Chapter 27: There is no paradise where a traitor arrives. (End)

The outer perimeter of the mansion, where deep darkness had settled.

The guards stationed at regular intervals patrolled the area, keeping a vigilant eye out for even the slightest sound, all in order to protect the many nobles and the king gathered in the Duke Rosel mansion.

At the small watchtowers installed at each of the four corners of the mansion, archers were positioned, pulling back their bowstrings lightly, ever ready to eliminate any threat.

Whoosh.

From the northern entrance of the mansion, where the tight security boasted, a whistling sound echoed.

Though it was already late in the evening, when even the insects had fallen asleep, the watchman at the tower caught sight of something.

A figure cloaked in a tattered hood that concealed their face, and with a long, hooded cloak that hid even their hands, was approaching the northern entrance of the mansion.

The appearance was suspicious at first glance, and the watchman pulled his bowstring to the limit, aiming at the figure, which he assumed to be a man due to his sturdy build and confident gait, inferred from the limited visible features.

The whistling sound from the tower, and the direction of the arrow’s tip, caused the nearby guards to raise their spears, and as the figure drew near, they called out.

“Stop and raise your hands.”

The mysterious figure, who had been walking in a clumsy manner, stopped abruptly and showed no sign of resistance.

Two guards, holding their sharp spears at the ready, approached the figure.

“Take off your hood and reveal your identity.”

“…Isn’t this a bit too unwelcoming?”

From beneath the shadow of the hood, the figure’s lips moved.

The tone, somewhat carefree, made the guards hold their tension, not letting their guard down.

“Stop talking nonsense and take off the hood. And state your identity.”

“…Tch. I was just trying to put on a little more weight in this, but I guess it didn’t work out.”

The figure’s voice, with a clicking tongue, was unmistakably male.

Though the tone was a little flippant, the air he exuded was anything but.

Because of this, even the battle-hardened guards couldn’t afford to relax.

Despite standing comfortably, there was an inexplicable sense of pressure radiating from him.

“Hurry up! If you make any foolish moves, I’ll pierce you right through!”

“…Why are you being so harsh as if I’m some noble lord?”

The figure muttered, almost complaining, and without any resistance, removed his hood.

Under the yellow moonlight, his reddish hair, subdued by the hood, glimmered, and his eyes, now revealed, gleamed with a contrasting blue light.

He was clearly of striking appearance.

Much like his bold speech, his looks were handsome, and one of the guards, tilting his head, asked:

“Are we familiar? You seem to be someone I’ve seen before.”

“Haha, I guess I’m just so good-looking that it’s hard to forget my face. But, sir knight, your looks are rather average, so I’m afraid I don’t recognize you.”

His tone sounded of a lower-class origin, but his noble appearance felt at odds with it, which gave the guard an unsettling feeling.

…It was certainly not that his plain looks were unpleasant.

“State your purpose for being here.”

Despite the hostile hooded figure, the guard’s tone now carried respect, as the figure had revealed his identity.

The figure reached into the hood’s inner pocket, and as the two guards took a step closer, they silently warned him.

If he made any wrong moves, he would feel the steel.

However, the figure smiled calmly, and then took out a seal and a scroll.

“Whoa, whoa. Please calm down. I’m just here to meet Duke Rosel.”

“…At this hour?”

The figure shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, read this. Everything is written here.”

The guard took the scroll and unbound the string, reading its contents.

It was an official visiting order, sealed by Duke Rosel.

“Show me your identity badge.”

“Here.”

The figure handed over his identity badge.

It was a wooden badge stamped with the seal of the territory’s identity verification office, marked with intricate patterns to prevent counterfeiting.

The guard compared it carefully with the badge he held, and after confirming it, returned the badge.

Once the identity badge was revealed, anyone attempting to forge it would face severe punishment, so there was no reason to fake it.

“Seems like there’s no problem. Is your name Delzera Raspon?”

“As written.”

“Thanks for your cooperation. I’ll open the door, but I’m not sure if Duke Rosel will be awake at this hour.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m here because I have the Duke Rosel’s guest invitation.”

