Chapter 104. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you
***
When Doa heard his subordinate’s words, his eyes widened.
"Is that true?"
"Yes, the rift between the King of Elmir and the queen has deepened, so the civil war is unlikely to end easily. At present, the whereabouts of the crown prince are also unknown."
Queen of Elmir attempted to assassinate her husband but failed, then instigated a rebellion.
Moreover, the crown prince, whom everyone thought was already dead, was actually imprisoned in the basement and escaped secretly during the chaos?
What on earth was going on?
Elmir’s situation seemed to be just as complicated as Anut's, who also had a turbulent past.
"Then why has the Queen of Elmir been hiding the Crown Prince all this time?"
"It seems to be due to a magical artifact called the 'Blood Oath.'"
His subordinate reported that the late king of Elmir had cast a spell binding the lives of Patrick and Evan together just before his death.
How could such a bizarre tool exist in the world?
Doa, who knew nothing about such things, couldn't believe what he was hearing.
At the same time, something flashed through his mind like a meteor shower.
'A child with blonde hair and green eyes………'
Both Ihedia and Adeline had blonde hair and green eyes.
Perhaps her younger brother, the Crown Prince, was similar as well.
Perhaps it was referring to the Crown Prince rather than Adeline.
But why didn't Ihedia just say it directly instead of using such cryptic words?
"And I heard that Queen Lena had already given that tool to Hashad."
Did that mean Hashad already knew about the Crown Prince's existence?
Doa wondered if Ihedia had been forced to act like a puppet under Hashad's threats, using her brother as leverage.
For a moment, Doa's face twisted in anger.
He had to find out exactly what that madman had been up to.
He wanted to enter the imperial palace's treasure room where Hashad had stored rare treasures, but only the emperor could enter there.
Doa ordered his subordinate.
“Find the Crown Prince by any means necessary and protect him safely. Also, investigate all the magical artifacts that fell into Hashad’s hands. Do not overlook even the smallest detail.”
“Yes, sir.”
The subordinate hurriedly left to carry out the order.
Somehow, Doa sensed that there was an enormous, unknown event hidden between Ihedia and Hashad.
I hope Lord Kayan comes back soon………………
Left alone in the room, Doa clutched his head, revealing his troubled thoughts.
Instead of this, he should go to the West Palace first.
If Ihedia still refused to speak about Hashad, there was nothing he could do, but he still needed to check.
When Doa just stood up from the chair, a servant rushed into the room.
“Sir Doa, there’s been a major incident. Master Kayan…”
After hearing the servant's report, Doa's face turned pale.
***
Several months had passed since Kayan had returned to the palace, and he remained in a coma.
The only one by his side was Ihedia.
It was all thanks to Doa's help that she, who had been confined to the West Palace, was able to nurse Kayan.
Doa revealed to the ministers the details of what she had endured, along with the fact that Adeline was Kayan’s biological daughter.
Since Hashad's guilt was clear, no one could accuse Ihedia and Adeline of being criminals.
Hashad ultimately failed to escape from Kayan.
One of the subordinates who had followed Hashad betrayed him.
By Kayan's final order, Hashad was captured and imprisoned in the tower.
Ihedia, who had been constantly worried about Adeline's safety, could finally ease her concerns.
Until Kayan regained his strength, all decision-making authority was entrusted to Doa, who had been designated to assume the emperor's powers in times of crisis.
Therefore, the mother and daughter were able to stay safe under Doa's protection.
The spell implanted in her mind was also gradually fading over time.
Though she had not yet completely escaped the pain caused by the spell, she could now express her thoughts, even on forbidden topics, albeit hesitantly.
According to Doa’s research, the effects of the hypnotic incense would last no more than a year.
In a few more months, the traces of Hashad that had tormented her were expected to disappear completely.
Additionally, Ihedia was able to hear news about Evan, whom she had been so anxiously worried about, from Doa.
Marquis Lloyd and his wife, who had always kept a close eye on Evan, had successfully helped him escape without Patrick and Lena noticing.
Although the effect of the blood oath placed on Evan had long since ended, Patrick and Lena, who did not know the exact timing of the spell, still believed it to be active.
