ICM Chapter 112

What was faintly heard was the sound of a door opening. That small sound penetrated into her darkened consciousness. Then came urgent breathing and a following scream.

 

“Gasp.”

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

Who could it be? Who was screaming so loudly?

 

Ashika still struggled desperately to lift her heavy eyelids. It took time for her severed consciousness to return. Her body didn’t feel like her own, so she could barely sense anything.

 

“Hup.”

 

A splitting headache rushed over her. But what came even more strongly than that was the fishy smell of blood.

 

“Someone is dead!”

 

“Call the guards, call the knights!”

 

The urgent footsteps and clanking noise were the sounds of the knights’ armor. As more and more senses awakened, intense pain from her twisted arm rushed over her.

 

“Ugh… someone… please…”

 

A groan like a strangled throat leaked out. Amid the growing commotion around her, Ashika realized that her body was collapsed on the floor, tilted to one side.

 

When she barely managed to open her eyes, the first thing that entered her tilted vision was a red pool that had thoroughly soaked the floor. What stung her nose nauseously was the bloody smell wafting from the pool.

 

“Gasp.”

 

Ashika couldn’t even scream.

 

The red blood seeping into her dress and the squishy sensation covering below her thighs. The man who had been threateningly menacing her just a moment ago was now pressing down on her body, his breath cut off. Even though she wanted to push him away, she couldn’t even get up because her body had no strength.

 

Ashika was too shocked to even ask for help. Her tightly closed lips trembled so much that even her jaw convulsed.

 

“Ashika!”

 

What awakened her from her complete stupor was a voice. Drushia’s voice that came like salvation.

 

“You cannot enter. This is a murder scene.”

 

“Shouldn’t we first check if someone is hurt!”

 

“There is one deceased.”

 

She could see three guard knights blocking the way and Drushia trying to enter immediately, with shocked faces of people behind him.

 

What on earth had happened? Ashika’s mind was bleached white, unable to think of anything.

 

“Ashika, are you okay? Ashika, look at me.”

 

A guard knight who had been hesitating for a moment drew his sword toward Drushia, who was trying to push his way in by force. The people gathered at the lounge door gasped in surprise.

 

“This is the imperial palace, Duke Talion. Will you defy His Majesty’s will in the imperial palace?”

 

“So are His Majesty’s knights now insulting a ducal house? What are you trying to do by leaving a lady in distress in front of all these people?”

 

“Lord Oclein has been murdered and the only person at the scene is Lady Igraine. You must wait until the investigator arrives.”

 

“Are you trying to frame Lady Igraine? Are your eyes just decorations? Where is there a weapon here!”

 

He was right. On the lounge floor where blood had pooled thickly, there were only the corpse and Ashika, with no sword or anything similar visible.

 

The shouting voice brought Ashika’s mind back with a jolt. Drushia was fighting with the imperial palace knights. He looked ready to immediately sweep away the sword blocking his path and rush inside.

 

Ashika painfully raised her head to look at Drushia.

 

“…rushia… I…”

 

The words wouldn’t come out properly. She clenched her trembling jaw with effort and barely opened her mouth again.

 

“…I’m… fine… okay.”

 

So don’t fight. Don’t defy the emperor’s will. Ashika was saying this with a terrified face. Drushia, who had to watch this scene completely, swallowed his rising anger and ground his teeth.

 

He thought there would be time. Time to observe the enemy and prepare countermeasures. But in the meantime, someone had targeted Ashika and caused this incident.

 

A blue flame ignited in Drushia’s eyes.

 

“Is this truly His Majesty’s will?”

 

Not allowing Igraine even the slightest flexibility. Displaying the shocked Ashika to people like an exhibit.

 

Just a while ago, an incident had occurred in the banquet hall. An enormous event that would shake the entire empire.

 

The emperor had gained a fatal blemish on his birth, and it was only a matter of time before the past issues led by the previous emperor and the empress dowager would surface. This was because it was none other than the empress dowager who had played the biggest role in proving the Grand Duke’s treason.

 

At that time, the empire couldn’t help but be amazed by the empress dowager’s decision to risk her family’s destruction and tell the emperor the truth. Because it was the empress dowager, they trusted her, and because of the evidence and testimony she presented, everything was processed swiftly.

 

But the empress dowager, who had played the most crucial role, was not of the Grand Duke’s bloodline. No one could predict how far this shocking truth would cause ripples.

 

And just then, a murder case involving a high-ranking noble had occurred. Right inside the imperial palace where nobles attending the banquet were swarming.

 

So the guard knights were stalling for time. So that more nobles would see this incident, so they would make a bigger fuss about it.

 

“I understand well what His Majesty desires.”

 

Drushia extended his hand to the guard knight blocking his way. Not knowing what the slowly approaching hand intended to do, the knight stayed in place without moving. Only when Drushia’s hand grasped the knight’s hand holding the sword did he finally understand what he was trying to do.

 

Crushing pain rushed through the hand caught by Drushia.

 

“Ugh.”

 

His hand was merely caught. So the knight tried to hold his ground, not wanting to retreat. However, even without wearing armor, Drushia’s build was large. His tall stature, taller than ordinary men, and large frame were threatening just by standing still.

