Chapter 243
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Those filled with murderous intent spotted Mikhail and immediately turned their heads away.
“Open the gates and clear the way!”
The knight shouted, but the crowd in front grew angry.
“Aren’t they all the same gang? If anyone doesn’t know that it was Duke Heinrich who put that man on the throne, step forward!”
They waved their torches threateningly. The knights quickly formed a circle around Mikhail to protect him.
“Haven’t you seen the knights who tried to persuade the king?”
“If you take one more step forward, we’ll have no choice but to use force.”
At Byne’s warning, the crowd hesitated briefly but didn’t back down.
“How would we know? Nobles or kings, they’re all the same scum!”
Mikhail silently pulled a paper from his chest pocket.
It bore signatures agreeing to dissolve the royal family.
“Even with Bayern blood, you agree to dissolve the royal family…?”
Mikhail nodded toward Byne, who then shouted toward the castle gates.
Screams came from inside, and a commotion erupted near the gates.
“Clear the way!”
With the shout from inside, the crowd stepped back.
Creak! Bang!
The iron gates, which seemed unopenable, suddenly swung wide. The crowd stared dumbfounded at him.
“The king has refused to step down voluntarily, so we must drag him down as the people of Bartsch wish.”
“…You mean to lead the charge?”
Mikhail looked down from his horse and said,
“As of today, there will be no king in Bartsch.”
“Waaaah!”
Cheers erupted at Duke Heinrich’s words. They surged into the castle immediately.
The royal knights drew their swords to oppose them. Joined by knights from other noble houses who had been waiting, the momentum quickly shifted to the Duke’s side.
The acrid smell of burning castle and screams filled the air. Amid the chaos, Mikhail’s gaze was fixed solely on one point.
“Block anyone from entering the royal prison.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And find Adrian. Bring him here.”
“As you command!”
Mikhail got off, drew his sword, and headed into the castle.
Emilia was waiting. He quickened his pace, determined to find the root cause of all this.
“Waaah!”
“Stop them! Don’t let them take His Majesty!”
Amid the cries, royal knights rushed down. Blood was spilled here and there in the tangled crowd.
The pungent scent of blood made Mikhail’s brow furrow even deeper.
If only Adrian had stepped down then, these sacrifices would have been needless.
As Mikhail moved toward the king’s chambers, someone shouted,
“That’s the king’s mother! The devil who put her son on the throne!”
Mikhail turned his head upward and saw Lady Luther being dragged by knights.
“How can you say I’m the king!”
“His Majesty said he would step down, but Lady Luther refused and insisted otherwise, didn’t you?”
“What nonsense!”
Lady Luther looked at Etrez with a flustered expression.
“Why would I be by Lady Luther’s side? You even signed to act as regent.”
“My son gave me the throne without my knowledge! Ha ha ha!”
She burst into laughter, eyes wide open. Her body trembled with betrayal, fists clenched so tightly they turned white.
❖ ❖ ❖
Creak.
The suddenly opened door caused an uproar.
The knocking on the castle gates stopped, and a crowd poured inside.
Emilia gazed out the small window, taking in the sight of the people.
“It’s begun. Tomorrow’s the railway opening, but it seems they’ve moved the schedule forward.”
It was clear they had moved it forward by a day, hoping no one would notice. Emilia took the sword hidden beneath her pillow and handed it to Dahlia.
“Keep it close to your body.”
Screams filled the castle. Even those guarding the prison looked bewildered.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes, they won’t come to the prison. Their goal is to remove the king, so they won’t care about this place.”
The knight’s words made Emilia nod.
If they could capture Adrian, all this would end.
Dahlia looked tense. Emilia cautiously held her hand, and Dahlia smiled faintly.
‘Hopefully nothing goes wrong.’
Everything was surely prepared by now.
Time kept passing.
Emilia couldn’t take her eyes off the window, watching people searching everywhere.
‘Something’s wrong.’
There was nothing wrong with them searching for people.
The problem was that even though the chaos had started some time ago, voices were still calling for Adrian.
“Looks like they still haven’t found Adrian.”
“Seems so. We better prepare ourselves.”
If people didn’t storm the prison, it would be a relief, but nothing was certain.
“What are you doing?! Stop them! Stop that man!”
Suddenly, a shout came from the far side—
“The door’s open! Let’s go!”
Suddenly, people poured out from the side. Emilia and Dahlia looked at each other.
“What are you waiting for?! Why aren’t you coming out to stop them?”
The prison instantly turned into chaos. Guards and prisoners clashed.
“This won’t do. We have to get out…”
Someone’s voice trailed off as the prison door guards scrambled and then opened the door where the two women stood.
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