Chapter 36
“…It’s no longer your concern.”
Karsiel answered flatly.
“I thought you were a friend for over a decade, but it seems I was mistaken. I was disappointed to see the assassins at Sky Valley. Still, there was a part of me that wanted to trust you.”
“…When did you realize and set the trap?”
Gale asked with a wry smile.
“Was it the princess’s advice? With just one word…”
“The princess’s advice was useful. She woke me up from my complacency. She gave me some helpful advice.”
Karsiel smiled faintly.
It was the first time he realized that a person he’d only met a few times could offer such comfort.
“However, even before the princess appeared, I had already suspected.”
“…How?”
Gale gritted his teeth in pain as he asked.
“It’s simple.”
Karsiel stared at him.
“At the decisive moment, there were occasional leaks of information. The most likely culprits were you and Luten, but Luten never once raised my suspicions.”
“…!”
Gale, who had managed to maintain some composure despite the beatings, twisted his face in shock.
“Once I started suspecting, small hints became clear. You wrapped it up as a moment of bravado, but you kept suggesting strategies that isolated me among the enemy. That was one of them.”
“…”
“I felt pain when I thought that a once trusted aide and friend had pushed me into a pit. But after thinking about it for some time, it wasn’t hard to accept. Betrayal like this is common in the royal family.”
Karsiel stepped closer to Gale.
Gale’s disheveled hair, dried bloodstains, and the burning resentment in his eyes were all clearly visible.
“Why did you do it?”
Karsiel asked, his voice cold.
“Why did you follow the Empress?”
“…Are you trying to extract information?”
Gale asked.
Karsiel chuckled.
“There’s nothing to extract from you. The Empress never left any proof of your connection. I’m just curious. If I made a mistake, I won’t make it again with the next person.”
“…”
“Being stabbed in the back feels pretty dirty, you know?”
Gale gritted his teeth, the blood in his mouth flowing down his throat, giving off a metallic scent.
Karsiel remained as cold as ever.
His only true friend had tried to kill him, and yet this was all the reaction he could muster.
In the end, he was just a subordinate. Worse than Luten, who was from a commoner background.
“I once trusted you.”
Gale growled.
“I was going to follow His Highness. Did I truly like Balthazar? No. But as I grew older, I started to see what I truly wanted.”
“What was that?”
“Born as the seventh of nine children in a poor family, what I wanted was to rise above my brothers, sisters, my father, my mother, and all the other families related by blood.”
“Was it impossible with me?”
“Yes, it was impossible. In the end, His Highness will die at the hands of the Empress. Everyone near him will die with him.”
He laughed bitterly. He thought if he was going to die anyway, he might as well curse the future that would freeze people’s hearts.
“Really?”
Karsiel asked, his face calm as he waited for Gale to speak again.
“In the Battle of Sesek, His Highness will either die or be crippled. If we retreat now, securing the position of Crown Prince will be impossible. It’s a battle we cannot win without reinforcements. I simply chose not to die in vain.”
“…”
“The Empress has lost power, and it’s the Empress who rules the Empire. In the future, it will be Balthazar. I can’t change that, so I chose to accept it. For my family’s glory, what’s wrong with that?”
“Ha… Family.”
Karsiel sighed deeply as he watched Gale speak harshly.
“Did you think that after defeat, the Thales family would still be there for you? Don’t you remember how close the Thales estate is to the Kahrnab estate?”
“What… The Thales army has never even been near the Thales estate.”
Gale defensively responded to Karsiel’s unexpected remark.
“Because the defense lines have never been breached. Or perhaps you thought reinforcements would arrive after the Battle of Sesek? If the Empress secretly prepared an army, she lied. I confirmed there were no movements on that side.”
“…?”
Gale’s eyes widened.
It was different from what he had been told.
He had been promised that if Karsiel was killed, the Thales estate would be preserved.
“The army waiting near Sesek was twice the expected size. If I had died, the northern Empire would have been destroyed, and even Thales would be gone. Thankfully, we didn’t lose any sacrifices.”
“Wait a moment.”
Gale’s eyes shook with disbelief.
“The war ended? What do you mean, the king was captured?”
“What? You didn’t know?”
Karsiel smirked.
“I caught the king who was on his way to Sesek. We showed him to the enemy hanging from a cliff, and he surrendered. The peace negotiations were completed, and we’re now discussing compensation. Do you think Luten is still somewhere?”
“Impossible… How could… the king…”
“As you said, a good adviser came to me after I lost a friend.”
Karsiel answered with a smile.
“I returned early after the battle to handle you. Soon, Luten will return to the royal palace with everyone and announce the victory.”
“Impossible!”
“We’ve fought together for a long time, so I thought you should know. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of it, but Luten will receive a barony and large estates as a reward.”
“Ughhh!”
Thud!
Gale struggled violently, but the movement only caused more pain.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“Do you have anything to say?”
“I only recently started cooperating with the Empress! Before the Thorn Prick Poison, I was loyal to Your Highness! You know that!”
“I know. That’s what makes it even more regretful. But it can’t be helped.”
Karsiel stepped back and removed his coat. For the first time, Gale saw fear spread across his face.
“I won’t die, Gale. I’ll face the Empress and ascend to the throne.”
“…!”
Karsiel’s face was different from before. There was a certainty in his expression as if he was sure it would happen.
“Someone I met recently helped solidify my resolve.”
“I… Your Highness! I was with you since the first battle! I was just a boy!”
“Yes, I remember. I won’t forget that you saved my life.”
“Then…”
A glimmer of hope flashed in Gale’s eyes.
The years he had spent with Karsiel rushed before his eyes.
The boy who had followed him like a brother since the first day they met.
The friend he could trust in battle.
The lord who first drew a sword to protect him when they were forced to kneel by Balthazar’s provocation.
Despite succumbing to the Empress’s pressure, he still believed in Karsiel.
Karsiel was someone who didn’t forget kindness or hatred.
For a moment, he wondered if there might be some warmth left.
But in the next moment, that hope turned cold.
“Gale Thales, thank you. I will grant you a quick death.”
“W-What?”
“No trial needed. I’ll execute it here.”
Karsiel drew his sword from his waist and swung it horizontally.
Swish!
With a sharp sound, several streaks of blood splashed from Gale’s neck.
“Ugh…”
Gale couldn’t scream and died without a sound.
“Your Highness!”
Kahrnab the Viscount opened the door and entered.
“I thought you drew your sword… Oh, it’s done.”
“Yeah. I’ll see to his funeral.”
“Are you alright?”
Kahrnab asked with a worried look. Karsiel stared into space for a moment.
It wasn’t that he was fine. A part of his heart still ached deeply.
He had once truly loved and trusted Gale.
But he was a pragmatic man. A royal born in the palace.
He had trained himself to accept such moments with indifference, knowing something like this might happen.
“I’m fine. But what’s that in your hand?”
“It’s a scorpion. The Princess of Aphellemion sent it.”
“What? The Princess?”
Karsiel’s face lit up briefly as blood from Gale’s neck splattered across him.
He opened the letter and checked the contents and date.
“Who is the lion?”
“It’s a knight named Deus.”
“Bring the news of victory. I’m going to the royal palace.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Karsiel hung his coat back on his arm, free of blood, and left the prison.
“Please take care of the aftermath.”
He spoke softly as he gazed at the sunlight streaming through the window.
“Gale’s mourning, and my regret for not keeping him on my side… It all ends here.”
