And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 29

“…Still no sign of them!?”

My voice, laden with irritation, echoed through the throne room. Midday had long since passed, yet not a single report had arrived.

“Yes, Your Majesty. We have received no word from the soldiers guarding the city gates,” the Head Chamberlain’s voice rang out quietly in the stifling room.

Something was wrong. The appointed hour was long gone. Given the agreed-upon time, Luciana’s party should have passed through the gates ages ago. I had intended to make them wait, yet here I was, the one being kept in suspense.

An unpleasant heat gathered in my head. I gripped the armrest of the throne so tightly it let out a sharp creak.

“Do they truly intend to stand me up?” I spat the words out.

“Hmph! If so, let them. It only works to our advantage.”

I felt my lips curl upward. In the world of diplomacy, nothing sours an impression quite like being late. It was a perfect opportunity to chip away at her credibility and drag her reputation through the mud.

Or so I thought, until the air shifted.

A wave of magical energy crawled up my spine, making my skin prickle. In the next heartbeat, the floor glowed with a faint light as a complex magic circle materialized.

“What…!?”

A blinding flash erupted. The sound of metal screeching against metal pierced my ears, forcing me to cover them.

Teleportation magic…!? To breach the protective barrier of this castle from the outside and manifest here? Impossible!

Of all places, several figures appeared right in the center of the throne room. Luciana, the Grand Duke, Julius, Rutherford, and a few others—it seemed the key players were all present.

As the light subsided, a woman stood there with hair that shimmered like gold thread. She wore a sleek smile and possessed dignified, golden eyes that seemed to see through everything. Luciana.

“I hope we haven’t kept you waiting?”

Luciana smiled like the lead actress of a play. With every step she took, the air seemed to ripple and push outward, causing the soldiers to instinctively retreat.

Behind her stood her maid, Anne. I was reminded of that abnormal speed and the unreasonably forceful teleportation she had used to send Luciana back once before. This time as well she was indeed a mage of considerable power. A cold sweat broke out down my back.

Struggling to keep my expression neutral, I leaned back slowly into the throne.

“—No, you are precisely on time,” I declared calmly, gesturing toward the prepared chairs.

The atmosphere in the throne room was heavy, yet Luciana remained composed, acting as if this place were her own territory.

“First, I demand the release of the Crown Prince,” I began.

Luciana stole a glance at the Prince behind her, then let a smile play on her lips as she arched a brow.

“I don’t mind. He’s nothing but an idle mouth to feed and serves no purpose. I’ll hand him over with no strings attached.”

Instantly, a murmur ran through the room. She spoke as if tossing aside a toy she no longer wanted. The Crown Prince, freed of his bindings, rushed toward me, unable to contain himself.

“Father, I—!”

“Silence! Hold your tongue!”

My roar sliced through the room. The Prince’s face contorted, a mixture of resentment and shame washing over him. I addressed him with icy disdain.

“You will sit there and say nothing.”

The Prince bit his lip, lowered his head, and retreated to Sara’s side.

…That fool. Exposing the nation to such shame. Luciana’s eyes narrowed with amusement.

“As for the Crown Prince’s actions, I shall offer my own apologies,” I said. “It seems his education was flawed.”

At those words, the Prince surged to his feet, knocking his chair back. However, the Prime Minister moved behind him and firmly pressed a hand onto his shoulder.

In the center of the room, gazes and silence locked.

“However,” I continued, “even as retaliation, kidnapping the common folk is a bridge too far. You have overstepped, Luciana. I protest this in the strongest possible terms.”

Luciana gave a casual shrug.

“My, the people came to our nation of their own free will. —Gareth, the documents.”

At her light signal, the knight behind her stepped forward. He gave a respectful bow and presented a roll of papers bound with a thin ribbon. Each page was inscribed with a name.

“What is this?”

“Signatures of those who wish to become citizens of our country.”

“Don’t make me laugh. Literacy among the commoners is low. Many cannot even sign their own names.”

When I spat the sarcasm, Luciana only smiled more serenely.

“For those who cannot write, we provided scribes.”

You can claim anything…!

“I have no way of knowing if such things are genuine. Return the people at once. I refuse to believe it until I have heard it with my own ears and seen it with my own eyes. Furthermore, Sara tells me that you spoke a ‘curse’ over them.”

I turned my gaze toward Sara.

“Yes, it’s true!” Sara cried. “She used terrifying words to strip the people of their consciousness and lead them into the magic circles while they were unaware…!”

At her shout, the vassals erupted in an uproar.

“How horrific…”

“To use the power of the Goddess for such a thing—!”

“Divine punishment will fall upon her!”

The air buzzed with mounting indignation. Yet Luciana, at the center of the storm, did not lose a fragment of her smile.

“Lady Luciana, surely you threatened them into signing those papers, too?” Sara continued, her voice dripping with pity. “Oh! I can almost hear the laments of those who love the Goddess. They must be being treated so poorly.”

“That is not the case. I am a witness to it.”

The voice came from the man standing beside Luciana—a familiar face. My blood ran cold. It was the former Knight Commander of our kingdom. The wretch he had defected.

“You… you were the Knight Commander of this country, were you not?”

“I was. And I can tell you, both I and the soldiers are living human lives now. We want for nothing.”

“Liar! I was thrown into a cell!” the Crown Prince screamed.

Sara hurried to soothe the Prince, then turned to the Knight Commander with a look of feigned concern.

“Knight Commander… you are being threatened, aren’t you? It’s alright, you don’t have to lie.”

However, the Commander simply shook his head. “No. It is the truth.”

“Oh, Lady Luciana,” Sara sighed, turning back to her. “You must have placed a suggestion on this man. Using the Goddess’s power to make him spit out falsehoods that suit you. As a fellow Apostle of the Goddess, I am ashamed of you.”

At Sara’s words, Luciana let out a sudden, sharp laugh.