Dietrich didn't move.
Until Illeon's men rushed at Dietrich and completely bound him with rope, he stood still and looked at Illeon with a calm expression.
“Dietrich Calypso. You are no longer the Duke of Abelon or the leader of the Imperial Knights. I completely deprive you of your Calypso castle.”
Dietrich had no response to Illeon's words.
Illeon looked at Dietrich with a fierce gaze.
“You murdered the ministers and humiliated me. It would be appropriate to rule as a warlord.”
"Your Majesty."
Dietrich's subsequent voice was so low that it gave the listener the illusion that it was coming from the abyss.
“Where is the evidence that I murdered the ministers?”
It was like that.
There were no stab wounds from a sword or any traces of poison on the bodies of the ministers.
Dietrich was saying that Illeon's punishment was unjust.
He had a mental illness but no physical evidence.
In the current situation where there was nothing to prove, if Dietrich was stripped of his position as commander of the Imperial Knights, most of the imperial knights would rise up.
“If it is an acceptable reason, I will accept the punishment.”
Illeon's stomach seemed to be twisted by the calm voice.
Even though he knew that guy did it, there was nothing he could do.
“Do I really have to throw your lover in jail before you will bow down to me?”
Illeon approached Dietrich.
Even though his hands were tied with rope, his eyes were truly arrogant.
“The Emperor is a burden, so why do you have such arrogant eyes as if you were sitting on top of my head?”
Usually, when we find ourselves at a dead end, we tend to feel fear.
However, on the contrary, Dietrich was overly calm even in a situation where everything was taken away by Illeon once again.
Illeon didn't like Dietrich's expression or the situation surrounding him.
Illeon couldn't figure out why he was keeping an eye on Dietrich, even though he was the one handing out the punishment.
Since when did this happen?
Perhaps the problem was that he left it alone, thinking that he wouldn't dare climb on him.
As Dietrich took control of his military power, he slowly took the imperial palace for himself.
The Emperor's mad dog walked into the imperial palace on his own from the beginning with the intention of destroying Abelon.
Dietrich, who survived the imperial family of an enemy country and eventually reached a position that threatened him, looked like an executioner who would cut off Illeon's head at any moment.
It was amazing that he could maintain such calmness even though he was tied up with rope.
Illeon looks at Dietrich, and he thinks of Seliya, who will be alone.
A beauty worthy of the reputation of being everyone’s first love.
Seliya, with her dazzling silver hair and green eyes, was so pretty when she smiled.
Even though she lost everything by his own hand and was lusted after by many men, she did not despair. She is the princess of the Shan Kingdom.
"I will decline Your Majesty's request to dance."
The more Illeon tries to hold it in her hand, the more she slips away between his fingers, like sand that has never been in his grasp.
Illeon's mind flashed through his impressive first meeting with Seliya.
"What does your Excellency want to do with me?"
She was a woman wearing a white mermaid dress and speaking with her green eyes blinking slowly.
"I don't want anything."
Her insides were rotten and she said she wanted nothing more.
The woman's blatant lie caught Illeon's interest.
According to the original plan, he was to destroy Seliya's face.
With the drug Erphia gave him, he destroyed Jeremy's face, which was no threat to him.
So much so that it changed his plans.
"The situation doesn't get better just because I'm sad."
The woman said that and smiled brightly.
It was a night when both the stars and the moon were brightly lit, but only she seemed to shine.
What if he had ruined Seliya's face then?
As originally planned, he would have drugged Seliya.
The reason why there was peace in Dietrich's indifferent eyes, and the reason why he was able to rebel like this against him, the Emperor.
“It’s all because of her.”
Illeon let out a sigh-like voice.
“Would you come to your senses if I had to tear off your lover’s limbs and throw them to you as food for monsters?”
“...So, Your Majesty, did you throw your younger sister as food for monsters?”
Illeon's eyes sank low at Dietrich's words. He didn't know how Dietrich knew what Arthur had done.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Coincidentally, a bunch of pink hair came out of the stomach of the high-level monster I killed at the hunting competition.”
