Dietrich called Anderson, who was shedding tears, in a low voice.
"Anderson."
“... Yes."
“When I had nothing, you were my strong support and teacher.”
As Dietrich spoke, tears continued to flow from Anderson's eyes.
Dietrich said while staring at Anderson.
“I entered the imperial palace of Abelon intending to destroy Abelon without leaving a single blade of grass. However, you were born and raised in Abelon. From the beginning, you and I took different paths.”
“...”
“Even though I knew that, I didn’t tell you this. I am the one who deceived the Lord, so you don’t have to feel guilty about me.”
Dietrich paused for a moment, then added an afterthought.
“If you want, you can leave me now.”
Anderson shook his head.
He got up, knelt down on the floor, and bowed his head toward Dietrich.
"No. Master, I will follow the same path as you. If you wish for the destruction of Abelon, I will give you the destruction you wish for.”
“Anderson.”
“I’m really fine. It's just that I was considered useless because I couldn't properly understand my master's feelings...”
Anderson could not finish speaking. Anderson's tears fell on the floor.
“Anderson. You have never been useless to me.”
At Dietrich's words, Anderson's mouth twisted and tears streamed down his face.
“I will be with you, my lord, until the end of my life.”
Dietrich looked down at his loyal Anderson with serene eyes.
“Anderson.”
"Yes."
"Thanks. For saying that.”
***
Illeon, imprisoned, had his eyes closed.
He felt a presence behind the iron bars.
“Did you do any reflection while in prison?”
Illeon opened his closed eyes at the sound of his familiar voice.
A man with a menacingly large body and a giant-like height that seemed to reach the prison ceiling came into Illeon's field of vision.
The man who made eye contact with Illeon twitched the corner of his mouth.
“...Balt.”
“I knew one day you would be like this.”
Balt clicked his tongue as he watched Illeon kick the restraints.
“Well, I guess I should just believe that guy’s prophecy and be greedy enough. The Great Hall is on fire. What is this?”
Illeon smiled and responded in a drowsy voice to Balt's words.
“You were the one who burned down the Great Hall, Balt.”
“..."
“You’re not the kind of person who would do something like this, but have you caught any weakness from the Princess?”
A strange figure stood within the walls of Illeon.
Balt opened his mouth, holding on to the iron bars.
“Hey, Illeon. Common sense tells me there’s no way I have a weakness, right?”
Illeon intercepted Balt’s words.
“When you saw the Princess, you must have also experienced something strange.”
Illeon narrowed his eyes and continued speaking.
“For example, the Princess caused the wound on your cheek?”
Balt scrunched up his face.
“How on earth do you know that?”
At Balt's words, Illeon tilted his neck back and laughed. The sound of restraints clanking echoed throughout the prison.
“I’m going crazy. How did you finally find out this important fact?”
Balt narrowed his eyebrows at the incomprehensible words.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Balt.”
A strange light flashed in Illeon’s eyes.
“I found out something very interesting. If you're curious, get me out of here. Isn’t this possible for you?”
Balt crossed his arms with his hands holding onto the iron bars.
“Why should I do that?”
Illeon laughed softly, as if he had expected Balt to act like that.
A voice like a sigh flowed from Illeon's mouth after laughing.
“...Arthur is dead.”
Balt's eyes widened at Illeon's words.
"What?"
“Arthur is dead. In Dietrich’s hands.”
Balt looked at Illeon with a puzzled expression.
“Arthur may be insane, but there is no one who can kill him. Do you think that guy is a genius wizard for no reason? He is a man who uses his alter ego freely.”
“...Balt.”
“It was Arthur who found out that she was the Princess of the Shan Kingdom in the first place. He said he figured out what no one else knew. And you said he was dead?”
Balt’s dark gray eyes shook violently as if he was shocked.
“The Princess came and went earlier, and she brought a red parrot.”
“What parrot?”
“It seems Arthur transferred his soul through alchemy right before he died. The fact that someone who originally loved his body chose a mere parrot as a vessel means that his true nature is dead.”
Balt’s mouth fell open.
Illeon gave Balt a dry stare as he continued to speak, shocked by his own words.
“He was pretending to be a parrot, but how could he hide his true nature? Arthur must have been completely destroyed by Dietrich by now. Both soul and body.”
Illeon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the light beyond Balt’s back.
It was clear that a knight was coming in to watch over him in prison.
“It might be your turn next. You’ll need my help too.”
As soon as Illeon finished speaking, the knight holding the torch stopped walking.
“Aren’t you His Excellency the Duke of Portman? Even if you are a Duke this place is off-limits to outsiders. Why at this early hour of the morning...?”
The knight questioned, but Balt remained silent.
“So, what do you want to do?”
Illeon let out a laugh.
The decision was short. Balt placed his hand on the sword at his waist.
The knight shouted in surprise.
“Duke Portman...!”
Crack-
With the sound of skin being cut, red blood splattered everywhere.
Boom!
The knight’s body, unable to even utter a final word, fell limply to the floor.
Clang.
The torch the knight was holding rolled around on the floor.
Balt put the bloody sword back into its scabbard and picked up the torch that had fallen on the floor.
The torch flickered fiercely, revealing Balt’s face clearly.
“I don’t like you either.”
