"Your Highness, Your Excellency the Count, I apologize for interrupting you so suddenly. However, this is a very urgent matter, so I ask for your understanding."
Looking closely at Hela, she was uninjured, but her hair, tied tightly, was disheveled, as if she had ridden in a hurry.
“Let’s talk about that urgent matter first.”
My father told her to start with the urgent matter without saying anything else.
"The demons are acting strangely. They don't attack people at all. And they stop moving altogether, sniffing the air."
“Is that all?”
“Yes, I just repeat that behavior.”
Everyone's eyes were filled with puzzlement. It wasn't a dangerous situation. But it was certainly incomprehensible. Before anyone could express their doubts, I stood up.
“I have no choice but to go and see.”
Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed Julian's strong arm. Julian looked up at me with a worried look.
“You go with me. Will you?”
Who could stop Julian from accompanying me? Everyone here had just seen him engage in battle. His uncanny strength and swordsmanship were unmatched. Even my father nodded, and I stood up with Julian.
"First, I'll go check on the demon's actions. In the meantime, Father, interrogate the soldiers of the Imperial Army and Sasha's Army and get their testimony about any memory problems."
“But interrogating the imperial army is...”
It seemed like my father still only saw the straight path. I looked straight at him and said.
“Father, do you still remember what I asked you to do before?”
I asked my father to act with all his heart, just this once. Ruin and Adam would restore the family's honor.
My father lowered his gaze, a pained expression on his face. It seemed difficult for him, a lifelong loyalist to the imperial family, to interrogate the imperial army, especially for personal gain. But if he insisted on being fair in the face of a demonic enemy, he wouldn't be able to protect his family.
Father glanced at Ruin and Adam, then looked at me one last time. Standing before him was me, Layla, the person he once wanted to inherit the Winsley family. He nodded, seemingly trusting me.
“...Yes, I remember. You have to be careful.”
I smiled at my father and left the barracks with Julian. Hela and Marian followed. Julian escorted me to the carriage and rode beside me on horseback. It was the sturdy black horse I'd been longing for.
“Julian.”
I spoke to Julian through the carriage window. Julian looked down at me with a gentle face.
“When you have a child, will you let me ride that horse?”
They say having a child makes you a child, and I've been wanting to throw a tantrum or two for no reason. This was one of them. It wasn't so much a genuine wish, but more a desire to see Julian agree with me.
But Julian said he was willing to do so.
“I give it to you.”
“You’re giving it to me? You’re the one who treasures it.”
“Do you think there is anything I can’t give my wife?”
I opened my lips, smiled playfully, and tilted my head further.
“Well then, well then.”
“I’ll give you everything, so go inside first. It’s dangerous.”
Julian reached out and gently stroked my forehead. His touch was as light as a spring breeze, and I was pushed back without resistance. But I didn't stop staring out the window.
As the carriage pulled away, Julian, too, swung the reins and set the horse on its way. Julian's hair swayed naturally, cutting through the air, and his handsomeness was a delight to behold.
Suddenly, Julian turned his head towards me. I immediately pointed ahead with my hand and gave him a stern look, telling him to look ahead.
'Yes.'
Julian said that with his lips, smiled, and looked ahead. There was nothing more wonderful than a good-looking, obedient husband.
But the moment of pleasure at seeing Julian was short-lived. The coachman driving the carriage exclaimed, "Uh-huh!" and Julian's face hardened.
I knocked on the wall leading to the coachman's seat, and soon the carriage stopped. Before Marian could even touch the door, a gust of wind rushed in with a creaking sound. Outside, Julian was holding out his hand to me.
“Can I get off?”
“Because there’s no way I’ll listen to you.”
"Thank you."
I took Julian's hand and gently stepped out of the carriage. As I stepped out, the distinctive scent of the demonic spirits wafted into my nostrils. However, the unpleasantness lasted only a moment. It was more important to gaze at the sight before me.
Contrary to Hela's report, which stated that the demons stood still, sniffing the air, their movements were inconsistent. Dozens, hundreds of demons were running madly. Their destination was neither a human village nor Lord Melin's castle.
