“Now. Will you accept my proposal or not? Just answer that.”

Gregory’s pupils trembled.

A precarious smile formed on Duter’s lips.

Gregory refused to answer until the end.

One might think it was just control of the Grand Council, but if he readily gave what was wanted, he didn’t know when his life might be taken. Gregory tried to hold onto his lifeline by refusing to relinquish control of the Grand Council until the end.

Duter finally ordered his knights.

“Imprison Ptotr’s king in the underground dungeon.”

As he was being dragged to the underground dungeon, Gregory shouted as if he had been wronged.

“Do you think the Grand Duchy will be safe after doing this?! I’ve already contacted the Papal Office! I will spread word of the Grand Duchy’s actions in detail!”

Had he ever imagined in his life that he would be imprisoned in his own country’s underground dungeon?

Looking utterly wronged, Gregory shook the iron bars and shouted.

In the underground dungeon guarded by only two soldiers, no response came no matter how much he shouted. After resisting for a long time, Gregory seemed to lose strength and eventually gave up even shaking the iron bars.

Through Gregory’s tattered clothes from several tortures, blood scabs could be seen stuck to his skin, blackened with dust.

His hair, which he always kept neatly combed, had been a mess for a long time.

He no longer looked like the king of a country.

He had been locked in the underground dungeon for a full half-day without even a sip of water or a morsel of food.

Gregory sat down in the underground dungeon and stared blankly into space. He had lost track of how many hours had passed.

Negative thoughts began to float in his mind, like ‘I might really die now. If this continues, I will die.’

He began to regret not giving up control of the Grand Council.

If he had given that, perhaps Duter would have spared his life and returned to his own country.

Before he knew it, Gregory began to think very differently from before in the underground dungeon filled with silence and desolation.

How much time had passed? Gregory was going mad with anxiety and silence.

Breaking the stillness, rhythmic footsteps began to sound.

It was the Grand Duke.

“Do you want to get out of there?”

At Duter’s voice, which sounded almost mocking, Gregory, who still had some strength left, jumped up with a clang and grabbed the iron bars, pressing his body close.

“Of course…! I’ll give it to you. Control of the Grand Council. I’ll give it to you! If you guarantee my life, I’ll give you whatever you want!”

Gregory looked desperate.

It would take several months for the nobles’ forces, scattered after the monster subjugation, to return. If he couldn’t properly negotiate with the Grand Duke now, it was obvious he would be imprisoned without proper food or water for the months until they returned.

Though frustrated, Gregory seemed to know that if he missed this opportunity, he would lose his chance to capture Duter, so he greatly lowered his posture.

“Haha, now you’re finally in a state where we can talk.”

“Yes, I’ve changed my mind. I was foolish. Control of the Grand Council? Take it!”

Duter looked down at Gregory, who was desperate to leave this place.

A smile formed on Duter’s lips. It was a genuinely pleased smile.

“You should have been like this from the beginning.”

Duter approached the iron bars, wiped the smile off his face, and said:

“But now I’m not in a very good mood, so I need to add another condition. Admit that Grand Duchess Roanne instigated my assassination. Then I’ll at least spare your life.”

“You only mentioned the Grand Council authority earlier…!”

“You should have answered quickly then. When your life is at stake, if you hesitate, conditions get added.”

The Grand Duke spoke with a shameless expression.

Gregory gritted his teeth tightly.

“I’ve told you this, yet you still don’t answer. You lack learning ability.”

The Grand Duke pulled up the corners of his mouth into a long smile.

“I’ll have to add another condition. What would be good… Yes, imprisoning all members of the Habsburg family as well.”

Gregory gasped at Duter’s completely unreasonable demand.

“Hmm, still no answer? Then I’ll have to add more conditions. What would be good?”

“F-fine, I’ll do it.”

Gregory answered hastily before Duter could add more conditions.

“What? It’s too quiet, I can’t hear you.”

Gregory hadn’t eaten anything all day. He looked so precarious that he might collapse at any moment. In the end, he had no choice but to accept Duter’s proposal without consideration. Shouldn’t he survive first?

“I said I’ll give you what you want.”

When Gregory spoke through gritted teeth, Duter began to laugh loudly.

“Hahaha! Yes, good. Very good. When will I ever see my father-in-law kneeling before me again? I feel quite good.”

The Habsburg family, once seemingly unreachable, was now beneath his feet.

Could there be anything more thrilling than this?

Duter handed Gregory a prepared magical contract.

“As you know, the moment you stamp this with your thumbprint, you’ll have to keep your promise to me even after death.”

