Episode #14: The Dog of the Imperial Palace

“Yes, Khalid Ruirk, the dog of the Imperial Palace, who sold his country and obtained the title of duke of an enemy country. Well, to be precise, he is not the Imperial Palace’s, but he is my brother’s dog.”

All thoughts in her head disappeared. Lucifella looked down at the man, tightening her hand on the balcony’s window sill until it turned white. She opened her mouth and tried to talk, but she choked on her breath, and no voice came out.

She didn’t even know what she was going to do. She leaned her upper body against the railing.

A dangerous wind blew. There was only one thought in Lucifella’s mind. She has to meet him. She has to catch Khalid.

“My Lady?”

Stepping on the railing and standing up, she tried to jump off. She had no fear. No, she had no thought of feeling any fear.

‘This is okay. It’s just on the 3rd floor at most. It’s not that high.’

Estelle knew that she could jump because she was ‘Estelle.’

“My Lady, wait a minute!”

Lucifella tried to shake off his hand, gripping her waist as she was about to jump.

Khalid was over there. It seemed that Khalid would disappear if she looked away, even for a moment. Lucifella had to talk with him right now. Right now, she had to see that face. Looking at his face, she will kill him.

“Kha… … lid!”

A voice filled with boiling resentment came out as if burning from her mouth. She called out his name with all her heart.

‘Duke? Duke? Are you the Duke of Yansgar? Are you the dog of the Imperial Palace now? You now, now!’

‘You killed me, and you are alive!’

“Khal!”

“My Lady!”

It was quite rude to touch a woman’s body, but Yiojif was desperately holding her by the waist at this moment. But once again, she tried to shake his hands away.

‘I will kill you. I will kill you. If you’re alive, I’ll kill you if you’re alive like this!’

“Let go of me!”

“My Lady, are you crazy now?! It’s on the 3rd floor! You will die!”

With excitement, the eyes were dyed red and then white, repeatedly. Her body, which had become angrier than necessary, was breathing excessively, and her mind became hazy.

“Khalid!!”

Finally, his name was called, but it was already after Yiojif pulled her back hard. Thanks to him, she fell back and rolled onto the floor. But despite her pain, she crawled towards the railing. Looking down, she met Khalid’s gaze.

Khalid was looking directly at Lucifella. She saw those beautiful purple eyes, that face of his. Before long, he pointed to her and was directing something. She opened her mouth again and tried to say something.

“I’ll apologize later.”

At that moment, she felt a strong shock in the back of her neck. Knowing what this meant, she struggled to the end.

‘No! I saw it now. I just saw that guy’s face! It’s right there, right in front of me!’

But her vision was getting blurry. Then, at some point, darkness came, and she collapsed on the spot.

***

Jed prided himself on having seen a lot of dirty things in his life.

He witnessed the horrors of the battlefield and fought against disgusting monsters. But the ugliest thing was the ‘human’ itself.

As the war escalated and food ran out, people began to eat each other.

It was the same when catching monsters. Even though people could unite and fight together, they were afraid of losing their lives, so they used each other as bait and ran away.

It repeated over and over again, and under that situation people turned not only monsters but also people into enemies. So, the problem got even worse.

In the end, it was the knights dispatched from the Imperial Family, including Jed, who had to rectify this situation.

However, if he had to pick the most gruesome and unpleasant scene of his life, it was three years ago.

The day Ersha was conquered by Yansgar. Opening the gates, the Emperor and Jed entered Ottrop, the capital of Ersha. Everyone in Ersha surrendered, even the king.

In case of any unforeseen event, Jed’s army remained vigilant, and soldiers with shields surrounded the Emperor (who was the king at the time).

The footsteps of the conquerors echoed mercilessly through the palace. The day they entered the Throne Room, Jed saw the ugliest scene.

“… … .”

A woman’s neck was held by a man’s hand. Her hair was gray, but it was stained red with her blood.

Jed was looking at her hair. He did not hear the conversation between the Emperor and the last king of Ersha. Jed’s gaze was focused only on one place, the head in the man’s arms.

That constantly chattering face, the face that had never looked the same for a moment, was calm as if it were asleep. ‘Are you calm? Killed, but calm?’ Jed suddenly burst into rage.

“Isn’t that woman Ishtar of Ersha?”

Jed finally came to his senses at the Emperor’s words,.

