The vibrations and pain transmitted through fierce fists. The roars revealing suffering. The sincere concern of the knights weakened Natasha’s firm resolve.

But she could not stop.

If she stopped now, a terrible future would obviously lie ahead of her.

As she continued to press down on the floor with momentum, the gradually weakening resistance eventually ceased to be felt.

Natasha removed her hands from the floor and slowly stood up to observe the outcome.

Even though she was not blocking the door, there was no sign of it opening.

Her hands had accomplished it again.

Natasha let out a sigh of relief and stared at the floor. As her gaze lingered, creating silence, the sounds of nature naturally struck her ears.

The sound of her heartbeat had become noticeably louder. It seemed her body had automatically tensed up due to the task she now shouldered alone.

Understandably so. To think that Natasha alone had to handle a mission that thirty knights were deployed for.

‘…This is right.’

However, there was no regret. Rather, she was personally realizing that she had been correct.

When Natasha touched the entrance in the underground passage, she instinctively sensed it.

‘…It’s not locked.’

If it was impossible to use the exit as an entrance, the reverse should also be true. However, the door that should have been locked like the exit was inexplicably wide open.

There were too many unsettling things to simply dismiss it as their oversight.

There was no way a secret passage with the Emperor’s life at stake would be made so carelessly.

It was also unlikely that the passage’s security had become lax along with the palace’s, as there was no reason to tamper with the secret passage during festival preparations.

While she was uncertain, Natasha spotted decisive evidence as she checked the interior.

The secret door existed beyond the bookshelf in the study, so the view of the room should not have been visible from the opposite side.

If it were ‘as it should be’, that is.

The fact that the interior was clearly visible also meant that the device hiding the secret passage had been removed.

It finally became clear.

The secret passage known only to the Emperor and a select few was crudely opened.

That was precisely the enemy trap that Sir Dante had feared so much.

‘…But how…’

How could Kyle Letius have noticed their operation?

Was it problematic that the woman appeared in the Emperor’s bedroom?

Or were the knights searching the palace discovered?

If not that, did Cayena Ten betray them again?

Numerous hypotheses flashed through her mind. Whatever the truth, it was certain that their perfect plan had been compromised.

‘…Sieghart.’

Suddenly, the face of her lover came to mind.

‘Is Sieghart, the palace side, alright?’

If Kyle had also taken measures for the secret passage in his bedroom, he must have taken separate measures for the main palace as well.

It was possible that the entire Imperial Knight Order was waiting in the palace they infiltrated assuming security would be lax, so would Sieghart and the Duchy’s Knights in charge of that side truly be safe?

Just as all sorts of worries came crashing like waves, it happened.

The tightly closed study door opened. Before Natasha could mentally prepare herself.

And—.

“Heh, what an amusing woman.”

“……”

“Did you really come alone, madam?”

Kyle Letius appeared before the woman.

With the Imperial Knight Order accompanying him like a tall wall.

Sieghart led his knights toward X-1.

Everything had to appear as Asthart’s choice, so the knights participated in battle wearing Asthart’s armor and carrying flags engraved with the Asthart crest.

They defeated not only the guards at the main gate but also eliminated all the knights monitoring the surroundings.

And finally, when they reached the center of the palace:

“…This is.”

Numerous knights were seen waiting in the palace. Imposingly standing, wearing the armor of the Letius Imperial Knight Order and holding flags engraved with the imperial crest.

‘I expected security to be lax.’

The information that the palace would be bustling as the festival begins at sunrise was true. It must have been correct since his secret helper, Theodore, had told him.

As proof, hadn’t the man gone on a business trip to the capital’s church with a few knights?

‘It’s a trap.’

Sieghart realized that all these facts were Letius’s trap. Or perhaps they had realized the truth belatedly and deployed knights in the early dawn.

How they knew about Asthart’s operation wasn’t of great importance.

There was only one thing the man worried about.

