HTRE 10

Chapter 10

“Your passionate contest deserves my applause. Thank you for giving us such an enjoyable spectacle. However, Eroika. Unfortunately, as you wished, the title of Duke…”

“Just as expected of Claudis. To display such skill against a prince…”

Just as the Emperor was about to announce that Eroika had failed to reclaim the ducal title, voices supporting Eroika began to rise from the audience.

“It has been a long time since His Highness Prince Kylev gave his all in a match, hasn’t it?”

“He truly is extraordinary. If it is someone like him, I would feel at ease entrusting him with the protection of the Empire.”

Of course, the prince had only used his left hand, and at the beginning, he had seemed not to be fighting seriously. Even so, it had been more than enough to prove Eroika’s skill.

The voices coming from the audience silenced Bosarba.

Everyone gathered here was either an important figure from another country or a member of a royal family. In front of all of them, Eroika had boldly crossed swords with a prince.

Not only that, she had displayed exceptional skill. All of this proved that she possessed the qualities necessary to be the head of Claudis.

Public opinion was on Eroika’s side. If the Emperor rejected her now, there was no doubt that people would point fingers at him and call him a merciless emperor.

A look of bewilderment appeared on Bosarba’s face.

Kylev looked down at Eroika, whose wrist was still caught in his hand, and let out a small laugh.

“You really got him.”

It was rare for laughter to escape his lips like that. If her recklessness had not been an empty boast, then his prediction that the Emperor would regret this was correct.

Regardless of victory or defeat, Eroika had taken the opportunity to make everyone remember her existence.

“Congratulations. It seems things are going according to your wishes.”

Kylev released Eroika’s wrist and took a step back. As his hand moved away, she straightened her clothes and stood before the prince.

“Thank you, Your Highness. It was an enjoyable match.”

Eroika did not say much. Instead of continuing their conversation, the two swordsmen politely bowed to each other, bringing the match to an end. Their graceful exchange only made the crowd even more excited.

It also meant that the prince had acknowledged Eroika.

For Kylev, it was not a bad ending either.

He had treated the last descendant of Claudis seriously, even though she was a woman, because she had entered the duel with her honor at stake. And as the finest swordsman of Frantz, he had clearly shown the overwhelming difference in strength during the latter part of the match.

More than anything, he liked the fact that the ending had not gone according to the Emperor’s wishes.

Kylev turned his head toward the Emperor. The look on the Emperor’s face, now with all his escape routes blocked, was quite amusing.

Everyone waited for the Emperor’s answer. For the ending of this scene to be perfect, it had to end with Eroika’s victory. With no other choice, Bosarba was eventually forced to acknowledge Eroika.

“…Ahem. Regardless of the outcome of the match, Eroika Claudis has demonstrated more than enough ability. Therefore, I hereby return the title of Duke to her.”

The people applauded Eroika.

The overwhelming welcome felt unfamiliar to her, but she was relieved that she had achieved her goal.

It would have been a lie to say she had not been afraid of facing Kylev. Every time their swords clashed, she had to suppress the urge to question him.

Why had he betrayed her?

Hiding the sincerity in her heart and the emotions in her eyes, she looked at Kylev before her.

His cold, emotionless expression was still unfamiliar to her, no matter how many times she saw it.

Eroika silently vowed that one day, she would see that cold face covered in burning guilt.

“Why did things turn out like this? Where did that woman even come from, daring to look down on me, the Emperor? You saw that smile she gave me earlier too, didn’t you, Mille?”

At the highest point of the eastern stone tower was one of the most secluded places in the Imperial Palace, a remote area where hardly anyone ever came.

The room was filled with red moisture. The intense heat and foul, fishy smell mixed together, making it difficult to breathe. The bathtub Bosarba was sitting in was filled with a dark red liquid that clung together thickly.

“I did, Your Majesty. She is a very insolent woman. I even doubt that she is truly Claudis’s daughter.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why are those foolish people being fooled by her little performance?”

His lack of sound judgment and ignorance had ultimately allowed him to be swept up by the people’s enthusiastic reaction.

“And what about that vulgar face of hers? Why are people so obsessed with delicate-looking faces like Kylev’s or hers?”

The reaction of the people who had praised them at the banquet was especially irritating. Bosarba had devoted his entire life to maintaining his appearance, yet he had never received the kind of praise they gained so effortlessly.

