Before reaching the main palace, Achilleon received unexpected bad news. The Isthmian forces, who had changed their minds and formed a new alliance with Achilleon, had been annihilated by Antor’s troops in the eastern canyon.

That was painful enough, but now he had to face both the captain of the royal guard and the Sacred Sword Order as enemies.

Had the high priest been lying?

“Mother is being well cared for, so don’t worry. Though I can’t guarantee her life or death if you foolishly resist to the end.”

As expected, it was Antor who had kidnapped the queen. Achilleon turned his head and rebuked the captain of the royal guard.

“I can’t believe that you, who were the king’s faithful swordsman, not only committed treason but also opened the gates of the main palace to this brat who sits brazenly on the throne.”

The captain of the royal guard, who had originally been King Mempion’s close aide, was neutral. He was an upright man who was loyal only to the king, had never privately colluded with Antor before, and his relationship with Achilleon had been rather friendly as fellow swordsmen.

Since he was not easily swayed, his siding with Antor was both surprising and disappointing.

“I don’t know what sweet words and sophistry the Second Prince used to win you over, but you’ll regret your choice.”

“I’m the one who wants to ask, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

However, the captain of the royal guard looked at him with resentful eyes, seemingly feeling betrayed himself.

“Is it true that Your Highness ignored proper succession procedures and tried to monopolize the throne by bringing in foreign forces?”

It was an absurd accusation.

“It’s not true.”

“Then what about the Isthmian army that was lying in ambush in the canyon? If His Highness Antor hadn’t known in advance, the royal castle would have suffered great damage from their attack. They said they had conspired with Your Highness Achilleon.”

Only then did the captain’s sharp attitude make sense.

That snake planted a clever trap one step ahead. Even though Antor himself brought them in, now that things went wrong, he’s trying to pin everything on him? Achilleon clenched his teeth tightly and swallowed his sharp sarcasm.

Veins bulged on his clenched fist. He could have made excuses and tried to pin it back on Antor, but it was also true that Achilleon had brought in foreign forces, just like the captain believed.

“Please explain, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

“I merely used the forces that the Second Prince brought in.”

“His Highness Antor led the effort to annihilate the Isthmian forces.”

At that moment, Achilleon’s eyes contorted sharply. It was due to a troubling question. But how did that bastard Antor know about Isthmia’s ambush forces? Did he know in advance that Isthmia would betray me?

The alliance with Isthmia had been top secret. Even if someone had leaked information, it was an alliance formed in such a short time that it would have been impossible for a third party to know without considerable intelligence capabilities.

So unless someone within his forces had betrayed him.

“Curious how I knew?”

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Antor came down the stairs with a leisurely smile.

Just before, the aide he had sent to find and bring Hari had returned with disappointing news. They said they couldn’t find the woman. Her room was empty and in disarray, and though they searched the surroundings because something seemed strange, there was no result.

Instead, the aide had brought a blue fan that had fallen in front of Hari’s room, saying it bothered him. The location where it fell was ambiguous, making it look like someone had dropped it while hurrying somewhere.

Antor gripped the fan he had crumpled into his robe like he would break it, grinding his teeth.

‘Where did she go at such an important moment?’

If he could present her like a surprise gift in front of Achilleon at this moment and reveal the truth, it would be utterly satisfying. To show the betrayer before his eyes, wound him, and twist that wound!

It was annoying, but the plan was still half successful. After giving orders again to capture Hari by any means necessary, Antor turned around leisurely.

“Your lovely girlfriend told me.”

“…What.”

“The sacred beasts from the hunting festival, information about Isthmia, all of it was revealed to me by that woman you loved. Foolish little brother. Blinded by a woman, you couldn’t even see the darkness under the lamp. How pathetic.”

When Achilleon remained silent like he was frozen, Antor muttered excitedly in his euphoria.

“She must have acted hard, pretending to love you.”

Hoperon’s face, standing behind Achilleon, contorted. The soldiers who had directly witnessed how much Achilleon cherished Hari felt the same.

Though confused murmuring and angry agitation clouded the atmosphere chaotically, Achilleon remained silent throughout it all. So much so that one might wonder if he hadn’t heard what Antor said.

His stare, not blinking once, was chilling enough to make one’s knees weak. The soldiers, sensing an ominous atmosphere, stepped back, but Antor didn’t avoid that gaze.