It was a huge hole. And not just any huge one. The demons were throwing themselves into a hole so large it could fit several houses. It wasn't long before I realized it.
“That’s... Lake Iris.”
The guards around me also seemed to realize what I said and swallowed their breath.
The place the demons were rushing towards was Lake Iris, where the imperial family had even raised a flag to signify their occupation. Perhaps due to the demons' movements, the flag flapped fiercely.
But the demons, unconcerned, rushed recklessly toward the lake. Into that pit, a void of water, no longer worthy of being called a lake.
“...There’s no corpse of the giant demon.”
Julian, who was standing next to me, put his arm around my shoulder and muttered. I looked up at him in surprise, then back at the lake.
It was true. The corpse of the giant demon that had clearly been there only a short time ago was nowhere to be seen.
“Did the lake dry up and sink?”
It wasn't a far-fetched statement. If the lake were deep, the water might simply recede and sink, obscuring our view.
I even woke up without realizing it, but if Julian couldn't see me, no matter how much I ran around, there was no way he would see me.
“Another strange thing is that even though so many demons are entering, the pit doesn’t fill up. It’s as if...”
While I was guessing, Julian continued.
“It looks like there’s a portal at the bottom of the lake.”
I nodded immediately.
"That's right. If that's the case, then it makes sense that the lake's water and the giant demons disappeared. And if something is pulling them from beyond the portal, it's only natural that the demons would rush in so excitedly."
Portal. The moment that word came up, a name came to mind.
Princess Abigail had said she used a portal from the Ravi Tower to travel somewhere. And there was a high possibility that a portal existed here as well. If there were a portal here, and we could properly investigate it, we could drive Princess Abigail to her death.
But how can we investigate that portal? What if Princess Abigail tries to destroy the evidence before then?
Julian turned, still staring at the lake where the demon was leaping. His cloak rustled and sank again. Julian spoke to the Duchzan knight who followed him.
"Summon the Duchzan Army and have them guard this lake. Ensure the Imperial Army cannot enter either."
"Yes?"
I looked at Julian in surprise.
"You're saying we won't allow the Imperial Army to enter? We're in a dangerous situation. If the Imperial Family sends new troops right now, we'll have to explain ourselves. If we stop the Imperial Army in that situation..."
"Ma'am."
Julian looked down at me. His eyebrows were slanted, and he looked hurt. It was a rare sight for him, and I gasped.
"I am the Grand Duke of Duvhzan. I am the Emperor's maternal nephew. I am also the only son of Princess Helena and the former Grand Duke of Duchzan."
Julian stroked my earlobe with the tip of his index finger. His touch sent a tingling sensation through my ear, as if an electric current were running through it, and my shoulders hunched involuntarily. I realized anew who my husband was and how precious he was.
“Even if they are the Imperial Army, they have no right to invade the territory I protect unless they receive a direct order to advance from His Majesty the Emperor.”
Julian's voice was clear, overflowing with confidence, almost arrogant. I couldn't bring myself to confide my concerns to him again.
“...I will only trust you.”
When I spoke obediently, Julian finally smiled in satisfaction.
Soon after, the majority of Duchzan's forces were summoned to Lake Iris. The demons still existed there, but they showed no interest when Duchzan approached.
They seemed born solely to leap into the great pit. Thanks to this, the Duchzan army was able to safely surround Lake Iris.
Several more hours passed. The demons' strange procession finally came to an end. Duchzan's army closed the gap they had left open to allow the demons to pass, striking even more heavily at the fortifications. I watched them and cautiously opened my mouth.
“Julian, I have a favor to ask.”
Before I could even bring up the matter, Julian sighed deeply and said.
“Let’s go together.”
“Do you know what I’m going to ask you?”
When I asked him mischievously, Julian didn't answer and just held my hand tightly. I smiled faintly and followed him.
Hela was startled and tried to stop him, but when Julian waved his hand, she couldn't go any further.
“It would be easier to have you stick by my side all day than to break your stubbornness.”
“Do you understand now?”
“Let’s just say I’ve finally admitted it.”
