Flop.

In an instant, his body collapsed. When the Emperor fell, the guards also stopped fighting and turned to witness this scene.

Irene stood in front of the fallen Emperor. The Emperor struggled to look up at her. Irene’s face looked up from below, emotionless. The Emperor scoffed at the familiar emerald-like eyes.

I didn’t think I’d ever see those eyes again.

-A look of contempt, like looking at garbage and insects. His sister had always looked at him that way with those same eyes. It drove him insane.

The moment Noel pointed the sword at the Emperor’s neck, the door swung open. Startled, Irene turned around and saw the Crown Prince and Louiselle breathing heavily.

Louiselle, who scanned the situation in the room for a moment, ran to Irene at once.

“Madame, are you hurt? Am I too late…”

“Oh, no, you unblocked it just in time. It is all thanks to you.”

Irene’s gaze turned downward. Seeing the Emperor quivering on the floor, Louiselle was dazed for a moment, then sighed in relief.

Ram’s mercenaries also rejoiced and pointed their swords at the knights. Then, they began to put their swords down on the floor one by one. It was a clear sign of surrender.

As the situation cleared, Irene attended to Noel’s wounds in earnest.

“Undi.”

[Rene-!]

As soon as Undi appeared, he immediately hugged Irene.

“Undi. Can you stop people’s bleeding?”

Irene asked doubtfully, wondering if it was possible since blood also consisted of water. Nonetheless, Undi nodded resolutely.

[Uhm!]

“Then I shall leave it to you.”

Undi nodded at Irene’s request and created a large drop of water. Soon, the water drop split in all directions and permeated into the people’s wounds, and in seconds, the bleeding stopped for both allies and enemies.

The Ram mercenaries’ and guards’ eyes widened at the mysterious power. There was also a strange expression present on Count Chase’s face when he looked down at his thigh. However, …

[Rene, he can’t.]

Undi looked down at the Emperor sadly. He would have to stop the heart to stop the bleeding. And it was a fact that the person would die instantly. Undi wept at the thought that he could not fulfil his duty.

“It’s okay. You have worked hard.”

As Irene comforted Undi, Undi nodded and vanished in a swirl of mist.

“This must be the power of the spirits. The Grand Duke of Kristen is already special. The power of his wife is even more astonishing. If I become the Emperor, I promise to give prioritised treatment to the Grand Duchy over any other family.”

The prince spoke from behind as he passed Irene and Noel and stood in front of the Emperor. For the first time, agitation arose on the Emperor’s calm face. The prince looked down at the Emperor for a moment and spoke quietly.

“Father.”

“…Alex.”

Alex, it was the name of the Crown Prince. At the name that he had not heard in a long time, perhaps for the first time in a while, the crown prince felt a sense of irony. The Crown Prince lowered his stature and whispered in the Emperor’s ear.

“Goodbye.”

Thrust-

The Emperor, with his mouth wide open in shock, fell slowly.

The Crown Prince, who pulled out the sword from the Emperor’s heart, stood up calmly as if nothing had happened.

There was a suffocating silence. The Crown Prince spoke sternly to the distraught Knights.

“His Majesty has passed.”

“…”

‘Passed.’

It was clear what that meant. The Emperor had died. It was all over, and in its place, hollow silence remained. At that moment, loud footsteps resounded, coming from the hallway, and several knights stormed into the room.

Irene was puzzled at the sudden appearance. Were they royal soldiers? Everyone was exhausted. There was no room left to deal with the newly arrived knights. As her expression hardened at the thought of having to subdue them as well, the Crown Prince spoke.

“Lock them up in prison.”

As soon as the Crown Prince issued the command, the knights apprehended the defeated guards and Count Chase. Exhausted from the battle with the Ram mercenaries and lost all their will, they helplessly let the knights drag them out.

“What on earth is going on….”

“These are the knights that I have recruited in advance.”

As Irene muttered, the Crown Prince answered.

“It is all over now.”

At the prince’s words, Irene felt her tension ease. Noel hugged her as she was about to slump.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Then, Noel, what about you? You are hurt….”

“This much is fine.”

Noel nonchalantly replied like it was nothing, but his injuries were by no means light. When Irene became teary, Noel was troubled.