Chapter 121
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Ugh.”
Cain jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat.
“Damn it. Not again…”
The nightmare that had haunted him for years returned once more. He roughly wiped his face with his hands.
The Kingdom of Amasril, located at the western edge of the continent, was a nation that had amassed great wealth through its mining industry.
It was so affluent that even if you stopped any passerby on the street, they would likely be wearing silk undergarments.
But the kingdom’s wealth, limited to gems and minerals, made it an easy target for neighboring nations. Unfortunately, Amasril lacked a properly organized army.
Thus, King Elihu Razas of Amasril, Cain’s father, tried to establish friendly relations with neighboring countries through as much amicable trade as possible. His diplomatic efforts had worked effectively for a long time.
Until the rebellion broke out in Nikephos, located at the center of the continent.
The civil war that erupted in Nikephos soon began to spread beyond its borders. The main instigator of the war was the Margrave of Grisel, Vlahova. He quickly subdued the imperial palace and conquered surrounding countries one by one.
Soon, Vlahova’s grasp extended to the Kingdom of Amasril.
King Razas of Amasril continued to demand friendly relations. He pleaded that he could not drive innocent citizens of the kingdom to their deaths and offered to give as many gems as they wanted if they would just refrain from war.
Vlahova responded that he would accept Amasril’s proposal. King Razas, relieved that he could quell the chaos through peace rather than war, headed to the meeting place.
But it was a trap. Vlahova stabbed King Razas to death as soon as he arrived at the meeting place. All the ambassadors from Amasril who had come with him were killed as well.
Immediately, a wave of bloodshed swept through the Kingdom of Amasril.
Vlahova ruthlessly slaughtered the kingdom’s citizens and even seized its treasury.
“Leave no bloodline of the Razas family alive.”
They captured and beheaded all members of the royal family of Amasril, from infants to the elderly. The brutality of the scene was so extreme that even Vlahova’s subordinates turned their heads away, unable to bear it.
Fearing that his actions would be recorded for future generations, Vlahova shifted all the blame for the conquest of the Kingdom of Amasril to the commander leading the military under him.
While on the surface it appeared that he was giving credit for the war achievements, in reality, it was a cowardly act to evade responsibility for the brutal massacre.
That commander was none other than Duke Kristin, who had died in an unfortunate accident. The last surviving bloodline of the Razas family that he saved was none other than Prince Dain, who was Cain. Cain Vernat.
Gasping for breath, Cain got up. Even after all these years, the nightmare of that day continued to haunt him daily.
“Ha…”
After briefly catching his breath while standing, Cain wiped the expression from his face and left the bedroom.
Another day began in which he had to wear the mask of Cain Vernat.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Since returning to the capital, he had not taken a single day off. He was so busy that he didn’t even know what rest meant, yet the workload was not decreasing but multiplying with each passing day.
This was due to the Emperor’s orders to summon Cain and the knights, citing the need for capital security.
The Emperor had specifically instructed the Vernat Knights to monitor the borders of the capital and the surrounding area for safety. Although it was a task meant for the city guards, the Emperor had passed it off to the Vernat Knights.
He had to patrol the capital’s boundaries morning and evening and report the situation to the Emperor, which left no time for leisurely meals at home.
However, for some reason, the Emperor had not called for Cain since three days ago. Instead, he received a message that future reports on the capital’s security should be submitted in writing.
It felt almost like an unexpected vacation. Feeling a little relief, Cain ordered breakfast to be prepared, something he normally skipped.
“I’m heartened to see you having breakfast at home like this,” said the head maid, Teschen, who seemed delighted to serve her master’s meal after a long time, smiling as she spoke.
“Looks like the wife is tired.”
Cain muttered softly while looking around the table, which felt unusually spacious today.
“I didn’t hear the bell so I made sure she could rest. It seemed like she didn’t sleep well last night,” Teshen quickly replied as she poured wine.
It was strange that the master, who usually didn’t seem to care about the Madam’s absence at all, was asking about her whereabouts today, so she added an explanation.
Cain set down his fork and leaned back in his chair.
“Didn’t sleep well last night, huh?”
He recalled how Agatha had hurriedly called him over last night, looking as if she had something important to say.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sleep in.”
“Yes, indeed. She’s always up early, but recently she asked me not to enter her bedroom until the bell rang.”
“She told you not to enter her bedroom?”
“Yes.”
“How long ago did she say that?”
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