My mother’s necklace was quickly delivered to my hands.
There was no mercy in the hands of Noevian, who rushed at the Crown Prince with bloodshot eyes.
The Crown Prince resisted fiercely and stumbled, but Noevian took advantage of the gap and snatched the necklace.
I ignored Noevian’s earnest eyes and checked the necklace.
When I opened the plump gold pendant, my mother, who had the same eyes as mine, was smiling.
There was no key anywhere. However, even without a key, this was the only relic of my mother that I had, so it was a precious item.
I hung the necklace around my neck and held it carefully.
“Are you trying to save that woman? Uncle. Are you in your right mind?”
Was there anyone in his right mind here? The Crown Prince, who still didn’t know that he was crazy, felt anxious when he felt that he was being left out.
I wouldn’t give the necklace to someone who would kill me.
When the necklace was hung around my neck, the Crown Prince, whose eyes were bloodshot, tried to get up.
“Why are you making excuses to this woman? I thought you were going to kill me, but you were going to tell me everything, ha! Do you really love that woman?”
The Crown Prince, whose legs gave out, tried to get up but gave up and sank back down against the pillar.
I frowned. The Crown Prince raised the corners of his mouth as if mocking me.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke has arrived.”
There was no mercy in the hands of Noevian, who rushed at the Crown Prince with bloodshot eyes.
The Crown Prince resisted fiercely and stumbled, but Noevian took advantage of the gap and snatched the necklace.
I ignored Noevian’s earnest eyes and checked the necklace.
When I opened the plump gold pendant, my mother, who had the same eyes as mine, was smiling.
There was no key anywhere. However, even without a key, this was the only relic of my mother that I had, so it was a precious item.
I hung the necklace around my neck and held it carefully.
“Are you trying to save that woman? Uncle. Are you in your right mind?”
Was there anyone in his right mind here? The Crown Prince, who still didn’t know that he was crazy, felt anxious when he felt that he was being left out.
I wouldn’t give the necklace to someone who would kill me.
When the necklace was hung around my neck, the Crown Prince, whose eyes were bloodshot, tried to get up.
“Why are you making excuses to this woman? I thought you were going to kill me, but you were going to tell me everything, ha! Do you really love that woman?”
The Crown Prince, whose legs gave out, tried to get up but gave up and sank back down against the pillar.
I frowned. The Crown Prince raised the corners of his mouth as if mocking me.
"Well, it looks like I’m going to die soon.”
The Crown Prince’s gaze gradually lowered from my face. The place where his gaze followed hurt like it was on fire. It was clear that my side, which had barely healed when I had argued with the Crown Prince, had burst again. I urgently stopped the blood from flowing.
“Adrienne!”
“Ah-. Crazy. Even in death, you’re mine, so I’m going to call your name like it’s mine...”
The Crown Prince’s complaints poured out behind Noevian, who was startled and trying to come to me. As my side tingled, my head spun. The flashy chandeliers flashing everywhere overlapped in multiple layers and then straightened out. The reason I had been on the verge of death for almost a week was that I had lost a lot of blood, so it was understandable that my head would spin.
However, my mind was clearer than ever. I avoided Noevian, who was trying to approach me, and the Crown Prince, who was glaring as if he would grab my neck at any moment and hide behind the glass coffin containing Adrienne’s body. Fortunately, Noevian was too wary of the trembling Crown Prince to follow me. I glared straight at the Crown Prince, who was no different from a dog.
“You. Did you love Rhodnes?”
His messily open eyes showed a strong contrast for a moment, then closed.
“Then. The one I love the most in the world...”
The Crown Prince raised the corners of his lips like a demon.
“...My brother, whom I hate the most in the world.”
In the middle of this underground, the only sound was the sound of water dripping from the beautifully decorated fountain. It was a short silence, but it was an answer that left an unbearable lingering impression.
“...Brother.”
And then a familiar voice was heard. For a moment, I was so surprised that I stiffened and slid my gaze straight ahead. Even then, blood was seeping out and I had to cover my side tightly. With sweat dripping down his forehead, Rhodnes looked at Bardenaldo, me hiding behind the glass case, the corpse of Baroness Kuroseda, and Noevian in that order.
“What is this?”
Ah-.
To me, Rhodnes’s collapsed face against the darkness was more hellish than the corpses lined up behind me.
***
Rhodnes waited for Noevian Trovica and caught sight of several knights of the Royal Guard moving around busily. They said they were searching for Grand Duke Noevian, who had injured his comrade and escaped. Rhodnes thought that the only person that Noevian could find after running away was Adrienne, so he immediately joined them and searched frantically for Adrienne and Noevian.
He gritted his teeth and thought that he would never be left behind again, no matter how Adrienne tried to persuade him. The palace, which was lit up everywhere to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, was not difficult to search. And near the Crown Prince’s Palace, he met Bardenaldo’s escort who had come to find him.
“Countess Acacia told me that she had a previous engagement with the Second Prince, so you must be brought to her.”
“Did you hear it yourself?”
“Yes. Since it is related to the Grand Duke, there is something she must personally convey to the Crown Prince...”
