Queen of Revenge - Chapter 94

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 94
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A week passed before we reached Hespelt, the Capital of Kalande.
“Five attacks in total….”
I gazed out the window at the cityscape passing by.
In the first two assaults, Black Eagle Knights were mixed among the attackers. Lucian confirmed their identities.
The remaining three attacks were carried out by men of unclear origin.
As if by agreement, they all targeted me without exception. As a result, Lucian’s vigilance had reached its absolute peak, and Kairon’s killing intent was on full display.
From what I could tell, both of them barely slept the entire journey here.
Whenever I woke from sleep, one of Lucian or Kairon was always at my side. Sometimes both were there.
“Prince Leonhilt is not the sort of man to throw such reckless gambles. He despises getting blood on his own hands.”
“Catherine is the same. Sending assassins to another nation, and Royal Guard knights at that….”
Is this a warning from Catherine to me? That even in Kalande, my life could be targeted at any moment, so I should be careful?
What confidence does she have to pull off something like this?
‘Catherine isn’t foolish enough to make such a blunder. She must have something to rely on in Kalande. But she couldn’t have been in direct contact with the First Prince. If she had been, she wouldn’t have summoned Kairon to the Capital in the first place….’
I had been lost in thought for days, but this time I simply could not fathom Catherine’s true intentions.
Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the castle walls. It came to a stop before the Palace after passing through the wide-open Castle Gate.
I descended from the carriage with Kairon’s escort.
As was typical of any kingdom’s royal palace, Kalande’s Royal Palace stood somewhat removed from the heart of the Capital. Mountains surrounded it, making it easy to defend against enemy invasion.
However, it was equally ideal for ambushing with concealed troops.
“The north, east, and west sides of the Palace are all surrounded by mountains. How many troops can be stationed in those mountains?”
“About one company per defensive sector. Roughly fifteen hundred total?”
“Is that sufficient?”
“Combined, the Royal Guard and Capital Defense Force number approximately five thousand. The Capital Defense Force has been drawn outside Hespelt to disperse their strength, so only five hundred Royal Guard remain within the Palace. More than sufficient.”
Kairon, who had answered so casually, suddenly fell silent.
I glanced at him sideways.
“You know this well. As if you’ve actually tried it once.”
“One shouldn’t dream of rebellion without at least this much planning.”
Kairon’s disturbance was fleeting. It was merely a brief pause in speech, and since he responded immediately after, it was hardly accurate to say he had been disturbed at all.
“But conversely, it means that once inside, escape becomes difficult. Foreign envoys typically stay within the Palace….”
I watched Kairon bite the inside of his lip and let out a soft laugh.
“You speak of rebellion without hesitation, yet you grow anxious when I enter the Palace?”
“Anxious…?”
Kairon murmured as if the word were unfamiliar. He looked like someone experiencing such an emotion for the first time in a very long while.
I shrugged to lighten the mood.
“Don’t worry. I always come back from the dead anyway.”
But somehow, it had the opposite effect.
“Your Highness!”
Lucian, who had been listening from behind, rebuked me sharply.
“I specifically asked you not to say or even think such things!”
Kairon didn’t call out to her. Instead, his expression vanished entirely.
Iolet flinched at the icy glares piercing toward her from both sides.
“…I only meant how fortunate that is. Don’t look so frightening. Lucian, you too.”
Though I stammered out excuses, neither of them even responded. Lucian’s neck was flushed with anger, while Kairon seized my hand with a grip so forceful it was almost painful.
‘Surely this is infinitely better than actually dying…?’
I sought help from Bara with my eyes, but only received a cold set of word cards in return.
[Be] [Careful] [!]
Well, words do have a way of becoming reality.
Iolet, who had only meant to ease their worries, decided it was best to simply hold her tongue.
A man who appeared to be the Butler of the Royal Palace was waiting for them.
“Welcome, Commander. And Your Highness. His Majesty awaits you.”
The Butler led them into the Royal Palace.
The Kalande Royal Palace gleamed as though woven from light itself.
Golden spires and glass domes caught the sunlight and sparkled, while colorful banners and autumn flowers swayed in the breeze. The weather was pleasantly cool, much like early autumn in Elovis.
