Chapter 15.2

The last person remaining was Edgar.  

Edgar had been stripped of his title as prince by the Emperor. So he was no longer a prince.  

“The criminal sought asylum in another country and tarnished the Empire’s honor. Do you admit it?”  

“I’m innocent! I was deceived!”  

Like Empress Isabel, he claimed he was deceived.  

“The Mage Kingdom has demanded compensation for this. The criminal, for personal safety, awakened a dormant evil dragon, causing harm to the Empire, and then fled to the Mage Kingdom, bringing the dragon and causing harm there as well.”  

“No, I didn’t do it!”  

Like Empress Isabel, he denied everything.  

“Mother and son, both so shameless……”  

“They say blood can’t be hidden……”  

“It makes one doubt if he’s truly of His Majesty’s blood.”  

The ministers criticized Edgar as if telling him to listen quietly, and Edgar glared at them with bloodshot eyes.  

“When you wanted to curry favor with me, you were all so eager. Now that I’m in this state, you criticize me? And you call yourselves ministers of the Empire?”  

The ministers clicked their tongues at Edgar.  

They already knew he was of poor character, but seeing him at his lowest was disgusting.  

He had treated women like toys, discarding them after use, and even abandoned a woman who bore his child.  

Just like trash discarding trash.  

On top of that, he tried to redeem his image by awakening the evil dragon, leading to a horrific incident where the people of Marquis Herland’s territory died.  

Moreover, he fled to the Mage Kingdom, bringing the dragon and causing immense damage not only to the Mage Kingdom but also to the Empire.  

Naturally, the Mage Kingdom demanded compensation. However, since the dragon was eventually defeated and greater damage was prevented, they only demanded Edgar’s severe punishment.  

The Empire agreed and promised additional aid for recovery. Thus, once Edgar’s punishment was complete, an envoy would be sent to the Mage Kingdom.  

“You show no remorse, Brother. That’s unfortunate.”  

At Kiserian’s regretful words, Edgar glared even harder.  

“All of this was your scheme to take my place! I did nothing wrong. If I did anything wrong, it was only being deceived by you!”  

Edgar showed no remorse at all, instead acting like the victim. The ministers turned away, unable to bear his ugliness.  

“Your Highness, please pronounce the sentence.”  

The Chancellor, unable to watch any longer, spoke up, and the ministers agreed.  

“We can’t watch any longer. Please pronounce the sentence, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”  

“Pronounce the sentence, Your Highness!”  

With everyone speaking in one voice, Kiserian nodded and delivered the final judgment.  

“Despite committing great crimes, you show neither remorse nor admission. Such insolence is intolerable. Therefore, death is too good for you. As punishment, you will be reduced to a slave and sentenced to forced labor. You will go to the border region and work with other criminals, repenting your sins.”  

“Forced labor! I’m innocent! Innocent, I say!”  

At that moment, Edgar saw Hildeltrud.  

“Hilde! It’s you! You did this, didn’t you?”  

The Duke wrapped his arm around Hildeltrud’s shoulder.  

Hildeltrud huddled in the Duke’s arms as if frightened.  

She turned her head slightly and smiled at Edgar. Seeing this, Edgar became even more agitated.  

“You fox! So it was all your doing. You and Kiserian conspired to drive me into a corner!”  

Hildeltrud purposely made a sad face.  

Then she slipped out of the Duke’s arms.  

“Father, it seems Edgar has much to say to me. May I speak with him one last time?”  

She had thought their meeting in prison was the last, but there were things she hadn’t told him, so she came here.  

“Hildeltrud……”  

“It’s fine. I have no feelings left for Edgar.”  

The Duke looked at the knights, then at Kiserian.  

Hildeltrud bowed her head to Kiserian.  

Kiserian nodded, granting permission.  

The knights gripped Edgar’s arms tightly.  

Feeling the ministers’ eyes on her, Hildeltrud confidently approached Edgar and whispered in his ear.  

