Everyone seemed to think this was an irreverent suggestion they had never imagined, as they didn’t hide their surprised expressions.
“Isn’t this better than just waiting?”
“I think the empress’s method is good. What do you all think? It seems the most valid reason for Neiyard to move.”
“But how dare we, Your Majesty……”
“It’s fine since I’m not really sick. Besides, if the people in this room say so, Neiyard won’t think at all that we are using me, don’t you think?”
A tempted feeling could be seen seeping into the faces of everyone, including Prime Minister Whyman.
Charte also sensed this and pressed his argument.
“Isn’t this the perfect time for rebellion, with the leader’s absence causing collapse?”
Everyone bowed their heads in agreement and decided to move as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, the fact that Charte had awakened was still known to very few people even within the palace.
We left the room with the ministers, wearing devastated expressions, and immediately began actions likely to start rumors.
Since the emperor’s health condition was not something that could easily become a rumor, they acted to make it appear so.
The ministers began preparations, busily moving between the palace and outside, and issued an order for Grand Duke Heinz, the first in line to succession, to come to the capital.
* * *
More than ten days had passed since they started staying at the safe house.
With the investigation net tightening, they could no longer delay. It was time to decide the day for action.
Viscount Hollen, who had remained in the capital, brought news after several days.
Everyone’s attention turned to Neiyard, whose expression was unusual after reading the letter.
Neiyard’s determined voice broke the heavy silence.
“Princess Yasrin, when will the kingdom’s troops arrive? They’re later than expected.”
“It’s because there are many of them. As you know, it’s not easy for that many people to move secretly. Still, they should arrive within 2-3 days.”
She answered, but there were never any supporting troops to begin with.
Yasrin was planning to escape on the day they took action.
Since she was secretly hiding in the empire anyway, it was possible to create an alibi in the Kingdom of Hazel.
Even if Neiyard failed, there would be no evidence that she was here.
Rather, she thought Neiyard would take the blame for her crimes and die, so what she had requested from the kingdom was to help her escape.
Yasrin planned to slip away quietly and then plot again in the future.
After thinking for a moment, Neiyard looked around at his vassals and said,
“The day of the final battle is coming soon.”
His vassals, who had steeled their resolve, knelt with shining eyes.
* * *
Charte was not only excellent in administrative affairs but was an emperor who stood at the forefront to command and wield his sword when war broke out.
He was an emperor skilled in both civil and military affairs, with outstanding abilities in strategy and tactics, able to easily gain the upper hand when he appeared, even in areas that were losing.
If someone had to do what some would call rebellion and others revolution, now was the opportune time with Charte in critical condition.
Now, when the emperor was critically ill, the leader had disappeared, and everyone was shaken with anxiety.
No matter how excellent Prime Minister Whyman was, he was a civil official strong in administration, not a military official strong in warfare.
In the empire, most military officials who primarily handled swords were positioned within the noble faction.
To utilize their advantages, they needed to move now while Charte was unconscious.
Time passed like an arrow.
In just a few hours, they would have to fight a war risking their lives.
A silent meal continued where not even breathing could be heard.
“I will excuse myself first.”
Yasrin pretended to be calm as she finished her meal and stood up, but she couldn’t even remember how she had eaten dinner.
She had just forced it down to appear normal.
“Princess Yasrin, is our agreement certain?”
“Of course. I’m not foolish enough to handle such an important matter carelessly or make mistakes. Well then.”
She came out with a smiling face, but Yasrin felt an unpleasant feeling enveloping her entire body.
Neiyard’s subtle half-formal speech had always irritated her.
At first, he had clearly used honorifics, but it was unpleasant how his speech had shortened at some point.
It was probably around the time Elisha started visiting Charte.
But now, today would be the last time she would see Neiyard’s arrogant face.
Yasrin hurriedly moved.
The head lady-in-waiting told her to rest for a moment since they had a long way to go, but she was too anxious and afraid to do as she pleased.
Yasrin endlessly paced around the room, biting her nails.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, there was a knock, and the head lady-in-waiting and four guard knights carefully entered Yasrin’s room and explained the plan in a low voice.
Since it was too risky to bring all their servants, they would cleanly abandon them and move with only elite members.
“We’ve received contact from the kingdom. We’ll meet the first security team at Lake Mielre in the southeastern forest and move to the border together.”
“Will Neiyard let me go easily?”
“After we enter the capital, you can slip away to the rear for safety reasons and quietly move with us. In that situation, he won’t be able to pay attention to you, Princess.”
“I understand.”
“It’s most important to get beyond the border, so we must hurry.”
Yasrin nodded and began preparations.
She put on a black dress worn by maids and then wore a long black robe with a hood over it to conceal the dress, then went outside.
Meanwhile, Neiyard’s group had completed all preparations for battle.
The number of troops departing together was larger than expected.
