Teishar carefully surveyed his surroundings as he arrived in front of the white villa. The knights guarding the villa were lying dead, either vomiting blood or struck by swords.

“Open the door.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Teishar’s command, one of the knights grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.

As soon as the door to the white villa opened, they were met with walls and floors covered in blood. The further they went inside, the more the pungent smell of blood assaulted their noses, and the place was filled with the corpses of fallen knights and servants.

Teishar frowned deeply as he looked at the cold, dead bodies of the servants and knights.

“Ter, we need to hurry. We must go to the Emperor’s room. Adrian said it’s on the top floor of the villa.”

If they could just get there a little faster, perhaps the future could be changed? Lorencia grew impatient. It felt as if an extreme sense of tension was blocking her view. But she had to run.

At Lorencia’s urging to hurry, Teishar swiftly lifted her into his arms.

“Everyone rush up to the Emperor’s room.”

Lorencia clung to Teishar’s neck as he ran swiftly. The terrible smell of blood assaulting her nose and the pitiable sight of the dead servants passed by quickly.

And then the sound of clashing swords began to reach their ears.

Seeing Adrian and Karlien being attacked by numerous assassins, Lorencia demanded that Teishar put her down. Since they were still fighting, it seemed they weren’t too late.

Lorencia rushed forward and shouted.

“Sword, leave my hand now!”

Suddenly, the sword flew out of her hand and began moving on its own in midair, causing the assassins to panic and claim a ghost had appeared. Teishar did not miss this opportunity. Neither did Adrian or Karlien.

In an instant, many assassins had fallen.

“Blondie.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“There’s an assassin with a large vertical scar over one eye. He must be killed.”

“Understood, Lady Lorencia. Owena and Kate, protect the lady with your lives.”

Blondie moved so quickly he was nearly invisible. He found the assassin with the long vertical scar over his left eye, precisely stuck a dagger into his neck, and twisted. The assassin slumped over without even a scream.

The heavy breathing of the assassins and a sense of tension began to fill the air.

“What the? That old man…”

“The captain is dead.”

“Stay calm, you fools!”

The remaining assassins had to be wary of the beautiful woman who suddenly appeared in front of them, the knights behind her, Adolf standing with his whip, and Ines tearing up a scroll.

No matter how much the remaining assassins tried to think of a way out of this situation, there was absolutely no method.

They had to inform Daniel right away that the assassination had failed, and that Adolf had secret helpers. But how could they relay that? All escape routes were blocked. There was no way out.

Only death awaited them.

The assassins had lost all hope. The assassination and the plan had failed, and all their weapons had been taken. One of the assassins looked at the black-haired, blue-eyed man in front of him. At a glance, he resembled Adrian.

“I must be seeing a dead man before my eyes…”

His heart raced. Never in his life had he thought so deeply about death. He had been prepared to die, as it was a dangerous job, but now that death was before him, fear washed over him.

“Destroy the path ahead and flee. At least one of us must survive and get out to inform them of our failure.”

The remaining assassins began to move. There was no time to hesitate. They had to get at least one person out alive to send a message, so they all charged at the man who resembled Adrian, staking their lives on it.

But in the end, they could not reach him. Teishar and the knights, who had quickly approached, along with Adolf’s whip, struck them down. It was as expected.

“Your plan has failed. All the assassins outside are dead too.”

One assassin, coughing up blood, lifted the corners of his mouth. With great effort, he pointed a finger at the man who resembled Adrian.

“We must kill at least one… cough…”

The assassin collapsed as he spat out blood. Soon after, he breathed his last. Lorencia looked to where the assassin had pointed. A dagger thrown by the assassin was stuck in Adrian’s instep.

“Your Highness Adrian.”

“Ugh.”

Adrian let out a groan and sank powerlessly to the spot.

Lorencia bit her lip hard. When she first saw this scene in the future, the assassin’s blade had pierced Adrian’s abdomen. After a moment of shock, in another future, the assassin’s blade had grazed Adrian’s arm. But in order to stop the poison from spreading, they had no choice but to amputate one of his arms.

