Chapter 30
“Kill him, and I’ll let you live.”
“Kill your brother, and you get to survive. How about it?”
That voice—Zikal’s voice—had whispered temptations into her ear. The bloodied blade had come for her heart. A hand had yanked her back just in time. The piercing steel had instead run through a fox. And from the far end of the hall, she had seen—dozens of black poison-tipped arrows all aimed at Rozes.
“….”
What had happened after that?
“Fox.”
“Call me Tis, woman.”
The girl puffed out her chest and answered with pride.
“It’s even better if you call me cute and lovely Tis.”
“Am I… still alive?”
Ignoring Tis’s nonsense, Lizbel asked what truly mattered.
“I’m alive, right?”
“You don’t look dead to me.”
“…”
“You’re breathing just fine. Seeing clearly. Even feel warm.”
The small hand cupped her cheek—not so much caressing as poking—but the warmth was unmistakable.
‘I didn’t die.’
Lizbel threw off the blanket that covered her. Tis yelped in surprise and scrambled back.
‘Rozes…’
When she had run into Rozes in the corridor leading to the Nanark Hall, he had already been poisoned. His face had been corpse-pale, and the wound had begun to rot black. She could smell death on him.
That night, Lizbel had never asked. Why had he said those things to her? Why, after all this time, was he suddenly acting like a real brother?
She could’ve just ignored it. If Rozes was dead, Lizbel should have raised a toast. That was how things were. Whenever a sibling died, the others held a feast of relief.
And yet… what was this strange pull that kept her from hardening her heart?
Bare white feet touched the cold floor.
Even as she stepped off the bed, Lizbel hesitated. Rozes was her enemy before he was her brother. And yet, despite knowing this, she couldn’t stop herself from walking toward him like a woman possessed.
“Hey? Where are you going, woman?”
Tis called out behind her, but Lizbel didn’t respond. Her heart was growing more anxious by the second.
‘He’s not dead. He can’t be dead.’
Rozes wasn’t the kind of man to die so easily.
Trying to stay calm, she grabbed the doorknob. Tis mumbled to herself, eyeing the door.
“Uhh, you won’t be able to go through that door. The master placed a spell on it so no one can go in or out—”
But Tis never finished her sentence.
The moment Lizbel’s hand touched the knob, the magic seal shattered into glimmering fragments.
“Wow… you’re incredible…”
Leaving the girl gasping in awe behind her, Lizbel flung the door open—and froze at the sight beyond.
“Gasp—Princess?!”
“…What…”
The narrow hallway was lined with dozens of knights on either side. Half wore the royal colors of Valdimar. The rest were soldiers clad in unfamiliar uniforms.
“We will escort Her Highness. This is the royal palace of Valdimar. It is only proper that the Royal Knights perform the duty—”
“Do you not know that Duke Narnark issued a state of emergency over the palace in the name of His Majesty, the Emperor of Rataeh? As of dawn two days ago, all military and political command over Valdimar passed to the Rataeh delegation.”
“The Kingdom’s Knights are sworn to protect the royal family!”
Protect the royal family? A duty?
Lizbel glanced around instinctively—was there another member of the royal family here?
There wasn’t.
A crack appeared in her lovely expression.
Then what was this all about?
* * *
All Lizbel wanted was to check if her brother was still alive. But more obstacles stood in her way than she expected.
“Your Highness, we cannot let you pass!”
“This is ridiculous. I may as well be talking to a wall…”
The ones arguing before her appeared to be the captain of Valdimar’s knights and a knight from the Rataeh delegation.
Lizbel shot an incredulous glare at the Valdimar knight commander. Judging by his uniform, he wasn’t from Rozes’s Rikelite Order. The golden insignia on his chest—it belonged to Belik, the personal guard of King Lucife.
Then, without warning, the Belik commander dropped to one knee before her.
“Fifth Princess! We leave the decision to you!”
“To me?”
Lizbel blinked in disbelief.
“We cannot allow the Rataeh delegation to take you!”
The words made sense, and yet they didn’t.
‘What is he on about?’