Balt murmured fiercely and bowed. With the hand that wasn’t holding the torch, he rummaged through the hem of the dead knight’s robe.
Finally, Balt found a heavy bundle of keys hidden inside the knight’s sleeve and pulled them out.
“But what should I do? I found your prison key, but I can’t find the key to unlock your restraints.”
Balt smirked and shook the bundle of keys in front of Illeon.
“Why do you need the key to my restraints when you have your sword?”
Illeon pointed to Balt’s sword with the tip of his chin. Balt’s gaze slid down to his own sword.
“...That’s right.”
***
Seliya woke up.
The sunlight streaming in through the lattice window gently settled on Seliya’s forehead.
“Princess!”
Popo flapped his wings as he greeted Seliya in the morning.
A gentle smile appeared on Seliya’s face as she looked at Popo.
“Popo.”
When Seliya called Popo, Popo shook his beak up and down, rubbed his body against Seliya’s hand, and flew to the window to sing a song.
As Seliya smiled at Popo,
“Seliya.”
Dietrich’s voice was heard through the door.
As soon as Seliya told him to come in, the door opened with a loud noise.
Dietrich had been wearing black armor since morning and had a sword on his waist.
Seliya looked at Dietrich, who was fully armed even though it was his own mansion, with a questioning face.
“The dungeon where Illeon was imprisoned was completely burned down.”
Seliya got up from the bed at Dietrich’s words.
“...Then what about Illeon? Is he dead?”
“No, he’s definitely alive. It’s most likely that Balt saved him.”
Seliya closed her eyes tightly.
Including Arthur, various humans continued to harass Seliya.
So, even though she knew that Illeon might be able to escape, she tried to keep her eyes clouded.
Was that the problem?
Seliya knew very well that Balt, who was also from the Third Duke, had only temporarily accepted her request out of guilt, and that he would eventually side with Illeon.
However, the fact that he was able to escape in just a few days...
Seliya opened her closed eyes.
“Illeon might have found out that I have a superpower.”
“!”
Dietrich looked surprised at Seliya’s words.
“I used my superpower when I recruited Balt. And Illeon tried to feed me an aphrodisiac, so I used my superpower. Since I used my superpower twice in a row, it’s not surprising that that snake-like human noticed.”
Although Seliya had abused her superpower to protect herself, she was always very careful when using it.
If others found out that she could paralyze the five senses of the opposite sex with hyacinth flowers, she might be accused of being a witch and burned at the stake.
She used her supernatural powers to the point where her body was damaged, but the Emperor was the first person to kill someone with her supernatural powers.
“Shelly.”
Dietrich's hand touched Seliya's cheek.
Seliya lifted her eyes and looked at Dietrich.
She saw herself fully reflected in the red eyes beneath the black eyelashes.
Dietrich brushed a strand of hair that was sticking to Seliya's cheek behind her ear.
“Even if Illeon finds out that you have a supernatural ability, nothing will change.”
“...”
“Because this Abelon will be destroyed and we will live on in the future.”
After she finished speaking, Dietrich tilted hia head and captured Seliya's lips.
Their breaths intertwined, and the sound of sloshing water filled the room.
As Seliya smiled at Popo,
“Seliya.”
Dietrich’s voice was heard through the door.
As soon as Seliya told him to come in, the door opened with a loud noise.
Dietrich had been wearing black armor since morning and had a sword on his waist.
Seliya looked at Dietrich, who was fully armed even though it was his own mansion, with a questioning face.
“The dungeon where Illeon was imprisoned was completely burned down.”
Seliya got up from the bed at Dietrich’s words.
“...Then what about Illeon? Is he dead?”
“No, he’s definitely alive. It’s most likely that Balt saved him.”
Seliya closed her eyes tightly.
Including Arthur, various humans continued to harass Seliya.
So, even though she knew that Illeon might be able to escape, she tried to keep her eyes clouded.
Was that the problem?
Seliya knew very well that Balt, who was also from the Third Duke, had only temporarily accepted her request out of guilt, and that he would eventually side with Illeon.
However, the fact that he was able to escape in just a few days...
Seliya opened her closed eyes.
“Illeon might have found out that I have a superpower.”
“!”
Dietrich looked surprised at Seliya’s words.
“I used my superpower when I recruited Balt. And Illeon tried to feed me an aphrodisiac, so I used my superpower. Since I used my superpower twice in a row, it’s not surprising that that snake-like human noticed.”
Although Seliya had abused her superpower to protect herself, she was always very careful when using it.
If others found out that she could paralyze the five senses of the opposite sex with hyacinth flowers, she might be accused of being a witch and burned at the stake.
She used her supernatural powers to the point where her body was damaged, but the Emperor was the first person to kill someone with her supernatural powers.
“Shelly.”
Dietrich's hand touched Seliya's cheek.
Seliya lifted her eyes and looked at Dietrich.
She saw herself fully reflected in the red eyes beneath the black eyelashes.
Dietrich brushed a strand of hair that was sticking to Seliya's cheek behind her ear.
“Even if Illeon finds out that you have a supernatural ability, nothing will change.”
“...”
“Because this Abelon will be destroyed and we will live on in the future.”
After she finished speaking, Dietrich tilted hia head and captured Seliya's lips.
Their breaths intertwined, and the sound of sloshing water filled the room.
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