I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 95

It was unusual for Sieghart to give a long explanation, but of course, it was just like him. His words didn’t answer any of Natasha’s questions and ended up being more useless than helpful.

She could understand the first part. No matter how much the man had invested in his ally, the moment he turned against the imperial family, it became a risk worth taking.

But the second part…

“Pity?”

He felt sorry for the man?

Natasha was confident that no one in the entire continent would ever pity Sieghart Aschart. There wasn’t a single person under the sky who would.

Surely the first reason was the real one.

She glanced sideways at Sieghart, who spoke nonsense with a straight face as if it were the most logical answer in the world.

“Anyway, I’ll make good use of this. Oh, and after I return from the banquet, I plan to contact the next potential candidates for the throne. Some of them are missing, so I’ll leave the search to the knights under Sir Dante’s command.”

“The knights?”

“I gathered knights from the former Royal Guard and formed a new order. They’ll join forces with Galonde’s shadows and support the rebellion.”

Natasha added proudly, as if to make it clear that the rebellion wasn’t relying solely on Sieghart’s help.

But what caught Sieghart’s attention was something else entirely.

His expression darkened, as though something didn’t sit right with him. His usually composed face wrinkled like thin paper.

“You’ve thrown yourself into danger again.”

“I’ve already decided to rebel. There won’t be a single moment that isn’t dangerous.”

She replied calmly, as if wondering why he even mentioned the obvious.

His stare became intense. His eyes followed her relentlessly, and a familiar emotion flickered in them.

Sensing the presence lurking beyond the red swamp within him, Natasha quickly changed the subject. Listening to his fake concern was already tiring.

“For now, the most promising candidate is the second prince.”

The second prince, Helio Letius.

Many believed that if the former emperor had still been alive, it would have been Helio, not Kail Letius, who inherited the Letius throne.

That meant Helio probably held a deep grudge about Kail’s ascension. If the throne were offered as a reward, Natasha was confident he would accept their proposal without hesitation.

“No. You should take him off the list.”

“Take him off…?”

She frowned, clearly not understanding why.

“Like you said, Helio Letius was a strong candidate for the throne even though his older brother was the official heir. He must have been resentful when he missed the chance to be emperor after the sudden death of the former ruler. But have you ever wondered why he stayed silent all this time?”

“Maybe he thought it was pointless to fight for the throne since his brother already became the emperor.”

“True, after the former emperor’s death, there was no way to stop Kail Letius from taking the throne. But considering how quickly the empire’s reputation declined under Kail’s rule, Helio had every reason to speak out. And yet he didn’t.”

Now that she thought about it, he was right.

After Kail Letius became emperor, the Letius family’s proud reputation collapsed. He showed no interest in politics and spent all his time chasing luxury and women.

Even the diplomatic ties the empire had built over decades began to crack. People were desperate for someone like Helio Letius, who had once served as an advisor to the royal family.

If Helio had actively moved to depose Kail, everything might have changed.

But against everyone’s expectations, Helio did nothing. He avoided the public and completely disappeared from high society, as if hiding in fear.

After the empire managed to turn half of the Charlier territory into a vassal state, Helio was officially exiled to a foreign land. The reason given was that he had refused to join the first attempt to take the throne.

“Helio Letius is intelligent, but he had plenty of chances to prove himself and still chose to hide. He’s a coward. Offering him the throne would be the same as admitting to our rebellion. A man who covers his fear with false purity would never agree to join us. And even if he did, he’s clever enough that we’d never know when he might betray us.”

“If you’re worried about betrayal, then shouldn’t you be suspicious of all members of the royal family? I’m not trying to argue, but in the end, that’s all I can say. If that logic holds, I wonder if we’ll ever find anyone truly suitable to stand with us.”

Natasha understood Sieghart’s concerns. She could relate to them, and that only made her feel more frustrated.

At this rate, none of the candidates could be trusted.

Unlike the Galonde Empire, which only sent its shadows, her allies had to risk their entire lives. Would anyone step into such danger for something that might not even succeed?

