Chapter 128 - Who Stole The Empress - NovelsTime

Who Stole The Empress

Chapter 128

Author: Lee Jihye
updatedAt: 2026-04-13

Chapter 128. The Secret Of The Silver Horned Deer?

?

“Jorge, we’re all ready. Hurry.”?

?

At the knight’s words, Jorge hastily pulled hard on his gloves.?

?

“You guys are so fast. Yes. Let’s get going.”?

?

“Yes, sir!”?

?

Hurrying through the Knights, Jorge glanced at the barracks of Tamon and Aranrosia.?

?

‘How can they save the beast without a doctor?’?

?

The little beast was indeed a “silver deer” cub.?

?

Of course, Jorge had only seen silver antlers, but he at least knew that was the only beast with such antlers and skin.?

?

‘Well, I’m sure the captain will take care of it.’?

?

Jorge gave a worried glance at Tamon’s barracks and hurriedly mounted his horse.?

?

What mattered now was not the young cub that had survived.?

?

It was more important to get rid of the scent of blood, the trace of it that was left not far from this barracks where they were.?

?

Jorge thought again of the brutal scene at the spot where he had found the young silver deer.?

?

It was a small forest not far from the entrance to the canyon.?

?

When they entered with the intention of seeing that far, Tamon and the Knights were greeted by the bloody scene of battle.?

?

Scattered on the floor were dozens of corpses of what were neither beasts or monsters.?

?

And even the corpses of two silver deer that appeared to have fought against them.?

?

How fierce the battle had been, all the surrounding trees were broken and scratched, and blood was splattered in all directions from who-knows-what.?

?

‘I had no idea the silver deer’s fighting prowess was that high.’?

?

Knowing only the value of the antlers and skins, Jorge could not help but be amazed at the marks of just two silver deer fighting against these monstrous creatures.?

?

‘What was it, by the way that attacked the deer? It was too strange to be a beast, too venomous to be a monster……..’?

?

And it was a little different in shape from the monsters that were in the gap.?

?

It was as if the two traits were combined to create a completely new creature……?

?

At that moment, Jorge couldn’t help but let out a single word.?

?

“…… mutation?”?

?

Yes, mutant.?

?

They were such monsters.?

?

It was between a beast and a monster. They were not beasts, nor  were they monsters. (*He is talking about the creatures that attacked the silver deer.)?

?

Jorge and the knights, who ran fast and arrived at the forest a while ago, began to organize their surroundings quickly.?

?

There was nothing good about having these corpses near the barracks site.?

?

This was because they did not know which animals, possessed by the smell of blood, would come to the vicinity.?

?

They quickly covered their tracks, dragging the creature’s bodies and pushing them into the canyon.?

?

“Everyone watch out for the fog!”?

?

“Yes, sir!”?

?

The Knights quickly cleared the bodies while wearing the masks they had brought with them.?

?

Although ragged, the silver deer skins and antlers were an important financial resource, so they were put in separately.?

?

“When you’re done, let’s return quickly. It is already dark. Hurry.”?

?

“Yeah, it’s kind of spooky. Let’s leave quickly.”?

?

“Did the captain walk around all alone in a place like this?”?

?

“His nickname is ‘Monster’. No. Our captain is worse than a monster. Much more.”?

?

Jorge chimed in with a nuance that made it hard to tell whether he was complimenting or swearing.?

?

Everyone nodded earnestly at his words, but on the other hand, some were reassured by the thought that such a man was their lord.?

?

The knights glanced around the scene where blood and gore had been splattered earlier and hurriedly left the scene.?

?

Jorge, who was running in the very back, glanced at a small bush that was a short distance from the scene.?

?

It was the bush where they had found the small silver horned deer that had been hiding.?

?

Two adult deer fought against a dozen monstrous beasts.?

?

Perhaps those two silver deer had fought to the end of their lives to protect the deer cub that was hiding behind the grass.?

?

Jorge looked around the place with mixed feelings and hurriedly quickened his steps back to the campsite.?

?

Just then, the deer cub, who had been gasping for air in agony, opened his eyes.?

?

* * *?

?

“Kaaaaa….”?

?

The deer cub, who shed a thin cry without energy, wriggled its whole body and tried to move.?

?

“I thought it would not survive with that much blood, but it came back to life.”?

?

Tamon said as he gently rubbed the deer’s chin with his already healed finger.?

?

“Kaaaa.”?

?

The young deer was alert, baring his teeth despite his lack of energy.?

?

Tamon chuckled as he gently rubbed the deer’s chin, as if it were cute.?

?

“The silver deer is a lot stronger than it looks. No matter how young they are.”?

?

“That’s amazing. There aren’t many silver deer in Tanatos, but you seem to know their ecology quite well.”?

?

On that note, the conversation was getting too long, so Asha became silent and made eye contact with the young deer.?

