Chapter 1 – The Tribute from Aden (Part 2)

Percy was in a situation where he had to send his sister to marry the son of the enemy who had killed their father.

It was a humiliating situation, but it was the only way for the siblings to survive. Percy blamed his own incompetence.

What Seia took out from under the pillow cover was a small folded piece of paper. Seia unfolded the paper and held it out to Percy so he could see the writing.

“Can you read this?”

Seia asked. Percy took the paper and carefully read its contents.

Tears quickly welled up in his eyes.

“How is this possible…”

“Rey is alive.”

Seia continued, looking directly at Percy.

“Your fiancée is alive. She’s working as a seamstress maid in the Hellis palace.”

“That’s impossible…”

Seia wiped Percy’s tears.

“Percy, this is an opportunity.”

“I’m just grateful that Rey is alive.”

“I can’t be satisfied with that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have an ally in the palace who can help me. And it’s Rey, who almost became a member of our Aden family.”

“Oh, Seia.”

Percy looked at Seia with sad eyes.

Unlike his indecisive self, Seia was decisive and strong-willed.

No, it went beyond that; there was a kind of flame inside Seia.

It had been that way since childhood. Seia’s golden eyes were filled with an unquenchable desire. Whether it was for revenge or power.

When they studied imperial studies together, he sometimes thought it would have been better if Seia had been born as the eldest son and heir instead of him.

He was afraid.

Not for his own safety, but for his sister’s safety. He worried about what the girl with eyes like flames might do.

“I will take revenge on the Hellis Imperial Family.”

Seia said.

“I feel the same way, but Seia, your happiness is more important now. Forget the past and look forward…”

“Happiness?”

Seia also looked at her brother with sad eyes.

“Because of the oracle, I am bound to the Hellis for life. I can never be happy.”

“I’m sorry, sister.”

When Percy hugged her, Seia grabbed his clothes tightly.

“There is only one way for me to be happy, brother. To kill Catheon and Tristan Hellis and destroy their family.”

“Seia…”

“Just like they did to us. Think about the terrible things they did to you, brother.”

Percy closed his eyes for a moment.

His mind was filled with memories of that night he didn’t want to recall. At the same time, he remembered Seia, who fought back, scratching and biting the knights while he was dragged away helplessly.

“I want you to be safe.”

‘Even if it means enjoying all the wealth and glory of the world, even if it belongs to our enemies. I want you to leave this land of despair.’

“Surviving means nothing to me.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I won’t force you to join me in revenge. I won’t blame you if you choose safety. You’ve been through so much. But…”

Seia took a deep breath, as if making a vow.

“Respect my chance to achieve my own justice.”

Percy slowly met his sister’s eyes.

He knew that when she had this look, no matter how much he tried to stop her, Seia wouldn’t listen.

So he had no choice but to use another method.

***

Kyle took off his armor in the warming weather.

Leaving the North and entering the border area between Aden and Hellis, the temperature was noticeably different.

“It will be a very sunny wedding.”

Montrey said.

He was an old man whose hair had mostly turned gray.

The best swordsman of the Hellis Empire. The continent’s Sword Master. He was Kyle’s swordsmanship teacher.

“Your Highness, you’re entering the palace for the first time in five years.”

Unlike others, Montrey always addressed Kyle as “Your Highness.” Even though he was an illegitimate child, he was still a direct descendant of the lord he served.

“It has already been that long.”

Kyle replied resignedly.

Five years ago, Kyle left the palace, following Montrey on an expedition to subdue the northern border area.

In the Imperial Family, he was just a nuisance who unnecessarily threatened Tristan’s position.

A child born from an unknown dancer after a night with the Emperor.

To Kyle, Montrey, who rose to his position solely through his skills, was like an idol.

And today, Kyle was heading to the palace with his teacher from the North.

For the wedding of Crown Prince Tristan Hellis and Tribute Seia Aden.

“That child is getting married.”

Kyle said with a bitter smile.

“Crown Prince Tristan is now a full-fledged adult.”

Kyle was referring to Seia, but Montrey seemed to understand it as a reference to Tristan.

“Even if you leave the cage door open, some birds won’t fly away and return. Why do you think that is?”

Montrey looked puzzled by Kyle’s words.

“Well, maybe because they love their owner?”

Yet he answered quite seriously.

“Because there’s something they want from the one who captured them. Something they can never get if they just fly away.”

“It sounds like you’re saying they intend to harm their owner and take something.”

Montrey said, and Kyle chuckled.

