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"I will resign as the mage commander."
"Are you daring to threaten me, the Emperor?"
The Emperor was greatly angered by Iana's words.
"⋯⋯."
Iana didn't say anything, as if she agreed.
Charles looked at Iana with a slightly nervous face, but he seemed to have guessed what she was trying to do.
"Captain of the Imperial Guards! Summon the Captain of the Imperial Guards!"
The enraged Emperor jumped up from his seat and shouted loudly.
Bang-.
At the Emperor's command, the Captain of the Imperial Guards entered the office.
"Did you call, Your Majesty?"
"Behead Charles immediately!"
"⋯⋯Here, you mean?"
The Captain of the Imperial Guards looked flustered at the Emperor's command.
"Iana Archmage is acting so arrogantly because she thinks I won't kill Charles."
At the Emperor's words, Charles said calmly.
"Kill me."
"What?"
"Either way, if the monsters attack, everyone here will die."
"⋯⋯!"
The Emperor's eyes wavered.
Seeing the Emperor's agitation, Lady Riel stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, don't be shaken. They are just exaggerating their presence to get what they want."
Then Iana stared coldly at Lady Riel and asked.
"Lady Riel, do you know how many troops are in the outer castle?"
"⋯⋯."
Lady Riel couldn't answer.
"If you don't know, keep your mouth shut. Military matters are not something anyone can jump in and say anything about."
"What did you say?"
Lady Riel spoke sharply, but Iana ignored her and turned her head towards the Emperor.
"The reason I asked Your Majesty to come to the outer castle was not out of arrogance."
"⋯⋯."
"I told you to see the situation in the outer castle for yourself. To show you that fighting with refugees and retreating soldiers in front of the castle gate is disadvantageous to the outer castle soldiers."
"Then you should have killed them to prevent those filthy things from entering the castle!"
As the Emperor spat out the words, Iana strongly countered.
"What about the morale of the outer castle knights who have to kill the retreating soldiers with their own hands?"
"So you're going to defy my words?"
"If I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather die fighting hard on the battlefield than die here with Your Highness."
Iana and the Emperor stood face to face. Soon, the Emperor's eyes moved uneasily.
"Your Majesty, don't be fooled by Iana Archmage's tricks, and send the leader of The Nine to the outer castle."
Lady Riel raised her voice sternly.
A sharp tension flowed in the room.
It was then.
"Filthy! Filthy!"
The Emperor covered his ears with both hands and muttered like a madman.
"⋯⋯!"
Everyone in the room was surprised by the Emperor's bizarre behavior.
The Emperor stopped talking to himself and looked at Charles, saying.
"Charles, should we just run away? Actually, I'm afraid of becoming Emperor."
There was no hostility in the Emperor's eyes as he stared at Charles.
Rather, his eyes, filled with deep fear, contained affection.
"Brother⋯⋯."
Charles couldn't continue speaking, his face shocked.
Shock, sadness, and longing were all evident on his face.
Iana had never seen Charles so shaken.
'The Emperor is strange.'
Iana could tell that the Emperor's mind was not sound.
"Your Majesty!"
Lady Riel shouted loudly.
At the sound, the Emperor slowly looked around as if regaining his senses.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Charles asked, looking at the Emperor with a painful expression, but the Emperor seemed displeased with that look and grabbed Charles's hair tightly.
"How dare you call me brother when you're a sinner!"
"⋯⋯."
Charles quietly looked at the Emperor.
The Emperor, still holding Charles's hair, said to Iana.
"Alright. I'll do as Iana Archmage wishes."
"⋯⋯."
"But if you fail to defend properly, this guy will die a painful death."
Iana looked at Charles with a sad expression and answered firmly.
"I will do so, Your Majesty."
✦ ✦ ✦
Iana left the office first and walked towards the entrance of the Imperial Palace.
In her hand, she held the Emperor's order to open the outer castle gate.
Iana received a report from the knight who had followed her from the outer castle.
