TSMMT Ch 132

Overstepping

The Blake ducal house had served the royal family loyally for generations. On the surface, that was true, and until Dianna's death in her past life, Grand Duke Blake and Guiscard Lodbrog had never clashed openly.

Yet, there had been a moment when they nearly came to blows.

Exhausted by the monster waves in her past life, the kingdom desperately required reinforcements. Though archers provided long-range suppression, arrows relied on precise hits and proved hopelessly insufficient. Magic was an absolute necessity.

While large-scale ancient spells were lost to time, accomplished mages could still deal heavy long-range damage to monsters. They also possessed invaluable healing and enhancement spells. However, witch hunts executed by the Holy See had virtually wiped out mages across the continent, leaving only a scant few hiding in Lodbrog.

It was then that the mages of Neust emerged. When Guiscard's army teetered on the brink of annihilation, these mages intervened with overwhelming destructive power, and standing behind them was Grand Duke Blake.

People gossiped fervently about the event, the rumors reaching even Dianna's ears in her secluded quarters on the palace outskirts.

A few years before her death, Dianna had accidentally overheard a private conversation between Revius and Guiscard regarding the grand duke's hidden motives.

[Guiscard] "Kill him."

Dianna flinched at the cold command. Fearing discovery during such a lethal exchange, she froze.

[Revius] "We can't kill the Grand Duke. He still has utility."

[Guiscard] "Neust Academy was established out of treasonous intent against the royal family."

[Revius] "If you dismantle that place, a genuine rebellion will erupt. If Duke Islag or Duke Eirick side with them, this kingdom will not survive."

[Revius] "If Grand Duke Blake desired rebellion, he wouldn't have saved you, nor would he have revealed the academy's founding purpose. After you, he carries the thickest royal bloodline."

[Guiscard] "Are you suggesting stabbing me in the back was his founding purpose?"

[Revius] "The Grand Duke merely requested recognition for the Magic Tower they established and freedom from royal interference."

[Revius] "Monster waves will strike repeatedly in the future. What do we gain by making an enemy of them? If things go awry, even the capital could fall."

Dianna had found herself silently analyzing the intriguing discussion.

[Revius] "Guiscard, you harbor an unusually deep disdain for that man."

[Guiscard] "Naturally. He eyes what is mine."

[Revius] "Ah, come on! How many times must I say it? He doesn't covet the crown."

[Guiscard] "I am not referring to the crown."

At that moment, he stepped forward, his gaze locking directly onto Dianna. Facing his menacing eyes, she blurted out.

[Dianna] "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."

[Guiscard] "Get out of my sight right now."

He spoke through gritted teeth, leaving Dianna with a sting of unbearable humiliation as she bit her lip and withdrew.

In truth, the first Grand Duke Blake had never abandoned his ambition for the crown. Lacking personal military strength and unable to raise an army openly, he sought to ensure his descendants would usurp the throne. To that end, he founded Neust Academy.

On the surface, encouraging nobles to read books rather than wield swords served as clever bait. Behind the scenes, he gathered not warriors with swords and spears, but mages.

Restoring ancient magic that had vanished into history, assembling mages scattered across the land, and cultivating a formidable force to reclaim the throne. That was the true design. Students displaying magical aptitude were bound by oaths and invited into a secret magical society known as the Magic Tower.

It was quite a cunning twist from a ducal house perceived as docile.

Ultimately, Guiscard had not executed Grand Duke Blake in her past life.

Having lived through those final years without a bloody purge at court, Dianna was certain of this. Unlike his predecessor, Adelheit Blake sought only magic research and recognition for mages. That explained why Adel was so sensitive to energy manifestations and maintained ties with spiritists like Sasha.

His fascination with dragons stemmed from the same origin, as dragons were the beings that had first taught magic to humanity. As the head of an organization amassing mages and compiling magic knowledge, Grand Duke Blake held immense influence.

Dianna trusted Adelheit.

Looking at him as he stared back at her with wide eyes, she pondered calmly. His stance on sparing the dragon was made not for her sake, but as the leader of Neust.

Naturally, she felt no bitterness. Though she had experienced a strange sensation initially, she remembered his courage in stepping before the dragon to buy her time to flee.

