Chapter 613
Not far from the mansion.

Hale and Nakina soon found a small cabin. It looked like a storage shed for the mansion’s supplies. A handful of soldiers guarding the place noticed their approach and glanced upward.

“Is Lady Kyla here?”

“A mage? Why would a mage be here—?”

“Your master told us where Lady Kyla is. People will arrive soon. Before that, we need to check on her condition.”

While Hale explained the situation, Nakina strode forward and flung open the cabin door. The stench of rotting wood and blood hit them immediately. Nakina’s brow furrowed, but she pressed on and found Kyla slumped in a corner, bound and barely conscious.

“My lady, are you alright? I’m Nakina from the Mage Department.”

“Ugh…”

Kyla groaned weakly, unable to gather her senses. Her black hair was matted with dried blood. Her skin was covered in bruises, and deep cuts from blades marked her flesh—clear signs of torture.

“Lady Kyla, try to focus. Can you stand?”

“My ankles… they’re broken.”

“Both?”

“Yes, both.”

Nakina rolled up Kyla’s pant legs and gasped. Both ankles were twisted at unnatural angles.

At that moment, the soldiers came inside to gather their gear, offering excuses.

“It’s not like we did it on purpose… she tried to escape twice, so, ahem.”

“We warned her we’d break her if she ran off, right?”

“Yeah, but she ignored us. What else could we do?”

“Shut your mouths.”

Nakina snapped at them, and they coughed nervously, glancing anxiously at the two mages. No one really knew what was going on upstairs.

‘They haven’t confessed yet. Will they be reprimanded?’

‘Who knows. Since the mages are here, maybe Bariel’s side worked something out. They probably won’t say much.’

‘Damn it, I told you. She’s a ruthless woman. Just cutting and tearing isn’t enough.’

‘You think you’re so smart. The higher-ups told us not to touch her. What else can we do?’

As the soldiers exchanged glares, the sound of approaching footsteps came from outside. Lady Danit, riding hard on horseback, had arrived.

She rushed inside, taking in the horrific scene: blood-soaked floor, scattered blades, and her daughter cradled in Nakina’s arms, unable to stand.

“Kyla!”

“Ah…”

Danit called out in anguish. Startled, Kyla melted into her mother’s embrace, and the two clung to each other, breathing deeply for a long moment.

After a while, Danit cupped Kyla’s trembling cheeks and asked softly.

“…Are you alright?”

“Yes, Mother. I’m fine.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m unharmed.”

Though she couldn’t move a finger, Kyla gave a faint smile and nodded.

Tears welled in Danit’s eyes as she hugged her daughter again. Then, glaring at the soldiers watching from behind, she reached for a sword lying on the floor, ready to deliver death to those who had drawn her daughter’s blood.

“Mother.”

But Kyla grabbed her arm, as if urging her to leave the cabin quickly. She shook her head gently and whispered.

“What happened?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I see. Let’s get out of here first. I’m feeling weak.”

Danit’s face twisted as if she might break down in tears, but instead of the sword, she took Kyla’s hand.

“Mage, please.”

“Yes, my lady. Let me carry you. We’ll head straight to Bariel’s camp. There are healers there—you just need to hold on a little longer. Captain Hale!”

“Understood. Go ahead. I’ll clean up here.”

“Lady Danit, please hold onto my arm as well.”

As Nakina firmly embraced the mother and daughter and took to the sky, Hale turned back to the soldiers. They hesitated, then raised their hands in surrender.

“We were just following orders.”

“Yeah, what choice did we have, living like this?”

“Still, we went easy on her. Two of our comrades died capturing that woman. We treated her decently, no cutting corners…”

Hale listened quietly, lighting a fresh cigarette and surveying them with a wry expression. Their excuses were pathetic.

The men awkwardly scratched their heads, forcing weak smiles, when the sound of multiple horse hooves thundered behind them.

Clatter, clatter!

Hiiing!

Reinforcements from the Royalist faction had arrived.

The soldiers brightened and rushed to greet them.

“Hey! What’s going on here?”

“The mage just—! Ugh!”

“Gah! Ack!”

Without hesitation, the Royalist soldiers swung their swords at the newcomers. Unable to openly expose the Holin family’s crimes, they were cutting loose to avoid implicating themselves—worried that the mere fact of torturing the lady would be used against them.

“Mage, are you alright? These scoundrels were ordered to be dealt with.”

“This is the property of the Burgos royal family. We’ll take care of it now. If you’ve seen Lady Kyla, please leave.”

“The Mage Department Minister, your superior, has also passed away. No further instructions were given.”

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

The soldiers collapsed forward, clutching their bleeding necks. Hale frowned slightly, as if the taste of his cigarette had soured.

