Chapter 173
Beatrice spoke.
She had no intention of going to the underground prison, where she would be treated like a beast, or to the cold palace, where only contempt and persecution awaited her.
“But…!”
“I told you, didn’t I? No one can kill me.”
Beatrice reminded Mikhail of what she had said to him.
None of those present could fathom what Beatrice was thinking. They could only watch her warily, wondering if she had another plan.
Beatrix clasped her hands together as she watched those who were afraid and wary of her.
And then one of her hands quietly grabbed the other wrist.
Snap. The sound of something breaking was heard.
At that moment, an old memory flashed through Mikhail’s mind.
He recalled seeing his mother wearing a bracelet made of red beads long ago. Those beads now looked familiar.
“I am the only one who can kill me.”
“Mother!”
Mikhail ran towards Beatrix, and Estelle tried to stop him later.
Beatrice was a fraction quicker than them.
A cracking sound came from between her teeth as she smiled and swallowed the red seed.
“What have you done!”
Estelle, shocked, withdrew her sword, and Mikhail grabbed Beatrice’s hand. But her hand was already empty. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she coughed, her face turning pale.
“Your Majesty!”
Mikhail urgently caught Beatrice’s falling body with his arms.
Her fingertips were already turning blue, and the veins on her neck bulged as if they were about to burst.
“Your… Majesty…”
Mikhail’s trembling hand caressed Beatrice’s cheek.
He knew. His mother had committed an unforgivable crime.
He might even have to sentence her to death in his name.
Yet, he couldn’t bear to watch her die before his eyes.
He had more good memories with her and had respected her for a long time.
Beatrice had occupied a large part of his life, too significant to cast aside in a few days of doubt and certainty.
Seeing her son with tears in his eyes, Beatrice murmured.
“I raised you too kindly.”
Her cold fingertips brushed weakly against Mikhail’s cheek.
She coughed up blood one last time and then breathed her last.
* * *
Killian ran while holding Sophia.
Sophia’s limp body was as cold as ice.
“Sophie, please…”
He murmured through trembling lips as he descended the bell tower.
“…I’m… alright, Killian…”
Sophia’s weak voice escaped between her laboured breaths.
But Killian’s expression didn’t lighten.
He wrapped her tightly in his cloak and murmured again.
“I’m sorry, truly…”
Sophia looked at him through blurry vision.
Why is he apologising?
He has done everything he was supposed to do. If anyone should apologise, it’s her. For making him worry, for dragging him to such a place…
“Just hold on a little longer, please.”
Killian prayed as he ran down the dark, endless staircase.
What happened to Beatrix and what Michael, Ian, and Estelle had said were all erased from his mind.
His mind was solely focused on Sophia’s condition.
Her blood stained his hands and sleeves.
He was scared, terrified that his recurring nightmare might come true, that Sophia would leave him like the precious people he had failed to protect before.
His heart ached as if it were breaking.
“I’m… just a bit… tired. Today… was too much…”
Sophia tried to reassure him, even as she felt her consciousness slipping.
From the funeral to the monsters, there was too much to worry about, and she was just exhausted.
She caught a cold from being out in the rain for too long, that’s all.
That’s why she felt weak.
“Okay…. So you don’t have to say anything more, Sophie.”
Killian felt that Sophia’s voice, which continued through her thin breaths, was dangerous.
Sophia looked at Killian with blurry eyes.
I couldn’t even tell what expression he was making.
“I… just need a little rest.”
She thought she should reassure him more, but she felt she might have caught a severe cold.
She closed her eyes, thinking it was too cold, and soon lost consciousness.
* * *
Thud! Thud! Crack!
In the training ground of Ruchtainer, where the rain had cleared, the sound of training dummies being destroyed echoed again.
“Damn it, how many has he broken already?”
“He accomplished something, right? It was a great achievement! So why is he like this?”
“What on earth happened while we were out hunting monsters…?”
The knights of Ruchtainer were frustrated by Ian Fraus’s unpredictable behaviour.
The training ground was already filled with broken dummies.
