Chapter 28 - If You Touch Mabel, You’re Doomed
28. If You Touch Mabel, You’re Doomed
Clang!
When the Stand-in-Emperor wielded the sword, a strong wind swelled and shook the earth.
A masked man, who stopped the sword, held out for a slight moment and soon fell back.
“Mabel! Mabel, are you okay?”
The stand-in-Emperor, who ran and didn’t breathe a bit, wrapped my cheek with his trembling hand.
“Ung.”
Maybe it was because I loosened up, I was fine but felt a little dizzy.
“…ha.”
Sighing with relief, the stand-in-Emperor fixed his sword and stood with his back facing me.
“I don’t know who sent you, but you’d better stop thinking that you’ll go back alive.”
All I could see was the back of the stand-in-Emperor, so I couldn’t tell what kind of expression he was wearing. But I could feel that he was very angry.
But before he could swing his sword again,
Fweee-!
A masked man whistled. Starting with the signal, they each flew in different directions and carried out the escape.
“-Your Majesty!”
Just in time, the back up knights arrived.
The stand-in-Emperor could not leave my side, so he gave orders to the knights.
“Go after them. You must not let a single one escape!”
“Yes!”
The running of the knights could be heard.
I gave Lalima a big hug. I didn’t have any strength left in my body for some reason.
‘Is it because I completely loosened up.’
No. It was a little different. It felt like my whole body was exhausted.
“Mabel, it’s alright now. Now that Daddy is here-.”
Before I knew it, I could see the surprised expression on the Emperor’s face through my dimmed vision.
Drip.
Suddenly my nose was hot, and something dripped down.
…It was blood.
“Huh…?”
I blinked weakly, and soon lost consciousness.
“Your Majesty!”
It was Lalima’s piercing screams.
“Mabel!!”
The entirety of the Imperial Palace trembled like an aspen tree.
“Why isn’t she waking up?”
The frosty voice of Esteban drove the Imperial Palace into even more fear.
An expressionless face.
Those who remember Esteban in the days of the Crown Prince and in the early days of his throne were familiar with it.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace was one person. They barely opened their lips, making their mouth dry.
“As I said, Her Majesty seems to be in a deep sleep, Your Majesty.”
“You’re just saying the same thing again and again.”
“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Re-examine her. Find out the cause. If you don’t want to die. Hurry!”
“Yes, yes!”
At Esteban’s fierce threat, the Imperial Palace doctor began the examination again.
Esteban’s eyes were dark as he looked at the sleepy Mabel.
It’s been two days since she opened his eyes.
She wasn’t even attacked, but Mabel couldn’t wake up.
The only clue was the swarm of bees. They examined whether she was stung by a bee, but that wasn’t it either.
‘I was off guard.’
He thought she would be okay as long as she was in the Imperial Palace.
There was a barrier surrounding the entire Imperial Palace, so the risk of attack was extremely low.
So it was rea.s.suring to have one person, Lissandro, by her side.
Among the sword masters, he was a genius who handled the sword delicately.
He thought it would be safe with that amount of escorts, but he didn’t know an attack would happen when Lissandro was taken off.
There was a strong suspicion that there might be a spy inside.
Fortunately, the knight’s skills were not bad, so they were able to hold out until back up came. It would have been irreversible if it was too late.
Esteban gnashed his teeth.
“Gustav. Did you look into it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As we have guessed, five of the forerunners are missing. Their homes were searched, but they left with all their luggage, so it’s most that likely they were bought.”
“Trace them. If anyone tries to conceal their whereabouts, catch them and imprison them. I’ll make them confess myself.”
Would it be a coincidence that the attack took place when the best knight, Lissandro, was removed?
Out of the dozen masked men, only two were successfully captured alive. And as soon as they were caught, they bit their tongues and killed themselves.
The only things that were saved were their long swords and and a dagger, which had no characteristics.
There was only one person that fit the role of the mastermind of the thorough attack.
‘Veron Arthur Devlica.’
The Emperor of the Devlin Empire.
He was Devlin’s sole heir, and he had lost one arm in the ‘Black Gorge Battle’ when he faced Esteban when he was the crown prince.
If he hadn’t run away with a magic wand drawn from his blood, he would have been killed by Esteban.
