n

n

nThe knight led the emperor to where all the citizens were instead of where 'Marinette' he told the emperor about was.

nThe citizen was in a panic when seeing their emperor with blood rolling down on his face and the clothes full of blood covering the emperor's left eye.

n

"Your majesty...

"

n

"What's going on??!!! Who let these people in??

" the emperor became mad, he was frustrated when losing the black-haired knight as the knight blended in with the crowd.

n

"I did. Everyone, you can go now. His majesty had already returned.

" the new princess of the empire replied to the question of the emperor calmly walking beside him with the cold face.

nThe knights gathered and took all of those people out. The emperor glared at Diana and grab Diana's arms tightly with his hands full of blood.

n

"None of this would have happened...if you swapped your body back then!!!

" his gaze was sharper than the sword staring deep into Diana's eyes.

nDiana's lip went up a bit as she replied to him,

"I did that in order to kill Marinette, but it seemed she escaped the death door again...causing all these troubles.

", she clicked her tongue a bit after spouting her lie. She was thrilled seeing the emperor's wound especially when one of his eyes was gone.

n

"Tsk. I'll go find that woman. I swear I'm going to kill her as soon as...wait a minute...since when was the knight allowed at the west palace???!

" the emperor's eyes widen as he realized something went wrong.

n

"What's wrong...your majesty?

"

n

"That guy...Victor...he's here. I bet he's also the one with Marinette too earlier.

"

n

"Victor...?

" Diana clenched her hands, her fingernail pierced deep inside her palm as she heard that name.

n

"You go to your room. Don't come out without my order.

"

n

"But father...how can I stay still and do nothing??

"

n

"If you want to help, just don't cause me any more trouble. Just go to sleep, it's already late.

" none of Diana's words got into the emperor's ears as she was begging him to go search for Victor and Marinette. She was left behind as the emperor left the royal palace riding the horse.

n

"Why isn't she dead??? AHHH, that b*tch.

" Diana shouted to the air, she walked back all the way to her room. But the black-haired knight hiding behind a pillar near there heard all the conversation. He smirked looking at Diana's back.

n

"The emperor won't go back there...phew...

" he took a deep breath in relief taking the helmet off his head then dropped the knight suit and armor one by one dressing back in his party suit.

nHe didn't wait a second before moving on to the next move. He jumped to the roof of the royal palaces making his way to the west palace where prince Philip and Marinette stayed.

n

"I don't know why you love that troublesome prince...Marinette.

"

nEarlier,

n

"Where's the prisoner, Marinette??!!! Is she here???

" Victor pulled the knight's shirt hiding his face behind the hand holding the sword.

n

"She...she...she might be in the underground prison...sir...

" the knight of the prison was shuttering like a rat before a cat when replying to the guy who would kill him in any minute.

n

"Oh??? Lying to me??? Do you really not want to live???

"

n

"I don't know, sir!!! We didn't bring the prisoner by that name in here...but...but...there's a prisoner with the scar on her face...

"

n

"You should have said that from the beginning.

" the commander tossed the knight to the ground and entered the prison just to see a giant man laying down dead on the floor with blood splattered everywhere on the wall, even on the iron rod.

nHe came back to the knight and threaten him once again pointing the sharp sword against the poor knight's back.

n

"What happened in there??

"

n

"I--I really don't know...I fainted earlier...

"

n

"Someone should fire you...how could they leave you in charge of this prison??

" Victor was talking to the pitiful knight carefreely as he was aware that Marinette isn't in the prison. That meant she already escaped.

n

"By the way, did you see a pink-haired woman here??

"

n

"You mean the woman with blue eyes?

"

n

"Yeah.

"

n

"She already left...after knocking all of the knights.

"

n

"Where did she go???

"

n

"She--she...she...didn't tell me, sir!!

"

n

"Sir...

" Victor was already gone before that knight turned himself to look at Victor.

nVictor sneaked into the royal palace as it was the only possible place Marinette could be since he already searched the other places in the empire.

nHe checked the north, east, and south palace. The throne room was in the west palace, he choose that palace to visit last since it won't be somewhere Marinette could be since the emperor of the north is there.

nHe tried his best when he entered the west palace, even though that palace didn't have any knights, the emperor was there in the throne room for most of the time.

nHe ran quickly in front of the door of the throne room, the door was opened and the one in the throne room wasn't the emperor but Diana.

nHe hid quickly when he almost made eye contact with her. He hid behind the curtain, and then he started to notice something warm was right under his feet.

nIt was blood. He waited and waited till Diana left that room, he rushed to the room at the end of the hall. It was the only room he didn't check.

nThe door was locked when he tried to open it, he unlocked the door with his skill using a toothpick. The door was slightly opened, he looked inside the room and quickly shut the door back when finally saw Marinette.

nHe didn't even know what happened in there for Marinette to pour the Vodka on prince Philip's head. He tried his best not to think of something ridiculous. He was shivering from the chill of deja vu.

n

"Show yourself!!!!! I'll make sure I kill you!!!!!!! Ahhh!!!

