Episode 166. The Emperor's Outburst
The peaceful days continued until the Grand Duke's coronation.
"I feel a little uneasy..."
Rose suddenly felt something strange.
Could things be going this smoothly?
Why do I keep feeling uneasy?
Grand Duke Artaeum saw Rose lost in thought and hugged her tighter.
"What are you thinking about?"
A soft voice tickled her ear.
"No. It's just..."
It felt a little ominous.
Rose forced herself to swallow the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
Today was the Grand Duke's coronation day.
She didn't want to say anything ominous before the coronation.
"Why do you have so many worries? In bed... You said you'd only think about me."
Grand Duke Artaeum lightly kissed Rose's cheek and locked eyes with hers. His playful words were fleeting, but he read Rose's worried emotions.
Even without Rose expressing her anxiety, he could sense it.
Just by looking at her anxiously shaking eyes and quivering lips, he could guess what she was thinking.
Grand Duke Artaeum gently stroked Rose's hair.
The gentle touch lasted only a moment before he suddenly ruffled it.
"...Grand Duke?"
It was as if he were stroking a puppy.
Her hair was tangled, obscuring her vision. Rose pushed the hair aside and looked at the Grand Duke.
Their eyes met, and the Grand Duke smiled playfully.
"You look too serious."
He gently stroked Rose's cheek and then twisted, laying her down on his back, looking down at her with a tired gaze.
The Grand Duke slowly leaned closer to Rose and whispered in a low voice,
"I'll make sure you don't think about anything."
“Ah... Your Majesty, just a moment.”
Rose made a perplexed expression and gently pushed the Grand Duke away.
“We just did it.”
This man. He really seemed tireless.
The Grand Duke was already quite healthy, but not to this extent.
He nagged at Rose every day, like someone unable to control his boiling energy. He seemed determined to do all the skipships he had been unable to do, all at once.
“You know. One time isn’t enough for me.”
He looked at Rose with a seductive gaze, then snuggled into her arms.
“I know that, but...”
It was simply amazing how tireless he seemed every day.
The Grand Duke covered Rose’s lips and whispered.
“And... how could I resist when you are this beautiful?”
The Grand Duke's moist lips touched. Rose flinched and curled her feet with each touch of his lips.
Rose, too, became increasingly heated by the Grand Duke's stimulation. It was difficult to resist the constant temptation.
The Grand Duke's appearance was so sensual.
'He's handsome... and has a nice body.'
This kind of man was her man.
She should have gotten used to it by now, but every time she saw the Grand Duke, she felt a thrill.
'Ugh, no. Come to your senses, Rose!'
Rose, who had been blankly staring at the Grand Duke, steeled herself and shook her head.
In the past, she would have readily accepted the Grand Duke's seductions.
However, there was one thing that was bothering her now.
That was the Grand Duke's power she had seen during the trial by combat.
Rose, along with others, believed the Grand Duke had received divine grace.
He used magic, but Rose was still unaware of it.
And perhaps because she had seen the divine incarnation, she felt he was no different from a priest.
'The Grand Duke is a messenger of God...'
Was it okay for a holy man to do such things?
Of course, he had always done so...
The Grand Duke's blue eyes sparkled with longing. The Grand Duke brushed back his flowing hair with one hand and called out Rose's name.
"Rose... you don't like it?"
"!"
Rose's pupils dilated in an instant.
The moment he called her name, everything she had been holding back exploded out.
That gaze and pose were foul play.
Rose's face flushed red all the way to the tips of her hair, and she snorted.
'I'm not even a priest... so what!'
Rose closed her mouth slightly as if she had made up her mind, then assumed a reckless attitude.
She wrapped her arms around the Grand Duke's neck and moved her body. In an instant, Rose and the Grand Duke switched positions.
Rose looked down at the Grand Duke of Artaeum and spoke in a low voice.
"I never said no."
