Chapter 12 (Part 5)

Loosening the tie of his robe, Felipe spoke.  

“A thief, a maid, an executioner, and a witch—what a ridiculous combination.”  

At the Emperor’s words, Jeremy’s gaze turned icy cold.  

“Felipe, insult me all you want, but I won’t tolerate you mocking my wife.”  

“You lost the right to call me by name after our academy days ended, didn’t you?”  

Felipe glared at him, offended by Jeremy’s refusal to address him as Emperor.  

“I’ve decided not to recognize someone like you as Emperor, so I won’t use any honorifics.”  

Jeremy Richard, dressed in shabby clothes and holding a dull sword, retorted calmly.  

“Why should I need your recognition? I am of noble imperial blood by birth. There’s nothing I cannot do in this empire.”  

As Felipe spewed his nonsense, Therese stepped forward.  

“Does that include killing your parents and siblings?”  

“…What did you just say?”  

Felipe exploded in anger at Therese’s words. She had touched upon a secret that no one else was supposed to know. Most of the subordinates involved in that incident were no longer alive, and those who were had been sent as test subjects for creating monsters.  

Seeing the Emperor’s flustered expression, Therese wore a grim look.  

In her investigation into the monsters, she had inevitably begun to dig into the Emperor’s past. Retracing Felipe Morciani’s actions before ascending the throne, she found one suspicious detail after another.  

“And we have evidence tying you to the death of the late Duke Richard.”  

This was a revelation uncovered by Gabriel Richard. Felipe Morciani had orchestrated the death of the previous Duke Richard, disguising it as an accident to eliminate a potential obstacle to his rise to power.  

It was laughable.  

The late Emperor, who had been friends with the deceased Duke Richard, had promised to resolve the grievances of the Richard family, but he too had fallen victim to Felipe’s treachery.  

Hearing that evidence existed, Felipe bit his lip in frustration. He had thought he had cleaned up thoroughly, but it seemed a loose end had survived.  

However, it no longer mattered. Felipe was the Emperor of the Caspian Empire, and the world was at his feet.  

“Not bad for a lowly merchant.”  

“…That bastard!”  

Jeremy bristled at the insult to Therese, but she held him back and spoke.  

“If you surrender now, you might at least meet a somewhat honorable end.”  

In truth, she wanted to make him kneel and repay him for all he had done. During her time in the palace, the Emperor had treated her like an animal.  

At her words, the Emperor feigned a look of disappointment.  

“This is a bit upsetting. Hearing such words from my cherished mistress.”  

At that moment, Derrick shouted loudly.  

“Your Grace, imperial soldiers are swarming in!”  

Derrick, who had returned after escorting Susanna to safety, blocked the entrance as Felipe drew the late Emperor’s sword from the wall.  

“I’ll make you beg for death.”  

Dragging the sword along the floor, the Emperor approached with madness in his eyes.  

“I’ve bathed my hands in blood countless times to claim this seat. Do you think I’ll fall to someone like you?”  

Laughing maniacally, Felipe raised his sword high.  

“…Hah!”  

Jeremy blocked the Emperor’s sword and replied arrogantly.  

“You’ve never defeated me, and you never will.”  

In an instant, Jeremy cornered Felipe.  

“Nonsense! I am the sun of the empire!”  

Even as he was overwhelmed by the difference in strength, the Emperor refused to admit defeat.  

“Protect His Majesty!”  

“Treason! Treason!”  

Moments later, imperial soldiers swarmed in, attacking Derrick, while Therese rushed to fend them off.  

“How does it feel? To have my bedchamber become your grave. What an honor it must be.”  

Felipe, panting heavily, taunted them when a thunderous sound echoed through the corridor.  

It was the arrival of a massive force of mercenaries and knights, far outnumbering the imperial soldiers.  

“For the Caspian Empire!”  

The clash of swords rang out as one by one, the imperial soldiers fell under the overwhelming *ssault.  

“How useless they are!”  

Grinding his teeth in rage, Felipe threw a handful of powder from his sleeve and disappeared in an instant.  

As the thick smoke obscuring their vision cleared, Therese approached the Duke.  

“I think I know where the Emperor went.”  

“Then please lead the way.”  

Therese guided Duke Richard down a path the Emperor had once shown her.  

When they arrived, they found Roshan, who had successfully infiltrated the palace, waiting for them.  

“…Roshan!”  

“Master, I’m so relieved you’re safe.”  

Jeremy, observing the reunion, frowned in displeasure.  

“For now, let’s deal with what’s below.”  

Roshan pushed aside a painting, revealing a staircase leading to an eerie underground passage.  

“They’re weak to fire, so let’s burn them all.”  

“Our men are bringing oil.”  

The heightened tension silenced the three as they descended.  

At the rear, Roshan glared intensely at the back of Duke Richard’s head.  