I walked along, bickering with Julian, and the Duchzan soldiers made a path for us to pass. Passing through, we reached the lake.
Looking closely at Hela, she was uninjured, but her hair, tied tightly, was disheveled, as if she had ridden in a hurry.
“Let’s talk about that urgent matter first.”
My father told her to start with the urgent matter without saying anything else.
"The demons are acting strangely. They don't attack people at all. And they stop moving altogether, sniffing the air."
“Is that all?”
“Yes, I just repeat that behavior.”
Everyone's eyes were filled with puzzlement. It wasn't a dangerous situation. But it was certainly incomprehensible. Before anyone could express their doubts, I stood up.
“I have no choice but to go and see.”
Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed Julian's strong arm. Julian looked up at me with a worried look.
“You go with me. Will you?”
Who could stop Julian from accompanying me? Everyone here had just seen him engage in battle. His uncanny strength and swordsmanship were unmatched. Even my father nodded, and I stood up with Julian.
"First, I'll go check on the demon's actions. In the meantime, Father, interrogate the soldiers of the Imperial Army and Sasha's Army and get their testimony about any memory problems."
“But interrogating the imperial army is...”
It seemed like my father still only saw the straight path. I looked straight at him and said.
“Father, do you still remember what I asked you to do before?”
I asked my father to act with all his heart, just this once. Ruin and Adam would restore the family's honor.
My father lowered his gaze, a pained expression on his face. It seemed difficult for him, a lifelong loyalist to the imperial family, to interrogate the imperial army, especially for personal gain. But if he insisted on being fair in the face of a demonic enemy, he wouldn't be able to protect his family.
Father glanced at Ruin and Adam, then looked at me one last time. Standing before him was me, Layla, the person he once wanted to inherit the Winsley family. He nodded, seemingly trusting me.
“...Yes, I remember. You have to be careful.”
I smiled at my father and left the barracks with Julian. Hela and Marian followed. Julian escorted me to the carriage and rode beside me on horseback. It was the sturdy black horse I'd been longing for.
“Julian.”
I spoke to Julian through the carriage window. Julian looked down at me with a gentle face.
“When you have a child, will you let me ride that horse?”
They say having a child makes you a child, and I've been wanting to throw a tantrum or two for no reason. This was one of them. It wasn't so much a genuine wish, but more a desire to see Julian agree with me.
But Julian said he was willing to do so.
“I give it to you.”
“You’re giving it to me? You’re the one who treasures it.”
“Do you think there is anything I can’t give my wife?”
I opened my lips, smiled playfully, and tilted my head further.
“Well then, well then.”
“I’ll give you everything, so go inside first. It’s dangerous.”
Julian reached out and gently stroked my forehead. His touch was as light as a spring breeze, and I was pushed back without resistance. But I didn't stop staring out the window.
As the carriage pulled away, Julian, too, swung the reins and set the horse on its way. Julian's hair swayed naturally, cutting through the air, and his handsomeness was a delight to behold.
Suddenly, Julian turned his head towards me. I immediately pointed ahead with my hand and gave him a stern look, telling him to look ahead.
'Yes.'
Julian said that with his lips, smiled, and looked ahead. There was nothing more wonderful than a good-looking, obedient husband.
But the moment of pleasure at seeing Julian was short-lived. The coachman driving the carriage exclaimed, "Uh-huh!" and Julian's face hardened.
I knocked on the wall leading to the coachman's seat, and soon the carriage stopped. Before Marian could even touch the door, a gust of wind rushed in with a creaking sound. Outside, Julian was holding out his hand to me.
“Can I get off?”
“Because there’s no way I’ll listen to you.”
"Thank you."
I took Julian's hand and gently stepped out of the carriage. As I stepped out, the distinctive scent of the demonic spirits wafted into my nostrils. However, the unpleasantness lasted only a moment. It was more important to gaze at the sight before me.
Contrary to Hela's report, which stated that the demons stood still, sniffing the air, their movements were inconsistent. Dozens, hundreds of demons were running madly. Their destination was neither a human village nor Lord Melin's castle.
It was a huge hole. And not just any huge one. The demons were throwing themselves into a hole so large it could fit several houses. It wasn't long before I realized it.
