Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 322
◈ 322. [Side Story] Hwayangyeonhwa (花樣年華)) (4)
Perhaps it was an aftereffect of Ash dying once and coming back to life, but he passed out..
I fell asleep in Dustia's arms in the carriage..
While brushing her sleeping son's smooth forehead with her hand, Dustia let out a sigh..
“How did you know that you came to save me??”
The emperor, who did not enter the carriage but stood outside and looked at his wife and son, answered Traha..
“‘The Prophet told us.”
Five hundred years ago, when Everblack was a small kingdom..
There was a wizard who suddenly appeared and helped Everblack's revival..
This wizard transformed an ordinary thorn tree into a magical lighthouse that predicted the future, and thanks to this, Everblack grew into a powerful nation..
Afterwards, Everblack was able to declare its title and become the current empire..
An eternal being who still survives five hundred years later and advises the emperor on future events..
This old man was called ‘prophet’ by the imperial family..
“They told me that you were going to be attacked so I had to go save you quickly. So they immediately brought out the knights..”
“……The conman's prophecy is sometimes correct..”
“Refrain from speaking. You are the benefactor of our Everblack..”
Traha blurted out indifferently and looked at Dustia's dark-skinned face..
“Your regression magic is always used to save others' lives. I spent my whole life protecting myself, and now I spend my whole life protecting my son..”
“…….”
“Did you use up all your remaining power in this regression spell??”
“……That's right.”
“Then I won't be able to last much longer..”
“Is that what you would say to your soon-to-be-dead wife??”
Dustia glanced at her husband and then her gaze fell..
“The punishment given to our family... … The Curse of Return is a one-person story. Bloodline succession. When I die, it will be transferred to this child..”
Her trembling hands stroked Ash's head..
“They only share the trait of going back in time, but the way they manifest themselves is different... … It's a pity that I can't tell you in advance how this child will receive this curse..”
“Ash will get through it just fine..”
Traha smiled and bowed towards Dustia..
“Because he is our son.”
The Emperor and the Second Empress shared a brief kiss..
His lips parted, he stroked his wife's cheek with his hand, and then slowly pulled himself out..
“Go back to the palace and get your body together. Make the most of your last time.”
Traha turned around and walked away. Dusty Ah, who was quietly glaring at her husband's back as he walked away from her, let out a sigh..
“My last wish is that you go to hell, Your Majesty..”
The emperor answered quietly with a bitter smile..
“If I could meet you there again, that wouldn't be so bad..”
What an emperor riding a white horse! He ran toward the castle with a sound..
Dustia, who had been controlling her emotions with her mouth tightly shut, let out a long sigh..
“……Let's go back, Lucas..”
Lucas, who had been standing guard somewhere far away and eavesdropping on the conversation, came running towards me with his shoulders shaking. Dustia smiled haggardly..
“Let's spend the rest of our vacation at home..”
Thus, Second Empress Dustia, who had been on vacation for the first time in over a dozen years, returned to the villa..
And I never came out again.
***
After the attack, Second Empress Dustia's condition deteriorated rapidly..
“……Hasn’t this happened before??”
24At every turn, she felt an intense sense of déjà vu..
“It’s déjà vu again… … I feel like I've experienced it hundreds and thousands of times, every day.…….”
“It's probably your fault, mama. look. Right now, this tea is the first one from the south.-”
“no. I tried that tea.”
Dustia glared at the teacup Ash held out for her, then trembled violently and pulled out her hair..
“Even this situation where you are smiling like that and handing over tea while saying that... … ! Everyone, we've been through this before.!”
“Oh my, calm down……!”
Clang-!
Dustia's swinging arm pushed Ash, and the teacup in Ash's hand fell to the floor and shattered. Hot tea splashed everywhere..
Dustia suddenly came to her senses with a gasp and urgently hugged Ash and muttered..
“Ah, Ash, Ash, my poor, poor child.…….”
“Oh my mom……?”
“I can't pass this pain on to you... … Mom, may she live long and long. I'll hold on as long as possible…….”
These things happened every day.
Dustia felt a sense of déjà vu about everything, and couldn't bear it and had a seizure. The gentle and warm villa quickly became devastated..
The rumor that Dustia was suffering from mania spread throughout the imperial palace..
The most persuasive and widely spread was the rumor that the Second Empress had gone crazy due to the harassment of other wives in the imperial palace..
but, but.
Despite suffering from mania, Dustia tenaciously continued her life..
“When I die, this curse will pass on to you.”
Dustia, who had become skinny for the first time in months, muttered with dry lips..
“So, mommy will live…….”
Ash, who did not give up on his mother and nursed her right next to her, tried hard to hold back tears and smiled..
“Yes, mom. live. We live.”
“……”
Lucas was watching the whole scene right next to him..
***
time has passed.
Those who attacked Dustia all committed suicide before they were caught..
……It was known that way..
1It was Fernandez who led the pursuit and investigation that lasted 1 year and 6 months..
Fernandez, who had long been in charge of the Aegis Special Forces, an undercover secret unit directly under the imperial family, received orders from the emperor to investigate this case, and ended the investigation after finding and killing the last attacker..
“When Abamama was conquering the North, Second Empress Dustia established several major positions by her side..”
widely.
Fernandez said as he finished signing the case closure document and closing the folder..
“At that time, the survivors of the fallen kingdom held a grudge and attacked the Second Empress Dustia... … That's how the report will come up..”
Fernandez's villa.
Lucas, who was kneeling down, was silently listening to the story, and Fernandez was smiling leisurely..
“An investigation was also conducted into an internal spy... … Lucas. You weren't a suspect in the first place. That's because we almost died together while trying to stop the attack..”
“…….”
