The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 2.2

“We must proceed with the late Archduke’s funeral one day earlier, Your Highness.”

“Alright. Get things ready as soon as possible.”

Ilya wanted the funeral to be magnificent. Nasir had died at a young age without any special or significant achievement to his name. However, Ilya wanted to give him a decent and courteous funeral anyway.

“And…” his voice trailed off. Everything else was overshadowed by the image of Evelyn curled up on the bed spattered with blood. He had thought that it had been a dream. But her limp body reminded him that it wasn’t the case.

“Did the doctor arrive?”

“Yes. Uh… Lady Evelyn was drenched and she lost a lot of… blood. So…,” the assistant sitting opposite Ilya responded awkwardly. He was unable to finish his words. Ilya felt an intense glare directed at him from the doorway.

He strode over to the room and approached the bed. “Say it, Nazz.” His face showed displeasure. “You,” he said to the assistant. “Go and work.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The assistant hastily left the room.

There were only two of them left in the room. Nazz’s glare became even more intense now. When there was no sign of Nazz opening his stubborn lips to report on Evelyn’s condition, Ilya sighed.

“What are you upset about, Nazz Plein,” said Ilya, wearily. “Will you speak?”

“What do you think you are doing?! Who do you think you are dragging someone through the rain like that and biting them almost to death like a rabid dog?! She still hasn’t regained consciousness. Her fever is through the roof, Your Highness!” Nazz spat the title mockingly in his face.

“She’s… still unconscious?” asked Ilya.  A crack appeared in his cold expression. Ilya recalled her pale face and limp body from the morning.

Nazz sighed. “I am speaking as your friend, Your Highness,” he said without the biting edge this time. “If I were a Maduse, I would snarl at you. I know who she is but… still, don’t do this to her.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Break up justly. Divorce her if you can’t be with her anymore,” said Nazz. “You are an Archduke now. Give her sufficient alimony to live out her life with your child. Don’t do this.”

Nazz was right. Maduse and the Black Forest Knights could not exist under the same roof. The Black Forest Knights had been nearly exterminated on the expedition to Tatar because of the Maduse’s eldest son. He hadn’t kept his promise on the joint operation and had abandoned his ally.

The Black Forest Knights had entered a canyon to lure the enemy and became trapped there due to his betrayal. The enemy troops—which had ten times as many men—had broken down the canyon’s entrance and waited for their demise as the food and water ran out.

“You surviving that canyon was a marvelous feat,” said Nazz. “I didn’t expect King Tatar to die and civil war to break out among the princes. It was indeed a lucky turn of events.”

Upon returning from the pits of hell, Ilya and the Black Forest Knights had sworn by blood that they would get their revenge on the Maduses.

“The heir must have only followed his family’s orders. That slick old man Ayatollah Maduse must have planned everything,” said Ilya.

“Right… that moron couldn’t have done such a bold thing alone.”

Marquis Maduse had claimed to notice something wrong with the Tatar royal family. The Marquis had bowed his head and apologized declaring that his incompetent eldest son had failed to send reinforcements and thus had put the ally troops in trouble.

“I expected him to slice his son’s head off right then and there.”

“He really is a sick human being, Your Highness.”

Ayatollah Maduse had offered his eldest son’s head as a sign of goodwill along with a huge compensation. Ilya gritted his teeth. In order to win the war, he had been in desperate need of money and resources. He had no choice but to accept it.

It was around that time that Evelyn had given birth to their son. He had been glad that he was so far away from home at that time. If he had been near her as her family betrayed him, he probably would have killed the child with his bare hands.

Nazz was right. He had intended to divorce Evelyn after the war. He had been sure of it but… last night…

“I must tend to my wife,” said Ilya.

For now, he was going to set aside whatever grievances he held and be by her side.