Lilian of Turin

Damian remembered Lilian.

The parts of her neck, including her docile drooping eyes, were straight and neat.

Her dark blue hair, white face, and blue eyes were clean and clear.

She wasn’t a gorgeous beauty that could take away attention at a glance. On the contrary, Damian had the terrible beauty that captivated people.

But for Lilian…

[I don’t know.]

There was a determination not to be seduced by that terribly beautiful man.

[But there’s nothing else I would like to ask of you.]

On the contrary, such a resolution lit a fire in Damian’s heart.

Then Damian realised. This woman is not tempted.

Rather, it was he who was being tempted.

Lilian had no idea what effect she had on Damian.

The more he thought about it, the more he thought it was ridiculous, yet subtly cute.

If you can, please do it.

You. Lilian was sincere when she said it’s fine even if he can’t do it.

Damian let out a sweet sigh, his stomach boiling strangely just at the thought.

‘Aa…’

He can do it. He wanted to surprise her. He wanted to see her happy face. He wanted to ask for praise.

Damian was so impatient that he even thought he was crazy for a moment, and he was a little stumped at this self-reflection.

Did dear Idoel ever imagine that his brother would become like this?

“Brother, I’m strange.”

His brother told him not to go crazy, but now he might be half-crazy…

His heart felt like it was twisting, and his whole body, from the tip of his toes to his stomach, felt like it was tickling. It was strange, beautiful, complicated and dizzy.

Covering the wave of intense emotions, Damian covered his face with his bare hands. Then he ran his hand through his loose hair.

The exposed purple eyes shone a little more clearly than before.

‘For now, let’s do what needs to be done at this moment.’

Fortunately, Lily’s request was not difficult.

Destruction was, in fact, his specialty.

People say that relics from the Magic Era were rarely destroyed, but well.

Damian Rupenwein here was a person who had a history of destroying relics since he was born.

***

About an hour before that.

The loyal Dunkel rode ahead of the entourage and reached Turin’s mainland first.

There’s no way he would just go out like that, but the Imperial family could have raised an army to follow them.

‘It’s unlikely, but…!’

Yes, it’s unlikely that the situation will deteriorate to that extreme.

In addition, Damian Rupenwein’s soldiers joined the escort. Thanks to that, Lady Lily was safe.

But he wasn’t the one to judge it.

‘Tell the news to the family head as soon as possible so that the family head can judge!’

From the moment they started confronting the imperial family, the soldiers of Turin were always aware of the dangers of the magic tunnel.

Dunkel also used to wake up with goosebumps whenever he thought of this tunnel.

It was the knife that pierced Turin’s heart or the poison that penetrated its bone marrow.

‘As soon as possible!’

Dunkel gritted his teeth and whipped the horse desperately. Thanks to this, Cedric was able to receive the news much sooner than expected.

As soon as he heard the report of the loyal knight who broke into the office, the head of Islar jumped out of his seat and stood up. Then he called out like thunder.

“Allen!”

“Yes, lord.”

“Give me my sword.”

Cedric’s magic sharpened around his body like an intangible sword. People swallowed their saliva all at once at the eerie sensation.

Regardless, the situation around him was no longer in Cedric’s mind. As soon as he received the sword, he stormed out of his office. Allen ordered Dunkel instead.

“Follow quickly!”

“Yes!”

Dunkel’s body was covered with sweat, but Dunkel loyally rose from his seat immediately.

While Cedric fled the castle with terrifying momentum, Allen summoned the knights from behind to build up their forces.

Cedric never stopped, but when he rode out of the castle with minimal armament and mounted a horse in the courtyard of the outer castle, the available forces were already in line and waiting for their lord.

For more than 7 years since the death of the former head couple, Turin Castle has been in a state of quasi-war throughout.

Since everyone had war in mind, the response was exceptionally quick.

Hihihi!

Cedric gave the command, pulling the reins hard.

“Depart.”

“Loyalty!”

Leading the murderous knights, Cedric ran in the lead. At this moment, only one word dominated his mind.

‘Lilian.’

His younger sister.

He sent her with his own hand.

Even knowing that the situation was unstable.

Even knowing how his father died.

He dared to assume that Lilian would not be in danger. He was reassured.

‘Because she’s not important.’

And Claude Rupenwein, who was worse than a stray dog, even if he couldn’t expect mercy from that madman, he at least thought that he wouldn’t do something stupid like tearing open the belly of the goose that lays the golden eggs!

‘First, he killed Islar’s head, my father… now the Great Feudal Lord of Hemenlinna is dead!’

Cedric thought Claude would be content with that for the time being and be quiet, how stupid!

Cedric severely blamed himself. He wanted to punish himself for overlooking Lily’s importance, but he managed to hold it in because if he did, he would not be able to go rescue Lilian.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Cedric’s fault that the Emperor imprisoned Damian in Cantacun and Lily stumbled upon the escaped Damian.

In addition, there was little possibility that the Emperor, who was in a politically delicate position, would try to invade Turin by force.

However, Cedric, who was threatened by the possible backlash, had no coolheadedness to think rationally at the moment.

Cedric continued to run without hiding his menacing spirit. He and his men quickly reached the front of the tunnel, an hour’s drive from Turin’s outskirts. It took only half of the usual time.

The tunnel was located in a part of the mountain surrounding Turin.

Moss grew where complex magical symbols were embossed, but the power of magic within them remained undiminished.

It was a little far away form him.

‘Lily’s carriage!’

As if the knight who had noticed Cedric’s arrival had warned her in advance, Lilian had just opened the door and was being helped out of the carriage.

‘Alive.’

Remorse, anger, and hatred were swept away in an instant by a sense of relief bursting from the depths of his heart.

Cedric almost strangled the galloping horse as he hurriedly stopped it. It was something he would never normally do.

“Brother!”

Lilian screamed at the near-acrobatic braking of the horse, but Cedric got off safely. And he approached his sister at once.

“You…!”

There was no time to think of anything else.

He forgot for a second that Lilian’s body was weak, so what kind of mind was he in?

Cedric simply squeezed the living body of his sister into his arms.

“You’re alive.”

Thank god. Fortunately, she is.

Lilian blinked for a moment, only slightly poking her eyes over her brother’s shoulder who held her breathlessly. Cedric’s reaction was strange, because, for her part, except for a slight discomfort, she had made her journey very safely and accomplished her pupose.

It’s strange…

‘Ah.’

She slowly came to understand.

Cedric’s shoulders trembled slightly. At that moment, Lilian felt sorry for her brother.

If she had known in advance that her brother would react this way, she would not have been able to honestly tell him her real purpose for going to Cantacun.

‘It’s too unbelieveble to explain the circumstances.’

Even if Cedric believed him, he would never allow Lily to get involved in something that could be dangerous.

‘Yeah, I had no choice but to do this. I’m right.’

But she’s also sorry. She felt so sorry since she hadn’t expected Cedric would worry this much and that he would freak out like this.

She had nothing to say. Lilian simply hugged her brother by the shoulders.

“Brother.”

“Lily.”

“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt anywhere.”

“Yes…”

Cedric swallowed in a trembling voice.

“I’m glad.”

Right then.

They felt a rumble and an unusual jolt of magical power.

“!”

Cedric, who was soaked in relief at finding his sister, suddenly raised his head.

“My Lord!”

The magical power of the magic tunnel was fluctuating. Not only that, but the faint sound of something collapsing was heard.