So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Late at night.

The sitting room of the Grand Duke’s townhouse felt like walking on thin ice.

“I told you to move.”

Xavier’s low voice carried a blade-sharp chill.

Blocking his way, Crown Prince Callian swallowed dryly without meaning to.

They had grown up together—close enough to feel like brothers. Yet Callian had never once felt such direct killing intent from Xavier.

Still, he couldn’t just let him go.

Running a hand through his bangs as if stifling his frustration, Callian shouted,

“If you start tearing the place apart now, you’ll only be admitting to treason! Hyung—please, get a grip!”

“……”

But Xavier only looked down at him in silence.

Move. Now.

In those blue-violet eyes, roiling with rage, there wasn’t a single trace of reason left.

“Treason?”

A thin breath slipped between his teeth.

“How is going to save my wife treason?”

“…We still don’t know anything for sure,” Callian said tightly. “Even now, the knights are searching everywhere for the Grand Duchess. So calm down and wait for the reports—”

“And if Renée is hurt while we wait?”

Just as Callian suspected—Xavier wasn’t in his right mind.

A single day without Renée had been unbearably long.

A violent, endless regret had taken over his entire body.

I should never have left her alone.

No matter what, he should have been at her side.

A cheap hero complex was useless.

Did it really have to be me? There were other knights.

So why did he—why did he have to be the one to fight the monster?

Renée.

Xavier’s clenched jaw trembled.

As a Swordmaster, as the Grand Duke of the Empire—those heavy responsibilities had long since become meaningless. Only regret remained, stabbing into his chest again and again.

As he fought the enormous Griffin alone, there had been only one thing he wished for.

The safety of a single person.

“If I lose Renée forever…”

How ridiculous.

Losing her because of something he did to protect her.

The blood drained from Xavier’s face.

“It’s my fault, hyung. I’m so sorry,” Callian choked out, collapsing against Xavier’s shoulder. “I promised I’d protect the Grand Duchess… and I couldn’t keep it.”

Xavier only shook his head.

Then—

“The biggest fault is mine.”

Both men turned at once.

The owner of the voice was Ternox, entering through the terrace doors.

He had vanished after saying he would check the ancient seal—and only now had he returned.

Fortunately, the same sharp intelligence gleamed in his golden eyes as before.

“Sorry,” Ternox said. His voice carried self-loathing. “I came back too late.”

Xavier turned his gaze away again, expression blank.

He had no intention of blaming Callian, or Ternox, or anyone.

The only one he couldn’t forgive was himself.

“Didn’t you send word that you’d found Renée’s whereabouts and that I should come straight to the townhouse?” Xavier mocked coldly. “And now you show up this late?”

Ternox didn’t answer.

“Whatever. You’re here now, so it’ll be easier.” Xavier stepped forward, voice final. “Take me to where Renée is. After that, I’ll handle everything alone.”

Ternox’s brow furrowed.

“Xavier. Where do you think Renée is?”

“Wherever it is, I’ll find it.”

“……”

“Even if it’s hell.”

Those cold blue-violet eyes shone with iron will.

“Hah.” Ternox exhaled shortly, then strode over and perched on the sofa.

“Not so fast. I can’t take you to an exact spot right now. That bastard layered ward upon ward—tracking magic won’t bite. The power he got his hands on isn’t normal. I suspected it the moment the Griffin appeared, but… he’s skilled. Very.”

“Did you dare lie to me?”

Xavier surged forward like a beast and grabbed Ternox by the collar.

“Because of your lies, I let the Empress slip away right in front of me. The only clue to Renée was that woman.”

His low voice sounded like a growl.

But Ternox only shrugged, not even blinking.

“Even if tracking magic was blocked, who do you think I am? I found the general area, so don’t worry.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “And… Renée seems to be safe.”

“What? How—”

“A guest has arrived.”

Snap.

Ternox snapped his fingers.

“AAAH!”

The air tore open like fabric—and someone tumbled out of the rip.

“Felix?! How did you—?!”

Callian flinched and rushed toward the man who had been spat out of nowhere.

It was the Second Prince, Felix.

“W-What the—…”

Felix looked just as stunned.

Only Ternox, the one responsible, calmly adjusted the fabric Xavier had wrinkled and looked down at the prince rolling on the floor.

His pupils had narrowed into reptilian slits as he inspected Felix from head to toe.

“He was wandering around the townhouse carrying Renée’s scent, so I stuffed him into a pocket space and brought him.”

“What?”

At the mention of Renée, Xavier seized Felix by the collar and hauled him up.

“You. What did you do?”

“Cgh—cough! I didn’t do anything! Let go—”

“It’s because of you that all of this happened.” Xavier’s voice turned murderous. “I’ll tear you apart, then carve your mother and the High Priest limb from limb.”

“Wait—wait! Renée sent me!”

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“H-Hold on. I have proof!”

Even as he shouted, Xavier didn’t loosen his grip.

So Felix, dangling helplessly in midair, fumbled inside his clothes.

A handful of silver hair—Renée’s—was shoved in front of Xavier’s eyes.

“……Then I really should kill you.”

“Aaaagh!”

As Xavier’s grip tightened, Felix’s scream echoed through the townhouse.

“What did you do to my wife?”

Instead of taking the hair as proof, Xavier lost even more of his reason.

Seeing the silver strands—cut cleanly, as if by something sharp—filled his mind with terrible assumptions. His heart hammered wildly.

“She’s fine! I’ll explain—so—ack!”

Felix blurted out urgently.

“Yeah. The hair only carries Renée’s presence,” Ternox said, taking the strands from Felix’s hand. “That means she likely gave it to him herself. It’s worth hearing him out.”

Only then did Xavier finally ease his grip.

Felix hit the floor with a thud and rubbed his backside—yet the entire room remained tense and hostile.

“Sit,” Ternox said, jerking his chin toward the sofa across from him.

“Haaah…”

Felix exhaled deeply and slumped into the seat.

“Renée is imprisoned beneath the palace. The priests are watching the area, so it’s not easy to approach. I only managed to see her by disguising myself as a priest.”

He continued with a detailed explanation.

Renée—and many other imperial citizens—had been kidnapped, all intended as sacrifices for black magic.

Callian’s face twisted with fury.

“How can they wear human faces and do something like that?!”

He had suspected corruption—but to use civilians so mercilessly—

As Crown Prince of the Rembrandt Empire, he could not allow it.

“I know it’s wrong, too,” Felix said, staring at the floor. “But I couldn’t stop it alone… so I came to House Celeste after listening to Renée.”

He couldn’t raise his head.

Not with those golden eyes—shining, tainted by black magic.

“Renée kept talking about you,” Felix continued, voice rough. “She said not to worry about her, and to make sure you prioritize your own safety. She said she’d… try something from where she is.”

“Hah. With that fragile body, what exactly does she think she can do alone?” Xavier dragged a hand down his face as if forcing himself to breathe.

“Renée said… maybe the High Priest kept her alive because she has some kind of use.”

Felix repeated her words slowly, carefully, as if clinging to them.

“Then take me to that underground space right now.” Xavier’s voice was colder than frost. “Even if magic is difficult, you can walk there.”

“What? Right now? Even for you, going there won’t be eas—”

“Do I sound like I’m asking?”

“……”

At Xavier’s icy rebuke, Felix shut his mouth instantly.