If someone had been plotting something, Adrienne would not have said it herself. Rhodnes felt strongly that Adrienne needed him, so he hurriedly followed his escort to the Crown Prince’s Palace. The Crown Prince’s Palace was quiet, as most of the knights had been called out to guard Atilchad Hall.
"Bedroom?"
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke has arrived.”
As soon as Rhodnes quietly cursed, the door opened.
The three shutters were wide open, and even Rhodnes, who had never entered Bardenaldo’s bedroom before, was a complete mess. Vases and glass ornaments that had been placed here and there were broken.
“Madam!”
It was not like they were trying to play hide-and-seek.
It was hard to believe that Adrienne had entered the Crown Prince’s palace bedroom in the middle of the night, but the room was even stranger when it was so messy and empty.
Furthermore, it was a bad feeling that Noevian Trovica had entered here.
Rhodnes looked through the closet and under the blanket without hesitation, and even checked the locked windows, but he could not find any trace of anyone.
Then, suddenly, he felt as if someone was watching him and turned his head.
The huge portrait of Empress Letina hanging in the corner was smiling benevolently at him. He turned to the portrait as if possessed.
When he approached, the portrait was hung crookedly. It was as if it was a door that had not been closed yet.
“...Door?”
As he stepped into the suffocating entrance to the underworld, Rhodnes encountered a familiar yet unfamiliar voice in the place he had gone down to in a daze.
“You. Did you love Rhodnes?”
“Yes. The one I love the most in the world...”
The voice he had searched for so long.
“...My brother whom I hate the most in the world.”
The voice he had protected his entire life.
“Oh, Roan!”
The Crown Prince suddenly stood up and staggered towards Rhodnes to greet him.
Rhodnes’ eyes kept scanning his body. It was not a look of concern.
“What is all this?”
“Can’t you see it? My uncle and his government conspired to send this order!”
His lips, unable to even let out a sneer, were tightly shut.
The Crown Prince began to speak earnestly. He had no doubt that his allies had come, having escaped the numerical disadvantage.
“Come on, come on, kill those bastards! Roan! I was so scared I thought I would die.”
“What are all those corpses? Adrienne’s corpse...”
The voice that he had barely suppressed at the unbelievable sight began to shake when his eyes met Adrienne’s.
His thick adam’s apple gurgled as if he was swallowing something.
Adrienne’s side, where blood was flowing, was hidden from him by the tall coffin. Adrienne thought that was fortunate.
“Why does Baroness Kuroseda’s body belong to you, brother?”
“It’s not me! Noevian Trovica, our uncle created this space for me! Isn’t that really a strange hobby? My goodness, how surprised I must have been! That woman approached me intentionally too! She was the woman you had in mind, so I was just looking out for you!”
How disgusting. She wanted to shout no, but Adrienne kept silent and looked at Rhodnes first.
Bardenaldo's face was so hard that Rhodnes did not believe in his words. No matter how much you have been, you are not like that. It's not a lifetime.
The three shutters were wide open, and even Rhodnes, who had never entered Bardenaldo’s bedroom before, was a complete mess. Vases and glass ornaments that had been placed here and there were broken.
“Madam!”
It was not like they were trying to play hide-and-seek.
It was hard to believe that Adrienne had entered the Crown Prince’s palace bedroom in the middle of the night, but the room was even stranger when it was so messy and empty.
Furthermore, it was a bad feeling that Noevian Trovica had entered here.
Rhodnes looked through the closet and under the blanket without hesitation, and even checked the locked windows, but he could not find any trace of anyone.
Then, suddenly, he felt as if someone was watching him and turned his head.
The huge portrait of Empress Letina hanging in the corner was smiling benevolently at him. He turned to the portrait as if possessed.
When he approached, the portrait was hung crookedly. It was as if it was a door that had not been closed yet.
“...Door?”
As he stepped into the suffocating entrance to the underworld, Rhodnes encountered a familiar yet unfamiliar voice in the place he had gone down to in a daze.
“You. Did you love Rhodnes?”
“Yes. The one I love the most in the world...”
The voice he had searched for so long.
“...My brother whom I hate the most in the world.”
The voice he had protected his entire life.
***
“Oh, Roan!”
The Crown Prince suddenly stood up and staggered towards Rhodnes to greet him.
Rhodnes’ eyes kept scanning his body. It was not a look of concern.
“What is all this?”
“Can’t you see it? My uncle and his government conspired to send this order!”
His lips, unable to even let out a sneer, were tightly shut.
The Crown Prince began to speak earnestly. He had no doubt that his allies had come, having escaped the numerical disadvantage.
“Come on, come on, kill those bastards! Roan! I was so scared I thought I would die.”
“What are all those corpses? Adrienne’s corpse...”
The voice that he had barely suppressed at the unbelievable sight began to shake when his eyes met Adrienne’s.
His thick adam’s apple gurgled as if he was swallowing something.
Adrienne’s side, where blood was flowing, was hidden from him by the tall coffin. Adrienne thought that was fortunate.
“Why does Baroness Kuroseda’s body belong to you, brother?”
