"How did they..."
These were the people who should have been in the North.
Even if you came running as soon as you heard the news, it would take more than ten days to get there, so how come they are here now?
'Besides, surely the commander of the capital guard will be guarding the capital gates?'
Chancellor Langston did not know that Bridget had been repeatedly asking Duke Elias to step into politics and to watch over the dying Julian during his last moments.
Duke Elias had already entered the capital.
She was staying in the capital, hiding her identity, and watching the situation unfold.
It took some time to figure out how and for what purpose Bridget was leading the New Royalists, who were her enemy and who were her friend.
As soon as she heard the news that the prime minister had raised an army, she rushed to the palace.
Duke Elias stopped before the vizier.
"Call the troops, Prime Minister! This is a rebellion!"
"His Majesty has gone missing! In an emergency. I have the authority of the King."
"Ha!"
Duke Elias laughed at Chancellor Langston.
Even in her 50s, she was a woman of great spirit who led knights from the front in battles with her powerful martial arts skills.
The prime minister, crushed by that tremendous charisma, unconsciously shrugged his shoulders.
"Look around you. Where are you looking now to see an emergency? Where are the enemies?"
"I don't know about you, Duke, but His Majesty was attacked last night! Those remnants..."
"Remnants? You just called them remnants? Are you saying that the army that was supposed to defend the capital from external enemies advanced to the palace to defeat the remnants?"
"Ah, no, that's not it..."
The prime minister, already defeated, realized that he had made a slip of the tongue.
Duke Elias did not know about the attack last night.
She has never heard a terrifying report of corpses moving around, of people being cut down endlessly, of everyone almost being wiped out.
The unknown fear that had gripped the captain of the guards did not affect her judgment.
"I must see His Majesty in person."
"Duke Elias!"
Duke Elias ordered her knights to guard the main gate and entered the palace alone.
"We will soon find out who the enemy is. If the Prime Minister's words are false, you will have to pay a heavy price for moving the army unilaterally."
She left a meaningful message and threatened the captain of the guard.
"Captain of the guard, do your duty! Tsk, how pathetic."
"..."
The captain of the guard flinched at that sharp rebuke.
Originally, it was right for the captain of the guard to follow the prime minister's orders.
But that was the story until the chancellor, who was cornered by the sudden appearance of Duke Elias, made the slip of the tongue about 'dealing with the remnants'.
"Captain of the Guard!"
"Your Excellency, I am sorry, but it is the role of the Royal Guard to protect the palace."
The captain of the guard gave orders to each of his deputy commanders.
"The 1st Division will disperse and search for His Majesty, while the rest will guard the palace!"
The guards and the knights of Duke Elias blocked Chancellor Langston's path. The Chancellor gritted his teeth.
"This isn't It! This won't do!'
***
Anna climbed up to the high hill of the palace and watched as Chancellor Langston led his army and surrounded the palace.
Even before someone showed up and stopped him.
'That person is...'
A middle-aged woman who is the only being in the kingdom who can own a knighthood, aside from Julian.
Although it was the first time she had seen her, Anna was certain that she was Duke Elias.
'Duke Elias is the one Miss Bridget was looking for.'
She knew how hard Bridget had tried to get Duke Elias to come to the palace.
When she sent several letters and gifts to Duke Elias, it was Anna who wrapped them.
It didn't matter that Duke Elias had not come to the capital to take Briget's side.
Bridget has always wanted to meet Duke Elias, so she will allow her to do so.
Anna ran down the hill in a panic.
As she stood on the street waiting for Duke Elias, she soon saw the Duke riding towards her on horseback.
"Your Excellency! Your Excellency, the Duke!"
As Anna waved her arms and called her, Duke Elias stopped in her tracks, looking puzzled.
"Who are you?"
"I am Bridget Florence's maid! I know where Miss Bridget is!"
Duke Elias didn't care about Bridget right now.
"I am looking for His Majesty the King."
"They are together!"
Duke Elias opened her eyes wide.
In fact, she was anxious too.
When Duke Elias saw the discolored portrait of the King sent by Bridget, she knew that the curse had nearly consumed Julian's life.
