Chapter 12 (Part 1)

At the hour when silence blanketed Duke Richard’s residence, there was a knock at the castle gates.  

“What visitor could it be at this hour?”  

The elderly butler was visibly tense due to the unexpected guest arriving unannounced in the middle of the night.  

Urgent messages typically came from either a royal messenger or the imperial palace, neither of which boded well for the Duke.  

Opening the gate to identify the visitor, the butler stammered upon seeing the man. It was the first time in his life he had encountered someone from Pasa.  

“P-please wait here for a moment. I will inform the Master right away.”  

Guided to the drawing room, Roshan quietly observed the interior of Duke Richard’s residence.  

“So, this is what it looks like.”  

From afar, Roshan had always been curious about Therese’s well-being in this place. Since he could never receive a formal invitation, all he could do was sneak onto the balcony to catch a glimpse.  

A heavy sigh escaped Roshan as his heart grew heavier.  

“What’s the point of all this…”  

At that moment, the master of the castle finally appeared.  

“The Caliph of Pasa has come to visit? What nonsense is this?”  

Duke Richard looked like a man one might find in a gambling den—haggard, with a face pale from exhaustion, and reeking of alcohol.  

Seeing the Duke’s state, Roshan clenched his fists.  

While his lady was suffering in the imperial palace, her so-called husband was drowning himself in alcohol without a care.  

Barely suppressing his urge to strike the man, Roshan spoke in a mocking tone.  

“I suppose asking how you’ve been would be pointless.”  

“…Ah.”  

Recognizing the man before him, the Duke ordered the butler.  

“Butler, ensure no one enters this room.”  

“As you command.”  

After a prolonged silence, the Duke finally spoke.  

“The Caliph of Pasa, you say…”  

Though he didn’t understand the reason, he was certain this man was Roshan, the one who had been irritatingly hovering around Therese in the imperial palace.  

“Well then, what brings you here?”  

Jeremy’s question made Roshan’s lips curl bitterly.  

“Do you really have the leisure to live like this right now?”  

The Duke nonchalantly replied to Roshan’s criticism.  

“What have I done now?”  

Picking up the glass of liquor on the table, the Duke scrutinized his visitor.  

Currently, Jeremy Richard was playing the role of a devastated husband, mourning after having his wife taken by the Emperor. Thanks to this act, the number of imperial soldiers monitoring him had been reduced by more than half.  

‘I must tread carefully.’  

While Roshan, as Therese’s confidant, seemed trustworthy, the Duke needed to gauge his intentions.  

As the Duke remained composed, Roshan urgently pressed him.  

“Duke Richard, are you truly going to abandon the lady like this?”  

Roshan’s sole reason for visiting the Duke’s residence today was to determine if the man could genuinely protect Therese.  

‘If he can’t, I won’t entrust her to him.’  

Even though the antidote had resolved Therese’s poisoning, there were still many hurdles to overcome.  

‘If the Duke proves unreliable, I’ll take the lady to Pasa.’  

He was prepared to continue caring for her and her child, as he always had.  

The Duke simply stared at Roshan without a word.  

“…What on earth.” 

As Roshan grew more agitated and was about to speak again, Duke Richard suddenly burst into laughter, sounding almost deranged.  

“Hahaha.”  

The eerie laughter sent chills down Roshan’s spine.  

“Listen here. Whether you’re the Caliph or Therese’s servant, I don’t care.”  

Jeremy, who had no interest in Roshan’s status, spoke calmly.  

“Therese is my wife.”  

It was an undeniable truth that required no proof or explanation.  

“So, I see no reason to discuss this with you.”  

The Duke’s confident demeanor made Roshan clench his fists again.  

In his past life, upon hearing of Therese’s misfortune, he had immediately sought out Duke Richard on the battlefield.  

‘I must act quickly before the lady makes the wrong decision.’  

Back then, Roshan had hoped the Duke would hold onto Therese.  

But he had failed.  

No, they had all ended up miserable.  

“Words are easy to say.”  

Recalling the painful memories of the past, Roshan retorted sharply.  

“What do you mean by that?”  

The Duke’s bloodshot eyes narrowed as he lifted his head.  

“What wealth or glory could the lady possibly gain by becoming the Emperor’s mistress?”  

“I don’t believe it either.”  

“Then why do you stand idly by while the lady remains in that place?”  

Hearing the Duke’s words only infuriated Roshan further. To him, Therese was more than just a friend or sister—she was his savior.  

