"This matter is so serious that I cannot cover it up. I have no choice but to inform His Majesty. The laws of Katzen apply equally to Your Highness the Prince..."
"I know. Yes."
Cesare held out both hands.
The knights of the Katzen Imperial Family who accompanied him wrapped ropes around his arms, looking puzzled as if to say, "Is this the right thing?"
"Your Highness the Grand Duke must also come with us. You are currently staying at the scene."
Jason was also captured along with them.
"The Princess of Valdina..."
"You need to tie it a little tighter. If you tie it loosely like this, it will sound like you're telling me to run away."
Cesare retorted with an indifferent face.
The attendant was speechless.
This is because I realized that the First Prince's words, which were blocking me, meant to pressure me to end the case here without asking any more questions to Valdina.
"...Yes, Your house."
He lowered his head and gave a low warning to the First Prince.
"Your Highness's position may be jeopardized by this incident."
'What on earth is this person thinking?'
The chief of the court could not understand it.
'Jared? He's neither the Emperor's faction nor the First Prince's faction, he's just some idiot. Why is the First Prince carrying this burden?'
The battle for the throne was already tilted toward the First Prince. If nothing special had happened, this man would have seized the throne without difficulty.
If only he hadn't had the same accident just now.
"You have come back with great difficulty. His Majesty is not one to miss an opportunity."
Cesare asked back, raising the corners of his lips as if it was a new question.
"When has that ever happened?"
There has never been a time when the Emperor has not taken what was Cesare's.
The chamberlain was speechless.
Cesare tapped him on the shoulder.
"I cherish those who have faith. That's why I like you."
"... Your Highness."
The old chief chamberlain became upset as he watched the back of the first Prince walking slowly with a more confident gait than anyone else.
Medea looked at Cesare being dragged away, tied with rope.
Even at that moment, their eyes never met.
Now she knows that it was that guy's consideration.
It was unfamiliar.
The man who gives affection while leaving the pleasure of revenge to Medea and taking the price for it himself is called a black devil in the world.
That Medea is the object of that protection.
"Your Highness, you don't need to fear me. Even if I tell you this, you won't believe me anyway."
"Dea."
Medea, who had been unable to take her eyes off his back, had to turn around at her brother's call.
Somehow, she had a feeling that the sight of him moving away would remain in her mind for a long time.
The first Prince, who had been in differently ignoring Medea's gaze, raised his head and stared at Peleus when she turned around.
The clear golden eyes did not avoid Peleus's gaze. Instead, they pointed somewhere with their eyes.
Peleus noticed a blade protruding slightly from the edge of the curtain behind the altar in the direction he had pointed.
'Dagger.'
A dagger was thrown next to the dead Jared.
"..."
Peleus nodded slightly.
It was the moment when the two men's intentions aligned in protecting Medea.
Peleus lowered his gaze to Medea in his arms.
His eyes grew cold as he noticed the red wound on his sister's neck.
"Your Majesty. This matter..."
"Valdina doesn't need any more explanation from Katzen.
Peleus' cool voice rang out.
"So, Katzen, don't do anything anymore."
The chamberlain swallowed a sigh at Emperor Valdina's words.
The hidden meaning behind the words he didn't even say was clear.
It meant that he was clearly rejecting any influence Katzen might have over this matter.
But there was nothing to say. The weight of responsibility that Katzen had to bear in this situation was too heavy.
If only the Princess of Valdina had killed Jared, it could have been covered up somehow.
Even Prince Cesare had voluntarily admitted it, so even that was far off. What else would Valdina have to deal with this time?
'His Majesty will be on a rampage for a long time.'
He glanced at the Emperor, who was emitting a cold aura.
When the chief chamberlain heard the news that Jared had kidnapped the Princess, he also moved quickly.
During his search for this place, he coincidentally came across the young Emperor of Valdina dealing with a band of assassins.
It seems that the conspirators were looking for an opportunity to take advantage of the Emperor's weakness due to his only sister's misfortune.
The assassination squad, consisting of all swordsmen using aura, seemed determined to deal with the target.
But the Emperor's greatsword was like cold, emotionless ice.
Under the trajectory of light that penetrated without hesitation like solid ice, the water was cut off like fallen autumn leaves.
Even the speed was surprising.