The dense, sturdy wood from the north had been chopped repeatedly, and the straw that was twisted and braided to withstand arrows was easily split by Ian’s attacks.
By morning, all the remaining dummies were destroyed, and in the afternoon, Ian brought new dummies from the Fraus merchant group.
Because of this, the training ground belonged solely to Ian today.
“Damn it…!”
Ian threw another broken dummy aside, cursing under his breath.
No matter how much he swung his sword, his anger wouldn’t subside.
‘If only I hadn’t told the Empress about that…’
If he hadn’t revealed that Sophia was adopted, she would have been safe.
She wouldn’t have been injured in the carriage accident, wouldn’t have been cut by a sword, and wouldn’t have almost fallen from the bell tower. And…
‘She still hasn’t woken up.’
He gripped the sword’s hilt so tightly it seemed it might break.
It had been four days since the incident, yet Sophia showed no signs of waking up.
‘I’m the one who did this to Sophia. I…!’
Unable to contain his rising anger, Ian struck the doll next to him again. This time, the dummy split in one blow.
“Wow!”
“He’s like a monster. Shouldn’t we be hunting him instead?”
“That’s a rare species, you know. If we tried to fight, we’d be wiped out.”
The knights of Ruchtainer murmured in shock, and someone tapped their shoulders.
“Rather than watching Sir Ian like this, wouldn’t it be better to focus on your training?”
Estelle smiled at the knights. But they clung to her instead.
“Estelle, you also contributed this time! Tell me in detail what happened!”
“Yes! Why did Her Majesty the Empress pass away, and what’s with the illegitimate child in the imperial family that’s causing such a fuss these days?”
“You caught the black moon. Is it true that it has something to do with Her Majesty the Empress?”
The knights bombarded her with questions about that day’s events.
“…There will be an official announcement from the palace soon.”
Estelle avoided their questions and turned her head.
“But it’s been days with no word!”
“We know the monsters attacked. The palace is under restoration…”
“They say the Empress’s funeral isn’t happening because of the Black Moon.”
“They also said Lady Sophia didn’t die. Is she just on the verge of death?”
The knights gossiped like socialites, making Estelle’s expression harden.
“…Shut up and train.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Estelle snapped at the knights, who were startled by her.
Despite her delicate appearance, Estelle had a rough side that occasionally surfaced, perhaps due to her northern upbringing.
“That’s harsh, Estelle…”
“You’re the youngest, yet you act up just because you accomplished something…”
The knights tried to protest but eventually scattered.
“Phew…”
She does have a temper sometimes. When she gets sensitive, her rough side shows up.
Estelle ruffled her hair, admitting that her words had been harsh.
She remembered how she was like this when she first met Killian, Mikhail, and Sophia.
She had been on edge upon arriving in the capital for the founding festival.
‘Things were much more pleasant back then.’
Estelle turned to look at Ian.
His expression had been dark since that day.
Even the commander, Zenon, and the secretary, Benedict, who could usually handle Ian, couldn’t approach him now.
‘I understand people’s curiosity, but…’
Estelle thought as she looked at Ian.
It had been four days since the incident, yet there was no official announcement from the palace.
The situation within the palace must be complicated.
Because the Empress was the Black Moon, and it had to be revealed that she was the mastermind behind all the events that happened that day.
Considering the authority and honour of the imperial family and the legitimacy of Michael, who would later become emperor, it was not a story that could be easily made public.
The relationship with Killian was also unresolved.
What was most important was that Sophia, the illegitimate daughter of the imperial family at the centre of all these events, had not woken up.
Because of that, Killian stayed by Sophia’s side the whole time and did not respond to any conversations with the royal family.
‘I never thought Sophia would be the illegitimate daughter of the royal family.’ (T/L: Damn.. these past episodes were a roller coaster. I was so impressed that I couldn’t even make any comments like previously I used to. This story really impresses me till the end. Although it sounds like this chapter is the last and our swwyv reader – translator relationship is ending. But no, we have more chapters, lol.)
