* * *
“Your Grace!”
“What is it?”
Kelvin, face tense, quietly called for Zeroth.
The Duke had been sitting at the bedside, wiping Sylvian’s face with a damp cloth.
At the end of the matter with Marquis Rooster, the Duke hadn’t left the estate.
To the outside world, he claimed to be away on a secret mission to hunt down the resistance.
“The resistance has taken over the Marquis’ estate.”
A spy planted within the Marquis’ household had delivered the message.
The knights were clashing with the resistance, and the remaining rebels were killing the servants and looting their belongings.
“So all the remaining rats have gathered?”
With the owner gone, it was no wonder vermin had crept in.
“What about the Imperial Court?”
“They’re sending the Imperial Knights.”
“They’ll be sufficient.”
As Kelvin nodded and turned to leave, Zeroth exhaled deeply and stopped him.
“Send Julian and Whisen to the Marquis’ estate.”
“Understood.”
Sensing his master’s intentions, Kelvin moved quickly.
At the Duke’s order, the ducal knights headed for the estate.
Before arrival, Julian touched the artifact on his ear.
It belonged to the Duchess—he still hadn’t returned it to Count Graham’s household.
“Ah, ah.”
Julian spoke in a low voice, a grin tugging at his lips.
“Whisen.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So stiff, as always.”
The knights were just entering the estate.
Julian called to Whisen in a teasing tone.
“Wanna make a bet? See who can take down more resistance fighters?”
The squad leader joked playfully as he cut down a rebel.
Whisen ignored him and plunged his sword into the neck of an oncoming enemy.
“Don’t joke around while taking on the Duke’s appearance during a mission.”
“Tch. You’re no fun. You’ll never get a date at this rate.”
“……”
Too late for that now.
Whisen thought of Sylvian, pale and lying unconscious, and pressed his lips shut.
He had never imagined the Duchess would be kidnapped after he left.
He just wanted him to stay happy in the Duke’s arms—but it felt like it was his own failure for not protecting him.
As soon as he received orders to return, he hadn’t even slept a wink before heading back to the capital.
“You’ll return to the Duchy.”
“I refuse.”
“Oh? Disobeying the squad leader now?”
Whisen wanted to see the Duchess wake up.
Ignoring the squad leader, he swung his sword again.
“Tsk. He’s only cold to me.”
Clicking his tongue as he watched Whisen chase down the rebels, Julian straightened his lazy stride and caught up.
As he passed by, Whisen’s eyes wavered faintly, seeing Julian wearing the Duke’s face.
Suppressing his irritation, Whisen addressed Julian as “Duke” and helped sweep the resistance from the Marquis’ estate.
“How many resistance members are left?”
“There might be a few rats hiding, but they’re likely almost all dead.”
At Zeroth’ cold words, the Emperor chuckled and feigned disinterest.
He’d heard the Duchess had been found.
“So it’s finally over. Those maggots.”
“Grant me leave.”
The Emperor, face light with relief, glanced warily at Zeroth after hearing his request.
“When will you announce that the Duchess has been found?”
“All at once, with impact.”
‘What a bother.’
The Emperor nodded reluctantly.
The Marquis of Rooster had been imprisoned for far too long.
Zeroth, somehow, had gotten him to confess willingly that he had kidnapped the Duchess.
The image of those powerless, sunken violet eyes resurfaced in the Emperor’s mind, and he clicked his tongue.
“Are you really going to let Marquis Karl off just like this?”
“We won’t know the full truth of what happened between them until Sylvian wakes up.”
“Well, I suppose I should be thankful. It seems Lady Nefer emptied her entire fortune for this.”
Zeroth didn’t respond to the Emperor’s speculation.
Whether that would turn out to be poison or medicine for Karl, even he couldn’t say.
“Even if they fall in love, I have no intention of reversing what’s already been decided.”
“…Wouldn’t it be faster to be born again?”
At Zeroth’s words, the Emperor shook his head.
That would be punishment enough for Karl Rooster.
He still remembered the day they first came to the imperial palace as playmates for his son.
“They were the first pair to throw punches at each other the moment they met.”
He laughed heartily.
He hadn’t expected to witness a fistfight in the middle of the palace.
The two marquises had hurried to pull their children apart, but Charlian had thrown a shoe, and Karl had struck Charlian in the face with the glove on his hand in retaliation.
Even at the palace, with Aihin present, they had done nothing but snarl at each other, making it clear how much they hated one another.
“So then, it’s a happy ending.”
“You… Are you insane?”
There was no such thing as a bond that could never change, not even if the world flipped upside down.
Forgiveness was Sylvian’s to give, not his.
Just as Charlian said, living without love for the rest of one’s life in torment might be more painful for Karl than death.
Death was too trivial a punishment. For a sinner, death was a convenient escape.
If Sylvian wanted Karl dead, then apologies to Nefer—but Zeroth would kill him without hesitation.
“I’ll be heading back now.”
“He still hasn’t woken up?”
At the Emperor’s question, Zeroth simply bowed and rose, saying he’d take his leave.
As he exited the reception room, he ran into Aihin, who had come to meet with the Emperor and asked about Sylvian’s condition.
Zeroth quickly excused himself.
While time slowed to a crawl for Zeroth as he waited by Sylvian’s bedside, the world outside moved on swiftly.
Thanks to Martius, who found leads to the independence forces while rescuing the Duchess, the key members of the movement had been captured and now awaited sentencing.
The investigation revealed all of Marquis Rooster’s ties to the rebel forces.
Though the Emperor knew the Marquis had acted under his orders, the public, unaware of the truth, was outraged.
It had also come out during the investigation that he had kidnapped Sylvian, further worsening public opinion.
“Sylvian, Karl’s trial is about to begin.”
It had been two weeks since Zeroth had Sylvian back in his arms, but still, Sylvian hadn’t opened his eyes.
Even Paul was growing anxious and poured recovery elixirs over him.
Yuri and Martius came by daily to check Sylvian’s face—and subtly gauge Zeroth’s as well.
“A formal trial will be held. Perhaps you should take some rest,” Kelvin said with concern, but Zeroth shook his head. He had nothing to say, even if he went.
The Emperor, likely frustrated that he hadn’t left the mansion, had been sending royal commands daily begging him to return to duty.
But he no longer cared about the trial or what punishment Karl would receive.
“I should have told him I loved him.”
* * *
