~Chapter 56~
The situation kept getting worse.
Roselia pressed her temples and bit her lip, her face dark and grim.
“Damn you, Killian Winters…!”
Everything was going completely against her calculations.
First, Killian Winters had vanished with his fiancée, Aisha Ashton. That alone was shocking. How had he moved so quickly? Where had the leak come from?
Soldiers had been dispatched everywhere, but there was still no trace of him.
His unexpected escape had dragged along consequences Roselia had never anticipated.
First: suspicion that “The Empress Dowager Roselia has framed Killian Winters.”
From the people’s point of view, it was natural. Everyone in the empire knew just how cruel and terrifying Roselia could be.
If, as she claimed, Killian really had connections with Sunday’s Exposé and there was solid proof, then an official order of arrest should have been issued. But this time, there was none—because no proof had ever existed.
And so the public’s whispers all converged into one thought:
“Isn’t the Empress Dowager simply attacking Killian Winters for political gain?”
Second: division among the nobles.
Those who heard the rumors began watching each other carefully, calculating constantly—who would win this dangerous battle, Killian Winters or the Empress Dowager?
This was disastrous for Roselia. In the past, even if open conflict with Killian was expected, her nobles would never have deserted her so easily.
But then came the death of Viscount Paddington.
That shook everything.
Nobles began to realize: no matter how much favor they won with Roselia today, their fate could flip tomorrow—or even within hours.
In the end, aside from her closest allies, nobles no longer fully trusted her.
Perhaps it was because they knew, deep down, that unlike Duke Dilsen or Baron Crawford, they weren’t truly useful to Roselia.
And then there was…
“Baron… Hayden…”
Even he, whom she thought was already in her grasp, was taking a lukewarm, wait-and-see attitude. Of course, he didn’t want to move recklessly and suffer losses.
“For the sake of war, I must secure the northern territory. If I can’t turn this situation around, if I don’t settle things with that damned Killian once and for all—the only one losing will be me!”
There was only one option left.
“Bill!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At her call, Bill, who had been waiting outside, hurried in and bowed.
“Immediately,” Roselia said coldly, her voice like ice.
“Summon the nobles.”
“…Excuse me?”
“There will be an emergency council. To decide on the punishment of Sunday’s Exposé and its collaborator, Killian Winters, who has dragged Draxion’s honor through the mud!”
An emergency noble council.
It was an old Draxion tradition.
All powerful houses would gather, a proposal would be raised, and a decision would be made. Voting was done by majority, and whatever the result, it had to be accepted.
“I can’t defeat Killian through force alone. I need a stronger justification. If the nobles approve, their support will become my strength. I must win their hearts—seize the upper hand.”
This was her last chance. Knowing that, Roselia’s crimson eyes shone sharply.
“What about Killian’s whereabouts?”
“…Forgive me, but we still haven’t found him.”
“During the council, make sure Killian cannot approach the palace. Use any means necessary. Do you understand, Bill?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
If Killian himself appeared, the nobles would split again. For Roselia, it was better if he stayed missing.
“Then summon the nobles at once!”
With that, Roselia’s face hardened with determination.
Aisha had been stuck on one thought for a while.
“Has Killian finally gone insane?”
Something was wrong. They were still fugitives, still on the run to avoid capture—and yet he suddenly insisted on going to the palace of all places? It made no sense.
“You look like you’re holding a lot of complaints.”
“Well… not exactly complaints…”
“Good. From my point of view, I’d rather see you complain than vomit on my clothes.”
Killian, riding at full speed, glanced down at Aisha clinging tightly to him and smirked.
“If you keep annoying me, I might just vomit right now.”
“That’s quite the terrifying threat.”
Aisha glared at him slightly, then recalled what Theorn had said earlier.
“As you said, Duke. Everything is going as planned. And… last night, we received a message from there. It’s all over now. If things continue, the Empress Dowager will fall!”
Fall? The Empress Dowager? Where had this message even come from? Who could possibly bring down someone with such absolute power?
Her curiosity finally broke through.
“What is that place?”
“What is?”
“Theorn said it—he got a message from there. That it’s all over.”
“….”
“And now you’re planning to storm the palace based only on that, aren’t you?”
“It’s not just that. You could say… I have a few reasons. Like I told you before, I make sure to prepare ways to survive.”
“Then tell me. I need to know too—we’re on the same side now.”
Hmm.
Killian’s brows twitched faintly.
“I’ve given you every bit of information I had. Didn’t we agree to trust each other?”
“I never said I would, though.”
“You—!”
Unable to hold back her anger, Aisha punched his thigh. Killian gave her a baffled look.
“For now, just understand—I’m not telling you because it’s for your safety.”
“What, in case something goes wrong and you need to prepare for that?”
“Exactly.”
“So… you’re not confident you can beat Roselia, huh?”
Aisha deliberately provoked him.
“No matter what excuse I make, do you really think Roselia will just let me go? Honestly, Duke, you’re needlessly optimistic sometimes.”
“Theorn is waiting ahead. You’ll go with him back to the ducal estate. The palace is too dangerous.”
“No.”
“…What?”
“This is half my responsibility.”
If not for Sunday’s Exposé, Killian would never have been dragged into such humiliation. Yes, Roselia had always wanted to destroy him, but not like this—not so suddenly.
“…Wait. Is this… all my fault?”
“It’s just a pretext. Don’t blame yourself too much.”
“….”
“And honestly, it might have worked out better this way. I had no intention of dragging things on any long—”
But before he could finish—
Whoosh!
Without warning, something flew from ahead.
“…Huh?”
An arrow.
For some reason, that moment stretched in slow motion. Aisha’s eyes widened, her face blank.
And then—
“Ahhh!”
Within seconds, she let out a scream filled with pain.
