All preparations are complete.'
Finally, tomorrow the rebellion was going to take place.
Charlize suppressed her tension.
She went over the plan once again with a level head.
'The plan is perfect.'
The day before, she had a strategy meeting with Dylan the whole day.
[Tomorrow is the 'Imperial Knights Day', Master. All the knights following the Emperor will gather at the Imperial Palace.]
[The Emperor probably believes it's safe because there are a lot of knights guarding him. But conversely, if the Imperial Palace is surrounded, the Emperor's forces can be tied together in one place.]
The Imperial Knights, even including the 9th Division. Before her return, most of the young noblemen, including her fiancée Kahu, belonged to the Imperial Knights.
All of them were outstanding and laudable. But Charlize believed in Dylan.
[Your Highness, please take charge of the Imperial Palace. I will besiege outside the Imperial Palace and face the reinforcements that gather for the Emperor.]
[You're saying that we should divide the roles inside and outside. Master.]
Charlize nodded.
[Yes, Your Highness will be inside. And the outside will be mine. It will be an unanticipated rebellion. The strategy will be to distract the others so that we can deal with it with a smaller number of people.]
Charlize continued.
[Remember. Before the Emperor is driven away, you must take control of the hidden imperial archives. The hideous corruption and misdeeds of the imperial family are all recorded there. Those are precious materials that will serve as the cause of Your Highness's rebellion.]
At Charlize's firm words, Dylan looked at her strangely because the existence of hidden imperial archives where kept was not public knowledge.
The hidden archives was a location that only the imperial family knew the whereabouts of.
Dylan was surprised by Charlize's intelligence. Moreover, she even affirmed that the corruption of the imperial family was hideous enough to be the cause of rebellion.
[I'll remember, Master.]
Nevertheless, Dylan replied, gently hiding his surprise.
[The ceremony will be held until the evening. Once you give me the sign that you've taken control of the gate, I'll strike the Imperial Palace with the 'Shadow'.]
There were a total of five gates in the Imperial Palace.
The east gate, the west gate, the south gate, the north gate. And lastly, the main gate.
[Yes. All the knights who are on duty as the gatekeeper tomorrow have been filled with Your Highness' people. Unfortunately, the main gate failed to be in our domain… It will be alright because the north, south, east, and gates are within our control.]
Dylan nodded, thanking her for her diligent work. There would be no hindrances to infiltration. And there would also be no difficulties with the siege.
[The Lords from all over the empire will come up and follow you, including Duke Kenin, who swore loyalty to Your Highness.]
If he failed to support the rebellion, the price would be his life.
But perhaps she spoke collectedly and calmly, Dylan stared at Charlize for a long time.
[The emperor. I will tie him up with a rope and make him kneel in front of Master.]
Charlize was convinced of their success.
She believed in Dylan. To be exact, she trusted her own decision of choosing Dylan.
To calm her excitement ahead of the long-awaited destruction of the Emperor. Only that was Charlize's task.
"…Haah."
Charlize breathed slowly.
Looking back, time flew so fast. It was already autumn. The season that drove the 7th concubine to death.
Charlize and Dylan visited the grave of the 7th concubine. Just as she had stayed with him at the funeral hall all the time. Every anniversary of the 7th concubine's death, Charlize had always been with Dylan.
"Master."
Dylan's voice, even now, remained warm.
As Charlize turned around, Dylan slowly approached her. Charlize looked at Dylan and observed him.
His black glistening hair overshadowed all other colors. His soft curved blue eyes. And his lips contain only kind words.
'From tomorrow…'
He will become the symbol – a tyrant who took power without mercy.
Because Charlize raised him to be like that.
Dylan reached out his hand as if to grab it. Charlize took his hand and led him to the grave.
Filled with fallen autumn leaves, the graveyard was calm and tidy. It was as calm akin to the 7th concubine when she was still alive.
Coincidentally, the day before the rebellion was the anniversary of the 7th concubine's death. Dylan, who stood in front of the grave, slowly bowed and gave his courtesies.
'Mother.'
Dylan called the 7th concubine from his heart.
'It finally becomes like this.'
The last day of the funeral.
Dylan, a boy, and Charlize, a girl, swore to each other in the rain. On the night when he had held a broken heart after finishing the funeral procession.
He lowered himself on the dirty ground. They knelt to each other, kissed the back of each other's hands, and pledged as if to inscribe it in their souls.
Their long, long childhood was coming to an end.
'Just like how I swore back then.'
Indeed, Dylan and Charlize grew up to be adults who would cause the destruction of the Empire.
Charlize lowered her eyes. She would never forget. 'Please take good care of Dylan'. It was the 7th concubine's final request.
The autumn wind blew crisply. If it were a snowy winter, could she have felt a little better, even with this frigid heart?
"I have a question, Master."
Charlize looked at Dylan.
As long as she believed it wouldn't be a failure, just keep believing in their success. Tomorrow, Dylan will eventually become the Emperor, and Charlize will become the Emperor's Grandmaster.
Today was the last time the Crown Prince and the Grandmaster, who could remain innocent.
"What is it, Your Highness?"
"Didn't you say you'd call it someday?"
"…"
"My name."
Charlize became embarrassed for a moment, but he certainly asked her of that. Dylan peered at Charlize.
When he becomes the Emperor, it would be a noble name that no one can call. In the imperial family, adults would soon disappear.
