Chapter 103

The woman’s bright, white skin, framed by her flying red hair, slowly darkened until it was a similar shade to Wilhelm’s. No longer intending to hide her true nature, the pupils of her red eyes split into long, vertical slits. A short, grating sound followed as a pair of bat-like wings burst from her back.

‘It really is a monster!’

Horrified, I quickly snapped back to attention and tore a strip from my skirt hem to wrap around Wilhelm’s injured arm and shoulder.

“Is anyone out there!?” 

I yelled at the top of my lungs to summon anyone, but only silence returned. This was the Emperor’s Audience Chamber; knights and attendants should naturally be waiting by the door. Had even those stationed outside been dismissed? Or had they already been killed?

A shiver ran down my spine at the terrifying thought, and the humanoid monster smiled unpleasantly as I stared. I bit my lip to hide my trembling and managed to utter a question.

“What exactly is your objective? Do you truly wish for world destruction?”

I asked to buy time, secretly retrieving a flare I had stashed in my dress hem. It was a simple flare and had gone undetected during the security check. If I threw this out the window, either the Imperial Knights or our own knights waiting outside would rush toward this location.

I pretended to be as terrified as possible and pulled Wilhelm’s arm, moving toward the window. Fortunately, the humanoid monster was kind enough to answer my question.

“Well? The Pope might, but I merely wish to witness chaos. Hehehehe. It’d be a bonus if I could eat a delicious soul.”

She continued to look at me, savoring the sight as if I were a delectable meal. Her attitude conveyed the arrogant ease of a predator, suggesting she could devour me at any moment. Disgust and fear washed over me, but I maintained a composed demeanor and asked another question. With her overconfident attitude, I might still be able to glean more information.

“I wondered how Count Laurel managed to move a monster. Is it thanks to you?”

“Hm? The child next to you can do that too, you know?”

“What?”

I looked at Wilhelm following Roon’s comment. Wilhelm merely stared back at her without a word.

Come to think of it, Wilhelm had immediately recognized the humanoid monster, a being whose existence I hadn’t even been sure of. I had many questions for him, but for now, I kept my guard up against Roon. The situation was too urgent for me to resolve any doubts.

‘I must get His Majesty out of here. If he dies here, the Ducal House will truly be branded as traitors.’

There would be no way to overturn the situation then.

‘Fighting in a place where we have much to protect is the worst strategy.’

Clang! Bang!

I immediately tossed the flare. Because I had prepared to activate it beforehand, it exploded into a fluorescent pink light the moment it exited the window.

Roon’s eyes widened in surprise, but her expression held no sense of crisis; instead, she looked at me with interest. The body of Wilhelm, who was shielding me, trembled slightly.

“Hahaha. Oh dear, I forgot my partner told me not to play around. Humans are so bothersome.”

Roon spoke as if she were inconvenienced, but she walked leisurely toward the Emperor.

‘Is she going to kill the Emperor?’

Just as I was about to rush out—

CRASH!

“Stop there!”

Imperial Knights burst in. They were the Golden Dragon Knights, the symbol of the Imperial Guard. Knight Commander Abe Glacia led the fully armed knights at the front.

“Your Majesty!”

The knights, who had entered with great momentum, seemed momentarily flustered by the scene in the audience chamber, but they quickly composed themselves, sharpening their killing intent. A fierce bloodlust poured toward Roon and me.

Roon acted as if their bloodlust didn’t even tickle her. She walked nonchalantly to the throne and drew the Emperor’s personal sword.

“Don’t!” I shouted.

Knight Commander Abe immediately drew his sword and lunged at Roon. A deadly aura quickly enveloped the commander’s blade. The momentum was immense, enough to cut through anything, yet his sword did not touch Roon.

Thwack!

With a dull sound, the commander was swept away by a shockwave and sent flying.

Roon, having knocked the Commander away, instantly closed the distance, kicking Wilhelm.

“Ugh!”

