The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 132

Chapter 132. The Night the Black Moon Rises (2)

That afternoon, a meeting of the ministers was held in the main palace.

“Asher Dalton is hereby granted the title of duke and appointed as Minister of State. Duke Dalton, step forward.”

Louid’s solemn voice echoed through the meeting hall. The position of Minister of State in the Richert Empire had been held by Duke Berthe for decades, and now Asher had become the new Minister of State.

At that moment, the relaxed expression on the Marquess of Carrion’s face changed completely. Since Duke Berthe had been eliminated, the position of Minister of State should naturally have been his. Recently, Louid had trusted him, so he had assumed he would be appointed. But that brat.

“Ha….”

While everyone applauded, only the Marquess of Carrion sat there with a stiff expression, letting out a deep breath.

‘I should have told Prince Ian to kill Asher.’

He regretted not asking Ian to kill Asher while he was in the Kingdom of Billiot. At this point, the only option left was for Lina to wake up as soon as possible.

Once Lina woke up, he would persuade Louid, who believed he loved her, to marry her, and they would hold the Emperor and Empress coronation.

‘Then I’ll become the Emperor’s father-in-law.’

He decided to yield the position of Minister of State for now, but that brat would have to be dealt with eventually.

He glared at Asher, who was receiving the appointment letter from Louid, and comforted himself inwardly, thinking, ‘The Emperor is my son-in-law.’ Even so, he couldn’t hide his bitterness.

As soon as he returned to his office as the new Minister of State, Asher ordered a subordinate to bring documents on the structure of Peric Prison, the number of guards, and the list of prisoners. After skimming through the documents, he handed them to Damian and told him to use them as reference.

Damian studied the materials Asher gave him and familiarized himself with the structure of Peric Prison. Peric Prison stood atop a high cliff, surrounded by the sea, and with constant heavy waves crashing against it, making escape impossible.

‘Even so, there must be a weakness. If it’s to save Emilia, I’ll do anything.’

With firm resolve, he quickly moved forward with his plan. Even if it meant dying in her place, he had to save her no matter what.

***

Emilia sat quietly today as well, leaning against the wall while holding her doll. Her head felt dizzy, and her stomach churned. She had always been weak, but recently her condition had worsened due to morning sickness. Today as well, she had barely managed to eat a bite of bread in the morning, only to throw it all up and collapse in exhaustion.

‘This is how it always was anyway.’

Thinking about it, there had rarely been a time in her life when she was truly healthy. She had become much healthier after marrying Louid, but now she had returned to how she used to be.

It was hard back then, but it was fun.

As she recalled the past, a faint smile curved her lips. One by one, she remembered Louid making her train harshly in swordsmanship, teaching her horseback riding himself, and giving her a dagger as a gift.

What happened to the dagger?

The dagger had been taken by a soldier during the body search before she was escorted away. That day, when she was attacked by Della, everything had happened so suddenly that she didn’t even have time to grab it. If Louid hadn’t come, she wouldn’t be alive right now.

“There’s nothing left to remember him by.”

She murmured quietly and gave a bitter smile. Even when she had been confined in the underground prison of the imperial palace and handed over all her jeweled accessories to the soldiers, she had not surrendered the dagger strapped to her leg, but even that had been taken from her, leaving her with nothing that could remind her of Louid.

I wonder if Jamie and Deo, Helen and Lucy are doing well.

They must have been very shocked.

I miss them all. The one I miss the most is….

Her nose stung. Turning her head, she looked out the window with moist eyes. On clear days, the far end of the land could be seen faintly as a tiny speck. The person she longed for was there, in a place she could no longer reach.

I wonder if he’s doing well.

“Urgh.”

Even though she hadn’t eaten anything, nausea surged up again.

I’ll die here. Alone, and lonely.

She stared out at the distant sea, thinking about her own death.

“Huh?”

At that moment, something moved inside her belly. It was a gentle, rippling movement, like a wave. It wasn’t a kick, but it was a sign that life was there.

‘Right. I’m not alone. I have you.’