“I have something to tell you. Actually, you have a son. A woman who was cast out from your secret harem bore your son. That child looks a lot like you. I saw him.”  

At these words, Edgar’s face cracked.  

“What……”  

“Do you remember Deborah?”  

“……!”  

“She gave birth to your son. You’ll probably never see him. May you feel the longing to see him for the rest of your life. Goodbye, my trash.”  

With a gentle smile, Hildeltrud stepped back.  

Unable to utter a proper farewell, she turned away with a sorrowful look that must have appeared pitiful to others.  

Hildeltrud leaned against the Duke, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief as she turned away.  

Kiserian gave the order.  

“Take the criminal away.”  

“No, don’t! You can’t do this! Hilde! Hilde!”  

He screamed Hildeltrud’s name desperately, as if he’d lost his mind. Annoyed, Kiserian signaled the knights to gag him.  

“Mm mm mm!”  

He struggled as if he couldn’t leave like this, but it was useless.  

Thus, all the criminals were punished.

* * *

The next day, Empress Isabel’s public execution was carried out.  

On the crowded plaza, she was hanged. People hurled stones at Empress Isabel as she mounted the gallows.  

They were all bereaved families who had lost loved ones in Marquis Herland’s territory.  

The evil dragon, which Edgar failed to subdue and brought to the territory, had burned it to the ground. Edgar then abandoned the people and fled.  

“Give me back my son!”  

“Murderer who killed my mother!”  

“You witch! My parents died because of you!”  

All sorts of jeers and insults poured out.  

“Carry out the sentence immediately!”  

The crowd’s cries for execution rang loudly. Edgar was also made to attend. Cruelly, Kiserian forced him to witness it.  

But there was another criminal mounting the gallows besides Empress Isabel.  

It was David, Captain of the Polaris Order.  

Edgar looked at him in shock.  

He hadn’t expected even David to be executed.  

The knight who dragged him up sneered.  

“You’re truly bold, Brother.”  

Edgar looked around in surprise.  

Kiserian, dressed as a knight, was mocking him.  

“You……”  

“Shh, you should watch. See how grave a crime it is to covet an imperial woman.”  

“What do you mean……”  

“Oh, you didn’t know? That man was your mother, Empress Isabel’s lover.”  

“My mother had a lover?”  

“Surprisingly, they’d been involved for quite some time.”  

Edgar’s gaze shifted between Empress Isabel and David. David looked at Isabel with longing. Edgar had never known about their relationship. He was devastated.  

Soon, the execution was carried out.  

Edgar witnessed Empress Isabel’s death with his own eyes. He felt more resentment than sympathy.  

It was Empress Isabel who had caused all this.  

If only she had succeeded in her assassination.  

If only her rebellion had succeeded, none of this would have happened.  

“Ugh.”  

Tears fell, but he didn’t know if it was because of his mother’s death or his own misery.  

Only after seeing Empress Isabel’s last breath did he leave the scene.  

He was immediately sent into exile.  

The forced labor sentence was carried out far from the capital, in the borderlands. 

When he arrived at the labor camp, he saw other criminals shackled and working in the mines.  

Their job was to mine iron ore. It was grueling labor, and aside from meal times, most of the day was spent working.  

There, he encountered an unexpected person.  

Elisabeth.  

She looked utterly wretched.  

Disheveled hair, rough skin, eyes devoid of light, wearing ragged clothes, walking barefoot on the dirt, hauling heavy iron ore.  

When Elisabeth turned her head and saw Edgar, she recognized him, grinned, and then suddenly clutched her stomach and burst out laughing. His appearance must have been very satisfying to her.  

“Number 1250, stop slacking off!”  

A whip lashed Elisabeth’s back.  

She screamed as she fell, but gritted her teeth and got up.  

She knew she’d be beaten more if she stayed down.  

Seeing her like that made Edgar feel as if he was looking at his own future, and he despaired.  

And no one cared about his despair.  

“You’re number 1815 from now on.”  

The guard branded the number 1815 on Edgar’s forehead. Here, no one was called by name—only by number.  

