'Because you're such a cheeky girl.'
He had never suspected anything until this incident.
The situation was already too tilted for anyone to believe anything that came out of a young girl's mouth.
Despite this, the Emperor still firmly believes in the prophecy.
Paulo clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at the Emperor who had lost his gun.
'If you stay on a sinking ship, you will only end up dying.'
So, to survive, he had to abandon the emperor and flee this place.
The Emperor may not know, but the rebels wouldn't waste time looking for a single runaway Duke.
And Paulo wasn't the only one who thought so.
The snow that keeps falling has soon turned the whole world white.
Snowflakes piled up on the twisted and dying leaves on the ground.
And beyond the window, there was someone who was looking down at the snow-covered plains where no one had stepped. He had cold silver hair reminiscent of winter and blue eyes like the blue lake.
“Isaac.”
Jason approached Isaac, who was staring out the window in silence.
“What on earth is out there that you're staring at so intently?”
He looked at where Isaac's eyes were, wondering if there was anything fun going on outside.
But all he could see was the boring sight of snow falling.
Jason licked his lips in disappointment as he realized that there was nothing as he had expected.
“Does a grown man like it snowing that much every time?”
Jason explored at Isaac.
It's already been more than ten years since the two met.
And even now, more than a dozen years ago, Isaac would stare blankly out the window whenever snow covered the world like it does now.
In a daze so deep that he didn't even notice the person approaching from behind.
Isaac, who had been smiling faintly at Jason who was treating him like a little boy, walked away from the window.
"Then shall we go now?"
“I'm glad you remember.”
The two were about to report to Carsis about the current situation together today.
It's already been a week since the battle at the spire ended.
Was it because Carsis was so shocked that the Crown Prince died for him?
Carsis, who had expected to attack the Emperor's camp right away, announced today, a week later, that he intended to end the war.
“There is no point in wasting any more time.”
This morning, he received a report from a knight who had gone out to spy on the Emperor's camp that the Emperor's soldiers had deserted frequently and that there were only a few dozen soldiers left. It was embarrassing to even call them soldiers.
On the contrary, they had already arrived in the capital with reinforcements, but there was no need to lead all these troops.
“This war is already over anyway.”
Unless a miracle happens, it is their victory.
The time has finally come to put an end to this long, long feud.
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's camp, unlike before, there was no sign of any vitality.
There is only a heavy silence flowing, to the point where you wonder if people are living there.
And Deborah was walking leisurely in the meantime.
A tray of warm tea was placed there to be served to the Emperor.
“Lady Oroz.”
As always, Deborah was heading to the Emperor's barracks.
Cullen called Deborah over as if he had been waiting for her.
"You are..."
She trailed off as if she didn't understand why Cullen, the knight of the dead Crown Prince, was still here.
That's understandable, the tide has already turned and those who are quick to catch on have all left this place.
Cullen told Deborah that he had set an example as a knight.
"Reinforcements from the capital have arrived in Jamesburg. They will be coming here any moment now."
“…”
“But will you still remain here?”
Cullen didn't understand why Deborah stayed here for the Emperor until the end.
Duke Philosykos, who was so loyal, had also long since abandoned the Emperor.
The Duke said he would come up with a plan to turn the tide of the battle, but no one believed him except the Emperor.
Moreover, the morale of the Emperor's camp was broken by the death of the main force and the Crown Prince in the Battle of the Spire, and with the departure of Duke Philosykos, it became irreversible.
The soldiers, one after another, deserted. The army, which had no troops left to catch the deserters, collapsed helplessly.
Because of that, most of the people who remain here now have nowhere to return to.
Just like him.
Cullen clenched his fists as he looked at Deborah.
He had no reason to remain here any longer since the crown prince he was supposed to protect was already dead, but he still couldn't leave Deborah here alone.
Because if his master, Ernest, were alive, he would have protected Lady Oroz until the end.
"If you're worried about going north alone, I'll take you there. So..."
"Thank you for your concern, Cullen. But I will not leave His Majesty's side."
“Why...”
