episode_0139

The silver hair fluttered in the raging wind. His long, slender fingers, almost resembling a woman’s, brushed back the hair that was being carried away by the wind behind his forehead.

From the rooftop of the Ministry of Interior building, Yulrian blankly gazed down at the scene below.

The building was already situated on a high hill overlooking the city. At the very top of such a building, on the rooftop, the urban buildings, government offices, nobles’ meeting halls, and even the royal palace were all laid out beneath his feet.

And now, he felt as if all of those things were truly placed right beneath him, just as they appeared before his eyes.

“It was so easy.”

The fingers that had swept back his disheveled hair behind his forehead soon clenched into a fist. With a hint of cold sarcasm lingering behind the muttered words, Yulrian turned on his heels.

And as he turned around, standing in front of him was a very familiar, large figure, his companion and confidant, Christian.

Despite the chilling formality in his address, Christian’s eyes, as he gazed at Yulrian, were fierce.

“Yes.”

“All this scheming will come to an end tonight.”

There was a subtle hint of anger in Yulrian’s voice as he faced Christian.

After the funeral of the Duchess of Vallatier, and since Yulrian had started to take action in earnest, Christian had hidden his usual gentle demeanor somewhere.

Finally, Christian’s head shook slightly. With his clenched fist leaving nail marks on his thick palm, he stared intently at his friend, his lord.

“Do we really have to go this far?”

Yulrian responded with a snort.

“If we don’t go this far, is there another way?”

“At least she-”

Without finishing his sentence, Christian rushed towards Yulrian. Grabbing him by the collar, he roughly pushed him towards the edge of the rooftop.

The only thing that stopped him was the low railing.

With his body hanging in the air, Yulrian entrusted his life to Christian’s hands.

“We don’t need to go this far. There was no need to kidnap even her maid, unrelated to revenge!”

The hand gripping his collar shook as much as the voice that spoke. Yulrian’s body also trembled with the shaking of that hand, entrusting everything to it.

Finally, Christian’s red eyes met Yulrian’s gaze.

Just like Yulrian had said before.

Christian was originally a figure suited to be a knight.

He simply enjoyed using his strength, liked pressing someone down with his own abilities. He was not suited for espionage, politics, or schemes.

When entrusted with such tasks by his dear friend and lord, he would openly show his displeasure on his face, making it difficult for even Yulrian, who liked people, to get along with Ernst.

Looking at his friend in that state, Yulrian subtly raised the corner of his mouth.

Because, you see.

The distance he had shown recently, as well as these current hostilities, seemed like signposts indicating that he was heading in the right direction.

Even though he was hanging in the air like this in the trusted hands of his friend, Yulrian wasn’t actually feeling too bad about it.

“Do you agree as well? I would do anything for revenge.”

“But. Do we really need to go this far?”

“No, you know that this alone is not enough, don’t you?”

Christiane interrupted, but Yulrian replied. Under his red eyes, a seductive smile formed. Christiane turned his head away from that smile, as if even a man would be enchanted by it.

“Now, this is the true beginning of revenge. You can expect it, Christiane.”

Yulrian tapped his friend’s shoulder as they stood on the ground and whispered to him.

#

Ernst waited for the two men coming down from the rooftop. As usual, he greeted the two men walking towards him with an emotionless voice.

“The control of the Imperial Office has already been secured. You can speak freely inside the office from now on, Your Highness.”

“You are quick with your tasks, indeed.”

Yulrian, walking a step ahead, licked his lips at Ernst’s words. The red eyes glancing back were clearly different from the lord Ernst had known before.

However, despite the change in attitude, Ernst remained the same.

“I have already sent troops to Lord Edmund’s side.”

“What are the chances of them detecting the movement of the troops?”

“I cannot say there is no chance, but you don’t need to worry. The fact that they have set out is enough to consider it done.”

Yulrian simply nodded without a response.

“I plan to report to Your Highness and leave immediately.”