At the words of the man named Raspon, the guard tilted his head and glanced at the Duke Rosel’s bedroom window.

Through the curtains, there seemed to be a faint light, but if there was an invitation, the Duke wouldn’t be asleep.

Moreover, if the invitation had been issued, it meant the visitor was of significant importance, and even if the Duke was resting, the guest would have to be safely escorted.

The guard, who had closed the window, turned to another guard standing by the wall near the front gate.

“Rego! Take this person to Duke Rosel, together with Lanches.”

“Yes!”

And so, the bold man named Raspon stepped beyond the gates of the Rosel mansion and into the garden.

It had been 68 days since his last step on the Rosel territory.

As Raspon entered the mansion, the guard, who had locked the iron gate, tilted his head and spoke to his companion.

“Hmm, doesn’t that person look like someone we know?”

“Who?”

“You know, the time when we were called by the king’s guard, and we witnessed the demon king subjugation ceremony. The porter following behind looked very similar.”

“Ah, the porter who disappeared the day before the return, right?”

There was a rumor that the porter, part of the hero party, had gone missing just one day before their arrival in the capital.

The word “missing” had been used, as it carried a sense of delusion and negative connotation.

And afterward, Emilia fell, and the royal family concluded that the porter—who might have known the details—had disappeared.

Of course, there had been secret orders given to kill the porter by Biela, Daltan, and Gleon.

The guard tilted his head again.

“Yes, yes, it really did look like him.”

“But the name’s different, isn’t it? You must have mistaken him for someone else, since it’s an official identity badge.”

“Hmm… Maybe. How strange. But back then, he had white hair.”

“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s focus on our watch. The shift change will be soon.”

“Yes, yes, it was probably just someone who looks similar.”

The two guards, having discarded the trivial question, turned their focus back to their duties, eagerly awaiting the shift change.

“…W-what are you talking about? The ugly truth? That only applies to Emilia, doesn’t it?”

Biela, attempting to hide her confusion, forced a smile.

As a noblewoman, she had survived the cutthroat social games and scheming in the harsh world of aristocracy.

But now, the schemes and tricks she had endured felt like child’s play compared to the pressure she was facing from Rosel’s gaze.

Her forced smile froze, and the corner of her eyes trembled slightly.

Her once straight posture stiffened as though reinforced with iron, and her breathing, now erratic, came in shallow, uneven gasps.

Rosel stood up with a mocking smile.

At his casual rise, Biela flinched, her neck tightening as if it were about to snap.

But she pretended to remain composed, lifting the teacup before her and taking a sip.

“…P-please, that’s a joke, Duke. Why would we, companions who’ve shared life and death, want to harm each other?”

Rosel, hands behind his back, walked over to the window.

The pale moonlight softly illuminated the garden outside.

Looking out at the beautiful garden, Rosel spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll ask you one last time. All the truth is in my hands, so don’t resist. Lady Biela.”

But even as his words were softly spoken, there were countless barbs hidden within them.

It was as if those thorns were right before her, digging into her very being.

The hand holding the teacup began to shake uncontrollably, and eventually, Biela had no choice but to put it down.

And then, she decided to make her final move on this chessboard.

No, she decided to flip the chessboard entirely.

“…You’ve really gone too far. I’ll take my leave now, Duke.”

With her brows furrowed in displeasure, she resolved to escape from the rising fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

For now.

“Sit down. My question is not finished.”

But regrettably, Rosel did not permit her to escape.

Biela, who had stood up, looked at the door to the office.

Though only a few minutes had passed, the air felt suffocating.

The overwhelming pressure in the room, emanating from Rosel, made her feel as though she might be crushed under it.

Yet, the office door felt distant, strangely so.

In fact, it seemed to be growing farther away with each passing second.

“D-Did I have to sit if you told me to, Duke? That’s rude of you…!”

“Haha, rude? How absurd.”

“W-What’s so funny…?”

Rosel turned his head stiffly, like a puppet, and looked at Biela.

His eyes, bathed in the moonlight, emitted a chilling glow.