Even if she was the successor to the Oroz family, there was no way a traitor would just sit by and watch someone help the Emperor.
Cullen frowned, finding it difficult to understand Deborah's insistence on staying until the end.
Deborah smiled faintly at Cullen and answered.
“I have work to do and I have to stay here.”
So, leaving behind words whose meaning was difficult to understand, she turned her steps towards the Emperor's barracks.
The barracks where the Emperor was filled with smoky smoke rising from the incense burner.
As soon as she entered the barracks, she began to ventilate the room by blowing out the incense she had been burning.
Then she took the teacup she had put down for a moment and placed it in front of the Emperor.
"Have some tea. The weather has gotten a lot colder."
Her soft voice reached the Emperor along with the hot steam rising in wisps.
Graham stared blankly at the teacup Deborah handed him.
It was because he was intoxicated by the incense that filled the barracks that he was not in his right mind.
He had been extremely anxious since Paulo left Hamelon, thinking that Carsis would soon behead him.
But then again, he was filled with a moment of confidence and arrogance, believing that he would be able to return to the capital in glory.
In short, he was not in his right mind right now.
He would lose his mind dozens of times a day, and he didn't realize that many soldiers had deserted and that he would soon have to kneel before Carsis.
The Emperor became nervous as Duke Philosykos' absence grew longer, and he burned soothing incense to calm his nerves. However, the amount was so excessive that the Emperor's mind gradually became dull.
Moreover, his appearance began to deteriorate again, perhaps because of the strong smell.
The stench began to engulf him again, and he could only barely swallow the food. Deborah was feeding him, his eyes unfocused, not knowing where his previous gun had gone.
Just a week.
In one week, he was reduced to the state of a broken doll.
Deborah, who was delighted with that fact, smiled bitterly.
One day at most.
No, maybe Carsis was already leading his army here.
To cut off the head of the Emperor, who is the root of all these tragedies.
And that also meant that it was time to reveal the whole truth to the Emperor.
So Deborah, with a more careful gesture than ever before, brought the clearing tea to the Emperor's lips.
Because more than ever, the Emperor needs to listen to her words with a clear mind.
Deborah opened her mouth only after wiping the corners of the Emperor's mouth clean with a handkerchief as she drank tea.
“Do you remember the prophecy my mother made to Your Majesty?”
The Emperor looked at Deborah as her voice spread brightly.
At the word prophecy, a strange light seemed to flash in his eyes.
"The prophecy that said a child born to the House of Jupiter would kill His Majesty the Emperor. The cause of all this."
“…”
“What if Your Majesty was actually mistaken about that prophecy?”
Graham's eyebrows twitched as he stared at Deborah.
"For example, the child of prophecy is not actually Bellona..."
She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing.
"What if it were me?"
Perhaps the medicine she had left in the tea was starting to take effect. Graham's eyes began to focus on Deborah's words.
He looked at Deborah with clear eyes and narrowed his eyebrows as if trying to understand her intentions.
“...What does that mean?”
He asked with a choked voice.
It was evidence that his mind, which had been intoxicated by the scent, had returned.
Only then did Deborah answer with a bright smile.
"Actually, it wasn't Bellona, it was me. The real prophecy child who would kill you."
"I knew. The atrocities you did to my mother."
As she continued speaking, she recalled the things the Emperor had said to her in the past.
The image of a wicked man who used to call her mother by her nickname as if she were the most precious person in the world.
"How shameless. After doing something like that..."
Looking at the Emperor's face, it was clear that he really didn't know anything.
How could you trample a woman's life so cruelly and not even suspect that she would lie to you?
Was it really true that he was the man who inherited the blood of the Clepius family the most?
The Emperor, who had thought that the Duke of Philosykos, including the Oroz family, would never betray him, found it very funny.
He was a perfect man in every way since birth.
He was born as a legitimate heir through the Empress's concubine, and with powers more powerful than his predecessors, no one could deny that he was the successor to the empire.
So he was arrogant and overly optimistic about everything.
The arrogance of believing that everything in the world flows as one wishes and that the world is on one's side.
