Misfortune 130

Chapter 130

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***

"Something wrong?"

"Yes. It's just... ………………."

Lena's tone, which broke the silence first, somehow grew more secretive and cautious.

"Our merchant guild supports the Brunois Navy, you see. So, um, I occasionally exchange letters with my brother too."

Hesitating, Lena brought up Roan's name. Delnia nodded nonchalantly. To Lena, he was her only family, no matter who he was to her.

Empowered by her calm reaction, Lena continued in a more composed tone.

"Then yesterday, I got a reply. Inside the envelope, out of nowhere, was my brother's will."

"...A will?"

The chilling tone of the words made Delnia blink in shock, repeating the words. Her expression vanished instantly, leaving her face blank and utterly bewildered.

Faced with a reaction far more intense than expected, Lena visibly flustered and added an explanation.

"Ah, well, I heard soldiers write wills every time they deploy. In case they're killed in action, it's meant to be delivered to their family."

“…”

"Probably one he'd written beforehand got accidentally included."

Lena shrugged her shoulders lightly, as if it were no big deal.

But Delnia couldn't think that way.

The true nature of that sense of unease that had been faintly, yet persistently, gnawing at her nerves like shallow water.

The reason why, amidst everything else finding its place, only she felt like she was stagnant, unable to flow anywhere.

"Still, a will from someone perfectly alive feels so unsettling... I was thinking of giving my brother a piece of my mind..."

Lena continued to chatter on, but her words no longer registered in Delnia's ears.

Why had the man who had acted as if he could never let her go, no matter what, suddenly changed his mind?

The lingering question, like murky fog, drifted through her mind before vanishing in an instant. With her vision finally clear, the man's face from their last meeting came into sharp focus.

“I'll let you go.”

His hollowed-out face, as if those words meant he was giving up everything. That transparent, stark emptiness, devoid of any lingering attachment, like someone who had let go of even himself.

And……………….

“Or that he wanted to give everything back to you.”

Even the bowed back of the man she hadn't seen, clinging desperately to that single-minded purpose, unconcerned how his reputation might be ruined.

That will wasn't misdelivered.

He, Roan Barthez, truly intended to die.

"That……………."

Delnia clenched her teeth. Blood rushed to her head, momentarily blurring her vision.

How could he do this?

How could he be so… so stubborn, so self-willed, right to the very end………………

Her entire body trembled violently. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth so tightly. Yet she felt nothing.

Only the man, who remained self-centered to the very end, filled her with rage. He was so infuriating she couldn't bear it.

"Miss?"

Startled by Delnia's sudden change in demeanor, Lena called out to her.

But instead of answering, Delnia abruptly pushed herself up from her seat.

"Wait, just wait here for a moment."

"Why? What is it? Miss!"

Ignoring the voice calling her, Delnia dashed off frantically. That feeling from long ago, the urge to run anywhere, anywhere at all, as if she couldn't bear it otherwise.

Something hot and fiery surged up to her throat. Simultaneously, her eyes stung as if burning with fever. A heat that even the cold winter air couldn't extinguish was boiling up from deep within her.

She couldn't understand it at all. What on earth could she call this feeling that threatened to burst her chest open at any moment? It was too deeply buried to be anger, too intensely hot to be sorrow.

Amidst the tangled mess of emotions, only one thing was certain: an intense resistance, a fierce refusal to let this happen.

Because this truly couldn't be allowed.

Roan Barthez couldn't do this to her.

"Who the hell decided………………”

Her voice, thick with ragged breaths, was damp with moisture.

First, he apologized arbitrarily, then repeatedly offered atonement she never asked for, and now suddenly it's over?

He made it impossible for her not to forgive him, and now he's going to turn around and walk away so easily?

This was cowardly. Truly, he was a cowardly man to the very end.

Did he think she would be happy about this? Did he think she could just erase his existence and live on as if nothing happened?

If he truly thought that, Roan Barthez was the biggest fool of all time.

Her desire for their separation wasn't just for herself. She believed it was the only best choice, even for his sake.