Therefore, Lena attempted to kill Evan first with the intention of eliminating Patrick.
Upon realizing this, Patrick urgently ordered Marquis Lloyd to take Evan and flee.
Afterward, the Marquis and his wife disappeared with Evan.
The Anut soldiers stationed in Elmir were searching for them, so if she waited, there would come a day when she would meet Evan again.
"Haa, haa..."
Kayan was sweating profusely and breathing irregularly.
Ihedia, who had been wiping the sweat from his forehead, set down the towel.
Then she took Kayan's hand and buried her face in his chest.
The spring water of Apeso, which was only used to heal physical wounds, could not heal the wounds caused by black magic.
Kayan had to overcome it on his own.
If he were an ordinary person, he would have already crossed the River of Death, but thankfully, Kayan was holding on.
He repeatedly transformed into his wolf form and then back into human form while unconscious.
“I heard that even before His Majesty crossed over to Anut decades ago, there was a time when he remained unconscious for an extended period, teetering on the brink of death. Everyone assumed he would soon pass away, but he eventually recovered... So I am certain he will do the same this time as well.”
Doa spoke these words to comfort the emaciated Ihedia.
Because of that, Ihedia learned that Kayan had spent his childhood in Elmir.
Doa didn't know the details either, but he said that Kayan had been severely injured even before coming to Elmir.
At the time, Odant Bayate, who was in the capital of Elmir, had found Kayan unconscious on the ground and raised him like a son.
Only then did Ihedia begin to vaguely understand why Kayan and Lucas' faces had overlapped in her mind.
From that point onward, every time she saw Kayan, a heavy sense of guilt weighed down her heart.
The tears she shed flowed down onto Kayan's chest.
It was you.
The boy she had desperately searched for.
How could she not recognize him even though Lucas was right beside her?
If Kayan never woke up, she felt she couldn't go on living with a clear mind.
So please, wake up.
Better to live and hate me.
I don’t want to endure the terrible punishment of losing you forever.
"Hmmm."
Ihedia couldn’t lift her head and wept softly.
Her slender shoulders began to shake.
Despite enduring countless hardships over the years, Iheedia had never cried so bitterly before.
She felt as though this moment was the most agonizing punishment of her life.
***
While fighting for his life, Kayan wandered through his dreams.
The scenery of Elmir was so beautiful that it could be mistaken for a garden of God.
It was the forest where he had first met Ihedia.
No matter how far he walked, he kept circling the same spot.
It felt like being trapped in an endless maze.
Then, a girl as white and beautiful as a pearl suddenly appeared before him.
It's you again.
Even though it was a face he had seen so many times in his dreams over the past decade, Kayan's heart still pounded as it always did.
In front of the young Ihedia, Kayan had become the same dirty, skinny boy he had been long ago.
Once again, the girl looked at him and burst into tears.
At her feet lay a dead rabbit.
Without thinking, Kayan's hand reached out toward her face.
The girl did not shy away from his touch.
Kayan gently wiped away the child's tears.
"Don't cry."
Nevertheless, the girl’s sobbing did not cease.
He stared down at the bloodied rabbit.
Images of nameless corpses rolling around in the alleys of the slum flashed through Kayan's mind.
For some reason, he didn't want to leave the rabbit the girl cherished like that.
He sat down on the ground and began digging frantically with his bare hands.
As soon as a hollow space was created, he carefully moved the rabbit into it.
He then carefully covered it with soil, patting it down with his palm to shape it.
The girl watched the process intently.
Soon, the crying had stopped.
He spoke to her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
His hands were stained black with soil.
The girl stared at the grave for a moment before finally speaking.
"Did Lara go to heaven?"
Kayan, who had lived a life of hardship from the moment he was born, had never thought about what comes after death.
But as he looked into her pleading eyes, he could only nod slowly.
The girl gently took his hand.
“I’m sorry, Lucas.”
“…..”
“And thank you.”
Finally, the girl smiled at him.
It was such a beautiful smile that it was a pity to wake up from the dream.
Kayan wanted to keep that image in his eyes for a long time.
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