BXBX NOVEL Chapter 281
I got up with a start and sprinted off. I needed to save Fleon. Ignoring the diary that was glowing in purple, I rushed towards the palace.
“Fleon!”
Fleon slowly raised his head. He was worse for wear but he didn’t look seriously hurt.
“You…”
However, his body was covered with scratches. With a blue bruise blooming around his eyes, he opened his mouth. It looked like he had a lot to say.
“Why are you here..”
“That’s what I want to ask. Dummy!”
I couldn’t help but to scream at him. For a prison cell, the room he was locked up in looked quite decked out. He had a bed and a toilet. But I knew what the fact that he was given this cell meant.
This was a cell that was only given to prisoners on the death row.
I had run from Amor’s palace to my own. I had then met Penne but immediately ran straight to the Administrative Office. Rattled, I had grabbed Granius before asking. But he didn’t say much. He just brought me to Fleon instead.
“Why are you alone? What about Dane? And that guy, Ray?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been meaning to ask. What happened? I can’t believe you took part in the coup!”
Fleon swept his hand down his face roughly. He already looked to be in tatters. This was the first time I had ever seen him look dishevelled in my life. I had always nagged at him to get over his obsession over tidiness but this was not a welcome sight.
“… My mother had joined the uprising.”
“The queen did?”
I tried to remember what I could of the 6th Queen. My impression of her was hazy. Of course it would be. Each occasional time we met, we barely conversed for a minute.
“My mother was the Successor to Vulcanus so you could say that it was Vulcanus’ will. My mother had no doubt that the 2nd Prince would win.”
I sighed. The 2nd Princes’ coup was bound to fail. Whether it be in the novel or in another reality, the coup had always failed miserably. Would things have changed if I had known any sooner? If I had talked to the 6th Queen…
“Brother. If I had spoken about this sooner…”
“No. Ashley. No. This is not something you can blame yourself for. My mother had chosen to die.”
Fleon flashed a faint smile. He looked as if he had fully resigned.
“The probability of success was 50-50. Even though there are so many templars that followed the 2nd Prince, their odds were still 50-50.”
Indeed, many templars rallied behind the 2nd Prince. This also meant that many were dissatisfied with the current emperor. It had not been easy getting past the Head Templar of Wisdom and the current consul. They had been the main line of defence of the core of the Central Palace. But for some reason, even when the rebelling forces reached the core, the Crown Prince hadn’t stepped forward. Someone’s words flashed across my mind.
“At the very least, in your absence. I am not going to do anything.”
That was what Castor had spouted that day.
“And Ashley. His Majesty, the emperor, is hiding a secret weapon.”
The 2nd Prince’s army that had advanced without a stop collapsed in an instant.
“Then how did you get caught up in all that, brother? You could have stopped her. Since she’s your mother.”
“I do agree with that a little. But this Empire revolves around templars. To the point I’m sick and tired of it.”
“Fleon.”
“As a non-templar, I’m unable to do anything for the rest of my life. I’m tired of all the ridicule. But if that can change… I did then think change isn’t that bad.”
“Fleon.”
“Ashley. I will die.”
“Fleon!”
Unable to hold back, I raised my voice at him.
“But you’re still alive. And will continue to live even in the future.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My execution has already been planned for tomorrow. You know that.”
Fleon flashed a faint smile. He then placed his hand over my shoulder.
“I managed to turn Rex around before the coup occurred. Along with the brightest of the young Templars of Vulcanus. What I’m saying is that not all of Vulcanus’ great wealth will be disappearing,”
We had spent our whole lives together. He had been by my side for half my life. Even without sharing a drop of blood, we were brother and sister. That was when I noticed. That your gaze was wavering for the first time.
“Honestly, brother. You never wanted to join this coup, did you?”
“…..”
“I know you. You’re so lazy to move you’d be fine with anything as long as your body remains intact. Brother, you were forced into his coup!”
“So what?”
He twisted his lips. Still, his blue eyes wavered with no end.
“I can’t revert what has already been done.”
“No, you can.”
I grabbed him by his shoulder. I looked him in the eye before saying.
“There is a way to turn things back. I know the way. You cannot die. Ever.”
“Don’t do anything foolish.”
As if feeling restless, Fleon grabbed me by my wrist. He quickly continued.
“You need to hurry and find Dane. Find him and leave here. Hm? Listen. I know you’ve never listened to my words before. But you can listen to my final ones. Hurry. Say you will leave.”
The end of his sentence trailed off. As he buried his head into my shoulders, he whispered painfully.
“We can’t all die together…”
I smirked at the sight of his hand.
“This really isn’t like you, Fleon.”
I stroked his hair before pulling on it playfully.
“Who said that those would be your final words?”
He clenched his teeth. Before letting out a sob.
“This damned chick…”
“Yeah. This suits you more, brother…”
He had no idea. I had already died before and had gone back in time over and over again. I had decided firmly that I would never use this again. But as always, absolutes didn’t exist.
“Brother, you had saved my childhood.”
Back when he wasn’t yet close to me, he protected me. He had cherished my spring. For the sake of a season that would never pass, I cared for Dane and him.
“Wait for me. This time, I will save you.”
Fleon tried to grab onto me before I shrugged him off without hesitation.
“Watch how far this damned chick of yours can go.”
Click.
The door closed. After leaving the room, I let out a long breath.
‘First, I need to figure out what’s going on.’
The execution would be held tomorrow. The method he would be executed by would not be known to me till morning came. Regardless of how he was going to be executed, his execution would be held in the colosseum in the capital.
‘But will Fleon be the only one executed? What about Julian? The 5th Prince?”
I decided to push my doubts aside for now and focus on what I could do first. As I walked down the hall, I looked up. Just when I was about to hasten my steps. I spotted a familiar face a short distance away.
‘Rebecca?’
It was Rebecca. What was Rebecca doing here? She didn’t seem to have noticed me yet. I hid behind one of the pillars along the hallway.
Rebecca had strode along before opening one of the doors carefully. It was the prison cell that was meant for death row prisoners, the one Fleon was in.
Few knew this palace’s location as it could only be used by high-ranking government officials and the Imperial members.
Moreover, security around here was tight. There also was a guard in front of Fleon’s room but they paid no mind to Rebecca’s appearance. As if they were used to it.
Before he stepped aside, they talked briefly. No, if I hadn’t been here, they could have just been having some business-like conversation. But…
‘Rebecca’s face just now…’
My heart was torn. This was not an expression I had ever seen from her. But I might have been familiar with it. It was an expression of the Rebecca from the novel, I mean, another reality. I couldn’t be sure whether she looked happy or sad. The fact that the villainess of the original novel had fallen in love with a man who was not the tyrant.
I wondered which was the truth and what was true. Perhaps there was something like the truth out there. Even after my belief that I was in a world inside a novel had shattered.
‘Let’s head back to the palace.’
Rebecca didn’t return till much later. I welcomed her back in the drawing room.
“Welcome, Rebecca.”
The moment she noticed me, she looked momentarily startled before walking towards me.
“Mistress.”