The magical contract had a special spell that, once stamped with blood, could not be torn or modified under any circumstances. The price of the magical contract was the soul. If one failed to fulfill or violated what was written in the contract, the contract would devour the soul, causing the original body to die, with only the soul wandering in the netherworld.

Such magical contracts are typically used when making agreements between countries or when contracting highly confidential matters.

Gregory hesitated momentarily but eventually had no choice but to stamp the contract with his bloody thumb.

As soon as the bloodstain was left on the contract, a large white light burst from around the contract.

The light enveloped both parties to the contract once and then went back into the contract.

And the contract ended without any special incidents.

As soon as the contract was established, Duter turned to leave the underground dungeon.

“Release the king. And imprison all the Habsburgs.”

Gregory desperately grabbed Duter’s ankle as he was moving away from the underground dungeon.

“Water, give me water first. And food.”

Contempt appeared on Duter’s face.

“Bring water and food for the king.”

Gregory’s crumpled face relaxed a little.

***

After eating food and drinking water, Gregory was immediately tied to a chair.

Following Duter’s order to bring all Habsburg family members to the underground dungeon, the Grand Duchy’s knights were busy moving in the middle of the night.

“We have imprisoned all the maids and servants in the royal palace.”

“Bring the crown prince and the second princess as well.”

When Duter ordered the knights, red veins rose in Gregory’s eyes as he was tied to the chair. His eyes were filled with anger.

What good would such a look do now?

‘I’m the one who won this fight.’

At that moment, a knight approached Duter and reported in a whisper.

Duter’s expression instantly turned cold.

Gregory harbored a small hope that perhaps something favorable to him had happened.

Duter looked at Gregory.

“Are you curious about what I just heard?”

Gregory gulped. Maybe… maybe the situation had been reversed?

“The Papal Office…”

At the words ‘Papal Office,’ Gregory’s eyes flashed open.

Duter observed Gregory’s reaction and drew out his words.

“The Papal Office… says they will soon visit Ptotr to check the situation.”

The hope that had briefly appeared on Gregory’s face crumbled.

“What a shame. Since you’ve left bloodstains on the magical contract, the contract cannot be nullified even if the Papal Office comes.”

Duter laughed loudly, “Puhahaha!”

Gregory glared at Duter with bloodshot eyes and a fierce gaze as if he wanted to tear him apart, looking like he could hardly breathe.

Regardless, Duter only laughed louder.

***

But as time passed, Duter’s laughter stopped.

This was because they couldn’t find the Habsburg crown prince.

“Are you sure you’ve searched everywhere? He couldn’t have escaped in this short time. Search more thoroughly!”

At some point, Duter’s voice, which had been filled with laughter, began to sound urgent.

Duter bit his lip.

If he couldn’t find and kill the crown prince, it wouldn’t matter whether he killed Gregory Habsburg or not.

If the crown prince, who had the legitimate right to succession, was alive, Duter couldn’t sit on Ptotr’s throne even if he killed Gregory.

“You still haven’t found Glishakov?”

When Gregory, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke, Duter turned his head sharply to look at him. Hope dawned on Gregory’s face.

“Didn’t you say the Papal Office would come when day breaks? Why not stop here and return to the Grand Duchy before they catch you? You’ve done enough up to this point!”

After the Papal Office arrived, he would be unable to do anything. Neither beheading the king of the invaded country nor pushing out all their bloodline.

‘Perhaps I’ll be driven out of here.’

A treaty prohibiting Lonavita Grand Duchy from approaching Ptotr would be created.

“Glishakov may not seem like it, but he’s a mage who has completed his awakening. No matter how much you search, it won’t be easy. Give up.”

Gregory leaned his body forward despite his bound wrists and difficulty moving, speaking to Duter.

“So, let’s just…”

Gregory could not speak anymore.

Duter took a deep breath. His eyes, with red veins showing, stared at one spot.

His shoulders rose and fell greatly before slowly settling down.

After exhaling deeply, Duter wiped the blood splattered on his face with his sleeve.

Blood dripped from the long sword Duter held.

At his feet rolled the head of Gregory, who could no longer speak.

“Huh…”

He hadn’t intended to kill him until they found the crown prince, but he couldn’t stand Gregory’s constant talking.

Though it was an impulsive act, Duter felt as if a tightly knotted lump inside him had been washed down, like drinking cold water.

Duter spoke to the Grand Duchy’s knight.

“Former Ptotr King Gregory Habsburg has passed away. Gather the elders. I will convene the Grand Council. Also, kill all the Habsburg family members imprisoned in the dungeon. Not a single one should remain.”

A terrifying order was given.