The situation was already too tilted for anyone to believe anything that came out of a young girl's mouth.
Despite this, the Emperor still firmly believes in the prophecy.
Paulo clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at the Emperor who had lost his gun.
'If you stay on a sinking ship, you will only end up dying.'
So, to survive, he had to abandon the emperor and flee this place.
The Emperor may not know, but the rebels wouldn't waste time looking for a single runaway Duke.
And Paulo wasn't the only one who thought so.
***
The snow that keeps falling has soon turned the whole world white.
Snowflakes piled up on the twisted and dying leaves on the ground.
And beyond the window, there was someone who was looking down at the snow-covered plains where no one had stepped. He had cold silver hair reminiscent of winter and blue eyes like the blue lake.
“Isaac.”
Jason approached Isaac, who was staring out the window in silence.
“What on earth is out there that you're staring at so intently?”
He looked at where Isaac's eyes were, wondering if there was anything fun going on outside.
But all he could see was the boring sight of snow falling.
Jason licked his lips in disappointment as he realized that there was nothing as he had expected.
“Does a grown man like it snowing that much every time?”
Jason explored at Isaac.
It's already been more than ten years since the two met.
And even now, more than a dozen years ago, Isaac would stare blankly out the window whenever snow covered the world like it does now.
In a daze so deep that he didn't even notice the person approaching from behind.
Isaac, who had been smiling faintly at Jason who was treating him like a little boy, walked away from the window.
"Then shall we go now?"
“I'm glad you remember.”
The two were about to report to Carsis about the current situation together today.
It's already been a week since the battle at the spire ended.
Was it because Carsis was so shocked that the Crown Prince died for him?
Carsis, who had expected to attack the Emperor's camp right away, announced today, a week later, that he intended to end the war.
“There is no point in wasting any more time.”
This morning, he received a report from a knight who had gone out to spy on the Emperor's camp that the Emperor's soldiers had deserted frequently and that there were only a few dozen soldiers left. It was embarrassing to even call them soldiers.
On the contrary, they had already arrived in the capital with reinforcements, but there was no need to lead all these troops.
“This war is already over anyway.”
Unless a miracle happens, it is their victory.
The time has finally come to put an end to this long, long feud.
***
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's camp, unlike before, there was no sign of any vitality.
There is only a heavy silence flowing, to the point where you wonder if people are living there.
And Deborah was walking leisurely in the meantime.
A tray of warm tea was placed there to be served to the Emperor.
“Lady Oroz.”
As always, Deborah was heading to the Emperor's barracks.
Cullen called Deborah over as if he had been waiting for her.
"You are..."
She trailed off as if she didn't understand why Cullen, the knight of the dead Crown Prince, was still here.
That's understandable, the tide has already turned and those who are quick to catch on have all left this place.
Cullen told Deborah that he had set an example as a knight.
"Reinforcements from the capital have arrived in Jamesburg. They will be coming here any moment now."
“…”
“But will you still remain here?”
Cullen didn't understand why Deborah stayed here for the Emperor until the end.
Duke Philosykos, who was so loyal, had also long since abandoned the Emperor.
The Duke said he would come up with a plan to turn the tide of the battle, but no one believed him except the Emperor.
Moreover, the morale of the Emperor's camp was broken by the death of the main force and the Crown Prince in the Battle of the Spire, and with the departure of Duke Philosykos, it became irreversible.
The soldiers, one after another, deserted. The army, which had no troops left to catch the deserters, collapsed helplessly.
Because of that, most of the people who remain here now have nowhere to return to.
Just like him.
Cullen clenched his fists as he looked at Deborah.
He had no reason to remain here any longer since the crown prince he was supposed to protect was already dead, but he still couldn't leave Deborah here alone.
Because if his master, Ernest, were alive, he would have protected Lady Oroz until the end.
"If you're worried about going north alone, I'll take you there. So..."
"Thank you for your concern, Cullen. But I will not leave His Majesty's side."
“Why...”
