Chapter 51 : Death row convict! I’m back! (3)

Lana Frost

Ten years ago, there was no one in this place who did not know the infamous reputation of the villainess who had been branded and exiled. 

In fact, Lana’s story had even transformed into a fairy tale told to children who refused to listen.

However, what they never expected was that the villainess, Lana Frost, who had been exiled ten years ago, was still alive. 

If she had merely been alive, it wouldn’t have been anything noteworthy.

But the real issue was that not only was she alive, but she had also returned as the war hero of the Empire, threatening the kingdom. 

The fame of Wolfgang Leonhardt had spread as far as the kingdom.

Noblemen and knights alike dismissed it as exaggerated rumors. 

However, they could not deny the fact that Wolfgang Leonhardt was a hero. 

But was it true that this hero was, in fact, Lana?

At least the nobles with some sense took the current standoff seriously, and they could not help but weigh the situation in their minds. 

Even the saint Jeanne had been unable to act recklessly.

However, some people, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy, believed only what they wanted to believe. 

Among them was a young man with flamboyant red hair. 

Herbert, the second son of the Viscount Besix family, was one such person.

He boasted a robust physique, more so than most young men of his age. 

This was proof that Herbert did not waste his time, for he had been training to become a knight.

Despite his overly serious and loyal friends, who all spoke highly of him, Herbert could not stand idly by and watch the villainess, Lana, continue unchallenged.

“Hey, stay quiet!”

“If we stand by and do nothing in the face of injustice, how can we say we are upholding justice?”

“This isn’t the time for you to step in!”

“Cowards should stay in the back and watch. I will rid the kingdom of evil.”

Herbert was growing increasingly frustrated by his friends trying to stop him. 

Who was Lana Frost? 

She was the infamous villainess who had attempted to poison Saint Jeanne ten years ago. 

But Saint Jeanne was no ordinary saint.

Unlike past saints, who were only known for their words, Jeanne actively worked for the kingdom, even bringing winds of change and becoming a true savior. 

In other words, she was a real saint.

Naturally, for someone like Herbert, whose ultimate goal was to join the royal guard and serve the kingdom, Lana was a traitor who could not be left unchecked. 

So, he tried to take matters into his own hands.

However, when he boldly stepped forward, he found himself blocked by none other than the royal guard. 

Clad in white armor with the royal insignia etched on their chest, the young man who stood before Herbert was someone he could not possibly not recognize. 

The young man spoke calmly.

“Do not approach any further. If you do, I will have no choice but to use force.”

The young man’s blue hair had a refreshing, ocean-like vitality to it. 

However, his calm indigo eyes gave off an eerie chill, as if one was staring into the deep abyss of the sea.

The young man’s name was Icarus.

He was one of the few knights from commoner origins in the royal guard. 

In other words, Icarus was a genius knight who had entered the guard purely based on his skill, without any support or early training from a noble family.

This made Icarus a figure Herbert deeply admired, for Icarus’ sense of justice and fairness burned brightly. 

But now, to see his idol blocking his path, Herbert could not help but be shocked.

“Why are you protecting that villainess?”

“I am not protecting her from you. I am protecting you from her.”

“What…?”

Only then did Herbert meet the gaze of a golden eye that seemed to burn with the fury of the sun. The intense golden eyes made Herbert falter, and his resolve wavered.

Lana Frost—or rather, Wolfgang Leonhardt’s protector—was none other than Icarus. 

At that moment, the saint Jeanne finally realized how Lana had managed to enter so deeply into the royal palace.

“……”

“Now I see. It seems that some of the royal guard have betrayed us.”

“Even if the words are twisted, the truth remains. You all have betrayed us, not my sister.”

“The words of the next duchess may be excessive, but her point is not wrong.”

The royal guard was known as the kingdom’s finest knights, even in the Kingdom of Mines, where the knights were revered. 

Their loyalty could not be questioned, but opinions about the object of their loyalty were divided within the guard. 

There were those who believed they should be loyal to the king, the royalists, those who followed the saint, the saint faction, and those who believed the kingdom itself should be their loyalty’s focus, the neutral faction.

Icarus, belonging to the royalist faction, had observed how the kingdom had changed through a neutral lens. 

The conclusion he had reached was that the kingdom was heading down the wrong path.

Having become a knight to serve and protect the kingdom, Icarus had no hesitation in siding with the prince, using his position to guide Lana into the royal palace.

“Icarus, this action is nothing short of treason…”

“Treason? I clearly received orders from Prince Jaiha to act.”

As Prince Jaiha had said, even if Icarus’ actions were in the name of protecting the kingdom, bringing Wolfgang Leonhardt—now a soldier of the Empire—into the palace could be seen as an act of rebellion.

If the former soldier of the Empire were to suddenly appear and massacre the royal family and nobles, who could stop her? At least, with that justification, Icarus could be punished.

Naturally, Prince Jaiha had not been briefed on the situation yet. 

He was simply trying to maintain appearances and follow the political currents as best as he could. 

If he lacked even that level of awareness, he would have already been cast aside.

“Everyone, quiet.”

At that moment, just as the tension between Saint Jeanne and Prince Jaiha was escalating, Wolfgang finally spoke up, breaking the silence. 

Mirina, who had been silently watching, suddenly shouted.

“Everyone, focus!!! My sister will speak directly!”

“Who are you? A true trumpet player?”

Mirina’s behavior was embarrassingly servile to Wolfgang, to the point where even Wolfgang herself felt uncomfortable with it. 

However, Mirina did it willingly. 

In a single word, it could be described as “sincerity.”

The day Mirina was defeated by Wolfgang, she realized there was another world above the sky, and with it, the realization of how small her own world had been. 

Anyone else might have despaired, but Mirina did not. Instead, she felt exhilarated. 

If there was a higher world, perhaps she could reach it as well. 

Even if it seemed impossible, there would always be a place to challenge with all her strength.

By realizing this, Mirina felt herself growing stronger, and for that, she truly felt gratitude and loyalty to the one who had opened her eyes to a new world.

Thanks to Mirina, Wolfgang had been able to bypass many troublesome matters. 

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled calmly.

“What do you want?”

Wolfgang’s demeanor was so relaxed that it almost seemed dismissive, and Jeanne could not hide her displeasure. 

She knew she could not defeat him by force, but she still had other methods.

However, unlike Jeanne, Wolfgang was utterly at ease. 

Attending the social gathering had been her greatest challenge, but with Icarus’ cooperation from the royal guard, she had managed to enter the palace with little trouble.

Of course, there had been some problems, like Galina and Jackal being denied entry, and Theodore being refused as well, but considering everything, this situation was an overwhelming success.

The momentum was now on her side. 

The unexpected return of Lana Frost, coupled with Prince Jaiha supporting her, had caused the nobles to busy themselves calculating their own stakes.

Thus, Wolfgang knew exactly what to do next: She would pretend that Lana Frost had been falsely accused and exiled, and that she had returned to reclaim her honor.

“Still don’t understand? This is a declaration of war.”

“A declaration of war? Are you really threatening to go to war with the kingdom?”

“How absurd. Trying to twist the words, are you? It seems the great saint is afraid, after all?”

“……!!”

Wolfgang pointed the cigarette in her fingers at Saint Jeanne. It was clear from her flinch that she had been rattled, and Wolfgang smiled.

“I came to take back everything that was taken from me.”

Though, she had no memory of any of it.