After Josepina struck Roselia across the face again and again—first from one side, then the other—she did so with a single purpose: to force Roselia to surrender what Josepina desperately wanted. It was the one thing capable of exposing the illegal drug operations she had orchestrated, crimes that remained hidden from the world.
"Tsk! There is no use in keeping her alive," Josepina declared coldly.
Roselia lay sprawled against the marble floor, her body pressed flat, unable to rise. Her cheeks were swollen, torn, and slick with blood, each mark a cruel reminder of Josepina's fury. The pain no longer registered. Her limbs felt distant, detached, as though they belonged to someone else. The poison injected into her earlier had already seeped through her veins, dulling every sensation until even agony faded into numb silence.
With her back turned, Josepina faced one of her attendants, her posture rigid as she issued commands. She spoke sharply to her guards and assistants, unaware of the quiet defiance unfolding behind her.
Roselia forced herself to move.
Her palms scraped against the icy marble as she dragged her body forward, every breath shallow, every motion trembling. Inch by inch, she crawled towards the desk, her fingers shaking as they reached its base. Summoning the last remnants of her strength, she pulled open the cabinet below.
Inside.
Her hand closed around a box of matches.
in front of her, Josepina continued speaking, her voice clipped and dismissive. None of them noticed. Not yet.
Roselia pushed herself upright, her knees quivering beneath her weight. Her chest rose unevenly as she struck a match. The sharp flare of light reflected briefly in her tired eyes. In her other hand, concealed until now, rested a bomb.
As Josepina sharply turned her head back towards Roselia, her breath hitched. Her eyes widened when she finally saw what lay clenched in Roselia's hand.
"YOU BITCH!" Roselia screamed.
Her voice shattered the air, raw and defiant.
The sound tore through the chamber like a blade. Every movement halted. Guards froze mid-stride, their hands hovering uselessly at their sides. Attendants gasped, some stumbling back in shock. Josepina spun fully around, dread tightening her chest as horror flooded her expression at the sight before her.
"GET HER!" Josepina roared, panic cracking through her authority.
They surged forward, boots pounding against the marble as the fuse burned on, its faint hiss growing ever more ominous. At that moment, a rush of wind swept across the room, sending the heavy curtains flying apart. What lay hidden behind them was revealed at last—explosives carefully positioned, encircling the chamber, silently waiting for this outcome Roselia had long prepared for.
Tears slid down Roselia's cheeks as her lashes fluttered shut. Her body trembled, yet her hand remained unwavering, holding her final choice with quiet resolve.
"Long live my child," she whispered, her voice barely audible, meant only for herself.
The guards lunged desperately. Josepina reached out, her face contorted with terror as she strained to stop what could no longer be undone.
Too late.
BOOOOOOOM!
The explosion tore through the room with merciless force, consuming Roselia, Josepina, the guards, and the attendants in a blinding surge of fire and destruction. The shockwave ripped through the mansion, leaving nearly half of it swallowed by flames, walls collapsing under the devastating impact that erupted from Roselia's chamber.
Even before the mansion erupted into chaos, Max—together with Barron and Rehena—was already racing through the corridors. Steel rang sharply as they fought their way past the relentless guards of the Eastern Empire, who flooded the hallways in a desperate attempt to block their escape.
"Max!"
Rowena's voice cut through the clash of blades.
She was Roselia's sister—Max's aunt.
"Where have you been? Where is Roselia?" Rowena demanded, her voice tight with fear as they unexpectedly crossed paths on the first floor corridor. She longed to rush to her sister's side, yet she was occupied helping others flee the mansion. Even so, deep in her heart, she clung to the hope that her nephew had managed to save his mother.
"Answer me, my boy!" Rowena shouted again.
Max's brow furrowed, guilt weighing heavily on his expression. Danger pressed in from every side, yet Rowena seized his shoulders, her grip firm, her eyes pleading for the truth.
"We don't have time—more enemies are coming. We need to get out now!"
Barron stepped in abruptly, sensing Max's hesitation. His voice was sharp, urgent, reminding them all that escape mattered more than answers—especially with the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire, Max's own brother, closing in.
"If you won't answer me, I will go to her myself!"
Rowena pushed past Max, her resolve unyielding. She had barely taken a step when Max suddenly caught her wrist. The tremor in his hand did not go unnoticed. A dreadful realization crept into Rowena's chest.
"Mother… sacrificed herself for me!"
The words burst from Max, raw and heavy. Guilt burned in his eyes, yet no tears fell—only shock, only grief too deep to spill.
Rowena froze.
Her teeth clenched as anger surged through her. She tore her hand from Max's grasp and strode past him, her steps forceful. Then, as she reached the front, her shoulders sagged. Her head bowed, hair falling forward to hide her face. Silent tears traced her cheeks—her sister had given her life, not only for Max, but for all of them.
"Let's go," Rowena ordered, her voice strained yet steady.
They exchanged brief glances before moving forward without another word.
They hurried into the kitchen, lifting the heavy table to reveal a small door concealed beneath it—a narrow passage leading toward the exit. One by one, Rowena went through, followed by the people they had rescued, then Barron, and finally Rehena.
None of them noticed the arrow aimed at Rehena's back.
The bowstring snapped.
"REHENA!"
Max shouted as he caught sight of the incoming arrow. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, shoving Rehena aside. They crashed onto the floor together, Rehena gasping in shock as everything happened in a blur.