?

The fear-stricken deer was staring at Asha with eyes full of alarm.?

?

The fawn was so small that it didn’t even come halfway up Tamon’s arm.?

?

Only a year old, it seemed to be getting bigger.?

?

The silver horned deer was a slow grower. Their temperament was strong and hard, but it took time to grow.?

?

‘Lucentia once told me about a baby born a year ago……’?

?

Is this silver deer that baby??

?

Asha’s heart throbbed.?

?

“It’s funny, though, a silver horned deer would never leave its young alone.”?

?

“… Oh, this little one wasn’t alone.”?

?

“Then?”?

?

“There were two adults. This one was the one that was hiding in the bushes nearby. But, those two adults were dead a short distance away. It looks like they died protecting this one.”?

?

Tamon told Asha the short version of the scene of the messed up battle.?

?

Asha’s face hardly as she listened to him.?

?

The only silver horned deer herd left in Tanatos were children, managed by the imperial family.?

?

Of course, Tamon couldn’t be sure, he hadn’t searched all over the black canyon.?

?

But strangely enough, Asha couldn’t help but feel that this fawn was the one that Lucentia had told her about.?

?

Then……?

?

“I think there are more deer around.”?

?

Tamon pointed out exactly as if he had read Asha’s mind.?

?

Asha looked pale and clenched her fists.?

?

“Asha.”?

?

Tamon, who was staring at her, called her in a sweet voice.?

?

He gently swept her eyes and urged her on with a gentle voice.?

?

“You look like you have a lot to say. Why don’t you tell me?”?

?

Sighing heavily at his words, Asha opened her lips.?

?

“Actually, this was done by the late emperor of Tanatos.”?

?

A hard voice echoed through the quiet hut.?

?

* * *?

?

“The more I learn……the more I realize that the dead emperor is such a crazy guy in many ways.”?

?

Tamon laughed out in a terribly twisted voice.?

?

The dead emperor wanted to monopolize the silver horns and skins, he would put children in a herd of wild animals.?

?

That method was truly inhuman and cruel.?

?

That human being had done evil to those helpless children.?

?

For example, he would let them hold something precious and take it from them, or he would hold their families hostage.?

?

Asha bowed her head, unable to deny it.?

?

In fact, it was just before she became empress that she learned this secret.?

?

The previous emperor, on his sickbed, called her to inform her of the existence of La Gorreci.?

?

“I say this to you because it seems to me that if left to Gillotti, he will let loose in an instant what I had tamed. Can you manage it properly?”?

?

What did he say to Roselyn, who was too shocked to answer??

?

“…. their parents and siblings are living richly under my patronage. The youngest child was born a few years ago. It is really strange in that house. Another child with white hair was born. I am very ……grateful.”?

?

The previous emperor laughed on his sick bed.?

?

It was a threat against Roselyn.?

?

And to show this, a few days later, he brought in a four-year-old child who had just started walking.?

?

The waddling child had cute frizzy hair.?

?

It was a natural, white, beautiful hair that could not be made artificially.?

?

What could Roselyn say??

?

One thing she thought fortunate at the time was that there were only a few days left when the previous emperor would truly die.?

?

How surprised she was to find herself rejoicing in someone’s death.?

?

“If it was you who took care of those children, it is enough to understand why this painful look on your face now.”?

?

“……I made a promise to protect those children.”?

?

Tamon laughed at her words.?

?

“Otherwise it wouldn’t have been Roselyn V Sunset.”?

?

He could guess what Asha wanted from her voice. His hand brushed her smooth cheek.?

?

His hand naturally stroked her earlobe and held her close.?

?

Soft lips roamed near her hardened eyes, cheeks, and lips.?

?

“I’ll go get the kids. So don’t make this face.”?

?

Asha said, pushing Tamon roughly away as she jumped up at his words.?

?

“No, I don’t want it that way.”?

?

“…… what?”?

?

Tamon’s face contorted at Asha’s strong refusal.?

?

“What do you mean?”?

?

“I don’t want to see you hurt for my purpose anymore. I don’t want that. So you can’t go to the rescue alone. Never.”?

?

Tamon’s expression turned cold at Asha’s rejection of him again.?

?

He asked back, unable to hide the hard expression on his face.?

?

“If not me, how can you save those children? I don’t think we have the time or the means.”?

?

Tamon’s words were not wrong.?

?

Still, Asha could not back down.?

?

For her revenge, for her cause, Tamon had been constantly injured.?

?

He did not hesitate to get hurt, and he did not hesitate to destroy his body.?

?

She did not want to see him like that any more.?

?

“Just one day, give me one day. I’m sure I’ll come up with a way.” (Asha)?

?

Tamon looked at Asha coldly with a stiff face and murmured.?

?

“……You will find a solution without my help?”

Novel