A peaceful, magnificent paradise brimming with vitality. Yet Iolet felt a sense of discord in the carefully arranged landscape.
Kairon whispered softly.
“You should be wary of The Queen. The First Prince is skilled at concealing his thoughts, but she is not—especially toward me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
They were promptly escorted to the Audience Hall.
The doors of the Audience Hall opened, and the King of Kalande and The Queen, seated upon the Throne, received them.
Kairon strode across the carpet first and stood before The King.
“I have returned, having received Your Majesty’s command.”
“Welcome back, Commander.”
I had heard he was an aging king, yet he appeared far less elderly than I expected. He bore the impression of a frightened mouse.
‘Kairon’s mother must have been a remarkable beauty.’
“I hear that much nearly crumbled in my absence, yet you held the Fortress. Your merit is great.”
The King paused mid-sentence and suppressed a cough.
“From this day forth, I grant you the title of Baron. I shall also bestow upon you lands in the Valken Region of the western interior. This is to show that I have not forgotten your service—accept it with my blessing.”
The King concluded his words awkwardly, as though reading from a script.
Lands in the western interior. They lay on the opposite side of the Capital from Kairon’s Northern Fortress. This was clearly meant to prevent him from consolidating power based on the Northern Fortress.
When Kairon answered with a mere “Yes” and nothing more, a brief silence fell over the hall.
The King, clearing his throat, spoke again.
“By the way, you came with the Princess of Elovis…?”
The King glanced toward The Queen seated beside him, as though seeking assistance.
The Queen, who had been wearing a gentle smile, slowly opened her mouth.
“You have traveled far, Princess Iolet.”
Unlike The King, The Queen was a beautiful woman with an elegant and confident bearing. Her voice was warm, yet it carried no sense of goodwill.
The Queen rose from the Throne and descended the steps herself, standing before Iolet.
“I shall attend to you personally here. The men of the Royal Family know not how to treat a young lady. I have prepared quarters for you in the Queen’s Palace—shall we go together?”
“Does the Princess’s quarters differ from yours?”
Kairon turned halfway toward Iolet, his bewilderment unmistakable.
“Surely you don’t mean for me to enter the Queen’s Palace, Your Majesty. Why would you—”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
Yet Kairon’s protest was cut short by Iolet.
Iolet offered a light smile and bent her knees in a graceful curtsy.
“It is an honor, Your Majesty the Queen.”
“Then this way, if you please.”
The Queen gestured toward the entrance with an elegant motion.
Iolet cast Kairon a reassuring glance before following the Queen’s lead.
Kairon’s uncertain gaze lingered on the back of her head as she departed.
As I walked through the corridor, I finally grasped the source of the unease I had felt since the entrance.
No matter how carefully I looked, not a shred of black cloth was visible anywhere. Given that the Prince’s state funeral had only recently concluded, the air should have been thick with chrysanthemum incense, yet the flowers adorning the palace were vibrant and fresh in their variety.
A prince of this very realm had died.
Prince Emeric, no less, had been the most beloved prince among Kalande’s people.
One would expect a prolonged period of mourning out of consideration for public sentiment, yet there was not a trace of grief to be found anywhere.
“Do you find the Royal Palace to your liking?”
The Queen, walking ahead, slowed her pace and posed the question.
Iolet considered for a moment before answering concisely.
“It is immaculate.”
“As it should be. There is no reason to preserve what is unnecessary.”
Indeed, she meant to erase the loser without leaving even a trace behind.
I bit back a silent curse.
‘How ruthless. This family is far from normal.’
The Queen’s gaze swept over Iolet—a brief, evaluative assessment from top to bottom.
“The Royal Palace of Kalande has its own laws and protocols. Things will differ considerably from Elovis.”
“Of course I understand. The order of the Royal Family is paramount.”
“No. You do not understand at all.”
The Queen cut off Iolet’s words.
“Had you truly understood, you would never have dragged Kairon all the way to the Capital.”
The Queen’s smile deepened at the end of her sentence—a smile colder than any expression I had witnessed in my entire life.
“No matter how much His Majesty commanded you to come to the Capital, to bring that lowborn bastard—not even the child of a concubine—to the Royal Palace, and to accompany him yourself no less. How audacious, Princess.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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