Chapter 117

Aivert raised one arm to receive the carrier pigeon.

Rodella, instead of the one who was riding the horse, untied the letter from the pigeon’s leg.

When she handed the letter to Aivert, he tore the seal with his mouth and unfolded the letter.

He frowned for a moment and then spoke.

“The Red Knights have already taken control of the inner fortress. The Emperor is isolated in the North Tower, on the third floor. He has almost no imperial guards with him.”

He clicked his tongue briefly and put the letter in his pocket.

Then he narrowed his eyes.

“Even if they chase us, it’ll be too late if we wait for reinforcements.”

His voice was very reluctant.

“It would be better to save the Emperor first and then buy some time.”

The problem was that in that case, they had to go directly into the North Tower to save the Emperor.

That would naturally put Rodella right in the middle of a dangerous situation.

But Rodella knew the reason he was hesitant, so she simply said,

“Let’s go.”

It meant she had no intention of backing down.

She couldn’t say much while on the running horse, but that was enough.

Aivert’s horse, without slowing down, galloped swiftly across the plain.

***

The two of them arrived near the imperial castle as it was getting dark.

It was possible because the harbor was close and his horse, like its owner, was abnormally fast and sturdy.

The problem was that now that they were near the imperial castle, they had to get off the horse and somehow get past the castle’s guards and climb the wall.

Of course, Aivert could get in by using his position as the Vice-Commander of the Azure Knights, but he wouldn’t be able to approach His Majesty the Emperor secretly, away from Benerix.

They would try to stop him for all sorts of reasons.

“…”

Rodella looked at the outer wall of the imperial castle in the distance.

It was so high that she couldn’t even imagine climbing it with her bare hands.

Rodella, who had only ever walked into the administrative office, had no idea the outer wall was this high.

She also never thought the day would come when she would have to climb it.

On top of that, just by looking at the flickering torches, the security was quite tight.

“What are you going to do?”

Aivert thought for a moment, then turned to Rodella.

“I can get through… but…”

“But?” Rodella stared silently, and Aivert thought for a moment before speaking.

“Do you want to close your eyes? I promise I won’t lose you.”

“…Ah.”

She wondered what he meant, but it seemed he was going to get his hands dirty.

Aivert implied that he wouldn’t lose her even without the handcuffs, but Rodella believed him even without him saying so.

Because he was still considerate of her, even while seemingly avoiding her.

What are you thinking, I wonder?

“I have a lot to ask you after this is over.”

Aivert nodded at Rodella’s words.

“You can ask me anything.”

“What about you?”

At that, Aivert, who was about to piggyback her, stopped and looked back at her.

Then he answered a beat later.

“I do.”

It was a clear answer.

I guess I can’t get hurt now, out of curiosity.

Rodella nodded. And closed her eyes.

***

‘A lot to ask? Yes, a lot.’

‘Can I love you?’

More, and deeper than you think.

If she said it was okay, then he could finally say it.

That in fact, from a long time ago, there was never a single moment he hadn’t.

Aivert thought, feeling the warmth of Rodella who had her eyes closed.

—Thud!

But even while he was thinking, he didn’t forget to break through the defenses.

So that Rodella wouldn’t be startled by the brutal sound.

And so that no blood would splash on her hand.

He dealt with his opponents quietly and quickly.

“…!”

It meant that he had sent the consciousness of the opponent who discovered him to the other side before they could even be surprised.

Killing them would have been simple, but there was a bit of a problem with that.

First, the fact that he was entering the imperial castle.

And the fact that the Red Knights were, on the surface, the Emperor’s knights. Harming the imperial castle’s guards, in particular, would be clear treason.

—Pat!

Aivert lightly pushed off the ground.

If he had come alone, he might have moved a little differently, but he had no intention of putting the crime of treason on Rodella.

There were already several ways in his head for her to escape, even if things went wrong.

—Pa-tat!

Taking advantage of a cloud’s shadow, he leaped high and landed silently inside the inner fortress.

“…”

The number of Red Knights was incomparable to that of the outer wall.

Moreover, the Red Knights were gathering more and more near the North Tower.

They were approaching as if they were escorting, but he didn’t know when they would draw their swords on the North Tower.

—Thud!

With a few short, dull sounds, Aivert momentarily sent the consciousness of the Red Knights far away and reached the North Tower.

“Open your eyes.”  he whispered to Rodella.

Only then did Rodella open her eyes and look around.

As she seemed to be asking where they were, Aivert let her down and said, “This is the east warehouse of the North Tower. The hallway is completely filled with people, so we can’t go through the normal route and have to use a secret passage.”

He slightly pushed one side of the warehouse wall, and a passage quietly revealed itself.

Rodella’s eyes widened.

How does he know even this?

Thinking that speaking might be heard outside, Rodella pointed at the passage and held out her hand.

As if her meaning was sufficiently conveyed, Aivert said,

“Why do you think Royden would be in the imperial family? Let’s go.”

“?”

Watching Aivert bend down and enter the passage first, Rodella blinked for a moment.

What does that mean?

Was he sent to find the secret passages?

While that information was being used for a good purpose(?) now, it was clear that it was not news the Emperor would like.

—Tap, tap…

Rodella tried hard to keep the sound of her clothes brushing against the secret passage from being heard, but she couldn’t walk as silently as Aivert.

However, in the North Tower, which was already noisy with the sound of military boots, it didn’t become a noticeable noise.

“This way.”

Aivert walked without hesitation through the branching secret passages of the tower.

It was as if he was walking around his own mansion.

After climbing for a long time, he jumped out of the passage.

He was at a slightly high place, and after catching Rodella, he said,

“The stairs to the third floor are right nearby.”

He checked the surroundings and then checked for a presence outside the door.

“…?”

But when there was no presence, he felt something was suspicious and stealthily opened the door to look outside.

And he narrowed his eyes.

As she felt the silent tension, Rodella looked at him.

What?

When she moved only her lips to ask, Aivert, who somehow confirmed the shape of her mouth even in the dark, said,

“They completely destroyed the stairs to the third floor and blocked it with debris. You can’t go up the normal way.”

Since it meant the Emperor went up to the third floor and it collapsed, it also meant that they had decided to isolate and harm the Emperor.

“Then?”

Rodella finally asked in a small voice.

Aivert thought for a moment and then looked down at the handcuffs.

“We can go in through the window, but if I carry you, something might come flying at your back.”

And he couldn’t hold her in his arms…

Rodella wanted to ask Aivert if his back was okay, but she decided not to, as it seemed it would be difficult to say in such a small voice.

“How about I go first? And then you jump out the window, and I’ll shorten this,”

The length of the handcuffs obediently shortened.

“!”

Rodella automatically stuck close to Aivert. She was startled by the unexpected movement.

—Thump, thump.

As a heart, she didn’t know whose it was, beat again, Aivert said, “I’ll catch you.”

In short, he was telling her to jump into the empty air outside the window.

His blue eyes looked at her more steadily than ever.

Rodella unconsciously clenched her fists.

Only after hearing his words did she realize.

The strong heartbeats she had been hearing belonged to both of them.

She knew it because they were close.

And unlike her heart, which calmed down and became quiet at Aivert’s words… his heart was beating faster and more violently.

The same strong pulsation she had felt on the horse.

“…”

He said he had a lot to ask from earlier.

Rodella wanted to put all her other questions aside and ask.

Does your heart beat when you see me too?

Like mine, does it pound for the same reason?

That’s what she wanted to ask.