The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 124

Chapter 124. Confusion (3)

This is a trap!

Realizing that everything was a trap, Emilia ran toward the exit leading to the rear garden.

Huh?

But she was blocked by an unknown force and couldn’t get outside. Della stood in the direction leading to the prince’s palace entrance, and there were no guards today, so even if she screamed, no one would come running.

Left with no choice, she ran up to the second floor using the stairs. Sweat poured down her face like rain.

This place….

She rushed into a room on the second floor and looked around. Judging by the small furniture, it seemed to be the bedroom Louid used as a child. She tried to lock the door, but the latch was broken.

Hah, what do I do?

She looked around the room, but there was nowhere to hide. Louid had once told her that royal bedrooms had hidden spaces and weapons concealed behind furniture, but in her panic, she couldn’t recall any of it. At that moment, she heard Della climbing the stairs.

***

“Your Highness, the intruders have all fled.”

At the main gate of the imperial palace, Alex was reporting to Louid. It was expected. They had only caused a disturbance and showed no real intent to enter the palace.

“Pursue them. Do not let them escape. Capture at least one alive.”

“Yes!”

Alex and the imperial knights began chasing the intruders, and Louid headed toward the prince’s palace. With the situation chaotic today, he planned to bring Emilia to the Crown Prince’s palace first, then go check on the Emperor.

The reason there were no guards at the prince’s palace was because of his own orders. Jamie, Deo, and the other escorts had all been given leave, so today there was no one guarding Emilia.

The reason was simple. He wanted to propose to her in the place where they first met, and in a place where they could be alone.

Of all days, today.

‘Emilia could be in danger.’

Growing anxious, he began running toward the prince’s palace. It was his mistake to leave her without guards.

“…?”

He rushed into the prince’s palace at incredible speed, then abruptly stopped at the sharp smell in the air. Lina lay collapsed on the lobby floor, and charred snakes were scattered everywhere.

“Emilia?”

After checking the first floor and confirming she wasn’t there, he ran up to the second floor.

“Emilia?”

In a bedroom on the second floor, an unfamiliar woman stood there. She was reaching out her hand toward Emilia, who was cornered.

“Louid! Get away.”

Seeing him, Emilia shouted desperately.

“So the Crown Prince has come to me on his own. This works out well.”

Della lowered the hand that had been aimed at Emilia and smiled viciously.

“Who are you?” Louid shouted.

What is this? The poison should have spread by now. Why is he fine?

Della’s expression turned strange. She had heard that a spy Ian planted in the palace had put Serot poison in the tea the Emperor and the Crown Prince drank today. So they should have been weakened. Yet the Crown Prince looked completely unharmed.

“My daughter is dying because of that bitch.”

After a moment of confusion, Della pointed at Emilia and ground her teeth.

“Are you Lina’s birth mother?” Louid asked with a confused expression. No matter how he looked at her, she was not the marquess’s wife.

“That’s right.”

“What happened here?”

Pretending to question her, Louid slowly moved toward Emilia.

“Well….”

Instead of answering, Della stretched both hands toward him.

“Get away, Louid.”

At that moment, Emilia stepped in front of him and blocked the flames. Unlike Lina, the fire Della sent was powerful enough to push her body backward. Emilia gathered every ounce of strength she had and held the flames back.

“Emilia! What’s going on?”

Louid couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes. The woman claiming to be Lina’s birth mother was spewing fire from her fingertips, and Emilia was blocking the blaze.

Black magic.

His face filled with shock.

“Gasp. S-save… me….”

At that moment, Lina’s voice came from the stairs.

“Lina!”

As Emilia called her name, Della’s gaze shifted backward.

Not missing the chance, Louid swung his sword at Della. The blade pierced straight through the center of her chest.

“Watch out.”

At the same time, Louid threw himself over Emilia. In that instant, the flames Della released struck his back directly.

“Louid!”

“Louid Richert, Emilia Richert. You will be cursed until the seal is broken.”

