When the tear-soaked lips parted, the lovers who had shared their first kiss had no time to reunite. It was Rhodnes who was the first to part ways as if he was in a dream.
Rhodnes, who had a blank expression for a moment, slowly looked at the woman standing in front of him. Dark blond hair that shimmered in the chandelier light. As soon as his lips parted, her eyelids quietly lifted, and her greenish eyes, which were even more sparkling than his, looked up at him.
Although somewhat pale, Rhodnes’s eyes were clearly moist and sparkling, indicating that the most beautiful lips were his. A ticklish feeling like a disease welled up beneath his distorted mind. At the same time, something that wasn’t tears seemed to surge up through his heart.
It was Adrienne. Adrienne. The Adrienne he remembered, and who was even more splendid and fragile than his memories, was right in front of him.
"Nope."
With a pale face, she stabbed Bardenaldo. As if this were the last moment of the world, his lips met Adrienne. His head, which had been tangled up in a mess, turned completely white the moment Adrienne, who had knocked down Bardenaldo, stepped on him and stood up.
"Nope."
With a pale face, she stabbed Bardenaldo. As if this were the last moment of the world, his lips met Adrienne. His head, which had been tangled up in a mess, turned completely white the moment Adrienne, who had knocked down Bardenaldo, stepped on him and stood up.
The clot that had been pounding his chest as if it were going to burst, hardened as if he had been doused with cold water, and then disappeared as if it were no longer his own. Rhodnes lowered his head again as if he was being dragged by Adrienne’s lips which had clearly touched and then left.
Yes. I wish this were the end of the world.
The truth that he couldn’t handle, the sincerity of the family that he had dedicated his whole life to... The clichéd words like “Is this really Adrien?” and “Have you found your body again?” never came out in the first place.
Rhodnes just wanted to pull the waist of the woman who was trying to hold him back and believe the words she had said. It was desperate. His deep eyes quietly closed, and Rhodnes’ head tilted to the side as hot tears fell down. But the devil of the underworld would not leave them alone.
"Shit..."
The lips of the two who had been feeling each other's breaths silently were about to touch again when the Crown Prince, who had been quiet for a moment, started to struggle and tried to get up. Rhodnes completely erased his dazed face and pulled Adrienne to him and hid her behind him. Since it was the Emperor's birthday party and he was in the hall, he could not carry a weapon, but hiz murderous intent to protect Adrienne was sharpened to a level sharper than a blade.
“Fuck, am I losing my mind? What did I just see? Uncle... Uncle!”
Bardenaldo’s face twisted in pain, unable to pull out the dagger stuck in his back. He barely managed to sit up on his knees and only then faced Adrienne, who was standing behind Rhodnes, and Rhodnes, who was leading the way to protect her.
The lips of the two who had been feeling each other's breaths silently were about to touch again when the Crown Prince, who had been quiet for a moment, started to struggle and tried to get up. Rhodnes completely erased his dazed face and pulled Adrienne to him and hid her behind him. Since it was the Emperor's birthday party and he was in the hall, he could not carry a weapon, but hiz murderous intent to protect Adrienne was sharpened to a level sharper than a blade.
“Fuck, am I losing my mind? What did I just see? Uncle... Uncle!”
Bardenaldo’s face twisted in pain, unable to pull out the dagger stuck in his back. He barely managed to sit up on his knees and only then faced Adrienne, who was standing behind Rhodnes, and Rhodnes, who was leading the way to protect her.
Noevian gave no answer. Adrienne, who was glaring at the Crown Prince, felt Noevian’s gaze clearly piercing her cheek, but she turned away. Noevian’s legs belatedly gave out and he knelt on the cold floor. The sound of his holding his breath dissipated into the air instead of an answer.
“Adrienne.”
Rhodnes' voice fell heavily to the floor, somewhat coldly. Adrienne looked up at Rhodnes' broad back, which was holding her arm tightly.
"Thank you."
“!”
Rhodnes, who had come to his senses, gave a short, low thank you.
“Everyone, they all conspired, they all fooled me! Everyone!”
As Bardenaldo, who had misunderstood the words, began to talk nonsense again, Rhodnes's hand on Adrienne's arm tightened. Adrienne immediately realized what that meant.
“Roan...!”
“Adrienne.”
Rhodnes' voice fell heavily to the floor, somewhat coldly. Adrienne looked up at Rhodnes' broad back, which was holding her arm tightly.
"Thank you."
“!”
Rhodnes, who had come to his senses, gave a short, low thank you.
“Everyone, they all conspired, they all fooled me! Everyone!”
As Bardenaldo, who had misunderstood the words, began to talk nonsense again, Rhodnes's hand on Adrienne's arm tightened. Adrienne immediately realized what that meant.