“That’s right,” the man with the head answered quietly.

“Why did the loyal knight of Ersha cut off her head?”

At the Emperor’s words, the man holding the head smiled bitterly. The smile was soft, but his eyes were gleaming gloomily.

“She insisted on fighting to the very end, so I cut off her neck so she couldn’t speak.”

“I know your name. Khalid Gabrine. The 3rd Knights Guild, the deputy commander of the Sitora Knights.”

“Yes.”

“And the head of the one you are holding is Estelle Superit, the commander of the Knights of Sitora.”

“Yes.”

“Did you cut the head of your superior yourself?”

“Yes.”

A quiet silence enveloped those who heard the third answer, “Yes.”

Jed then took his eyes off Estelle’s head and looked closely at the man’s face.

He was a handsome knight with light blue hair. Jed had seen him, and how the dead woman in his arms had looked at him with such trusting eyes....

“To cut your superior’s neck, you’re worse than a dog.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Jed’s spitting curse. Jed was unable to let go of his disgust.

Despite the insulting words, Khalid’s face did not change a single expression.

“If I didn’t do it, everyone would be slaughtered like dogs. I didn’t want to die because of my foolish superior.”

Khalid’s voice was calm, telling him why he was less than a dog. The corner of the Emperor’s lips rose when he saw it.

“Wanted to save your life…… … . So, Khalid Gabrine, you want to survive even if you become Yansgar’s dog, do you mean?”

“If I am ordered to be a dog, I will. If you don’t kill me, I won’t bite my master,” Khalid said calmly.

Jed clenched his teeth upon seeing his calmness. Then Khalid walked out and threw the head in front of the Emperor. In response, Jed had to try very hard to resist the urge to cut his throat right away. The man knelt before the Emperor.

Khalid Gabrine was a swordsman who guarded the country before being the Duke of Ersha, a Knight who swore to defend his country with his life, and now he was kneeling before the king of another country. It was more shocking than a defeated king kneeling down.

“My honor was thrown away when I cut off this woman’s head. I have no honor left.”

Then he plopped his forehead on the floor and bowed down to the Emperor. He looked despicable, so disgusting.

Even the Emperor was displeased with the man. If he had been the usual Emperor, he would have beheaded Khalid. But Jed saw a gleam of mean curiosity on the Emperor’s face.

“If it’s the Gabrine family, it’s a branch of the Ersha Kingdom. If that’s the case, then it’s probably not that far from the royal family of Yansgar.”

“Majesty!”

Jed looked at him to stop him, but the Emperor’s face did not change. It was the old man’s great curiosity. Khalid should be killed. The right thing to do was to kill the dog that bit the master. However, despite Jed’s words, the Emperor could not resist the twisted impulse.

“From now on, I will give you the last name of Ruirk, not Gabrine. Although I will not give you the land, you will keep the title as it is.”

“… … .”

“And you are the only surviving member of Ersha’s royal family.”

At the Emperor’s words, Jed gritted his teeth. The meaning of those words was very clear. The Emperor blinked at Jed.

Jed followed the Emperor’s command and cut off the King of Ersha’s head.

Thus, Ersha was destroyed, the knight who tried to protect the country died, and the bastard who betrayed his superior to sustain his life survived.

If that bastard had seemed tormented by guilt, Jed wouldn’t have had that much repulsion and hostility toward him. He had seen many times how humanly people struggled in the face of death.

But Khalid was different. The man had no regrets for what he had done.

The feelings he felt for the dead woman could not even be defined. Was it his sympathy, his pity, or his sneer at her death for her foolishness? Or was it mourning?

She tried to defend the country to the end but she was killed by her men - Ishtar of Ersha. The image of the knight still occasionally appeared in his mind and tormented him.

/“Still, I owe you, so I will pay you back. I promise next time.” (Flashback)/

It was the last thing she had said to Jed. His reunion with her was like that, in a bad and ugly way.

Jed, who was lost in thought, woke up to the sound of someone calling him. It was his assistant, Bernard. As Bernard delivered the news, Jed’s eyes widened.

“She went to the Imperial Palace? Her Lady?”

Oh, no. Did the Emperor find out what she did yesterday? Due to the nature of the Emperor, no matter how young the daughter of Duke was, it would be difficult for her to avoid punishment.

