Chapter 12 (Part 4)

At dawn, suspicious movements were detected near the capital’s walls.  

Armed with a shamshir, Roshan had subdued all the Emperor’s soldiers at the gate and thrown it wide open.  

“You have arrived.”  

As he dismounted, Roshan bowed his head, and a towering man draped in a beast-skin cloak tilted his head slightly.  

It was Zafar, Roshan’s master.  

“A Caliph bows to no one.”  

Despite the long time that had passed, his master’s scolding was unchanged. The sight of him, just as he remembered, filled Roshan with emotion.  

“Thank you for coming.”

Roshan, who had already anticipated the Emperor’s madness, had prepared countermeasures to protect Therese. One of these was seeking help from his master residing in Urcana.  

“We’ll save the greetings for after the battle.”  

Zafar, carrying a long spear over his shoulder, took the lead, followed by the mercenaries from Urcana. Their menacing expressions and the air of danger surrounding them caused those nearby to shrink back in fear.  

Zafar’s mercenary group was so infamous that they were known as the “Reapers.”  

While Roshan’s gaze remained filled with admiration, Georges Dupont approached and spoke.  

“We are ready.”  

Following the Duke’s orders, Georges had arrived with Thomas, the Commander of the Second Knight Order, and the knights under the Duke’s command.  

However, there was still skepticism about trusting Roshan, who had come from Pasa, and Georges couldn’t fully hide his suspicion.  

Despite Georges’ sharp gaze, Roshan nodded without showing any displeasure.  

‘I will focus solely on saving my master.’  

To avoid unnecessary political disputes, he had even dressed the soldiers brought from Pasa in Caspian attire.  

Unrolling a map, Roshan pointed and continued,  

“Our contact inside the imperial palace will open this gate for us.”  

“Understood. We’ll move at dawn.”  

Returning to the knights, Georges gave the final briefing on the operation.  

“Today, we will exterminate the monsters said to be inside the imperial palace.”  

Although hunting monsters was a routine task in the borderlands, the knights’ faces were noticeably tense today.  

“Once again, anyone who wishes to withdraw may do so.”  

Georges’ words caused the knights’ expressions to darken further.  

Entering the imperial palace without the Emperor’s permission could easily be considered an act of treason.  

“I will draw my sword today solely for the peace of the Caspian Empire.”  

“In the name of Diana!”  

As Georges raised his sword high, the knights responded by striking their swords against the ground in unison.  

***

The kiss shared through the iron bars was barely more than their lips touching.  

As their tears mingled with the kiss, the two embraced each other even more fervently.  

“…Hngh.”  

The Duke’s veined hands gripped Therese’s waist tightly, while her hands, clinging desperately to his neck, trembled with urgency.  

But no matter how much they yearned to be closer, the iron bars between them made it impossible.  

“Y-Your Grace.”  

Therese finally pulled away from the kiss, raising her hand to wipe the blood from the Duke’s face.  

“That must hurt.”  

“Yes, it hurts a lot. But now that you’ve told me you love me, I’m fine.”  

The Duke rubbed his cheek against her hand, and Therese smiled faintly.  

Everything about this moment felt precious.  

It brought back memories of all the things she had missed while relentlessly pushing forward like a racehorse.  

“I’m sorry for acting so recklessly.”  

When the Emperor had threatened her, she hadn’t been able to think of anything else. She had been consumed with the desire to protect the Duke and her father with her own strength.  

“I didn’t want to hurt you, but that’s what ended up happening.”  

“Please don’t say such things.”  

After spending the night together, Therese had left behind only his signet ring and divorce papers before becoming the Emperor’s mistress. When Jeremy had learned of this, he had been deeply shocked.  

The betrayal had stung, as if all the time they had spent together had been denied. Yet, despite everything, Jeremy Richard couldn’t let go of Therese.  

Whether it was obsession or love, he couldn’t tell. He was bound to her in a way he couldn’t escape.  

Now, knowing that Therese had done it all to protect him, Jeremy felt his heart pound violently.  

“I’m truly fortunate to be able to love you, Madame.”  

“But Your Grace, we…”  

Though she had finally confessed her feelings, the two were on the brink of either execution or being devoured by monsters once morning came.  

Thinking it might be the end, Therese’s tears blurred her vision, making it hard to speak.  

“Dying with you would be an honor, but I cannot allow that just yet.”  

“…?”  

