Chapter 19 – Part 1

“Mother… Mother.”

Princess Cynthia began to cry beside her mother, who collapsed on the floor.

Calix stepped boldly forward to the Emperor, now aged, with his face full of deep wrinkles. He glared into the Emperor’s eyes.

In the past, he used to visit him with his parents.

‘I was ill that he was both fearsome and respectable.’

Calix drew his sword and pointed it at the Emperor’s neck, a sword passed down through generations in his family.

“You should have regretted k＊lling my parents. You’ve disappointed me to the very end.”

“If I say it was a mistake, would you spare me?”

Emperor Davon spoke in a groveling tone, sensing his end.

“No. I’ve come for revenge.”

There was no reason to listen further. In one swift stroke, Calix eliminated Emperor Davon. The Emperor, who had ruled over others all his life, fell helplessly.

Bl＊＊d spread beneath the fallen Emperor. Calix’s gaze turned to the terrified Empress and Cynthia.

“Pl-please, spare me.“

“Save me! I’m begging you, I don’t want to die.”

“……”

There was another person designated to decide their fate, someone he intended to hand over this authority to.

“Where is Cedric?”

Calix asked.

“I asked where he was. Answer me.“

“He… in the office…”

The Empress Heather hastily covered Cynthia’s mouth.

“Let’s go.”

Calix instructed Logan, then immediately exited the room.

Right outside the door stood Prince Elesio. Though he had gone to war, he appeared as pristine as if heading to a ball, contrasting starkly with the bloodstained Emperor Davon.

“My brother has taken Eliana Leiberte to his office. It’s the room at the far right end of the third floor.”

After saying that, Elesio entered the room. The sound of the door locking echoed. Leaving the women’s screams behind, Calix began to run.

‘Eliana.’

His revenge for his parents was complete.

Now, all he could think of was Eliana. If she wasn’t safe, nothing he’d achieved would mean anything.

***

Looking back while fleeing, Cedric could see that his soldiers were being pushed back by Calix’s forces. The tide was so clear to his eyes that he could almost foresee it. It seemed only a matter of time before they surged into the palace.

“D＊mn it!”

Cedric shouted, clutching his head in frustration, but it would change nothing. It was apparent what Calix had come to do in the palace—kill the royal family. He’d always found him untrustworthy but hadn’t expected him to prepare so meticulously.

If Calix intended to kill the Emperor, then Cedric had even more reason to survive until the end. There was no way he’d let Calix take the throne that belonged to him. The first person Calix would undoubtedly seek, besides the Emperor and himself, was Eliana.

When he returned to the palace, Cedric rushed to where Eliana was confined. He had instructed Noah to guard her closely.

“Your Highness.”

Noah approached Cedric immediately upon seeing him.

“How are things outside?”

He asked Cedric urgently about the situation. Cedric had no time to answer.

Eliana looked at him, clearly anxious. Her question was obvious.

‘Is Calix Vartica dead or alive?’

Cedric grabbed Eliana by the arm. His grip was so firm that Eliana’s body wavered.

“Let go of me!”

Eliana resisted, shouting. Her beautiful blue eyes held only a desperate hope. She believed that Calix Vartica wasn’t dead and that he would come to save her. Cedric detested that look in her eyes.

“Come with me!“

“No! I won’t go. Let go of me.”

Eliana resisted fiercely, but Cedric dragged her out by force. She struggled not to go, but two more soldiers approached and restrained her, leaving her with no way to escape.

Cedric headed straight for his office.

‘I’ll leave the capital and hide for now.’

He couldn’t go empty-handed. He had amassed a fortune and intended to take as much as he could, though it pained him to think he wouldn’t be able to take it all. Yet he had no other choice. Cedric grabbed a key from his office and went to the safe.

The secret vault was the most crucial place in the imperial palace. Here, everything from documents proving royal lineage to priceless treasures unfit for public display and jewels enough to ensure a lifetime of financial security with just a single bundle was stored.

As he hastily gathered money, Cedric felt a sudden chill. He spun around and saw Calix Vartica standing there.

“You… how…?”

Even if Calix knew about other palace areas, he should never have known about this secret vault.

“Calix!”

