Chapter 69

Erhen replied immediately.

“No.”

Although he recognized the person in front of him as his lord and king, his expression clearly conveyed, “What nonsense are you spouting?” 

To Erhen, Giselle was a person outside his sphere of interest. Of course, they had known each other since Giselle was a young Grand Duchess of Düsseldorf, long before she became a Princess. But apart from that small connection, they were completely indifferent to each other. Yet, as soon as she donned the title of Princess, she loudly proclaimed her love for him.

However, such declarations were easy to ignore, as always. The real issue arose when suspicions surfaced, and Malena was captured. The engagement order between Giselle and Erhen was nothing more than a pretense to protect their own.

“Do you even understand what you are saying right now, Your Majesty?”

Erhen’s sharp tone cut like a blade. As if he expected this reaction, Michael let out a brief scoff and then calmly admitted his true intentions.

“Yes, as you said, this is a request filled with personal feelings as Giselle’s brother.”

Michael’s smile slowly faded.

While Erhen harbored suspicions about the Princess, one of her closest confidants, Malena, had been captured. Despite the clear circumstances, Erhen couldn’t press further on the matter of Giselle, knowing the bond between Michael and Giselle, much like the one Maximilian and he shared.

Michael pressed his hand to his forehead, lost in thought. He couldn’t bear to look at Erhen; his lowered head seemed pitiful.

The Duke of Rosenheim, a loyal subject of Düsseldorf, spoke.

“Make your decision as a King.”

“……”

“If so, I will gladly follow.”

The King clenched his fist, his resolve solidifying.

***

Human Hunting.

This was one of the atrocities committed under the Tyrant Rufus. Officially, it was announced as a mass execution of prisoners held in the imperial prison. However, every citizen of the Empire knew the truth: prisoners were released into the forest and hunted down indiscriminately.

Malena’s husband was one of those who fell to Rufus’s bullets. Strictly speaking, her husband had committed no crime. His imprisonment stemmed solely from his inability to pay the increased taxes on time.

Born into a wealthy family of interpreters in Rohadin, where education beyond basic schooling was forbidden for commoners, Malena had studied abroad in Singred. Her hatred for absolute power naturally led her to join Kopenbach, an underground organization advocating revolution.

“If you confess willingly, Max’s safety will be guaranteed. In fact, they promised to take full responsibility for him until he comes of age.”

But how easy and simple a choice betrayal becomes when one’s family is held hostage.

Even Malena, who had shed blood for the revolution without hesitation, couldn’t ignore her family in the end. She had endured lengthy interrogations, refusing to speak a word. But when Walter, the leader of Kaiserliche, mentioned her son being cared for by her younger brother, her expression crumbled, and she requested an audience.

By this point, whether willingly or unwillingly, Malena knew her fate was sealed. She would die, but her son had to live. Facing Walter through the iron bars, she spoke in a firm voice.

“I carried out everything. The murder of Dostern, the Hamern Train Station incident.”

“How did you kill Dostern?”

“I used Dorthe.”

“……”

Walter fell silent at the unfamiliar term. Dostern’s body bore no signs of beating or weapon-inflicted wounds, so it must have been an unknown poison.

Dorthe. Repeating the word in his mind, Walter feigned understanding.

“You have quite the collection of poisons for someone of your rank.”

“……”

“Are you truly unrelated to Princess Giselle?”

“The Princess was merely a tool to kill Dostern. To us, all royals and nobles are targets for elimination.”

“‘Us’ refers to your organization, I presume.”

Walter’s eyes narrowed. Malena obediently nodded.

“But as a low-ranking member, I’m only privy to limited information. In a cell-structured organization, even members receive restricted details. The attack on the Duke of Rosenheim was something I only heard rumors about.”

“They sent someone as low-ranking as you to infiltrate the royal palace? Do you expect me to believe that?”

“That’s my role in the organization. Whether His Majesty of Rohadin believes it or not is up to him.”

Her tone carried a subtle hint of mockery. Walter clenched his teeth, suppressing his anger. He couldn’t risk silencing her after finally coaxing her to speak.

Instead, Walter pulled out a small note from his pocket. It was found in Malena’s room during her arrest.

“‘It begins on the Day of Preparation.’ That’s what the note says.”

“……”

“Even if you claim to be low-ranking, it seems you had a task to carry out here.”

“……”

“What are you planning during this grand festival?”

Malena fell silent. The note had been passed to her by a spy in the Princess’s palace. She should have burned it immediately, but she kept it to show the suspicious Princess as evidence.

In Rohadin, an annual cultural and arts festival called the ‘Musai Festival’ is held. While smaller festivals take place in various regions, the grand festival, known as the ‘Great Festival,’ allows people of all classes to participate. Many royal palaces are opened to the public during this time.

It was only natural for Kopenbach, advocating revolution, to target this day. ‘The Day of Preparation’ was the codename for their operation. If Malena hadn’t preemptively attacked, the planned assault on the Duke of Rosenheim would have been carried out.

“…Are you certain my son’s safety will be guaranteed?”

“Don’t worry. Isn’t that why you trusted His Majesty and decided to speak?”

Malena swallowed hard. At this point, she had to choose.

The organization or her son.

Having made up her mind, she stared straight at Walter. Despite her trembling body, her voice was unwavering.

“Michael Düsseldorf.”

“……!”

“The King of Rohadin is the target that day.”

Malena couldn’t abandon her revolutionary ideals or her love for her family.

Thus, she made the best choice she could. On the Day of Preparation, during the masquerade ball on the last day of the Great Festival, the King would be the focus of attention.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Rosenheim, excluded from the spotlight, would fall to Kopenbach’s hands as planned. Without his shield, the King would eventually meet his demise as well.

Though she would soon die, it was a loss for neither side.

***

In the darkness, two men whispered.

“This place should do.”

“Alright.”

The man in the black hood nodded in agreement. Once he gave his approval, the masked man pulled a square box from his backpack.

It was an explosive commonly used at construction sites. A man named ‘Geo’ placed it next to the loudspeaker on the clock tower’s wall and attached a round magical device to it.

The bomb was set to detonate during Dietrich’s speech tomorrow. This would not only kill Dietrich but also harm most of his followers. Though it was part of the King’s plan to eliminate him, it felt excessively cruel.

“Just when we thought we had peace after Rufus’s fall, it turns out all nobles are the same. To cling to power, they stoop to such measures… Ah!”

Geo’s words were cut short by the sharp sensation of a dagger against his neck.

A man in a hood had approached silently and now held a blade to Geo’s plump throat. In a low, menacing whisper, he warned:

“Do not insult His Majesty.”

“Y-Yes! Of course!”

Geo stammered, trembling. The hooded man withdrew the dagger, and Geo shrank back in fear.

Realizing the man was likely a close aide to the King, Geo suppressed his sarcastic remarks, knowing it would only hasten his death.

“I-I’m sorry, Sir. I spoke carelessly without thinking. Please forgive me.”

“Enough. Just complete your task.”

“Yes, of course.”

Geo nervously checked the bomb’s placement. Though he was a mercenary willing to do anything for money, he now realized the generous payment included the cost of his life. He resolved to flee the country as soon as the job was done.

After finishing the setup, he stood up.

“The bomb will detonate precisely at 4 PM tomorrow.”

“Are you sure it’s properly installed?”

“I’ve checked it multiple times. I’m a professional, after all.”

Geo bowed, relieved. Just as he thought his role was over, another pouch of gold fell before him.