Grant me Your Grace Chapter 75

The news of the Crown Prince’s departure quickly reached the princess’s palace.

 

“Brother is leading the troops toward Viantar?”

 

Dahlia gazed out the window with a solemn expression at the news Bertha had brought. In the distance, she could see Saltar and his guards already crossing the desert, having left the imperial palace.

 

Saltar, who had been plotting rebellion, was now leading the emperor’s soldiers away from the empire. There was only one meaning to this.

 

‘Brother… is finally making his move.’

 

Though she had spent a considerable amount of time preparing to oppose Saltar, fear still crept in uncontrollably. 

 

For a moment, Dahlia felt lightheaded and closed her eyes.

 

“Your Highness, are you all right? Why have you gone so pale?”

 

Bertha asked worriedly, but Dahlia silently stroked the girl’s head without answering.

 

If Saltar crushed the rebels and struck the capital while the emperor was off guard, that would still be manageable—but there was no reason for him to engage in a bloody clash with the rebellious nation when he could avoid it.

 

Instead, the cunning Saltar would surely persuade the rebels to join his forces. 

 

‘Let us overthrow this corrupt empire together,’ he would say, ‘I will give you the world you desire. Join me in seizing the throne.’

 

Though the rebels might not trust Saltar—who had been promised the throne—at first, it wouldn’t be long before they sided with the Crown Prince. 

 

What they truly wanted, after all, was a new hero.

 

“Bertha, listen carefully to what I say now.”

 

Dahlia held Bertha’s shoulders and met her eyes. Miftah had warned her to trust no one, but to her, Bertha was now like a part of her own body.

 

Even if she herself were to fall, she wanted at least this child to survive.

 

“Return to your hometown immediately, take your family, and flee far away. The farther from the capital, the better. Places near the border might be dangerous, so hide in the mountains or another island.”

 

“Your Highness… What are you saying? Flee far from the capital? Surely you don’t mean—”

 

“War will soon break out here.”

 

At Dahlia’s words, Bertha took a sharp breath. 

 

Though she had sensed an unseen turmoil approaching while carrying out Dahlia’s inexplicable orders, her face showed she had never imagined an actual war would break out.

 

Dahlia soothed the startled Bertha with a calm voice.

“The war won’t last long. But staying here might put you in danger, so go seek refuge with your family first.”

 

Tears welled up in Bertha’s large eyes.

“Then what about you, Your Highness? What will you do?”

“I cannot leave.”

“Come with me, Your Highness! I will serve you. Please, take shelter somewhere safe!”

 

“I must stay here.”

 

Dahlia tightly held Bertha’s trembling hands and said, “Because this war… will be my fight.”

 

Bertha’s eyes widened at those words. Round tears spilled down, wetting the girl’s cheeks. 

 

Struggling to steady her shaky breaths, Bertha began to sob quietly, as if unable to contain her fear.

 

“Bertha, you can still escape now. With Prince Saltar having left the imperial palace, the watch over the princess’s quarters has loosened. I’ll ensure the other maids leave safely as well, so go to your hometown first and take your family to safety.”

 

At Dahlia’s composed words, Bertha finally burst into tears. Her shoulders shook as she cried, but then, as if resolving herself, she tightly shut her eyes and wiped her tears away.

 

Dahlia wanted to cry with her, but for now, sending her beloved maid to safety came first.

 

“Bertha. When this is all over, I will call for you again. For now, you must leave the princess’s palace…”

 

But perhaps Berta’s resolve was different. 

 

The child wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, then suddenly dipped a reed stem into ink and began writing something on paper. 

 

After folding the paper, she excused herself, saying she would quickly return after stopping by her room, and dashed out—only to come back empty-handed.

 

Berta looked at Dahlia with firm determination and said, “I won’t go anywhere, Your Highness.”

 

“Berta!”

 

“Thank you for letting me protect my family.”

 

At that moment, the sound of fluttering wings made Dahlia glance out the window. 

 

A trained messenger pigeon was swiftly cutting through the sky, flying far toward its destination.

Instead of fleeing to safety with her family, Bertha had chosen to stay by her master’s side until the very end.

