Chapter 244
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“What are you doing?!”
Emilia shouted, grabbing the door.
It was dangerous to go out amid this commotion. Emilia sent Dahlia behind her and looked at the gatekeeper.
“You have to escape now!”
The gatekeeper shouted.
Emilia shook her head. She didn’t know who might be mixed in with the crowd.
The gatekeeper let her go and turned to block the crowd. Emilia sighed watching him.
‘Why did the gatekeeper suddenly open the prison door?’
It was as if he’d been waiting for it. The sudden opening of doors everywhere turned the previously quiet place into chaos.
“If no one ordered this…”
Most of those imprisoned were criminals. Though some recently arrested indiscriminately were held elsewhere.
“This must be his order. He’s buying time to escape.”
Emilia agreed with Dahlia. She was quite sharp with this kind of thinking.
“If that’s true, we’d better get out of here.”
Dahlia nodded.
But escaping the bars meant immediate exposure to danger. The two pulled their cloaks tight over their faces.
As they turned toward the door—
Click—
The sound of the door closing echoed.
Startled by what had happened, the shoulders of the cloaked figure twitched.
“Hah!”
A stranger exhaled a relieved breath that sent chills down her spine.
Between the shadows of the cloak, violet eyes glimmered.
“Hiding here like a rat.”
“…How did you get here?”
Emilia drew her sword. She hadn’t expected Adrian, the man everyone was searching for, to appear here.
“Everyone is shouting to find me everywhere.”
“It’s not too late. If you say you’ll step down now, unnecessary bloodshed can be avoided.”
“Is that so? Am I included in that unnecessary bloodshed? But Emilia, everyone’s desperate to kill me.”
Adrian removed his cloak. Those trying to escape barely paid him any attention.
Time seemed to slow only for the three trapped behind bars.
“Do you think they won’t find you here? The Duke will find you.”
“Ah, Duke Heinrich. Yes, he’d find me without fail. Isn’t that unfair?”
Adrian sat on the bed, catching his breath. He brushed back his messy hair and smirked.
His uniform showed beneath his cloak.
“When he put me in that seat I never wanted, and now he dragged me down, the Duke sure acts as he pleases.”
His eyes glowed fiercely.
“If you truly are king and want to end all this, show yourself to the people. Then maybe you could save your life.”
Adrian slowly shook his head and stared directly at her.
“Save my life…? Do you think they’ll just leave me be? Besides, I’m no longer king.”
He had a carefree expression, then laughed wildly like a madman.
“I abdicated to my mother who so desperately wanted it, so it’s none of my concern now.”
“…No way.”
“Why? Are you disgusted by me for abandoning my family? Emilia, you shouldn’t look at me that way.”
Adrian got up from his seat and stepped toward her.
“You too have abandoned family and lineage just like me.”
Emilia gripped her sword tightly.
“No matter the reason, what difference is there between you and me? Isn’t that right?”
“At least I don’t deny my faults like you do.”
She had not forgotten abandoning her family or turning her back on her lineage. Maybe she will be punished someday.
If it had to be so, she would accept it willingly. But Adrian was different.
He still shifted blame onto others.
“You’re still shameless. Don’t you feel any guilt?”
Emilia looked at him with contempt.
“If I’d known, none of this would have happened. I guess I’m a lucky guy.”
He drew his sword from his chest and stared intently at Emilia’s belly with a broad smile.
“I’ve easily secured the gift for the Duke.”
Suddenly, his violet eyes flashed. As Adrian lunged toward her, Emilia drew her sword.
“No!”
Dahlia’s shout rang out as the three of them tangled together.
❖ ❖ ❖
The castle echoed with voices searching for Adrian.
Mikhail left Lady Luther in the care of Marquis Gepetto and searched the castle thoroughly.
“He’s nowhere to be seen. I’m worried he knew and fled.”
“No one but Marquis Gepetto and I knew the date had changed.”
A secret message had been sent at dawn. Mikhail did not suspect Marquis Gepetto.
He wouldn’t betray them now.
“Adrian must have been preparing for today. He probably told Etrez to hand the throne to Lady Luther.”
It was a fitting way to survive. Like mother, like son.
Mikhail looked at the empty king’s chamber, where Lady Luther’s ornaments and clothes lay.
“They didn’t prepare thoroughly.”
It seemed rather rushed. Where could Adrian be hiding?
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