In addition, when troops joining from various locations were added, the number would be enormous.
Yasrin shuddered at the thought that today might really be Charte’s last day.
Perhaps it was actually better for Charte that he was unable to wake up now.
‘Just don’t wake up ever, Charte. Because only sad things will be waiting if you wake up.’
She hadn’t particularly wanted this outcome.
But seeing Neiyard’s army, she began to realize what she had done.
She had only wanted to get Charte back and return to her original place, but Yasrin’s heart trembled with fear, unable to calm down, wondering why things had turned out this way.
But the die of fate had already been cast.
“Duke Neiyard, you’ve prepared thoroughly. I have a good feeling about this.”
“With the addition of the princess’s kingdom troops, I believe there’s no reason we can’t win.”
Yasrin smiled as she mounted her horse, but her feelings were complicated.
If they won, they would surely make an issue of her escape in the future.
At first, she had taken out insurance to escape because she valued her life, thinking Neiyard would certainly not win.
However, seeing how things were unfolding, it was uncertain who would win.
Now, Yasrin desperately wished for just one thing—to safely leave the empire.
Neiyard, mounted on his horse, looked around at his vassals and soldiers and said,
“When the sun rises, the history of the empire will change. By our hands!”
The vassals and soldiers shouted loudly and their eyes shone.
Now, if they didn’t win, only death awaited them.
Neiyard, steeling his resolve, signaled to depart.
Throughout the ride to the capital, Yasrin was watching for when to slip to the rear.
The first escape timing was set for when battle broke out at the capital’s gates.
After riding for quite some time, the city walls came into view, and they stopped briefly to regroup.
“Duke Neiyard, I’ll go to the rear as battle is about to begin.”
“We will protect you safely. Please stay by my side.”
“I dislike danger, but I also don’t want to be a burden. Besides, arrows and swords don’t have eyes to avoid a princess. If I die, the kingdom troops will withdraw.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. If I’m not at the meeting place, my father and I have agreed that the kingdom troops will return. So for your sake as well, it’s right that I go to the rear.”
Neiyard nodded with a reluctant expression. Yasrin went to the rear with a dignified expression.
When she met the head lady-in-waiting and guard knights at the back, relief washed over her face.
Yasrin’s group planned to move secretly during the confusion when the battle started at the gates.
Escaping from here was the best option.
If they entered the capital, they would have to abandon their horses to escape by blending in with people.
It was too far to walk to the place where they had hidden horses for changing mounts.
However, contrary to Yasrin’s wishes, the gates were breached too easily, and they missed their chance to escape.
After easily winning the tense first battle, Neiyard’s army began to gain momentum.
The eyes that had shown fear at first had now changed to eyes filled with the desire for victory.
Neiyard continued to merge with promised troops and rushed toward the location of the imperial palace.
Near the imperial palace, Neiyard reorganized his battle lines.
“Princess, why haven’t the kingdom troops arrived yet?”
“They will come. The distance from the kingdom to the empire’s capital isn’t one that can be easily traveled! Besides, wasn’t the agreement to gather inside the capital anyway?”
It seemed they could win even without the kingdom troops in the current state.
The imperial palace surely wouldn’t know they had come here.
There were no troops to inform them that the capital had been breached.
Because they had annihilated them.
A quick attack was important to prevent the palace from entering a siege.
So Neiyard stopped questioning and set off again.
* * *
“So they come after all. How foolish. If they hadn’t come, they could have saved their lives.”
Charte spoke quietly as he watched the dust raised by horses in the distance.
Two days ago, they had captured kingdom knights near the border where security had been strengthened due to the emergency.
When interrogated, they said they had entered to help Yasrin escape when the rebellion occurred.
They learned the meeting place and time with Yasrin and had already sent soldiers there as well.
And they began preparations to punish the noble faction.
The army defending the palace walls drew their bowstrings as the rebels entered firing range.
Those who had been coming at full speed retreated only after taking some casualties.
But their path of retreat was completely surrounded by the Capital Guards and soldiers led by Grand Duke Heinz.
The rebellious group was bewildered as they became unable to move forward or backward.
Neiyard said with an indignant face,
“The plan must have leaked. Break through the path.”
The moment they decided on a direction and turned their backs, countless soldiers and imperial guard knights poured out from the palace.
The rebels swung their swords desperately to survive.
And Yasrin took advantage of the chaos to flee with the escort of her knights.
Neiyard, unaware of this fact, encouraged his soldiers to hold out until reinforcements arrived.
But no matter how much time passed, the kingdom’s reinforcements did not appear.
The reinforcements that appeared belatedly were not for Neiyard but mages sent by the emperor.
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Pitidri
Por que a Yuna não quis que lidassem com a princesa, muitos soldados inocentes foram sacrificados… esse Duque acabou de dizer que aniquilou todos… isso tudo por causa de Yasrin