Chapter 361

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Ugh!”

“Aaaaaargh! My leg! Help me! Someone help me!”

“An assassination! An assassination attempt on the emperor!”

“Protect the emperor! Now!”

“Put out the fire! We’ll all die if the fire spreads!”

Chaos erupted in an instant.

I was thrown back by the force of the explosion.

But I gritted my teeth and got up.

There was no time to waste.

The situation was dire.

‘That bastard!’

I quickly replayed the scene in my mind.

Viscount Bovary.

The moment he had ripped the red handkerchief, a massive explosion had occurred.

My premonition had been right.

The handkerchief, or whatever it was, had been a deadly weapon.

The explosion had been so powerful that the front of the banquet hall, where the empress had been standing, was completely devastated.

Crimson flames roared.

Black smoke billowed, threatening to engulf everything.

My face contorted in anger.

Catching the culprit was a priority, but first, we had to deal with the fire.

Fortunately, others seemed to have the same thought.

“Water magic! Anyone who can use water magic, put out the fire!”

“Yes, sir!”

Jets of water shot out from various parts of the hall.

It wasn’t enough to extinguish the raging flames immediately, but it would be enough to prevent the fire from spreading.

It was a small mercy.

Now, I had to deal with the culprit…

“Listen carefully, everyone! The incompetent emperor, who only inherited her position through bloodline, must be eliminated! This empire needs a capable and true emperor! I, Bovary, have eliminated the empress for the sake of our new emperor, Max Celtrine! Long live Max Celtrine! Long live the empire’s prosperity!”

The culprit’s voice boomed through the chaotic hall.

I froze in shock.

Me?

Me?

He was using my name?

I realized,

That someone was trying to frame me.

A surge of anger coursed through me.

But I forced myself to calm down.

First, I had to deal with the culprit who was spouting nonsense.

I was about to head towards the source of the voice when,

“D-Did you hear that?! It’s Max! Max Celtrine! He’s the mastermind! We have to catch him!”

Another voice, filled with malice, rang out from a different part of the hall.

It was a setup.

There was more than one culprit.

It was an organized conspiracy.

‘Those bastards!’

I gritted my teeth.

My eyes bulged, and I felt like my blood vessels were about to burst.

This was different.

This time had to be different.

It could be different.

It could have been a perfect ending.

But those bastards were trying to ruin everything.

“W-What?!”

“Y-Young Master Max is the mastermind? W-What are you talking about?!”

“T-That’s absurd! Don’t spout nonsense!”

The crowd was thrown into further confusion.

And then, more voices, subtly manipulating the situation, started to emerge.

“S-So Max Celtrine was after the throne all along!”

“Oh, how could this be! Ambition has blinded the hero!”

“What are we waiting for?! We have to deal with the traitor Max! We’ll all die if we don’t!”

“Yes, get Max!”

“Find Max! Now!”

There were more than one or two of them.

They were subtly inciting the crowd.

And I knew how easily people could be swayed in a chaotic situation like this.

‘Damn it.’

I hesitated, wanting to head towards the source of the culprit’s voice.

I couldn’t see clearly through the thick smoke, but the people, blinded by rage, were searching for me.

It wasn’t a good idea to be seen by them right now.

*Thud*

A hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

I was startled and tried to shake it off, but then I heard a familiar voice.

“This way.”

It was Regina.

My tense nerves relaxed.

“Thank you.”

It was reassuring to have someone I could trust, no matter what.

She led me away without a word.

Strangely, we didn’t encounter anyone.

We walked through the black smoke for a while.

She stopped.

I realized that we were standing next to a wall.

She had led me to the wall.

“It’s best to wait here until the fire is put out.”

I understood what she meant.

The fire was adding to the chaos.

Once the fire was put out, the situation would calm down somewhat.

“Alright.”

I nodded and leaned against the wall.

It was better to wait than to wander around aimlessly in the smoke.

I could still hear the chaotic shouts.

“Where’s Max?! Find Max!”

“Catch the traitor!”

“Stop spouting nonsense! Who are you to call Master Max a traitor?!”

“S-Senior would never do such a thing!”

“Y-Your Majesty! We have to protect the emperor first!”

It was complete chaos.

I thought I had heard Annette’s voice as well.

It seemed like I had made the right decision to wait.

‘And she…’

Emperor Oscar.

She had been closest to the explosion, so normally, I would have been worried about her safety.

But I was certain.

That she was safe.

She wasn’t someone who could be easily defeated.

That wasn’t what I was truly worried about.

‘What if her true nature resurfaces…?’

We had miraculously reached a compromise.

But this incident had happened.

It had given her a reason to turn against me, regardless of the truth.

Of course, I wouldn’t just stand there and take it, but a conflict was inevitable now that she had a justification.

She wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Not the empress I knew.

And,

‘Our relationship might be strained.’

The empress was a suspicious person by nature.

She couldn’t trust anyone completely.

It had been a miracle that we had reached a compromise after being so honest with each other.

