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#19. The Knight of Change and the Man with a Numb Tongue
Hartman’s Southern Inted Archipelago.
In this place, sharing the sea with the Kingdom of Warden, disputes—both big and small—never ceased.
Pirates preying on trade ships were a common threat.
In summer, the heat was extreme, and in winter, bitter cold lasted for months. The Inted Archipelago had a fearsome reputation among knights.
There was even a saying: to survive Inted, one must either make a pact with a demon or become one.
Of course, it wasn’t just the harsh weather and frequent raids.
“Huff… huff… huff…”
On the cliffside training ground overlooking the dark, churning sea, the rough breaths of men filled the air.
Had they been caught in a sudden attack?
The knights, clad in armor and wielding iron swords, bore faces shadowed with the terror of death.
“Survive! Don’t give up!”
“Hold on with your life!”
The knights, covered in dust and sweat, gripped their swords again.
At the edge of their gazes, a silver-white radiance flashed.
“Oh… it’s coming…!”
One terrified voice was enough to set off screams across the field.
“Aaah!”
“P-please… spare my life!”
Even the elite knights could not withstand the storm of blinding silver light.
The last man fell face-first to the ground.
Only then did the dazzling light stop moving.
“Pathetic. Truly disappointing.”
A woman appeared, stepping over the fallen men.
Her silver hair, whipped by the sea breeze, shimmered like a moonlit waterfall, and the way she handled her sword was as graceful as polished jade.
Her delicate features and perfectly balanced body left no flaw to be found.
Claudia—more often called the Silver Demon than the Silver Knight—moved her red lips slightly.
“Twenty against one and you couldn’t even manage that? Can you even call yourselves my subordinates?”
“I-I’ll correct myself!”
“If I were a knight of the Kingdom of Warden, you would all be dead by now.”
“But Captain, you’re not an ordinary human!”
“Run three hundred laps around the training ground.”
“But you said today’s training would end with sparring!”
“Four hundred.”
“We’ll all die if we do that!”
“Five hundred.”
The color drained from their faces. Some dared to plead.
“Do you have no pity for your subordinates?”
“I train you so that you don’t perish, for your own good.”
“This isn’t a training load a human could handle!”
“You are not ordinary humans. You are knights who protect the borders of your homeland.”
“Ah, Captain!”
“I will take responsibility for leading you poorly and run a thousand laps myself. Take heart.”
Claudia started running around the training ground first.
Her stamina was boundless.
She didn’t think of herself as special.
Her genius and diligence, remarkable enough to be recorded in history, were exactly why she was called a demon.
The dust-covered knights murmured among themselves.
“Captain seems crazy today, doesn’t she?”
“See that pile of wood?”
“Isn’t it firewood? That’s a lot.”
“It’s the training dummies the Captain destroyed this morning. Let’s just pretend they’re dead for now.”
“Planning to desert, are we?”
“Feels like that might happen soon.”
Ignoring their complaints, Claudia gradually increased her pace.
She tried to focus on training but could not shake her thoughts.
Everything had started with a single letter.
-Ladia, how are you?
I was so glad to receive your review of The Empire’s Red Star despite your busy schedule.
I’ll send you the second volume as soon as it’s published.
Oh, remember the spicy pepper I mentioned before? I really want to get it.
I want to convey my true feelings to someone special, which I haven’t had a chance to do until now.
The ring is what I really want to give, but I don’t want to burden her.
This time, I want to be brave. I desperately need your help.
Your friend, Douglas.
Claudia naturally assumed the “special someone” was herself.
Douglas must have finally freed himself from the cunning Elisabeth and opened his eyes to true love.
If it weren’t her, why would he seek a pepper famed for its spiciness?
The method seemed strange, but it was Douglas.
It wasn’t easy for him to confess to a childhood friend after being broken off.
“Even lying, he wanted to give me a gift I’d truly like? A ring would have been fine too…”
Even while gripping her sword, eating, or lying in bed, Douglas’ gentle smile lingered in her mind.
Claudia requested the finest Pimianta pepper from the suppliers.
Thinking it would be the gift she’d return to him as a confession, the ruby-red peppercorns looked more precious and beautiful than rubies.
But it had all been a misunderstanding.
-Thank you, Ladia.
I couldn’t succeed in my confession, but thanks to you, Elisabeth was happy.
She even came to like spicy foods like you. Strange, right?
I was very happy to make her happy even for a moment.
All thanks to you. I’m proud to have you as my friend.
May the goddess Morasincia always bless you.
Your friend, Douglas.
Friend.
That single word always came between Claudia and Douglas.
Douglas would never know that his gentle words were tearing her feelings apart.
She ran toward the cliff.
She wanted to forget both Douglas, clinging to Elisabeth despite being abandoned, and herself, who loved him in secret.
While Claudia was exiled to the borderlands, Elisabeth lured Douglas ever deeper into despair.
How far must she ruin him to satisfy herself?
Supported by the Emperor’s favor and holding the high post of Crown Prince’s tutor.
“Captain, you’re here.”
Deputy Jason approached.
Claudia wiped sweat dripping from her chin with the back of her hand.