“A rude person being upset about their own rudeness… How could I not laugh at that?”

“R-rude person…? Why are you suddenly doing this…?! Why are you accusing me of something, as if I’ve done something wrong…?! You don’t mean to call me a s*ave, do you?”

“Are you saying this because I said something to you…!?”

Cornered, Biela raised her voice.

67 days ago.

Like Emilia, who had vented her grievances at the royal court.

Biela was now raising her voice at the sudden treatment as a criminal.

And, she was doing it to the person she had feelings for.

Rosel had never been overly friendly toward her, but he hadn’t been cruel either.

Occasionally, the words and glances he left seemed to leave room for something more, and Biela had held on to them, unable to let go.

That’s why, now, the sense of betrayal was digging into her heart.

Was this what it meant to dream of a future with a dance partner at a social gathering?

No, why was this suddenly happening, and why did she have to feel fear from him?

She couldn’t make sense of it. Biela felt as if she were trapped in an abyss.

Like a fish caught in a net, she felt that without Rosel’s permission, she couldn’t even exhale.

All she could do was scream, just like Emilia had done that day at the royal court.

Of course, it was a childish outburst compared to Emilia’s “sublime tears.”

“How could you…! You knew I had feelings for you, and yet you smiled at a s*ave like that! And now, you’re calling me a trash that wants to kill my companions?!”

“…Are you so stupid that you don’t understand what the word ‘slander’ means? I’m not slandering you; I’m just speaking the truth.”

Biela’s eyes welled up with tears.

Just as Emilia had wept in betrayal that day at the royal court,

Biela too began to cry.

Of course, her tears were not “noble tears,” but the miserable tears of a traitor.

Rosel looked at her with disdain.

He had once considered offering a sincere chance, just as he had done with Sregon, because after all, Biela had contributed to saving the kingdom.

Yet, she hadn’t even been given a chance, and now, like an immature girl, she was shouting and rushing headlong into her own downfall.

It was pathetic beyond belief.

“…The audacity. I didn’t think you’d be this much of an idiot.”

Idiot…?! Ha! I’ll leave now! I’ll tell my father, and at dawn, I’ll leave immediately, so you’ll know! And as for today’s insult…

“You’ll have to take responsibility for that!”

“Pull yourself together. Insults are a noble emotion, one that only those with honor can feel. But… don’t you have any honor?”

Rosel’s harsh words, twisting and prodding at her, left Biela speechless.

It was as though he was ripping apart the ugliness hidden in her heart and exposing it.

And Rosel’s gaze, as if seeing through everything, was something she could not bear.

Finally, Biela, choking with anger, turned toward the office door.

All she could do was throw a tantrum.

It was pathetic, humiliating, and disgraceful.

What kind of treatment was this for a hero who saved the kingdom? It was as if they were denying her very existence.

Determined to show her sorrow as a woman, Biela flung open the office door…

“Ah? Lady? Long time no see? I didn’t expect to run into you like this. Haha.”

For a moment, Biela froze in confusion as a man stood like a doorman beyond the open door.

Was this a dream?

Ah, yes.

This was a terrible nightmare.

Otherwise, this situation made no sense.

“Haha, what’s wrong? It seems you’re very happy to see me?”

The man stepped inside the office, closing the door behind him, and Biela staggered back, trembling as though she had encountered a ghost.

Only a faint, incoherent mumble escaped her lips.

“Ah… Ahhh…”

“Oh dear, it seems you’re so happy to see me that you can’t even greet me. I didn’t expect you to be this glad to see me. It seems we’ve grown quite fond of each other, haha. May I hug you, Duke Rosel?”

He smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Rosel, and naturally, Biela’s gaze followed.

And then,

As Rosel nodded at him, the man immediately embraced Biela.

In his arms… Biela screamed.

The man was none other than Lapellon, the porter from the hero party, the one she had been desperately searching for.

Of course, now he was known as [Delzera Raspon], having been given a new name by his benevolent lord.

“…Aaaah!!”

The scream, so beautiful in its agony, echoed throughout the office.