“...”
“Flesh may be digested and disappear, but hair cannot be digested. Even if it’s a monster.”
“Do you know that there are only one or two people in the empire with pink hair? My younger sister, Reina, is alive and well.”
“Then bring her in front of me.”
Illeon raised one eyebrow at Dietrich’s words.
“Then, I will go to jail on my own feet.”
“Dietrich. I could throw you in jail right now, or cut your head off right here, so why should I listen to you?”
“If you don’t listen.”
Dietrich paused and smiled meaningfully.
Dietrich's smile, lifting one side of his lip, was so beautiful that it gave him goosebumps.
Illeon's subordinates, who saw this up close, unconsciously held their breath.
“Something very difficult will happen, Your Majesty."
“What are you doing? Take that man to the dungeon.”
It was at that moment that, following Illeon's orders, his subordinates suddenly came to their senses and were about to drag Dietrich to prison.
“Emperor!”
A knight of Illeon burst into the throne room with his complexion turning pale.
“We’re in big trouble!”
“What’s going on?”
“The Great Hall... It's burning! The fire has spread so much that it is impossible to extinguish it.”
Illeon's eyes widened after hearing the report.
The Great Hall was a sacred place where prophecies were received and ceremonies were performed.
“Shouldn’t you go quickly?”
At Dietrich's words, Illeon widened his eyes and glared at him as if he were going to kill him.
“How dare you insult me, the Emperor, and lay hands on my ministers. Starting today, you will be completely stripped of his dukedom. What else? Take him to prison.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Dietrich was taken to prison by Illeon's men.
In the meantime, Dietrich's calm expression and his head held straight up disturbed Illeon's mood.
“...Find out more about who burned down the Great Hall.”
Illeon suppressed his anger and gave an order to his aide.
Before the Great Temple burned down, Seliya and Anderson visited a shabby bar located outside the imperial palace.
In the old, shabby bar, there was only one customer, the bar owner, who had dark circles under his eyes.
Seliya found a man hiding in the corner of the bar.
Empty drinking glasses were lying literally on the man's table and the floor.
Despite this, he was a man who did not look like he was drunk at all.
His large size was too large to be that of a human being, making him look like a giant.
“Duke.”
The man stopped drinking at the sound of Seliya's voice and looked at Seliya, who was wearing a black robe.
Dark gray eyes shone sharply beneath his brown hair.
The man was none other than Balt.
“How on earth did you know I was here?”
Balt placed his hand on the sword at his waist.
“I just thought you would be here.”
Balt burst into laughter at Seliya’s answer.
“Hmm, okay? Can you just pretend like you don’t know anything?”
Balt let go of his sword and took a gulp of the liquor in his glass.
He stuck out his tongue to wipe the alcohol off the corner of his mouth and grinned.
“So, why did you come to me?”
Seliya motioned for Anderson to move away from her. At this, Anderson's forehead wrinkled.
The opponent was Balt.
There are only two sword masters in the empire.
What if something happens while Anderson is away?
It was so scary to even think about it that Anderson spoke each word with force.
“His Excellency Duke Calypso told me to assist Madam no matter what.”
“... It's okay."
Seliya nodded her head as if she was telling Anderson not to worry.
“Nothing will happen.”
Anderson was speechless at the determined look in her eyes.
“Lord Anderson, please leave me with the saloonkeeper.”
“...”
“This is a really important story. It just takes a moment. Yes, you can do it, right?”
“Dietrich Calypso. You are no longer the Duke of Abelon or the leader of the Imperial Knights. I completely deprive you of your Calypso castle.”
Dietrich had no response to Illeon's words.
Illeon looked at Dietrich with a fierce gaze.
“You murdered the ministers and humiliated me. It would be appropriate to rule as a warlord.”
"Your Majesty."
Dietrich's subsequent voice was so low that it gave the listener the illusion that it was coming from the abyss.
“Where is the evidence that I murdered the ministers?”
It was like that.
There were no stab wounds from a sword or any traces of poison on the bodies of the ministers.
Dietrich was saying that Illeon's punishment was unjust.