“There’s been contact from the spy we planted in the Imperial Palace.”
“Report.”
“The Emperor has thrown aside state affairs, enthralled by a commoner named Elisabeth.”
“I’m tired of hearing about His Majesty’s private affairs.”
“This time it’s different. He even involved the young Crown Prince.”
“The Crown Prince?”
“Recently, the palace servants of the innocent Crown Prince were arrested en masse.”
“For what reason?”
“It seems that the young Prince was poisoned, and that woman reported it.”
Claudia couldn’t speak for a moment.
Who would try to assassinate a Crown Prince only ten years old?
The palace was guarded by hundreds of elite knights.
Since the Imperial Knight Commander had been Claudia’s mentor, the breach of security was almost impossible to believe.
“The personal physician and even the close attendants noticed nothing unusual, yet that woman insisted.”
“Surely His Majesty didn’t act solely on the word of an amateur?”
“Even women and young boys were tortured.”
“!”
“The palace atmosphere is extremely tense. That woman has become the tutor; the Prince’s safety is of great concern.”
“……”
“There are even rumors the Emperor intends to make her Empress.”
“No way!”
Just imagining Elisabeth as Empress made Claudia’s stomach turn.
Claudia had disliked Nikolai for a long time.
Even on the day she received her knighthood, even when burying the bodies of her comrades, the Emperor had been indulging with women.
Dirty scandals surrounded the Emperor endlessly.
Still, he was her sworn lord.
Claudia had believed that even Nikolai had a last shred of conscience as Emperor.
Perhaps a vain hope.
“The nobles’ opposition barely stopped it. The elders witnessed everything.”
“Has His Majesty truly lost his mind?”
“Everyone waits for your decision, Captain. You must raise the banner.”
“Do not act rashly. This is not a matter of simple principle.”
“It is the meeting of a tyrant and a villainess. Hartman Empire can only be saved if we act swiftly.”
Claudia’s worry deepened.
An Emperor consumed by desire, ruining the country, deserved execution.
But revolution comes at the cost of blood.
Claudia never forgot that her sense of justice might differ from the people’s.
Even with her power, loyal knights, and supporters, it was the same.
“Because of my hesitation, the people might suffer more. I know Elisabeth’s wicked nature well. Perhaps the revolution must be rushed…”
Claudia struck down her rising anxiety.
Unless she could erase her feelings for Douglas and her anger toward Elisabeth, she had no right to speak of the people or revolution.
She ordered Jason:
“Find a way to return to the capital as soon as possible. I will judge everything with my own eyes.”
The Emperor must really eat in such a luxurious room?
Sitting in a dining hall whose walls were covered with expensive mirrors, she scratched her cheek.
The ceiling was adorned with cherub sculptures and a crystal chandelier; golden candlesticks entwined with vines glimmered wherever she looked.
The table for eight was covered with an excessively pristine white tablecloth.
“If even a drop of kimchi juice spills, it’ll be a disaster.”
Determined not to spill a single drop, she watched Nikolai.
“Go ahead.”
That was all.
He had said they would discuss Franz’s education, yet he silently began eating.
Amid the awkward silence, she picked up her silver spoon.
“Ugh! Why is it so salty?”
She almost spilled the steaming pea soup.
Nikolai seemed unaffected by the taste, calmly moving spoon to mouth.
Was it her imagination?
Yet the veal stew, salad dressing, and pie were all poorly seasoned.
“Looks and aroma are fine, but the taste is terrible. Feels like they dumped salt, vinegar, and sugar all together. Amazing that Nikolai even keeps a chef around.”
She wanted to question the strange taste. No, she wanted to demand answers.
But criticizing the food was not proper etiquette at the table.
Unable to summon the courage to eat further, she observed Nikolai.
Was his tongue numb?
Suspiciously, he devoured his food without flinching.
He didn’t seem to savor it—just emptied his plate like a soulless machine.
The worst food and the most uncomfortable silence.
After rinsing her mouth with cold water, she set the glass down with a clack.
“Your Majesty, don’t you usually refrain from speaking during meals?”
“Should I?”
“You said we’d talk while eating.”
“I intended to speak afterward.”
Nikolai glanced between her half-sullen expression and the remaining food.
“Is that not allowed?”
“When you invite a guest, it’s host etiquette to guide the conversation appropriately.”
“I forgot. It’s been so long since I dined with someone.”
“You have dozens of Empresses, yet eat alone?”
“It’s a long-standing habit.”
When Nikolai had invited her to lunch, she remembered Cares’ astonished face.
Perhaps it was a special treatment.
It didn’t feel unpleasant.
“Then let’s have a constructive, forward-looking conversation.”
“You haven’t eaten properly, have you?”
“The food doesn’t suit my taste. May I ask first?”
“Do so.”
Nikolai tapped his clean mouth with a napkin.
She asked directly.
“Who tried to poison the Crown Prince?”
“Classified.”
“But I’m the tutor and the relationship-improvement trainer. And a fairly capable medium too.”
Nikolai chuckled, amused.
But then his expression turned frighteningly serious.
“If you answer my question, I will tell you.”
“What’s your question?”
“What did you whisper to Franz?”