Wilhelm swiftly raised his sword to block but was unable to withstand Roon’s strength and was sent flying against the wall.

“Wilhelm!”

Just as I was about to run to him, my breath caught in my throat, and my feet slowly lifted off the ground. Roon had somehow grabbed me by the neck and lifted me with one hand.

“Cough!”

As I struggled against the suffocating sensation, Roon laughed scornfully and brought her face close.

“There. Look at me, won’t you?”

Roon’s red eyes, meeting mine, began to shimmer slowly. I tried to close my eyes at the bad premonition, but my eyelids wouldn’t budge. The red light increasingly invaded my vision, and I felt my consciousness being sucked away somewhere.

In my fading awareness, the Emperor’s expression suddenly flashed into my mind.

‘This is… the ability she used on the Emperor, isn’t it?’

My body felt increasingly out of my control, refusing to move according to my will. It was the moment I anticipated losing complete control and becoming a puppet.

Suddenly, my consciousness snapped back out.

It felt as though my body had slammed into a wall.

‘Ugh!’

With a brief shock, my body trembled, and my blurred vision cleared. Though still groggy, I subtly wiggled my fingers and realized that the control over my body had completely returned to me.

As soon as I confirmed my state, I immediately observed Roon.

‘Does she… not know?’

Judging by her calm demeanor, Roon seemed unaware that she had failed. I recalled the Emperor’s vacant expression and opened my eyes a fraction, blurring my focus.

Roon set me down on the floor and said in a cheerful voice, “Now, you are to stab the Emperor with this.”

The heavy ceremonial sword was placed in my hand.

I staggered and walked toward the Emperor, following Roon’s command. Right behind me, a distinctly cheerful sound of clapping followed, as if she were accompanying me.

“Stop her!”

The Imperial Knights charged toward Roon and me. But Roon scornfully lengthened her fingernails, quickly piercing the heads and bodies of the knights.

“Ahahahaha!”

In the middle of the bloody chaos, only Roon’s laughter echoed loudly.

Splosh, I stepped through a puddle of blood and continued walking.

I bit down on the flesh inside my mouth to keep from trembling.

“Lady Chacha! No!”

At that moment, Wilhelm grabbed a sword from the floor and plunged between Roon and me. He pushed me as if trying to separate me from Roon, and I, having relaxed my body, plumped onto the floor.

A scream of pain tried to escape, but I suppressed it by biting my lip, hiding my painful expression beneath my flowing hair. The sour taste of blood filled my mouth.

“Lady Chacha, snap out of it!” Wilhelm yelled, trying to rouse me even as he fought Roon. He glared at Roon with a fierce expression.

The woman who had been merciless to the other knights was not showing the same intent toward Wilhelm. Roon, who was merely batting him away as if to avoid killing him, tilted her head and sighed.

“My partner told me not to kill you, but you keep fearlessly throwing yourself at me, tsk.”

Clang!

Wilhelm’s sword was snapped in half by her fingernail. Yet, even that seemed anticipated, as Wilhelm didn’t slow his charge. Aura materialized into a sword in his hand. It was an Aura Sword, something only a Sword Master could create.

“Bothersome.”

Despite the tremendous force, Roon merely frowned, acting bored.

An ominous, dark energy—magic—slowly gathered in her hand. She grabbed the Aura Sword with the hand from which the black magic was emanating.

“What!”

Dismay flashed across Wilhelm’s face.

After a sharp noise and a brief struggle of power, Wilhelm was violently thrown and slammed into the wall.

“Guh—!”

A gush of blood poured from Wilhelm’s mouth. Roon, who had kicked him, lowered her raised leg with elegance. Her eyes, sharpened by the fight, turned toward me.

“Now, little one. Go and do your job, won’t you?”

The command was directed at me, who was sitting blankly on the floor.

“…”

I staggered to my feet and again began to walk toward the Emperor. The distance to the Emperor gradually shrank.

Just then, a hurried voice and a fierce presence rushed toward me.

“Lady Chacha!”