" the voice of the emperor echoed throughout the hall, Victor rushed to the room next to it quickly.

nHe hid behind the door of that room, he gulped at something bad that might happen if the emperor walked inside the room Marinette was in.

n

"Newbie, this is the west palace. Make sure you won't go near this palace.

" Victor ran to the door when hearing a conversation of a woman with a young man, he stared from the window of the first floor at the knight suit the young man was wearing.

nHe smiled and opened the window when he knew what he will need to do.

nVictor got the suit, he jumped back in after knocking both of those people out. He put it on and the helmet to cover all of his faces then walked out of that room.

n

"Your majesty!!! The woman in the paper, lady Marinette!!! We found her!!!

"

n

"Take me to where she is!!!

"

nHe was already prepared to swing the sword at the emperor's neck if the emperor found out, but seeing he had no doubt of him, he quickly led the emperor to a random place since he had no idea of the structure inside the northern royal palace.

nHe glanced outside of the window as he was walking in front of the emperor, seeing the crowd in front of the royal gate, he grinned and got the emperor there then blended with the crowd successfully.

nThe present,

nVictor walked slowly inside the room through the opened window. He really doubted why the emperor didn't notice them.

nHe lit the candle on the table and opened the window wide to let the moonlight in.

n

"Victor...

"

n

"Marinette!!! I'm really glad you're safe.

" he changed his face 180 degrees when Marinette called his name like that. He was going to run to hug her as he did in his past life but seeing her in the bathrobe, he stopped himself and stood at the same place where he came in.

n

"Commander Victor?

" the prince and the commander glared at each other with the same thought in their mind, 'That bastard.'

nMarinette ran to blow the candle and closed the window while they didn't notice.

n

"I'm glad I did that on time. Someone might notice the prince's room still has light.

"

n

"I'm really sorry...

" Victor turned his head down sulking, Marinette chuckled nervously putting her hand on her wound on the stomach, she was relieved none of them noticed it. If she didn't put out all the lights on time, they will see the bloodstain on the bathrobe.

n

"I'm already here, we can go now--

" Victor stopped his sentence midway when the chain on Marinette's neck and Philip's neck lit up in the darkness in the color gold.

n

"Urgh...huff huff...it tightens...

" Marinette groaned in pain stumbled on Victor who rushed to hold her. The prince sitting on the edge of the bed bit his lip till it bleeds enduring the pain.

n

"I'll cut this chain.

"

n

"It can't be cut...we already tried that.

"

n

"Then for now...we must escape from here, let's take...his highness with us.

"

n

"No...his highness needs to stay here...he...

" Marinette couldn't bring Philip along with her since she knew very well why he came to the northern empire. But she didn't want to reveal that fact to the commander of the center empire, Philip might be imprisoned for rebellion.

n

"What???

" Victor grabbed Marinette closer to him and said in a low voice to her,

"But your life will be in danger...

"

n

"But his highness and I need to stay together until we took off this chain, and he won't come along with us either.

" she replied in a low voice to him with the best excuse she got. The real reason she needed to be here wasn't just that. Her plan hasn't been achieved yet.

n

"Marinette...what if we kill--

"

n

"Don't even think about it.

"

n

"...the emperor...

"

n

"Oh...the emperor?? I thought you...you...

"

n

"Who do you think I would kill??? I'm not a mass murderer.

"

n

"I got it. But the emperor won't be easily defeated...and I...couldn't even use my magic right now.

" they kept talking secretly leaving the prince out of the conversation.

nThe Phoenix finally returned to the prince's heart right at the moment those other two weren't looking.

n'Lady Aurora is safe.'

n'Mary, do you know a way to cut this chain?'

n'It's chain magic, it could only be released by the one who cast it.'

n'Is there no other way?'

n'I know a person who trained to go against the chain magic, but you won't be able to meet him in your current condition.'

n'Who is it?'

n'Duke Jellal. He used to fight with the chain user before in the past.'

n'!!!'

n'Mary, can we return to our empire before dawn?'

n'Your highness...you don't really think of...'

n'I can't risk her life...even if I have to cut my head off, I won't let her be bound with me in despair.'

n'Your highness...can't you stop doing things recklessly? And what will you do if you finally take off the chain?'

n'We'll follow our plan...to bring down the northern empire...'

nMarinette glanced at the scenery outside the window, she kept blinking to be certain of the person she saw from afar.

n'Is that duke Jellal??'

nTo be continued....!

n