‘Can I truly entrust everything to him?’

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Duke Richard’s feelings for Therese were undoubtedly genuine.  

He had sensed it during his previous visit to the ducal residence, and this time was no different.  

‘It was utterly reckless.’  

Revealing his identity as the Night Wolf, which he had concealed his entire life, just to gain entry into the imperial palace—that was reckless. Yet, the Duke had ultimately met Therese and done everything in his power to protect her.  

Finally, upon reaching the end of the stairs, they were stopped by soldiers guarding the underground passage, seemingly protecting the Emperor.  

“This place is off-limits to everyone. Halt immediately!”  

The leader of the soldiers shouted firmly, and the remaining soldiers raised their weapons as if ready to attack.  

The Emperor, who was preparing to escape by boat, shouted loudly,  

“Dispatch those traitors!”  

Although the soldiers flinched at his command, they hesitated to attack.  

“What are you waiting for? K*ll them now!”  

Despite the Emperor’s furious shouting, the soldiers could not bring themselves to point their swords at Duke Richard, the Night Wolf.  

Winning was out of the question, but more importantly, to those who wielded swords, the Night Wolf was a godlike figure.  

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I can no longer obey.”  

Someone dropped their sword to the ground, and soon after, all the soldiers discarded their weapons.  

Clang, clatter.  

The loud noise echoed through the underground chamber.  

For years, they had committed acts that no human should.  

They had offered their fellow humans, who shared the same blood, as food for monsters and used them as test subjects.  

Though they had convinced themselves that they were innocent because they were merely following the Emperor’s orders, deep down, they knew the truth.  

“Do you think I’ll even blink at this betrayal? I have loyal subordinates at my command!”  

Felipe, his eyes bloodshot, reached for an iron cage to release a monster.  

At that moment, an arrow shot from the top of the stairs pierced Felipe’s wrist.  

Whoosh!  

“Argh! …Who dares!”  

“That arrow was fired on behalf of my father.”  

Moments later, Gabriel Richard appeared, bow in hand, accompanied by Georges and Thomas.  

Only then did Felipe Morciani see the faces of all those who had conspired to commit treason.  

“As I suspected, Duke Richard, you’re the root of all this.”  

Despite countless assassination attempts, Duke Richard had survived and, in the end, managed to grab hold of Felipe’s ankle.  

“Villains never seem to know how to repent.”  

Gabriel, nocking another arrow, ground his teeth in fury.  

He had only recently discovered that the man who had killed his father was this wicked Emperor. Since then, he had been consumed by despair.  

He had spent his life resenting his father for leaving him alone, cursing his brother and the Richard family, only to realize that his resentment had been misplaced from the start.  

“Gabriel, I don’t want you to stain your hands with more blood.”  

Duke Richard approached him and gently lowered the bow.  

As a brother, he wished for his only sibling to remain untainted by the ugliness of the world.  

“I’ll soon send you all to join your dead father!”  

Struggling with his injured hand, Felipe fiddled with an iron chain, causing an iron cage submerged beneath the water to rise.  

“What… What is that!”  

When the monstrous figure of a human emerged from the cage, everyone watching was horrified.  

As the cage fully surfaced, the Emperor stood on the boat and raised his clenched fist triumphantly.  

“A brave soldier who will make the Caspian Empire the greatest will protect me.”  

Though the imperial soldiers had betrayed him and many nobles, including the Duke, had turned their backs on him, Felipe remained unfazed.  

He had a monster with the strength of more than a hundred useless humans.  

Meanwhile, Thomas and the soldiers, seeing a humanoid monster for the first time, were overcome with shock.  

“Your Grace! Is that what you mentioned before?”  

“Yes. Be extremely cautious.”  

It was more intelligent and stronger than ordinary monsters, and underestimating it would surely lead to disaster.  

Georges, his face pale, muttered,  

“I didn’t expect him to be this insane.”  

Though he had taken up his sword for the honor of Duke Richard and the Caspian Empire, the act of defying the Emperor weighed heavily on his conscience.  

Even after hearing about the Emperor’s atrocities and seeing the evidence, Georges was still shaken by the sight of such a monster hidden beneath the imperial palace.  

“Your Grace! What should we do?”  

Thomas, ready to fight at a moment’s notice, awaited the Duke’s orders.  

Surveying the situation, Duke Richard spoke to the imperial soldiers who had surrendered and discarded their weapons.  

“Take up your weapons and help us destroy the monster.”  

“Yes, Your Grace!”  

At that moment, a group came rushing down the stairs. Led by Victor, it included Derrick and the people from beyond the walls.  

“Your Grace! We’ve come to help.”  

Their faces were resolute, prepared to face death. Each of them had lost family or friends to the monsters or suffered great pain, and they knew that if they didn’t stop this here, the empire would fall.