He stepped away from Idyllia and approached the wine glass by the window.

“Die with dignity. That way, I’ll spare the others.”

As Beatrice gloated, Silvio picked up the glass. She commanded forcefully,

“Now, drink it in one go!”

But in the next instant, he said, “I refuse,” and splashed the wine onto Beatrice. Taking advantage of her scream, he grabbed her slender body and, holding her by the ankles, dangled her out of the window upside down. Beatrice’s shrill screams echoed around them.

“Silvio…!” 

Idyllia covered her mouth with her hand. They were on the third floor; if she fell headfirst, she would surely die. Silvio, looking disdainfully at the struggling queen, said,

“Forgive the rough method. I am a crude soldier.”

Then, he sharply commanded the soldiers in the courtyard below,

“If you don’t want me to let go, release the hostages immediately!”

His voice, like that of a commander on the battlefield, resounded through the courtyard. The soldiers, visibly shaken, lowered their swords from the hostages’ necks and looked up at the window.

“You…how dare you…!”

Beatrice, her emotions unrestrained, screamed from within the folds of her dress.

“Kill him! Kill this man! Kill him!”

Her high-pitched voice reverberated through the stone courtyard. However, to the soldiers, the queen’s safety was more important than the life of a foreigner. A captain on the ground shouted,

“Grand Duke Noelheim! Please bring the queen back inside!”

“Release the hostages first!” Silvio responded firmly. 

The queen, still dangling, shouted from within her dress,

“Don’t release them! If you do, he will come back for revenge! Kill him…!”

At that moment, the king, who had been entirely forgotten, stood up at the sound of the queen’s voice.

“Kill them! Kill them all!”

As Beatrice’s voice commanded the soldiers, it suddenly stopped. Her body, no longer supported, fluttered and fell. The soldiers in the courtyard screamed. Idyllia, too, let out a small scream at the sight—Silvio had been body-checked by the king.

“Silvio…?”

He managed not to fall out of the window, but the king held a small knife. When the king released his grip, the knife fell to the floor with a light clatter. Blood quickly spread across Silvio’s back.

“Silvio!!”

Idyllia screamed and rushed to him. One of the Leveaux men hurriedly opened the door.

“Get a doctor!”

Amid the ensuing commotion, soldiers, who had been watching, burst into the room. In front of everyone, the king sat down on the floor.

“He came to kill me… to kill me…”

Silvio touched his wound and, seeing the blood on his fingers, clicked his tongue. He nodded towards the mumbling king and instructed the soldiers.

“As you can see, His Majesty is not in his right mind. Take him to his chamber and guard him.”

“Silvio, don’t speak. Sit down and take it easy…”

Idyllia, with trembling hands, pressed on his wound and helped him to the sofa.

“I’m fine. Stay calm.”

But under his large hand that patted her head, she kept shaking her head repeatedly.

ILLUSTRATION

“Wh-what should I do? There’s so much blood…what should I do?”

“Calm down. It’s a shallow wound. It’s nothing serious.”

“Silvio, please don’t die…!” Her body trembled with fear. Never in her life had she felt such terror. Silvio, in an effort to soothe her, held her gently.

“Shh. It’s alright. Trust me.” He embraced her trembling body firmly. Tears overflowed from Idyllia’s eyes. She pressed her face against him to feel the beat of his heart, wrapping her arms around him to keep him warm.

“Please don’t die…!!” She repeated, sobbing, as he held her tightly and stroked her back like a child.

“I would never leave you behind. If I die, we’ll die together. Isn’t that right?”

“────Yes…yes…” Encouraged by his unwavering voice, she nodded repeatedly and began to calm down. Just then, the summoned doctor arrived and started administering first aid. While being treated, Silvio looked around at the assembled members of the Leveaux family and spoke.

“What the queen said earlier is true. I don’t intend to pretend that the events of five years ago never happened. However, that doesn’t mean I seek equivalent revenge.”

“Then, what do you mean?” someone stepped forward to ask, and Silvio, wincing from the pain, replied.

“I swear on my honour, from now on, anyone who supports me will receive amnesty from the next king. At the very least, they will be spared the death penalty for their involvement in the events five years ago.”

“The next king…?”

“My lord, the King of Mediolam, has a half-brother. His Highness’ mother is from this country’s royal lineage. There will be no deficiency.”

The room fell silent. Essentially, the envoy from the neighbouring country was attempting to replace the king of this country, intending to control it through a puppet monarch. However, despite the humiliating conditions, refusal was not an option.

“…”

The members of the Leveaux family looked at Silvio’s bloodstained hands. The fact that the king had attempted to harm the leader of the envoy sent to negotiate a truce would be a scandal affecting the nation’s honour if it were to become known.

“What will you do?”

At Silvio’s low, short question, they one by one knelt before him.