At that moment.

“Your Highness.”

Montrey pointed to a spot where dust was rising in the distance.

“Someone is coming.”

Kyle looked up.

“The Crown Prince’s bride is coming.”

Kyle said.

Even from a distance, he could recognize the Hellis Imperial Family’s emblem. The royal insignia embroidered with golden thread on a red velvet cloth.

The procession of knights bringing Seia Aden to Hellis.

Nominally, she was the woman from the oracle who could control the fate of the Imperial Family, so the entire First Knights were escorting her safely.

“Safe? What a fitting word for a woman being dragged into a lion’s den.”

Kyle sneered.

“The Tribute from Aden must be in that carriage.”

Montrey pointed to the white carriage that stood out even from afar.

The carriage, symbolizing the bride’s purity, was adorned with golden decorations.

Montrey knelt on one knee and bowed towards the approaching knights.

But Kyle had no need to kneel to the knights.

The captain of the knights looked flustered at Kyle’s upright stance.

“We are the Knights of the Sun, serving under the command of Emperor Catheon.”

A knight who had been leading the way dismounted and said.

“This is Prince Kyle, who carries the noble blood of the Hellis Imperial Family.”

Montrey said. The knights murmured in surprise.

The rumor that the illegitimate prince, who hadn’t shown his face in the Imperial Family for years, was attending the Crown Prince’s wedding turned out to be true.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Kyle did not respond.

The knights were more interested in Montrey, the Sword Master, than in Kyle.

The guardian who secured and protected the Northern border. Many of the knights probably idolized him as Kyle did.

“It is an honor to escort Sir Montrey and Your Highness.”

One knight said. But everyone knew that neither Montrey nor Kyle needed an escort.

Thus, they joined the procession of the bride from Aden.

“Where is the Tribute?”

Kyle, back on his horse, asked the knight captain.

He himself didn’t know exactly why he was asking.

“She remains in the carriage.”

“She hasn’t stepped out of the carriage even once?”

“That’s correct. We were ordered to safely escort the Tribute to the palace…”

‘To make sure she doesn’t escape, they mean.’

Kyle thought cynically.

“Let’s rest at the edge of the forest. The Tribute must be suffocating if she’s been in the carriage for so long.”

Even if she was a bride sold off, Seia was still the daughter of a noble family. Crossing the rough forest path in a shaking carriage, she was probably pale from motion sickness.

“…Understood, Your Highness.”

The knight captain replied reluctantly.

When they reached the edge of the forest, a priest following the procession cast a barrier. It was to prevent possible attacks from monsters.

“Open the door.”

Kyle gestured towards the carriage. But the knights did not move.

Instead, the Tribute’s attendants, who were half-hidden in the shade of a tree, opened the carriage door. The attendants didn’t dare make eye contact with the knights.

Creak…

“Tribute!”

As soon as the carriage door opened, Seia, who had been leaning against it, fell to the ground. She was unconscious.

The attendants held onto Seia and checked her condition with worried faces.

“Is she dead?”

The knight captain said.

“I don’t know.”

Kyle walked over.

“What are you doing?”

The other knights murmured.

Kyle calmly lifted Seia and carried her to the shade of a tree.

“You must not touch the future Crown Princess!”

The knight captain shouted at Kyle. But Kyle didn’t seem to care.

Kyle placed a hand on Seia’s neck.

There was definitely a pulse.

A very slow and faint pulse that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to detect.

Kyle looked down at Seia’s peaceful, sleeping face. She looked serene.

Her white skin felt foreign under his fingertips.

“Your Highness!”

As the knight captain approached, Montrey quietly stood by Kyle’s side.

“She is alive.”

Kyle said softly.

Even a physician might have declared her dead, unable to detect such a faint pulse.

But Kyle was different.

To become a Sword Master, one’s senses had to be sharper than anyone else’s.

He had been trained, and he also had some natural abilities from the Hellis royal bloodline.

“What trickery is this!”

A knight standing nearby suddenly grabbed an attendant from Aden by the collar.

“N-no, sir. I didn’t do anything…”

“Do whatever it takes to fix this!”

He roughly pushed the attendant towards the carriage.

With a loud crash, the attendant fell to the ground.

“If the future Crown Princess has even a scratch…”

Another knight murmured.

Kyle could fully grasp the situation.

If Seia entered the palace injured or unconscious, there was no telling what kind of havoc Tristan would wreak.

Even the First Knights, who enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, were powerless before the young tyrant Crown Prince.