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Chapter – 41
The first thing that caught my eye was the broken bed.
The place where Hemion Martin had been sleeping.
Naturally, she was not lying on the broken frame.
I then scanned the surroundings.
Long sword marks ran across the wall, and the wall connected to the pharmacy had completely collapsed.
“So they went all out.”
Those were expensive tools, after all… and yet they had destroyed everything.
My blood felt like it was running backward, but I forced myself to stay calm and observe.
There was no bloodstain that could be attributed to Hemion Martin.
Only the remnants of destroyed objects remained.
“Missed her.”
I closed my eyes, took a breath, then opened them again.
If Roxis had found Hemion, the room wouldn’t have been this wrecked.
He would have tried to kill her silently.
‘Besides, Roxis isn’t here, but Rulios was guarding this place.’
If they had failed to kill her on the spot but succeeded in taking Hemion Martin away, Rulios wouldn’t be here either.
‘There’s only one answer.’
They had not yet secured Hemion Martin.
After reaching this conclusion, I kicked the nightstand lying beside the bed to make a final check.
Dust mixed with soil scattered into the air.
I roughly wiped the floor with my foot, pushing the clumps aside, and found what I was looking for.
Two lines crossing on the floor.
It was an X-shaped mark that could be easily overlooked if one didn’t know what it meant—but was clearly there if one did.
—BOOM!—
Just as I finished confirming, a loud noise erupted from outside.
It seemed Rulios and Ares were still fighting.
I hurried into the pharmacy to see if there was anything worth salvaging.
Some usable tools and medicinal herbs were left, so I swept them into my bag.
After finishing, I went outside and looked for Ares first.
Even though a huge noise had been echoing until just a moment ago, everything was now strangely quiet.
“Sir Ares?”
A massive crater had formed in the garden.
I cautiously approached, and from inside I heard Ares’ lively voice.
“Your Highness, I’m here—!”
Ares smiled brightly and waved.
And at his feet, something that might have been a lump of flesh or a human being twitched.
“Good heavens. Don’t tell me that’s…”
“He kept trying to commit suicide, so I might have gone a little overboard. What should I do with him?”
I was curious how “a little overboard” could make someone’s face unrecognizable.
But I didn’t bother asking.
“Well… since we can’t take him around, let’s put him in the Garnet Palace underground prison for now.”
“Yes, understood.”
Ares pulled a single tassel from the hilt of his sword and tied his hair again.
“I’ll be back soon!”
With that, Ares slung Rulios over his shoulder and disappeared.
After a while, he reappeared empty-handed and let out a long sigh.
“Your Highness, it seems you have no intention of returning to the banquet hall… I suppose.”
“Hemion Martin is gone. I have to find her.”
“Do you know where she is? Prince Yulion is probably already chasing her.”
“No, I have to go.”
As I started walking, the elaborate banquet dress dragging down to my ankles became a nuisance.
I pulled out the small self-defense dagger I carried.
“Your Highness, why are you suddenly—huh?!”
Without hesitation, I sliced off the hem of my skirt.
Looking at the dress cut clumsily below my thighs, Ares’ eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“I knew it, but you’re more straightforward than I expected!”
“It was getting in the way.”
“You’re not planning to fight personally, are you?”
“If necessary, I will. But first…”
This time, I stomped the heel of my shoe against the ground.
The high heel was torn off, transforming it into a flat shoe, and I forced my foot back in.
When I looked up, Ares’ gaze had changed to one that looked at a strange person.
“Then we should run. As fast as possible.”
“Where to?”
Before Ares could even finish speaking, I kicked off the ground.
“Please say something before leaving, Your Highness!”
Ares’ complaint, mixed with a whining tone, reached my ears.
Knowing he would follow just fine anyway, I focused on running instead of replying.
‘Please, it has to go according to plan.’
The shoes made it hard to maintain balance.
Even though I had removed the heels, they were originally designed as high heels.
I barely managed to avoid falling as I staggered forward, running toward the castle wall.
Buildings and objects blurred past me quickly, and my breath rose to my throat.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be more efficient if I carried you and ran?”
Ares’ absurd whisper came from beside my ear.
I gritted my teeth and shook my head.
“If I’m carried, it’ll be too noticeable.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean—”
“I’m already struggling, so stop talking!”
Just running was my limit. Why did he keep trying to make me talk?
Soon, my leg gave way and I almost fell.
More precisely, Ares caught me just before I collapsed, saving me from rolling onto the grass.
“So I told you it was too much. Get on my back. I’ll run in a way that’s noticeable.”
