~Chapter 71~
Killian stood before Aisha, then slowly bent down.
He lowered himself onto one knee so his eyes were level with her as she slept.
“Mm…”
Just a moment ago she had been chattering like a little sparrow, but now she was fast asleep. That, somehow, was both funny and endearing. Killian found himself smiling.
Yes.
She must have been exhausted.
Very much so.
Today had been such a long day. If even he, Killian, felt that way, then surely Aisha did even more.
“Good work, Aisha Ashton.”
He spoke sincerely.
“Truly… you worked so hard.”
“Mmnya…”
“And… you were amazing. No war hero in the world could have done what you did.”
Yes. Unless they were crazy.
Killian’s lips curved faintly.
He slowly reached out, removed the outer coat he had been wearing, and carefully draped it over her body. Judging by how deeply she slept, her words about napping just a little before returning to her room had clearly been a lie.
Killian rose again, glanced at the unfinished documents… then instead of going to the desk, he sat down on the sofa—right beside where Aisha’s head rested.
He crossed his arms, stretched his legs out toward the table, and whispered:
“Good night, Aisha.”
No reply came, of course. But Killian smiled anyway, and slowly closed his eyes.
Soon, he too drifted into a light sleep.
And so, this loud and chaotic day finally came to an end—peacefully, unlike how it had begun.
Crash!
The sound of objects shattering filled another room.
Roselia’s maid stood frozen, trembling in fear. She didn’t dare intervene, didn’t dare beg her mistress to stop.
Because she knew very well what would happen if she stepped in when Roselia was in a rage.
The Empress Dowager’s spacious bedroom was already a wreck, but Roselia kept smashing, kept raging, unable to stop.
“Aaah!”
At last her hand struck a broken wineglass, and shards cut deep into her finger. Blood dripped freely. The maid rushed forward in panic, but Roselia struck her across the face with all her strength.
“Get out! If you want to live, get out!”
“S-so sorry… Your Majesty…”
The poor maid, clutching her swollen cheek, fled. Roselia was left alone.
Her ragged, angry breaths filled the room. Then she collapsed onto the bed.
And she thought:
Why… why?!
Something had gone terribly wrong.
And the cause was Belmore’s sudden, unexpected appearance—an intrusion that overturned everything.
If not for him, the evidence Killian had presented would surely have branded her a traitor. She would have fallen, and Killian Winters would have won.
But did Belmore really help her without a plan?
Of course not. Roselia had never once trusted her son. She had never loved him, and he knew it.
She wasn’t foolish enough to put faith in him.
They were bound by blood, but nothing more. Less than strangers.
“Belmore only wants to lure Killian Winters to his side. That bastard dares…”
Her pink lips trembled as fury blazed in her red eyes.
And then—
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
A familiar voice spoke.
“You don’t look well.”
It was Belmore, standing there with a calm expression.
“……”
Roselia glared at him with venom, but unlike before, he showed no hint of shrinking back. No—on the contrary…
“There’s no need to thank me.”
“What…?”
“Saving you with such recklessness benefits me as well.”
“Belmore… you…”
Roselia rose, trembling with rage, and staggered closer to him.
But Belmore did not move back even a single step.
“You intend to use me, to win Killian Winters over to your side?”
“……”
“You dare—!”
Smack!
Her hand struck his cheek, just as it had struck her maid’s. A red mark swelled quickly across Belmore’s face.
But he didn’t flinch.
He simply looked at her with cold, merciless eyes.
And Roselia froze.
Because that gaze… felt so familiar.
It was the same gaze she herself gave her enemies.
A gaze full of killing intent.
Shaken, she raised her hand again—but this time Belmore moved faster.
“Enough.”
He seized her thin wrist in a tight grip, and looked down at her with a chilling face.
“The greatest power in Draxion is not the Empress Dowager.”
“……”
“It is me—Emperor Belmore Ellington.”
“W-what…?”
At last, Belmore revealed the claws he had kept hidden until now.
“So from now on, conduct yourself carefully. Even I… don’t want to have to sentence the Empress Dowager to death.”
His eyes burned with resolve.
Toward the enemy he was determined to destroy.