"My lady!"
Barron spun around, sword raised, positioning himself between Rehena and the attacker. His breath hitched as his eyes widened.
Standing before them was the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire.
"Well, well…" Meldric drawled, lowering the bow he had just used.
"Isn't this the most invincible knight of the Western Empire?" His lips curved into a mocking grin as he stepped forward, emerging slowly from the shadows. Barron's gaze darkened. Max and Rehena rose to their feet, alert, tense. Even Rowena felt a chill crawl beneath her skin.
"Sir Barron, was it?" Meldric continued, voice laced with contempt. "The Emperor's most trusted attendant. Why side with the enemy? Are they paying you well? Or has your soul already been sold?"
Barron kept his sword trained on him, jaw clenched. Meldric's guards closed in, surrounding them. They were hopelessly outnumbered.
"Tell me, Barron," Meldric pressed, stepping closer. "Were you perhaps seduced by the witch? What was her name again? Oh yes… the former Empress of—"
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the room.
Silence followed.
everyone stared in disbelief as a young girl stood before the stunned Crown Prince. Her hand struck his face, the sharp sound cutting through the silence. Meldric's head snapped to the side, his lips burning from the force of the blow as shock briefly erased the arrogance from his features.
"How dare you insult our Queen!"
Rehena's voice trembled with fury as her brown eyes locked onto Meldric's.
"Why, you—!"
Blinded by rage, Meldric seized Rehena's wrist, intent on striking her down.
"My lady!" Barron cried.
Clash!
Steel met steel as Max reacted instinctively, swinging his sword to intercept Meldric's blade before it could pierce Rehena. He did not know why his body had moved so fast—only that the thought of her being harmed had driven him forward.
"Guards! Kill them!" Meldric roared.
Chaos erupted.
Rowena grabbed Rehena's hand as Barron shouted for them to protect her. Max, Barron, and their remaining companions stayed behind, holding Meldric and his guards at bay.
Rehena was dragged toward another hidden door within the kitchen, leading outside. As she stumbled through, her eyes kept drifting back to Max. She watched him fight Meldric, fear tightening her chest. He was the true heir of the Eastern Empire—Roselia's most precious treasure.
Together with Rowena and the others they had saved, Rehena finally emerged from the mansion, the night air heavy with smoke, flames, and unspoken grief.
Max was locked in a fierce duel with Meldric, their swords flashing left and right in a relentless dance. Every strike and parry echoed through the kitchen as they exchanged blow after blow, a deadly fencing match in the dim light. The force of their clash carried them across the floor until they reached the kitchen proper, their blades locked against each other, steel biting steel.
"You've been far too spoiled, little brother." Meldric taunted, shoving Max back against the kitchen table. Max braced himself, his sword raised like a shield against the relentless strike of Meldric's.
"You've grown cruel, brother! Why must you slaughter my mother's people?!" Max shot back, his voice strained as their swords collided again and again.
"It's the way of life, Max… sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good," Meldric said, sneering. He lunged, swinging with precision to strike Max—but Max twisted aside just in time, searching desperately for an opening. Yet Meldric's skill far surpassed his own.
The clash rang out again. Meldric attempted a sweeping strike to Max's side, but Max dodged, and the blade crashed into the table, splitting it cleanly in half. Max's heart pounded as he realized how narrowly he had avoided a fatal blow. One misstep, and Meldric could have ended him in an instant.
"You're just like your mother, Max—always running, always hunted," Meldric taunted, eyes glittering with malice as Max retreated, sweat streaking his brow.
Unaware, Max edged backward until his back met the cold, unyielding wall of the kitchen. Shadows draped the room, the pale moonlight reflecting off Meldric's cruel gaze. With a grinding sneer, Meldric brought his sword down in a vicious arc. Max raised his own blade just in time to block, steel screaming against steel. Meldric's strikes were heavier, stronger, and each blow pushed Max further back.
"Argh!" Max groaned, straining against Meldric's relentless pressure. The tip of his sword scraped along his left shoulder, slicing his skin. Pain flared, forcing a shout from his lips. Both fighters were weary; Max lacked the refined training Meldric possessed, and it showed in every strained parry and desperate thrust.
"Any last words, brother?" Meldric sneered, his grin cold as he pressed Max's sword back, almost burying it against Max's chest. Max tried to resist, but the sheer force of Meldric's strength drove him back relentlessly, every push a reminder of how outmatched he truly was.
And then—
Snap!
Meldric's eyes widened in shock as a sudden, sharp pain erupted in his back. He staggered forward, and there was Rehena, gripping a broken wine bottle, plunging it into his spine. The wound was not fatal, yet it sent Meldric reeling, forcing him to stagger back. Max froze, astonished, his mind racing—why was Rehena still here?"
"Why you…!" Meldric roared, lashing out and yanking at Rehena's hair.
"Argh!" Rehena cried out, the pain of his grip radiating through her skull.
"Rehena!" Max shouted, lunging instinctively to protect her.
Meldric swung his sword toward Rehena's abdomen, intent on striking her down—but—
BOOM!
The mansion exploded with an earsplitting roar. The force threw Max, Meldric, and even Rehena to the ground, the shockwave rattling every bone in their bodies. Dust and debris filled the air as the very foundations of the mansion seemed to shudder under the impact, the world reduced to chaos and fire.