Even if they were his master's personal guard, they wouldn't be able to deal with those with such powers so quickly.
The single thread of longing felt in the quiet and refined violence that neither blood nor emotion can be read must be directed at his sister.
While he was amazed at the camaraderie, an involuntary groan escaped from the corner of the attendant's wrinkled lips.
'Valdina is now out of our hands.'
Because now he realized that it would be forever difficult for his homeland to rule the Valdina that the author guards.
"Yes. I will call you soon."
The attendant swallowed a sigh.
The wind in the dreary forest cried mournfully as if expressing his gloom.
***
The sun has risen.
"Oh my, it's a sack."
The man stretched, his body heavy. His back was loaded with luggage.
He had left home early in the morning because he had some business to deliver inside the castle walls.
"Oh my, if you want me to bring it right away after unloading the goods from the ship, I would have refused even if you hadn't added a tip. What the heck? Why are you pushing me like this?"
The man who entered the square grumbling stopped. The street was filled with people.
"Why are there so many people at this hour? Oh my God!"
He soon became pale.
This was because they discovered long objects hanging from high poles in the square, above the heads of the chattering crowd.
It was a corpse, swaying desolately in the wind.
"Oh my God, what is that?!"
"What the heck! They are assassins who are targeting the Valdina royal family and plotting to assassinate Our Majesty!"
"What? Who the hell?!"
"Who the hell are you! It's those damn Katzen guys. Do you recognize the guy in the middle?"
A passerby pointed to a red-haired corpse hanging from a central pillar.
On a golden scroll hanging beside the pillar was written in large letters that anyone could read:
[This man is the general of Katzen who attempted to take His Majesty's life but failed. Katzen's vain ambitions will remain here as a laughing stock along with this man's corpse.]
"That's right, that's right! That damned General of Katzen who harassed our Highness the Princess three years ago!"
"That bastard even attacked Her Highness the Princess. He was trying to get Her Highness to leave the palace and assassinate her."
The passerby lowered his voice and added as if telling a story he had heard somewhere.
"That bastard! He's going to go to hell and get lightning strikes!"
The man quickly became one with the passers-by and began cursing the dead Jared with a heated expression.
"If the Katzen guys are involved again, we can't tolerate it anymore! Let's go cut off Emperor Katzen's head! We have to show that incompetent Emperor the price for messing with our Valdina!"
The anger of the Valdinians burned brightly.
Everyone passing by the square spat at the hanging corpses without exception.
Even foreigners still remaining in the strait expressed their doubts and shock at Katzen's excessive behavior.
On the other hand, my liver and gallbladder felt cold.
The corpses hanging in the square all had their hands and feet twisted in grotesque ways.
Even Jared's body looked much more gruesome than those of the assassins on either side.
One hand was completely cut off and there were stab wounds all over his body.
The most eye-catching of all was the Katzen flag wrapped around his body, torn here and there.
Their eyes were closed, but their distorted expressions were frozen, making it easy to imagine the confusion and pain they felt in their final moments.
If this were a warning to enemies targeting Valdina, nothing could be clearer.
"I have heard that the Emperor of Valdina is young but just, and he is also skilled in demagoguery. He must know the character of Perdiccas II."
Leonor, the commander of the Knights Templar of the Holy Nation, sighed in admiration.
He was leaning against the window overlooking the square.
A shadow of deep thought appeared on Leonor's face as he gazed silently at the square beyond the window.
Why would they tear the Katzen flag, and shred it, on Jared's body?
It was a clear provocation from Peleus to Perdiccas II while also indicating his affiliation with Katzen.
Even the Pope he serves wouldn't be able to mock Katzen so openly.
"Are you really going to go to war with Katzen? It won't be easy for a new nation."
"But even if that were true, what would Katzen say? They secretly sent a ten-star General to Valdina to kidnap the Princess and force her into marriage, and he was caught on the spot trying to assassinate the Emperor..."
"Really, was he trying to marry the Princess?"
Just then, someone suddenly cut the knight off. It was Theo.
The fellow knight nodded, slightly raising his eyebrows in puzzlement.
"Yes, he was removed by the First Prince before the oath."
"..."
When Theo heard those words, a fire rose up in his chest.
It was an emotion similar to anger, but he didn't know why he was reacting so emotionally to the Princess's work.
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