Chapter 97

Adele also said her final goodbyes to Mrs. Gix. Mrs. Gix, with a calm expression, meticulously explained the contents of the luggage Adele had packed and repeatedly urged her to take care. "So, chew your food well and swallow it, and be careful not to catch a cold even in the middle of the day..." "Thank you, Mrs. Gix." As Adele listened obediently to her nagging, she silently embraced her, and the old lady, unable to continue, trailed off. Though her nose tingled, she reminded herself that it was unbecoming to cry and hold back a departing person, and she held back her tears. Instead, she affectionately patted Adele's back. "Please be careful." Adele gave her a final, firm embrace before standing up. She looked at the old lady's wrinkled face and smiled. "See you again." At that moment, Elizaveta entered the room, guided by the butler of the Duke's mansion. She had rushed to the Duke of Herbert's mansion, leaving all other matters behind, the moment she heard that Adele was leaving. As she had wanted to meet her anyway, Adele greeted Elizaveta with a joyful expression. Elizaveta gazed at Adele in silence for a while before speaking carefully. "Adele, your life has awakened me. As the princess of Echmont, I realized I had done nothing." Then she gently took Adele's hand. "So, I wanted to thank you for waking me up." "It was not me but you who opened your eyes." In response to Adele's words, Elizaveta smiled softly and shook her head slightly. Her purple eyes, which resembled the emperor's but were different, shone with a firm and wise light. Adele held her hand and lowered her voice. "I hope you succeed." Elizaveta nodded resolutely. "I will." The arrow had already left the bow. There was no way to stop or turn back; the only option was to push forward and win. The two women, exchanging meaningful glances, hugged each other tightly as if they had made a promise. "See you again." "I will." Their golden and purple eyes shone with determination, * * * "No!!! Let go of me, let go right now!!!!" Karl struggled like a madman against the servants who were holding his arms, shouting. He pushed the servants roughly and rushed out of the palace, screaming Adele's name in a desperate cry. "Don't go, Adelaide!!!!" The servants, trying to stop the emperor from running to the main gate like a demon, were at a loss. "My empress is leaving this place, where is she going!!!!" The emperor's cries, like those of a child, made even the low-ranking servants mutter in disbelief. "You deposed her with your own hands, and now this..." Not only the knights but also the nobles who had entered the palace watched the emperor's disgrace. There was no trace of the emperor's dignity in Karl, who kept calling Adele's name like a child. At that moment, Duke Despoina, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, appeared. Seeing the emperor's deranged state, the duke's eyes blazed with anger. He coldly ordered the guards who had come with him. "Take His Majesty back inside the palace immediately." The large guards quickly approached the emperor, and the personal servants quickly stepped back. "Don't touch me, get back!!! I'll kill you all!!!!" As the emperor fiercely resisted, the guards looked at Duke Despoina, unsure of what to do. The duke clicked his tongue and approached Karl. "Your Majesty, please return to your office." "Duke, go quickly and bring the empress back." "Please return to your office." "That woman is going back to her country!!!! If we don't hurry, she'll be gone forever!!!!" Seeing that the emperor was not listening, Duke Despoina irritably signaled the guards. In the end, the guards grabbed the emperor's arms and dragged him away. "You won't let go?! I'll kill you all!!!!" The emperor's frenzied shouts were in vain as long as Duke Despoina was there. The entire palace watched as the emperor, held by the strong guards, was dragged away like a prisoner. "Adelaide!!!!" The voice, filled with obsession and hatred, echoed eerily through the palace, but there was no response. "You must be wandering in hell too." Dian, watching from a distance, muttered darkly. Seeing him in a state of being abandoned and acting crazily, a hollow laugh escaped her. "You always seemed so sensitive and proud, as if you wouldn't give your heart to anyone. But it seems you weren't like that, Your Majesty." As Dian heard the deposed empress's name echoing, she looked down bitterly. She then turned and habitually stroked her stomach. Unresolved anger welled up in her downcast eyes. Karl Echmont Ulrich was undoubtedly wandering in hell. But it was only because of the deposed empress, not because of Dian, right? Dian, who had always been pushed into the fiery abyss by Karl, thought constantly as she moved. She wanted to return the pain she had endured to those who had treated her life like trash. How could she bring hell to them? How could she? * * * Thanks to Mrs. Gix, who had carefully wrapped the cloak several times, not a single