Chapter 60
Yes, at this moment, the only reason Luina could protect herself was her own abilities.
The Emperor, who had often eyed her beauty, dared not lay a finger on her because she was the most skilled swordswoman in the empire.
Even Ernst had once joked in jest, saying he wouldn’t stand a chance against her in a barehanded fight. She was that strong. Once, when the Emperor had made advances during a gathering, she had sneered coldly at him.
“To claim me, Your Majesty, you’d best be prepared to cut off my arms and legs first.”
If he truly wanted to, he could use military force to subdue her, but Luina was the Duchess of the Kaltblüter family, which controlled the military.
Though Ernst was reclusive, claiming illness, he remained the only person capable of commanding the imperial army in a crisis. With the rebels still present, even the Emperor couldn’t ignore Ernst. Those two factors protected her.
And as for what Kainri could do…
“Aaaargh!!”
…Nothing.
At the moment when he shuddered with helplessness, a heart-wrenching scream tore through the silence from within the Emperor’s chamber, followed by a chilling, oppressive silence.
Creeeak—
Moments later, the Emperor himself opened the door and staggered out, his eyes hazy with intoxication, a twisted smile on his face. His hands were smeared with blood, and his lower body was soaked in a vile fluid as he looked at Kainri.
“Oh, well, look who it is! Marquis Elva.”
“……”
“And what brings the Emperor’s most loyal subject here, hmm?”
Inside, there was no more sound.
Please, he prayed, let it not be as I feared, let it not be too late. Hoping that he might still save her, Kainri dropped to his knees before the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I understand that Lady Louisa of the Kloze family is within.”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. Anger flickered in his gaze, hinting that he wanted to know how such information had leaked. Kainri gritted his teeth and bowed his head to the ground.
“She is a poor child who has lost her parents. Please, show mercy and return her…”
“Oh, but I’m afraid I can’t.”
Kainri froze, his forehead pressed against the floor, which had turned red from his desperation. The Emperor looked down at him, snickering, then tilted his head, licking the blood from his hand and spitting it out with distaste.
“She’s dead. Couldn’t even last a few minutes once I started choking her.”
The Emperor sneered, as if she had disappointed him, lacking even the faint appeal her mother had possessed. At least strangling her gave me something to grip, he scoffed.
In that instant, Kainri’s vision turned white, his mind blank. Gripping the floor beneath him, he couldn’t even clench his fists. He scraped his nails against the rug, swallowing the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.
The Emperor tilted his head in curiosity and leaned in, looking at Kainri’s trembling face before laughing uproariously, clapping his hands.
“What’s this? Are you… crying?”
“……”
“Crying, ahahaha! Look at this man!”
Tears that had backed up overflowed, spilling over his nose and forehead. His eyes stung, as though seared by fire.
When he closed his eyes, memories resurfaced, stabbing at his throat like a hot iron.
“It’s such a relief to have you as Louisa’s godfather, my lord.”
“She’s all we have, and we always worried about what might happen to her. But now, we can rest easy.”
They were kind people—unable to ignore the suffering of others, always extending a helping hand, always striving to relieve the burdens of their tenants.
And then there was young Louisa, still too innocent to hide her budding feelings, her pure affection glowing in her eyes whenever she looked at him. Sweet Louisa, gentle Louisa. Little Louisa.
“One day, if I get married, I want to marry someone like you, Marquis.”
No one knew of his relationship with Luina, so as far as she was aware, he was an unmarried marquis. Every time he visited, her heart would race, and she would gaze at him with starry eyes.
When he told her jokingly that being her godfather meant she should put such thoughts aside, her cheeks turned bright red. And, feeling slighted, she would pout.
“Fine, then I’ll marry the Young Grand Duke instead!”
“Oh, dear, but he’s only four years old.”
“Well, so what! There’s only twelve years between us!”
Don’t you know that older suitors are all the rage these days? She’d protest, bouncing up and down.
‘She was only that age.’
Sixteen, barely an adult. A mere child, just starting her life. And yet this wretched man had defiled, humiliated, and utterly destroyed her.
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