I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 111

…Pity?

Natasha blinked, unable to understand what he meant.

Then his voice, slightly more rigid than before, followed up with more.

“Natasha, that day you told me something. You said maybe the reason I loved you wasn’t real love, but guilt.”

With that single sentence, Natasha came face to face with something she had pushed deep down. He was referring to something she had once said, long ago, when she hadn’t known the full truth and had spoken carelessly.

“So this is your way of throwing my old words back at me? Because I said that, you think it’s fine to talk to me like this now? Acting like what I feel for you is just guilt?”

Her voice trembled with frustration and emotion.

Sieghart’s lips moved slightly, as if he was going to explain. But for some reason, he hesitated. He stayed silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Yes.”

A single word that held the weight of everything she feared.

“That’s not true.”

She had once felt sorry for his past. That much was true. And she regretted what she had said back then, just as he regretted some of his own words.

But that wasn’t why she had begun imagining a future with him. Learning about his past might have softened her anger, but it wasn’t what had sparked her new feelings.

And Sieghart Aschart, of all people, should have understood that.

Then why…

“That’s what scares me.”

“…”

“I’m afraid that if you stay by my side, it will only bring you pain.”

“…”

“Even if you say it’s fine, even if you accept that pain, what if living with me traps you in constant suffering? What if I end up dragging you down forever?”

Why couldn’t he see her feelings for what they truly were? Why did he see them as something dangerous or painful?

Natasha had never truly stopped to examine what she felt for him. She knew it was something different, something new. But she hadn’t tried to name it or define it.

“That’s a lie.”

And now, because of him, she had to face it.

“You told me to stay with you, even though you dragged me into hell, into ruin, into the frozen wasteland.”

No. The truth was, she had always known what it was. She had just chosen to ignore it.

“You said you’d give me anything I wanted, as long as I stayed.”

Natasha stepped forward and took his wrist, pulling him closer.

He didn’t resist. Even though he was far stronger than she was, he allowed himself to be drawn in. His body was stiff, his movements still, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

“Then wait for me.”

A man who was weak with others but strong in front of Natasha Aschart.

A man who was strong with others but weak in front of Natasha Aschart.

“If our mission succeeds tonight, I’ll tell you the name of the feeling I’ve discovered.”

“…”

“So, wait for me, Enoch Callete.”

For the first time, Natasha found the courage to face the man she loved.

It was the middle of the night.

Behind the Aschart estate, something large began to shift in the shadows. It wasn’t a single thing. It was a crowd, all dressed in the same uniform.

At the center of the group, the man leading them removed his cloak.

He drew his sword and planted it firmly into the ground.

“The final hour is here.”

At his words, the knights straightened. Their hands gripped their swords tightly.

“There is only one goal.”

“…”

“The fall of Kail Letius.”

His voice split the air with power.

Kail Letius. Supreme ruler of the Letius Empire. The sun in the sky.

Despite how dangerous the words were, none of the knights showed fear. Their eyes only burned brighter, filled with unwavering resolve.

“The plan hasn’t changed.”

Sieghart pointed to the large board behind him.

A detailed map of the palace was pinned to it. Two red X marks and one blue O mark were drawn on top.

“At X-1, I’ll lead the troops from the Duchy of Kshant. At X-2, the shadows of Galonde and the soldiers of Charlier will be deployed.”

His gloved hand moved across the board. Their final destination was marked by the O.

“The goal of X-2 is here. It’s the exit of the secret chamber. For us, it will be the entrance. It connects directly to the Emperor’s private quarters.”

Sieghart turned his head. At the edge of his vision stood a small figure.

Natasha Aschart.

They exchanged a glance. She gave him a look of quiet strength.

Then he turned back.

“And the goal of X-1 is—”

The commander trailed off.

The knights behind him seemed to know what was coming, and one by one, they swallowed nervously. Even though it was a plan they had already reviewed, the weight of it made their hearts tense.

“The center of the Imperial Palace. Our mission is to block the royal knights from reaching the Emperor’s chambers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Sieghart placed the helmet tucked under his arm onto his head. The intense expression on his face disappeared beneath the steel.

He drew the sword he had planted in the ground and slid it back into its sheath. Then he turned toward the gathered knights.

“To reclaim our lost glory.”

“To reclaim our lost glory.”

Then he called out again.

“We advance.”

“We advance.”

The knights answered in unison.

It was the signal for battle.

“We move out.”

X-2, the unit heading for Kail Letius’s bedchamber.

At the very front, Sir Dante motioned forward with his hand.

A vast field stretched out before them.

Even if the night was dark and the royal guards were lighter than usual, they could not simply storm the palace head-on. That would be foolish.

Their plan was to approach as quietly as possible, keeping themselves out of sight.

At Sir Dante’s signal, the knights crouched low. Then they secured the mouths of their horses to keep them silent.

Sir Dante, already crouched himself, glanced to the side. The person standing next to him didn’t need a reminder. Natasha was already lowered, calm and focused.

“We’re moving in,” he whispered.

Natasha nodded and stepped forward with him.

Originally, she had been assigned to X-1, the group led by Sieghart.

“No. I’ll go with Sir Dante.”

“Natasha…”

“In a situation like this, each team should have someone in charge to manage any unforeseen problems. With little to no communication between us, it would be wasteful to send two leaders to one group.”

Her argument had been clear. In the end, her logic won out, and they were split into separate teams.

But more than anything, there was something she absolutely had to do. That was why she had to be with X-2.

So now, she moved together with Sir Dante, the royal knights of Charlier, and the shadows from Galonde.

They stepped carefully, slowly shrinking the distance to the palace.

The night was quiet, but her heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears. She had tried to stay calm, but there was no denying the tension of real battle.

She let out a steady breath, releasing some of the anxiety building up inside her.

After about fifteen minutes, they began to see the edge of the tall grain fields.

Sir Dante raised a hand to the group behind him. The signal was clear. The knights came to a quiet halt.

“We’ll go ahead first.”

Just past the end of the field was a path leading to the palace’s rear gate.

Even with caution, moving the entire group at once would draw attention. So a team of ten, including Sir Dante and Natasha, went ahead to scout the gate.

When they arrived, they crouched behind a large tree and observed the enemy.

Two guards stood watch at the rear entrance.

They looked exhausted, letting out yawn after yawn with sunken faces.

“I’m dying out here.”

“Of all days to pull guard duty, why today?”

With the festival just a day away, training had gone late into the night. On top of that, being forced to stay on guard duty was draining them completely.

They blinked slowly, struggling to keep their heavy eyelids open. On a normal day, these two would have been more alert, but not tonight.

Sir Dante returned to his position and pulled a small vial from his bag. He coated two arrowheads with the liquid inside and nocked the arrows silently.

Then, without warning, the arrows flew.

The guards didn’t even have time to react before both collapsed to the ground.

“Their mouths are paralyzed, so they won’t be able to scream.”

The poison on the arrows was fast-acting. As soon as it entered the bloodstream, it paralyzed the body and silenced the voice.

Just as he said, the guards went down without a sound. Judging by the pale blue tint to their faces, they weren’t going to wake up anytime soon.

Natasha met Sir Dante’s eyes. He gave her a satisfied smile and nodded.

It was time to move in.

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