He had a mental illness but no physical evidence.
In the current situation where there was nothing to prove, if Dietrich was stripped of his position as commander of the Imperial Knights, most of the imperial knights would rise up.
“If it is an acceptable reason, I will accept the punishment.”
Illeon's stomach seemed to be twisted by the calm voice.
Even though he knew that guy did it, there was nothing he could do.
“Do I really have to throw your lover in jail before you will bow down to me?”
Illeon approached Dietrich.
Even though his hands were tied with rope, his eyes were truly arrogant.
“The Emperor is a burden, so why do you have such arrogant eyes as if you were sitting on top of my head?”
Usually, when we find ourselves at a dead end, we tend to feel fear.
However, on the contrary, Dietrich was overly calm even in a situation where everything was taken away by Illeon once again.
Illeon didn't like Dietrich's expression or the situation surrounding him.
Illeon couldn't figure out why he was keeping an eye on Dietrich, even though he was the one handing out the punishment.
Since when did this happen?
Perhaps the problem was that he left it alone, thinking that he wouldn't dare climb on him.
As Dietrich took control of his military power, he slowly took the imperial palace for himself.
The Emperor's mad dog walked into the imperial palace on his own from the beginning with the intention of destroying Abelon.
Dietrich, who survived the imperial family of an enemy country and eventually reached a position that threatened him, looked like an executioner who would cut off Illeon's head at any moment.
It was amazing that he could maintain such calmness even though he was tied up with rope.
Illeon looks at Dietrich, and he thinks of Seliya, who will be alone.
A beauty worthy of the reputation of being everyone’s first love.
Seliya, with her dazzling silver hair and green eyes, was so pretty when she smiled.
Even though she lost everything by his own hand and was lusted after by many men, she did not despair. She is the princess of the Shan Kingdom.
"I will decline Your Majesty's request to dance."
The more Illeon tries to hold it in her hand, the more she slips away between his fingers, like sand that has never been in his grasp.
Illeon's mind flashed through his impressive first meeting with Seliya.
"What does your Excellency want to do with me?"
She was a woman wearing a white mermaid dress and speaking with her green eyes blinking slowly.
"I don't want anything."
Her insides were rotten and she said she wanted nothing more.
The woman's blatant lie caught Illeon's interest.
According to the original plan, he was to destroy Seliya's face.
With the drug Erphia gave him, he destroyed Jeremy's face, which was no threat to him.
So much so that it changed his plans.
"The situation doesn't get better just because I'm sad."
The woman said that and smiled brightly.
It was a night when both the stars and the moon were brightly lit, but only she seemed to shine.
What if he had ruined Seliya's face then?
As originally planned, he would have drugged Seliya.
The reason why there was peace in Dietrich's indifferent eyes, and the reason why he was able to rebel like this against him, the Emperor.
“It’s all because of her.”
Illeon let out a sigh-like voice.
“Would you come to your senses if I had to tear off your lover’s limbs and throw them to you as food for monsters?”
“...So, Your Majesty, did you throw your younger sister as food for monsters?”
Illeon's eyes sank low at Dietrich's words. He didn't know how Dietrich knew what Arthur had done.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Coincidentally, a bunch of pink hair came out of the stomach of the high-level monster I killed at the hunting competition.”
“...”
“Flesh may be digested and disappear, but hair cannot be digested. Even if it’s a monster.”
“Do you know that there are only one or two people in the empire with pink hair? My younger sister, Reina, is alive and well.”
“Then bring her in front of me.”
Illeon raised one eyebrow at Dietrich’s words.
“Then, I will go to jail on my own feet.”
“Dietrich. I could throw you in jail right now, or cut your head off right here, so why should I listen to you?”
“If you don’t listen.”
Dietrich paused and smiled meaningfully.
Dietrich's smile, lifting one side of his lip, was so beautiful that it gave him goosebumps.
Illeon's subordinates, who saw this up close, unconsciously held their breath.
“Something very difficult will happen, Your Majesty."
“What are you doing? Take that man to the dungeon.”