“Roan...!”
“I have to kill him.”
Before he could whisper softly, Bardenaldo reached out and pulled Adrienne away from Rhodnes, even though blood was dripping down his arm from his bent back in pain. Foolishly, it was an act filled with the strange certainty that his brother, who had blocked his path, would not harm him. Rhodnes slapped Bardenaldo’s hand hard before it could pass him and reach Adrienne. It was more of a sideways push than a slap, but the destructive force was tremendous. With his skill honed in actual combat, he not only pushed Bardenaldo away in one go but also pulled the dagger out of his back at the same time. Blood gushed out where the dagger had been pulled out.
“Roan!”
Adrienne's scream briefly echoed in Rhodnes's ears and then disappeared. Bardenaldo fell down as he was knocked out, then, feeling the murderous intent that was upon him, he pushed off the ground with his bare feet and retreated. The only place he had fled to was in front of Noevian.
“Uncle... Uncle, uncle!”
There was still no answer from him. Noevian’s gaze was directed past Rhodnes, who was holding a dagger covered in hot blood, to Adrienne. Bardenaldo, who chewed and spat out a curse with his clenched lower lip, felt the enormity of Rhodnes, who was slowly walking toward him, etched into his bones. Rhodnes didn’t even need to try to threaten him. Bardenaldo’s body trembled on its own, like a small animal that felt the overwhelming power.
“Red eyes...”
When Bardenaldo saw the eyes of boiling lava, he was gripped by fear that he would die inside them, and he finally decided to send Rhodnes to hell.
“Red eyes ruin the country!”
The beast's tantrum, sensing danger, was horrific.
“Second Prince Rhodnes, who had been hiding his claws! He repaid kindness with enmity! He killed his older brother, the Crown Prince, and is trying to lead the country to ruin!”
Just as a beast in danger of death heightens its senses to recognize danger, Bardenaldo sensed the sound of outsiders, called by Rhodnes, struggling to open the door of this secret room that he had entered and exited countless times.
“That ghost story was right! I shouldn’t have even pretended to love you! The moment that ghost story becomes reality, our mother will wail in the basement! My foolish, foolish little brother!!”
Under the pressure of the murderous intent that suffocated him, Bardenaldo screamed until blood gushed from his throat. An unknown emotion toward Empress Letina appeared like fog in Rhodnes’s calm eyes, but that was all. Bardenaldo’s expression, which had brightened as if he had found light in the endless darkness at the momentary appearance of agitation, did not last long. This was because he saw thicker tendons sprouting in Rhodnes’ hand that was holding the dagger. The light that had been swaying with complex emotions in Rhodnes’ eyes was now suppressed by anger and could no longer show its true colors.
Bardenaldo had a gut feeling at that moment. Those were eyes that held the will to eliminate the enemy in front of him even if it meant his own death.
“No. No. I am your hope. I am your glory! Roan! You were fooled by a lowly woman and your brother...!”
That was when.
“Roan!”
As if by a miracle, someone stood in front of Bardenaldo. A blond woman with waves of gold spread her arms and blocked Bardenaldo, facing Rhodnes. The sharp sword energy subsided in an instant, and Rhodnes’s face, distorted in agony, turned to her.
“...Get out of my way.”
“Don’t get meaningless blood on your hands. He’s someone who deserves to be killed, but if he’s someone you’re willing to kill with your own hands and suffer, don’t do it.”
Adrienne screamed, trembling.
“No matter what regrets I have, I have to get rid of him.”
This time, Rhodnes chewed on his teeth as if he could not follow her words. Bardenaldo had trampled his life. He knew his love for his brother, but he used him, and he passed the woman he loved most in his life on to another man. He even tried to kill her and keep her by his side.
“No. No. I am your hope. I am your glory! Roan! You were fooled by a lowly woman and your brother...!”
That was when.
“Roan!”
As if by a miracle, someone stood in front of Bardenaldo. A blond woman with waves of gold spread her arms and blocked Bardenaldo, facing Rhodnes. The sharp sword energy subsided in an instant, and Rhodnes’s face, distorted in agony, turned to her.
“...Get out of my way.”
“Don’t get meaningless blood on your hands. He’s someone who deserves to be killed, but if he’s someone you’re willing to kill with your own hands and suffer, don’t do it.”
Adrienne screamed, trembling.
“No matter what regrets I have, I have to get rid of him.”
This time, Rhodnes chewed on his teeth as if he could not follow her words. Bardenaldo had trampled his life. He knew his love for his brother, but he used him, and he passed the woman he loved most in his life on to another man. He even tried to kill her and keep her by his side.
