The Villainess is on a Quest - Chapter 76

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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 75
The scene that unfolded as Kleid rushed toward the Imperial Palace exceeded all imagination.
Walls lay in ruins, and from within, thick black smoke billowed upward as if something were burning.
But what caught the eye most was the heap of corpses scattered across the ground.
“What in the name of—”
As chamberlain Rotein approached, Kleid demanded an explanation. After a brief hesitation, Rotein spoke.
“Intruders have breached the Imperial Palace. We attempted to stop them, but they descended so swiftly that the damage is far greater than anticipated.”
It was no idle claim—blood continued to pour from Rotein’s leg even as he spoke.
Kleid asked only one thing, unwilling to detain him further.
“Is His Majesty safe?”
He gave little thought to the loss of the Retaria prisoners.
They could always be recaptured. The breach of the palace itself was a matter to be contained and addressed with tighter security measures.
But what mattered most was Odin’s welfare. His safety above all else could not be compromised.
……
Yet no words came from Rotein’s lips. He could only weep, tears flowing ceaselessly.
Watching that sight, Kleid sank to the ground.
He knew this was no time to collapse. He was the one who should be managing the situation with urgency. But in that moment, he found himself incapable of anything.
“His Majesty engaged the enemy in combat, but was struck down by their blades.”
The Emperor—his father—had fallen.
* * *
The public sentiment that had barely stabilized and grown warm was rendered hollow as the empire’s atmosphere turned deathly cold.
Following the incident at Chesher Estate, the Imperial Palace came under assault—a catastrophe compounded by rumors that the Emperor himself had been grievously wounded by enemy hands and now lingered in critical condition.
To suppress such rumors, Odin would have needed to appear in public himself, but that was impossible.
“Kleid. How much longer do you intend to remain like this?”
……
Because Odin had truly fallen into an unconscious state.
“The children are worried. Please, come back to yourself.”
Aine kept vigil at Kleid’s side, yet she could not simply stand by and watch him deteriorate.
He must be grieving terribly. Surely his mind was churning with countless thoughts. Perhaps he was blaming himself.
If only he had extracted information from the prisoners more quickly, perhaps this tragedy could have been averted.
Aine, who understood such feelings better than anyone, wrapped her arms around Kleid and spoke.
“None of this is your fault.”
These were not consequences of his doing. There were others, distinctly wicked, who bore that burden. She pleaded with him to have mercy on himself.
“You cannot let him see you like this when he awakens.”
Somehow, such words brought comfort.
In Aine’s voice—so certain that Odin would awaken and recover—belief kindled in his chest.
As if tomorrow morning he would simply wake as though nothing had happened.
“Your Majesty has been everything to me.”
Hearing Aine’s words, Kleid opened his heavy lips. Aine said nothing, only held his large hand and listened quietly as he spoke.
“My mother’s family is not so distinguished. Everyone, including my maternal grandfather, has long since passed. No blood relatives remain.”
There was no maternal clan to speak of. From the moment he lost his mother, Odin alone remained his only blood relation in the world.
“He could have abandoned me, yet he never wavered in his care. More than that, he sought out and destroyed all those who poisoned my mother, and once he learned it was done by the ladies of the court, he expelled them all.”
That was why there were no women in the palace. Emperor Odin had either banished them or sent them to villas far removed from the Capital.
“Under his protection, I was able to grow safely.”
He no longer had to fear assassins appearing each night, nor check his food constantly for poison.
His survival until now was entirely due to Odin.
That is why, should the opportunity ever arise, he wished to express his gratitude and repay that debt however he could.
“I pray he awakens. Only then can I truly repay the kindness bestowed upon me as a child.”
Tears began to spill shamefully down his face. Yet fortunately, no sobs wracked his body.
He simply gazed at Odin’s face, hoping he would soon awaken.
“It is not a debt, Kleid.”
Hearing his words, Aine opened her mouth to speak.
“As a parent, his desire to protect you came from the heart. You need not burden yourself with such obligation. His Majesty would not wish it.”
Aine drew out a handkerchief and carefully dried the tears streaming down Kleid’s cheeks.
The delicate, tender touch—as if handling something precious—made Kleid stiffen without meaning to.
“Rest now. As I said, you cannot show him yourself in this state.”
His heart seemed to race. As he gazed at her long eyelashes, he swallowed without realizing it.
Ah, he had known it already, but a sweet fragrance emanated from her. The scent stirred something in him that calmed him, and he felt an urge to draw closer.
Yet he held it back firmly. If he were to suddenly close the distance, she might feel burdened and vanish without warning.
And should that happen, he would never be able to hold her again. So he turned his gaze away, attempting to avert his face.
“Kleid. Look at me.”
But the moment Aine took his chin in her hand and turned his face back toward hers,
“I love you.”
she stole his lips with those words, as if she’d been waiting for the chance all along.
“So don’t be afraid. I’m not going anywhere anymore.”
* * *
Whether relieved by the kiss or simply exhausted, Kleid drifted quietly into sleep.
Only once she saw him at peace did Aine rise from the bed.
There was no one else to manage the crisis now but her.
“Your Highness, Crown Princess.”
“Rotein. Shouldn’t you still be receiving treatment?”
When Rotein returned after the Imperial physicians had hastily treated the injury to his leg, Aine urged him to rest longer, but he shook his head.
“There are too few people to stand at Your Highness’s side right now.”
Rotein was right. The main target of the Imperial Palace attack had been the escape of Retaria prisoners, but that day had coincided with a gathering of Odin and members of the Imperial Faction.
The attackers had deliberately targeted them, and as a result, a considerable number of Imperial Faction members had been wounded.
‘At least there were no deaths.’
Still, the sting of their absence could not be denied.
“Within the Imperial Palace now, there are only those like wolves—the Emperor himself, the Crown Prince, and those who hunt Your Highness.”
“I need not be told what I already understand, Chief Steward.”
She sank into thought. Was this Retaria’s doing again? The fact that they had released those prisoners in the first place made it nearly certain.
What did they hope to gain in this situation? Even with Odin absent, Kleid remained whole and strong.
“I will not be defeated again. Never again.”
“Your Highness, Crown Princess?”
Memories of what had happened in the royal palace before she came to the Empire suddenly surfaced.
Her careless handling had not only cost her subordinates their lives—she had suffered catastrophic losses and been reduced to fleeing for her life.
With fresh resolve to never again expose such vulnerability, Aine’s steps carried her toward where the Council Chamber was now assembled.
“The Crown Princess makes her entrance.”
“Since His Imperial Majesty remains in an Unconscious State and the Crown Prince keeps vigil at his bedside, I attend this session in their stead.”
Few in the chamber regarded her with favor, yet Aine showed no sign of wavering.
She had grown accustomed to such looks long ago.
“We have convened today for a single purpose: to discuss yesterday’s attack on the Imperial Palace.”
As she laid out the matter, Aine caught sight of Alex Rodman, whose smile held a sharp, knowing edge.
The true battle was beginning.

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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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