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When the door finally opened, Eleanor entered Carlisle’s bedroom. A knight stationed nearby offered Eleanor water, but Eleanor shook her head.
“I’m fine. More than that…. I wish I could know if your Majesty is safe.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
After saying this, the knight left the room. There were no members of the imperial family who were suspicious of the guide, so no knight was left in the bedroom. Everyone had left, and the door had been shut.
Eleanor cast a cold glance around the room. She didn’t even have to look around because she remembered the hidden door from the original novel. Because she could have recited a passage from a novel.
Before being killed by Carlisle, Empress Luria repeatedly recalled the location of the key that opened the door to the secret passage and the location of the keyhole.
There were only two lion’s head fragments the size of her fists in this room, which the empress muttered. Among them are…..
‘The head in the west is this on.’
Eleanor took the key from her pocket and placed her hand in the mouth of the lion. Outwardly, it looked like a hole for ventilation. As she pushed the key all the way through the small hole, she felt like she had hit the jackpot.
She turned the key slowly, hoping it wouldn’t break. A small click could be heard from within, and one side of the wall opened inward.
‘That’s right. When it’s loud, it’s not a secret passage.’
She couldn’t lock the bedroom door from the inside out of fear of being caught. After removing the key from the lion’s mouth, Eleanor took her first steps.
“…Why do you know the secret passage of the Imperial Palace?”
She didn’t even notice it. Eleanor was startled and turned back in the direction she heard his voice. The window was open, and half the people in the room were carrying knives.
He had clearly used a sword to cut the latch on the locked window and open it.
“Why are you here? Are you insane?”
Van himself thought he was crazy. Then it was right to escape the other prisoners from prison, and they followed him out of there.
He wouldn’t survive even if he fled, but the guide was here. He needed an Eleanor.
“What’s the purpose? Were you the one who set the annex on fire?”
When he approached Eleanor and asked her a question, she took a step back. She had no intention of being caught by Van or squabbling with him.
“Forget it.”
As she approached the door to the secret passage and ostensibly to get away from him, Van grabbed Eleanor’s arm. Eleanor was surprised when she saw his half-wounded face.
‘What kind of relationship do you and I have!’
Neither to hold on to Eleanor nor let her fall, Van whispered,
“Escape with me.”
“I’m a C-level guide. Carlisle will not give up on me, even though my class is low……If you’re being tracked, you’ll have to use your strength, and I can’t guide it all.”
Eleanor was able to walk to the front of the secret passage because he did not overpower her. Van took Eleanor’s hand as soon as she seemed to go inside.
“I will protect you. I will.”
Eleanor’s face was distorted with a smile.
“We-We can’t do that. If we run away together, you will die, and I will die too. If you leave the empire and run away……You might be able to live.”
There was no assurance that God’s wrath would be limited to the Empire. He might survive another day if he was away from the Empire.
“What are you going to do in this passage? Did you plan to kill Carlisle?”
“That’s…”
“I’ll help you, too.”
Van replied to Eleanor, who couldn’t answer. Eleanor furrowed her brow. Van looked at Eleanor as if he were trying to persuade her.
“I have already reached my limit. Even if I am not tortured, I will not make it through this year unless someone guide me.”
“There may be other guides outside the Empire.”
Van shook his head. After his father died, he spent the rest of his life looking for a guide. His father did the same, but only three guides appeared in the world.
The emperor had the empress.
Charlotte was not his guide, but Eleanor guided him just by holding his fingertips.
It didn’t matter what grade she got. He would almost certainly have a higher matching rate with her.
He was resentful of himself for not checking the matching rate after learning Eleanor was a C-class guide from the spy he planted.
None of this would have happened if he had met Eleanor sooner.
“Regardless of how you persuade me, I will remain by your side.”
Eleanor bit her lower lip, as if she irritated. Van was distracted by her lips, but the next thing he knew, he had Eleanor’s arm and embraced his waist.
“What…?!”
“A considerable number of knights are coming this way. We’ll be leaving now.”
The knights may not have noticed her plan, but they might have noticed that it was Eleanor who had let Van escape.
Van made his way to the secret passage she had opened. Just as they were about to enter the secret passageway, the door burst open and knights poured in.
“There’s a passage like that…!”
“Capture them! Don’t let them go!!”
Eleanor and Van, who glanced at them, entered the secret passage. She didn’t know how to operate the device, but a line was hanging near the entrance, so she pulled it.
The passage door shut as quietly as it opened. It would if someone didn’t throw a longsword through that gap.
The black hole became stuck in the doorway, preventing the passage door from completely closing. Removing the longsword from the side was difficult, so Van hugged Eleanor.
“What are you doing…!”
“I’ll hear your grumbling later.”
Eleanor pressed her face against his chest as he swayed with a hook. The fluttering of his hair and the breeze on her cheek gave her the impression that they were moving unusually quickly.
Perhaps he should use his power now that she was by his side.
Eleanor placed her hand on Van’s neck as well. He was dressed in rags, allowing her to guide him wherever she pleased, but she didn’t want to.
“!”
Van, who was running, seemed surprised by the sudden guidance. But he continued on without stopping Eleanor.
“…Where should we go?”
“We have to go underground. There must be an ossuary-like place in the underground. or not… Like a temple or something.”
When he heard it, he only understood half of what she said. The empress told him many stories because he was a direct descendant of the imperial family and would most likely inherit the imperial throne in the future.
It was like an old story that she told to console his spirit by primarily guiding. The story also included the myth of the founding of the empire.
“Are you planning to destroy the empire?”
Van knew the legend that God was sealed underground in the imperial palace. But he didn’t fully believe it and didn’t know how to break the seal.
“What if it turns out to be true?”
He knew nothing about Eleanor. All he knows is that her family background is unclear, hat she is a C-Class guide, and that the Duke of Armoure and Carlisle have imprisoned her.
Judging from Carlisle’s temperament, he must have committed many evil deeds to possess Eleanor. He might have hurt her.
He has already lost his uncle, the emperor, and the empress, who raised him as if he were their biological child. Many vassals who cared for him and followed him were also killed.
If vengeance could be possible, he would be the one who desired it the most.
‘But……!’
There was no guarantee that the god would only save them if she released the god in the underground secret passage. Van knew that even if Carlisle killed him, he would not kill Eleanor.
Even if Charlotte is there, the existence of a guide is precious.
But he also knew that such a life could be hell for Eleanor. Halfway through, he already knew he couldn’t go against Eleanor.
The moment she guided him, he was already hers.
“I’ll……follow you.”
As Van replied, Eleanor seemed to smile for the first time after meeting him. He stared at her blankly, wishing the smile would never fade.
He should’ve met her earlier. He should have gone up to Eleanor and held her hand instead of just listening to his subordinate’s report.
He would stop in the middle, regretting not feeling anything even after seeing her guarding Carlisle’s side.
Eleanor’s eyes were checking the underground passage. As they walk, the soft light of magic illuminates the floor and ceiling.
‘There are only a few steps left until the end of the world!’
She could only hope the legend that the empress knew wasn’t a lie.