The Grand Duke seemed to be quite pleased with Rose's answer, for a smile spread across his face.
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the Grand Duke embraced her body. Then, he laid Rose back down on the bed.
Unaware of the dark shadows looming over them, like the calm before a storm, the Grand Duke and Rose were intensely entangled.
"I'll go with you."
"No. It's okay."
The Grand Duke had already finished preparing to leave. He grabbed Rose as she was about to leave in the carriage.
Rose smiled faintly and shook her head.
"The star of the day is the Grand Duke, and we can't be late, right?"
"Then I'll postpone the coronation."
"Yes?"
The Grand Duke was deadly serious. Rose sensed he wasn't just saying that, so she spoke urgently.
“You can’t lose trust from the first day you ascend to the throne. I’ll take care of everything right away, Your Highness.”
Rose patted the Grand Duke's shoulder as if soothing a child.
“But...”
Neruan isn’t here today.
If he had been protecting Rose, she wouldn’t have been so worried. But Neruan wasn’t here right now. He had already gone to the capital to complete his final mission.
“There are plenty of other guards here, the Grand Duke. I’ll take care of the department store business right away.”
Rose pointed to the knights behind her.
They had all worked for the Grand Duke family for a long time, but today, they felt particularly unreliable. They weren’t the type of people who would betray. However, a strange uneasiness lingered in her heart.
“I should have called Serun while Neruan was away.”
Contrary to his appearance, Serun was quite capable.
“Your Highness, it’s time to leave.”
Gwen, standing far away, called out to the Grand Duke as if urging him on. Rose forcefully pushed the Grand Duke of Arteum's back.
"Let's go quickly. That way, I can get there quickly."
"...I will."
The Grand Duke of Arteum eventually raised the white flag and nodded.
"Then, see you later, Your Highness."
Rose gave the Grand Duke a light kiss on the cheek and boarded the carriage, escorted by the knight. Rose sat down and waved brightly at the Grand Duke outside the window.
The carriage soon departed. The department store wasn't far from the Arteum mansion, so they arrived quickly.
"Why did it have to happen today?"
The peaceful days continued until the Grand Duke's coronation.
"I feel a little uneasy..."
Rose suddenly felt something strange.
Could things be going this smoothly?
Why do I keep feeling uneasy?
Grand Duke Artaeum saw Rose lost in thought and hugged her tighter.
"What are you thinking about?"
A soft voice tickled her ear.
"No. It's just..."
It felt a little ominous.
Rose forced herself to swallow the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
Today was the Grand Duke's coronation day.
She didn't want to say anything ominous before the coronation.
"Why do you have so many worries? In bed... You said you'd only think about me."
Grand Duke Artaeum lightly kissed Rose's cheek and locked eyes with hers. His playful words were fleeting, but he read Rose's worried emotions.
Even without Rose expressing her anxiety, he could sense it.
Just by looking at her anxiously shaking eyes and quivering lips, he could guess what she was thinking.
Grand Duke Artaeum gently stroked Rose's hair.
The gentle touch lasted only a moment before he suddenly ruffled it.
"...Grand Duke?"
It was as if he were stroking a puppy.
Her hair was tangled, obscuring her vision. Rose pushed the hair aside and looked at the Grand Duke.
Their eyes met, and the Grand Duke smiled playfully.
"You look too serious."
He gently stroked Rose's cheek and then twisted, laying her down on his back, looking down at her with a tired gaze.
The Grand Duke slowly leaned closer to Rose and whispered in a low voice,
"I'll make sure you don't think about anything."
“Ah... Your Majesty, just a moment.”
Rose made a perplexed expression and gently pushed the Grand Duke away.
“We just did it.”
This man. He really seemed tireless.
The Grand Duke was already quite healthy, but not to this extent.
He nagged at Rose every day, like someone unable to control his boiling energy. He seemed determined to do all the skipships he had been unable to do, all at once.
“You know. One time isn’t enough for me.”