---

“My lady, please open your mouth.”

At Bariel’s camp, two healing mages and several military doctors gathered around Kyla. When she opened her mouth, one mage clicked her tongue sympathetically.

“All your teeth are gone. Were you hit with a blunt object? The inside of your tongue is badly injured, too.”

“I didn’t see because of the mask… but yes, that seems likely.”

“How’s your vision? Try opening your right and left eyes alternately. Can you see clearly?”

“My right eye… I can’t see.”

Kyla had trained with a sword all her life, never slacking in her discipline. But this nightmare was on another level. She had killed someone for the first time—and been beaten nearly to death. The humiliation and merciless violence revealed a new, brutal world.

Danit stood against the wall, nervously picking at her fingertips as she watched her daughter’s condition.

“I’ll channel magic to numb the pain. We’ll start stitching your wounds, beginning with your right arm. Don’t tense up, my lady. The magic will ease the pain.”

“Yes, understood.”

After dozens of cuts, what was a little stitching? Kyla nodded calmly, but the sight broke Danit’s heart so deeply she had to look away.

Ziiing… ziiing.

Fortunately, the treatment went smoothly. Internal organ damage was noted but not life-threatening. With time, the healing would continue.

“…Are we almost done?”

“Yes? Yes, almost. Is there any other discomfort?”

“Excuse me, but I’d like to speak with my mother alone for a moment. Please give us some privacy.”

At Kyla’s request, the mages and doctors hurriedly left the tent.

What did she want to say? Danit knelt beside her daughter’s bed, meeting her gaze.

“What is it, Kyla?”

“Mother, I have something to say—and a request.”

“Anything, anything at all. I’ll grant it. Those who did this to you—I’ll tear them limb from limb and scatter them across Burgos. Let the beasts devour them. That’s what I’ll do.”

Danit took Kyla’s right hand and pressed it to her forehead, swearing vengeance.

Kyla stared into the distance for a moment, then spoke carefully.

“I know I will never forget what I’ve been through. Deep inside, a fear of them has taken root.”

“Oh, Kyla…”

“But I don’t want to live in fear of anyone. I want to live as myself, unbound by anything. That was your teaching, wasn’t it?”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I’m certain of this: the only way to erase the fear lodged deep in my heart is to personally eliminate everything I hate.”

Was the object of her hatred the men in the cabin who had tortured her? No. The root lay with the Royalist faction’s commanders who had given the orders.

“Mother, I don’t want to return to Bariel. I want to stay here, wipe out the Royalists, and make them suffer the same pain I endured. More than that, I want to destroy the very reason they exist.”

Danit was silent, searching for words. Kyla had a path only she could walk.

By asserting her claim as a branch of the Rankvis family and becoming the center of Burgos, Kyla was destined to become Bariel’s empress—a bridge between the two nations.

The future of the Holin family, brighter than ever in both Burgos and Bariel, lay before them.

“Kyla, even as Bariel’s empress, you can achieve what you desire.”

“No. It’s impossible. The Empress of Bariel is not the rightful ruler of Burgos. I intend to claim the throne of Burgos for myself and build a future that goes in a completely different direction than what they desire. That is the only way to truly destroy them—and to erase the fear that lives inside me.”

Her voice was resolute. This was the conviction she had clung to through countless agonizing nights in that dark, cramped cabin.

Lady Danit pressed her forehead with a troubled expression, then closed her eyes. She understood Kayla’s feelings, but giving up the title of Empress was such a bitter loss. After all, she had no other daughters born of her own womb…

“Kayla, you’re overwhelmed by emotion right now. Why don’t we take some time and think this through calmly and rationally?”

Danit gently stroked her daughter’s hair, but Kayla gripped her hand tightly in response. There would be no changing her mind. Seeing this, the mother bit her lip. In moments like this, she couldn’t help but notice how much Kayla resembled herself.

“I don’t make decisions based on emotion. Whether my feelings burn hot or cool down, my choice remains the same.”

“Ah… You said you admired His Majesty the Emperor. Coming to Burgos and facing all this danger wasn’t just about saving a cursed family. When you think of the Empress’s throne, I’ve seen it—your eyes truly sparkle beautifully.”

Despite Lady Danit’s persistent coaxing, Kayla let out a faint smile.

“Yes, Mother. I can’t deny that. I do admire His Majesty. That’s why I chose to face this danger, and I don’t regret it. But—”

Just as she had made a choice back then, she was about to make another now. Choosing what she wanted in this very moment.

“I love myself more. My care for myself outweighs even my feelings for His Majesty. So, I will choose Burgos over Bariel. For my own sake.”