Chapter 84

The night, filled with many events, was passing. The light was beginning to cling tightly to the back of the darkness. As soon as Elizabeth left the palace, she headed straight for the Baldur mansion. The mansion was still brightly lit. The butler, who greeted her calmly, led her to the duke's office as if he had been waiting for her.

"Is Lord Herbert here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two walked quickly down the dim corridor. When Elizabeth entered the office, her brothers, who had been lost in thought, stood up simultaneously. After exchanging glances with Theseus, Elizabeth turned her head to look at Lionel.

"!"

The moment she saw him, Elizabeth froze. A sharp aura was swirling over Lionel's face, which was shaded by the lamplight. It wasn't a fiery rage but a cold, chilling coldness that enveloped his entire body, like that of a block of lead. Lionel bowed respectfully to Elizabeth and then raised his head to speak.

"What is the reason for the dethronement?"

Elizabeth was inwardly surprised. The Lionel she knew was a person who rarely showed emotional changes, but now he seemed like a river on the verge of overflowing. Sensing the barely contained turmoil in his eyes, Elizabeth took a deep breath and replied.

"It was a reason that was impossible to refute. The reason for the dethronement is... "

"..."

"It was the refusal of the imperial consort."

A cold and heavy silence descended upon the three. After a moment, Theseus sighed and spoke.

"Did the Empress accept this?"

In response to his question, Elizabeth nodded with a bitter expression.

"...She said she wanted to stop."

Lionel recalled the heavy and struggling face of Adel, feeling a tightness in his chest as he barely managed to take a breath. Elizabeth placed the documents she was holding on the table and said,

"Let's first review these documents. The evidence provided by... no, by Princess Gotrof."

Lionel and Theseus, who had been lost in thought, sat opposite Elizabeth and picked up the documents. Their eyes scanned the pages quickly and skillfully. The vast amount of data collected over a long period was sufficient to accuse the Duke of Despoina and the Emperor. However, the problem was that the Mage Corps was still under the Duke of Despoina's control, and the Empress had been dethroned. After a long moment of contemplation, Lionel spoke first.

"Before presenting the issue, what if we spread a rumor?"

"A rumor?"

When Elizabeth tilted her head, Lionel explained further.

"The palace is in turmoil. Since the Mage Corps is still under the control of the Duke of Despoina and the Emperor, if we reveal this now, it might be swept under the rug. It would be better to spread the rumor first, so everyone knows, and then present the issue."

Theseus thought about Lionel's words and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, indeed, that would be better. What do you think, Grand Duke?"

Elizabeth also nodded in agreement and added a suggestion.

"Not only in the capital, but we should inform the entire country of this. We should also inform the common people. I will take full responsibility for this."

"It could be dangerous."

At Theseus's immediate warning, Elizabeth shook her head.

"I have never fulfilled my duties as a princess for even a moment. I have never devoted myself wholeheartedly to any part of my life, so now is the time to do so."

Her violet eyes shone with a firmness that was more intense than ever.

＊＊＊

After discussing with the Baldur brothers, Elizabeth left the duke's office and walked down the corridor. She planned to change out of her elaborate dress at the Grand mansion. As she walked, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps. Elizabeth stopped and turned around. The person running towards her was none other than Lionel.

"Lord Herbert."

Lionel, who had stopped a step in front of Elizabeth, looked at her intensely.

"What do you mean by 'devoting yourself wholeheartedly'?"

"Devoting myself wholeheartedly?"

"You must know that the Duke of Despoina is not the only one responsible for this."

Of course, no one except the butler could approach here without the duke's permission, but this was a very dangerous statement. However, Elizabeth did not tell him to be careful with his words. Lionel continued when she remained silent.

"If you try to correct a wrong but ultimately deny and refuse to change, what will you do then?"

Lionel's dark blue eyes pierced Elizabeth's deep violet ones. The tension between them was palpable as a faint light began to brighten. Elizabeth recalled the hundreds of pages of Adel's activities and the vast amount of data from the past 14 years in Echmont. She remembered the burning Grand Forest and the pitiful children wandering the streets. The suppressed heat in her throat finally burst forth.

"...If someone tries to push the empire into hell by denying it, they should not be on the throne."

Lionel's eyes flickered coldly at her response. He bowed respectfully and then turned to disappear quickly.

＊＊＊

As the pale dawn broke and a hazy light began to spread, Lionel was running towards the palace. He realized what it meant to be exhausted. Since the palace was also an official institution, it opened its gates at dawn unless there was a state of emergency. This was no exception even after the order to leave the palace was issued. The gatekeeper looked bewildered at Lionel, who was riding away quickly.

"...There's an order to prohibit Lord Herbert from entering the palace... Stop him!"

But he was already gone.

"Damn it! Find him quickly!"

＊＊＊

After a long night, Adel, facing death, slowly removed the heavy clothes that enveloped her. Once pushed to the edge of the cliff, many things she once considered important felt like mere shells. The throne, power, honor, beliefs... all of these had been swept away, leaving only Adel herself. Strangely, after shedding all these shells, she felt lost. She had never lived for herself, and now she felt like a person crossing a dark mountain with nothing but her bare body. As Adel struggled with a deeper sense of emptiness and despair than death, he appeared as if by miracle. He looked as if he had run, his appearance disheveled. Adel instinctively called out "Lionel" but held back. Instead, she consciously straightened her back and called out,

"Lord Herbert."

"..."

Lionel's breath caught at her unfamiliar address. Adel rolled his name around in her mouth and then composed herself to continue.

"If I had known it would come to this, I would have asked you to resign as my advisor long ago. I'm sorry."

Lionel looked at Adel with trembling eyes. Her pale complexion, tight voice, and emaciated body after just one night, yet she still tried to maintain a calm facade. Seeing her exerting all her strength to straighten her back and compose her expression, Lionel's world stopped. His eyes reddened. Struggling to control his distorted expression, Lionel gazed at Adel endlessly. It was a moment of silence, as if time itself had stopped. Though he said nothing, his entire body spoke. Are you okay? Are you not suffering? Adel's composed expression began to crumble. The reason she had repeatedly picked up and let go of death, unable to drink it, was because of this gaze. After shedding all her shells and being left with nothing but her bare body, the last thing she held in her hand was not her homeland or anything else, but this worried gaze. The man who had fearlessly opened his arms to catch her as she fell. At that moment, the brilliant morning sunlight penetrated the window and stepped into the room. In Lionel's field of vision, a glass bottle shimmering in the light appeared. He slowly turned his gaze to the small vial on the table.

"..."

Noticing his gaze, Adel hurriedly tried to grab it, but Lionel, who approached quickly, seized the vial first.

"Lord!"

"Please forgive my rudeness."

Lionel looked at the vial with a stern expression. The small glass bottle, engraved with the Gotrof crest, contained a deep indigo liquid.

"Give it to me!"

Adel said firmly, extending her hand, but Lionel, still holding the vial, asked in a tight voice,

"…What is this?"

"A restorative."

Adel answered quickly. Lionel slowly turned his head to look at her. His rough, trembling eyes made her heart waver, but she ultimately lied.

"A restorative from my homeland. I just took it out because I was so tired."

Facing Adel, who was on the verge of breaking but still lying, Lionel bit his lip hard and then, without hesitation, opened the vial and said,

"Then, may I drink it first?"

He brought the vial to his mouth as if he was about to drink it. Shocked, Adel jumped up from her seat and reached out her hand.

"No!!!"