms spread wide.
“No! Withdraw your command at once, Your Highness!”
“This war must never happen! So please, stop immediately! Cancel the order!”
Her voice rang out as she stood firmly in Ashid’s path, looking up at him with unwavering determination. Yet, her voice trembled faintly.
Her fear was suffocating. She could hardly breathe. The mad duke before her looked as though he might draw the sword at his waist and strike her down at any moment.
But she could not back down.
Either she died here now, or she got caught up in this lunatic’s fate and died later. If she was going to die anyway, she might as well try to stop him first.
Clenching her teeth, Daniela steeled herself.
“……Ha.”
Ashid let out a short scoff, glaring at her coldly.
She knew nothing about his reasons for waging war. She had no idea how many precious lives had been stolen at the hands of the Resinians.
Yet, she dared to stand before him and demand that he stop the war. Her audacity angered him.
At the same time, he felt a strange sense of betrayal—though he had expected this reaction from her all along.
In a low, growling voice, Ashid said,
“You have no right to stop my revenge. Go back to your chambers at once. Do not interfere.”
“No! I’m not going back! I won’t take a single step from here!”
“You—really…!”
“If you’re so desperate to start this war, then kill me first and go! But will that be okay? Have you forgotten how much you need me right now, Your Highness?”
Daniela raised her voice even more, standing her ground in front of Ashid.
‘You could never kill me. Because if I die, you won’t be able to get the information from the letter the Duke of Enchanto left behind. And without that, you can never avenge your mother.’
She was certain that, as a smart man, he would immediately understand what she was implying.
Just as she predicted, Ashid hesitated for a brief moment.
Internally, Ashid cursed.
Daniela was right. She was the only child of Duke Enchanto. She undoubtedly knew where her late father’s belongings were—and if he acted rashly and discarded her, he might lose the evidence proving his mother had been poisoned forever.
Trying to regain his composure, Ashid took a deep breath before speaking in a calmer voice.
“I know. I don’t want to harm you either. So move aside. You may not understand, but I have a reason why this war must happen.”
“No! There is no such reason! None at all!”
“Do you even know how many of my knights and people were slaughtered by those damned Resinians? Four thousand! Among them were defenseless women, children who could barely walk, and young knights who had just reached the rank of senior knight at the age of twenty!”
“Oh, is that so? And to honor the dead, you’re willing to sacrifice the living? That’s not true revenge, Your Highness—it’s nothing but your own self-satisfaction! This benefits no one!”
“Ha, are you done talking?”
Ashid let out a short laugh, his voice sharp with disbelief.
Daniela, however, raised her voice even further.
“No, I’m not done yet! That’s exactly why you’re cursed despite risking your life to protect the northern borders! Your Highness, as the Grand Duke of this Empire and the ruler of the northern fortress, can’t you resolve this in a more peaceful way?”
“Ha, why should I care about what others think of me? Their opinions don’t matter to me at all.”
“Is that so? Then let me put it another way. Stop waging a meaningless war just to vent your anger—stop sacrificing lives for your revenge!”
“……Daniela!”
“Your Highness, can you truly only see the fallen knights? Can you not see the knights who stand before you now? These men who might lose their lives due to your reckless decision! Their families—don’t they matter? The wives and children who will suffer for a lifetime after losing their husbands and fathers in an instant—do they not deserve your sympathy?”
At her words, Ashid’s eyes widened slightly. His hand, gripping his sword, trembled.
Her words infuriated him. Yet, at the same time, they pierced him deeply.
“A child who lost their parents in an instant and lived a lifetime longing for them.”
Her words brought back memories of himself—of the pain he had endured ever since his mother was poisoned before his eyes. The endless grief, the suffocating guilt of failing to protect her.
‘Damn it!’
‘Mother!’
‘Ashid… You must… survive…’
The horrifying memory—one he had never been able to forget for even a single moment—resurfaced with overwhelming clarity, gripping him tightly.
Her words stirred up emotions that even his burning desire for revenge could not entirely suppress.
Ashid let out a hollow laugh. Then, in a voice that had lost some of its force, he asked Daniela,
“Fine. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you’re right. Then tell me—how do I appease the spirits of my fallen knights and people? Am I supposed to sit back and do nothing?”
Hearing that, Daniela’s face brightened slightly.
She had deliberately brought up something that would remind him of the late Empress—and it worked.
The intense blue fire of vengeance that had burned in Ashid’s deep navy eyes had dulled slightly.
If she pushed just a little further, she might be able to erase this massacre from history entirely.
Holding onto that hope, Daniela spoke.
“There are plenty of ways to make the Duchy of Resinia pay without spilling blood.”
“……What?”
“The easiest way is to demand compensation for their crimes. Surely Your Highness knows better than anyone that the families of the victims need financial support more than anything else right now.”
Ashid’s sharp gaze flickered slightly.
Then, in a mocking tone, he asked, “Compensation? How?”
Smiling confidently, Daniela answered—
“Demand the southern regions of Resinia—Aina and Levent. Then distribute the land among the families of the fallen knights and the massacred northern citizens.”
Go smart girl!