The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 99

I discreetly hid the bracelet, which had changed color, and took a careful look around. The only source of light in the space was the faint moonlight filtering through the window.

Judging by the texture of the flooring and the faint sheen of the furniture, it was clear that I hadn’t been confined in a basement or a prison cell.

‘But it doesn’t feel well-maintained either. Is this an abandoned royal villa?’

The only thing I could clearly distinguish in the dimness was Marabas Rydell standing before me.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I had no choice but to accept the truth—I had been kidnapped.

I had no idea what tricks Tryha had used, but the chain reaction of spells that had activated around Enoch’s shoulder was clearly a meticulously planned setup.

Thinking back to the fleeting image of Cordelia’s face I saw just before being dragged here, everything started to make sense.

That meant Marabas and Itar had put quite a bit of effort into luring me in.

‘Unbelievable. I thought kidnapping was something that only happened in other people’s stories.’

It wasn’t as if I had a knife to my throat in a life-threatening situation, but that didn’t mean the circumstances were favorable either.

The darkness beyond the window flashed intermittently, as though cannon fire was lighting up the night sky, only to plunge everything back into obscurity. There were even distant shouts—almost as if someone was doing drills under the moonlight.

‘No way… Itar hasn’t staged a coup, has he?’

I take back what I said earlier—this situation was far from unurgent. It was clear that I had been captured either as a tool, a hostage, or perhaps both.

Unconsciously, I lifted my gaze, which had been lowered, and looked at Marabas. He stood there, arms crossed—one human, one mechanical—watching me with an unsettling ease.

“Countess Diane. You were brought here at Lord Itar’s command. He will come for you once his work is done.”

“And which country’s etiquette involves kidnapping people like this?”

“Country?”

Marabas let out a twisted chuckle and took a step closer. His expression, disturbingly filled with exhilaration, made him all the more terrifying.

“There is no longer such a thing as nations or countries, Countess. The world will soon become a single empire under Areté’s rule.”

“So that’s your ambition? To control people’s minds and bend them to your will?”

“And what about you, Countess Diane? What kind of desire must you have harbored to possess an Areté that allows you to read the hearts of those you touch?”

Damn it. I had expected this, but Marabas knew exactly what my Areté was. Since I had no way of knowing how much he had uncovered about me, I couldn’t afford to bluff recklessly.

“Well, since you’ve clearly done your homework, I’ll just ask directly—what does Tryha intend to do with me?”

Instead of answering immediately, Marabas straightened up and walked toward the window. He grabbed the heavy curtain and yanked it aside in one swift motion, revealing a shocking sight.

A large force, moving in perfect coordination, had white lilies pinned to their chests. They were roughly seizing the servants and maids of the imperial palace.

‘Those people… They’re the first prince’s close aides. I saw them in the newspaper article back then.’

If the third prince’s forces were capturing the first prince’s aides, then the situation was obvious. As expected, Itar had launched a rebellion timed with Iana’s death anniversary.

That also meant I could guess what role they intended for me to play. They would want me to read the minds of the first prince’s close aides to uncover the truth behind Iana’s death.

However, Marabas seemed to have something else in mind. He casually posed a question.

“Both our Aretés fall under the domain of the mind. Aren’t you curious whose power is stronger?”

“There’s no real point in comparing.”

“Oh? We’ll see about that.”

Marabas reached out toward me. A sensation washed over me—like my consciousness was being forcibly pulled away. He was trying to use his Areté on me.

I clenched my ringed hand tightly and glared at him. His face twisted in response.

“The Duke’s Areté is quite formidable.”

Layers of defensive magic, cast by Kyle during our engagement ceremony, were woven into me. On top of that, my own mental Areté wasn’t weak either, making Marabas’ tricks ineffective.

‘Kyle’s overprotectiveness is really coming in handy now.’

Along with gratitude, I reminded myself to stay alert. If I could just hold out a little longer, Vanessa or Kyle would surely come to rescue me. Trying to escape recklessly and getting caught would only make things worse.

Failing to overpower my mind, Marabas scowled as though he had bitten into something bitter. He then gestured toward his puppets, summoning two to stand guard over me.

“When Lord Itar asks for this woman, report to me first.”

He wasn’t having them take me directly to Itar but making them go through him first. That instruction carried a hidden implication.

＊＊＊

The imperial palace of Hail had descended into chaos the moment Amel disappeared.

Everyone in the hall stood frozen, their eyes locked onto Duke Chaield and the crown prince of Tryha, their mouths agape in shock.

‘That calculating Duke Chaield…’

‘Has completely lost his mind.’

‘So it’s true… The young Countess Diane really did change him.’

Their reactions were more than justified. The moment Amel vanished, Kyle, without a shred of hesitation, had seized Enoch by the collar.

The look on his face as he glared at the foreign crown prince was filled with unrestrained fury—deadly enough to kill someone on the spot.

“You fools! Do you think this is some kind of spectacle? Disperse at once!”

Verde, startled by Kyle’s uncharacteristic outburst, hastily waved his hands, signaling the surrounding nobles to withdraw. Letting them witness this scene would do no one any good.