And Christiane, who was walking beside the thin man, glanced at Yulrian’s face in front of him.

Yulrian just continued to walk silently.

He seemed like he might show some reaction.

He had always been so harsh towards the son of a dirty prostitute whenever they met, the Empress who persecuted him.

But now, he was calm. Ernst couldn’t find any emotions in his sharp nose and jawline that he had seen from the rooftop.

So, he began to feel a little confused as well.

Whether the image on the rooftop was real, or the current one is real. Or if everything up to now has just been an act.

“Even if the Empress sends troops to Lord Edmund, what does the Princess intend to do?”

“I plan to move to the Princess’s palace myself.”

Ernst replied in his usual blunt tone. Yulrian stopped walking for a moment and looked at his thin face.

“The Princess’s guards are quite skilled, contrary to what they appear. You should not let your guard down.”

“I have made preparations. There should be no hitches in the plan, so you don’t need to worry, Your Highness.”

Ernst nodded slightly. Yulrian began to walk again.

“So, Your Highness, you should return to the mansion and negotiate with the Emperor.”

Yulrian continued to walk down the corridor silently.

Only the emotionless voice of the man echoed in the corridor.

“Most of the Imperial Guard troops have been sent to the Imperial Palace and Lord Edmund’s side. Although we have also called in quite a few people from the mansion, the number of guards may not be that high, but you should still be careful.”

Finally, Yulrian stopped again at the end.

“Ernst.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Aren’t you disappointed?”

Ernst was puzzled by Yulrian’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“You followed me this far because of the Emperor, right? Even if you don’t see the revenge, is it okay for me to leave it to you like this?”

Ernst stared at Yulrian’s face. Only Christiane, standing next to him, noticed the tension in Ernst’s wrist.

“My revenge is not only aimed at the emperor.”

However, the words spoken were no different from usual, just a voice devoid of emotion.

“The Galatea royal family, their bloodline is my target.”

“And what about me?”

With a step, Yulrian approached Ernst. The image of the thin, dark-haired man was reflected in his red eyes.

“Even if I was discarded by them, doesn’t Galatea blood flow through me as well?”

Unlike usual, the time it took for an answer to come from him was a bit longer.

“Just because they are called Galatea, doesn’t mean they are all the same, you know.”

And Yulrian, Christien, and even Ernst who uttered those words, felt that it was a lie.

[We have taken Oejene Roelsera. If you want her life, come alone to the backyard garden of the mansion on the night of your return, at midnight. If there is any suspicious movement, her life cannot be guaranteed.]

The paper held in Jomak’s hand crumpled at the sound. Eleanor, who had returned to the mansion, sat alone at her desk in her room, staring at the letter for a long time.

In truth, Eleanor wanted to act on her own. She wanted to drive a carriage to Oejene’s territory and bring her back herself.

However, the circumstances of the territory did not allow it.

Initially, only her mother had come to meet her at the train station. This time, even her father had gone out to the fortress at the border due to the suspicious movements of the heretics across the border.

Moreover, even inside the carriage coming to the mansion, the scenery outside the window was quite noisy.

“Oejene is okay…right?”

Holding the letter given by Sophie, Eleanor sighed again. Although she was worried, she had promised to fulfill her duties as the youngest daughter of the Beaurn family before becoming the Duchess of Verbriz.

So, she shouldn’t cause any unnecessary trouble.

However, that determination was shattered by Sophie’s voice coming from outside the door.

“Oh, Miss!”

“Sophie? What’s wrong?”

“T-that…that is…”

Sophie came into Eleanor’s bedroom with a cheerful attitude, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak and just hesitated.

Seeing this, Eleanor took Sophie’s hand and pulled her closer.

“I’m fine. Tell me, what’s the matter?”

“T-that…it’s, it’s just that, Miss.”

Despite her hesitation, Oejene finally opened up to Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes.

“They also don’t know Oejene’s whereabouts at Roelsera. They say you haven’t arrived at the mansion!”