‘Huh? The rain stopped?’

The rain had stopped. It meant the elves had withdrawn the rain spirits. In other words, the princess faction’s army would soon begin attacking the capital. It also meant the wyvern unit that had safely completed the Eberstadt operation would soon arrive at the royal palace.

‘I need to get back to Grandma quickly?’

She found an appropriate excuse, but soon there was no need to do so immediately.

“What’s the matter?”

When the marquis asked, the servant reported.

“Grand Mage Margareta has requested to see you.”

“The Grand Mage? Why?”

“She says she has something to tell you.”

“Hmm…… Has she finally changed her mind?”

No. Grandma is just calling to protect me.

“Then let’s go see her.”

The marquis staggered as he stood up. The marquis, who was helped by servants to come out of the pavilion, seemed to realize only then that the rain had stopped, but didn’t seem to think much of it.

“Marquis! The enemy has begun to move. They seem about to attack the capital soon.”

Even when the military commander ran over while they were passing through the corridor and reported that the enemy was about to attack the capital, only Erica tensed up worrying she might be caught, while the marquis didn’t think much of it.

“What on earth are you so worried about to make such a fuss? Just do as I instructed. We only need to hold out today.”

Yes, I only need to hold out today and it’s over. Of course, the end is what you’ll see.

“So, you wanted to see me?”

It was when they entered the room where Grandma Greta was confined along with the marquis.

Bang!

With a loud noise and the sound of something collapsing, the ground beneath their feet shook and shouts and screams began to be heard faintly from afar.

“What’s happening?”

Soon the military commander who had run over reported.

“A flock of wyverns has appeared!”

It meant Roderick had come. Erica moved away from the marquis and went to Grandma Greta. Grandma was glaring at the marquis with clenched fists as if ready to cast magic at any moment. However, the marquis was distracted by his conversation with the military commander.

“I told you about that in advance too. Hold out only until Eberstadt falls and we get our hands on the princess!”

That idiot couldn’t even imagine that the large army sent to Eberstadt would have been completely annihilated and was still lost in vain dreams.

“Immediately call a mage to communicate with the mages at Eberstadt. Tell them to report how much progress has been made.”

While waiting for the mages’ communication, sweat filled Erica’s clenched fists. And during that time, word arrived that the princess faction’s army outside the capital’s walls had begun destroying the walls and gates with catapults.

“Marquis.”

One of the mages in charge of communication came to the marquis and bowed his head. His expression was not good.

“I attempted to communicate with Sir Magnus but……”

What he would say would determine what would happen next. Erica held her breath nervously and swallowed dryly.

“There is no response.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know the reason either. I can only tell you that neither Sir Magnus nor the other mages are answering.”

The mage was restless, worried that the marquis’s fiery temper might unfairly target him. Unable to watch this, Erica intervened.

“They must be too busy fighting.”

“Hmm…… There isn’t much time, so I wish they would hurry.”

The marquis frowned while listening to the sounds of battle coming from outside. Fortunately, it hadn’t been discovered yet that Eberstadt was a trap Erica had set. Erica breathed a sigh of relief.

“Once I capture the princess, it’s my victory. I just need to hold out until then.”

The marquis seemed to have completely forgotten that Grandma Greta had called him saying she had something to discuss. He continued to refuse to admit that he had lost, that he was now surrounded on all sides, and just muttered the same words. Unable to watch this, the guard captain tried to persuade the marquis.

“The enemies seem about to push in here soon.”

“So? Are you telling me to surrender?”

When the marquis snorted, the guard captain tactfully chose appropriate words.

“How about temporarily taking shelter until the situation is sorted out?”

“Incompetent fools. How annoying.”

The marquis clicked his tongue and stood up.

“Take the mage too.”

The marquis pointed to the mage who was still bowing his head to him. He would need someone to contact Magnus, who was already dead, and to protect him along with the guards if necessary.

“Come to think of it……”

The marquis, who had been about to flee following the guard captain, paused and looked at Erica with eyes bleary from alcohol that wouldn’t focus properly.

“We should have a hostage for safety.”

‘……Hostage?’

She tensed thinking he meant her, but it turned out he was only referring to Grandma Greta. Grandma Greta seemed to have something in mind and didn’t resist. She ended up being dragged along in the marquis’s fleeing procession, bound in sacred chains.

‘But why are they taking me?’

Whether as the Grand Mage’s maid, as a prophet, or as a candidate for the marquis’s mistress, Erica was dragged along and quietly swallowed her irritation.

‘Just leave me behind and go.’

The guard captain led everyone to some secluded room, then opened a secret door hidden under the carpet and made everyone enter. Erica walked along the dark and musty passage, anxiously chewing her lips.

