Return of the Female Knight

“Help the rest who came with me!”

“Ah, yes, Your Highness!”

Archers from behind the parapet wall shot down arrows to protect the soldiers dressed like Elena.

Syuung! Syung!

At last, the elite soldiers were safely able to enter the Crown Prince’s palace without a single one losing their lives. As soon as they arrived, however, they looked surprised at seeing Elena’s identity.

“M-my god.”

“The leader…was Her Highness?”

From behind the shocked figures, the key figures descended hurriedly from the palace wall. Zenard stammered in surprise.

“Y-Your Highness…since when?”

Elena looked at the figures gathered around her.

“Some people know already me, and others don’t. Before I married the Crown Prince, I was a secret knight named Len.”

“…!”

Most had never met Len, but Zenard and Kuhn had when she concealed her identity with a helmet. In particular, Zenard had been openly hostile towards Len, and his expression immediately paled.

Elena hadn’t intended to reveal it, but there was no faster way to get into the palace. Not to mention, Ophelia must have already heard about her combat abilities after she fought off the soldiers at the cliff. Therefore, she decided that she had no reason to hide it.

Elena looked back at the people gathered around her and spoke quickly.

“The important thing now is that His Majesty is fighting a battle outside the Imperial Palace. We need your strength to take over the grounds as soon as possible.”

Zenard replied with an astonished expression.

“What? His Majesty?”

Zenard was not the only one surprised at the unexpected news. Everyone else looked at each other with wide eyes.

“The previous Emperor is dead, and the Empress is in control of this place. We almost fell to the Empress’ hands. We are now fighting with our noble allies to enter the Imperial Palace, so we must open the gates for him.”

It was a brief explanation, but enough to give the others a grasp of the current situation. The soldiers of the Crown Prince’s palace knelt down, including Zenard and Kuhn.

“Understood, Your Highness!”

Everyone’s voices rang out as one. It was time for the soldiers of the Crown Prince’s palace to assemble.

***

Carlisle had not yet broken through the gates of the Imperial Palace. The palace had been designed to withstand a long siege, and despite Carlisle’s impressive army, it was still less than sufficient.

Paas!

Carlisle’s steel sword pierced the neck of an enemy soldier, who gurgled blood and collapsed bodily to the ground. Smith from the Casey family swiftly came to Carlisle’s side.

“It won’t be as easy to get through those gates as we thought.”

“I thought so too. It’s too well defended to simply break through.”

“We have the upper hand for now, but if we don’t get those reinforcements, we’ll take heavy casualties.”

Carlisle’s eyes turned towards the firmly closed gate, and he spoke in a steady voice.

“…Just wait. My weapon is moving.”

“What?”

Smith didn’t understand the meaning, but Carlisle had no intention of explaining, instead swinging his sword at the enemies.

‘You can’t get hurt…’

Carlisle’s faith in Elena was strong, but worry gripped at him. He didn’t doubt that she would complete her mission, but he was afraid she might get hurt in the process.

‘…If anyone makes you bleed, I will make them pay.’

Already Elena had been injured because of Ophelia’s trap, and she had previously lost her life from Paveluc’s sword. Carlisle had not forgotten that. Once he took the throne, he would certainly repay the debt, and inflict upon Ophelia and Paveluc a hundred times more pain than Elena suffered.

‘Does she remember what I told her? What kind of emperor I am is entirely in her hands.’

The more blood Elena lost, the colder the Carlisle’s heart became. If Elena died at all…the Ruford Empire would have to repent for turning Carlisle into the emperor. His dark blue eyes flashed upon the thought.

‘…Come back to me, Elena.’

She had to be safe to keep Carlisle’s brutal nature asleep and hidden from the rest of the world.

The battle continued to rage fiercely outside the Imperial Palace walls, when—

Keuleuleuleuleung!

There was loud noise, and stunningly, the palace gates slowly began to open.

Tak, tak, tak.

A cloud of dust was stirred up from the ground, and someone began to emerge.

The first thing one noticed was golden hair as bright as the sun. It was followed by contrasting dark clothes, and a face beautiful enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Elena arrived on the battlefield like a goddess of war.

Soon after, Carlisle’s closest aids, Kuhn and Zenard, appeared by her side. Behind them, they led more soldiers. The men trapped inside the Crown Prince’s palace had arrived. The opening the gate was tantamount to Carlisle’s victory.

“Raaaaah!”

Many of Carlisle’s soldiers roared in battle lust as they rushed forward, while the Empress’ soldiers turned ashen. With everyone’s attention on the fighting, Elena sprinted past the soldiers them and ran straight to Carlisle’s side. She looked him over worriedly.

“You weren’t hurt when I was gone, were you?”

Carlisle grinned at her concern.

“That was what I was going to say.”

Carlisle observed her maskless face.

“…You revealed yourself?”

“It couldn’t be helped. I thought it was the quickest way to get into the palace.”

“Did you get hurt?”

“No. Just as promised, I came back safely.”

Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief and he cupped Elena’s soft cheek.

“Well done.”

The people from the Crown Prince’s palace had learned about Elena’s identity, and while the soldiers fighting at the Imperial Palace entrance did not know what had happened. But everyone’s thoughts were the same. The couple looked incredible together. They stood shoulder to shoulder, towering figures looking ready for battle.

Carlisle turned towards the wide open gate.

“Let’s go.”

It was time to reclaim Carlisle’s throne.