It was at that moment that, following Illeon's orders, his subordinates suddenly came to their senses and were about to drag Dietrich to prison.
“Emperor!”
A knight of Illeon burst into the throne room with his complexion turning pale.
“We’re in big trouble!”
“What’s going on?”
“The Great Hall... It's burning! The fire has spread so much that it is impossible to extinguish it.”
Illeon's eyes widened after hearing the report.
The Great Hall was a sacred place where prophecies were received and ceremonies were performed.
“Shouldn’t you go quickly?”
At Dietrich's words, Illeon widened his eyes and glared at him as if he were going to kill him.
“How dare you insult me, the Emperor, and lay hands on my ministers. Starting today, you will be completely stripped of his dukedom. What else? Take him to prison.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Dietrich was taken to prison by Illeon's men.
In the meantime, Dietrich's calm expression and his head held straight up disturbed Illeon's mood.
“...Find out more about who burned down the Great Hall.”
Illeon suppressed his anger and gave an order to his aide.
***
Before the Great Temple burned down, Seliya and Anderson visited a shabby bar located outside the imperial palace.
In the old, shabby bar, there was only one customer, the bar owner, who had dark circles under his eyes.
Seliya found a man hiding in the corner of the bar.
Empty drinking glasses were lying literally on the man's table and the floor.
Despite this, he was a man who did not look like he was drunk at all.
His large size was too large to be that of a human being, making him look like a giant.
“Duke.”
The man stopped drinking at the sound of Seliya's voice and looked at Seliya, who was wearing a black robe.
Dark gray eyes shone sharply beneath his brown hair.
The man was none other than Balt.
“How on earth did you know I was here?”
Balt placed his hand on the sword at his waist.
“I just thought you would be here.”
Balt burst into laughter at Seliya’s answer.
“Hmm, okay? Can you just pretend like you don’t know anything?”
Balt let go of his sword and took a gulp of the liquor in his glass.
He stuck out his tongue to wipe the alcohol off the corner of his mouth and grinned.
“So, why did you come to me?”
Seliya motioned for Anderson to move away from her. At this, Anderson's forehead wrinkled.
The opponent was Balt.
There are only two sword masters in the empire.
What if something happens while Anderson is away?
It was so scary to even think about it that Anderson spoke each word with force.
“His Excellency Duke Calypso told me to assist Madam no matter what.”
“... It's okay."
Seliya nodded her head as if she was telling Anderson not to worry.
“Nothing will happen.”
Anderson was speechless at the determined look in her eyes.
“Lord Anderson, please leave me with the saloonkeeper.”
“...”
“This is a really important story. It just takes a moment. Yes, you can do it, right?”
Anderson closed his eyes and barely answered when asked not to say whether he was present or not.
"All right. Instead, if anything happens, just call me. I will be waiting in front of the door.”
Anderson had no choice but to follow Seliya's words.
Bang!
Only two people, Balt and Seliya, remained in the closed bar.
Balt looked at Seliya sitting down on the chair across from him without hesitation and opened his lips.
“You probably didn’t come here to drink with me.”
Balt played with his fingers on the table where the glasses were placed.
Tuk. Tuk.
“Do you have anything else to say to me?”
Seliya looked Balt straight in the eyes and opened her mouth.
“I won’t talk too much.”
“...”
“You know who I am, right?”
Balt stopped playing the table and stared at Seliya.
“You are the Angel of Brillion? Or not... You’re the princess of the Shan Kingdom, which was destroyed ten years ago?”
“As expected, you knew.”
"...If Arthur hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known.”
Balt narrowed his eyebrows.
“You were also responsible for destroying my kingdom ten years ago.”
At Seliya's bold words, Balt's mouth twitched slightly.
"So. What do you want from me?”
Seliya said with a grin.
“Please cooperate in eliminating Illeon.”
“...”
“Then I will spare your life.”
Balt laughed cheerfully as if it was fun.
“I am the Duke of Abelon, just like him. Why should I do that for you?”
“If you refuse, you won’t be able to walk out of this place alive.”
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