Dylan's silence was certainly not coercion, but she could tell his subtle desire for her to call his name.
It was not hard to call a name. She could do it as much as she wanted.
"Now, I'll address you."
Charlize looked at Dylan.
"Dylan."
Two syllables. Pronouncing it was easy. But somehow, Charlize felt like the inside of her throat was numb.
Tension seeped into her breath.
Dylan's quiet lips trembled a little. He had been longing for it.
"Just one more time."
"…Dylan."
He looked strangely thrilled, as if he had received something very precious. Charlize blinked. The atmosphere suddenly became hot.
She couldn't say anything more because her mind became complicated. Knowing that he was so blind. Because she knew that his trust had always been infallible. And because he knew how much he regarded her.
A vastly broad heart became vividly stained in the brief silence. A paper which had been pure white had blackened. The once innocent boy.
These thoughts suddenly came to mind.
Charlize shut her mouth. She covered it so that she couldn't feel Dylan's heart. With thick oil paints.
***
"Grandmaster, there's someone you need to meet."
V said as soon as she returned to the Imperial Palace.
As tomorrow was the rebellion, Charlize was very careful today.
As a 'Shadow', V knew the situation and reported to Charlize while cautiously looking at the surrounding.
"His Highness has allowed it."
"…Guide me."
Soon Charlize was guided into a secret room.
A languid light was lighting up the room. It was warmer than outside.
"…It's been a while, Grandmaster."
The one who stood and waited calmly was an acquaintance of Charlize. Because it was her fiancée before her return, Kahu.
Charlize looked at V without saying a word. Kahu explained the situation.
"Outwardly, although I may be the heir apparent, I have been leading the Duchy of Delmon as the Duke's deputy. Let me tell you straightforwardly. I'd like to join the rebellion together with you."
"Young Duke."
Charlize's voice sounded indifferent.
"Who told you I was going to raise a rebellion?"
With a firm gaze, Charlize didn't even bat an eyelid. There should be very few people who would know that a rebellion was going to take place.
'Does that mean information got leaked?'
Where?
A warning signal rang in her head. Had it been so poorly prepared that someone had noticed the rebellion in advance?
Was there a whistle-blower?
It was a matter of everyone's life and death, hence Charlize had to know.
Kahu denied it.
"On the contrary, it was more of a guess I vaguely thought while I had been chasing you."
At first, Kahu didn't know it would be like this. He just caught the information as he investigated and chased after Charlize Ronan zealously.
The flow of time, the future that he once knew, suddenly began to become twisted. And at the center of the flow was Charlize.
If he could find out more about Charlize, he had thought all the paradoxes would be solved.
So when it came to Charlize, he tried to unravel everything about her obsessively. And recently there was clearly something different.
'I've seen the same thing, but a more thorough rebellion, before my return.'
The unusual atmosphere of Lords, information flowing into Charlize, and astronomical amounts of funds leaking.
As he had been chasing after Charlize, he had happened to realize. Perhaps a rebellion would happen again this time.
If the rebellion that would happen centered around Charlize, then, of course, Dylan would be the next emperor.
[Is my guess correct?]
So Kahu went to Dylan with half certainty.
At that time, Dylan looked at Kahu quietly and gently asked.
[If so, will you join us?]
At that moment Kahu realized he had no choice. Once he knew of the secret, he would only die if he didn't join. Kahu nodded.
But perhaps the reason he had accepted it was because of Charlize.
The secret between the throne and the Imperial Palace, which was piled up by bloody evil deeds, may be related to the disappearance of the former Charlize.
After chasing after her for a long time, he had become attached to her. This time, he'd rather join the rebellion and protect Charlize.
"I went to His Highness and straightforwardly asked, then he asked me if I would join him and I accepted it."
"…If His Highness allowed it, then it's already over. Why would you ask for my permission?"
Charlize asked calmly. Kahu answered politely.
"Because His Highness said that I would still need Grandmaster's permission."
This meant that without Charlize's permission, Dylan would not withdraw Kahu.
Charlize became surprised for a moment because of Dylan's casual handover of power. But soon she regained her rationality.
Charlize used her mind to think.
'Dylan doesn't have a Crown Princess, so he had failed to expand his power.'
She had recruited the Duke of Kenin, and many other lords to her side. Yet, he was still anxious.
'If it was the Duke of Delmon.'
There was nothing to lose. That's a huge benefit. He also joined with his own feet.
Charlize just didn't want to use Kahu politically.
Before returning, he had been the only person looking for the missing Charlize when no one else had.
"If you'd like help in your decision, Grandmaster, then let me manage the main gate alone tomorrow."
"…Alright."
Among the five gates of the Imperial Palace, the main gate was the only one that they had not been able to take hold of.
There was nothing more to worry about.
Because it was Kahu who was going to take hold of it.
"I will allow your participation."
Kahu's face brightened.
'But Kahu, I want him to be in a safe zone.'
She couldn't help it.
Rebellion had to take precedence over her emotions.
"I look forward to your kind cooperation, Grandmaster."
She hesitated. After his words, Charlize felt strange.
"I look forward to your kind cooperation, as well."
Charlize breathed slowly.
Kahu raises his head. Charlize emptied her mind. Revenge was just around the corner.
Indeed.
'Feelings.'
She didn't need any single one.