Moreover, having earned the anger of several powerful figures, it wasn’t even guaranteed she would safely reach the exile location.

‘It’s really over.’

She felt it was truly over now.

Her ill-fated connection with her.

‘So, I’ll completely forget you.’

Perhaps this was the greatest punishment for Elizabeth.

After all, she was someone who lived and died by people’s attention.

As she steadily moved away from the imperial capital, she would steadily be forgotten from people’s memories. Before long, no one would even think of her existence, let alone speak of it.

She would become an existence that disappeared like that.

* * *

Here, there was one more person who should have disappeared.

However, far from disappearing, he had a full presence in the imperial capital.

Whenever people gathered, they were busy talking about the prince.

“…They say he’s impotent.”

“What?”

“They say His Highness the Prince has become impotent!”

“No! Then what happens to succession? What about our empire’s future?!”

“What future! If he could succeed he would have done so already! After hearing what happened at the masquerade ball, do you still want His Highness to succeed?!”

“But what other way is there! What if the empire falls?!”

“It would fall the same with such a prince becoming emperor! Male lovers! How wildly must he have lived to become impotent on top of male lovers! Aish!”

Had Prince Gillian really become impotent?

When the prince woke up from the masquerade ball, he immediately caused an uproar demanding a doctor while complaining of pain in his lower body.

And the first imperial physician who entered came out a corpse. The prince killed the physician in anger after hearing the diagnosis that his important part was destroyed and that it was no longer possible for him to reproduce.

However, other physicians’ diagnoses were no different. The ruptured area could not recover, and there seemed to be problems beyond reproduction with functioning(?). Even after the pain disappeared, the important part became too quiet, not moving at all.

The prince began breaking everything in the palace while screaming, but that didn’t restore his masculinity.

Soon the prince started dragging all sorts of women into his palace.

Unable to believe reality, he began placing blame externally.

Before long, victims multiplied. He blamed all the women for his body not responding. Women who entered the palace frequently had to be carried out badly beaten.

Soon women disappeared from around the prince’s palace.

When things came to this, attendants resorted to bringing in courtesans. Not satisfied with even that, the prince went as far as kidnapping maids working in other palaces.

Although the maids serving in the imperial palace were nobles despite their humble positions, the prince was committing atrocities without hesitation—acts that should not be inflicted even upon commoners.

As victims increased, noble houses began submitting all sorts of petitions unable to bear the injustice. As public outrage grew, a noble assembly was held. Opinions gathered that this was unacceptable even for a prince.

All circumstances began pressing and tightening around the prince.

From his body not cooperating despite his full desires–

To succession growing even more distant because of that–

To nobles denouncing him daily.

‘Depose the prince immediately!’

He seemed to hear hallucinations.

“Lady Aberdeen! That woman…!”

This was all that woman’s fault.

His last memory cut off at the point of trying to undress Lady Aberdeen lying on the bed.

Though it seemed there was some painful incident in between, he couldn’t remember that. When he regained consciousness from fainting, he was in a den of male lovers. Thinking of what happened in that room that day made him want to vomit. His masculinity had not just shriveled pathetically but crumbled.

Perhaps his lower body’s complete unresponsiveness was because of those bastards in that terrible room. He was filled with desire to catch and punish them all.

He had no idea how to resolve this frustration.

“I won’t let this go!”

To think he couldn’t immediately drag her in and do as he pleased after reducing him, a prince, to this state.

Something was wrong with this empire.

He ground his teeth while venting his directionless anger on those belonging to the prince’s palace.

* * *

“Where are you going?”

“To a meeting.”

They said a meeting of the four grand dukes was being held about the current situation.

“But why am I…”

She had come along when he told her to prepare to go out in the morning, but a meeting?

“Because you’re an Oathkeeper too.”

“But I’m not a duke. Even my status as an Oathkeeper hasn’t received official approval yet…”

“It’s called the meeting of the four dukes’ because they’re all dukes, but actually the Oathkeeper status is more important. Regardless of official approval, you are undeniably an Oathkeeper, which alone qualifies you to attend.”

Is that so. Since she knew nothing about their policies, she decided to trust his words.

“But it’s not good to be revealed yet…”

Constantine spoke while pulling her hood deeper to conceal her appearance more. He too was wearing a hood.