That man, the one kneeling before her now, was the same one who used to drag the corpses of dead princes and princesses up to the palace summit.
He had been Lucife’s eyes, ears, and right hand. The one who had monitored Lizbel like a hawk, waiting for her downfall.
“It is truly a relief to see Your Highness awake. If even a scratch had come to you, I would have sought punishment by death.”
This man—who had never once said a kind word to her. Even her maids had looked at her like a beast. The knights, drunk on Valdimar’s pride, were even worse.
“We are on Your Highness’s side. Please, come with us. His Majesty is waiting.”
“On my side…”
The idea was as laughable as Zikal’s offer to spare her life.
No matter how sweet the words, she could hear the contempt beneath them. She had lived nearly a decade being hated. Their sudden kindness wasn’t charming—it was revolting.
There was no such thing as “her side” in this palace.
“…Ah.”
A theory occurred to her. One that neatly explained this situation.
“My father… he said he wanted to deal with me himself, didn’t he?”
“…Pardon?”
The knight commander looked startled. Lizbel’s mind raced. The arrival of the Rataeh delegation must have pushed the succession war into a temporary ceasefire.
Letting the Empire catch wind of the internal war for the throne would be troublesome. They must’ve decided to remove her before Rataeh intervened.
‘Did they really think I’d just go along with it?’
Then again, it made sense. Everyone in the palace still thought she was crazy. Taking a mad princess somewhere quietly was probably no big deal.
“…So it’s no trouble for them to kill me.”
A cold, blade-like glint flashed in her blue eyes. Lizbel donned once more the mask of madness she had worn for days. It was easier than pretending to be sane.
She smoothed the folds of her skirt and squatted before the knight commander.
“You’re a dog.”
“…Pardon?”
“My father’s dog.”
Her slender hand reached out to pet the commander’s head like one would stroke a mutt.
“You’re the big dog. Those ones are puppies.”
You mutts really think I’ll fall for that cheap honeyed lie? Think I’m so far gone I’ll believe it?
She traced a finger under the commander’s chin. His face paled to an ashen hue. No doubt he had never experienced such contempt in his life.
“My father must really want to see me.”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness. He’s… quite worried. He said he absolutely needs you—”
Sure, I bet he “needs” me—to shut me up.
Lizbel was about to scoff, but the next words froze her in place.
“You are one of only two remaining heirs to the throne in Valdimar. It is only right that you accompany us.”
“…Two?”
Her heart sank like a stone.
“You must also prepare for the welcoming ceremony tomorrow night. So please, Your Highness—”
She heard nothing more. She couldn’t even bring herself to ask who else had survived.
Was it Zikal? Or Rozes?
“…”
As her emotions surged, a faint light shimmered at her fingertips.
Lizbel glanced down at her hand.
“Let’s go, Princess.”
The Belik commander nodded at one of his men. A large knight stepped forward and grabbed her arm tightly. Just as the Rataeh knight was about to protest, Lizbel spoke coldly.
“Let go.”
Her voice was sharp, and the pressure on her arm was unbearable—but the knight didn’t budge.
“I said let go.”
“Princess, please don’t make this harder—”
“So you won’t let go.”
Lizbel smirked. Her body reacted before her mind did.
Smack.
The loud slap echoed through the hallway as the knight’s head snapped to the side.
Her palm reddened, but golden light quickly healed the sting.
“You know what they say…”
Her voice rang through the suddenly silent hall.
“For disobedient dogs, a beating works best.”
A soft golden glow encircled her, then coalesced into the shape of a sickle. She swung.
Blood sprayed in the air.
A deep gash opened across the knight’s hand. He groaned in pain.
“Urgh…!”
Lizbel flicked his hand off her shoulder like one might shake off a bug. The Belik knights who had been blocking her flinched at last.
“I never realized… but I get violent when I’m angry.”
She remembered killing dozens at the Nanark Hall. She had done it with full awareness.
She didn’t know how it was possible—and she didn’t want to know.
There was only one thing she needed to understand right now.
Was Rozes still alive?
Or was he already dead?
Her lips twitched as she struggled to keep her composure.
“So get out of my way.”
