Vol. 1 - Chapter 105

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“Take him to the basement.”

Edmund handed the unconscious Kamal Zorudi over to Johann, offering a brief explanation.

“I didn’t expect they’d already planted a spy…”

Having heard the situation, Johann let out a low groan.

“He might’ve already been under dark magic.”

A sorcerer can usually cast dark magic on just one person at a time. Even the most gifted ones can only handle five at most.

But Sergei’s faction involved five noble families. Including the Emperor and Kamal Zorudi, that made at least seven. That meant either Sergei had an exceptionally powerful sorcerer, or he had more than seven of them under his command.

“I thought all the sorcerers disappeared during the Hunting War.”

A few decades ago, sorcerers were common enough to be seen frequently.

Back then, when political unrest was stirring public discontent, the emperor sought to stabilize the situation by scapegoating the sorcerers and launching a so-called ‘Sorcerer Hunt.’ Nearly all bloodlines were wiped out. One child who narrowly escaped survived, only to grow up and cast dark magic on an entire knight order and attack the empire. Edmund had joined that war and killed the sorcerer himself.

He thought that had been the end of it.

“Even rats survive. We’ll have to dig into Sergei’s background. We need to know how many sorcerers he has.”

“Yes, I’ll inform the Crown Prince as well.”

Edmund gave a short nod and returned to the banquet hall.

“Edmund.”

A voice called out just as he was about to re-enter. He stopped in his tracks and looked toward the shadows where the voice had come from.

“It’s me.”

Emerging from the darkness was Marinda, lavishly dressed. Edmund glanced at her flushed cheeks but walked right past her.

“Wait!”

Marinda hurriedly reached out, but Edmund turned his body faster, deftly dodging her hand.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“D-Don’t you remember me? My hair and eye color may have changed a little, but why don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Marinda.”

Edmund narrowed his eyes. Marinda seemed to think he didn’t recognize her and began to ramble nervously. Determining her words weren’t worth hearing, Edmund cut her off.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Edmund!”

Avoiding her entirely, Edmund stepped into the banquet hall.

“Haa…”

With a faint sigh, he spotted Alec not far off.

“Alec.”

“Your Excellency, you’ve returned early?”

“Where’s Daphne?”

“She’s on the balcony.”

Glancing around and finding no one nearby, Edmund noticed the glass of water in Alec’s hand.

“Ah, Madam said she was thirsty.”

Edmund opened the balcony door Alec had indicated.

“Oh my!”

“Y-Your Excellency.”

The nobles engaged in a secret rendezvous were startled by Edmund’s sudden appearance.

“…What are you doing here?”

“W-We didn’t know anyone was here. The room was empty… We apologize.”

The nobleman fled the balcony in a panic.

“Why were they coming out of there?”

Alec asked in alarm. Edmund immediately stepped onto the balcony. Aside from a lone green cloth on the floor, it was empty.

“Your Excellency, that’s…”

Alec recognized it, too.

“...”

It was the same fabric from the hairpiece Daphne had worn earlier that day. Without a word, Edmund grabbed the cloth and yanked open the door, seizing the lurking attendant by the collar.

“Urk!”

The attendant was slammed to the ground, trembling under Edmund’s cold gaze.

“The princess?”

There could only be one culprit. The attendant nodded violently in terror.

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

The attendant had been ordered by the princess to bring Edmund. But soon after the banquet began, Edmund had suddenly disappeared. After wandering aimlessly, the attendant had returned and lingered near the balcony, hoping to approach him again.

“I’m sorry, Your Excellency. I should’ve been more careful…”

“Enough. Alec, get the carriage ready.”

Without another word, Edmund leapt from the balcony.

The attendant squeezed his eyes shut, and Alec ran to the railing in a panic. Seeing Edmund land safely and disappear from view, Alec breathed a sigh of relief and left the hall.

— — —

Meanwhile, as Edmund stood before the now-empty Imperial Princess’s quarters, he realized it had all been orchestrated by Elizabeth.