However, if he spoke as the leader of Neust, it was only fitting that Dianna spoke as Queen. Furthermore, she needed answers from the dragon. It knew she had returned through time. She needed to understand how it knew, and why it deemed her a rift.

[Dianna] "What do you think?"

He offered a bittersweet smile.

[Adel] "Your Majesty, you never cease to amaze me. But custody in the capital... isn't that far too dangerous?"

He attempted to coax her gently.

[Adel] "If you wish to monitor the dragon, you could accompany me to Neust. The capital is densely populated, Dian."

[Dianna] "So long as the threat is contained, I don't believe it matters whether it is in the capital or Neust."

[Adel] "Above all, you would be exposed to danger."

[Dianna] "If I feared that danger, we should execute the dragon here and now. In any case, the moment the dragon escapes your control, my life is forfeit."

If the dragon were taken to Neust, the risk of it being spirited away was high. Dianna herself didn't fully grasp why she was being so stubborn, yet a strange intuition pressed upon her. A heavy weight of guilt akin to her urge to kill young Guiscard after her regression.

That creature tried to kill me and reduced Guiscard to this state.

Adel gazed at her face in a daze before letting out a low sigh, nodding in realization.

[Adel] "If that is Your Majesty's decree, I shall accept it."

---

With their destination set for the capital's Neust facility rather than the academy's distant headquarters, the carriage sped forward rapidly.

Seeing the coachman riding alongside while Logaple took the reins, Dianna let out a faint, weary chuckle. Guiscard's face, finally revealed beneath the burns, recovered more slowly than his body.

The moment they arrived at the royal palace, chaos erupted.

A dragon had manifested in the forest near the capital. Numerous witnesses had glimpsed the beast. Though relatively small, a dragon raining fireballs and beams of light from the heavens plunged the capital into turmoil.

The King who repelled the dragon was injured!

Yet, upon learning that Guiscard had driven the monster away, the populace fretted over their wounded monarch.

Dianna returned to the royal castle alongside Guiscard, while Grand Duke Blake escorted the dragon to a facility within the capital.

By the following morning, his face had completely restored itself, yet he remained unconscious.

Pale as parchment, he appeared merely asleep, the steady rise and fall of his chest proving he still lived. Dianna gazed sorrowfully at his face.

Back to square one.

What do I wish to do?

She stared down at her husband's features. Though his jawline bore masculine strength, his long eyelashes and crimson lips remained striking.

Once he opened his eyes, those deep violet eyes would fixate intently upon her. Now she understood the turmoil Guiscard had felt when he spat harsh words after her brush with death during the gargoyle attack.

Her understanding was always belated. With trembling fingers, she clasped his hand. It felt lukewarm, bearing just enough heat to signal life.

Praying his hand—colder than her own—would warm quickly, Dianna refused to leave his bedside for even a moment.

[Revius] "Have you returned for good?"

She turned at the sound of Revius' voice. His face was rigid as he pressed her.

[Revius] "I asked if you had returned to stay."

[Dianna] "..."

[Revius] "I heard the reports. He suffered those horrific wounds to save you, my lady."

She closed her eyes. He refrained from addressing her as Your Majesty, calling her 'my lady' instead.

[Revius] "Do you intend to remain only until His Majesty opens his eyes?"

[Dianna] "..."

[Revius] "If that is the case, my lady, please leave."

She stared at him. Expecting a cold glare, she found his eyes filled with a subtle sorrow.

[Revius] "I was his friend long before I served him as king. Guiscard is far more precious to me than this kingdom."

[Dianna] "..."

[Revius] "Are you going to abandon him again?"

He addressed her with stern gravity.

[Revius] "He barely managed to let you go. Even leaving the capital was solely to hold onto you one last time."

[Dianna] "..."

[Revius] "If you don't intend to stay forever, turn around now and leave without looking back."

Dianna pondered his words. She had returned specifically for Guiscard, to remain by his side. She understood Revius' sentiment. Yet before settling here, one truth required absolute clarity.

[Dianna] "Revius."

[Revius] "..."

[Dianna] "Is there any reason I should listen to you?"

She stood up and looked up at Revius, who was gazing down at her. She felt guilt toward Guiscard and sorrow for his plight.

[Dianna] "Simply because you are his friend, you frequently overstep your bounds."

[Revius] "..."

[Dianna] "I am not someone who requires your approval."

She would no longer tolerate his overstepping.

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