Since then, Veron had been crazily engaged in his revenge against the Imperial City.
Even when both Veron and Esteban had ascended the throne.
In the meantime, his const.i.tutional physique became weak and his personality became eccentric.
Rumors of so many maids and servants dying that it couldn’t be counted spread all the way to the enemy, Ermano.
‘I should’ve killed him then.’
Esteban regretted the fact that the debt he failed to pay off remained and affected his beloved daughter, who was the most important to him.
“…Mabel.”
He looked down at Mabel with an anxious heart, but there was still no sign of waking up.
The royal physician, who had finished the diagnosis again, shook his head and bowed.
“Her Majesty… seems too have fallen into deep sleep, so she may wake up soon. We will need to wait more and…”
“Soon?”
“Yes.”
“Yes. I’ll take your word for it.”
The royal physician’s face brightened up. Esteban’s words continued as if to laugh at that smile.
“But if Mabel doesn’t wake up by the end of the day, I’ll strike your throat.”
“Huk! However, Your Majesty…!”
“You talk a lot.”
The royal physician knew that the stand-in-Emperor never lied.
‘If the Emperor fails to wake up today, I’ll die.’
There was only one way to live. It was to wake up Mabel. The physician’s hands started fumbling at the thought of dying.
Knock knock.
At then, the sudden knock broke the stifling silence.
“Your Majesty.”
The voice outside the door belonged to Gustav.
“I told you not to let anyone in.”
Esteban’s voice in reply was strong.
Gustav answered peacefully, “It’s His Highness.”
“…Oscar. Come in.”
With Esteban’s permission, Oscar hurried into the bedroom.
“Your Majesty. Is Mabel stil…”
“Yes. She did not wake up.”
“Mabel…”
Dense tears dripped from the light green eyes. Oscar cried silently and clasped Mabel’s little hand.
But Mabel’s hand didn’t hold back.
Oscar’s sad face quickly smeared with anger.
“It’s definitely Devlin’s work, Your Majesty. You cannot leave Devlin alone like this!”
“Yes. I cannot leave them as it is.”
The voice of the sympathetic Esteban was faint. Whether Mabel wakes up or not, Devlin will have to pay immensely.
“I guess that idiot wants to lose the the other arm.”
There was no direct evidence that Devlin was involved, but Esteban didn’t care at all.
“He touched Mabel, so it is destruction.”
“I think the same.”
The father’s and son’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
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The physician’s complexion, who shuddered from the terrifying aura, was now dyed entirely blue.
‘The only thing that can stop that mad Emperor and his son is Her Majesty…!’
Unaware of the royal physician’s heart, Mabel’s eyes sadly stayed closed.
“How about hitting the southwestern part of the country first?”
“Well, it won’t be easy to get there.”
“I see. Your Majesty’s words are right.”
In the midst of the heated discussions to destroy Devlin, Gustav appeared again.
“What now.”
“Um… there is a commotion outside.”
“Commotion? How dare they make a fuss in front of the Imperial Palace.”
He ordered to keep silent on the news that Mabel was not waking up, but he could not completely shut people’s mouths.
The news eventually reached the family members who attended the regular meeting.
As soon as they heard the news, they gathered in front of the Emperor’s palace as if they made an appointment.
“People gathered in front of the palace.”
“Why.”
“They had come running in shock to hear that Her Majesty had fainted, and some even shed tears.”
“…”
Esteban was dumbfounded.
‘Who do they think they are?’
Esteban didn’t like how much attention his subjects showed towards Mabel. He gritted his teeth and gave a warning.
“Tell them if they make any more noise, they will be punished with the death sentence.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Get out.”
As Gustav went out, the bedroom was quiet again. Esteban continued his conversation with Oscar, keeping his eyes on Mabel.
“It would be easier if there was evidence that Devlin was the mastermind.”
“Yes, the masked men destroyed the evidence completely. They gave up and said to look for the person at the barrier who had been bought.”
“I hope the search will be successful.”
Oscar, whose words were blurred, turned his gaze to Mabel. As they kept talking, it was almost midnight.
“It’s late. Go back now, Oscar.”
“…yes, I understand. Your Majesty, will Mabel wake up tomorrow?”