“It’s been a while, Duke.”

“Daphne.”

Ignoring Elizabeth’s greeting, Edmund went straight to Daphne.

“Wait…”

Yllin, who had been standing nearby, instinctively stepped in front of him.

“Move.”

But once Edmund’s eyes locked onto hers, Yllin flinched and stepped back. Edmund walked past her and gently lifted Daphne, who had collapsed to the floor, by her shoulders. Noticing the flush on her cheeks, Edmund’s brow twitched.

“Why didn’t you…”

He muttered quietly, then turned his gaze to Elizabeth.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“Why? We were just having a little chat, that’s all.”

Weren’t we? Elizabeth smiled as she turned to Daphne for agreement.

“…Let’s go.”

Daphne whispered.

“But…”

“I just… want to rest.”

She looked up at Edmund.

“Please.”

Though her eyes were red, her stiff lips forced a faint smile, twitching with strain.

“…Very well.”

Edmund relented and turned away.

“Where do you think you’re going? I haven’t even gotten to the point yet!”

Elizabeth snapped. Edmund ignored her. Fuming, she turned to Yllin.

“Why are you just standing there?! Stop him!”

Yllin scrambled forward, only to freeze under Edmund’s icy glare.

Elizabeth bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, then shouted, “I know your secret!”

But Edmund didn’t stop.

“I know your weakness! I said stop!”

Screaming like a madwoman, Elizabeth looked completely deranged. Yllin, witnessing her violent outburst, turned pale and trembled like he’d seen a demon. Even so, Edmund never once looked back.

Desperate, Elizabeth blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“I’ll kill her! She may have just been bait today, but next time, it won’t stop with a slap!”

Clink.

As if under a spell, Edmund stopped in his tracks and slowly turned toward her.

“I thought the fake poisoning scandal was enough to let things slide. Was it not?”

Their eyes met, and Elizabeth’s lips quivered. Her instincts screamed that she was in danger, and her body froze. Edmund turned away and resumed walking.

“Aaaagh!”

Elizabeth’s scream, followed by the loud crash of a teacup shattering, echoed through the halls as the door shut behind him.

* * *

“Your Excellency!”

Alec, waiting outside the princess’s quarters, ran up upon spotting Edmund and Daphne.

“We’re going home.”

With the carriage already prepared per Edmund’s orders, they boarded right away.

As always, Daphne sat by the window, and Edmund took the seat beside her. The cushion sank under his weight, prompting Daphne to glance at him in surprise. Edmund lifted the opposite cushion, revealing a hidden compartment. From within, he retrieved an ointment and sat upright.

“…I’m fine.”

“The wound might get worse.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Daphne.”

“I said I don’t need it!”

Smack!

Daphne slapped Edmund’s approaching hand. The ointment flew to the corner of the carriage. Though she’d raised her voice, her face was cold and composed.

“You asked why I just sat there.”

“…”

“But I’ve never once stayed still. Not before, not ever. From the very beginning, I’ve always been this way. So you can ignore me too.”

“…”

“Just like you always have.”

“…I regret it.”

Every moment of the past five years, so much so that even breathing felt painful.

“Regret?”

Daphne let out a bitter laugh.

“Don’t. Just… don’t do anything.”

Ah.

Edmund stared quietly at her face and finally understood.

Pain might dull with time, but the wound it leaves behind remains the same size. Daphne’s pain had dulled, but the scars remained. And where one scar lay, a new wound could easily form beside it. As long as he stayed by her side, no matter what he said or did, she would continue to suffer.

“…I won’t ask you to love me again. I won’t do anything, just as you asked.”

Edmund clasped his trembling hands together.

“All I ask is that you let me stay by your side. That’s enough….”

His half-lowered gaze flickered uncertainly, lips moving silently with the words he dared not speak aloud.

‘Don’t look at me like that.’

Like you’re ready to leave without a second thought.

T/N: I mean, you deserve every bit of it 💅