The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away

Startled by the grotesque sight, Miroi almost screamed but quickly covered her mouth and turned her head away. Robin swiftly grabbed the writhing insect. As he crushed it in his hand, a foul liquid splattered.

“Cough.”

With a small cough, a faint flush began to return to Baron Kelly’s pale face.

“This actually worked?”

***

Leslun stood by the window, unable to take his eyes off the view outside. Even though there was no way he could see the two people who had ridden away, his thoughts kept drifting toward them.

“Leslun.”

Kailos approached, wrapping an arm around his waist and turning him gently to face him.

“Do you think staring will change anything?”

Leslun forced a faint smile, but he could not hide the heaviness in his gaze.

“I just wonder if the medicine will really work. I wanted to see for myself how effective those herbs were.”

“We’ll hear the result soon enough.”

Kailos spoke calmly, but a flicker of tension crossed his eyes.

Leslun caught it and let out a soft chuckle, though it was more a shield to hide his unease. The warmth of Kailos’s shoulder against his own only made his heartbeat race faster.

Kailos watched him quietly, then whispered in a low voice,

“You have to let your mind rest, even for a moment, if you want to endure this.”

Just as Leslun tried to steady his breathing at the sound of that intimate murmur, a faint disturbance came from the window frame.

A cold vibration slipped against the flow of the wind. Kailos’s eyes sharpened instantly.

Leslun also turned his head, holding his breath in tension. He quickly pushed open the window, and a sharp gust brushed past them.

“Blue.”

A ripple of blue light shimmered, revealing a crouched figure outside the window.

[They’ve started to move.]

Leslun’s heartbeat quickened.

***

The Empress forced her way deep into the secret passage without once looking back. As the hidden door sealed shut and the noise from outside vanished, only the darkness and the sound of her breathing filled the corridor.

Panting heavily, she clutched the folds of her gown as they dragged across the floor. There were no lights in the pitch-black passage, yet her steps did not waver.

“Haa… haa…”

Her ragged breaths echoed down the narrow tunnel. Her heels had come off, and her bare feet scraped against the rough stone and dirt. The cold, coarse texture bit into her skin, but the pain didn’t matter.

Each time she steadied herself against the wall, cobwebs clung to her hands and face. The Empress ignored them, her fury sharpening even more with every unpleasant sensation.

“I will not forgive them.”

She muttered between clenched teeth, her voice seething with venom.

These were the people who had dared to lay hands on the Emperor. If she had been captured, she would have met the same fate.

Fortunately, she escaped before they could strike her down. Since she had survived, she would make them pay for every bit of this humiliation.

Though her appearance had grown disheveled, her eyes gleamed with fierce determination. At last, a faint light appeared at the end of the corridor, and her heart began to pound.

Once she got out, she planned to seek out her father. After that, she would uncover the true identity of the Shadow Corps and hunt down every one of them.

Her lips curled slightly at the thought. The thrill of vengeance surged through her veins. She quickened her pace, and soon, the passage ended, revealing a narrow exit ahead.

She finally stepped outside. That was when it happened.

“So, you’ve come out.”

A sudden burst of light flooded her vision. Her eyes, long adjusted to darkness, went white for a moment before shapes began to form.

Figures cloaked in black, faces hidden under hoods—the Shadow Corps who had been pursuing her.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t know?”

The man standing in front sneered, his tone as cold as a blade.

“Brian…”

He stood with his arms crossed, gazing down at her with a mocking glint in his eyes.

As Brian took a step forward, the Empress instinctively backed away. But behind her was a dead end. There was nowhere left to run.

“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“Well.”

Brian tilted his head slightly, smiling faintly.

“I’ve never seen Your Majesty in such a pitiful state before.”

“You traitor…”

“Seize her.”

At Brian’s command, the mages moved all at once. The Empress clenched her teeth, realizing this was truly the end.

Then it happened.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted, sending a powerful gust down the passage. The blast tore through the inner corridor, collapsing the door that had blocked the exit and showering the area with dirt and stone.

Brian quickly stepped back, raising his arm to shield his face. When he looked again to see who had interrupted, he froze.

The person who appeared should not have been there.