‘Then why did she have to kick there... … . tsk tsk.’

He clicked his tongue and prepared to enter the palace. He intended to keep his promise to take care of the loose ends.

This time, Jed was also not going to be idle. The Crown Prince was promiscuous, and he would tell the Emperor what Lucifella had told him. Then the Emperor wouldn’t be too angry.

He wondered how Lucifella would react if he helped her this time.

‘I promise next time.’

Would she say so? Then Jed realized he recalled Estelle, not Lucifella, and shook his head.

Why was she still tormenting him?

Knowing that he remembered, he shook his head. ‘Why does that person come up and torment me?’

“I wonder if today will be an unlucky day.”.”

Glittering amber eyes and black hair appeared. Then, in his head, silvery-blue eyes that gleamed in the light of the chandelier as he danced came to mind.

Jed clicked his tongue once more and hurried to prepare.

And then Jed heard the news of Lucifella’s seizure.

***

“It wasn’t me,” Yiojif said with a frown on his face while rolling his glasses by hand. Jed’s severe gaze turned to Yiojif.

“His Majesty himself also inquired. I mean about what happened. But nothing happened. I showed the way to the lost Her Ladyship, and she headed to the balcony, hoping to see the palace gardens. Then all of a sudden, she tried to jump.”

“… … .”

Yiojif raised the corner of his mouth at Jed’s gaze, as if asking if he would believe it.

“Actually, something happened, but I don’t want to say more for it is Her Lady’s personal life.”

“It’s not about protecting personal affairs, but about you holding onto it for later use.”

“I will not deny it,” he said, leaning against the back of the sofa with a lazy expression. Another curse word lingered in Jed’s mouth. He had been in close proximity to the prince due to unavoidable circumstances from an early age, but he did not want to be close to him more than he had to.

“If I tell you about Her Lady, will you give me what I want?”

“Crazy bastard.”

Eventually, a curse came out of Jed’s mouth. At that, Yiojif closed his eyes and smiled. His appearance was that of the gentle second prince.

“Even though we are engaged, do I have to tell you that we are not close enough to do your favor?”

“You are close enough to come and ask me about her like this.”

Seeing Yiojif’s relentless face, Jed grimaced. Yiojif spoke as he put the glasses he had been fiddling with back on. His sharp eyes were hidden again.

“I thought she was an empty-headed girl that only chased after my brother, but Her Ladyship was something else.”

“She is not average.”

“She noticed that I use a sword.”

“What?”

“She said, ‘I know you have held a sword, so don’t pretend to be clumsy and tell me straight away.’ How the hell did she find out? I mean, I was pretty careful.”

“Ha.”

Jed chuckled at that and laughed. It was because he could imagine what kind of tone he was talking about. Lucifella had a strange ability to say or do whatever she wanted. It was really just like her to try to jump then to call it a seizure.

“I didn’t deny it, if Her Ladyship said that to anyone she would be treated like a crazy person. But the problem is that after that, she tried to jump and caused chaos.”

“… … .”

“The 2nd Knights had a hard time. Lord Ruirk took care of it.”

When Yiojif said that, Jed’s face crumpled in distaste. Yiojif grinned and smiled at Jed’s unfiltered expression.

“I really do hate Duke Ruirk. I hate a dog who bites his owner.”

“The Duke of Ruirk lived in Yansgar for three years. Now it is the time to accept him as our citizen.”

“Sure.”

Jed seemed annoyed and pushed away the teacup in front of him with his finger.

“By the way, did the Duke of Ruirk and the Her Ladyship know each other?”

“What kind of bullshit?”

“The Duke of Ruirk is my brother’s dog, and the Aydin Ladyship was my brother’s lover.”

“If you want to offend me, you really did a good job today, Yiojif.”

Yiojif smiled at his furious face.

“No, I’m only joking. The two don’t know each other at all. Her Ladyship didn’t even know the phrase ‘The Dog of the Imperial Palace’.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Yiojif nodded and drank his tea. Jed was suddenly annoyed after Yiojif mentioned Ruirk and Lucifella at the same time.

“Shouldn’t you go to Her Ladyship?”

“How many times do I have to say we are not that close?” Jed retorted angrily.

Then Jed looked up at the sky. There were dark clouds gathered in the clear autumn sky. Even the weather was damn good. Looking at the darkened sky Jed furrowed his brow.