At that moment, brief scenes from the past were flashing through Achilleon’s mind. The cage door with loose latches and the sacred beast crossing the royal castle, the herbal scent from the cage. The buried pieces stuck together like puzzle pieces one by one. However, doubt remained until the end.

Could it really be Margharita?

The pieces scattered again before completing a single picture. Achilleon squeezed his eyes shut and opened them. He felt a little dizzy.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Sharp mockery burst out. It was after silence and a long time had passed.

“Are you telling me to believe that?”

His tone, abandoning the minimum courtesy toward his older brother, contained nothing but murderous intent.

“For what reason would Margharita? What reason would she have to join hands with trash like you who tried to *ssault her? Your attempt to desperately harm me was good, but unfortunately it failed. No matter how much you wag that cheap tongue of yours, all you’ll gain is extending your lifeline for a few seconds.”

“She must have found you so disgusting that she’d join hands with trash like me.”

Antor smiled crookedly, but Achilleon showed no sign of disturbance. When a different reaction than expected came out, Antor’s mood twisted.

“I’ll acknowledge that your spy is excellent, Antor. They seem smarter than their stupid master who brings up Margharita without being able to show any evidence.”

“What did you say?”

Antor, flaring up, gripped his sword hilt like he would draw it immediately. However, Achilleon was one step faster.

“But you didn’t expect to die peacefully after doing something like this, did you?”

The sound of metal friction echoed through the frozen space. A blade flowing with sharp light aimed precisely at Antor.

“I’ll give you what you want, Antor.”

* * *

Her hands and feet trembled violently. When she lowered the hand holding her hair ornament, her hair tied up high fell powerlessly down her back. Hari calmed her wildly beating heart and put the silver needle she had used to stab Rainan back into her hair ornament.

It was something she had obtained from a merchant before, with a powerful paralytic sleeping poison applied to the needle’s tip.

“You helped me, and I’m really sorry, Rainan.”

Unable to move the large, heavy man to the carpet, Hari hurriedly turned his body so he could lie comfortably.

Was she doing the right thing? She wondered if she should tie his hands and feet in case Rainan woke up quickly, but she didn’t want to go that far.

Hari, with her hood pulled deep over her head, quickly ran toward the castle gate. She had to hurry back to the temple to meet Doris. The closer she got, the louder the chaotic noise became.

The scene within Hitais castle, mixed with acrid smoke and the smell of burning, was truly pandemonium. Fierce battles were taking place everywhere she looked.

At that moment, Hari frowned when she spotted something.

‘Antor’s aide?’

Why is he coming from the direction of the White Jade Palace? Hari had seen the men Antor used like his hands and feet several times. He was coming out of the western wing of the White Jade Palace where Hari had been staying, looking around.

He seemed to be urgently searching for something without paying attention to anything else. He even muttered rough curses under his breath. At that moment, the man turned his head, and Hari quickly hid behind a tree.

A bad premonition flowed down her spine. Hari took the bird out from her bosom. The sacred beast sprinkled blue light powder and concealed Hari’s appearance, and Hari picked up more speed toward the temple.

Corpses that caught her feet and thick blood that stuck to the soles of her shoes. Swallowing her dry heaves, when she finally arrived at the Central Temple, the situation there was no different.

“Lady Hari, over here!”

Doris, who had been hiding and waiting, urgently gestured.

“Why are you only coming now? We need to hurry. The Second Prince suddenly dispatched soldiers to the temple evacuation route.”

“What?”

Why all of a sudden?

“I don’t know why things turned out this way, but… did you encounter anyone on your way here?”

The image of the man urgently searching for something while spitting curses flashed by uneasily.

“They’re currently occupying the Central Temple area, but they’ll soon pressure this side too. We need to leave here before that.”

Doris urged while spreading out a map under the torch. In the underground passage full of traces of long disuse, a musty smell vibrated.

Soft things that might have been moss or remains of rotting animal carcasses stuck stickily to her shoes.

“What’s wrong?”

Then Hari suddenly turned around. Doris looked in that direction with a puzzled expression, but there was only pitch-black darkness.

“Something seemed to be…”

“What?”

It seemed to be following, but was it her imagination? She held her breath and stared into the darkness, but only heard the drip, drip sound of water droplets falling.