He looked at Rose with a seductive gaze, then snuggled into her arms.
“I know that, but...”
It was simply amazing how tireless he seemed every day.
The Grand Duke covered Rose’s lips and whispered.
“And... how could I resist when you are this beautiful?”
The Grand Duke's moist lips touched. Rose flinched and curled her feet with each touch of his lips.
Rose, too, became increasingly heated by the Grand Duke's stimulation. It was difficult to resist the constant temptation.
The Grand Duke's appearance was so sensual.
'He's handsome... and has a nice body.'
This kind of man was her man.
She should have gotten used to it by now, but every time she saw the Grand Duke, she felt a thrill.
'Ugh, no. Come to your senses, Rose!'
Rose, who had been blankly staring at the Grand Duke, steeled herself and shook her head.
In the past, she would have readily accepted the Grand Duke's seductions.
However, there was one thing that was bothering her now.
That was the Grand Duke's power she had seen during the trial by combat.
Rose, along with others, believed the Grand Duke had received divine grace.
He used magic, but Rose was still unaware of it.
And perhaps because she had seen the divine incarnation, she felt he was no different from a priest.
'The Grand Duke is a messenger of God...'
Was it okay for a holy man to do such things?
Of course, he had always done so...
The Grand Duke's blue eyes sparkled with longing. The Grand Duke brushed back his flowing hair with one hand and called out Rose's name.
"Rose... you don't like it?"
"!"
Rose's pupils dilated in an instant.
The moment he called her name, everything she had been holding back exploded out.
That gaze and pose were foul play.
Rose's face flushed red all the way to the tips of her hair, and she snorted.
'I'm not even a priest... so what!'
Rose closed her mouth slightly as if she had made up her mind, then assumed a reckless attitude.
She wrapped her arms around the Grand Duke's neck and moved her body. In an instant, Rose and the Grand Duke switched positions.
Rose looked down at the Grand Duke of Artaeum and spoke in a low voice.
"I never said no."
The Grand Duke seemed to be quite pleased with Rose's answer, for a smile spread across his face.
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the Grand Duke embraced her body. Then, he laid Rose back down on the bed.
Unaware of the dark shadows looming over them, like the calm before a storm, the Grand Duke and Rose were intensely entangled.
***
"I'll go with you."
"No. It's okay."
The Grand Duke had already finished preparing to leave. He grabbed Rose as she was about to leave in the carriage.
Rose smiled faintly and shook her head.
"The star of the day is the Grand Duke, and we can't be late, right?"
"Then I'll postpone the coronation."
"Yes?"
The Grand Duke was deadly serious. Rose sensed he wasn't just saying that, so she spoke urgently.
“You can’t lose trust from the first day you ascend to the throne. I’ll take care of everything right away, Your Highness.”
Rose patted the Grand Duke's shoulder as if soothing a child.
“But...”
Neruan isn’t here today.
If he had been protecting Rose, she wouldn’t have been so worried. But Neruan wasn’t here right now. He had already gone to the capital to complete his final mission.
“There are plenty of other guards here, the Grand Duke. I’ll take care of the department store business right away.”
Rose pointed to the knights behind her.
They had all worked for the Grand Duke family for a long time, but today, they felt particularly unreliable. They weren’t the type of people who would betray. However, a strange uneasiness lingered in her heart.
“I should have called Serun while Neruan was away.”
Contrary to his appearance, Serun was quite capable.
“Your Highness, it’s time to leave.”
Gwen, standing far away, called out to the Grand Duke as if urging him on. Rose forcefully pushed the Grand Duke of Arteum's back.
"Let's go quickly. That way, I can get there quickly."
"...I will."
The Grand Duke of Arteum eventually raised the white flag and nodded.
"Then, see you later, Your Highness."
Rose gave the Grand Duke a light kiss on the cheek and boarded the carriage, escorted by the knight. Rose sat down and waved brightly at the Grand Duke outside the window.
