“It’s not difficult.”

Contrary to expectations, Russell’s answer was simple to the point of being hollow.

“Haha! I like your answer.”

“You know well that the woman you’re holding is my weakness. Didn’t you capture her knowing I would come out so easily?”

Russell even looked a bit tired. At this point, Duke Legacy glanced suspiciously at the fallen Summer with a doubtful look.

The thought flashed through his mind that Russell might have set another trap with that clever head of his.

But it was Duke Legacy himself who had poisoned the emperor and kidnapped Summer.

Though he felt increasingly uneasy inside, Duke Legacy feigned composure and spoke while clapping sarcastically.

“That’s right, that’s right. As expected, my eyes are never wrong.”

“So. Is that all you wanted to ask?”

“…What?”

Duke Legacy’s mood froze in an instant. There was one thing Duke Legacy hated most. Being looked down on. Being ignored.

That’s why he sought the imperial throne. So that no one could ignore him. So that everyone would bow at his feet.

But the Bertrand Duke before him would never, ever bow his head. Duke Legacy knew this as well.

But he judged that a temporary alliance might be possible.

“Duke Legacy. You seem to make things quite difficult. If you had just persuaded Lady Lindsey lying in front of you, I would have let the emperor’s fate flow as it was meant to long ago.”

“…Are you serious? You, Duke Bertrand? You who are called the emperor’s loyal subject?”

But now it had all turned to dust. First of all, he could not read the moves of Russell, whom he thought was beneath him.

He never acted in a way that violated the law. He was always proper, alone in his nobility and cleanliness.

The previous Duke Legacy and the current Duke Legacy felt their insides twist just looking at the Bertrand family.

Didn’t the very existence of Duke Bertrand seem to admonish that the path of the Legacy family was all wrong?

“Yes. I no longer have any obligation to work for the prosperity of this empire.”

“It’s honestly hard to understand why you suddenly changed your mind.”

“What’s so difficult? Duke, it’s right in front of you. My weakness. My emperor. My god.”

“…Ha! You’ve really lost it. Are you really Russell Bertrand? You’ve gone mad over one woman. Pathetic, utterly pathetic!”

Duke Legacy shouted in excitement.

Russell stared blankly at Duke Legacy. It was the first time he had seen the duke’s inner thoughts so clearly.

Perhaps it was because he wasn’t very excited after hearing Summer’s story, or because of Summer’s detachment when she said this world was fiction.

Whenever he saw Duke Legacy, the urge to exterminate the entire Legacy bloodline would suddenly rise up, but now he felt nothing.

Was this how Summer felt?

Russell lowered his gaze slightly to examine Summer, who was coughing. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be injured anywhere.

“Summer. Can you hear my voice?”

At Russell’s voice, Summer forcibly raised her flickering eyes, nodded once, then collapsed again.

“…Yes, *cough*, yes. I can hear you.”

“Do you want to go back?”

“Yes.”

The answer flowed out immediately without hesitation. Russell faintly raised the corners of his mouth.

Yes. That’s how it should be. There was no reason to hesitate at this moment.

“Are you confident you won’t see me again?”

“…Yes.”

“That’s enough.”

Russell didn’t know that Summer had hesitated for a moment. He focused all his nerves on the sword in his arms.

The dagger flew with a swish and lodged straight into Duke Legacy’s chest. Duke Legacy stared at Russell with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“How… could you?”

“It’s not that I can’t do dirty things. I don’t do them because they’re stupid things to do.”

Duke Legacy took a few steps back, then staggered and leaned against a tree trunk, supported by the knights.

Russell Bertrand had killed someone. And it wasn’t even someone who had raised a sword against him first.

Moreover, even when Russell knew that the Legacy family had tried to poison his mother, he did not take revenge. It was because of his values that personal emotions should not be put into administration.

“Kuh, you too, even the noble you eventually falls… Haha, ha.”

Duke Legacy clutched his shoulder where the sword was embedded and laughed mockingly at Russell.

He was almost trembling with the pleasure of dragging the noble Bertrand down to the same muddy bottom as himself.

Finally! He had broken Bertrand, who had acted so haughty while receiving the love of the people like a noble orchid.

“My, my lord!”

The knights were at a loss, not knowing what to do. They weren’t sure whether to attack Russell or retreat with their lord at this point.

At that moment, Duke Legacy beckoned them to come closer. The knights instantly surrounded Duke Legacy.

What were they whispering about? It was obvious without looking.

Russell didn’t give them time to whisper, walking briskly to kneel on one knee in front of Summer.