No, this was far beyond just an embarrassing scene—it was a diplomatic disaster. A duke of their nation had just grabbed the crown prince of another country by the throat. And not just any prince—the future emperor.

“Duke Chaield… No, never mind. I’ve cleared the room, so finish what you started. I’ll take care of Lord Hild.”

Verde, who had initially stepped in to intervene, thought better of it and slowly backed away.

Kyle’s grip on Enoch’s collar tightened.

“What have you done to my fiancée?”

“Duke Chaield, I understand you’re upset, but could you at least—urk!”

Enoch swallowed dryly, avoiding Kyle’s gaze. The sheer intensity of his fury was beyond anything a human should be capable of.

Moreover, it was undeniable that the spell responsible for swallowing up Amelia Diane had originated from his own shoulder. Even if he tried to pin the blame on Itar, it was still ultimately Tryha’s responsibility.

“Enoch. I asked where you kidnapped my fiancée.”

“…My apologies. I will actively cooperate in retrieving her.”

“I don’t need your cooperation. Just tell me where she was taken.”

Each time Enoch answered that he didn’t know, Kyle’s heart pounded faster. The grip on his collar tightened even more.

At this moment, the wealth and honor of Chaield felt as insubstantial as a handful of ash. His fiancée was far too precious to be compared to such trivial things.

The suffocating silence, thick enough to herald a bloodbath, was finally broken by a middle-aged alchemist from Chaield’s ranks.

“Your Grace, the capture magic circle that was on His Highness’s shoulder belongs to Marabas Lydel.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. As I reported previously, each practitioner’s spells carry unique traits. The issue is that this particular spell was activated manually…”

“So, we had an uninvited guest at the engagement ceremony.”

Kyle released Enoch’s collar, grinding his teeth. If Marabas was behind the spell, then the likelihood of his beloved fiancée being taken to Tryha was high.

Even if he set out for Tryha immediately, the journey would take considerable time. Moreover, leading an army into a foreign imperial palace would be a blatant act of war.

“Kyle. Love and peace, remember?”

A year ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated to act. But now, half-brainwashed by his fiancée’s values, he hesitated for a moment.

As Kyle was rapidly formulating a way to justify his move, a palace attendant from Verde burst into the hall, panting.

“Your Majesty! A rebellion has broken out in Tryha!”

Not only Emperor Verde but everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock. There was no need to guess who was leading the rebellion.

Bruno, a high-ranking member of Chaield’s intelligence division, arrived shortly after, reporting the details in a brisk manner.

“Lord Itar has seized the main palace with his close aides. I will provide further updates as they arrive.”

Kyle turned his gaze toward Enoch, who had collapsed onto the floor, his legs giving out beneath him.

The way Enoch looked at Bruno—his face full of disbelief—was almost pitiful. But that was of no concern to Kyle.

Having found a way to mobilize Chaield’s forces without openly opposing Tryha, Kyle lowered himself to Enoch’s level, locking eyes with him.

“Invoke your name as the Crown Prince of Tryha and formally request my assistance. I will help reclaim the palace.”

Each word was weighted with gravity, and Enoch had no real choice in the matter.

Kyle’s offer was the least disastrous solution in an already overwhelming situation.

Regardless of his intentions, Enoch had, in effect, handed over Chaield’s fiancée to Tryha. The only rational move now was to establish an amicable relationship with Kyle.

“…Duke Chaield. The situation is dire, so I ask for your aid. As the Crown Prince of Tryha, I will never forget this assistance.”

“As you wish.”

Kyle responded with blatant shamelessness, and Claire, standing beside him, gave a subtle nod to the attendant guarding the door.

The moment the tightly shut doors swung open—

“…What the hell is that?”

“Why are there so many assassins…?”

“Since when did Chaield have this many hidden forces?”

A well-organized battalion, clad in dark attire, marched into the hall with disciplined steps. The palace attendants stationed throughout the imperial residence gawked at the sheer scale of the force.

Recognizing the fury and urgency in their lord’s eyes, Chaield’s soldiers tensed, dropping to one knee in perfect unison.

“Your Grace. As per Lady Claire’s instructions, all intelligence operatives, special assassination units, airborne forces, mass elimination squads, anti-sorcery divisions, and general troops have been mobilized. We await your orders.”

Kyle, who had been unfolding the teleportation scroll infused with Enoch’s return-bound Areté, paused momentarily.

This was Chaield’s finest military force, and their skills were second to none. Their names alone were as fearsome as their reputations.

‘…This is going to terrify her, isn’t it?’

If he stormed in to rescue Amel, only to have her scared out of her wits, that would be a disaster in its own right.

After a brief moment of thought, Kyle activated the scroll and added:

“From this moment forward, you are all part of the Chaield Peacekeeping Force.”

“…Peace?”

“Peacekeeping Force. As the name suggests, we fight for love and peace.”

Not just the elite Chaield soldiers, but even those standing around them, stared at Kyle in stunned silence.

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