The carriage soon departed. The department store wasn't far from the Arteum mansion, so they arrived quickly.
"Why did it have to happen today?"
Rose was so shocked to hear that smoke was rising from the underground stables.
She approached the construction workers and immediately asked after their well-being.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"We are fine."
"The smoke cleared up quickly. It was nothing serious, but I feel like I wasted my time."
The construction worker scratched his head with an apologetic expression.
“No. I told you to tell me everything, even the smallest details. I appreciate you reporting it like this.”
Rose smiled brightly and descended into the basement with the workers.
A pungent smell rose as they descended into the underground stable. The smoke had mostly dissipated, but the smell lingered.
Rose covered her nose with one hand and looked around. Then, she discovered a pile of charred ashes on the floor.
“This is...”
Rose bent down and tapped the black ashes with her finger.
For a moment, her face hardened. The underground stable was designed to be fireproof.
To prevent any accidental explosions, it was constructed of non-combustible materials. But the discovery of the ashes meant,
“... someone deliberately set a fire.”
It was clear they had infiltrated the deserted basement and intended to turn it into a sea of fire.
Rose stood up again and asked the person in charge of the scene.
“Have you seen anyone suspicious recently?”
“I didn’t see anything in particular. There were quite a few people who looked around curiously, but no one came inside or anything...”
‘Who would do something like this?’
Everyone who might have harbored ill feelings toward him was locked up.
Doana, Eric, and even the Emperor.
‘Could it be... Tercia?’
Rose suddenly thought of Tercia’s face. Her son was imprisoned, and she might have been unnecessarily angry at seeing her rise to prominence.
Rose let out a low sigh.
"For now, I'll go back today... I'll have to gradually monitor for any unusual movements."
As this was an important day for the Grand Duke, he couldn't waste any more time here.
Rose spoke to the two knights behind him.
"I think we should strengthen the security of the department store. Please send additional personnel from the mansion to guard the department store."
"Does that mean the two of us should stay here?"
"Yes. Please."
The knights nodded willingly.
"I'll take you to the carriage."
"It's fine."
"No. The culprit might still be here, so let's go together to the carriage."
"Yes. Then, Lord Parton, you stay here, and I'll go up with Lord Hessen."
Rose returned to the carriage with the knights.
There were three guards left in the carriage. One by one, two had gone somewhere, and only one was visible.
They had to leave quickly, but the two knights were nowhere to be seen.
"Ah..."
Rose looked quite perplexed.
“Sir, where are the other knights?”
The knight standing in front of the carriage had his back turned, so she couldn’t see who it was.
He stood there silently, unmoving at Rose’s words.
The knight next to Rose frowned and said,
“What are you just standing there for?”
Frustrated by the knight’s silence, he strode forward briskly. Then he grabbed the man’s shoulder.
The knight spun the man around. The moment he saw his face,
“You...”
He froze in place.
The man standing before him wasn’t a knight of the Grand Duke’s family. He was a complete stranger. A mysterious man wearing the Grand Duke’s uniform. Droplets of blood splattered here and there on his face.
Instinctively, Rose knew what this man was trying to do.
“Lady Rose!”
The knight immediately drew his sword to protect Rose.
“Run!”
He turned his back to Rose and aimed his sword at the mysterious man.
However, the knight soon collapsed.
Black-masked figures appeared from all sides and attacked him.
“Ke, keke!”
The knight clutched his stomach and collapsed next to the carriage. He fell to the ground, only to discover his comrades beneath the carriage.
Judging by their stripped uniforms, they must have killed the men and taken their clothes.
Rose was captured by the men. They shoved her into the carriage.
In an instant, Rose’s hands and feet were bound, and she was kidnapped blindfolded.
It was the Emperor’s last desperate attempt.
The imprisoned Emperor, hoping that Rose had been kidnapped as planned, let out a hearty laugh.