Although Rhodnes had not heard Bardenaldo’s confession that he had killed Adrienne, he could feel with his own skin that his brother had been deeply involved in her death. What if he had been even a little late and Adrienne had died again at Bardenaldo’s hands?
Just thinking about it made his head explode with anger. When he had struck down Noevian. When Noevian had unhesitatingly pointed out Bardenaldo, his lifeline, he should have watched Bardenaldo more coldly. He should have suspected Bardenaldo more strongly. He should have. Even if he could not restore his mother’s glory... the instinct to destroy the living Adrienne before his eyes, and by extension, Bardenaldo, who was deceiving this entire country, fell upon him like a thunderbolt.
“I can’t leave you like this, brother.”
Red eyes lead the country to ruin. Maybe that ghost story was true. If I kill my brother, who I loved longer than Adrienne, his heart will wander in hell for the rest of his life, and my mother will cry in the underworld. But can I just pretend not to know? Close my eyes and cover my ears. Can I make my brother like this the emperor in the name of my mother's will?
'Did my mother really want that?'
Rhodnes shook his head. Even if those who did not know the inside story were pointing fingers at him, he could no longer tolerate Bardenaldo threatening the resurrected Adrienne.
Red eyes lead the country to ruin. Maybe that ghost story was true. If I kill my brother, who I loved longer than Adrienne, his heart will wander in hell for the rest of his life, and my mother will cry in the underworld. But can I just pretend not to know? Close my eyes and cover my ears. Can I make my brother like this the emperor in the name of my mother's will?
'Did my mother really want that?'
Rhodnes shook his head. Even if those who did not know the inside story were pointing fingers at him, he could no longer tolerate Bardenaldo threatening the resurrected Adrienne.
“Let me finish it.”
He scratched his neck as if pleading with Adrienne. Even the regret of killing Bardenaldo is his own. Adrienne doesn’t need to worry about that.
He scratched his neck as if pleading with Adrienne. Even the regret of killing Bardenaldo is his own. Adrienne doesn’t need to worry about that.
Adrienne bit her lips, holding back the tears welling up in her eyes. Rhodnes already had a lot of blood on his hands. The nickname ‘Ronta’s Problem Child’ was just an image he had created for himself, hoping that his brother would shine more. Adrienne knew that his pride in fighting for this country was shattered in an instant and that the guilt of his brother’s sins was eating away at him.
Adrienne slowly approached Rhodnes. She covered his face with both hands as if telling him not to come closer, and kissed him again. The trembling of his hot and rough lips was transmitted to her lips. Touching his forehead, Adrienne chewed and spat like this.
“There is someone else who will kill him.”
Adrienne turned to Noevian, who was watching them blankly. The eyes like the night sea that she had once loved so much rippled violently as soon as they met. Adrienne gently shook off Rhodnes’s hand that was trying to grab her hand and walked towards Noevian. Then, she took the dagger from Rhodnes’ hand and threw it in front of Noevian, who was kneeling. With a crack, Noevian’s frozen face broke.
“You, kill him.”
“!”
A thin stream of tears flowed down Noevian's eyes, which were shaking slightly. Adrienne continued coldly.
“If anyone bothers me, you will cut off their head.”
Adrienne's voice was sinister, yet at the same time eerily tender.
“You clearly told me that.”
Just like Noevian that day. Noevian's long fingers gripped my knee tightly.
“So keep your promise. You’re a man who keeps your promises. You said you’d make me happy?”
You clearly whispered that anyone who bothered me would have their head cut off.
"Therefore..."
Adrienne whispered again, lifting the tip of his chin as if chewing.
“...You, kill him.”
“There is someone else who will kill him.”
Adrienne turned to Noevian, who was watching them blankly. The eyes like the night sea that she had once loved so much rippled violently as soon as they met. Adrienne gently shook off Rhodnes’s hand that was trying to grab her hand and walked towards Noevian. Then, she took the dagger from Rhodnes’ hand and threw it in front of Noevian, who was kneeling. With a crack, Noevian’s frozen face broke.
“You, kill him.”
“!”
A thin stream of tears flowed down Noevian's eyes, which were shaking slightly. Adrienne continued coldly.
“If anyone bothers me, you will cut off their head.”
Adrienne's voice was sinister, yet at the same time eerily tender.
“You clearly told me that.”
Just like Noevian that day. Noevian's long fingers gripped my knee tightly.
“So keep your promise. You’re a man who keeps your promises. You said you’d make me happy?”
You clearly whispered that anyone who bothered me would have their head cut off.
"Therefore..."
Adrienne whispered again, lifting the tip of his chin as if chewing.
“...You, kill him.”
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