Without saying where the seal was placed, Della collapsed to the floor, blood spilling as she fell. Louid also dropped to his knees, his head bowed forward, completely motionless.

“Louid?”

Emilia, trapped in his arms, called out to him. No matter how many times she called, he didn’t respond.

It must be the shock from being hit by the flames.

Emilia thought he was momentarily stunned from the impact. Fortunately, since the flames came from Della, who had already been weakened after being struck by the sword, his back didn’t catch fire.

‘Louid said there’s a secret passage in the prince’s palace too.’

She remembered Louid telling her months ago that there was a secret passage in the prince’s palace.

She didn’t know whether the black mage was dead or unconscious, but either Della or Lina could wake up at any moment.

Emilia felt behind the frame hanging beside the fireplace, just as Louid had told her. Fortunately, there was a recessed spot. When she pressed it, a hidden door in the wall opened silently.

Louid remained kneeling in the same position without moving. Having exhausted all her strength blocking the flames, Emilia used her last bit of energy to grab his clothes and drag him toward the wall. Then, with great effort, she pulled him into the secret passage and closed the hidden door.

She kept talking to him, trying to bring him back to his senses. She didn’t even realize what she was saying.

“Louid, stay with me.”

Just moments after she disappeared into the fireplace, Ian came up the stairs. He intended to deal with Louid, who should have been weakened by poison by now, and take Emilia with him.

What is this….

At the horrific scene before his eyes, he was left speechless. On the stairs lay Lina, her entire body turned bluish, and inside the second-floor room, Della lay sprawled on the ground with blood pouring from her chest.

“I told you to hold Emilia in place. When did I tell you to do this?” he shouted in anger, but neither woman woke up.

Frowning at the blood-soaked and charred surroundings, he began searching for Emilia.

“Emilia!”

His voice echoed throughout the prince’s palace as he called out her name.

“Your Highness… please save me.”

At that moment, a faint voice called out to him. It was Lina, collapsed on the second-floor stairs. Ian roughly grabbed her head and forced her to look at him.

“What happened?”

“Mother… gasp. Emilia has a strange ring. Hah. Please… save me.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to touch Emilia? Speak! Where did Emilia go?”

“I don’t know. Please, p-please save me.”

“Damn it.”

Ian roughly released Lina’s neck that he had been gripping. Her head slammed hard against the floor, and she lost consciousness again.

Whether she lived or died, Emilia was the only thing on his mind. This was his only chance.

While Louid was weakened by poison, he needed to deal with him and quickly take Emilia and escape the imperial palace. The Billiot soldiers he had secretly brought into the country over several months were drawing the imperial knights away, but their numbers were small and time was limited. He needed to leave the palace before they were discovered.

The bedroom was quiet. As if no one were there. But that couldn’t be. Louid and Emilia had definitely been here just moments ago.

“Emilia?”

Ian called her name as he searched every corner of the bedroom.

Since this is the prince’s palace, there must be a secret passage in the bedroom….

As a prince himself, he knew that there were secret passages in royal bedrooms. But no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find the entrance. Touching, pushing, and pulling at the wall decorations did nothing.

Perfectly hidden. I can’t find it. Rage boiled up inside him.

“Emilia?”

He called her name again in a thunderous voice. Loud enough to be heard even through the walls.

‘That’s Prince Ian’s voice. Why is he here?’

Emilia trembled as she held Louid tightly. Something was wrong. Ian shouldn’t be here unless he was working with Lina.

“Gasp!”

Prince Ian is Lina’s accomplice? The thought, something she had never imagined, struck her with shock.

Unable to find the secret passage, Ian shouted loudly toward the wall.

“Emilia, become my wife. I love you. Please come out.”

He tried to kill Louid and me. He’s on Lina’s side.

Emilia wasn’t fooled.

Holding Louid tightly, she held her breath. She was afraid Ian might find the entrance to the secret passage.