***

It was raining.

Lucifella blinked her eyes slowly and looked out the window. The sky was bright, but the outside seemed to be foggy.

Tat. Tat.

The sound of rain filled the quiet room. She knew that she was in her own room, not at the Imperial Palace.

Luckily, she was returned to her room after creating such a commotion.

Lucifella smirked. She still had a sore pain in the back of her neck from being hit. Sitting on her bed, leaning back, she was listening to the sound of the rain.

She recalled what she saw before she fainted.

Just below the balcony, he was in an unfamiliar uniform and speaking, still with the same face, so disgustingly like that.

“Khalid Ruirk.”

Ruirk, Ruirk, Ruirk.

Lucifella muttered his name. The name ‘Khalid’ is familiar, but she continued to pronounce the word ‘Ru… irk’ with the tip of her tongue touching her teeth, but it was eerily strange. While muttering the words, at some point, she made a squeaky sound.

A small chuckle leaked out, then she twisted her lips up and burst into laughter. It was funny. It was so funny that it made her go crazy.

She tried to get out of bed, but she fell to the floor because her legs were so weak.

As if the sun was rising, the darkened sky grew brighter and brighter. Lucifella laughed.

It was natural. Because the moment she saw Khalid, the moment she saw him walking around alive, she discovered the stupidest part of herself.

She was strangely reluctant to find out about Khalid. She could have found out. She would have been able to find out the whereabouts of Khalid Gabrine without difficulty, since she was Lucifella.

Unlike when she heard about Liam, she was passive in collecting information about Khalid. She then made the absurd excuse that she was trying to become accustomed to Lucifella and that if she was inquiring about Khalid, she might be considered suspicious.

She didn’t want to know. Because she didn’t have to do anything if she didn’t know anything – she didn’t have to be sad and full of hate.

As she adjusted, she thought of Khalid as naturally as breathing. She dreamt of him, but she did not think of him as a person who existed.

Instead, she wished Khalid was dead. She was not going to face the painful betrayal she had suffered.

‘Oh, how stupid!’ She continued to laugh, but eventually the sound of laughter quietly became sobbing. When she learned that he had been given the surname Ruirk and not Gabrine, she realized she already knew that.

It was Khalid who cut off her head and gave it to the Emperor. And in return, he received the duke’s rank. Since he was of the royal lineage of Ersha, the Emperor let him remain and killed His Majesty the King instead.

That was it! In exchange for her life, he spared his own and obtained his remaining power.

/“Estelle.” (Flashback)/

She remembered the image of a boy smiling brightly. They weren’t always on good terms, but they still believed in each other. She did not doubt that they would be together until the end.

A close friend, the person who used to be so precious, betrayed her and was living as a dog in the Imperial Palace of Yansgar.

He had an unfamiliar face, an unfamiliar surname, unfamiliar clothes, and was living in an unfamiliar country, while he was receiving the respected title of Duke.

Who the hell had she been living with? Who had she been with?

They knew each other well. They were like one body. She had thought they would die for each other. They have been together for such a long time. But was that time itself a lie? After the war broke out, when did he change his mind? Did it change from the beginning?

Lucifella returned to Estelle and burst into tears.

The moment she learned of the betrayal of her colleagues, she felt an indescribable sense of betrayal. However, the moment she saw the betrayal of the man named Khalid, she crumbled.

She tried to live as Lucifella. At the same time, she tried to “adapt” without any direction. She vaguely thought she was going to meet her colleagues.

How complacent she was. Seeing Khalid, she realized who she was and the death she had suffered.

She opened the door and went outside.

It was an early rainy morning. No one stopped her at this time since even her servants were still asleep. Her body had become weaker, and she faltered but what she needed to do was clear.

He killed her, so she just has to pay him back. He cut her head off; thus, she would cut off his as well.

It was so simple. But she had to go quickly.

“Khalid… … .”

She kept muttering the name. She was screaming to kill him like a madman, calling out his name as she raged on with anger boiling up.

She wandered the hallways of the quiet mansion until she finally got to where she had seen a ceremonial sword that she had kept an eye on. As she stretched and reached out to grab the sword and lifted it, her body staggered at its sheer weight.

Lucifella clenched her teeth, grabbed it, and walked back down the hallway and out the front door.