Falling into the depths of despair, Edgar would live there for the rest of his life, unable to escape.

* * *

A few days later, a carriage loaded with an enormous amount of roses headed for the ducal residence. People’s eyes widened at the procession of flower carriages.  

Moreover, since Kiserian was driving the carriage, everyone was even more surprised.  

The Duke, Patrick, and Hildeltrud all came out to greet him, astonished.  

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, what is this……”  

“……!”  

“Your Highness, what is all this……”  

The Duke, Patrick, and Hildeltrud were all at a loss for words.  

Kiserian got off the carriage, knelt before Hildeltrud, and offered her a bouquet.  

“This is the best proposal I can give you. Please accept it, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Inside the bouquet was an envelope that looked like a proposal letter. It seemed he wouldn’t get up unless she accepted the bouquet, so Hildeltrud took it.  

It was embarrassing, but she didn’t feel bad.  

The Duke and Patrick still looked astonished.  

After receiving the bouquet, Hildeltrud looked at Kiserian.  

“Your Highness, please stand up. I think we need to talk.”  

“Of course.”  

Hildeltrud excused herself to the Duke and Patrick and took Kiserian for a walk in the ducal garden.  

“I didn’t know you could be so reckless, Your Highness.”  

“Reckless? I only wanted to offer the best proposal to you, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

“You didn’t have to come in person.”  

“Oh, that would be insincere.”  

“What will people think? You’re the next Emperor, the Crown Prince. You should consider your dignity.”  

“For me, winning your heart is the most important thing. I don’t care about dignity—I’d throw it to the dogs.”  

When Hildeltrud sighed, Kiserian suddenly asked,  

“Lady Hildeltrud, do you feel relieved now?”  

“……”  

Looking into Kiserian’s eyes, she saw he was sincere.  

“I couldn’t feel more relieved.”  

“I’m glad.”  

Hildeltrud’s gaze turned to the sky.  

Her eyes truly looked relieved as she gazed upward. She bowed her head to Kiserian.  

“It’s all thanks to you, Your Highness. Without your help, it would’ve been difficult.”  

“Really?”  

Kiserian asked playfully, and Hildeltrud replied in kind.  

“Isn’t this where you’re supposed to say ‘It was nothing’?”  

“I’m not good at flattery.”  

“I like your honesty.”  

“Looks like my appeal worked.”  

“You’ve always tried to appeal to me, Your Highness. May I ask now?”  

“As much as you wish.”  

“Why have you always been so kind to me?”  

From the first visit to Silver Moon, he had shown interest in her. Is it possible to feel affection at first sight?  

“Would you believe me if I said I fell for you the moment I first saw you?”

“I don’t think I can believe it.”

When she first met him, he was Cain, the man with the cat mask. He had demanded such an outrageous price, and now to hear it was all because he had fallen for her?

It was hard to believe.

“I thought you wouldn’t. That’s why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t think you’d believe my feelings.”

“So that’s why you demanded such unreasonable prices?”

Every time Kiserian accepted her requests, he would ask for something she couldn’t predict.

“If I said yes, if I said I just wanted to be with you, Lady Hildeltrud?”

“You were sincere.”

“I have always been sincere with you, Lady Hildeltrud.”

“I didn’t understand your sincerity, Your Highness.”

“It’s fine. I liked you on my own, and I never intended to force my feelings on you.”

“Your consideration makes me grateful, but also sorry.”

“I understand. I may not understand everything about your heart, but I can empathize.”

Hildeltrud smiled softly and reached out her hand.

“I’ll accept your proposal, Your Highness.”

“Is it just to keep your promise, or are you giving your heart too?”

“I’ll give my heart depending on how you act, Your Highness.”

Kiserian reached out his hand.

“May I hug you?”

“I’ll allow at least that.”

Kiserian reached out and hugged Hildeltrud.

He smiled with pure happiness.

In his arms, Hildeltrud felt a strange flutter. Now, she truly felt she could live happily.

From the bottom of her heart.

<Main Story Complete>