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Chapter 26




Adeus spoke briefly and smiled strangely.
‘What exactly is happening right now?’
My mind couldn’t keep up with the situation unfolding before me. Thump, thump. The sound of my heart pounding was as loud as drumbeats. I swept my trembling hand over my chest, trying to calm myself.
“You’re quick on your feet.”
“Compared to you, I’m nothing.”
“No, I’m being serious. You ran out from far away and subdued him in an instant. That’s not ordinary speed.”
Telder turned his head to look at the crowd from which Adeus had run out and the spot where the man had stood.
“Have you ever trained in martial arts?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Adeus, who was pressing the man down with his knee, smiled calmly as if enjoying a leisurely afternoon tea.
“You’re better than the Royal Knights’ idiots.”
Telder clicked his tongue and shouted in a displeased voice.
“...How long are you going to stand there dazed? I’ve already caught him. Come and arrest him.”
At Telder’s shout, the Royal Knights, who had been startled, hurriedly moved. Several of them grabbed the man pinned under Adeus’s knee. The man, now restrained, got up. His eyes, filled with hatred, glared at Telder, making my heart race again. Feeling like I might collapse, I tightly gripped Telder’s thick arm with my trembling hand. Telder, glancing at my pale face and trembling hand, muttered in a voice filled with killing intent.
“He tried to assassinate the Duchess twice. Take him away and lock him in the dungeon.”
“Yes. How should we interrogate him?”
“Leave him alone until I come.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll get his confession myself.”
Telder’s sharp voice made the knight clench his lips in surprise. They then led away the man, still brimming with anger. As the man disappeared from sight, I felt all my strength drain from my body. I collapsed weakly to the ground.
“Perechti!”
“Duchess!”
As soon as I fell, Telder and Adeus rushed over simultaneously.
“Are you hurt anywhere? You might have been injured when the carriage tipped. It’s best to see a doctor.”
“No, no. I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I just got scared...”
I had never experienced war. Of course, I was far from swords and death. So it was natural to be scared. Honestly, who would calmly say, “Go ahead and kill me” when someone swings a sword at them right in front of their eyes? Ah, except for this man in front of me.
“Portz Youngshik.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Thank you for your help.”
As I spoke with a trembling voice, filled with genuine gratitude, Adeus shuddered.
“It wasn’t easy to step in, but I’m really grateful...”
“Enough.”
Just as I was about to express my gratitude again, Telder cut me off with a displeased look.
“The ground is cold. Can you stand up?”
I nodded, and Telder pulled me up in one swift motion. Though I stood, my legs, still trembling from shock, were unsteady. Telder, looking down at my pale face, frowned deeply. He then muttered to the Royal Knights, who were still tidying up.
“Royal Knights, indeed.”
The Royal Knights all shuddered.
“The Duchess was almost hurt, and you couldn’t subdue an assassin. What were you doing?”
Telder’s reprimand made them all bow their heads as if they were being punished. The crowd watching the procession had seen everything. Since the Royal Knights were under Telder’s jurisdiction, it wouldn’t usually matter, but this place was the ‘outside,’ where many eyes were watching us. The honor of the Royal Knights was the same as the honor of the royal family. Telder was essentially tarnishing the honor of the royal family.
“I’m fine, so...”
“Lord Raphaeron.”
Just as I was about to stop Telder, a dignified voice cut me off.
“When the assassin appeared, the Royal Knights protected the emperor, me, and my children. Isn’t it natural for the Royal Knights to protect the royal family?”
The emperor, dismounting his horse, approached us. Perhaps because there were many onlookers, he smiled kindly.
“The Royal Knights are trained to protect the royal family. They did well by drawing their swords to protect us just now, and they should be praised.”
“...So you’re saying I should praise them for not protecting my wife, who was right next to them?”
“Lord Raphaeron.”
“Would you still praise them if my wife were hurt, Your Majesty?”
