Chapter 111

111. An Unbearable Incident

Shayla staggered across the hallway.

Her vision was blurred, as if she were wandering through fog. Her mind was tangled like a ball of yarn, unable to form any coherent thoughts.

Lost in a daze, she walked on instinctively, only to have her heel catch on the carpet. She lurched forward with no time to steady herself.

“Ah!”

Shayla let out a sharp cry as she fell ungracefully. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, there was no one around.

Tears fell in heavy drops. She wanted to sit there and sob, but her fragile pride wouldn’t allow it.

Struggling to stand, she felt a sharp pain in her twisted ankle.

It felt like a terrible nightmare. However, the aching in her ankle and the bruises on her wrists were proof that everything she had experienced was real.

“I can’t do this…”

Shayla bit her pale lips to hold back her sobs.

She had arrogantly thought she could handle an unwanted marriage.

She was confident that no one was more suited to be empress than she was and that the emperor wouldn’t dare mistreat her because she gave him the legitimacy he lacked.

How foolish that belief had been.

“If you want to produce a crown prince, you need to take care of yourself.”

“All His Majesty wants is an heir, so once you have a child, you won’t be needed.”

…I was just a tool.

They didn’t need me, just my background and lineage.

Shayla buried her face in her hands.

She had no confidence to endure this. She wanted to beg someone to stop this marriage.

But there was no one on her side.

Not her parents, who had pressured her into marriage, nor the Duchess Howard, whom she had trusted and followed, nor Callion, who couldn’t save her.

“Run away with me.”

Julian’s voice echoed in her mind like an auditory hallucination.

If only she had taken his hand back then.

Regret washed over her like a tidal wave.

Why had she only realized it now? Julian was the only one who had reached out to her.

“If there’s no way out, then maybe…”

Shayla, lost in thought for a long while, finally raised her head.

She no longer wanted to be swayed by others.

Having made up her mind, she walked slowly.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

It was a dull afternoon.

The capital was bustling with preparations for the royal wedding, but Callion was holed up in his mansion, spending leisurely time with Adelaide.

That was until Ahio, who had taken on the duties of the knight commander in Julian’s absence, came to the room.

“Your Grace, there’s a problem at the palace construction site.”

“A problem?”

Callion raised an eyebrow as he enjoyed tea with Adelaide.

Adelaide quietly got up and entered the inner room without saying a word.

“Tell me in detail.”

“A worker died during the construction, and his wife demanded compensation. The overseer refused to pay, blaming the worker’s negligence, and forcibly dragged the woman out, causing a fight with the laborers.”

“Cluck. And then?”

“I haven’t heard any further news.”

Callion clicked his tongue at Ahio’s reply.

There were rampant rumors that the emperor was pressuring the overseer to complete the palace by the wedding day.

It was expected that the construction site wouldn’t be smooth, but a death implied a serious issue.

“We need to get a detailed report on the site. Bring in Lucid.”

“Uh, Lucid is currently away.”

“Away?”

Callion’s brow furrowed.

For him to leave without reporting in such a crucial time was unacceptable.

Just as he was about to question the lax discipline in the knight order, Ahio cautiously added,

“He left urgently this morning after receiving a message from the Duke of Lephisto.”

“Did something happen at the Duke of Lephisto’s estate?”

“The Duke’s daughter has gone missing.”

Callion’s brow furrowed at the unexpected news.

“Shayla is missing?”

“Yes. She cried all day after returning from the palace the day before yesterday, then disappeared without a trace at dawn. There’s been no news for two days.”

“……”

Shayla wasn’t the type to act recklessly.

The Shayla he knew wasn’t foolish enough to overturn a decision once made.

She would know the consequences of disappearing before the royal wedding.

‘…Did something happen with my uncle?’

Callion pressed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Shayla didn’t know the true nature of Elkius.

She disliked him for usurping the throne, but she didn’t realize how terrifying he could be.

If she was shocked by him and ran away…

“Should we deploy the knight order to search for her?”

“No, there’s no need to intervene if she hasn’t asked for help.”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t concerned, but getting involved would only complicate matters.

