Chapter 132

“Ludwig?”

Even the shadows cast by the torchlight couldn’t hide his beauty.

Earlier, at the theater, Ludwig had spoken as if he intended to take Rudolf to the duchy.

This meant he would formally bring Rudolf’s case to trial.

The verdict was obvious without even seeing it.

“Capital punishment.”

Rudolf’s head would surely be cut off.

He trembled violently.

But upon closer inspection, he realized it was not the time for idle thoughts.

Seeing Ludwig’s attire, Rudolf turned pale and scooted backward against the wall.

Ludwig was holding a sword.

The eyes of the beast engraved on the blade glimmered menacingly with the flickering torchlight.

“No way, right now?”

It wasn’t impossible.

Rudolf was Wilhelm’s enemy.

Perhaps Ludwig wished to exact his revenge right then and there.

Rudolf began to panic.

“L-Ludwig.”

In the end, he kneeled and pleaded desperately.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Just forgive me this once. I know I’m going to die, but please wait until I can have a formal trial. I beg you.”

He closed his eyes tightly and begged until his hands were sore, hoping to prolong his pitiful life just a little longer.

His pants seemed to be getting wet.

There was a whoosh—the sound of something cutting through the air.

It was clear that Ludwig had raised his sword.

“No!”

Rudolf raised his arms to shield his face.

Clang!

Ludwig’s sword unexpectedly broke the prison lock, not Rudolf.

“Run.”

Ludwig’s dry command left Rudolf wide-eyed.

“What…?”

“As your nephew, I truly loved you. You remember when I was young, don’t you?”

Of course he remembered.

Now, the dazzlingly beautiful young Ludwig had once been an angelic child.

His cheeks were soft, and his smile was innocent.

When he hugged Rudolf with his clumsy pronunciation of “Uncle,” he smelled of milk, a scent only children have.

Tears flowed from Rudolf’s eyes as he recalled the young Ludwig.

“So, run away. This is my last act of mercy.”

“Ludwig!”

“If you go back for a trial, you’ll be sentenced to death. I don’t want to do that to my family, no matter what.”

Ludwig’s violet eyes were cold.

“I’m not like you.”

Now, Rudolf, filled with joy, grabbed Ludwig’s hand and nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, you are different from me. You have a noble character. I’m no different from a sewer rat…”

“Stop it.”

It seemed Ludwig had no intention of listening to his uncle’s long speech.

He turned his back and his shoulders trembled slightly.

“Come with me. Shut up. I don’t want to hear your story.”

“O-Okay. I’ll be quiet.”

Rudolf followed Ludwig quietly.

He swallowed hard and looked around.

The guards were all sprawled out in the prison corridor, as if Ludwig had knocked them out.

Can he get away with this?

Thanks to King Karl’s cooperation, he was able to arrest me.

If Karl reprimanded Ludwig for this incident, he would be stuck.

But saying that out loud might land him back in a cold prison.

Rudolf decided to keep his mouth shut.

‘Ludwig told me not to say anything…….’

Petty as he was, he didn’t forget to internally shift the responsibility to Ludwig.

He only had to escape.

The aftermath was Ludwig’s problem.

After walking for a while, a gentle breeze brushed Rudolf’s cheek.

They were outside.

He felt like crying tears of joy but held back.

Ludwig strode ahead, rounding the castle wall.

Rudolf, much shorter than Ludwig, struggled to keep up.

But, fearing he might upset Ludwig, he didn’t ask him to slow down.

“How much farther? Could this still be a trap?”

Just as Rudolf began to worry.

Ludwig stopped.

“…Ludwig!”

Rudolf called out to his nephew with a voice full of emotion.

There was no trap.

The place Ludwig had led Rudolf to had a fine horse waiting, flicking its tail.

“As I said, this is my last act of mercy. Change your name and don’t be seen anywhere.”

“Of course I must. I’m a traitor…”

Ludwig looked at Rudolf with a disdainful expression.

It was humiliating, but he could endure that much.

