I’m not your enemy
I stopped breathing. Because I was shaken by those words. Crazy Empress, the last time I saw her was just right for the name. Soon, the man handed me a letter. As he held out the letter, I didn’t let go of my vigilance and received the letter. Ricdorian from behind told me not to go, but I didn’t feel any danger.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“… What you feared would happen, she said. Lady will know everything.”
As I pa.s.sed the two men’s calls, I reflected on the man’s words. I reached a conclusion.
‘…… As expected, she’s lost her mind, the Empress.’
I saw the letter crumpled in my hand. Opening it slowly, the words in the letter were as I had expected. I have reached my limit, I am writing this letter with all my heart. A sketch was drawn at the end of the paper. It was a pretty detailed map.
‘What is with the map?’
The man kept his place while I read the letter.
“Once you get out of this cell, run straight west.”
He said as soon as I read it all and raised my head.
“The Empress’s final arrangement is there.”
He put on his cloak again. Then, without hesitation, he stepped back. His job has ended, and the rest seems to be irrelevant. His att.i.tude felt like he was drawing a line.
“Just follow the directions drawn at the end of the paper. You can use it according to what was written there.”
“I know. If this letter is true, then there……”
“Yes. Her Majesty has made a way for you to go right where you want to go.”
The destination must be Kambrakam.
“Be careful, Her Majesty has already taken over that area.”
“What? Wait, not yet!”
I reached out to grab the man that was retreating hastily. However, my hand did not reach the man and instead grabbed the grate.
“Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to get out of here?”
The Empress’s letter a.s.sumed that I would be taken to the imperial palace, but there was nothing about escaping from the cell.
Hey, is he not coming down the hallway? This is crazy. The man walked away without looking back. Even though I couldn’t stand it and shouted some more, the door was mercilessly closed.
“Wait, wait a minute. Hey! Huh. Crazy.”
This is ridiculous. What is the point of having a pa.s.sage? I can’t even take the chain off right now! I usually don’t feel much agitation or anger, but I couldn’t stand this now. As I couldn’t contain my anger and banged on the grate,
“Hey, Iana. You don’t have to be so angry.”
I heard a calming voice behind me. When I turned my head, Ricdorian was facing exactly in the direction I was in. When I saw him wearing the blindfold, something filled me up with tears.
“But Ricdorian. Are you saying that now?”
It was a situation where I, who was the strongest, could not use my power properly. Then, Ricdorian and Chaser were also having difficulty moving.
“This is the situation!”
It just felt frustrating that we couldn’t go out right away. Ricdorian continued to talk to me, comforting me with a calm and friendly voice. Oddly enough, I usually played the role of calming him down, but right now, the role was reversed.
It was fine until I found out I had pa.s.sed out for so long. We had to reach Kambrakam within the set time!
“Your words are always comforting, but Ricdorian, I don’t think it’s okay for now.”
I muttered as I put my handcuffed hands on my forehead.
“… I mean, it shouldn’t have failed. You know.”
Above all, the ultimate goal of this operation is to extend Ricdorian’s lifespan. This man’s life was at stake. He shook his head.
“No. Iana.…… I mean, you can get out of this cell without getting angry.”
“What? Is that real?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you saying that now? …. No, I got agitated. Ha….”
I paused, clenching my forehead. But how? HOW? I looked at Ricdorian and Chaser alternately. One has his whole body tied with chains and is wearing a blindfold, and the other is hanging from the wall? And I’m also wearing handcuffs. I couldn’t understand.
“How?”
“Iana. Do you know my position?”
“Yes. The Grand Duke, I answered earlier, didn’t I?”
Ricdroan bit his lip and let out a rough breath. He looked like a man before saying something he didn’t like. Finally, a few words came out from the tip of his lips.
“…… What is over there’s position?”
“That man? He’s…… a Duke.”
“Then, Iana. Questions.”
Chaser’s voice suddenly intervened.
“How long can the Empress hold the Grand Duke and the Duke? They are also the head of the two major powers that separate the power from the Empress.”
“What?”
“How many people have seen it, taking us who had fallen?”
There must have been more or less their men or knights during the two’s struggle, as Ricdorian and Chaser would not have moved alone……. Did they see the Empress taking the two of them?
“It’s already been three days.”
Chaser tilted his head and grinned. It was a dizzying smile.
“Actually, I waited three days. I don’t think I’ll ever see you sleeping again.”
At that moment, a popping noise was heard. I stared at the ceiling with amazement.
Stones and dust fell from the sky. At the top, I could see a wall that had been torn apart. Chaser had just torn the wall apart. He did not stop there, but glanced at the chains that still bound him, then trampled on it with his feet and pulled it tight.
At the same time, a dark blue energy arose and the iron corroded.
“You…….”
“Of course, I was also waiting for an opportunity.”
Chaser, who was still in handcuffs but waved his hand with an innocent face, smiled softly.
“Don’t make a fuss.”
