Chapter 56
Just thinking about it was painful, and Rias bit his lip hard. What if he had been the one there that day? What if it had been him, not Cyrone?
“Now, there’s something else I truly desire.”
Rias looked up at the black sky dotted with drifting stars. His twisted anger was now aimed squarely at Cyrone.
If Cyrone had never existed in his life, this wouldn’t have ended like this. Cyrone was the one who ruined everything. Not only had that presence stolen everything from him, but now Cyrone was trying to take Elia away too.
“That can never be allowed.”
Rias’s clenched teeth ground together with uncontrollable fury. It didn’t take long for the darkness to swallow his entire form.
* * *
Everything would be perfect once the red banner was moved toward the holy city. Even the justification for rebellion was already sufficient. That night, as Reiffers fulfilled his late lord’s last wishes, he smiled naturally while staring at the one castle granted light in the darkness.
“The Prince must reclaim the throne—”
Reiffers gripped the hilt of his sharpened sword, steeling himself. Suddenly, the door shook violently, as if it might be torn off its hinges.
Shouts and screams tangled together. The raucous noise of people struggling near the doorknob reverberated heavily.
Rias’s brow furrowed behind the black curtain where he hid his body.
“Father!”
Elia burst through the torn-open door, shaking off the hands of the servants and crawling to Reiffers’s feet.
“Elia, you…!”
Reiffers, looking down at her, glanced anxiously behind the curtain. He had given Elia sleeping pills, knowing she might do this. So why wasn’t she asleep tonight?
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Miss! You must not do this! Please return to your room immediately!”
“Father, please do not commit any more sins!”
Elia’s voice was agitated, as if she was coughing up blood. The servants who hurried after her tried to bind her limbs and drag her away, but Elia twisted and struggled, breaking free again and again.
“Father! What you are doing is rebellion and treason! Please stop this!”
Elia could no longer control the trembling in her voice. How much more terrible a crime was her father planning to commit? How many more lives would be stained with blood before he was satisfied?
“Let me go! Let me go!”
When a dozen or so people lunged at once, Elia’s body was pushed back to the floor repeatedly. Though she struggled fiercely, it wasn’t enough.
“Stop! Stop it!”
Motioning to his servants to silence the commotion, Duke Reiffers gestured to his attendants. They immediately stopped pulling Elia away. Reiffers looked down at Elia’s pale, exhausted face, taking in how far she had run and how fiercely she had struggled.
“Tsk, tsk.”
He clicked his tongue, pitying Elia who hung at his feet, sobbing.
“Do you know why I’ve locked you in your room for the past month? Because you’re a fool blinded by love, destined to ruin your father’s great cause. It’s pathetic that I raised someone like you as my daughter.”
Reiffers fixed Elia with a sharp, ruthless glare, uttering cruel words without hesitation.
“…Father, why?”
Elia, collapsed at his feet, looked at him in disbelief. This wasn’t an issue of emotion she could understand. It was utterly unreasonable. How could someone sworn to loyalty to the imperial family through his dukedom commit treason and rebellion?
Elia let out a hollow laugh unable to believe Reiffers’s words, then suddenly glared at him.
“How can what you’re doing be called a great cause? It’s nothing but reckless greed and madness! How many more lives must you stain with blood before you’re satisfied—!”
Snap! Elia’s anguished scream was abruptly cut off. Overcome by unbearable pain, she gasped for breath.
“You insolent brat!”
Reiffers struck Elia’s delicate cheek with his rough gauntleted hand. Though the blow nearly blinded her, he couldn’t control his rage and huffed in anger.
From within the dark curtain, Rias watched the entire scene with cold eyes.
“I was never meant to raise someone like you. Never.”
Seeing Elia trembling, Rias instinctively reached out to pull back the curtain.
“The Crown Prince spoils you so much, you think you can do whatever you want. Lock this insolent girl in the basement. Don’t give her even a drop of water until I say otherwise.”
But Reiffers, seemingly trying to stop Rias’s intervention, raised his voice louder with a threat.
“Take her away.”
At a gesture from the steward Nastan, the servants suddenly surged forward. Rias watched with eyes as dark as night as they dragged Elia out.
“Father! Father, please!”
Elia struggled to steady her fading vision, but blood suddenly poured from her open mouth.
“Is all this really necessary?”
Watching Elia collapse, Rias murmured quietly in a low, ominous voice. Rias’s face hardened so much that the snarling Reiffers had to fall silent.
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