“That’s... Lake Iris.”
The guards around me also seemed to realize what I said and swallowed their breath.
The place the demons were rushing towards was Lake Iris, where the imperial family had even raised a flag to signify their occupation. Perhaps due to the demons' movements, the flag flapped fiercely.
But the demons, unconcerned, rushed recklessly toward the lake. Into that pit, a void of water, no longer worthy of being called a lake.
“...There’s no corpse of the giant demon.”
Julian, who was standing next to me, put his arm around my shoulder and muttered. I looked up at him in surprise, then back at the lake.
It was true. The corpse of the giant demon that had clearly been there only a short time ago was nowhere to be seen.
“Did the lake dry up and sink?”
It wasn't a far-fetched statement. If the lake were deep, the water might simply recede and sink, obscuring our view.
I even woke up without realizing it, but if Julian couldn't see me, no matter how much I ran around, there was no way he would see me.
“Another strange thing is that even though so many demons are entering, the pit doesn’t fill up. It’s as if...”
While I was guessing, Julian continued.
“It looks like there’s a portal at the bottom of the lake.”
I nodded immediately.
"That's right. If that's the case, then it makes sense that the lake's water and the giant demons disappeared. And if something is pulling them from beyond the portal, it's only natural that the demons would rush in so excitedly."
Portal. The moment that word came up, a name came to mind.
Princess Abigail had said she used a portal from the Ravi Tower to travel somewhere. And there was a high possibility that a portal existed here as well. If there were a portal here, and we could properly investigate it, we could drive Princess Abigail to her death.
But how can we investigate that portal? What if Princess Abigail tries to destroy the evidence before then?
Julian turned, still staring at the lake where the demon was leaping. His cloak rustled and sank again. Julian spoke to the Duchzan knight who followed him.
"Summon the Duchzan Army and have them guard this lake. Ensure the Imperial Army cannot enter either."
"Yes?"
I looked at Julian in surprise.
"You're saying we won't allow the Imperial Army to enter? We're in a dangerous situation. If the Imperial Family sends new troops right now, we'll have to explain ourselves. If we stop the Imperial Army in that situation..."
"Ma'am."
Julian looked down at me. His eyebrows were slanted, and he looked hurt. It was a rare sight for him, and I gasped.
"I am the Grand Duke of Duvhzan. I am the Emperor's maternal nephew. I am also the only son of Princess Helena and the former Grand Duke of Duchzan."
Julian stroked my earlobe with the tip of his index finger. His touch sent a tingling sensation through my ear, as if an electric current were running through it, and my shoulders hunched involuntarily. I realized anew who my husband was and how precious he was.
“Even if they are the Imperial Army, they have no right to invade the territory I protect unless they receive a direct order to advance from His Majesty the Emperor.”
Julian's voice was clear, overflowing with confidence, almost arrogant. I couldn't bring myself to confide my concerns to him again.
“...I will only trust you.”
When I spoke obediently, Julian finally smiled in satisfaction.
Soon after, the majority of Duchzan's forces were summoned to Lake Iris. The demons still existed there, but they showed no interest when Duchzan approached.
They seemed born solely to leap into the great pit. Thanks to this, the Duchzan army was able to safely surround Lake Iris.
Several more hours passed. The demons' strange procession finally came to an end. Duchzan's army closed the gap they had left open to allow the demons to pass, striking even more heavily at the fortifications. I watched them and cautiously opened my mouth.
“Julian, I have a favor to ask.”
Before I could even bring up the matter, Julian sighed deeply and said.
“Let’s go together.”
“Do you know what I’m going to ask you?”
When I asked him mischievously, Julian didn't answer and just held my hand tightly. I smiled faintly and followed him.
Hela was startled and tried to stop him, but when Julian waved his hand, she couldn't go any further.
“It would be easier to have you stick by my side all day than to break your stubbornness.”
“Do you understand now?”
“Let’s just say I’ve finally admitted it.”
I walked along, bickering with Julian, and the Duchzan soldiers made a path for us to pass. Passing through, we reached the lake.
Comments
Post a Comment