They passed the imperial capital’s first gate immediately just with the carriage’s insignia.

Saena tilted her head when she saw where they got off.

“We’ll take the warp gate.”

“What?”

Why use a warp gate for a meeting…

Was it being held at one of the dukes’ castles?

Saena simply assumed so.

Though she soon learned she was wrong.

Constantine injected power differently than usual when going to Kramer territory. More precisely, he began injecting power simultaneously into all gates rather than just the one leading to Kramer territory.

‘……?’

What is this?

Saena’s eyes widened.

—It’s another place.

She heard Yolly’s whisper.

‘Another place?’

—Neither the Four Dukes’ territories nor imperial territory, but elsewhere.

As soon as he finished speaking, a gate formed in the middle of the underground space. Unlike usual, it was at the intersection point where the central points of the four doorframes crossed.

Constantine held out his hand to her as if saying to follow with assurance. Taking his slowly extended hand, they entered the warp gate.

The first thing Saena noticed upon arriving at the new place was a scent that seemed to mix sunlight and the fragrance of the forest.

“This is neutral territory.”

“…Neutral?”

“More precisely, the ‘Forgotten Land’. It’s a place that belongs nowhere.”

Perhaps it was by someone’s coincidence that this place was discovered.

What would happen if multiple gates were opened simultaneously? It could have been someone who experimented with such a question, or maybe this was how the warp gate was originally set up during creation.

What’s certain is that this place’s existence has been passed down through generations to the Covenant’s successors (especially successors excluding the imperial family). And following this information, the Four Dukes would use this place when they needed meetings away from imperial eyes.

Even among Oathkeepers, the imperial family was the imperial family.

There were always times when interests and opinions conflicted between the four ducal families guarding the borders as imperial subjects. However, this wasn’t meant for the Four Dukes to collude against or commit treason against the imperial family.

After all, since the empire’s protective power was transmitted through imperial bloodlines, blindly opposing the imperial family would be nothing short of foolish.

The Oathkeepers’ power was merely a means and duty to protect the empire from demonic beasts and foreign races.

“You can think of this place as something that exists precisely for situations like this.”

For instance, situations like having to depose the prince.

For discussing such matters, somewhere other than under the imperial palace roof would naturally be better.

“Yes. I understand what you mean.”

Saena looked around, turning her head.

A temple built on a mountain? Though it looked like ruins now, it was a structure that showed traces of once being quite magnificent and beautiful.

The walls seemed collapsed yet were sturdy, and the roof appropriately blocked the sky while letting light penetrate inside. Rays of light sneaking through gaps made the interior atmosphere appear quite ethereal.

As if time had stopped…

“Hey– welcome.”

However, Saena quickly awoke from her dreamlike state.

Duke Rosedale and Duke Francis must have arrived first as they greeted Constantine warmly.

“It’s been a while.”

“First time since the Week of Protection?”

“Seems so.”

After greetings finished, attention naturally shifted to Saena.

“But… this is…”

“Ah, it’s you!”

The two must have immediately sensed her energy and recognized her identity as they approached with bright smiles.

“Saena Kramer, greetings.”

She removed her hood and greeted them properly.

“To think the miracle Oathkeeper is a woman!”

“And moreover Constantine, she’s your wife?!”

Miracle Oathkeeper… what’s that about.

Quickly erasing the embarrassing title from her mind, Saena gave a slight smile.

“My, my!”

The dukes opened their eyes wide at the unexpected identity.

“Isn’t House Kramer too in an advantage?”

“Yes. This is really unfair.”

Then they suddenly started grumbling. Their expressions looked very displeased.

“……”

Saena and Constantine briefly met eyes before looking at the two middle-aged dukes.

What exactly were they trying to say?

“Two Oathkeepers in one family…”

Duke Francis shook his head vigorously as if this shouldn’t be allowed.

“Duke Kramer. I think…”

Then Duke Rosedale sighed and opened his mouth.

“We should share some of our subjugation quota with you.”

“Yes! That’s right! If it’s the same amount, isn’t House Kramer’s burden cut in half?!”

Duke Francis strongly agreed.

“Why isn’t my wife an Oathkeeper?”

“My wife too!”

It turned out to be childish whining.

“Come work for a month during subjugation season.”

“……”

“No good? Then 3 weeks!”

“……”