* * *
It was a promise made from the heart.
“…Do you swear before the name of the Divine?”
“…”
Kaindel slowly blinked.
The sensation of recalling the past abruptly faded as reality came rushing back.
A bright light filled his vision, and the murmurs around him grew louder.
He didn’t even have time to wonder where he was.
“Duke Schudelgarten?”
“Ah.”
Hearing the Pope call his name again, Kaindel snapped back to his senses.
Only then did he fully grasp the situation he was in.
The sharp gaze of Kerelona, who had been staring at him intently, also helped ground him in the present.
Say it, Duke.
He could hear Kerelona’s whispered urging.
He didn’t need to ask what she wanted—he already knew.
Stick to the plan.
Kerelona wanted the wedding ceremony to proceed smoothly, all the way to the banquet.
That would buy them enough time.
At the banquet, she would make the announcement—that the royal palace had already fallen under their control.
It was obvious what was going on in her mind.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have bothered with the banquet at all, but she must have been mindful of the recent public opinion.
Even now, just look at him.
The King was on edge, terrified that something might go wrong with the ceremony.
Kaindel glanced at the area where the King and the nobles sat before shifting his gaze to the entrance.
Through the slightly open doors, he could see the large crowd gathered outside.
Of course, it was natural for people to be interested.
This was the wedding of the kingdom’s hero.
If the King had allowed commoners to attend, the entire hall would have been overflowing with people.
“I…”
Kaindel murmured, inhaling deeply.
Was it because it was the final moment?
He had briefly gotten lost in his thoughts.
Just this one moment—once he got through it, everything would be over.
His entanglement with Kerelona.
His entanglement with Isa.
His role as a hero.
His duty as Duke of Schudelgarten.
All of it would come to an end.
He didn’t feel relieved.
But he didn’t feel regret either.
“Before the name of the Divine, do you swear eternal love to the Princess?”
If he denied the Pope’s words here, the Pope would leave.
Without the Pope, the ceremony could not continue—it would be halted.
Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, not only Kerelona but also the nobles and the King would be thrown into confusion.
And in that moment, his people—who had already taken control of Kerelona’s faction—would make their move.
That was the final plan.
“Sir Isaac came to me personally. He asked for my help.”
“Isa did…?”
“Yes. His devotion to you is both admirable and heartbreaking.”
Once the king learned of Kerelona’s betrayal, he would have no time or energy to concern himself with Kaindel.
That was certain.
By then, Kaindel had already decided to leave the capital entirely, abandoning the title of Duke of Schudelgarten.
He had also disposed of all his accumulated wealth.
“So, why did you decide to help me?”
“You heard me. Sir Isaac asked me to.”
“Not that. I mean the real reason.”
“Hah.”
In truth, if the Pope had refused to help, Kaindel had no intention of attending the wedding.
It would have been far cleaner to go straight to the palace and end things himself rather than playing along with the ceremony.
Besides, stepping into this place with the intention of cutting ties with Kerelona was no different from walking into a tiger’s den unarmed.
That was why he had initially planned to avoid it altogether.
“I asked Sir Isaac about the Great Calamity. And after hearing the truth that had been hidden away… I finally understood what was right and what was wrong.”
“…….”
“I am merely an agent acting on the will of the divine, protecting the people. I am only doing what I believe is right.”
“I see.”
“And… I also had some personal regrets toward Sir Isaac.”
But if things unfolded that way, Isa would be disappointed.
And Kaindel didn’t like that idea.
Luckily, since the Pope had agreed to help, Kaindel contacted him separately to receive his assistance.
The protective barrier around the royal palace would be deactivated for a short while.
Without that barrier, his own people would be more than enough to handle Kerelona’s forces.
“I’m afraid I can’t swear an oath to you. My apologies.”
That was the signal to begin.
The Pope gave a faint smile at Kaindel’s words before erasing it just as quickly.