Even if she was the successor to the Oroz family, there was no way a traitor would just sit by and watch someone help the Emperor.
Cullen frowned, finding it difficult to understand Deborah's insistence on staying until the end.
Deborah smiled faintly at Cullen and answered.
“I have work to do and I have to stay here.”
So, leaving behind words whose meaning was difficult to understand, she turned her steps towards the Emperor's barracks.
***
The barracks where the Emperor was filled with smoky smoke rising from the incense burner.
As soon as she entered the barracks, she began to ventilate the room by blowing out the incense she had been burning.
Then she took the teacup she had put down for a moment and placed it in front of the Emperor.
"Have some tea. The weather has gotten a lot colder."
Her soft voice reached the Emperor along with the hot steam rising in wisps.
Graham stared blankly at the teacup Deborah handed him.
It was because he was intoxicated by the incense that filled the barracks that he was not in his right mind.
He had been extremely anxious since Paulo left Hamelon, thinking that Carsis would soon behead him.
But then again, he was filled with a moment of confidence and arrogance, believing that he would be able to return to the capital in glory.
In short, he was not in his right mind right now.
He would lose his mind dozens of times a day, and he didn't realize that many soldiers had deserted and that he would soon have to kneel before Carsis.
The Emperor became nervous as Duke Philosykos' absence grew longer, and he burned soothing incense to calm his nerves. However, the amount was so excessive that the Emperor's mind gradually became dull.
Moreover, his appearance began to deteriorate again, perhaps because of the strong smell.
The stench began to engulf him again, and he could only barely swallow the food. Deborah was feeding him, his eyes unfocused, not knowing where his previous gun had gone.
Just a week.
In one week, he was reduced to the state of a broken doll.
Deborah, who was delighted with that fact, smiled bitterly.
One day at most.
No, maybe Carsis was already leading his army here.
To cut off the head of the Emperor, who is the root of all these tragedies.
And that also meant that it was time to reveal the whole truth to the Emperor.
So Deborah, with a more careful gesture than ever before, brought the clearing tea to the Emperor's lips.
Because more than ever, the Emperor needs to listen to her words with a clear mind.
Deborah opened her mouth only after wiping the corners of the Emperor's mouth clean with a handkerchief as she drank tea.
“Do you remember the prophecy my mother made to Your Majesty?”
The Emperor looked at Deborah as her voice spread brightly.
At the word prophecy, a strange light seemed to flash in his eyes.
"The prophecy that said a child born to the House of Jupiter would kill His Majesty the Emperor. The cause of all this."
“…”
“What if Your Majesty was actually mistaken about that prophecy?”
Graham's eyebrows twitched as he stared at Deborah.
"For example, the child of prophecy is not actually Bellona..."
She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing.
"What if it were me?"
Perhaps the medicine she had left in the tea was starting to take effect. Graham's eyes began to focus on Deborah's words.
He looked at Deborah with clear eyes and narrowed his eyebrows as if trying to understand her intentions.
“...What does that mean?”
He asked with a choked voice.
It was evidence that his mind, which had been intoxicated by the scent, had returned.
Only then did Deborah answer with a bright smile.
"Actually, it wasn't Bellona, it was me. The real prophecy child who would kill you."
"I knew. The atrocities you did to my mother."
As she continued speaking, she recalled the things the Emperor had said to her in the past.
The image of a wicked man who used to call her mother by her nickname as if she were the most precious person in the world.
"How shameless. After doing something like that..."
Looking at the Emperor's face, it was clear that he really didn't know anything.
How could you trample a woman's life so cruelly and not even suspect that she would lie to you?
Was it really true that he was the man who inherited the blood of the Clepius family the most?
The Emperor, who had thought that the Duke of Philosykos, including the Oroz family, would never betray him, found it very funny.
He was a perfect man in every way since birth.
He was born as a legitimate heir through the Empress's concubine, and with powers more powerful than his predecessors, no one could deny that he was the successor to the empire.
So he was arrogant and overly optimistic about everything.
The arrogance of believing that everything in the world flows as one wishes and that the world is on one's side.
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