"...What, what did you say?!"
Roxana looked up at the man who stabbed her with a bewildered gaze.
For a moment, everything seemed to stop in its tracks.
A gust of wind blew, and the hood of his robe fell back, revealing his face.
"Logan..."
The person she had seen on the ship carrying Hetor's army earlier was indeed Logan.
Bellos also called Logan's name, but his gaze was fixed solely on Roxana.
Roxana, with a shocked face, shouted at Logan again.
"Are you crazy? Do you know what you just did?!"
"There's no baby."
"What? What do you know to say such things!"
Roxana looked like she wanted to tear Logan to pieces at any moment.
"Ugh."
The bleeding in her abdomen also seemed severe.
It was clear that Logan's sword had penetrated deeply.
“God does not permit someone like you to bear life,”
Logan said scornfully.
“Do you think God will let you ruin a new life?”
Roxana seemed convinced that something was wrong with the baby in her womb.
“You’re not listening. You’ve never had a baby. You’ve just had an imaginary pregnancy.”
“Imaginary... pregnancy? What the hell!”
“It means you’ve never been pregnant.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The royal doctor said I was pregnant! He even took my pulse, and my body...!”
“Yes. Not only the symptoms, but even your physical reactions were exactly like a pregnant woman’s.”
“That’s ridiculous...”
“I mixed some hope into the potion you were taking.”
“T-that can’t be. That can’t be!”
Roxana shook her head violently and grabbed her head.
“Do you understand now what it feels like to feel empty and hollow? What does it feel like to have no hope?”
“You crazy bastard!”
“You lost a baby you never had, but my daughter Bonis! She truly disappeared.”
Logan, who had been expressionless as if he had no emotions, became extremely agitated when he brought up Bonis.
“You shouldn’t have touched my daughter. You should have only threatened me!”
“I wasn’t the one who killed Bonis! That’s right... If she hadn’t followed Zelda to the Tebello Empire, Bonis wouldn’t have died!”
Roxana whispered to Logan, pointing at me.
“I know you threatened Bonis into giving the amnesia potion without Zelda’s knowledge. That’s why my daughter followed her.”
Roxana glared at Bellos as she listened to Logan.
Logan wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for Bellos.
Listening to that, I felt uneasy.
I sighed, and Linel wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Roxana, all this misfortune started because of you. If it weren’t for you, Bonis wouldn’t have been hit by the Allied Forces’ arrows!”
“No. No! It’s all Zelda’s fault, not mine!!”
Roxana’s hatred poured out on me.
Logan scoffed at the sight of Roxana and threw off his robe.
He had a bow strapped to his back, along with a long leather pouch containing arrows.
“How can I avenge my daughter? I endured with only that thought in mind. Just like the arrow that killed her in the back. I’ll put an arrow in yours, too!”
Logan grabbed his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Roxana.
“Logan! Stop it. We can take her to court.”
Bellos stopped his apprentice.
“I will gladly accept my punishment. But this villainess must be slain by my own hands. Only then can I go to Bonis’s grave!”
“You don’t have to become a murderer. Trust me and put down your bow.”
This time, Linel persuaded Logan.
Even though Roxana had been coerced into becoming Empress, she hadn't been dethroned. If Logan were to kill her, he would be considered the Empress's murderer.
Even if Logan hadn't come forward, Roxana would have been sentenced to death anyway.
And her testimony would have been necessary to convict Emperor Adrian of his crimes.
Moreover, with the fact that I was a Wyvern Lord known to all nations, if Emperor Adrian were executed without due process, it could escalate into a continental war.
Logan seemed to hesitate for a moment at Linel and Bellos's persuasion, but ultimately let go of the bowstring.
The arrow flew straight toward Roxana's heart.
I quickly threw a flame to hit the arrowhead and change its direction.
"Ah!"
But because I hadn't applied enough force to the flame, the arrow didn't fly far, but instead deflected slightly and slammed into her arm.
It was most likely an accident.
I felt Linel and Bellos's gazes on me simultaneously, but I pretended not to notice.
"Ugh!"
Roxana glared at me.
It felt like arrows were flying from her eyes.
"What's the big deal if you save her? I should've just let it pierce her heart."
But Logan didn't give up and pulled out another arrow.
This time, Bellos stepped forward.
Bellos wiped his hands repeatedly, and the arrows in Logan's hand and the ones left in his leather pouch were tied together by golden thread and scattered across the floor.
Logan threw down his bow, fell to his knees, and finally sobbed.
In the interim, Linel gave orders to Commander Macrom.