His exhilarating laughter echoed like a thunderous roar, oblivious to the trap he had set for Rose, which was now strangling her.
She approached the construction workers and immediately asked after their well-being.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"We are fine."
"The smoke cleared up quickly. It was nothing serious, but I feel like I wasted my time."
The construction worker scratched his head with an apologetic expression.
“No. I told you to tell me everything, even the smallest details. I appreciate you reporting it like this.”
Rose smiled brightly and descended into the basement with the workers.
A pungent smell rose as they descended into the underground stable. The smoke had mostly dissipated, but the smell lingered.
Rose covered her nose with one hand and looked around. Then, she discovered a pile of charred ashes on the floor.
“This is...”
Rose bent down and tapped the black ashes with her finger.
For a moment, her face hardened. The underground stable was designed to be fireproof.
To prevent any accidental explosions, it was constructed of non-combustible materials. But the discovery of the ashes meant,
“... someone deliberately set a fire.”
It was clear they had infiltrated the deserted basement and intended to turn it into a sea of fire.
Rose stood up again and asked the person in charge of the scene.
“Have you seen anyone suspicious recently?”
“I didn’t see anything in particular. There were quite a few people who looked around curiously, but no one came inside or anything...”
‘Who would do something like this?’
Everyone who might have harbored ill feelings toward him was locked up.
Doana, Eric, and even the Emperor.
‘Could it be... Tercia?’
Rose suddenly thought of Tercia’s face. Her son was imprisoned, and she might have been unnecessarily angry at seeing her rise to prominence.
Rose let out a low sigh.
"For now, I'll go back today... I'll have to gradually monitor for any unusual movements."
As this was an important day for the Grand Duke, he couldn't waste any more time here.
Rose spoke to the two knights behind him.
"I think we should strengthen the security of the department store. Please send additional personnel from the mansion to guard the department store."
"Does that mean the two of us should stay here?"
"Yes. Please."
The knights nodded willingly.
"I'll take you to the carriage."
"It's fine."
"No. The culprit might still be here, so let's go together to the carriage."
"Yes. Then, Lord Parton, you stay here, and I'll go up with Lord Hessen."
Rose returned to the carriage with the knights.
There were three guards left in the carriage. One by one, two had gone somewhere, and only one was visible.
They had to leave quickly, but the two knights were nowhere to be seen.
"Ah..."
Rose looked quite perplexed.
“Sir, where are the other knights?”
The knight standing in front of the carriage had his back turned, so she couldn’t see who it was.
He stood there silently, unmoving at Rose’s words.
The knight next to Rose frowned and said,
“What are you just standing there for?”
Frustrated by the knight’s silence, he strode forward briskly. Then he grabbed the man’s shoulder.
The knight spun the man around. The moment he saw his face,
“You...”
He froze in place.
The man standing before him wasn’t a knight of the Grand Duke’s family. He was a complete stranger. A mysterious man wearing the Grand Duke’s uniform. Droplets of blood splattered here and there on his face.
Instinctively, Rose knew what this man was trying to do.
“Lady Rose!”
The knight immediately drew his sword to protect Rose.
“Run!”
He turned his back to Rose and aimed his sword at the mysterious man.
However, the knight soon collapsed.
Black-masked figures appeared from all sides and attacked him.
“Ke, keke!”
The knight clutched his stomach and collapsed next to the carriage. He fell to the ground, only to discover his comrades beneath the carriage.
Judging by their stripped uniforms, they must have killed the men and taken their clothes.
Rose was captured by the men. They shoved her into the carriage.
In an instant, Rose’s hands and feet were bound, and she was kidnapped blindfolded.
It was the Emperor’s last desperate attempt.
The imprisoned Emperor, hoping that Rose had been kidnapped as planned, let out a hearty laugh.
His exhilarating laughter echoed like a thunderous roar, oblivious to the trap he had set for Rose, which was now strangling her.
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