I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 114

The pounding fists and the shouts of pain from behind the sealed door carried the knights’ concern for her. Their voices, filled with worry, began to shake Natasha’s firm resolve.

But she couldn’t stop now.

If she did, she knew the future waiting for them would be horrifying.

She kept pressing down with all her strength. Eventually, the resistance she had felt began to fade. Then it was gone completely.

Natasha slowly took her hands off the floor and stood up, watching carefully.

The door wasn’t being held shut anymore, but it didn’t move.

Her power had worked again.

Letting out a breath of relief, she looked down. Her still gaze brought a deep silence, and in that quiet, the natural sounds around her suddenly became louder.

Her heartbeat was strong and clear in her ears. Her body had tensed without her realizing. It was the pressure of facing a mission this large all by herself.

And it made sense. A task that had called for thirty knights was now in her hands alone.

This is the right thing to do.

There was no regret. If anything, she felt even more sure that she had made the right decision.

When Natasha had first touched the entrance to the underground passage, she had known instantly.

It’s not locked.

If it wasn’t possible to use the exit from the inside, then the entrance shouldn’t have opened either. But the door that should have been shut tight was wide open.

She couldn’t just brush it off as a small mistake. Too many things felt wrong.

There was no way a secret passage connected to the emperor’s safety would be left this unprotected.

Even if palace security had weakened during the festival preparations, there had been no reason to interfere with such a passage.

As she continued investigating the inside, Natasha found the final proof.

The secret door was supposed to be hidden behind a bookshelf. That meant no one should be able to see into the room from the passage.

That is, if nothing had been tampered with.

But the room beyond was clearly visible. That meant the mechanism that hid the passage had been removed.

Now, the truth was clear.

The secret passage, known only to the emperor and a few trusted individuals, had been left wide open.

And that was exactly the trap Sir Dante had feared.

But how did this happen?

How had Kail Letius discovered their plan?

Was it because Kayeina had shown up near the emperor’s chambers?

Had the knights exploring the palace been caught?

Or had Kayeina Ten betrayed them again?

Countless theories crossed her mind. Whatever the answer, one thing was certain: the flawless plan had been broken.

Sieghart.

Suddenly, she thought of him.

Is Sieghart safe? Is everything alright in the main palace?

If Kail had set a trap in his own chambers, then there was no doubt he had done the same in the main palace.

What if the palace, which they thought had weak security, was actually filled with Imperial Guards?

Was Sieghart alright? Were the duchy’s knights safe?

These worries began to crash down on her like waves.

Just then, the door to the study opened.

It happened before Natasha could even brace herself.

She looked up.

“You really are something.”

“……”

“Did you seriously come here alone?”

Kail Letius stood before her.

And with him was the Imperial Guard, surrounding him like an unbreakable wall.

Meanwhile, Sieghart led his knights toward Sector X-1.

Everything needed to appear as if this was Aschart’s doing. The knights wore Aschart’s armor and carried flags with his crest.

They defeated the guards at the main gate and took out the knights who were patrolling nearby.

Then they reached the center of the palace.

“What is this?”

A large number of knights stood stationed inside the imperial palace. They wore the armor of the Letius Imperial Guard, holding flags marked with the imperial crest, standing tall and intimidating.

So, the rumors about weak palace security were false.

It was true that the palace would be busy once the festival began at sunrise. That information had come from Theodor, Kail’s secret informant, so it should have been accurate.

As proof, Kail had even arranged for some knights to be sent out to the capital’s cathedral.

It was a trap.

Sieghart realized now that all of it had been part of Kail Letius’s plan. Or maybe, Kail had figured things out and quickly redeployed his forces in the early morning.

How Kail had learned about Aschart’s mission no longer mattered.

Sieghart was worried about one thing only.

Natasha.

Were the units at X-2 safe?

Was Natasha safe?

His wife, Natasha Aschart, who was leading the operation at X-2 was she still unharmed?

Sieghart’s vision blurred. The moment he feared something had happened to her, his mind started to spiral, thoughts crashing in like waves.

Pull yourself together, Enoch Callete.

Regret would only make him weaker. Wishing he had kept her by his side would change nothing about this mess.

Enoch Callete—no, Sieghart Aschart had only one thing left to do.

He needed to wipe out the enemies in front of him, pull away the imperial knights from the emperor’s side by forcing them to call for reinforcements, or end the battle right here and now and head straight for Natasha.

His grip on his sword tightened.

Facing the enemy’s fierce gazes, Sieghart raised his voice and shouted to his knights.

“Defeat them all. Advance!”

The battlefield exploded with roars as both sides clashed.

Each time Sieghart’s sword moved, screams rang out. Even though the sacred power he once held as a knight of honor had long since faded, his blade still swept through enemies with terrifying ease.

The enemy, overwhelmed by his skill, rushed at him in groups, but it didn’t matter. Each time his sword traced a path through the air, heads fell, and bodies collapsed.

The beautiful palace quickly turned into a blood-soaked war zone.

X-1 was secured faster than Sieghart had expected.

Their side had suffered losses too, but they were nothing compared to the enemy’s. Every elite soldier Kail Letius had prepared had been completely crushed.

It felt as if Sieghart had stepped into a pool of blood. His entire vision was tinted red.

What a cruel joke.

Standing alone among the corpses of his enemies, Sieghart let out a bitter laugh.

This scene reminded him too much of that day.

The day he brought down the royal family of Charlier.

That day was just like this. Everyone had bowed before him. Victory had belonged to Sieghart Aschart.

He had achieved his one and only goal in life, and yet, in that moment, he had felt like his life was over.

Was it happening again now?

He clenched and unclenched his fist, which had felt weak only moments ago.

He wasn’t sure.

But this time, he felt… something more than despair. Maybe even a little joy.

And it made sense.

This battle wasn’t for the broken man called Enoch Callete. It was for Natasha Charlier.

This battle wasn’t for the abandoned child Enoch Callete used to be. It was for Sieghart Aschart, who had built a new and complete life.

I miss her.

He missed her deeply all of a sudden.

That woman whose golden hair shimmered like sunlight and made his heart race every time it flowed in the wind. That woman whose every glance added light to his red eyes. That woman who had reached for his hand without hesitation when he was falling apart.

Wait for me. When this mission ends in success tonight, I’ll finally tell you what I’ve come to feel.

Please wait for me, Enoch Callete.

You, who say my name so gently, even knowing how much pain and shame it carries. You, my savior.

I love you.

Sieghart picked up the sword that had fallen at his feet.

The hand that had felt powerless only minutes ago was now steady and strong. He was burning with more intensity than he had at the start of the battle.

“We’re moving to X-2. We’ll support our allies there.”

He turned to his men and gave the order.

Sieghart had already been informed of the secret room’s exit at X-2.

Leaving behind the wounded, he led a smaller group of knights toward their next objective.

Not long after they set out, they felt the presence of a large group approaching from ahead.

“Raise your swords.”

Sieghart and his knights quickly drew their weapons, preparing to confront the advancing force.

“It’s me, Duke Aschart!”

A knight’s urgent voice called out, and something about it sounded familiar.

At that moment, the clouds parted, revealing the full moon. A soft stream of moonlight fell over the figure ahead, lighting up his face.

It was Sir Dante, the knight assigned to X-2.

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