So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Even as the nobles gagged at the grotesque swarm of monsters, not a single one stepped forward to fight them—

despite the fact that most of the male nobles present held at least a knightly title.

There was only one exception.

Xavier alone watched with sharpened eyes, calmly assessing the enemy’s strength.

Then his steady voice made my heart drop.

“Renée. I’ll deal with them and come back.”

“Xavier—alone? There are too many!”

After setting me down gently, he spoke with quiet certainty. The memory of that earlier moment pressed heavily against my chest.

But now—having reclaimed the full power of his restored heart—he stood unshakable.

“If you’re scared, close your eyes and count to a hundred.”

He even delivered the line with a teasing, almost playful tone.

“My prince. This time, I’ll protect the Duchess properly.”

Callian had stepped forward without me noticing. He adjusted his grip on his sword as he addressed Xavier.

Xavier nodded once and turned his back to me.

“Renée. Close your eyes.”

He whispered softly before stepping forward.

But I didn’t close them.

No—I couldn’t.

Because I needed to carve into my heart every moment of this man who crossed the boundary between life and death to protect me.

Wrapped head to toe in pale blue aura, Xavier slipped outside the defensive magic circle in an instant.

Vwoom—!

His movement was no longer human.

With the complete strength of his restored heart, his blade was faster and deadlier than ever before.

Kyaaak!

A chimera lunged from the side—

Its neck was shredded midair by pale-blue sword aura before Xavier even completed his swing.

His swordsmanship resembled a graceful, merciless dance.

With each step, frost-like streaks of pale-blue blade light etched themselves across the marble floor—

cleaving through monsters with precision.

Three fell in a single sweep.

Five more in the next.

His sword struck only vital points, as if drawn by a magnet.

The aura radiating from him pushed back the surrounding darkness like a blazing sun—

a brilliance powerful enough to dry even the relentless rain.

‘Xavier…’

In that light, my gaze followed only him.

Even Callian, standing guard before me, watched in silent awe.

“Your Highness!”

The commander of the knights shouted urgently.

“Raphael the criminal is escaping!”

“What?!”

Callian’s head snapped around.

“Bind them! Do not let the High Priest or the Empress escape!”

At his sharp command, the imperial knights surged forward—

but they were already too late.

Black-red smoke burst from Raphael’s body, instantly enveloping Isabella.

A blinding flash followed.

When the glare faded, only charred fragments of the dragon-forged restraint remained scattered across the floor.

“M-Madman…”

A knight’s stunned whisper slipped out.

Raphael had deliberately overloaded the restraint, burning his own flesh to destroy it.

“Damn it! He couldn’t have gone far! We’ll have to cut through the monsters and pursue them—”

Callian’s expression tightened.

But I knew—instinctively—where they were headed.

“…The underground chamber. I think they’re going to the imperial citizens below.”

With Xavier’s heart no longer in his possession, Raphael had lost his perfect mana source.

He had only one option left.

I glanced anxiously between Xavier and Ternox, still locked in brutal combat above.

‘Did Felix evacuate everyone? He said there were thousands of refugees!’

KeeeEEEek!

The griffin’s shriek ripped through the air—loud as the chaos in my chest.

* * *

Meanwhile—

“Haah… haah…”

Raphael, drenched in blood, sprinted through the palace’s underground corridors, dragging Isabella with him.

His vision blurred. His lungs burned as though filled with ash.

Breaking the dragon’s mana restraint had left him badly injured.

Fresh blood dripped from beneath his scorched wrist, splattering across the stone floor.

‘Damn it… Wasting time on a mere restraint.’

He had burned through far too much mana destroying it.

On top of that, he had used high-level teleportation magic repeatedly.

Most of the power in his body was already depleted.

Days of devouring life force threatened to amount to nothing.

There was nowhere left to retreat.

And yet—

Raphael refused to abandon hope.

‘The priests and Felix control the lower level. If I use what mana I have left, I can still activate the full ritual in the plaza.’

Ahead lay the underground shelter where imperial citizens had been gathered.

‘Just get there. Grind those insignificant creatures down, and I can reclaim everything.’

But when he arrived—

Silence greeted him.

The space that should have been filled with thousands trembling in fear stood eerily empty.

At the center of the vast chamber stood a single figure.

Felix.

Alone.

Waiting.

“…Felix? What is this—!”

Isabella couldn’t conceal her shock.

She strode toward him.

“Where are the vermin that were here? Speak! Don’t tell me you smuggled them out!”

“Yes. I did.”

“Hah! Filial betrayal doesn’t get more disgusting than this.”

Raphael’s teal eyes flared with cold fury.

But retreat was no longer an option.

He slammed his palm against the ground, attempting to forcibly draw the life force of every living being still standing on this land.

Black-red mana burst outward like countless threads, burrowing beneath the stone and twisting the earth grotesquely.

The dark sigil carved into his chest glowed blood-red.

But it didn’t last.

Thud—!

Felix tackled him to the ground.

Straddling him, Felix bound his hands tightly.

“Stop. Now.”

Felix’s face was twisted with anguish.

Hot tears fell onto his father’s face.

“Enough of this nonsense, Felix! Do you know how far I’ve gone for you?! You dare betray me?!”

Isabella seized Felix’s shoulders and shook him violently.

But he did not move.

He remained as immovable as stone.

He looked at his parents—

at the twisted face of the mother he once admired—

with eyes filled not with hatred, but sorrow.

Then he turned back to Raphael and spoke quietly.

“Then take my life force instead. The innocent citizens who were here—I sent them all away myself. So kill only me.”

“You’ve lost your mind! You’re my son! You’re supposed to become emperor of this empire!”

Isabella’s scream echoed as she struck him across the face.

“If you had just stayed still, everything would have been yours! Why ruin it with something this foolish?! Do you know how much blood I stained my hands with for you?! Are those worthless commoners more precious than your throne?!”

“No.”

Felix knocked her hand away firmly.

“That wasn’t my greed. It was yours, Mother.”

His gaze returned to Raphael.

A blood relative he once believed to be a holy High Priest.

“You’re the same. Don’t use me as an excuse to justify your filth. Do you really think I ever wanted the throne?”

He shook his head.

“I only wanted… an ordinary family. I thought I didn’t have the right to want that, since I was born a prince. But it was your greed that destroyed everything.”

His voice broke.

“I just wanted you to see me as your child—not as a tool.”

The young man’s sobs echoed through the underground plaza.