Commander Macrom quickly led the knights away from Roxana and Logan to keep watch.
"Ah... I'm in so much pain!"
As the situation began to calm down, Melanie groaned.
“I need to treat Melanie’s wounds first.”
I said to Linel.
I instructed Bellos to treat Melanie and then ordered Hetor to move her to the guest room first.
Hetor ran to Melanie.
Roxana, who was close to Melanie, looked at Hetor with pitiful eyes and began to lament.
“Hetor... you’re alive. Do you know how long I searched for you when I heard Emperor Adrian was going to kill you? I’m so relieved. You’re alive! Thank you. For being alive!”
Roxana sobbed sadly and gently reached out to Hetor.
But Hetor ignored her and examined Melanie.
“Are you okay? Come to your senses.”
“Ugh... are you really here for me? Are you really asking me, not her?”
Melanie asked Hetor, pointing at Roxana.
“Yes, Melanie.”
“Did you hear that? Me. Not you, me.”
Melanie teased Roxana.
Roxana looked incredulous, then weakly lowered the hand she had extended to Hetor.
Then, pounding her chest with her fist, she let out a fit of rage.
“Melanie, don’t lose your mind. Got it?”
Hetor avoided eye contact with Roxana and carefully lifted Melanie into his arms.
“I’ve always been conscious. But I keep getting sleepy...”
“Open your eyes. Come to your senses!”
“I’m not going to die, right? I can’t die like this, this is so unfair.”
Melanie, whose eyes were slowly closing, raised her voice again.
Judging by her clear voice and her dazzling eyes, she seemed completely unharmed.
“Who says you can die? I’m not dying. I can’t die.”
Hetor spoke soothingly, and Melanie’s childishness began to fade.
“But my stomach hurts so much.”
“I got stabbed, so of course it hurts.”
“And there’s a lot of blood.”
“It’s strange if there’s no blood.”
“Oh, this dress is expensive.”
“Your life is more valuable. I’ll let you wear a more expensive dress later.”
“I won’t wear something stolen...”
Melanie groaned, expressing her convictions to Pirate King Hetor.
“…Do you want to say something like that in a situation like this?”
Hetor asked Melanie through ventriloquism.
“Of course! Even if the stomach has a hole, I’m still a noble!”
Roxana looked up at the man who stabbed her with a bewildered gaze.
For a moment, everything seemed to stop in its tracks.
A gust of wind blew, and the hood of his robe fell back, revealing his face.
"Logan..."
The person she had seen on the ship carrying Hetor's army earlier was indeed Logan.
Bellos also called Logan's name, but his gaze was fixed solely on Roxana.
Roxana, with a shocked face, shouted at Logan again.
"Are you crazy? Do you know what you just did?!"
"There's no baby."
"What? What do you know to say such things!"
Roxana looked like she wanted to tear Logan to pieces at any moment.
"Ugh."
The bleeding in her abdomen also seemed severe.
It was clear that Logan's sword had penetrated deeply.
“God does not permit someone like you to bear life,”
Logan said scornfully.
“Do you think God will let you ruin a new life?”
Roxana seemed convinced that something was wrong with the baby in her womb.
“You’re not listening. You’ve never had a baby. You’ve just had an imaginary pregnancy.”
“Imaginary... pregnancy? What the hell!”
“It means you’ve never been pregnant.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The royal doctor said I was pregnant! He even took my pulse, and my body...!”
“Yes. Not only the symptoms, but even your physical reactions were exactly like a pregnant woman’s.”
“That’s ridiculous...”
“I mixed some hope into the potion you were taking.”
“T-that can’t be. That can’t be!”
Roxana shook her head violently and grabbed her head.
“Do you understand now what it feels like to feel empty and hollow? What does it feel like to have no hope?”
“You crazy bastard!”
“You lost a baby you never had, but my daughter Bonis! She truly disappeared.”
Logan, who had been expressionless as if he had no emotions, became extremely agitated when he brought up Bonis.
“You shouldn’t have touched my daughter. You should have only threatened me!”
“I wasn’t the one who killed Bonis! That’s right... If she hadn’t followed Zelda to the Tebello Empire, Bonis wouldn’t have died!”
Roxana whispered to Logan, pointing at me.
“I know you threatened Bonis into giving the amnesia potion without Zelda’s knowledge. That’s why my daughter followed her.”
Roxana glared at Bellos as she listened to Logan.
Logan wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for Bellos.
Listening to that, I felt uneasy.
