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Their Night
“I think I need political power. To protect Your Highness…”
Iana thought as she looked at Charles.
She couldn't let him endure the Emperor's checks and balances like a candle in the wind forever.
"As long as the sycophants fuel the Emperor's anxiety to line their own pockets, this is a fight that will only end when we die!"
As the Aden priest had said, that end could be Charles' death.
The goal was to become a member of the Council of nine archmages.
No matter how powerful the Emperor was, he couldn't treat them carelessly.
“Didn’t you write a secret agreement with Marquess Rechelles? A secret agreement not to publicly announce that you have magical power.”
“I’m thinking of renegotiating. Marcel hasn’t fulfilled the terms I proposed yet.”
She was planning to negotiate by bringing up Marcel's failure to put Riel on the execution stand due to his mistake.
“Have I not given you enough faith? I thought I told you that I would take care of things with His Majesty the Emperor.”
Charles' voice was cold and firm. But Iana didn't back down either.
“I don’t know what kind of checks and balances will come to Your Highness under the guise of this war. From the Imperial Family.”
Drip.
At that moment, a raindrop fell. The raindrops quickly turned into thick streaks of rain.
Those who were outside the fortress ran to avoid the rain.
But as if only their time had stopped, their eyes met in a tense standoff.
Eventually, Charles spoke first in a slightly subdued voice.
“It’s raining, so let’s go inside for now.”
Charles tried to pick her up since she couldn't run yet.
“It won’t be a problem if I get rained on this much. And I can’t always rely on Your Highness’s help.”
“Ha…!”
Charles swept back his wet hair and sighed deeply.
Iana limped toward the fortress entrance.
Thud, thud.
She heard his footsteps behind her, and Charles said quietly from behind.
“I’ll apologize first.”
“Yes?”
The moment Iana turned around, Charles picked her up.
“Your Highness!”
Iana called out in surprise.
“Your body isn’t recovered enough to be exposed to such heavy rain.”
Charles said with a stiff expression, then carried Iana to the fortress entrance.
✦ ✦ ✦
After returning to the room, the two washed up and lay down on the bed.
Iana closed her eyes and fell into thought.
She regretted bringing up unnecessary things for a moment.
But as the momentum of the monsters had waned, she had to prepare in advance for what would happen after the war.
A cold silence flowed.
It was Charles who broke the silence first.
“Are you asleep?”
“Yes, I’m sleeping.”
Iana answered with a clear voice, her eyes closed.
Charles turned to face her and chuckled.
“How can you answer if you’re asleep?”
This time, Iana turned to face Charles and said.
“I’m an Archmage, so I can hear everything while I’m sleeping.”
Charles hugged her at Iana's brazen answer.
“I’ll have to punish you severely. For lying to the lord.”
Charles' embrace was always warm.
Iana spoke in a serious voice as she was held in his arms.
“Coming to Ervin, I think I finally learned how the world works. I used to think magical power was a strong force, but it wasn’t.”
“Then?”
“The power to move people. I need to have that power to stand up to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Charles chuckled softly and asked.
“Are you even thinking of standing up to His Majesty the Emperor because of me?”
Iana knew he was trying to lightly brush it off.
She conveyed her honest thoughts.
“Your Highness’s sincerity will not reach His Majesty the Emperor in the end.”
“…”
“His Majesty the Emperor will be no different from my brother.”
“…”
Charles wordlessly stroked her golden hair slowly.
His eyes were filled with complex thoughts and emotions.
Perhaps he was feeling it deep down too.
He just hadn't given up on the last hope.
Iana gently kissed Charles' lips, who was lost in thought, and urged him.
“Give me an answer.”
This time, Charles continued the deep kiss and asked.
“An answer that you can leave Ervin and become an Archmage of the Empire?”
“Anything.”
Iana's eyes were earnest.
Charles overlapped his body over hers and met her eyes.
His gray eyes were no longer affectionate.
“I will think deeply about your advice regarding my brother, no, His Majesty the Emperor.”
The hand that had been caressing Iana's face moved down her slender neckline.
“Really?”
“But you can’t leave Ervin for any reason.”
“But…”
Charles cut off Iana's words firmly.
“Because I don’t want you to.”
Charles' kiss deepened again.