Therese looked at him with confusion.  

Was there another option for them in this dire situation?  

“Didn’t I promise to be your protector?”  

Even in such a grave situation, the Duke teased her, likely to ease her anxiety.  

Therese, putting on a stern expression, responded,  

“When did I ever give you permission?”  

“That, too, is beyond my control.”  

“You said you’d listen to everything I said, but you’re so unreliable, Your Grace.”  

Though she had been crying moments ago, Therese managed to joke lightly. Jeremy ran his hand through her short hair.  

“Did you think you wouldn’t look beautiful like this?”  

Imagining Therese cutting her hair before going to the Emperor made Jeremy’s heart race.  

“Do you want to look beautiful only to me?”  

The Duke whispered as he held the ends of her silver hair, causing Therese’s cheeks to flush.  

“This isn’t the time for that.”  

“To me, it’s the most important thing, Madame.”  

When Therese hesitantly looked up, the Duke gazed at her with love.  

“Well, that’s good.”  

Even now, her disheveled appearance bothered her. While he said it didn’t matter, Therese felt otherwise.  

“If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry. As I said earlier, you are perfect to me.”  

At that moment, there was a commotion near the iron door, followed by the sound of its latch being undone.  

Jeremy, observing the situation, spoke to her.  

“Lower yourself for a moment.”  

Therese crouched down, holding onto the bars. She had no idea what was happening.  

Soon, the door opened, and a group of people approached.  

“Sir, are you unharmed?”  

Therese, recognizing the familiar voice, quickly looked up to see who it was. It was Derrick, the executioner and her friend.  

“Derrick, how did you get in here?”  

Beside Derrick stood a woman dressed as a servant of the imperial household, bowing her head.  

“Madame, I hope you’ve been well.”  

“…You are?”  

The memory was faint due to the time that had passed, but Therese recalled the woman she had saved from Count Pablo at a gambling den—a single mother raising two children.  

“My name is Susanna.”  

“Ah, yes. Susanna.”  

Roshan had selected individuals to infiltrate the imperial palace, and Susanna had volunteered to repay Therese’s kindness. She had worked quietly for months to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion, and today, her efforts had finally borne fruit.  

Wiping blood from his sleeve, Derrick spoke.  

“Susanna got the key, and I took care of the guards.”  

As Derrick spun the axe in his hand, the Duke interjected.  

“Stop standing around and open this quickly.”  

“Step back!”  

Derrick swung his axe, shattering the lock and opening the door.  

As Duke Richard stepped out, he asked,  

“What about the palace gates?”  

“That’s being handled by someone else. The operation will begin at dawn.”  

Listening to their conversation, Therese felt dizzy.  

“Your Grace, what is all this about?”  

“We are here to save the endangered Caspian Empire.”  

The Duke crossed into her cell and extended his hand toward Therese.  

“Will you join us?”  

“…Gladly.”

Therese clasped the Duke’s hand and nodded. She could no longer tolerate an Emperor who ignored the suffering of the people beyond the walls and turned innocent people into monsters.  

“For now, we must deal with the Emperor and the monsters first, so let’s hurry.”  

Derrick distributed the weapons he had prepared to the Duke and Therese, and the four of them quickly ascended the stairs, heading straight for the Emperor’s bedchamber.  

“Halt!”  

The guards at the entrance blocked their way, but they were no match for the Duke, who wielded his sword with precision.  

“What’s all this commotion?”  

Felipe greeted them while soaking in a bath. He had spent the night unable to sleep, his excitement mounting as he imagined Duke Richard’s head rolling at dawn.  

The thought of Therese’s slender neck following suit filled him with both a bittersweet ache and a thrilling surge of emotion.  

“Did you organize a local mercenary group, Duke Richard? Or should I call you the ‘Night Wolf’?”  

Felipe slowly emerged from the water, draping a robe over himself as he chuckled leisurely.  

The escaped Duke Richard had taken down a single guard outside the door, acting as though he had won a great victory.  

“Pathetic.”  

Felipe swept back his wet bangs, a mocking smile playing on his lips.  

The imperial palace housed far more soldiers than anyone could imagine. His personal guards alone numbered 500, with an additional 200 knights and over a thousand archers and infantry combined.  

It was only a matter of time before they arrived to surround the intruders.  

Moreover, Felipe had the most skilled sorcerer in the empire at his disposal, so he felt no concern about such an intrusion.