But now this had happened?

It was enough to make her doubt me and strain our relationship.

‘Damn it, who are those bastards?’

I bit my lip.

Was it my fault?

It was possible.

But it was difficult to predict something I had never experienced before.

I had been too focused on the empress, who had created a living hell in the past.

“T-The fire is dying down!”

“Phew, t-thank goodness!”

Finally, the flames started to subside.

The smoke cleared.

My vision gradually returned.

And I could finally see what was happening.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“A-Are you alright?!”

The empress was standing amidst the ruins of the explosion, protected by her guards. Her dress was scorched and tattered.

Her usual smile was gone.

Her eyes were cold.

I realized that she had been deeply shaken.

‘This isn’t good.’

I frowned.

That was the expression of a tyrant.

The expression of someone who could slaughter the elderly and children without hesitation.

Her true nature had broken through her mask.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re safe!”

“It’s a miracle!”

The crowd was relieved.

But they soon realized another problem.

“W-Where’s the culprit?!”

“Over there! Over there!”

“Catch him!”

The guards and the crowd rushed towards Viscount Bovary, who was standing there dumbfounded.

But,

*Thud*

The empress was faster. She dashed towards him like lightning and grabbed him by the collar.

“Who ordered you to do this?”

She asked coldly.

“Ugh, how frustrating! I failed to kill the false emperor!”

“Who ordered you?”

A chill ran down everyone’s spines.

It was the first time they had seen her like this.

Her cold eyes, her informal speech.

Even I was stunned.

It seemed like she had snapped.

“The new emperor! Max Celtrine! Don’t think you’re safe! You, the false emperor, will die!”

Viscount Bovary shouted.

And then…

Something unbelievable happened.

“Die! The only true emperor is Max Celtrine!”

“Long live Max Celtrine!”

Several of the empress’s guards, who were supposed to be protecting her, suddenly turned on her.

“W-W-What?!”

“H-How is this possible?!”

The crowd was stunned.

I clenched my fists, my eyes wide with disbelief.

It was a vicious plot.

A plot to drive a wedge between the empress and me.

“Die!”

“For the new emperor!”

Their swords aimed for her back.

She drew a dagger.

The same dagger she had taken out during our private meeting.

*Thud! Thud!*

She effortlessly pierced their throats.

*Thud! Thud!*

Their bodies collapsed to the ground.

She didn’t stop there.

*Thud*

“G-Gah…”

She threw the dagger, piercing Viscount Bovary’s chest.

He writhed in pain and then went limp, his eyes wide open.

“Y-Your Majesty, i-if you kill him, we won’t be able to interrogate him…”

“There’s no need for interrogation! All the evidence points to one person!”

“That’s right! What are you waiting for?! Capture the traitor Max!”

‘Damn it.’

The situation had spiraled out of control.

I was prepared for the worst, even bloodshed.

…It was then that,

“Hehe, hehehehe.”

The empress started to laugh.

It was an eerie laugh, considering the situation.

The crowd stared at her, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion.

She stopped laughing.

“…I can’t stand to listen to your foolish words any longer. Or are you doing this on purpose?”

Her words were laced with mockery.

“W-What do you mean…?”

She didn’t answer. She pulled the dagger out of Viscount Bovary’s chest.

Blood splattered.

Her scorched dress was now stained with blood.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

She walked towards someone.

Towards the western lords.

The western lords looked confused and nervous.

“Y-Your Majesty?!”

“W-What are you doing?”

She smiled sweetly.

“It’s fun to play pranks from behind the scenes, isn’t it?”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“Aaaaaargh!”

She stabbed one of the western lords repeatedly.

He collapsed, writhing in pain.

The crowd was frozen in terror.

“Y-Y-Your Majesty! W-What is the meaning of this?!”

“If you play pranks, you should be prepared to die, shouldn’t you?”

She pulled the bloody dagger out of his body without hesitation.

“G-Gah…”

The western lord, who was bleeding profusely, seemed beyond saving.

And then…

Her gaze shifted towards me, and she started to walk towards me.

I froze.

Wait a minute!

Why was she coming towards me?!

I didn’t do anything!

“S-Senior!”

“Y-Your Majesty! This isn’t right!”

I heard Annette and Camian’s desperate cries, but she didn’t stop.

“Hmm…”

Regina, who had been about to step in front of me, suddenly stopped.

H-Hey, what are you doing?!

She was getting closer.

I saw the gleeful expressions of those who hated me.

She stopped in front of me.

‘Alright, let’s see what you’re going to do!’

I tensed my body and met her gaze.

I was innocent.

I wouldn’t cower.

Well, maybe not “innocent.”

…That sounded ominous.

The bloody dagger gleamed.

I was prepared to be stabbed, but it was her face that moved.

‘Huh?’

Her lips brushed against my ear.

“…I believe in you, Senior. Because I like you.”

I froze, my eyes widening in shock.

A confession…

It was a confession.

A confession from the most unexpected person, in the most unexpected setting.