I sighed, and Linel wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Roxana, all this misfortune started because of you. If it weren’t for you, Bonis wouldn’t have been hit by the Allied Forces’ arrows!”
“No. No! It’s all Zelda’s fault, not mine!!”
Roxana’s hatred poured out on me.
Logan scoffed at the sight of Roxana and threw off his robe.
He had a bow strapped to his back, along with a long leather pouch containing arrows.
“How can I avenge my daughter? I endured with only that thought in mind. Just like the arrow that killed her in the back. I’ll put an arrow in yours, too!”
Logan grabbed his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Roxana.
“Logan! Stop it. We can take her to court.”
Bellos stopped his apprentice.
“I will gladly accept my punishment. But this villainess must be slain by my own hands. Only then can I go to Bonis’s grave!”
“You don’t have to become a murderer. Trust me and put down your bow.”
This time, Linel persuaded Logan.
Even though Roxana had been coerced into becoming Empress, she hadn't been dethroned. If Logan were to kill her, he would be considered the Empress's murderer.
Even if Logan hadn't come forward, Roxana would have been sentenced to death anyway.
And her testimony would have been necessary to convict Emperor Adrian of his crimes.
Moreover, with the fact that I was a Wyvern Lord known to all nations, if Emperor Adrian were executed without due process, it could escalate into a continental war.
Logan seemed to hesitate for a moment at Linel and Bellos's persuasion, but ultimately let go of the bowstring.
The arrow flew straight toward Roxana's heart.
I quickly threw a flame to hit the arrowhead and change its direction.
"Ah!"
But because I hadn't applied enough force to the flame, the arrow didn't fly far, but instead deflected slightly and slammed into her arm.
It was most likely an accident.
I felt Linel and Bellos's gazes on me simultaneously, but I pretended not to notice.
"Ugh!"
Roxana glared at me.
It felt like arrows were flying from her eyes.
"What's the big deal if you save her? I should've just let it pierce her heart."
But Logan didn't give up and pulled out another arrow.
This time, Bellos stepped forward.
Bellos wiped his hands repeatedly, and the arrows in Logan's hand and the ones left in his leather pouch were tied together by golden thread and scattered across the floor.
Logan threw down his bow, fell to his knees, and finally sobbed.
In the interim, Linel gave orders to Commander Macrom.
Commander Macrom quickly led the knights away from Roxana and Logan to keep watch.
"Ah... I'm in so much pain!"
As the situation began to calm down, Melanie groaned.
“I need to treat Melanie’s wounds first.”
I said to Linel.
I instructed Bellos to treat Melanie and then ordered Hetor to move her to the guest room first.
Hetor ran to Melanie.
Roxana, who was close to Melanie, looked at Hetor with pitiful eyes and began to lament.
“Hetor... you’re alive. Do you know how long I searched for you when I heard Emperor Adrian was going to kill you? I’m so relieved. You’re alive! Thank you. For being alive!”
Roxana sobbed sadly and gently reached out to Hetor.
But Hetor ignored her and examined Melanie.
“Are you okay? Come to your senses.”
“Ugh... are you really here for me? Are you really asking me, not her?”
Melanie asked Hetor, pointing at Roxana.
“Yes, Melanie.”
“Did you hear that? Me. Not you, me.”
Melanie teased Roxana.
Roxana looked incredulous, then weakly lowered the hand she had extended to Hetor.
Then, pounding her chest with her fist, she let out a fit of rage.
“Melanie, don’t lose your mind. Got it?”
Hetor avoided eye contact with Roxana and carefully lifted Melanie into his arms.
“I’ve always been conscious. But I keep getting sleepy...”
“Open your eyes. Come to your senses!”
“I’m not going to die, right? I can’t die like this, this is so unfair.”
Melanie, whose eyes were slowly closing, raised her voice again.
Judging by her clear voice and her dazzling eyes, she seemed completely unharmed.
“Who says you can die? I’m not dying. I can’t die.”
Hetor spoke soothingly, and Melanie’s childishness began to fade.
“But my stomach hurts so much.”
“I got stabbed, so of course it hurts.”
“And there’s a lot of blood.”
“It’s strange if there’s no blood.”
“Oh, this dress is expensive.”
“Your life is more valuable. I’ll let you wear a more expensive dress later.”
“I won’t wear something stolen...”
Melanie groaned, expressing her convictions to Pirate King Hetor.
“…Do you want to say something like that in a situation like this?”
Hetor asked Melanie through ventriloquism.
“Of course! Even if the stomach has a hole, I’m still a noble!”