Iana wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged Charles tightly.
As if she was saying that she didn't want to be separated from him either.
Swish-.
A fierce storm raged beyond the window.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next morning, Riel's concerns finally became reality.
Riel was dragged to the conference room by the royal guard knights.
In her hand was a letter she had fabricated to slander the Empress.
“Duke Havel has been summoned to the Imperial Palace. By His Majesty the Emperor.”
Riel recalled what the healer had said.
'The Empress has finally made her move.'
The problem was that the Emperor was extremely sensitive right now.
Monster vines resembling snakes had appeared in the capital, where monsters could not be seen, and attacked people.
It wasn't a powerful monster, but the appearance of monsters in the capital itself spread ominous rumors.
The curse of the dead princes.
When an unknown disaster occurred, resentment would return to the King or Emperor.
Because of that, the Empress seemed to have been waiting for the right moment to tell the Emperor, and had only just now conveyed the story.
Creak-.
When Riel arrived in front of the conference room, the doors opened on both sides.
She stepped inside.
The Emperor and Empress were sitting on the platform, and Duke Havel was standing below.
“She’s here.”
The Emperor pointed at Riel.
At that moment, Riel and the Emperor's eyes met.
A crazed, cold gaze.
Riel was dragged and knelt in front of the platform.
“Riel Estina, I greet Their Majesties.”
Then the Emperor rose from his seat and walked towards Riel, standing behind her. Soon, he cupped her face with both hands.
Riel was on high alert at the Emperor's sudden action.
That was the moment.
The Emperor forcefully turned Riel's face towards Duke Havel.
“…!”
Duke Havel made eye contact with Riel, but as a seasoned politician, his expression did not show.
The Emperor lowered his head and brought his face close to hers, as if their cheeks were touching.
“Riel, tell me. Have you ever met Duke Havel before coming to the Imperial Palace?”
“…”
“To slander that the Crown Prince's poisoning was related to the Diane family.”
“Yes, I went to see him.”
Riel answered obediently.
“What?”
Riel turned her gaze to the Empress and said in a low voice.
“Your Majesty the Empress, please do not use me as a pawn to harm Duke Havel.”
“How dare you speak falsely?”
The Empress rebuked in a low voice.
“I went to see Duke Havel to inform him that my father was not the mastermind behind the poisoning, but rather the Duke of Diane, Your Majesty the Empress's father. But he wouldn't meet me.”
“Speak properly!”
The Emperor painfully gripped her face as if suppressing his anger.
“Rather, Duke Havel heard my words and had me whipped and chased out. On the grounds that I dared to slander Your Majesty the Empress.”
Riel stared at Duke Havel and thought.
'I need to give Duke Havel a card to counterattack so that there will be a breakthrough.'
Duke Havel, who had recognized Riel's intentions, bowed respectfully and said.
“Your Majesty, if I had known that child's face, I would have certainly taken action in front of the memorial monument.”
The Empress rose from her seat, pointed at Riel, and said.
“Your Majesty, as Duke Havel said, please punish that child who slandered the Empress of the nation with the Imperial Insult Crime.”
Riel and the Empress's eyes clashed fiercely.
That was the moment.
The conference room door opened urgently and the captain of the royal guard ran in.
“Your Majesty!”
The Emperor asked with a tense face.
“What is it? Have monsters appeared again?”
“Not in the capital, but now mutant monsters are appearing in the northern region and waging war, and the number of monsters…”
The captain of the royal guard hesitated.
“Speak! Quickly!”
The Emperor strongly urged.
“The border guards have informed us that we may need to prepare for the Third Monster War.”
“The Third Monster War?”
The Emperor's voice was sharp.
Riel could see the fear in the Emperor's eyes.
“So, there has been a request to send reinforcements from the northern territories, excluding Ervin.”
“Are you saying that only Ervin is defending?”
“Yes, it seems that Ervin has the First Order of Knights, which specializes in monster wars.”
“…!”
At that moment, Riel and Duke Havel looked at each other as if they had both felt the same thing at the same time.
Duke Havel knelt on one knee and said with a solemn face.
“Your Majesty, you must immediately summon the First Order of Knights to the Imperial Palace.”
“…”
“For the safety of Your Majesty and the Imperial Family.”
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