He was being allowed to leave with his life, after all.

Rosche helped Rudolf mount the horse.

Feeling the reality of his escape, Rudolf’s face was drenched in tears.

“Don’t try anything foolish and escape straight to a third country.”

Rudolf nodded, sobbing.

“If you’re caught by the Arlo Kingdom’s security forces, I can’t help you from that moment on. So…”

“I understand. I’ll escape well.”

“…Go.”

Ludwig gently released the reins.

“Before I change my mind.”

Those words were the signal.

Without looking back, Rudolf spurred his horse and began to sprint away from the prison with all his might.

Ludwig watched his retreating figure for a long time.

“….”

It was a strange feeling.

After all, Rudolf was Wilhelm’s brother.

How could siblings with the same blood be so different?

If Rudolf hadn’t been such a petty person, would Father still be alive?

While lost in thought, Ludwig heard a rustling sound from the bushes behind him.

He was not surprised at all.

He knew the person.

“Well done.”

A husky female voice came from behind him.

Marlena, who had approached, wrapped her arms around Ludwig’s back.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder, comforting him, and quietly asked,

“Will he do as we planned?”

“He will.”

Ludwig still couldn’t take his eyes off the path Rudolf had taken.

“I really relied on and deeply loved my uncle as family. So, I know him well.”

His hand slowly moved up to rest on Marlena’s hand.

Marlena moved her hand to gently hold Ludwig’s.

Ludwig closed his eyes gently.

To organize his complex thoughts, he mentally reviewed the plan he had made with Marlena.

‘Uncle will flee immediately to Adam. Even if he escapes to a third country, as I suggested, the Red Crow won’t leave him alone.’

Soon, Rudolf would be caught by the Red Crow.

‘I deliberately exposed the sword of Rohitham that Adam is looking for to my uncle. Being a coward, he’ll confess that he saw it.’

This would force Adam to come to Ludwig.

Rudolf was the bait.

Ludwig had set a ‘mouse trap’ for Adam.

The beautiful young man slowly turned to look at the cold stone wall while hugging Marlena.

The guards, who had been pretending to be unconscious, would be getting up by now.

And somewhere from those windows, King Karl was surely watching the whole situation.

Securing Karl’s cooperation was quite encouraging.

He had been curious whether the self-serving Karl would share the risk, but things had worked out unexpectedly well.

Ludwig held the warm body in his arms tightly.

“I’m glad things are going well, Your Grace.”

It seemed Marlena was thinking along the same lines.

Ludwig smiled slightly.

“Yes, it’s truly remarkable.”

He thought deeply while lightly twisting Marlena’s red hair around his fingers.

“The leader of the Red Crow, Adam, being the current king’s uncle…”

“Exiled for aiming for the throne and thought to have been assassinated… Dacio Crestwell.”

Marlena naturally completed Ludwig’s sentence.

Because Dacio Crestwell was involved, King Karl had started to cooperate more actively.

Should he consider himself lucky?

He let out a wry laugh.

Marlena and Ludwig had only discovered Adam’s true identity not long ago.

* * *Over the past few weeks.

I delegated full direction of 《Hamlet》 to Dahlia and only intervened minimally.

I needed to trace the movements of the Red Crow’s leader.

I had to start from the day Oscar died.

There were reports that the leader of the Red Crow had appeared in the capital.

Ludwig’s subordinates had brought this valuable information.

If the Red Crow’s leader had made a move, where would he have gone?

Had he just drained Oscar’s life force and left it at that?

But why Oscar in particular?

Would tracking his movements that day provide all the answers?

I asked His Majesty the King to check with the Magic Tower.

Fortunately, the Magic Tower had information.

“We did observe a large magical presence that day. But it was in such an unusual place, and nothing happened afterward, so we thought the device was malfunctioning.”

“Where was it?”

I asked anxiously.

The answer from the Magic Tower’s magician was unexpected.

“Tuhini district.”

It was where Serwen’s house was located.