She kept checking the future. In Adrian’s future, it was either his arm or hand being cut off. So she checked a future where Adrian didn’t enter the white villa at all. But that turned out to be the worst option.

It might be fortunate if there was a future where he could survive by amputating one arm, but that wasn’t the future she wanted. She used her power to the fullest to find a future where Adrian’s arm wouldn’t be cut off.

Lorencia kept checking the future until they reached the forest near the white villa.

It was a future where the blade struck Adrian’s instep instead of his arm. Thanks to his sturdy boots, the blade didn’t pierce deeply. But as the instep was wounded, the poison on the blade entered. Still, it was fortunate that it wasn’t a future where his arm or leg was amputated.

If she could neutralize the assassins’ poison, Adrian could live unharmed. To neutralize that poison, she had to stay by his side.

“Quickly, tie Your Highness Adrian’s calf tightly with a cord.”

“Your Highness Adrian, you mustn’t lose consciousness.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t lose consciousness…”

“Why is Count Karlien here? And did you say Adrian?”

Adolf, who had approached at some point, looked at the fallen black-haired youth, then at Karlien. Karlien was Ruans’ advisor. Why on earth was he here, and for what reason?

“Your Majesty… that fallen youth resembles our Adrian.”

Ines approached the black-haired youth to check his face.

“Could it really be Adrian?”

“Yes, Mo-… Mother.”

“But I buried my son…”

“I apologize for hiding it. I pretended to be dead for a reason. I was actually alive.”

“Is it truly you, Adrian?”

“Yes, it is Adrian.”

Ines didn’t think anymore. She tore her own dress and began tightly bandaging Adrian’s calf. As his instep started turning blacker and blacker, Ines let out teardrops.

“Adrian.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Stay still.”

Seeing the blackened instep, Ines seemed to make a decision and brought her face close. Then she kissed Adrian’s foot and started sucking out the poison with her mouth.

“No, Count Karlien. Make Her Majesty the Empress get away from my foot at once!”

Lorencia covered her mouth at the sight. Ines sucked the poison out of Adrian’s instep, then spat it on the ground.

“Please stop! I beg of you, Mother.”

The corners of Ines’ mouth, which had sucked out the poison, gradually turned black. Instead, the blackening of Adrian’s instep stopped.

“Ines, that’s enough!”

“Nothing can stop a mother. So don’t try to stop me.”

“But Ines, the poison…”

“Being able to die as a mother is the happiest death. Cough.”

“Ines!”

As Ines coughed, Adolf called out her name loudly.

“Mother, please don’t do this. I implore you.”

Adrian pushed Ines away.

“I don’t know how you survived, but I can’t bear to lose you a second time, Adrian.”

Ines, who spat out the last of the poison, lost consciousness. Adolf held her tightly, and Adrian shed silent tears.

Lorencia clenched her fists. Her hands trembled on their own. Ines’ reckless action to prevent the poison from spreading had stopped it from spreading. But at this rate, both of them would be in danger.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, and Your Highness Adrian.”

“Could it be Lady Lorencia?”

“Your Majesty, it is Lorencia. Right now, both Her Majesty and Your Highness have poison in your bodies, so please refrain from speaking or moving.”

Adolf looked at the face of the beautiful red-haired woman who had suddenly approached. It was a familiar face. Though her appearance had changed, it was indeed the Lorencia he had seen in the Isuter Empire.

“Does Lady Lorencia know a way to save them?”

“Yes, I can save them.”

As Lorencia stretched out her arm, an amethyst bead appeared. Adolf bowed his head and knelt down, making an earnest plea.

“Lady Lorencia, please save Ines and Adrian. If you save them…”

“Your Majesty, please don’t kneel.”

“I am asking as a father and a husband.”

Lorencia looked at the amethyst bead.

While checking the future, Lorencia learned one fact through the future self of her 29-year-old self in a previous future.

The amethyst bead reflected a scene of Teishar succumbing to poison. In the previous future reflected in the amethyst bead, her 29-year-old self was crying while holding Teishar, who was vomiting blood, in her arms. She was weeping very sorrowfully.