Chapter 17

The air around him throbbed stronger than ever, but his belief in his sword was more powerful than anything. He stepped, and pulled the sword above his head. His strength was stronger than it had ever been before.

Shiing-! The moment the sword and the barrier clashed, Uriel didn’t miss the crack that appeared in the barrier. He pushed the sword through the crack. Shock reverberated through his body.

Clang!

She knew it instinctively. The barrier had been broken. Uriel threw himself onto the bed, and his gleaming silver sword swung through the air. Its tip stopped an inch from the girl’s forehead.

The silence was stifling. With only a sword between them, their eyes clashed. He could see her pupils getting larger. She was panting.

“You…”

Her voice trembled. The corner of Uriel’s lips lifted in satisfaction. She was nervous.

Barely a foot apart, the two stared at each other. Neither of them moved. Then–

Bang!

The bedroom door slammed open, and a middle-aged man rushed in.

Swish! Thud!

Uriel’s attention had been focused on the girl, and he barely had enough time to react. The man’s dagger flew towards him and lodged in his left shoulder.

*****

Sid jumped forward and pinned the robed man to the floor. He didn’t resist.

“Sorry for being late, Your Highness. Please punish me later.”

Apollonia didn’t answer him. She couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. Just now… the barrier had…

She’d thought it was impossible, but her eyes weren’t wrong. That black-robed man must have severed the barrier. There was no other way that his sword would’ve been able to get so close.

It had only been a brief second, but for that moment their eyes had met, she’d realized he was capable of killing her in an instant.

Nevertheless, he was now being held captive by Sid with a dagger lodged in his shoulder.

“Get me a chair. I’ll interrogate him myself.”

Without looking away from the man, Apollonia waved at Sid. Sid brought a chair and put it in front of the kneeling man. Apollonia slowly walked towards him.

“Take it off.”

Sid pulled off the robe that covered his head with the tip of his sword. Moonlight flooded onto his face. Apollonia’s eyes grew wide. Sid shrugged in shock.

The boy kneeling on the floor was the same age as Apollonia.

His appearance was truly beautiful. His soft silvery hair shimmered softly, as if it were made of strands of moonlight. His distinct pair of eyes and his sharp jawline resembled a perfect statue. His slightly downturned eyebrows were delicate, as if they’d been drawn by a brush, and his red lips flushed in a cupid’s bow.

He was like an angel, one who represented all the beauty in the world. His azure eyes, deep as the sea, were overflowing with life and vivacity. It wasn’t specifically directed at Apollonia or Sid, it was just his natural intelligence.

“I can’t believe it. This little brat…” Sid was in shock. “Is he really one of Safiro’s wolves?”

“I’m sure of it. Safiro is the only person capable of sending an assassin to the imperial palace so quickly. I knew there were only a few wolves left, but I didn’t anticipate there would be such a talented person.”

“….Safiro’s wolves.”

A low, tranquil voice chimed across the quiet room. The boy opened his eyes for a moment once she realized his identity. Soon the boy’s eyes were fixed again on Apollonia’s foot, and he refused to say any more.

“Are you here to kill me?”

The boy kept silent. Apollonia accepted that as positive confirmation, and laughed bitterly.

“I know my aunt doesn’t really want to get her own hands dirtied with my blood.”

At that comment, the boy’s forehead creased slightly. Apollonia saw it, and continued.

“Do you know who I am?”

When he shook his head, Apollonia beckoned Sid to remove his sword from the boy’s neck. Then she gently reached out and grabbed the boy’s chin.

“Look carefully.”

The two once again looked into each other’s eyes. The boy’s angelic eyes glistened softly. But his mouth wouldn’t open.

“You must have been shocked to learn that the person you needed to kill was a young woman. Not only that, but also Petra’s niece and the daughter of Gaius Liefer.”