 

Dahlia let out a quiet sigh. Part of her wanted to drag Berta out by force if necessary, but the resolve in the child’s eyes was far stronger than she had expected.

 

“I don’t want to go anywhere else, Your Highness,” Bertha pleaded, tears streaming down her face more sorrowfully than before.

 

“So… please let me stay by your side until the end.”

 

What could she do with this foolish child? Tears welled up in Dahlia’s eyes as she embraced Bertha.

 

“I’m sorry, Bertha. I’m sorry for bringing you to such a dangerous place…”

 

“It’s my choice, Your Highness. Even if I die, I’ll serve you until my last breath.”

 

Seeing Bertha trembling in fear yet stubbornly insisting on staying, Dahlia could only harden her own resolve.

 

No matter what, she would seize victory in this war.

 

After barely collecting herself, Dahlia began moving busily to prepare for the coming calamity.

 

💫

 

After sending letters to Mudhat Osahar and Miftah Hayad instructing them to prepare for war,
Princess Dahlia waited for nightfall before heading straight to the underground prison through a secret passage. 

 

Now quite familiar with the dark paths of the prison, she soon reached Hissin’s cell.

 

“Your Highness, how—”

 

Before Hissin’s surprised voice could continue, Dahlia cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. 

 

Just before their sweet kiss began, the metallic taste on his tongue made Hissin frown.

Dahlia had bitten her own tongue, secretly feeding him her blood.

 

Caught off guard by the unexpected method, Hissin muttered a quiet curse before deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth. 

 

Their breaths and tongues tangled messily between parted lips.

 

“Hng…”

Whether from the fierce kiss or the rising spots, Dahlia let out a faint moan. Hissin licked away every sound, meticulously erasing each trace of her pain.

 

Fortunately, with the High Priest’s recent death, the torture had temporarily stopped. 

 

A few touches were enough to make Dahlia’s spots disappear completely.

 

Hissin greedily gripped her full breasts, then slowly released her tongue, which he had been sucking fiercely.

 

Rolling her bitten lower lip like candy between his teeth, he scraped it lightly before letting go. Dahlia exhaled a damp breath and clung tightly to his neck.

“Haa…”

A thin thread of saliva connected their parted lips. 

 

Breathless from the short but intense kiss, Dahlia gazed at Hissin with shimmering eyes.

 

“Hissin, promise me one thing.”

Dahlia kept caressing his face, memorizing his features. She spoke as if he were about to leave for some distant place.

 

“No matter what happens, you’ll wait for me. You must promise to see me again.”

Was she sending him away, or was she the one being left behind?

Unable to decipher her intentions, Hissin silently gazed at her with his pale, amber-brown eyes. Dahlia, who dared not read his thoughts, pleaded with him again in a tender voice.

 

“No matter what happens, promise me you’ll see me again.”

 

It seemed more like a vow to herself—a hope she desperately clung to. 

 

A final wish, secretly etched into the one she was leaving behind.

 

“I promise.”

Hissin raised his hand and cupped her pale face. As he brushed her cheek with his thumb, damp tears stained his fingertips.

“No matter what happens, I will see Your Highness again.”

 

Even if it were a hellish land.

 

Or even the depths of true hell.

 

Dahlia, her eyes brimming with fresh tears, closed them gently and buried her face in his palm. Hot tears pooled in his hand, soaking her cheeks.

 

“I love you, Hissin.”

 

Dahlia clasped his hand and confessed her true feelings.

 

“Truly… I love you.”

Unaware that her words, thicker than her tears, churned through Hissin’s crimson eyes like a raging tide.

“You are my sin and my salvation.”

 

It felt as though poison had pooled in his palm, dissolving his flesh into a sodden mess. 

 

Pressing her lips to it, Dahlia let the new poison seep into him before turning away without waiting for his answer.

Was I afraid of what he might say?

Or perhaps she wanted to leave that answer as her final hope—the last ember of her life.

 

“…Who gave you the right?”

Hissin’s lips curled faintly as he stared into the darkness.

The pounding of his heart swelled into a mournful cry, echoing through the vast silence.