Had morning come already?

Laila had stayed up late catching up with Theodor and had only just fallen asleep. She shifted her exhausted body with difficulty.

It felt as though she had only just got into bed, but the commotion outside made her sit up. Then—

Knock, knock.

“Laila, are you awake?”

Nathan’s urgent voice came from beyond the door.

“Yes, come in.”

The door opened, and Nathan entered dressed in his traveling uniform, as though he had already completed his preparations to depart.

“I apologize for disturbing you so early, but the situation is urgent.”

Laila’s heart plummeted. Something had happened.

“It’s all right. But what happened? Why is everyone so busy outside, and why are you so deathly pale?”

Had Empress Scarlet sent more assassins? Or had Nathan’s condition worsened again?

Countless thoughts raced through Laila’s mind in a matter of seconds.

“It appears we must leave immediately.”

“Pardon?”

At the word immediately, Laila looked out the window and saw that dawn was only beginning to break.

“What happened?”

When she questioned him gravely, Nathan bit down hard on his lip and hesitated to answer.

Just then, the door opened and Theodor entered.

“Lailea.”

“Brother.”

Like Nathan, Theodor was already prepared to depart.

Laila hurriedly rose from the bed and approached him. Theodor gave her a brief explanation.

“His Imperial Majesty is in danger.”

‘His Imperial Majesty?’

What had happened this time? Faced with yet another shocking situation, Laila felt dizzy.

How much more suffering and pain would she have to endure?

“Is it Empress Scarlet?”

“Yes.”

Theodor’s expression revealed rage, devastation and urgency.

He had planned to stay for several days for Laila’s and Nathan’s sake, but a report from a Shadow Knight delivered moments earlier forced him to abandon that plan.

“I received word that the empress intends to imprison His Imperial Majesty inside the palace and stage a rebellion.”

“A-A rebellion…?!”

When the shocked Laila began to stagger, Nathan hurried to support her.

The rebellion had come as a complete surprise. It seemed hasty of Scarlet to attempt a revolt just because Theodor had left the palace.

Then…

“Has Empress Scarlet discovered that I am alive?”

Nothing else could explain Scarlet’s rebellion.

Not the return of the princess, who was believed to be dead, nor Theodor’s acquisition of the evidence. Scarlet had struck first, before either of them could draw their blades against her.

“Yes, it appears so. Citing His Imperial Majesty’s critical illness, she has sealed off his palace. Marquis Valency’s private soldiers are also confronting the Imperial Knights.”

“Haah….”

The fact that they had gone so far as to confront the Imperial Knights meant that they were determined to see the rebellion through to the bitter end.

Laila’s vision turned white and she felt nauseous. Just how much more vicious did Empress Scarlet intend to become?

“She plans to seize the throne before you can return.”

“Yes.”

If so, the emperor was indeed in danger.

Before Theodor could present the witnesses and evidence he had gathered, they planned to take the emperor hostage and install someone else on the throne.

“Apparently, Marquis Valency commands far more private soldiers than we anticipated. It seems he has been preparing for this rebellion for many years.”

If the Imperial Knights failed to rescue the emperor, it would mean that the marquis’s private forces were not only numerous, but highly skilled as well.

“For now, the knight commander and my people are doing everything they can, but….”

“We have to hurry.”

Laila moved quickly. With a rebellion underway, it was imperative that the crown prince, Theodor, return to the Imperial Palace without delay.

The three of them quickly finished preparing. Time was of the essence, so they planned to travel as quickly as possible.

“You must protect the princess, no matter what happens.”

Protect her? Theodor was issuing Nathan and the shadow knights an order completely at odds with the situation.

“Now that she has launched a rebellion, Empress Scarlet will have sent assassins to kill me. Therefore….”

“No!!”

Before Theodor could finish giving his command, Laila shouted.

If assassins had been sent to kill Theodor, then naturally, they had to protect him with their lives.

“Laila.”

“Now that a rebellion has begun, the most important person at this moment is you, the crown prince.”

The future of the empire depended on his safety. Yet he was ordering them to protect a princess instead of himself? Laila furrowed her brow and continued.

“And you’re telling them to protect me?’ No! I will protect you.”

“You must never be injured or placed in danger again.’

“Brother! I am the swordswoman known as the reincarnation of the Ancient Sword. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

“….”

Even during the war in the Northern Territory, Laila had displayed extraordinary prowess.

She was a legendary swordswoman, feared by countless knights across the empires.