Melanie fainted when Hetor kissed her lips in anger. She fainted with a smile, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Hetor quickly carried her to the stairs leading down to the cabin.
Bellos followed, taking Logan with him.
Linel ordered the knights to administer first aid to Roxana and then kept watch on the deck.
“Where is Empress Elan? Tell me.”
I approached Roxana, who was giving first aid, and said,
“I don’t know either.”
“It seems you don’t remember, but I’ll let you.”
I grabbed Roxana’s arm, where the arrow had been lodged, with one hand.
“Ah!”
Roxana screamed, glaring at me as if she were going to kill me, then asked me with a maniacal expression,
"Do you think you won?"
"No."
"?"
"I've never competed with you before? So I don't think I won."
It was true.
Roxana looked utterly humiliated by my words.
"At least answer my question. Where is Empress Elan?"
“I don’t know. I received the red jewel and sent it straight to Emperor Adrian.”
“Where did he take her?”
“He said he would take her to his own room. After that, I really don’t know.”
“Where is Emperor Adrian’s room?”
Linel, who had been listening to the conversation behind me, asked Raphael.
“Room 4 on the second floor, Your Majesty.”
Raphael answered immediately.
“Macrom, you guard this place. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Linel took my hand and led us to Emperor Adrian’s room.
***
“This is it.”
Raphael, who had been walking ahead, stopped in a room on the second floor.
The door was locked.
“Elan, Empress Elan!”
I knocked on the door, called her name, and put my ear to the door.
I heard nothing.
Linel made me step back and kicked the doorknob with his foot.
It only took two or three kicks for the doorknob to dangle, and he pulled it out with his hand, opened the door, and entered.
But Empress Elan was nowhere to be seen.
I opened the bathroom door and the closet, but she wasn't there.
"I can't see her? Could he have taken her somewhere else?"
"That's strange. They wouldn't have taken her anywhere without other people watching..."
I lowered myself and looked under the bed.
My hunch was right.
"Elan!"
She was under the bed.
Linel and Raphael pulled the unconscious woman out of bed.
"She's fainted. Don't worry,"
He said, placing a hand on the nape of Empress Elan's neck.
Seeing Empress Elan's disheveled face, I couldn't control the anger welling up inside me.
"Since there's only one bed in Bellos's guest room anyway, I'll leave Elan with Rosie and Sharon for now."
"That would be good."
At Linel's direction, Raphael lifted Empress Elan.
He went to the nearby Rosie's guest room and laid Empress Elan on the bed. He asked her to look after her for a while and said he would send Bellos soon.
As we were going up to Linel and Bellos's room, he happened to be coming down the stairs. He seemed to have come down to find us.
But Bellos's expression was unusual.
"We're in trouble, Your Majesty!"
"What happened?"
"Grand Duke Joseph..."
"Why the Grand Duke?"
"The servants in charge of my room say that Emperor Adrian's knights seem to have kidnapped Grand Duke Joseph earlier. They saw something wrapped in black cloth being moved in the Grand Duke's room, and it was clearly the Grand Duke's voice."
"How could that be?!"
There were clearly many knights escorting Grand Duke Joseph around his room.
It was an unexpected variable.
"What are Joseph's knights doing?"
"It seems Emperor Adrian gave him sleeping pills in advance."
"What the hell!"
Linel ruffled his hair.
I took his hand and calmed myself.
The hand I was holding was trembling slightly.
“Go tell Hetor. He wants us to move the ship and come back in about five minutes. Emperor Adrian will think Hetor is tied up in the food storage room, so it’s best if you show up later. That way, he’ll feel secure, thinking he can do whatever he wants with Hetor’s army. If Hetor shows up now, Joseph could be in danger.”
He said to Raphael with a heavy expression.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“And leave the treatment of Melanie and Empress Elan to Logan, and you, Master of the Tower, will come with me.”
“Yes, I will.”
***
I hurried to the ship carrying Hetor’s army with my companions.
There were well over a hundred soldiers on deck, surrounding the entire ship.
At the end of the deck, I saw Grand Duke Joseph.
“Joseph!”
“Grand Duke!”
He and I shouted at the same time.
The cursed ice covered Grand Duke Joseph’s ankles.
The ice that had risen from his toes gradually increased in volume.
It was heartbreaking to see Grand Duke Joseph suffer the same curse twice.
It felt like someone was squeezing my heart with their hands, making it hard to breathe.
"What have you been doing, coming now? You don't even realize the young Grand Duke is shivering and freezing."
Emperor Adrian grinned with amusement.
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