I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 46

As Sieghart entered the room, his eyes locked with Emperor Kail Letius, who sat slouched on the imperial throne.

The Emperor didn’t even bother with proper attire. His bare chest was lazily covered by a golden robe thrown loosely over his shoulders. Under the dazzling chandelier, the fabric shimmered like sunlight on polished metal.

“What time do you think it is, dragging someone as busy as me out like this?”

The sarcastic comment slipped out from the side of Kail’s mouth as he rested his chin on one hand.

Sieghart didn’t respond. He simply walked forward, his steps calm and heavy along the red carpet. He stopped just before the throne, knelt at the base of the steps, and looked up at the Emperor with cold, steady eyes. His gaze, sharp and unyielding, studied the man like a hunter sizing up prey.

Kail, unsettled by the intensity of Sieghart’s stare, tried to act unfazed. He removed his hand from his chin and laid it casually on the armrest.

“Do you go through all your wife’s letters yourself? That’s quite the level of devotion.”

“I only screen letters from the Imperial Palace.”

Sieghart emphasized the word Imperial with pointed clarity, his eyes never leaving Kail.

“I’m sure Your Majesty knows why. The contents are far too filthy for my innocent wife to read.”

“What?”

Without hesitation, Sieghart began reciting from memory, quoting Kail’s letters word for word.

“Allow yourself to become the loyal dog of Letius. If you don’t respond, I’ll take one of your relatives as collateral. If you’re fine with putting Kayeina in danger, stay quiet. Do you really think you love your wife? If you want the truth, come to the palace.”

Sieghart stood up and walked up the steps. At the final one, he drew the sword from his belt and drove it firmly into the floor.

“It’s a shame you’re still alive.”

“…”

“I couldn’t possibly let my wife read such disgusting filth, could I, Your Majesty?”

He delivered the lines calmly, each word precise and deliberate, as if every one of them had been carved into his memory.

Kail glanced at the sword stuck in the floor and let out a short laugh.

“You’ve misunderstood. I didn’t send anything like that. I only sent you a few formal letters—congratulations on the wedding, an invitation to the palace, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, the occasional polite ones with the imperial seal? Yes, I’ve received those.”

“You seriously think the unsealed letters were from me? That’s a bit paranoid, don’t you think?”

“They perfectly match your handwriting and your voice. Quite a talented forger. Someone that good should be arrested for impersonating the Emperor. Shall House Aschart help track down the culprit? Or maybe I should tip off the Daily Beacon. That would be the perfect place to start.”

Kail, who had been dodging every accusation like a slippery eel, suddenly went quiet. His mouth opened, then closed again like a speechless fish. For once, he didn’t have a clever excuse ready.

His expression, once wrinkled with irritation, quickly flattened. The anger in his eyes shifted into something more calculating—mockery.

“So, this is your big warning. You’re telling me to leave your wife alone. But Duke, did you really think that puffing up your chest would scare someone like me? Me, of all people?”

Kail stood from the throne and laid his hand over Sieghart’s, which still rested on the hilt of the sword.

“You love her that much? Then you’re going about this all wrong. You’re just making me more curious. Making me want to push harder.”

“That doesn’t concern me.”

“Oh? Going to protect her?”

“…”

“I don’t plan to touch her physically, so how are you going to protect her? Will you hide her from the press? Make her live like a shut-in? If you’re trying to cover up what you did to her, that’s the only way it’ll work, right?”

Kail’s sneer deepened as he landed what he thought would be the final blow. He looked completely convinced he had won.

“Do whatever you want.”

But Sieghart, instead of backing down, stood even firmer.

Looking at Kail, who never missed a chance to dig at his deepest wound, he felt nothing but disgust. Maybe this was why Natasha had forced herself to confront the Emperor that day, even though it was dangerous.

That thought clenched into his fists without him realizing.

“Back then, I held back. I hated you so much, Kail Letius, I didn’t even want to engage with you. But I’ve learned that when you’re faced with the worst, sometimes the only option is to fight.”

A distant memory flashed across his mind. The moment everything he tried so hard to protect crumbled all at once. That loss—nothing else could compare.

He wouldn’t let Kail take anything else away from him.

Not again. Ten times was already more than enough.

“What the hell are you talking about, Duke? Have you lost your mind? If you don’t want to be dragged out of here for insulting the throne, you’d better learn some respect.”

“May I take a wild guess at what Your Majesty’s next petty scheme will be?”

Despite Kail’s threats, Sieghart remained completely unfazed. He held his disrespectful posture without hesitation. Climbing the last remaining step without a hint of hesitation, he looked down at the Emperor from above.

“The temple might toss a small bowl of honor to a pitiful emperor who was stripped of his title as a knight. It’s tragic, really. The glorious Letius Empire, ruled by a weak sovereign who was bested by the very dog he raised.”

“Shut your mou—”

“Do you plan to call in the press and reveal that I, Sieghart Aschart, was the one behind that day’s events? Are you trying to drive a wedge between my wife and me, to convince the public that our relationship is as broken as you’d like it to be?”