"There is no movement of monsters on Mikron Mountain, and fortunately, there have been no quarrels between the refugees and the knights."
Iana confirmed that Aden and the rebel forces had arrived at dawn.
There was a small argument between the frightened refugees and the knights guarding the gate, but it was quietly resolved by Aden's restraint.
Iana was about to get on Andre, who was waiting in front of the Imperial Palace.
But she couldn't bring herself to do it.
The image of Charles looking at the Emperor kept flashing in her mind.
"The Imperial Family kept it a complete secret. For fear that news of his mentally unsound mother would be leaked to the outside⋯⋯."
She realized that his sad expression was the same as when he talked about his mother.
Iana looked at the entrance of the Imperial Palace for a moment.
'Won't Your Highness come out if I wait a little longer?'
Then Charles walked out of the Imperial Palace entrance, supported by guards.
Iana's eyes met Charles's as he approached.
She hesitated for a moment and walked towards him.
"Archmage, what are you doing?"
The Imperial Guard knights surrounding Charles blocked her way.
"Move aside. I have something to ask Your Highness regarding tactics."
"That's not allowed!"
As the Imperial Guard knight stood his ground, Iana said strongly.
"Then shall I go and get permission from His Majesty?"
"⋯⋯."
"If I delay like this, it won't help the defense of the outer castle."
The Captain of the Imperial Guards, who had been watching from behind, gave an order.
"Let her through."
At the Captain of the Imperial Guards' command, the knights stepped back.
Iana approached him.
His face was even more scarred when seen up close.
She swallowed the tears that were about to burst out and spoke.
"Your Highness, more monks and refugees have arrived."
"I heard."
The two exchanged glances.
"There is not enough space to accommodate the refugees, so it seems we will have to fight on Mikron Mountain. What would be the best course of action?"
"There is nothing ordinary soldiers can do in this battle, so pull them back. Send them to the southern outer castle or⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
"Have them protect the Imperial Palace."
At his words, Iana had a flash of realization.
'You're telling me to send the monks to the Imperial Palace naturally.'
Iana and Charles looked at each other for a moment.
"I will do as Your Highness commands. Then I will be on my way."
As Iana said goodbye calmly and was about to leave, he called out in a low voice.
"Iana."
"⋯⋯."
She turned around.
"From now on, everything you decide will be the right answer."
"⋯⋯."
Iana's eyes wavered.
Charles knew exactly what she was worried about.
The fear of having to make important decisions alone.
He understood her feelings and steadied her heart.
Iana smiled faintly and replied.
"I will keep Your Highness's words in mind."
✦ ✦ ✦
After Iana left, Lady Riel returned to her separate residence and waited for Duke Havel.
She paced around the room, lost in thought.
"Charles, should we just run away? Actually, I'm afraid of becoming Emperor."
'Grand Duke Ervin and Iana must have realized that the Emperor is not in his right mind.'
She had to move as quickly as possible.
Knock knock.
The sound of someone knocking on the door without a word was heard.
Since Lady Riel had been living in the Imperial Palace, the guards no longer stood in front of her door.
Lady Riel guessed who it was and said.
"Come in."
As the door opened, Duke Havel entered as expected.
The two sat facing each other on the sofa.
Duke Havel spoke in a low voice.
"I heard about what happened in the office on my way here."
"We need to depose the Empress as soon as possible."
"You are right, but it is not easy to find a justification to persuade the Emperor and the Imperial Family."
Duke Havel's face was dark.
Lady Riel continued with a statement that was out of context.
"I once heard an interesting story. It's about fraudsters embezzling the property of a nobleman who is not in his right mind."
"How?"
"They completely isolated the Baron, who was not in his right mind, from the outside world and had him issue instructions in writing for everything."
"⋯⋯!"
As if realizing something at Lady Riel's words, Duke Havel's eyes lit up.
Lady Riel lowered her voice and whispered.
"Please prevent anyone from approaching His Majesty the Emperor, Duke. Then, when His Majesty the Emperor is not in his right mind⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
"I will get an order to depose the Empress."
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