Kaindel saw his fingers flick subtly under his sleeve—a silent gesture to lower the barrier.
Once the Pope confirmed the protective field was down, Kaindel pressed down hard on the amethyst he had hidden.
With only a slight force, the gemstone shattered like a signal flare.
The broken amethyst would send a sign to his people, who were waiting near the palace.
By now, the signal beacon there would have lit up.
All that was left was to wait.
Kaindel let out a quiet sigh, murmuring inwardly to himself.
That was when Kerelona, frozen in shock, suddenly grabbed his arm.
“What?”
Her gaze flicked toward the retreating figure of the Pope, her expression urgent.
The situation that had been proceeding smoothly had suddenly veered off course, and she seemed genuinely shaken.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
“Duke—”
“I’m afraid I can’t keep our promise.”
Kaindel looked down at Kerelona’s wide, trembling eyes before gently raising his hand.
Then, he pried her fingers off his arm.
Her delicate hands, shaking, slowly slipped away.
“What the hell are you doing? I… No, if this was your plan, you should have told me beforehand, Duke! I waited for you even when you went into seclusion without a word. I endured when you ruined my reputation by spreading nonsense in the papers. I overlooked everything. And yet, how could you do this? Our promise was—”
“Exactly. You shouldn’t have broken it first.”
“Duke of Schudelgarten!”
“I already have someone I love.”
“…….”
Kaindel deliberately raised his voice, ensuring that the murmuring crowd around them would hear every word.
“That is why I cannot swear eternal love to you, Princess.”
Had Kerelona not touched Isa first, perhaps Kaindel would have continued playing along like an obedient puppet.
He had always been aware of the kingdom’s flaws, though for different reasons than hers.
Even so, he wouldn’t have betrayed Kerelona.
He wouldn’t have raised his voice or disrupted her plans.
If she wanted to play the hero, he would have let her.
But now… he was exhausted.
Exhausted with Kerelona.
With the kingdom.
With the nobles.
With the endless cycles of sponsorship parties.
Even with the divine itself.
He just wanted to end it all.
“And, Princess.”
Kaindel rose from his seat, lowering his voice as his gaze flickered toward the king, who was now rushing toward them.
“Right now, my people are dealing with yours.”
“…Duke of Schudelgarten.”
“I imagine His Majesty would find it quite entertaining to learn what you’ve been scheming behind that charming smile of yours.”
“You—”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave.”
Kerelona reached out in an attempt to stop him before the king could arrive.
Her face, a mix of frustration and rage, twisted viciously.
“Do you not realize that this will only make things harder for your people? Think carefully, Duke of Schudelgarten.”
“It’s not that I haven’t considered it.”
Kaindel trailed off, tilting his head slightly.
The king’s enraged voice—”Hero! Duke of Schudelgarten!”—boomed so loudly it made his ears ring.
Honestly, the fact that Kerelona was still trying to negotiate was laughable.
Not long ago, she had mocked him as nothing more than a well-trained warhorse.
“They’re strong.”
Isa no longer suffered because of him.
If anything, it was Kaindel who now craved Isa’s attention.
It had taken him too long to realize, but Isa was someone who could endure pain on his own.
He didn’t need Kaindel to step forward and shield him.
Kind and fragile, yes.
But never someone who would break. Never.
And besides, Kaindel had already ensured the others were by his side for protection—just in case.
He recalled their faces from the night before and let out a small chuckle.
“Still, I appreciate your concern.”
“…….”
“Ah. By now, it should all be over.”
Kerelona clenched her fists as she looked up at Kaindel, who was checking his pocket watch.
For years, he had been nothing more than a shadow of his former self, broken and dull.
But today—just for today—he shone mischievously, as if he had never lost Isa in the first place.
Like the hero of old.
And in that moment, Kerelona instinctively realized—
She would never again be able to shake Kaindel as she once had.
“Thank you for your efforts until now.”
* * *