gust of wind penetrated Adele's embrace. After Cain and Ghibelline, Adele also mounted her horse. When the waiting guards finished their preparations, the horses pawed the ground and snorted. Adele slowly looked around. Mrs. Gix and the butler bowed deeply. Lifting her head, she saw a desolate and cold sky. Adele gazed at the empty, hollow sky and fervently wished, 'Please, don't let the tower descend until the revolution succeeds.' At that moment, Ghibelline called out to Adele. "Your Highness." Adele lifted her head and took the reins. "Let's go." As the mansion's main gate opened wide, a warm breeze rushed in. The cold wind, which must have initially been sharp, had become warm as it passed through the crowd. Many people had gathered along the road leading from the capital to the outer gate to see Adele off as she left Echmont. Cain and Ghibelline also looked at the crowd in amazement. It was like a silent, rippling wave. People simply bowed their heads and silently bid farewell to Adele as she passed by. Adele slowly scanned the crowd. The people who had gathered were shining like sunlight breaking through the surface of the water. The few months as the empress of Echmont were shining. Adele suddenly noticed a pair of red eyes among the tear-streaked faces. A woman with a deep hood pushed through the crowd and looked at Adele. "Brunhild." Recognizing the shape of her lips, Brunhild, who was following the empress's procession, nodded. It was fortunate that she was there. Without her, it would have taken a long time to understand Duke Despoina's plan. Adele nodded at Brunhild. Understanding the meaning, Brunhild stopped and bowed deeply to Adele. The last people to see Adele and her party off as they headed to the capital's outer gate were the nobles. Since it was the deposed empress's departure, they all wore hoods to hide their identities, but Adele recognized them at a glance. As Theseus took a step forward and bowed deeply, those behind him also bowed. "Please be careful. Thank you." In response to Theseus's words, Adele smiled. As they passed through the open gates of Echmont, a vast plain seemed to pour out before her. And on that plain, he stood. Unlike the others who had hidden their identities with hoods, he stood with his face exposed. They looked at each other. No words were exchanged, but they could feel it in their exchanged glances. After a moment, he bowed, and Adele took a deep breath, exhaled, and shook the reins. It was a reluctant step, but now was the time to go. Soon, Adele and her party galloped forward, shaking the earth. Lionel, who had been standing as if rooted to the spot, watching them for a long time, turned calmly when Adele was no longer in sight. His dark blue eyes, which had been burning with intense desire, turned vivid. * * * A few hours after Adele's departure, the revolutionary forces, centered around Elizaveta, gathered secretly. Among them were mages led by Brunhild Alex. It was essential to stop the mages around Duke Despoina, including Renoux Poitevin, to ensure the success of the revolution. Based on the information provided by Brunhild and the mages she led, who had thoroughly tracked the movements of the targeted mages, the knight forces led by Lionel had already prepared for the next day, planning their movements within the palace. Elizaveta, with a determined look, addressed the gathered nobles. "Tomorrow, we must succeed." They had to succeed, for the empire and for them. Brunhild, taking a deep breath, clenched her fists tightly. At that moment, a tingling sensation of electricity ran down her spine to her toes, and she involuntarily opened her eyes wide. She reflexively looked at the mage sitting to her right, who also looked at her with a startled expression. Doubting if it was a hallucination, the tingling sensation ran through her veins again. Brunhild stood up with a troubled look. "What's wrong?" Elizaveta asked, and Brunhild spoke hesitantly. "I feel magic." "What?!" The gathered nobles stood up in unison. Brunhild looked at her tingling palm and then raised her head, speaking in a trembling voice. "The tower seems to be descending!" * * * The tingling sensation of magic also spread to Duke Despoina's fingertips. "Yes!!!! Of course, the heavens are helping me. Hahaha!!!” Duke Despoina laughed maniacally, raising his hands high. The tower was descending from the sky just after the thorn in his side, Princess Adelaide, had left! "Renoux!!" "Yes!" "Prepare immediately. It seems it will be soon. Hahaha!" Renoux also laughed and bowed. "So, are we going to take care of everything today?" In response to Renoux's question, Duke Despoina patted his shoulder and whispered darkly. "Of course. When the tower descends, just leave it as it is. Make sure Lionel Herbert is torn apart by the demons, and let Theseus and Elizaveta see it clearly. Then, we will kill Theseus Baldur. Understand?" A bitter smile appeared on the duke's lips. The tingling sensation was exhilarating.