But he... how could he, until the very end...

"Ha, ha…”

Delnia, who had sprinted full speed to the bedroom, gasped for breath as if she might collapse any moment. But instead of catching her breath, she immediately began rummaging through the drawers.

She hated that man intensely for refusing to grant her one simple wish. She despised that man who made her ache so deeply, who ultimately prevented her from cutting ties.

But, but...

At that moment, her fingers, fumbling inside the drawer, finally caught hold of the object she sought.

Delnia rose without the slightest hesitation.

***

Top-secret intelligence was relayed from the Admiral, who was staying at the Imperial Palace to attend the Emperor's funeral. It was classified information that could have completely overturned the entire Orbon Command.

"Plotting a rebellion? And His Royal Highness the First Prince, no less...!"

Brigadier General Voltaire gasped repeatedly, as if he simply couldn't believe it.

According to the Admiral's report, the First Prince had planned to launch the rebellion on the final day of mourning for the late Emperor, the day before the new Emperor's coronation.

Fortunately, the plot was uncovered four days prior and the rebellion never began. But another problem emerged: evidence had surfaced that Dalos had supported the First Prince's rebellion.

"Even if the rebellion failed, Dalos likely wouldn't have cared much. Their goal was to sow chaos within the empire."

Roan calmly pinpointed Dalos's true intentions. Voltaire nodded in agreement.

"He probably planned to exploit any confusion that arose on our front lines. Those bastards are utterly treacherous."

Voltaire slammed his fist on the desk in irritation.

"Could the First Prince—no, the First Prince truly not have known something this obvious?"

"It seems more likely he knew just as well as Dalos and chose to ally with him anyway."

" To prioritize filling his own greed over the empire's future. It's a thousand times fortunate the rebellion was thwarted. We nearly handed the entire nation over to Dalos."

A cold sneer formed at the corners of Voltaire's exaggeratedly sarcastic mouth.

With the rebellion plot exposed, the future Dalos had dreamed of also vanished into thin air. The Dalos delegation attending the Emperor's funeral was immediately detained when it was revealed they had secretly conspired with the First Prince to plot the rebellion.

And all of this remained unknown to the public until now. That was precisely why it was marked top secret.

"Moving in secret must have been the Admiral's suggestion. What would have happened if those bastards had caught on?"

Voltaire shook his head vigorously, as if the very thought gave him a headache.

"Thanks to the Admiral, we've bought time. As he requested, strengthen our defenses and prepare everything so we can deploy at a moment's notice. The battle might begin the instant the Admiral arrives."

The Admiral had already departed the capital. He could arrive as early as tomorrow afternoon.

Yet, despite the urgency, Roan remained seated, not rushing out immediately.

"Why are you standing there? Is there something else you need to say?"

Voltaire raised an eyebrow, prompting Roan to finally open his heavy mouth.

"How long do you think Dalos will remain unaware?"

"What?"

Facing Voltaire, who couldn't hide his bewilderment at the unexpected question, Roan calmly continued his argument.

"Even if the envoy has been detained, they've surely planted other spies beforehand. While it might not be immediately obvious given the top-secret nature, they'll move the moment they sense something amiss."

" That may be true, but……………….”

“Moreover, the very nature of top secrecy means we cannot keep the imperial palace personnel tied down indefinitely. It’s possible that by the time the Admiral arrives in Orbon, Dalos may also have received word.”

“So you’re saying we should properly establish defensive positions.”

Voltaire retorted, sounding exasperated. But Roan did not back down.

"That alone is insufficient."

"Insufficient?"

"If both sides learn of this fact, the only outcome left is a head-on collision. That would result in significant casualties even among our own forces."

"It can't be helped. Once aboard the fleet, everyone is prepared for that."

"The loyal Brunois soldiers certainly are. But shouldn't the commander leading them seek a way to minimize casualties?"

"What you're saying is..."

Only then did Voltaire grasp what Roan meant, his eyes widening.

Roan met his gaze squarely, without flinching, and replied.

"We must strike Dalos first."