At the same time, there was the sound of something being torn and crumbling. I quickly turned my head.
Bang!
A wind of dust blew with a huge roar. Through the sinking wind, I could see the grate had fallen.
Then the half-cut chain thumped and fell to the floor. And I could see a large body blocking mine. It was Ricdorian.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Chaser smiled leisurely. The dust fluttering in the wind seemed to express the tension at this moment.
“Red Rose, did you foresee this situation too?”
At the same time as Chaser said so, a shout was heard from far away. I heard voices, but I knew it clearly. With the sound of huge footsteps, the sound of many people moving.
“Your power, my power. Those who have taken an alliance will come here, none other than to find you and me.”
Chaser’s formal tone was languid and sarcastic at the same time.
“It’s just something I’ve been waiting for. We can get out of here as Iana wishes.”
No, that’s wrong. Chaser was not included in the situation where I was hoping to get out. Chaser narrowed his eyes.
“At least it should be based on the premise that you and I are not fighting here. Do you agree?”
“…….”
“If we have to fight, it will become a civil war. Then it will be what the Empress wants.”
A black energy began to fluctuate next to Chaser after he said that. What the haze-like energy created was a giant jaguar and a huge bird.
It was Chaser’s guardian deity that I knew well. I sighed quietly, looking at Rattan and Aquala. Seeing him as an enemy, I couldn’t help but think that he was terrifying.
Pudding is still in me. It would be nice if I could call my guardian deity. It’s a very intimidating proposal for an alliance.
“Who said about holding hands with you?”
“Well, you didn’t take any action. I thought you agreed with me?”
“No.”
Ricdorian looked at Chaser with a fierce face and slowly turned his eyes away. He looked like he was asking me what I wanted to do. I couldn’t speak for a while. It was because I had forgotten the situation and felt unfamiliar with his appearance.
‘Certainly, Chaser was Ricdorian’s mortal enemy with a grudge that he will never forget.’
Ricdorian’s face was no longer a pa.s.sive gaze that blindly handed over the decision to me. Rather, it was as if he had literally left his decision to me.
The belief that he was ready to do anything with me.
It may not have been a long time since I gave advice, but my heart ached for nothing at the change.
You really do whatever I want.
I slowly turned my head.
For some reason, Ricdorian and Chaser released their chains, but I couldn’t. There may be some other way. If we fight in this small cell, it will be a loss to each other. It was especially disadvantageous for us, who were short on time.
“Chaser.”
My lips opened and Chaser flinched for a moment as my call flowed out smoothly. I noticed the agitation in his red eyes, and then slowly opened my eyes.
Then I lowered my gaze slightly. Don’t make eye contact for more than 8 seconds, remember this.
“You want to get out like that?”
The more the red eyes fluttered, the better it was for me. I had to see the gap. I blinked as I gently stroked the chest exposed through Ricdorian’s ripped shirt.
“But you and Ricdorian are easily unchained, so why am I still unable to use my powers?”
“Iana, that’s…….”
“There is no trick, Iana.”
The two men spoke at once, as if competing.
“Iana, every Rose learns to break free from power-binding tools as a child.”
“Young heirs are p.r.o.ne to being kidnapped.”
“Things like that are usually committed by you, Black Rose.”
“Ah, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe either. Look, did the previous Emperor go crazy for a day or two? They’ve been tormenting the roses whenever they’ve gone mad.”
I cut Chaser’s words and interrupted.
“So how did you get out?”
Chaser raised one eyebrow, then calmly talked about how to do it.
“…… Instead of focusing your power on the handcuffs, think of it as applying pressure on the outside, on the surface.”
Chaser explained. This method was simpler than I thought, but it was close to a trick or expedient that would be difficult to think of under normal circ.u.mstances.
‘Concentrating the power outside and corroding…….’
Then, a force that had never arisen before no matter how hard I tried, formed in the air. Soon, my handcuffs cracked and shattered. The handcuffs, cut in half, fell to the floor.
The moment the handcuffs fell, a tense silence pa.s.sed between us.
“Iana, I’m not your enemy.”
Like a snake seducing a person, a soft and gentle voice flows from Chaser.
“At least for now.”
He didn’t erase his smile.
“You think so, don’t you?”
As Chaser said, the enemy right now is not him, but that does not mean that he is not an enemy. Putting him behind my back, he will surely hit my back in the future.
I can’t stop here and deal with him. What to do?
Should I say ‘shall we hold hands for a moment?’. A lot of thoughts ran through my mind in a short amount of time. Even while I was thinking, I felt a gaze from Chaser antic.i.p.ating what I was about to do.
Then as I was going to open my mouth.
CRASH!
The floor vibrated violently. No, it wasn’t the floor. It was a vibration coming down from the ceiling, upstairs. A large stone fell from the ceiling as if it had received great power from above. It was part of the broken ceiling.
Starting with that, the ceiling collapsed like dominoes.
“Iana!”
I didn’t panic.
“Ricdorian, hold me!”