The moment she realized the existence of the fetus, her face brightened. Life suddenly returned to her body, which had been drooping.

‘I’m sorry, my baby. Why did I think I was alone when I have you?’

Apologizing to the baby in her womb in her heart, she went to find the bread she had pushed aside in the corner and took a bite. She also drank down the water left in the small kettle.

I’ve been thinking only about myself. This won’t do. I need to pull myself together for the child.

Just as she had once been unexpectedly able to leave the tower at the ducal estate, no one could know what would happen in the future. Enduring the nausea, she forced herself to swallow the bread and water.

‘That’s strange. Why is there no sound?’

That night, she realized she could no longer hear the roaring waves that had always been so loud. She got up and leaned her head out of the small window.

“…?”

She glanced down without thinking, then widened her eyes in shock.

Why is the sea frozen?

The waves that used to crash loudly against the prison walls were gone, and part of the seawater had frozen.

In the books she had read, she had never seen anything about the sea freezing, yet the white mass before her was clearly ice. No matter how many times she blinked, it didn’t change.

Did the ice drift here? Or did the sea freeze?

“My goodness. Maybe… we might be able to survive.”

Placing a hand on her belly, she murmured in a small voice. Then she covered her mouth with one hand. There were no guards outside the door anyway, but someone might still hear.

If the sea freezes, could I escape by walking?

But how would I get out?

They say no one has ever escaped from here….

Questions led to more questions. Hope appeared, then despair followed. But thinking of the baby in her womb, she couldn’t give up even the faintest possibility.

It seems like I could squeeze through the window….

The window of the room she was confined in was about the same size as the one in the cabin storage where she had been held when she was kidnapped from the grand ducal territory. Perhaps because it stood atop a cliff with the sea below, there were no bars, as if they assumed escape was impossible.

‘It’s much lower than the tower at the ducal estate.’

Although the building stood on a cliff, it was lower than the tower at the ducal estate where she had been. Even so, it was a dizzying height to jump from, and she could not swim.

‘If the sea freezes, I could walk across it, but getting down to the ground is the problem.’

She began to think every day about how to get down from the tower.

Half a month later. On a day in late December, when the walls of Peric Prison had turned as hard as ice, a single ship arrived at Peric Island.

***

“You were sent by the Minister of State?”

“Yes, that is correct. I was told to inspect the prison facilities and report on the condition of all the prisoners.”

In the warden’s office of Peric Prison, a man who claimed to be the aide of Duke Asher sat on the sofa, speaking with the warden. He was a man with delicate features, almost like a woman. Having come alone by a small boat rowed by a boatman from the harbor, he emphasized the word ‘all.’

“Since it’s an order from the Minister of State, of course we must comply. Please look around as you wish and make yourself comfortable… ah, right! I forgot this is a prison. You can stay in the guard quarters, though it may be a bit uncomfortable.”

The warden broke into a cold sweat despite the winter weather, carefully watching the man’s reaction. The aide was essentially the duke’s right hand, someone difficult to meet even once. Since he had the chance, he needed to make a good impression.

“It’s fine. Everyone must be working hard in such a difficult place.”

“It’s not easy being separated from our families.”

“I can imagine. I’ll be sure to speak well of this when I return to the duke.”

“I would be very grateful for that. Haha.”

At his words, the warden burst into loud laughter, clearly pleased.

“If a guard accompanies me, I won’t be able to inspect properly, so I’ll look around alone and return in a few days. Please just give me the prison keys.”

“Yes, of course. Please do so. If you need anything, feel free to tell me at any time.”

“Yes.”

Damian stayed at Peric Prison for three days, inspecting the facilities and the prisoners. Since his report would affect them as well, the warden and guards kept their promise, staying away and cooperating fully.

Three days later, as the sun was setting in the western sky, Damian headed to the warden’s office holding a large bottle of wine. He had arranged to have dinner with the warden before leaving.

Today was the day he had set to carry out his plan. If he failed, both Emilia and he would be led to the execution block. His hand trembled slightly as he knocked on the warden’s door. But his face was filled with unwavering resolve.