“If you had noticed that much, you would have helped with the mission, but you ended up interfering with it instead.…….”
Fernandez clicked his tongue and walked in front of Lucas and lowered his gaze..
“You seem to have forgotten where you belong, Lucas. Have you forgotten the debt your family owes??”
“Sorry, I can't do any better.”
Lucas let out a short sigh. A look flashed in Fernandez’s eyes..
“Hoo?”
“I can no longer betray His Highness Prince Ash and Empress Dustia..”
The smile on Fernandez's lips deepened. Lucas jerked his head up and gritted his teeth..
“It's like the McGregor family. The debt will result in filing for bankruptcy. They say the family should fall and disappear..”
I had no regrets anymore..
Lucas decided to live for Dustia and Ash, as he truly wanted to. He was even willing to give up his family name for him..
Lucas stood up and turned around, but Fernandez whispered softly..
“If it turns out that you were the spy behind the attack on the Second Empress,?”
“what……?”
When Lucas looked back, startled, Fernandez was still smiling leisurely..
“Your Majesty will be quite angry. Because He hates traitors... … It can almost always be considered the death penalty..”
“Well, then I will also tell you that it was you who told me to do it.-”
“Who are you going to tell? I am the head of this country's investigative agency. The Imperial Defense Army and the Aegis Special Forces are all in my hands..”
“…….”
Only then, too late, did Lucas realize.
He had been caught in a spider's web from the very beginning..
With my limbs wrapped so that I can’t even move.…….
“And there's this too... … drag me.”
When Fernandez gestured to his subordinates, they dragged someone and brought him in..
The one who was dragged out in captivity was,
“young master……!”
He was a Mason, a loyal servant of the McGregor family and a swordsman instructor at the dojo..
Mason's huge body, covered in blood as if he had been tortured, was thrown to the floor. Lucas screamed..
“mason!”
“It's not just this friend. Everyone left in your family is now in custody of our task force..”
Fernandez spoke comfortably in a soft voice. Lucas gritted his teeth..
“Fernandez, Your Highness……!”
“As an example, I will cut off their heads one by one in front of you..”
Fernández's long fingers traced his thin neck horizontally..
“And I will cut off your head and send you to the second empress' villa. I would like you to tell me that this is the end of a dirty traitor..”
“…….”
“I thought you had a choice, Lucas.?”
The second prince's dark red eyes gave off an eerie glow beneath his glasses, along with his natural lower body..
“sit down. kneel down.”
“…….”
Gritting his teeth, Lucas eventually had to slowly kneel on the floor. A clear sneer appeared on Fernandez's mouth..
“I need a lot of useful dogs, Lucas… … So let me give you a chance. Last chance to prove your loyalty to me.”
At the words that followed, Lucas' eyes widened as if they were about to explode..
“Soon my agents will raid the Second Empress' villa. I agree with you at this time. Open the palace gates and let our agents in..”
“What, what……!”
“And helped kill Second Empress Dustia and Prince Ash. You'll get more points from me if you do it yourself..”
Lucas shook his head roughly..
“I can't do that, I can't do that.!”
“Then we all die here..”
When Fernández gestured, his men simultaneously drew their swords from their belts..
A knife was seen being pointed at Mason's neck as he fell to the floor. The cool touch of metal touched Lucas' neck as well..
“Even if you don't cooperate, Second Empress Dustia and Ash will die anyway. But if you cooperate, you and your family will survive..”
“…….”
“Lucas. Because I believe so highly in the potential of you and the McGregor family, I'm going to prove your worth by doing something like this..”
Fernandez whispered kindly in a voice that had suddenly become softer..
“I will become emperor. And I want to moderate you in the future.”
“Ugh, ugh.……!”
“think carefully. Empress Cheon-chul, who suffers from mania, and the prince, who has no talent and is so kind that he just falls in love... … Stuck down there, what else do you get but death??”
Fernandez, who was at eye level in front of Lucas, looked into Lucas' bright blue eyes..
“This is the last suggestion. prove your loyalty to me.”
“…….”
“Then I will give you everything. Life and future.”
Lucas closed his eyes tightly..
***
It was a clear winter night.
Just like the day 7 years ago when Lucas first came to this villa..
Lucas, now fourteen, stood at the back door of the villa and looked up at the sky blankly..
There was no choice from the beginning. If you refuse, everyone will die, but if you accept, the Lucas and McGregor families will live..
In that case, I have no choice but to agree.…….
As Lucas was rationalizing himself, the sound of a cuckoo was heard in his ears. It was a signal.
Squeak-
When Lucas carefully opened the back door, people wearing black masks and robes poured in..
Without saying a word, they infiltrated the villa through the backyard with agile footwork..
The leader of the assassination unit quietly handed something to Lucas, who was trembling as he watched this scene..
“If you can't do it with your sanity... … Put this on your body.”
It was a syringe-like object filled with dark blue blood. Lucas asked curiously..
“……What is this?”
“Beast Transformation Serum. It's a product being tested in the dark department, but it's a half-failure that can't even generate a factor... … The berserk effect is quite usable..”
“…….”
“‘The center said to give it to you. If you use it, you will gain the power of the beast for a short period of time... … It also erases troublesome emotions such as guilt and conscience..”
“…….”
“I used it on my first mission too. it will help.”
Leaving behind Lucas, who stood blankly, the leader of the assassination unit strode into the villa..
Lucas gritted his teeth and squeezed the serum in his hand..
After Dustia fell ill with mania, the villa gradually reduced the number of employees and did not even have a decent security force of its own..
There were defensive and security spells on the outskirts of the villa, but they were all nullified the moment the door was opened by one's own power from inside..
Now Dustia and Ash's lives were a light in the wind..
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