TOPWL 232

“I’ll explain everything, Billian.”

Darham spoke while pushing in the twelfth key.

“There isn’t time, so do it quickly.”

“Don’t rush me.”

Darham got annoyed by Khalid’s words. Billian, not used to seeing him like that, looked awkward but still asked,

“Darham, did you set the central hall on fire yesterday?”

Darham, who was trying the fourteenth key, nodded.

“I didn’t do it directly, but I did give the order.”

“I knew it. It was too professional, so I thought something was wrong. Where are your guards?”

“They’re, um, outside.”

“That’s a lie.”

Billian immediately caught the hesitation. Darham scrunched his nose in embarrassment.

“Tell me everything. I need to know the situation so I can decide what to do.”

“He threw away his throne and ran here to rescue the young lady. He’s quite the romantic.”

“You…!”

“Darham, is that true?”

Darham, who had been glaring at Khalid, wilted under Billian’s question.

At that moment the stuck key turned. The cell door opened, and the captives rushed out. Khalid cut their ropes himself. While they rubbed their numb wrists, Billian grabbed Darham by the collar and shook him.

“Tell me everything.”

“Let’s get out of here first.”

“I’m not leaving until I get answers.”

Billian’s stubbornness made Darham glare at Khalid. Khalid only shrugged like he knew nothing.

In the end Darham briefly explained what had happened: he’d been preparing to hand over the throne when he heard Billian had been captured by the lord. He’d dropped everything and headed to the Calmor territory, shaking off his guards along the way, gathered a revolutionary force, and prepared Billian’s escape.

“If it hadn’t rained yesterday, we would’ve gotten you out safely.”

Darham brushed Billian’s dried lips with regret.

“I’m fine. I drank a lot thanks to all that rain anyway. But how did you end up with an imperial citizen?”

“That’s, well, it kind of happened…”

“He’s Duke Khalid. When he heard this prince ran to Calmor, he thought he might take him hostage but decided negotiations would work better, so he agreed to help for a bit.”

“Why do you say things like that…! Billian, I can explain. What happened was…”

“No, I understand. You came all the way to Calmor alone without a single guard because of me.”

“No, it wasn’t because of you. You said I was your life. I did it for myself.”

Darham shook his head. Edmond and Garen shivered at the sugar-sweet line.

Billian turned a cold gaze on the traveling troupe she’d spoken kindly to earlier.

“So you’re spies.”

“Something like that.”

Bagon shrugged.

Billian took a long breath, seemingly organizing her thoughts. After three breaths she opened her eyes.

“What’s the plan now?”

“Hm?”

“I mean the plan after getting me out.”

“Ah, we’ll hurry and join the Waterdrops. They’re already waiting outside. Then we’ll try negotiating with the lord.”

“No. We can’t let the lord negotiate.”

Billian spoke decisively. Darham blinked in confusion.

“More than half the people in Calmor are addicted to the drug already. Do you think someone who treats his people like disposable tools deserves to represent them?”

“But then who would negotiate…”

“The lord has a son.”

“He’s an even worse mess.”

“But at least he didn’t force drugs on the people and use them.”

Darham frowned and fell into thought.

“No need to make it complicated.”

Khalid intervened.

“If the revolutionary army puts a knife in the lord’s back, then he becomes the new lord. And since the future king is right here too, we can hold the appointment ceremony right away.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Of course not. You have to kill someone. Young lady, have you killed before?”

Billian hesitated, then nodded.

“Then it’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To the lord’s room. Do I have to explain every single step? I’ll go first, so follow on your own.”

Khalid walked ahead irritably. Bagon and Shane quickly followed him. Billian and Darham looked at each other, then climbed the stairs.

***

The door burst open, and Yudit lifted his head. Familiar faces stood there: Khalid, Shane, Bagon, Edmond, Garen, Billian, and an unknown man.

Yudit didn’t show it, but he’d been anxious. He embraced Khalid, which made Edmond flinch as he stared at the two. Khalid let out a hearty laugh, held Yudit in return, and patted his back.

When they stepped apart, the others were watching with complicated expressions. In the bright light, Billian’s swollen cheek was also visible.

“Billian, your body…”

“I’m fine.”

When Yudit stepped closer, Billian took a step back.

From that small distance, Yudit understood that Billian knew who they really were. It was natural that she reacted like that.

“Thank you for helping me earlier.”

“Forget it. I didn’t even manage to stop anything.”

Not only that, Billian had tried to become the lord’s sacrifice in Yudit’s place because Yudit was pregnant.

Yudit had spilled the blood of many citizens of the Gotha Kingdom with his own hands.

He thought Billian’s cold attitude toward him was understandable, but it still hurt a little.

“You did this?”

“Together.”

While checking the lord’s tightly bound body, Billian noticed the front of the lord’s trousers was wet.

Crimson blood had seeped into the carpet underneath.

“You ruptured it?”

“Yes.”

“Good job.”

After saying that, Billian slapped the lord’s cheek. But the lord didn’t wake, maybe from the shock. Billian took the flowers out of a nearby vase and turned the vase upside down.

The yellowish water poured directly onto the lord’s face.

“Urghb….”

The lord groaned as he came to his senses. His vision was blurry, and he blinked repeatedly until his eyes opened.

“You, you people…!”

“It’s been a while, My Lord.”

Darham flicked his hand. The lord looked around in fear. His expression turned into one of despair when he realized he had no allies.

Then Billian stepped on the lord’s chest. The lord choked from her weight and struggled for breath.

Billian wore the most murderous expression Yudit had ever seen on her.

“Listen carefully. I’m going to kill you.”

“Guhk…”

“You fed drugs to the people you were supposed to protect, worked them without paying a single coin, then threw them away like trash. You threw hundreds of parties for nobles, yet gave nothing to the people who lost their jobs and became disabled because of you. You brought all of this on yourself.”

Billian bent a knee and pressed an ice-pick-sharp dagger to the lord’s neck. The lord couldn’t even breathe properly, tears running down his face.

“P, please… spare…”

“You killed thousands and you still want to live? I can’t understand that.”

Billian’s voice was cold.

“Outside the door there are revolutionaries everywhere. You don’t even need me to dirty my hands, because the moment you step out, you’ll die in seven steps.”

Billian lied without blinking.

There were revolutionaries outside the castle, but none behind the door.

The reason no soldiers were nearby was because Khalid and Darham had already taken care of them, and because the lord had dismissed them so he could spend time alone with Yudit.

It was his own fault.

“Ughh…”

“You still want to cling to that filthy life?”

At Billian’s words, a strange flashed in the lord’s eyes.

“I… I want to live.”

“You’ll use honorifics. Don’t speak to me like that.”

Darham kicked the lord in the side. The lord wheezed and coughed.

“In that case, you’ll write a pledge donating all your wealth to the territory.”

“……”

“Guess you’d rather die.”

When the lord remained silent, Billian pressed the dagger closer. The sharp point cut into the lord’s skin and drew blood.

Feeling something warm running down his neck, the lord screamed in panic.

“I’ll, I’ll write it! I’ll write it!”

“You better not try anything stupid.”

The lord shook his head while tears streamed down his face. Then Billian lifted the dagger from his neck. Darham wasted no time placing paper and pen on the desk.