‘Natasha.’

Were they alright, those deployed to X-2?

‘Is Natasha safe?’

And was his wife, Natasha Asthart, who was in charge of that place, truly safe?

Sieghart’s vision blurred instantly. The moment he anticipated his woman might not be intact, his mind became tumultuous as if collapsing.

‘…Pull yourself together, Enoch Calrent.’

Regret would only make him weak. The foolish thought that he should have kept her by his side wouldn’t improve this wretched situation.

There was only one thing Enoch Calrent, Sieghart Asthart, had to accomplish.

Quickly dispatch the enemies before him, call for reinforcements to draw out the knights siding with the Emperor, or end the situation by eliminating them all and immediately go to retrieve Natasha.

The man’s hand gripping the sword tightened.

Sieghart shouted to his knights while facing the grim gazes of the enemies.

“Destroy the enemy! Advance!”

Both enemy and ally let out fierce roars as they charged at each other.

Sharp screams erupted every time Sieghart’s keen sword was swung. Though the Knight of Honor’s sword ability had long since disappeared, enemies were easily swept away with each swipe of the man’s sword.

The knights rushed in groups to counter Sieghart’s shocking skill, but it was a futile choice. With each circular swing of the man’s blade, a massive blue wave arose, severing their necks in one go.

It didn’t take long for the splendid palace to transform into a bloody battlefield.

The situation at X-1 was resolved faster than Sieghart had anticipated.

Although the losses on their side were not insignificant, they paled in comparison to the enemy’s casualties. After all, the knights Kyle Letius had ambitiously prepared were all defeated.

Sieghart’s vision was completely dyed red, as if trapped in a crimson abyss.

‘…What a joke.’

Standing amidst the enemy corpses, Sieghart let out a bitter laugh.

Regrettably, the current situation reminded him of that time.

When he had brought down the Charliee royal family.

It was no different from now. Everyone knelt before him, and victory ultimately belonged to Sieghart Asthart.

Ironically, even though he had achieved the sole goal of his life, Sieghart was overwhelmed by a sense of despair as if his life had ended.

Is it the same now?

The man repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist, which no longer had strength.

He wasn’t sure.

At least it seemed happier than back then.

In a way, it was natural.

This battle was not for the fallen man, Enoch Calrent, but for Natasha Charliee.

Likewise, this battle was not for the pitiful boy, Enoch Calrent, but for Sieghart Asthart, who was living a perfect life.

‘I miss her.’

Suddenly, he longed to see the woman.

That cruel woman whose sunlight-warm and radiant hair made his heart flutter with each swish. That lovable woman whose gaze added a unique color to his red eyes whenever she looked at him.

His savior, who unhesitatingly grasped his hand when his weakened self was slowly sinking into the abyss.

‘Then wait. When our operation succeeds tonight, I’ll tell you the name of the new emotion I’ve discovered.’

‘……’

‘So wait. Enoch Calrent.’

My savior, who gently calls my real name despite knowing what an ugly and filthy environment is hidden behind it.

‘I, that woman…’

Sieghart picked up the sword that had fallen at his feet.

His hand, which until just now had no strength, became firm. The man was even more fired up than when he first faced the enemy.

“We will enter X-2 to aid our allies there.”

He shouted to his allies standing behind him.

The location of the secret room exit at X-2, which was the destination, had been shared with Sieghart as well.

It was around the time when he was heading towards the new destination, leading only a small number of knights, excluding those who were injured.

A large group was felt approaching from the front.

“Draw your swords.”

Sieghart and the knights quickly grabbed their swords and raised their blades towards the approaching group.

“It’s us, Duke Asthart.”

However, the voice of the knight shouting urgently sounded oddly familiar.

Just then, the clouds parted and the full moon revealed itself. As a cool moonbeam cast down a streak of light, the man’s figure shone brightly.

It was Sir Dante, who had been deployed to the X-2 side.