“I should have said no right there. I was an idiot for saying I would give her the ducal title.”

He had sent Kylev to keep her in check, thinking that if she proved strong enough to be recognized, he could use the prince to restrain her.

But instead of keeping her in check, it was impossible to tell who had actually benefited from the situation.

“Kylev alone is already annoying enough. What if that woman tries to rebel against me?”

There was only one thing Bosarba was worried about.

Someone discovering his foolishness.

He was afraid that the woman who claimed she wanted to restore Claudis’s honor might use that sense of duty to interfere with him as he ruled in such an unjust manner.

“If Your Majesty wishes, it is not too late to take action.”

Mille gently coaxed his master with the tongue of a snake.

“Doesn’t Your Majesty possess omnipotent power? Show her. Show her what happens when someone earns Your Majesty’s displeasure.”

Mille held out a round metal cup.

The Emperor took the cup from his servant with his dirty, sticky hand. No one was ever supposed to know what was inside it.

“Bring that woman to me.”

Bosarba drank the red liquid in the cup in one gulp, then climbed out of the bathtub and roughly wiped himself dry.

Unable to hide his sinister appearance, Mille smiled.

There were still many foreign nobles staying in Frantz, and the Empire continued to hold festivals every day.

It was late at night, and everyone was out on the streets enjoying themselves. The noisy sounds of the festival carried through the cold air from far away.

Eroika had refused Ethan and Soma when they invited her to join them at the festival, so she was alone in her room.

She loved this time after her bath, when she could drink warm tea and read a book. It was time completely devoted to herself, when she could sit quietly, stop thinking about everything else, and focus only on the story in front of her.

Knock, knock.

Martine, who had been serving her, had left the room a long time ago. Other than a maid assigned to her by the Emperor, there was no one who should have come to see her at this hour.

The sound of someone knocking on the door came at a time when everyone had already retired.

Eroika raised her head and looked toward the sound, but she could not sense anyone outside.

Did I hear it wrong?

She stared at the firmly closed door. When there was no further sound, she turned her attention back to her book.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as she had become absorbed in the story, another knock reached her ears. This time, the sound was clearer than before.

Who would come at this hour?

Eroika closed her book and stood up.

“Who is it?”

It was proper for anyone who wanted to enter to identify themselves first. However, no answer came to her question.

Eroika sensed something strange. With a puzzled look, she cautiously reached for the doorknob and pulled it open.

Beyond the half-open door was nothing but darkness.

Lowering her gaze, she finally saw an old man waiting for her. He was hunched over, and his height only reached about Eroika’s waist.

It was Mille.

He had come all the way to her room without carrying even a single light.

“His Majesty the Emperor says he has something very private to discuss with you, just the two of you. Would you please come with me for a moment? Ah, this is an order, so you must obey.”

His voice was somewhat clumsy, yet strangely ominous.

“The Emperor wishes to see me at this hour?”

When Eroika showed her wariness, Mille gave her an unpleasant smile.

“He wishes to see you immediately. His Majesty is waiting. Please hurry.”

Until now, every meeting between Eroika and the Emperor in Frantz had been conducted officially. If he suddenly wished to meet her alone in private, there was certainly some hidden motive behind it.

However, as Mille had said, this was an imperial order. She could not refuse.

“Lead the way.”

“This way.”

Eroika followed the old man.

The strange-looking old man roughly grabbed her and pulled her along.

He led her to the eastern stone tower.

It was a place she had never entered before in the Imperial Palace.

The moment she stepped inside the stone tower, a foul stench filled the air.

As they climbed the countless stairs, she could hear the sound of damp moisture dripping somewhere in the darkness.

Sensing that something was wrong, Eroika looked back several times as she climbed the stairs, but she could not sense anyone following them.

Only Mille urged her to keep moving.

The eyes of Mille, whom she caught sight of in the darkness, had lost all warmth, like a rotten piece of metal.

“Open the door and go inside.”

At the end of the stairs was a small door.

The closer she got to it, the stronger the stench became.

Eroika instinctively felt that she should not open that door, but there was nowhere for her to retreat.

Seeing her hesitate, Mille suddenly opened the door and pushed her inside.

“What are you doing…!”