 

A man whose quiet anger felt more frightening than swinging a sword. He held out and held out, but it felt like every joint of his sword-holding fingers was being crushed, so he finally had to let go.

 

Clang.

 

The knight’s sword fell to the floor with a loud noise.

 

“Uh, gasp.”

 

The knight sat down, clutching his trembling hand with his other hand.

 

“You will have to take responsibility for daring to draw your sword against Talion.”

 

Regardless of whose will it was.

 

“Is there anyone else who wants to block me?”

 

The remaining two knights who had blocked the entrance looked at each other. They had been instructed to guard the scene until the investigator arrived, but the investigator was not someone who resolved incidents within the imperial palace. This was because guard knights were given primary responsibility for matters within the imperial palace.

 

Strictly speaking, it was an order close to unreasonable. The knights didn’t want to take risks against Talion. Seeing them subtly avoid eye contact, Drushia stepped inside.

 

The black eyes that had been fixed on him the entire time wavered. The frightened black eyes looked as precarious as a deer caught by a hunter just before death.

 

“Ashika… everything’s okay. Don’t worry about anything. Okay?”

 

Gradually narrowing the distance, Drushia spoke gently. Gently in this situation. It was terribly unsuited, but he conveyed a voice full of comfort.

 

“Huu…”

 

Unable to even cry, sorrowful sobs flowed out.

 

As if knowing her heart, a large hand gently stroked her head. Her heart was put at ease by that small touch. Confirming that her trembling was subsiding, the large hand covered her eyes.

 

“I’ll take care of everything. If you close your eyes, everything will be over.”

 

Ashika nodded silently. The warm body temperature that had been covering her eyes disappeared, and she felt the heavy weight that had been pressing down on her lower body being pushed away. Squelching sounds and the bloody smell vibrated even more.

 

To avoid imagining what it was, Ashika put more strength into her closed eyes. She felt hands reaching between her back and legs. Her blood-soaked body floated up, and a familiar scent suddenly hit her.

 

Strong arms imprisoned Ashika, who had become soaked in blood, in his embrace. So that no one could see her face anymore. Drushia held Ashika and spoke to the guard knights.

 

“If you want to hold us responsible, send an official letter to Talion. Igraine and I also won’t let this matter slide.”

 

Suppressed anger leaked through his teeth. The nobles who had been watching the situation with interest quickly turned their heads away, feeling Drushia’s fierce gaze.

 

Drushia quickly moved away from the bloody scene, holding Ashika. Even while the two were leaving the palace, no one else could stop him.

 

****

 

Weive only heard the news when he returned to the mansion in the evening and sat down in his chair just as he was.

 

“So? What about Ashika?”

 

“Duke Talion took her to the ducal residence. It seems he issued summons not only to the knights of the capital mansion but also to the knights in the Grand Duke’s territory.”

 

It wasn’t unusual for Ashika to attend external events alone.

 

He knew that the imperial family had been targeting Igraine at every opportunity. However, Weive had no interest in politics. The previous Duke had maintained an intimate relationship with the imperial family, but Weive was different. He couldn’t do that.

 

He had been busy chasing traces of the disappeared Ibis his whole life and had tried to distance himself from the imperial family for Ashika’s sake as well. After the experience when Ashika had almost been designated as the crown princess, he had distanced himself even more from the imperial family. Using the excuse of being busy, he had avoided creating any contact points at all.

 

However, having distanced himself from the imperial family for so long and not getting involved in politics came back as a boomerang at times like this.

 

Weive buried his face in both hands.

 

‘What is happening?’

 

While he had been distracted by other things, his gentle granddaughter had fallen in love with Duke Talion, and the Grand Duke’s territory problem he had avoided his whole life had surfaced. As if that wasn’t enough, they said the closed Grand Duke’s Castle had opened, and now an enormous incident had occurred that overturned the empress dowager’s birth.

 

‘Why does this have to happen to Ashika…’

 

Actually, he knew. That Ashika was bound to be swept up in turmoil. Ashika was connected to the core of all the problems currently occurring.

 

Drushia was right. Igraine alone couldn’t handle this problem.

 

‘That’s why I was rushing the marriage.’

 

Even that hadn’t gone as planned. Ashika would not easily leave the empire now.

 

The aide who had been waiting for Weive to calm down spoke again.

 

“Um… and there’s been someone requesting to see you since earlier.”

 

“Who came to visit?”

 

“Yes. Some lady said she knows you. She said she has something to tell you about Lady Igraine’s matter. When I didn’t allow her visit because you weren’t here, she said she would wait.”

 

“So she’s been waiting outside all this time? And you don’t know who she is?”

 

“I heard she’s Baroness Iben Siclaire.”

 

It was a name he had never heard before. Most of the people around Ashika were in official relationships, and the only recent unusual development was the addition of trading companies that had been given distribution rights by his authority. But even in reports related to that, this name had never appeared.

 

“Have her come to the reception room.”

 

It was close to midnight. If someone would wait for him until this hour, he thought it probably wasn’t a casual relationship with Ashika.