“The physician promised she would wake up today.”
Looking at Mabel’s body, the physician flinched. He had never promised to wake up today, but it already became a fait accompli.
‘Is this how I die?’
The doctor put down his obsession with life, listening to the conversation between the stand-in-Emperor and the Prince.
‘Crazy fatherand son.’
People who didn’t care about people’s lives. Even the little Prince who wasn’t even 10 years old.
He held his breath so many times, listening to them discuss Devlin’s downfall without any concern.
“Then have a peaceful night, Your Majesty.”
“Be careful going back.”
The physician emptied his mind by listening to the night greetings of the father and son.
‘It’s been a wonderful life…’
In the meantime, time ticked away. The tomorrow that wasn’t wanted came.
“Mabel…didn’t wake up.”
With a heartless voice, the royal physician bowed down. He was afraid when death was at his doorstep.
“P-please spare my life!”
“You have to pay for deceiving me.”
“Your Majesty, please…! I have a fox-like wife and a rabbit-like child, sob.”
It was time for the physician to beg for his life.
“Ith loud…” (It’s loud…)
Mabel woke up after three days.
For some reason, my surroundings was too loud. I tried to ignore it and sleep, but I could still hear the conversation.
“Yes, the masked men destroyed the evidence completely. They gave up and said to look for the person who had been bought at the barrier.”
“I hope the search will be successful.”
It was the voice of Oscar and the stand-in-Emperor. I ignored it and kept trying to get more sleep. As soon as I finally got back to sleeping, “Your Majesty, please…! I have a fox-like wife and a rabbit-like child, sob.”
‘What kind of ridiculous line is that.’
I couldn’t help but open my eyes to the mournful voice of the old man.
“Ith loud…” (It’s loud…)
“Mabel!”
As I rubbed my eyes and raised my head, the stand-in-Emperor opened his eyes wide and reached out to me.
“Ah!”
Then, he lifted me up. As soon as I woke up, I was bewildered to be held in the arms of the stand-in-Emperor.
‘Just why is he doing this?’
A trembling hand brushed my head carefully. Like a person who was afraid to give strength.
“Mabel, do you know how surprised I was? You didn’t open your eyes, I was so…”
‘W-what is it. What.’
After a good sleep, my father suddenly got sad.
I couldn’t understand this situation at all.
When I was hoping someone would explain, I made eye contact with the old man who had started to move around.
“Wat…?”
I said one thing to ask for an explanation.
“Your Majesty is this subject’s benefactor!! I will do my best to serve you forever! Please lead the great Empire Ermano right!”
…a vow of fierce loyalty was returned.
It was not long before I could grasp the situation.
“I swee.” (I see.)
‘So I lost consciousness after the masked men left?’
The memory was vague. All of a sudden, I lost all my strength and fainted.
The physician said there was nothing wrong with my body, so I guessed that my fainting might be related to the use of my abilities.
‘Because it was the first time I had communicated with that many creatures.’
At best, I only talked with one mole and three rabbits.
To borrow the kitty’s abilities, I guess my ability hadn’t blossomed all that much yet.
Or my body was too young to handle it.
When I finished figuring out the situation, there was a separate ambush.
‘How do I deal with this human…?’
The stand-in-Emperor whose grasp I can’t escape!
“Go!”
“Even my screaming daughter is so lovable.”
“Mwove!”
“Who dares stand in your way?”
You, you.
“Gwet owt!”
“Do you want to go out? Okay. Let’s go out together.”
“…”
‘No matter what I say, you’re interpreting it as you please.’
It was three days later that I had my own time.
Even though it was time alone, there were a lot of guards around.
Security was tight, but I understood.
In any case, I was the Emperor, and the Emperor was attacked in the middle of the Imperial Palace. It was a problem that could only cause sensitivity.
‘Somebody tried to kill me.’
Every time I thought of the fact, I was surprised without realizing it. I know in my head that there were more guards than before.
After admitting that the situation wouldn’t get better right away, I felt more at ease. So I decided to do what I could.
“Ith bery lwate.” (It’s very late.)
I was waiting for someone while in bed.
‘It’s about time its come.’
What I was waiting for was, Hwiing-.
It was a wasp that I ordered to follow the masked group.