“Just a moment.”

Russell simply untied the ropes binding Summer. Summer flailed, unable to handle her suddenly lightened arms.

“Rus, Russell. If you come here…”

“The witch’s words were true.”

“…Witch?”

Russell slowly stroked Summer’s neck with his thumb. Though the knife had cut quite deeply, it had already healed completely.

It wasn’t even holy power. Was this the coercion of the world trying to pull Summer along?

If so, it meant that the world was strongly preventing Summer from trying to escape this world on her own.

The only thing Summer could do to turn back time was to be killed by someone else’s hand.

Now he fully understood everything the witch had said. So this was why she had said to kill and be killed.

“I understand. What kind of principle it is.”

“Russell, what are you…”

As Summer tried to grab Russell with an ominous feeling, the knights all drew their swords at once, filling the hilltop with a chilling noise.

“…Kill the woman first.”

At one knight’s order, the knights rushed at Russell and Summer all at once.

“Russell, run away quickly!”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to go back?”

“No, no, Russell…”

Russell smiled slightly as he saw Summer’s blue eyes fill with shock.

It was a smile of true satisfaction, completely at odds with this murderous atmosphere.

“Summer. You may take my last breath.”

“…No, Russell, please… I was wrong. Please!”

Summer pleaded, pushing Russell away. Run away, please run away.

Russell dodged the sword swung at him and grabbed the knight’s wrist, twisting it. At the same time, he caught the knight’s sword as it was about to fall.

As Russell grabbed the sword, the atmosphere changed instantly.

Russell, who had hidden Summer behind him, remained calm. Only his well-honed blue eyes exuded the sharp aura of one who had survived a turbulent life.

The location was originally a hill. Even if they all rushed in at once, Russell had the advantage of being in a relatively higher position.

“Aagh!”

“R-run away!”

“It’s the duke’s order!”

“Kuheuk…!”

On the hilltop filled with the knights’ screams, Summer blankly took in Russell as if she had witnessed something surreal.

His swordsmanship was barbaric and desperate. It was far from the elegant swordsmanship commonly learned by nobles.

Then she remembered. The scars etched on Russell’s body. With each scar etched, Russell must have gone through countless such ordeals.

For the sole reason that he had to be the protagonist of this world. He had to endure a life where his life was threatened by someone at every moment.

The sound of clashing metal rang out, and fallen knights lay scattered about.

Summer’s gaze fell on the tree below. She saw Duke Legacy, who was struggling to cling to life by wrapping cloth around the sword embedded in his shoulder.

Summer slowly approached Duke Legacy.

“Wh-what? Don’t come near me!”

“How could a greedy person defeat someone who has staked their life?”

“…”

“Was that throne really more precious to you than your life, Duke?”

Summer asked, tilting her head slightly. Duke Legacy was terrified at the sight of her unfocused eyes.

“Y-you have lost. I will survive.”

“Yes. You’ll survive. Because there’s a temple behind you.”

“Haha, so you weren’t a complete fool after all.”

“So?”

“…What?”

“You didn’t really think the Pope would be moved by the massive donations you gave, did you?”

“…”

“How stupid.”

Duke Legacy’s eyes blazed with hatred. However, he had lost so much blood that it was difficult to even hold onto consciousness.

“The original story has already been ruined in some way.”

“…Original story? What are you talking about?”

“Why did you get involved with me and meet your death earlier than planned?”

“What nonsense are you babbling, *cough*!”

“Originally, you were the villain who was killed at the end to make the protagonist stand out.”

“Villain? Why am I evil? This is all for the prosperity of the empire and! For my bloodline! A little girl like you doesn’t understand! There are great things that must be done!”

Duke Legacy shouted wildly, spitting blood.

He seemed quite miserable at being disregarded by a girl about the same age as the daughter he had used as a tool.

“Ah. The villain was supposed to be dealt with by the male protagonist.”

“…”

Duke Legacy no longer even thought of opening his mouth with his half-dazed mind. He had exhausted all his energy in his previous shouts.

“You shouldn’t have joined hands with the temple. If you had been the greatest evil in this world, you could have held out until the end.”

“…”

“You gave up the role of the villain. Didn’t you know the fate of a doll without a role?”

“…Kkeuk.”

“The world is cruel and cold, so dolls that don’t fulfill their roles are mercilessly discarded. Like me.”

With Summer’s calm voice, Duke Legacy’s eyes rolled back completely.

His breath stopped. The breath of Duke Legacy, who had been a key figure in the original story.

“I’m sorry. Because you touched a foreign object like me.”