“Tell Lucid to let us know if he needs any help.”

“Understood. I’ll report back as soon as I get any news.”

After Ahio left the room, Adelaide emerged from the inner room.

“Your Grace.”

“You heard?”

Adelaide nodded. Callion pulled her onto his lap. Adelaide quietly spoke.

“If there’s a place you suspect, you should go.”

“I don’t.”

His response came instantly.

“The only place I can think of is my aunt’s estate, but the Duke of Lephisto would have checked there.”

“The places she visited frequently…”

“I mostly met Shayla at the palace. If I knew any locations, so would Lucid, so there’s no need for unnecessary interference.”

Callion decisively spoke and hugged her waist.

‘Is he saying this because I feel uncomfortable? ’

She was about to tell him not to worry, but Callion spoke first.

“Rather, I need to go to Belfort.”

“Belfort?”

“Given the problems with the palace construction, it’s better to check the situation myself.”

“Is it alright for you to leave?”

“It’s not something I can solve just by being here.”

Callion gently stroked her face.

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”

He lightly kissed her flushed, peach-colored cheek, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

“It will take a few days, so take care.”

“Yes.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The next morning, Callion set out for Belfort with only Lirkan for company, traveling light.

After riding day and night, they arrived in Belfort, a city vastly different from the one Callion remembered.

In the center of the once quiet town stood the new royal palace, an enormous structure.

“It’s gigantic,” Lirkan exclaimed. To the Cocasian Lirkan, the massive building was awe-inspiring. However, Callion couldn’t view it with such pure admiration.

The new palace appeared to be twice as large as the one in the capital.

It had taken eight years to complete the palace in the capital, yet this colossal palace had only been under construction for three years.

Imagining the vast amounts of money and manpower expended to build this in such a short time was not difficult.

People were starving and dying without food, while money was squandered on this useless construction.

How long would the emperor prioritize his own greed over the well-being of his subjects?

Dismounting, Callion suppressed his anger and headed towards the palace. Just then,

“Ahhh!”

A sharp scream came from not far away.

A burly soldier was dragging a thin, haggard woman by her hair.

“Let go of me, let go! Help! Somebody help!”

“Shut up!”

The woman clawed at the soldier’s hand and screamed, but he violently kicked her.

“Your Grace—”

Callion stopped Lirkan, who was drawing his sword.

He couldn’t afford to clash with the emperor’s soldiers. Reluctantly, he decided to reveal his identity and approached the soldier.

Before he could intervene, a voice from the construction site shouted,

“D*mn it! That’s enough! How can you treat a frail woman like that?”

“Shut up!”

The soldier raised his voice threateningly at the man who had been carrying bricks and shouted at him. But the man didn’t back down.

“Why is it so hard to give her a few coins? She needs to survive too!”

“Talking won’t work.”

The soldier released the woman’s hair and drew a whip from his side. At that moment, the man who had bravely protested threw down his bricks and fled.

“Catch that bastard and bring him to me.”

The soldier brandished the whip menacingly and shouted.

“If you don’t want to get beaten again, move quickly!”

The workers, who had been watching the commotion, scattered with pale faces.

“It seems they’re used to this,” Lirkan murmured, clicking his tongue.

The fight between the soldiers and the workers had apparently already been subdued.

Callion moved behind the soldier, who was still threateningly waving his whip, and grabbed his hand.

“Where is the construction overseer?”

“…Who the hell are you?”

The soldier turned around fiercely, only to have Callion twist his wrist without mercy.

“Argh! You bastard! Do you know who I—!”

“I’m Callion Isulandt Tiflis. Bring me the overseer immediately.”

“Callion Isulandt or whatever, who do you think you are to—oh?”

The soldier, who had been spitting curses, turned pale as he finally recognized Callion.

“Ti-tiflis Duke?”

The soldier stammered, shaking as he spoke. Callion roughly released his wrist.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“P-please wait a moment.”

The soldier scrambled away. After a while, a middle-aged man hurried over.

Callion frowned at the familiar face.

“Your Grace, what brings you to such a distant place?”

It was Regan Melkis, the head of the capital’s security forces.