‘It seems like they’re trying to escape through a secret passage……’

If they succeeded in escaping outside like this, not only would Roderick fail to catch the marquis, but he would also miss Erica, which was worrying.

‘What should I do? Ah, I should have dropped something along the way like Hansel and Gretel.’

If she had at least dropped some of her distinctively colored hair along the way, there’s no way Roderick wouldn’t have recognized it. It was when she was regretting this while being urged on by the guards and passing through the door at the end of the secret passage.

“You’re late, Marquis.”

The voice echoing in the dark space was familiar. At that moment, fire suddenly blazed brightly and her vision cleared. Water was flowing through the center of a space as high and wide as a palace hall. As soon as she realized this was an underground waterway, Erica saw a familiar face.

‘Roderick!’

She held back her desire to shout. Since she was still surrounded by the marquis’s soldiers, she had to refrain from showing her joy.

Erica stood in the gap between the people blocking her so that Roderick could see she was safe. Roderick’s eyes brightened a little upon recognizing her. That was fortunate.

‘But how did Roderick know the marquis would flee here?’

Erica didn’t know, but Roderick already knew about the royal palace’s secret passages. When the marquis had staged his rebellion, it was thanks to this very secret passage that he had been able to secretly infiltrate and safely steal the king’s signet ring.

And his guess that the marquis would use this passage to flee had proven correct. His guess that the marquis had taken them along was also right, since when he had penetrated to where Grandma Greta was confined, neither Erica nor Grandma were visible.

Roderick wanted to immediately extract Erica from among the enemies, but he had to be cautious since they were armed. He made a proposal to the marquis who was grinding his teeth.

“If you surrender quietly, I’ll spare your life.”

“Ridiculous.”

However, the marquis, still not realizing his situation, snorted and did something reckless. He pulled Grandma Greta, who was tightly bound in chains, with one hand while trying to draw the dagger at his waist with the other.

Clang!

Roderick quickly threw his chain. At the same time, the elves who had come with Roderick chanted spirit language, and the guards surrounding the marquis fell as if struck by spirits. Erica watched the chain flying toward the marquis and urgently shouted to Roderick.

“Don’t kill him!”

At that moment, the chain wrapped around the wrist of the marquis who had been trying to aim the dagger at Grandma Greta’s neck.

“Ugh!”

The marquis screamed in pain, but it wasn’t a death cry. As soon as Roderick pulled the chain, what was severed wasn’t the marquis’s life but his wrist.

Thud. Clang.

The wrist holding the dagger fell to the floor, and at the same time the marquis knelt on the ground in pain, clutching the severed area.

“Erica, hurry and untie her.”

While Erica quickly untied the sacred chains binding Grandma, the guard captain pathetically knelt and surrendered. Following him, his subordinates and the mage also knelt.

“You’d better not think of doing anything foolish.”

Warning the enemies who had surrendered, Roderick approached and reached out to Erica first, not bothering to bind the enemies.

“Roderick, sob……”

Then their lips met. After the intense but short kiss ended, an embrace followed. The marquis, who had been watching this scene with horrified eyes, screamed out.

“Th-that woman was a spy?”

To the marquis who was raving about killing Erica even while facing his own death, Roderick pointed his sword.

“Shut up before I shove this blade into that mouth of yours and stir it around.”

Erica’s eyes widened at seeing Roderick speak so menacingly for the first time. As soon as Roderick turned his head from the marquis to Erica, he became a different person.

“Are you okay?”

He felt around various parts of her body as if checking whether she was injured anywhere. However, he paused the moment his hand touched her lower abdomen. Had Roderick felt something too?

“By the way, this isn’t a pot belly.”

“……”

“It’s our child.”

At that moment, Roderick did something completely unexpected. Instead of being happy as she had expected, his expression became even more fierce. Then he lifted Erica up and said something absurd.

“Let’s get out of here quickly.”

“What are you talking about? We haven’t finished things here yet.”

The inside and outside of the royal palace were all battlefields. Roderick was essential military strength for sorting out the situation, yet he was saying he would leave immediately with Erica.

“Is that important right now?”

“I’m perfectly fine, okay? The baby is fine too. Hurry up and do your job first.”

“I don’t care.”

But Roderick didn’t listen to Erica’s words at all. This was the first time he had acted like this, leaving her dumbfounded, but she could understand why Roderick was acting this way from his next words.

“I’m not leaving you anymore.”

He was remembering how he had chosen duty over Erica when trouble occurred in the palace last time and had lost track of Erica and Eric for a long time. Erica could no longer stop Roderick.

“Grandma, please take care of the aftermath.”

“Yes, I will.”

Grandma watched Roderick carrying Erica away and chuckled, then added.

“But what place could be safer than a palace that’s already been occupied? Don’t go far.”

Before Roderick crossed the door of the secret passage, Erica urgently called out to Grandma.