“It’s not me! Noevian Trovica, our uncle created this space for me! Isn’t that really a strange hobby? My goodness, how surprised I must have been! That woman approached me intentionally too! She was the woman you had in mind, so I was just looking out for you!”
How disgusting. She wanted to shout no, but Adrienne kept silent and looked at Rhodnes first.
Bardenaldo's face was so hard that Rhodnes did not believe in his words. No matter how much you have been, you are not like that. It's not a lifetime.
The distorted voice fell in front of Bardenaldo like a spurt of blood.
“I loved my brother and my mother, so I just lived according to those wishes.”
In contrast to the sorrowful voice, the red eyes like a forest fire were quietly burning.
“Wasn’t it enough that I sent the one person I wanted so badly to someone else? What about that corpse? How can you, who watched me run around tirelessly to get that person, have the corpse of Baroness Kuroseda?”
He should have shouted, grabbed his shoulder, and shook him. However, Rhodnes gritted his teeth and held on tightly to the Crown Prince’s wet shoulder, enduring it. His face and upper body were abnormally wet. He could see his face, which was flushed with fever.
This wasn’t Bardenaldo. There was no way that the person who looked like this among these corpses, in this situation, could be his brother. Rhodnes denied, denied, and denied again.
“...How arrogant, Roan.”
The eyes of Rhodnes, who was mumbling with both eyes reddened, clashed sharply with the deep blue eyes he had always wanted.
Rhodnes had fought countless enemies, eye to eye, but this was the first time he had faced Bardenaldo.
“I am the Crown Prince of this country. If I want it, I get it.”
The heat gradually drained from Rhodnes’ face, which had been burning with anger. It was like seeing a monster he had never encountered before.
“You certainly did, Roan. When you came to me saying you wanted Adrienne Piretta.”
The lips that had been neat despite their lustful appearance twisted.
Rhodnes’s face hardened at the sight of a face that seemed to mock the world’s most humble enemy.
“I can give in to everything else, but I cannot give in to Adrienne Piretta.”
Bardenaldo raised his eyebrows as if recalling that time, narrowed his brows, and smiled as if he was in awe.
“Give-in-?”
“...”
“What are you giving in to whom?”
Clear mockery.
Not only was his mouth drooping exaggeratedly, but his eyes sparkling as if he was angry could only be described as mockery.
“Always. Always. Do you think I don’t know? You’ve always lost to me, so unfairly.”
Bardenaldo ground his teeth and shook off his shoulder. Rhodnes dropped his arms and blankly looked down at him.
“You don’t even know who’s really watching you.”
“I’ve never watched you. I just didn’t want to win. There can’t be any ill will, right? What does that have to do with Adrienne?”
“Adrienne Piretta is mine!”
Bardenaldo screamed. It was a shrill sound of layered emotions scraping his throat.
“Whether it’s Castagna’s daughter or Piretta’s daughter, they should both be mine, but I can’t stand the fact that one of them likes you.”
The Crown Prince’s mouth was splitting open as if it were nothing, and he looked like a devil himself.
“It is I who should be the one to yield, not you. But you don’t know that and you keep telling me that you can’t yield to me. So is it a crime to tell my dog to hold it for a while?”
“...How arrogant, Roan.”
The eyes of Rhodnes, who was mumbling with both eyes reddened, clashed sharply with the deep blue eyes he had always wanted.
Rhodnes had fought countless enemies, eye to eye, but this was the first time he had faced Bardenaldo.
“I am the Crown Prince of this country. If I want it, I get it.”
The heat gradually drained from Rhodnes’ face, which had been burning with anger. It was like seeing a monster he had never encountered before.
“You certainly did, Roan. When you came to me saying you wanted Adrienne Piretta.”
The lips that had been neat despite their lustful appearance twisted.
Rhodnes’s face hardened at the sight of a face that seemed to mock the world’s most humble enemy.
“I can give in to everything else, but I cannot give in to Adrienne Piretta.”
Bardenaldo raised his eyebrows as if recalling that time, narrowed his brows, and smiled as if he was in awe.
“Give-in-?”
“...”
“What are you giving in to whom?”
Clear mockery.
Not only was his mouth drooping exaggeratedly, but his eyes sparkling as if he was angry could only be described as mockery.
“Always. Always. Do you think I don’t know? You’ve always lost to me, so unfairly.”
Bardenaldo ground his teeth and shook off his shoulder. Rhodnes dropped his arms and blankly looked down at him.
“You don’t even know who’s really watching you.”
“I’ve never watched you. I just didn’t want to win. There can’t be any ill will, right? What does that have to do with Adrienne?”
“Adrienne Piretta is mine!”
Bardenaldo screamed. It was a shrill sound of layered emotions scraping his throat.
“Whether it’s Castagna’s daughter or Piretta’s daughter, they should both be mine, but I can’t stand the fact that one of them likes you.”
The Crown Prince’s mouth was splitting open as if it were nothing, and he looked like a devil himself.
“It is I who should be the one to yield, not you. But you don’t know that and you keep telling me that you can’t yield to me. So is it a crime to tell my dog to hold it for a while?”
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