Sieghart’s voice boomed louder than Kail’s growl. His words struck like a hammer, clear and hard.

“Go ahead. In return, I will reveal every last detail of your so-called ‘greatest achievement.’ And once the world finds out it was your pet dog who brought it to you, the last shred of respect and support the people have for you will vanish. That should be fun to watch.”

Kail’s lips twitched uncontrollably. His fingers clenched the armrest tightly. It was the expression of someone who couldn’t accept defeat, no matter how obvious it was.

“Although the relationship between the Imperial Family and House Aschart may never return to what it once was, I do hope we can continue on without further trouble. Indifference, I mean.”

Sieghart stepped back and descended the stairs. At the bottom, he bowed politely.

He was just about to turn away, ready to leave with a brief apology for the trouble, when an angry voice tried to claw him back.

“If you’re so righteous, why don’t you stop this too! That day you met the great former Emperor, the day you trembled and cried in despair. If the world finds out that the noble Duke of Aschart is actually in love with the daughter of his sworn enemy—”

“Agh!”

The threat was cut short. Kail’s voice cracked, filled suddenly with pain.

His jaw was seized mid-sentence, completely locked in Sieghart’s grip. He was frozen in place, suspended in the air by pure force. His eyes, wide with shock and humiliation, quickly turned bloodshot.

“Just say one more word, oh sun of the empire.”

“…”

“And I will tear apart the very lips that once ordered a father to offer up his heart.”

Choking coughs escaped between the Emperor’s trembling lips. His hands flailed helplessly, clawing at the air. Eventually, Sieghart let go.

“You lunatic. You storm in here in the middle of the night and now you’re laying hands on me. This is treason against the great Letius Empire. I’ll see you punished for this!”

“Please, press charges. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

Sieghart found it almost disappointing that Kail could still talk. Maybe he should’ve used more force.

Without looking back, Sieghart turned and walked out of the hall, leaving Kail’s sputtering threats behind. He retraced his steps and exited the palace.

The sky outside had turned a soft orange as dusk settled in. The mix of red and gold was so beautiful that he found himself briefly lost in it.

As the tension left his body, the exhaustion he had pushed away came crashing in. His eyes stung under the fading light, and his muscles ached. A wave of nausea rose in his chest, followed by a throbbing headache.

But still, Sieghart held the reins.

“If I leave now, I’ll be back by evening.”

Because he had promised and because someone was waiting.

By the time he returned to the estate, it was deep into the night. When he entered the bedroom, he saw her there, lying peacefully beneath the covers.

She must have realized it had been him who moved her from the study the other night. This time, it looked like she had brought her work into the bedroom instead. The table beside her was scattered with papers and pens.

Sieghart quietly gathered the mess and sat on the edge of the bed.

Normally, Natasha was sensitive enough to wake when he entered the room, even in sleep. But not tonight. Just like the night before, she was completely still. She must have been truly exhausted.

He found himself quietly worrying about how hard she worked.

“She’s probably trying to prove herself as Duchess of Aschart.”

There was no need to overthink it.

Even if she had come to enjoy the work, it had all started from something else. After all, she had taken over the duchy’s responsibilities right after their wedding.

His hand reached out and slowly moved toward her forehead. Her golden hair clung to her skin, hiding her delicate features.

He gently swept it aside. Her brow twitched slightly, her nose crinkling, and his hand followed with a tender motion.

“Back then, I was actually relieved when my sins were exposed.”

Thinking back on Kail’s words, Sieghart let out a bitter smile.

Yes, back then, he had believed it was better that way. Rather than spend his time with Natasha, he had thought silencing that cursed emperor was the better choice.

His hand began to tremble. His eyes blinked rapidly, filled with anxiety. If Kail had seen him like this, he would have grinned in amusement.

There was no heat in the room, yet sweat ran down Sieghart’s spine. His pale skin shivered like someone caught in a winter storm.

He inhaled sharply, searching the room with his eyes. Under the blanket, he noticed the soft rise and fall of her breathing.

He reached out and placed his hand over her chest, where her heart beat steadily.

The trembling stopped.

“Yes, she’s alive. By some miracle, she’s still here with me.”

As that realization brought him relief, a familiar voice echoed inside his head.

My son, are you really going to love the daughter of your enemy?

You gave up your pride and became a dog for revenge, only to fall in love with the one person you should hate?

Even after looking into those red eyes?

Those thoughts were cruelly familiar. The same thoughts that always tormented him.

He shook his head fiercely. The louder they became, the harder he resisted.

His ears rang. But through the noise came the gentle sound of her breathing. Soft, peaceful. So different from the ragged gasps that haunted him.

“Believe me, Tisha…”

He whispered those words and tightened his hand around hers, still resting under the blanket. Her fingers stirred slightly in response.

“My past, My sins, Your resentment, and All the misunderstandings between us. Don’t believe in any of that.”

And the confession he hadn’t been able to say that day—

“Just believe in my love for you.”

Let that be the only truth she held onto.

“Yes. Just that.”

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