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Protect the Imperial Palace
"Your Majesty, you must summon The First Order of Knights to the Imperial Palace immediately. For the safety of Your Majesty and the Imperial Family."
At Duke Havel's words, Riel smiled inwardly.
'Duke Havel knows exactly what His Majesty fears...'
A threat to his life.
If a massive horde of monsters, comparable to the Third Monster War, were to push down to the capital, the Emperor's life would not be safe.
Then, the Empress stepped forward, loudly objecting.
"If you bring The First Order of Knights to the Imperial Palace during a war, what about Grand Duke Ervin?"
"..."
"Isn't that place already short on mages? There are many Archmages in the capital..."
Duke Havel countered the Empress's words.
"There is a priority in everything. The most important thing right now is His Majesty the Emperor's safety."
"…!"
The Empress was speechless.
She couldn't argue with the statement that the Emperor's safety was the most important thing in front of the Emperor himself.
Duke Havel seized this opportunity and pressed on.
"The First Order of Knights is not Ervin's force, but clearly the central army, so isn't the justification clear?"
Riel quickly scanned the Emperor's expression.
The Emperor looked displeased with the Empress's outspokenness.
Riel thought it was an opportunity and said forcefully.
"Ervin is not short of mages."
"Silence. This is not your place to interfere."
The Emperor warned in a low voice.
"I recently visited Ervin. So I know the situation there better than anyone else."
As Riel continued to speak regardless, the Empress cut her off.
"Didn't His Majesty tell you to be quiet?"
Riel raised her voice as if to show off.
"The mage Lyman, whom His Majesty the Emperor sent, said so. That Ervin has been hiding a mage with strong magical power at the level of an Archmage."
The Emperor asked with a doubtful look.
"A hidden mage? Are you saying that Grand Duke Ervin asked me for a mage even though he has one?"
"If you find it hard to believe, call the mage Lyman and ask him."
The Empress came down from the platform, grabbed the Emperor's arm, and said earnestly.
"Your Majesty, you must not bring Ervin's forces, who are in the middle of a war, based on unclear words."
"..."
"The moment you take away Ervin's forces, Your Majesty's poor imperial citizens will lose their lives."
Everyone's eyes turned to the Emperor.
His own safety versus the Emperor's responsibility.
The Emperor's eyes were conflicted between the two.
For a moment, Riel and Duke Havel's eyes met. Both of their eyes were filled with the same conviction.
At that moment, the Emperor opened his mouth slowly, as if he had made up his mind.
"Summon The First Order of Knights immediately."
✦ ✦ ✦
A few days later, Iana and Charles returned to the Ducal Palace of Ervin.
After removing the Arika Vine in the rocky mountain of District 4 with purification magic, the appearance of Arika Vine decreased.
Iana's injured arms and legs were also almost recovered.
She headed to Charles's office at his summons.
Then, Carrion was walking in front of her. His injured leg had also healed, as he wasn't limping much.
'Why did I have to run into him here?'
Iana tried to just give a polite greeting and pass by quietly, but as expected, Carrion blocked her way.
"Iana, I heard you almost died?"
Carrion's voice sounded angry and worried at the same time.
"Knights and mages experience near-death experiences every day during war, Count Dietrian."
Iana didn't want to deal with him, so she tried to brush him off and leave.
Carrion hesitated to grab her arm and asked as if throwing a question.
"Is Your Highness really in love with you?"
"..."
Iana watched silently without saying a word.
"A man doesn't send a woman he truly loves to a dangerous place. Grand Duke Ervin is just trying to use your magical power, so keep your wits about you!"
"Ah, so that's why you dragged me to the dangerous ramparts where arrows were flying right before the divorce, Carrion."
"What?"
"Because you didn't have feelings for me."
As she sneered, Carrion frowned deeply.
Iana naturally thought he would get angry. But for some reason, Carrion spoke calmly.
"To be honest, I didn't like you at first. Who would like a woman with a disease from the start?"
"What did you say?"
Iana was dumbfounded and let out a hollow laugh at his overly honest words.
But Carrion continued seriously.
"After the marriage, I grew to like you because you were kind and innocent."
"..."
"My feelings for other women were just fleeting. But the only one I considered my wife was you, Iana. This is the truth."
Listening to Carrion's words, Iana realized one thing.
That even pathetic sincerity exists in the world.
"Carrion, I hate everything about you, but there's one thing I hate especially more."
"I'm being sincere, do you have to say it like that?"
He asked, annoyed.
"I really hated it when you acted like you were doing me a favor for something so obvious, Carrion."
"What?"
"It's only natural to think of me as your wife since you married me. But why do you talk as if I should be grateful?"
"Ha…! I really can't communicate with you, Iana."
Carrion sighed deeply and roughly swept back his hair.
"If your heart is really sincere..."
"If it's sincere?"
He looked at her with a slightly expectant look.
"Don't make the same mistakes with the wife you remarry. Well, I'll be on my way."
As soon as Iana finished speaking, she quickly walked towards the main castle.
"Iana!"
Leaving Carrion behind, who was furious and kept calling her name.
✦ ✦ ✦
Knock knock.
Iana, who arrived in front of Charles's office, knocked on the door.
"Come in."
As his permission fell, she tried to go inside but stopped in her place. She turned around and looked at her reflection in the glass window, tidying her clothes.
Because she wanted to look pretty to Charles, even a little bit.
The moment Iana bowed her head to tidy the bottom of her folded robe.
For some reason, she felt a chill behind her back.
'Could it be...'
Iana slowly turned around.
"…!"
Charles was standing in front of the door with his arms crossed, watching her tidy her clothes.
"How, how long have you been standing there? I definitely didn't hear anything?"
Iana stuttered in embarrassment.
"Shouldn't you check your appearance before knocking on the door?"
"Ah..."
"I thought you were here, but I knocked and there was no response, so I came out. I thought you would be tidying your clothes."
Charles smiled playfully. Then, he opened the office door wide as if telling her to come in.
Iana went inside and said bluntly.
"Then, you should have pretended not to know."
"Just..."
"..."
"I wanted to tell you. That you are still very beautiful."
It was an ordinary word.
An ordinary word that wasn't a confession but could be said to a lover somehow sounded different to Iana.
One part of her heart was aching and stuffy.
It was an unknown emotion that she had never felt before.
Iana quickly suppressed the rising emotions and asked a question.
"But what did you call me for?"
Charles went to the desk and handed her a letter that was placed there.
"What is this?"
"A request for support has come from a territory in the northern region..."
It was then.
Boo woo oong. Boo woo oong.
The sound of a horn echoed through the Ducal Palace.
Iana and Charles looked out the window at the same time.
"That's the sound of announcing the arrival of a messenger."
"Perhaps another region has come to request support."
The two left the office and headed to the entrance of the main castle.
Thump thump thump.
When they arrived at the entrance of the main castle, a group of knights was riding towards them from the castle gate.
But what they had planted was a flag with the Imperial crest.
Iana looked at the scene and said to Charles.
"Could it be that they came because Your Highness and I weren't taken into custody? Without knowing it's wartime?"
"I don't think that's the case."
Charles felt uneasy at the sight of the suddenly appearing Imperial Guards.
The Imperial Guard messenger jumped off his horse, knelt in front of Charles, and bowed his head.
"What's going on? Does the Imperial Palace not know that there is a war in Ervin?"
"His Majesty the Emperor knows that there is a war in the northern region. So he has issued this order."
The messenger handed over an envelope sealed with the Emperor's seal.
"The First Order of Knights stationed in Ervin..."
"..."
"Must all return to the capital and protect the Imperial Palace."
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