As soon as she saw him, Eliana shouted.

“You’re alive! I knew you would be!“

“Silence!“ Cedric shoved his stash into his pockets and grabbed Eliana, stopping her from running toward Calix.

“Release Eliana immediately,“ Calix demanded, his voice filled with anger.

“I can’t do that, especially since she’s the one thing you want most,“ Cedric replied, pulling out a dagger and pressing it to Eliana’s neck. The tip grazed her skin, leaving a small cut.

“Stop!” Calix’s eyes widened in alarm.

Eliana’s breath quickened as the dagger pressed against her throat. Cedric had no intention of letting her go.

‘Without Eliana, I’m as good as dead myself,‘ he thought. Eliana was like a cure for a sickness nothing else could soothe. Having her close was the only way he could feel at ease. Even his brief time on the battlefield was made possible by the healing powers she had once used on him.

‘She’s someone who could influence the empire, so she must belong to me. She’s mine.‘

“Back off, or I’ll kill her right here.”

Cedric threatened Calix as he moved forward. Still holding his sword, Calix glared at him with the same piercing gaze he had used in battle.

Cedric sensed that, given any opening, or even without one, Calix would kill him instantly. But with Eliana as his hostage, even the skilled Calix couldn’t approach him recklessly.

“I said, back off!“

“My soldiers are outside, waiting. Even if you escape this place, you’ll never get far. Surrender and let Eliana go.“

“Don’t be ridiculous.“

“The Emperor is dead. And so is the empress.“

“…!“

“You’re alone now, Cedric. No matter how you struggle, you are no longer royalty, a crown prince, or a future emperor.“

Each of Calix’s words pierced Cedric’s heart like a knife.

“His Majesty… is dead?“

“You prepared for this when you abandoned him to save yourself, right? You’re a disgrace, Cedric.“

“No! You’re lying! You traitor! You scum!”

Cedric screamed, visibly shaken, but Calix’s words felt undeniably true. Realizing this reality, he felt dizzy, as if bl＊＊d had stopped flowing to his head, and his fingers began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Agh!”

Suddenly, he shouted in pain as Eliana bit his hand. Cedric’s grip loosened, and in that moment, Eliana broke free.

“D＊mn it!”

He shouted in frustration, but it was too late. He had lost her.

“No!“

“Calix!”

Eliana ran into Calix’s arms, embracing him even more tightly than at the Grand Temple.

Cedric was not only stunned at losing her but also by the shock that Eliana had attacked him.

Even though she had repeatedly rejected him and claimed she felt nothing for him, Cedric had always believed that she still harbored feelings for him. He thought keeping her by his side would be easy if he could change his approach.

But here she was, clinging to Calix, the very man who had come to kill him, her eyes filled with longing.

“I missed you so much. I’m so glad you’re safe,“ she murmured, holding Calix, her voice trembling with emotion.

‘You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to be in your arms.’

Finally, she was free from Cedric. This moment felt like a dream. Her vision blurred, but she could see everything clearly by feeling Calix’s presence. Although Calix was covered in bl＊＊d, Eliana felt no fear.

With one arm, Calix held her tightly. There was much they could say, but words were unnecessary. She sensed his longing for her, his need, expressed in the strength of his embrace.

“Step outside, Eliana. I’ll follow shortly,“ Calix said.

Eliana shook her head.

‘He’s trying to keep me from witnessing Cedric’s final moments.’

But she had no hesitation about watching Cedric meet his end.

‘He’s the one who killed me in a past life and destroyed any happiness I might have had in my second life.’

She didn’t want to leave Calix alone with someone like that. This was not only Calix’s revenge but also Eliana’s.

‘Revenge that has followed me even beyond death.‘

“I’m fine.“

“Are you sure?”

Calix checked again with a deep concern. Eliana nodded.

The moment Eliana finished speaking, Calix averted his intense gaze.

In the next instant, Calix charged at Cedric, who responded by facing him.

At first, it seemed like they were evenly matched, but the fight couldn’t remain balanced for long. Cedric was no match for Calix’s skill.

Even so, Cedric was desperate. He had to survive. He wanted to live. He couldn’t let his life end at the hands of someone like him.

“Step back!”