For the first time, Laila was grateful for her swordsmanship. She was fortunate to possess the power to protect both her older brother and the future of the empire.”

“Then please allow me to protect you—as both a princess and a swordswoman.”

At Laila’s resolute words, Theodor stood frozen, seemingly forgetting that they needed to depart immediately. Then—

“To think I would finally give this to you now.”

Theodor held out a gleaming scabbard to Laila.

“This is….”

Laila recognized the sword immediately. She had seen it at the weapons shop where she had gone to check her equipment before leaving for the war in the Northern Territory.

She had liked it so much that she had tested it herself.

“This is the sword you were looking at when I saw you again.”

“You… bought it?”

Emotion swelled within her. Even without him explaining, she could understand what he must have felt when he purchased it.

“I thought it suited you perfectly. By the time I came to my senses, I had already paid for it.”

“Brother….”

“I bought this sword while thinking of you, so it belongs to you.”

Laila accepted the sword Theodor offered and gazed down at it with tears glistening in her eyes.

“From now on, fight for yourself rather than for others.”

“….”

“I never want to see you get hurt again. So promise me that this time, you won’t take the lead and will accept the knights’ protection.”

Laila understood his desire to protect his younger sister, who had miraculously returned to him. But for that very reason, she also wanted to protect him.”

“Brother, I am saying that I will protect you because I want to live as well.”

“What?”

“I have only just recovered my memories and found you again. If I were to lose you once more, I….”

“….”

Seeing Laila choke up and fail to continue, Theodor bit down hard on his lip.

“I would never be able to forgive myself.”

She would not let Scarlet take another of her loved ones.

With a fierce light flashing in her eyes, she finished speaking, mounted her horse, and rode off.

Having witnessed her determination, Theodor was unable to stop her. He mounted his own horse and followed her.

“Laila!”

Nathan soon rode up beside her, urging his horse forward as his lips parted uncertainly.

“Sir Nathan! Do not try to persuade me!”

Laila’s gaze was completely different to how it had been before. She was no longer a fragile woman, shaken by wounds and suffering; she was someone whose unwavering eyes were prepared to defy fate itself.

“I will not behave foolishly anymore. I am not weak. So do not protect me — protect my brother! This is my command as a princess and my request as your lady.”

“…!!”

Nathan’s eyes trembled violently at the words ‘your lady’.

While serving a lady of noble rank was a knight’s natural duty, Nathan’s heart was pounding so fiercely that he could not bring himself to look at Laila.

Meanwhile, Laila’s eyes shone fiercely as her hair streamed behind her on the galloping horse — a princess and swordswoman issuing her command.

‘Laila….’

Nathan could not help but love the woman determined to defy her cruel fate.

“Yes. As your knight, I obey your command.”

Nathan smiled radiantly and submitted to her will. How could he disobey his lady?

Having resolved to act, he intended to support her so that she could shine more brilliantly than anyone else.

“Ahead!”

Upon hearing the Shadow Knight’s warning, everyone turned in the same direction.

Just as Theodor had anticipated, hundreds of assassins charged towards them at terrifying speed. There were so many of them that it resembled a war.

“Brother!”

“Laila!”

With Laila at the forefront, Nathan and the shadow knights rode around Theodor, surrounding him protectively.

“Protect His Highness the Crown Prince, no matter what happens!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

With that forceful command, Laila charged straight toward the enemy.

The assassins mocked her briefly for being a woman, but they quickly fell beneath her wind-swift blade.

“W-What?! Who the hell is that b*tch?!”

The sight of hundreds of men recoiling in terror at once was almost worth seeing. Even atop her fiercely galloping horse, Laila targeted her enemies with flawless precision.

‘If only I had two swords.’

This would allow her to defeat her enemies even more quickly.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Laila remained calm. In fact, she was so composed that she regretted having only one sword.

Suddenly, a dagger flew towards her. As she twisted aside, Nathan swung his sword from behind her.

Clang!

After knocking the dagger away, he looked at her to make sure she was unharmed.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, thank you. This will be much easier with you beside me.”

Moving with almost inhuman speed, the two of them exchanged smiles. Laila wielded her sword as though she were the very embodiment of the Ancient Sword, while Nathan flawlessly guarded her from behind.

They worked together so seamlessly that they appeared to be one entity.

“Aaargh!”

With Theodor’s fire magic joining the battle, there was nothing more to be said.

‘Wow…. Even seeing it again, his magic is truly terrifying.’

His wide-reaching flames displayed tremendous destructive power. Even Laila, knowing they would never harm her, could not help but flinch.