The emperor’s eyes softened, but there was a strange tension in the air. I swallowed hard and turned my head. Then, I met the eyes of Dodorea, who was in a carriage in the distance. ‘Ah,’ ‘ka,’ ‘wo,’ ‘ra.’ Dodorea mouthed these words to me with a thin smile. Leina, standing next to her, was laughing as if it were a joke.
‘I just want to punch them.’
As I clenched my fists, the emperor came closer and stared at Telder.
“Lord Raphaeron.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“There are many eyes watching, so let’s stop here.”
It was a firm command.
“This is a festival with us as the main characters. We can’t ruin it for the people who came to see us.”
“...Are you saying you want to continue the procession?”
“Of course.”
“Didn’t you hear what the assassin said just now?”
A heavy silence pressed down on my shoulders.
“He clearly said ‘rebels.’ The target is you and me. It’s unlikely he acted alone, so other rebels must be watching this procession.”
“Haha.”
“There’s a risk of assassination. The procession should end here. We should stop and return.”
“You still have a lot to learn.”
A serene smile appeared on the emperor’s lips, but his eyes were filled with ambition. I shivered all over. The emperor, coming closer to Telder, whispered in a voice only we could hear.
“So we need to continue the procession even more boldly.”
“...”
“Look around. They’re all here to venerate us. To them, the rebels are the ‘villains’ right now.”
The emperor chuckled.
“What is a rebellion? Whether someone becomes a traitor or a hero ultimately depends on public opinion. Do you think anyone will pay close attention to whether they do good or bad? It’s a matter of whether my life gets better or worse.”
Telder frowned dramatically.
“So, Lord Raphaeron, we just need to continue the procession calmly. Come, you should get ready. We need to catch the runaway horses and reattach them to the carriage. By then...”
Before the emperor finished, Telder scooped me up into his arms. Surprised by the sudden lift, I clung tightly to Telder’s neck. I could feel his solid arms and strong muscles all over my body.
“People are watching...”
I bowed my head, blushing, and mumbled, indicating that I wanted to be put down. Telder, who had ignored the emperor so casually, spoke to me in a softer voice.
“It’s best to have your uncle check on you when we get back. You must have been very scared, so rest well today.”
Huh? I could feel Adeus looking at Telder, who was standing next to us.
“Are we going back?”
“Yeah.”
At my question, Telder nodded nonchalantly.
‘Can’t you see those scary eyes watching you right now?’
Even though I didn’t turn my head, I could feel a burning gaze.
“Lord Raphaeron.”
The emperor called Telder quietly, so as not to be heard by the crowd. However, Telder ignored the emperor this time, clearly on purpose. Turning his body, he approached the coachman who was gathering the scattered horses and quickly chose one.
“Can I borrow a horse?”
Telder lifted me onto the horse as he had during the previous festival. It wasn’t as surprising this time, but it was still shocking.
‘The emperor’s gaze is too scary!’
I averted my eyes from the emperor, trying to ignore him. Then, Telder easily mounted behind me and took the reins.
“Portz Youngshik. We’ll talk about today’s events later. You can leave now.”
“Yes, I’ll wait for your call, Duke.”
Adeus bowed and turned to disappear into the crowd. After watching him go, Telder slowly turned the horse.
“Are we really going?”
“Then, are you staying here?”
“No, but...”
“Then, we should go. I don’t want to be a spectacle anymore.”
“But...”
The emperor is looking at us with a murderous gaze!
“The Royal Knights will protect the royal family even without me, so it’s fine.”
After finishing his sentence, Telder nodded to the emperor. Just as the emperor was about to speak, Telder ignored him and spurred the horse forward. ...
“We’re here.”
It was scary. As the horse stopped, my whole body trembled. This was on a different level from the last time I rode. If the last time was a taste, this time was the real deal.
“...? We’ve arrived.”
I heard Telder’s calm... no, slightly flustered voice from above. Yes, I know we’ve arrived. I know! But, but...
“What do I do if my hands won’t move!”
The arms that were tightly hugging Telder’s waist wouldn’t budge. The horse