Julian suddenly disappeared, and the vizier raised an army.
If the prime minister had not gone mad, there would have been no way that the new royalist faction would have rebelled in this situation.
The last time he led the rebellion, he put Julian, who had a powerful military force, at the forefront, but what does the current Prime Minister Langston, have?
It was clear that they had hastily raised an army without thorough preparation.
That meant that something suddenly happened to Julian, who had been fine, and the prime minister was the first to notice it.
'I must find His Majesty before anyone else.'
She saw earlier that the guards were so weak that she couldn't trust them.
Chancellor Langston's courtiers and guards would already be looking for Julian to kill him.
If Julian dies, Chancellor Langston's rebellion will not be a rebellion.
Chancellor Langston would take control of the palace.
Duke Elias wished that Julian were still alive, even if he had become a madman.
She pulled Anna hard onto the horse.
"Guide me."
***
Step by step.
The sound of each pair of combat boots clanking echoed through the empty, abandoned palace.
Duke Elias was suspicious of Anna, who had guided her here.
'Where on earth is this place...'
Who knew there was a place like this in the palace?
There is no trace of people, and the grass is so overgrown. Are Julian and Bridget here?
Duke Elias had a hard time just entering what he assumed was the garden.
It was only after she finally entered the building that she was able to gain visibility.
As she looked around the ruined palace with a suspicious mind, she thought that Anna might actually be a spy for Chancellor Langston and that she should kill her.
'Hmm?'
A noise was heard from somewhere.
She couldn't believe it.
She immediately ran towards where she heard the sound.
The door was open.
The moment she stepped inside, in a hurry.
'...!'
Duke Elias flinched.
The room was filled with black armor.
The black armors sat in a prostrating position, surrounding something.
Among them, Bridget, who was hugging Julian, raised her head.
Duke Elias met her bright red eyes.
'That's a curse...!'
The two people paused in surprise for different reasons.
Then Bridget quickly came to her senses and shouted.
"Doctor! We need to treat Julian!"
Only then did Duke Elias discover the sword lodged in Julian's abdomen.
Even at this moment, blood was flowing from his wound.
Bridget cried out desperately.
"He's still alive! Your Majesty is still alive!"
***
"I was definitely tipped off by Lucas Linchester! A rebellion! What kind of rebellion am I?"
Chancellor Langston was taken into custody along with the commander of the capital guard and other officers who had participated in the rebellion.
"Whatever nonsense the prime minister is talking about is none of my business. Doesn't everyone know that you're not even close to him?"
Lucas Linchester flatly denied Chancellor Langston's statement.
It was a well-known fact that the two men belonged to different factions, so the nobles considered Lucas's words more reasonable than those of Chancellor Langston.
Meanwhile, Duke Elias personally guarded Julian in the room with her knights.
"If you make a mistake, your lives will end."
Under Duke Elias's threat, the palace doctors worked tirelessly to treat Julian.
It took a whole night just to draw the sword and stop the bleeding.
Bridget stayed by his side without eating or sleeping.
"I will guard His Majesty, so please rest a little, Miss Bridget."
Duke Elias couldn't stand to watch so much that she pushed her from behind.
But Bridget stood firm, without even blinking an eye.
"No. No matter what happens, I will not leave His Majesty. I am fine."
'It's poisonous. Poisonous.'
Duke Elias, who was often called poisonous, thought of others as poisonous for the first time.
Bridget really did.
Looking at the strong will in her blood-red eyes, she couldn't stop her any longer.
Duke Elias wanted to ask Bridget about the whereabouts of the curse every time she looked into her eyes, but she put it off for the time being.
Although the bleeding was stopped, Julian was in a difficult situation from time to time because he had lost so much blood.
There have been several close calls over the past few days.
But Bridget didn't waver for a moment.
"The King will open his eyes."
It was a surprisingly strong, perhaps desperate, belief.
"Julian, how could you leave me? You can't do that."
Duke Elias once heard Bridget muttering something like that.
It seemed as if Bridget's fierce faith was holding Julian's soul together.
Even though he couldn't open his eyes, Julian's heart still hadn't stopped.
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