What if they ended up reporting them to Kail Letius instead?

“We need someone who truly wants power. Someone who burns with desire for the throne.”

At Natasha’s heavy sigh, Sieghart carefully shared his opinion.

“I think the sixth prince, Ron Letius, is the right choice.”

“Ron Letius… you mean the one who was exiled and is barely surviving in the countryside?”

After a moment, Sieghart nodded.

After becoming emperor, Kail had stripped most of his brothers of their titles, except for the popular second and third princes, in order to protect his own position. The rest were driven into ruin.

Ron Letius, in particular, was said to live worse than a commoner.

He had been blocked from entering noble society and slowly cut off from all ties to the aristocracy. Having fallen completely out of favor, the only thing left to his name was a small, powerless barony.

“Ron Letius actually once acted like a rebel. When Kail’s position started to look shaky, Ron was quick to push for impeachment. Of course, he gave up as soon as he felt his life was in danger.”

“…Still, that makes him different from Helio.”

“Yes, it does.”

Thanks to Sieghart speaking up so firmly, Natasha began to feel a small sense of hope.

She let out a quiet sigh and looked across at the man in front of her.

He really was helping her. He gave her space, but also voiced his opinions when needed. He was pushing the situation in a direction that worked in her favor.

Their reunion had started with questionable intentions, but somehow, things were turning out well for her.

“…You’re being surprisingly involved, Your Excellency.”

The words slipped out before she realized it.

It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she noticed what she had said. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Maybe because she’d always been so blunt and formal, her unguarded comment caught Sieghart off guard too. He laughed, louder than usual.

Worried that his laughter might come off as mocking, he quickly tried to hide it, but the smile lingered gently at the corners of his eyes.

“I told you. I want you to be happy and safe.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m making this promise. I’ll make sure the rebellion succeeds. I want to prove that saving you is the only way I can be forgiven. Not by standing back, but by taking action.”

It was a foolish thing to say.

Even if Sieghart helped her, even if the rebellion succeeded, Natasha would never forgive him.

Nor would she ever need saving from him.

But still, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to criticize him.

Maybe it was that innocent smile, so soft and boyish, that kept flashing through her mind.

She scolded herself for letting her guard down. She had risked everything to escape from him, and now, just because he said a few kind words, she was acting like they were on the same side.

“Don’t say things like that. When this rebellion is over, we…”

“Yes. We’ll go our separate ways.”

Annoyed, she snapped at him. She was directing her anger at the man who had started everything, reminding him and herself that they were not meant to stay together.

“But that time hasn’t come yet.”

“….”

“So, while we’re still together, while my mind is unusually clear, I’m going to let myself imagine a better future. Because that’s the only place I’ll ever find peace. That’s the future I’m holding on to.”

As Sieghart finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes.

His eyes, which had been restless beneath his eyelids, quickly focused again the moment he opened them.

But Natasha was already turning away. She stared at a painting across the room, avoiding his gaze.

She hated this feeling.

This moment, when she felt like the one being judged, as if she were the guilty one.

After the meeting with Sieghart, Natasha met with Sir Dante, as planned.

She had wanted Dante to stay with her at House Aschart for a while, but for safety reasons, they decided to stay apart for now.

If word spread that a former royal knight from Charlier had suddenly joined the Aschart Order, it would definitely raise suspicions from the emperor.

Natasha explained the final mission to him, which would take place during the imperial banquet.

Once the Royal Guard’s formal event began, she would quietly leave and sneak into the main palace. The knights, disguised as Aschart servants, would join her.

Their mission was to find the contract written between the emperor and the principality. The knights would search the emperor’s office, while Natasha would try to locate the secret room hidden in the imperial bedroom.

To do that, she had to memorize the map Sieghart had drawn. She needed to remember every part of the enormous palace.

The banquet was scheduled three weeks later, marking the beginning of spring.

Until then, Natasha, her knights, and Sieghart would have to work together to make sure nothing went wrong.

Time passed quickly. The first step toward a future that would change everyone’s fate was about to begin.

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