Chapter 13
(13) I Will Protect Your Majesty (5)
The hand of Caron, which had been resting on his head, drew a gentle arc and calmly settled on his thigh.
It wasn’t something Caron intended.
Eleanor smiled as she looked at Caron’s trembling eyes.
“You can’t even control your own hand?”
“How…?”
“There must be someone who made you obey commands without your own will.”
Caron didn’t want to move. But his body moved on its own, walking over to Eleanor and then dropping to its knees.
“Then, isn’t there also someone who can control your entire body?”
Though Caron didn’t want to, his body bowed its head. Eleanor grabbed his hair and lifted it.
Her piercing gaze was chilling.
It pierced Caron’s heart with more terror than when he had faced the one with the fox mask.
“You’d better obey. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be swayed by your fake loyalty and grant you freedom.”
Fake loyalty. How absurd.
Caron could easily see that this woman would never be swayed by such a thing. But still.
‘Freedom.’
The word was sweet. Caron had never once experienced it.
‘Freedom.’
To enjoy it even for a moment, he could do anything.
‘Freedom.’
Even if it meant kissing the feet of this woman he wanted to kill.
“I will serve my master with utmost loyalty.”
***
Eleanor looked down at Caron, who kissed her foot of his own volition, and stifled a sigh.
‘So you want freedom.’
The killing intent that had refused to disappear vanished with that one word: freedom.
It was pitiful and sorrowful. But there was no other way. For now, she had to suppress Caron.
‘It was a stronger brainwashing spell than I thought. Caron’s memories seem unclear right now, so until they return, I need to keep him by my side.’
She had to find out. Who could use such a powerful brainwashing spell? And how many others, like Caron, had been affected?
For now, the Empress Dowager’s gaze was only on Heraith, but if it became known that Eleanor would become Empress, it was obvious where that gaze would turn.
‘I’d prefer it be on me.’
She worried it might turn toward Snow. Before that happened, the Empress Dowager’s limbs had to be severed.
They would regrow quickly, but at least it would buy Snow time to regroup.
***
Havelion, now the lord of the northern Snow region after the deaths of his father and brother, stood atop the castle wall, overlooking the city of Meaka.
The city was bustling as usual, unchanged from before the war.
If Adrian Teris, the azure knight , hadn’t arrived in time, the enemies would’ve overrun this central location. Just thinking about that hopeless moment still made his vision go dark.
“Brother… Do you think sister’s safe?”
He turned toward the rough voice. It was the youngest, Aster, whose heart was much softer than his rugged looks suggested.
Seeing Aster’s face so like their father’s, a wave of grief threatened to burst from Havelion, but he forced a smile.
“Ellie can take care of herself. Unlike you.”
“Wow, that’s harsh!”
“So do better, little brother.”
A white bird, Milk, flew in just as Havelion was about to explain his suspicions about what Eleanor might be up to.
“Milk!”
Aster quickly removed a tiny envelope from the bird’s ankle and handed it to Havelion.
As soon as Havelion’s warmth touched the envelope, it expanded back to its original size. The familiar handwriting made him nostalgic, but he kept it to himself and read the letter.
It contained a brief greeting. Then the current situation Eleanor was in.
– ‘I’ll likely become Empress before summer. The forces that killed the previous empresses may point their swords at Snow. I’ll try to delay that as much as I can, so prepare Snow in the meantime.’
Even without her advice, Havelion was already working on quickly restoring the territory. The letter continued with suggestions on how to rebuild Snow.
– ‘I won’t forgive Owen or Osborn. I know you feel the same.’
Of course. Even now, remembering how those two acted like their best friends made his blood boil.
Especially Franklin Owen. Eleanor’s former fiancé.
Just a month before the territorial war, he had come and gone freely at House Snow, talking about how he and Eleanor would live after marriage.
Didn’t he say they’d have four kids?
– ‘You know, Havelion? I always envied the Snow siblings. I’m not that close to my own siblings, so when I saw you all teasing and caring for each other, I sometimes wished I’d been born into Snow.’
That’s why he said he’d have many children. Havelion stifled a laugh and continued reading.
– ‘We can’t bring down both at once. The first target must be Osborn. Their land is barren and relies on trade. If we cut off their trade routes, it will deal a heavy blow. Select fast and strong people, disguise them as bandits, and attack the merchant caravans near Osborn. Don’t hurt them—just steal goods. Do it a few times, and merchants will avoid Osborn for a while. Osborn already took a big hit in the war, so even minor disruption will shake them. Owen won’t help them much either; they’re still struggling to recover. And if anyone reaches out to help Osborn, we must identify them. They may also be our enemy.’
The letter continued with further strategies to bring down Osborn.
– ‘Persephone will come to the capital soon. I don’t want it, but she’ll probably side with those who want to kill me and help plot my downfall. So, brother, destroy Osborn quickly so Persephone has no place to return to. When people are desperate and cornered, they reveal their true nature. I want Persephone to be trapped.’
The rest of the letter asked after Snow’s wellbeing. She reassured him not to worry about her.
– ‘We lived peacefully with our people’s love and trust. Now that we’re like a flame before the wind, protecting Snow must be our top priority. Don’t grieve my absence. The palace is cold, but warmer than the north. I’ll always find my own way to survive.’
Havelion didn’t worry about Eleanor’s safety. Even if hundreds targeted her, she wouldn’t lose. And those who harmed her wouldn’t even realize what they’d lost—until it was gone.
Still, it pained him. Havelion had grown up in House Snow with family, while Eleanor was alone in the capital, with no roots.
She had to bear their father’s death alone. Thinking of her sorrow made him feel like crying blood.
‘But you won’t cry. So I won’t pity your choices.’
Eleanor wouldn’t want pity.
‘I’ll lay down a carpet on the path you walk.’
***
Though the assassination had failed and the assassin had vanished, Empress Dowager Stephanie was not shaken. She had expected this.
‘They probably tortured the assassin to trace the mastermind. But Heraith, you’ll learn nothing.’
No one could undo the fox mask’s brainwashing. The assassin would choose death over talking. And while Heraith was tied up dealing with future assassination attempts, he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else.
“It won’t be long now, right? Everything ready?”
Stephanie asked. Her aide Hensa answered.
“Yes, everything is set.”
This plan had been in motion for quite some time. Many sacrifices had died, and many more would follow. But that didn’t matter.
Hundreds or thousands of peasants dying? It was nothing. In fact, they should be grateful to be used for such a cause.
“It’s a festival, so there’ll be more guards. But they’re just guards. They’ve never fought monsters. They won’t know how to handle it. And when those monsters are soaked in human blood, they’ll become even stronger.”
Hensa sneered.
“The Emperor won’t be able to handle the damage. Nor the spell we’ve cast over this palace.”