Without her, Roshan’s world would have remained a barren desert under a scorching sun. A place devoid of water or life, where he would have perished.  

“I don’t feel the need to explain myself. It’s late, so you should leave.”  

“…Ha.”  

Roshan found the Duke’s act as the tragic protagonist utterly revolting.  

“Will you be too late again this time?”  

The cryptic remark made the Duke’s eyes narrow.  

‘Too late again…’  

The ominous words left the Duke deep in thought.  

Could Roshan also be someone who had returned from death?  

But rather than dwelling on that, it was more important to confirm the man’s sincerity.  

The Duke stepped forward and grabbed Roshan by the collar. Yet Roshan did not flinch under the Duke’s piercing gaze.  

‘Eyes never lie.’  

Finally, the Duke released his grip and spoke.  

“Baron Demori has been moved to a safe place.”  

The Duke’s statement proved he wasn’t merely drowning himself in alcohol, as Roshan had assumed.  

“Let’s share a drink.”  

The Duke poured a glass, and Roshan downed it in one gulp. After a brief exchange, Roshan quickly left the Duke’s residence.  

***

Late that night, when everyone was asleep, Therese quietly opened her eyes. Her face, as she stared at the ceiling, was tense with worry.  

‘As I thought, the Emperor had no intention of keeping his promise.’  

Earlier that afternoon, Therese had accidentally overheard a secret she shouldn’t have.  

While adjusting a painting in her bedroom, she had discovered a hidden passageway behind it.  

‘Where does this passage lead from my room?’  

Walking a short distance into the dark corridor without a candle, she suddenly caught a familiar scent.  

‘This is the Emperor’s tobacco.’  

The pungent smell of his cigarettes, unlike any ordinary ones, was unmistakable.  

Just then, she heard the voice of the Emperor’s attendant, making her press herself against the wall.  

‘Baron Demori still seems unwell.’  

‘Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let him rest permanently.’  

‘I’ll look for an opportunity to deal with him.’  

Upon hearing the plan to kill her father, Therese nearly collapsed on the spot. She couldn’t even remember how she managed to return to her bedroom.  

Since then, only one thought consumed her mind.

‘To save my father…’  

There was only one way.  

‘I must kill the Emperor.’  

The thought that consumed Therese’s mind was treason. Uttering it aloud would mean a horrifying death for her entire family.  

Biting her fingertips nervously, Therese suddenly raised her head.  

‘But if I don’t make up my mind, I’ll never escape this misery.’  

Of course, she wasn’t certain she could accomplish such a monumental task as assassinating the Emperor, nor could she guarantee her own safety.  

‘Yes, I may not be able to protect you.’  

As she gently ran her hand over her abdomen, Therese gave a bitter smile. Even so, this might be better than simply crying and doing nothing.  

‘At least it wouldn’t be cowardly.’  

She sighed as she pulled a small dagger from beneath her pillow. It was something Sophia had managed to procure with great difficulty from the kitchen.  

“I must handle this with my own hands.”  

There was no one she could rely on now.  

Three nights later, Therese silently slipped out of bed.  

The bedroom was completely dark and quiet.  

Earlier that day, she had sent Sophia out of the imperial palace under the pretense of running an errand.  

‘I hope Sophia delivers the message in time…’  

What she was about to do was extremely dangerous, something that could easily cost her life.  

Dressed in black men’s clothing, Therese stood before the mirror and pulled a mask over her face. Carefully tucking her short silver hair inside, she closed her eyes.  

Then she offered a silent prayer.  

“Diana, please grant me the strength to protect the ones I love.”  

Though her voice trembled in the face of what lay ahead, her grip on the dagger tightened.  

“I can do this.”  

The plan to assassinate the Emperor was, in a way, simple.  

She would find his bedroom and kill him with her own hands.  

The past few months of observing the Emperor’s habits had proven useful. Despite his hedonistic lifestyle, the Emperor retired to his bedroom at a consistent hour, and no one but his chief attendant was allowed inside.  

The entrance to his bedroom was guarded by armed soldiers, making an assassination seem impossible. However, the secret passageway Therese had discovered made her plan feasible.  

“…”  

Therese took a deep breath as she touched the painting that concealed the passage. She focused solely on the thought of killing the Emperor.  

The passage she had entered a few days earlier was just as dark and eerie as before. Holding the dagger’s hilt in front of her like a torch, Therese cautiously advanced.