“…Sorry.”
In the end, I leaned my body onto Ares’ back.
Damn this body, making it impossible to do anything properly.
‘Once this is over, I’ll try to make some effective medicine.’
The place we arrived at was the 21st watchtower management post along the castle wall.
Ares set me down and pointed in the opposite direction.
“Prince Yulion probably went that way.”
It seemed he had found traces of Yulion in the middle.
“I think I understand why you came here… though I’m not entirely sure.”
His muttering voice suddenly turned serious.
A large man in black military clothing, wearing a mask and hood, walked out from the bushes.
Ares scratched his head and complained as if exhausted.
“I guess I was really tired to have been followed.”
Then, with a long sigh, he stood in front of me.
“Your Highness, you really do attract a lot of enemies.”
“Well, more importantly, can you subdue him?”
“Are you seriously asking me that?”
Ares smiled confidently.
The moment the sunlight reflected off the tip of his sword…
The two of them leapt toward each other without waiting for the other.
The sound of clashing steel tore through the air, and dust rose thickly.
Because the opponent was huge, Ares seemed at a disadvantage at first glance.
But the one being pushed back was actually the large man.
“Cough!”
Unable to keep up with Ares’ swift movements, the man gained small wounds all over his body.
“You can’t kill him!”
If possible, they needed to capture him alive and bring Roxis into the open.
Better yet, if they could entangle Cassian himself, it would be best.
The man’s left knee buckled, and Ares’ sword rose high again.
—CLANG!—
With a thunderous sound, Ares was pushed back several steps, glaring in my direction.
More precisely, behind me.
A familiar sensation crawled up from the back of my head.
Like a coiled snake… like insects crawling.
I sharply turned my head.
As expected, Roxis was standing there.
Roxis was injured all over, likely having clashed with Yulion.
A long gash ran across his cheek, and blood dripped from his left arm.
But his vicious gaze remained unchanged.
Roxis twisted his lips into a strange, crooked smile.
“Roti, long time no see.”
Not the kind of conversation one would have in this situation, but I responded to buy time.
“Yeah. If you attended the banquet, you could have just enjoyed it quietly. Why cause such a disturbance?”
“You know the reason better than I do.”
“I know that Father didn’t allow this.”
“He’ll praise me. Look, I succeeded in finding the target.”
Roxis’ gaze moved toward the watchtower management post.
His eyes burned with greed and slaughter, sending chills down my spine.
“There’s nothing you want here, Roxis. It’s not too late. Go back quietly.”
“Is that so? Then why don’t you open the door, Roti?”
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Isn’t the thing inside there Hemion Martin?”
I forced myself to remain calm and raised the corner of my mouth.
“Why would you think that? Don’t tell me you think I lured you here.”
“You, lure me?”
Roxis laughed loudly as if he had heard something extremely amusing.
“Roti, I know you well. If that were the case, you wouldn’t be acting so desperately.”
“…This is the imperial palace. Do you really intend to start something here?”
“So what’s the problem? No one will know I was here.”
Roxis spoke casually as he drew his sword.
“There’s just one unnecessary insect, though.”
It happened in an instant.
Moving too fast to see, the tense Ares leapt to intercept.
After blinking a few times, it seemed a clash had already occurred, because Ares’ sleeve was cut.
“Sir Ares!”
Blood seeped through the torn sleeve of Ares’ arm.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem deep, but it was still a warning sign.
Ares glanced at the torn fabric and chuckled.
“It’s been a while since I had fun.”
Roxis raised an eyebrow at Ares’ nonchalant smile.
“Why don’t you understand that when a bug wriggles, it only gets crushed more miserably?”
The conversation ended there.
Both of them clashed repeatedly in a storm of dust within the time it took to take one breath.
Ares’ sword cut Roxis’ earlobe, and Roxis cut Ares’ side.
“Kuht…”
Roxis looked thoroughly amused.
“From the moment you started digging through my territory, you’ve been annoying me. I should have taken care of you properly back then.”
Muttering something vague, Roxis drew another sword.
Holding two swords, Roxis was so strong that even in Cassian there were few who could match him.
Because of that strength, Father had even placed Roxis as a leading candidate for the next duke.
‘Dangerous.’
Even Ares would barely be able to hold on.
I heard that Yulion was chasing Roxis, but when would he arrive?
And the next moment—
“…!”
One of the swords Roxis was swinging was split in two and flew, embedding into the ground.
And another gust of wind.
“Was this the place where you ran off like a rat?”
Yulion stood there with an expression I had never seen before.
