Tamed or Captured

own to save Lycaon, and she would never take a path that put them in danger……. 

After thinking for a while, he spoke very seriously.

“I will go by myself.”

“What?”

Sosa looked at him in surprise.

“I will go to the Imperial Palace to meet Asha first.”

His blue eyes darkened.

“I will transform into a horse and infiltrate the Imperial Palace first, so on the last day of the festival, you wait with the others near the monastery.
We will rescue Asha the moment the butterfly is announced.”

Sosa’s eyes grew bigger, but when he quickly shook his head, it seemed that this method had the highest chance of success at the moment. 

In particular, on the last day of the festival, a large number of people, both nobles and commoners, will flock to the monastery to see the Empire’s newly appointed butterfly.

It would be difficult to escape through the huge crowds, but it was far more advantageous to flee by hiding among the people in a large open space than in the complex and narrow Imperial Palace. 

No matter how much the Cactus Knights were, they couldn’t carelessly shoot arrows in a situation where they could shoot ordinary people if they made a mistake. 

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If there were a lot of people, the disadvantage side was not the prey, but the hunter.

     Of course, with Asha’s skill, she’ll be able to hit the right person if she wants…….

As Jackal unknowingly thinks of her, he smiles bitterly. 

Her voice, especially when she called him Sheppy was like the spring breeze and still lingered in his ear. 

And after Asha left, he was like a living corpse who felt nothing. 

But when he smiled for the first time in a long time, Sosa felt a little relieved. 

Jackal rolled up the map again and tossed it into a corner.

“Keep the details a secret, organize the plan perfectly and plan the movements at the monastery.”

“Yes.”

The only person in the organization who knew his true identity was Sosa, a member of the same clan, so Jackal only worked with him on the strategy. 

The other members may feel sad, but originally, he often talked to Sosa, who was no different from Lycaon’s secretary, so everyone understood. 

The Lycaons were shocked to learn that Asha was a butterfly, but they all agreed that she should be rescued from the tyrant. 

When they heard that she gave herself up to save them, they all cried and were ready to run and save her immediately.

Sosa sweated a lot every time his comrades wanted to leave to save her, and he prevented Gabe from going on a rampage with a bottle of alcohol, yelling he would save her.

Jackal walked to the window and looked up at the moonlit night sky. 

Suddenly, he remembered the last peaceful night he spent with Asha. 

That day, he regretted over and over again for not confessing his feelings to her. 

     This time will be different. 

     When I see you again… … Will I be able to tell you my secret then? 

     Can I confess my true feelings to you? 

In the moonlight, his bluish-gray hair once again turned purple.　

Jackal silently placed a piece of carved wood on the window frame.

When Asha was taken away, he thought it would drive him crazy, so he carved a piece of wood while he organized his thoughts.

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It was the first meaningful sculpture he carved.

He murmured, looking calmly at the intricate carvings of Asha’s face.

“Hang in there.
I’ll be right there.….”

His rough fingertips, covered in calluses, carefully stroked Asha’s eyes and hair. 

His touch was very affectionate. 

Sosa observed him and quietly left.

With every night filled with thoughts, time flew by quickly, and the day of the festival approached. 

* * * * *

The ‘Festival of Flowers‘ is the largest event in the Empire, lasting a total of one week. 

It consisted of one day symbolizing the period from which the first seed sprouted.
The next five days symbolized the five petals protecting the Imperial Family, and the last day, the Flowering Ceremony. 

Asha rose from dawn to dress up for a ball called ‘Flower Banquet‘, which marks the beginning of the festival.

By order of the Emperor, Ella and several maids washed her body from dawn, changed her clothes, and adorned her hair. 

The fact that she was a butterfly was still kept a secret, but everyone was happy to attend to her. 

They all fell in love with Asha because of the previous incident, and the prejudice and hatred for minorities faded away. 

Asha bathed in rose petals that filled the bathtub and was massaged all over her body with the Emperor’s favorite perfume. 

After the massage was over, the makeup began in earnest. 

Asha is one of the most beautiful butterflies of all time, and her appearance exudes an elegant aristocratic aura. 

When she dressed up, she looked as if she had golden wings on her back. 

The maids were excited and helped with more passion.

Asha finished all her makeup and wore a hair accessory that was elegantly adorned with black rose petals and silver rose vines. 

It would be an implicit symbol that she’s the Emperor’s Butterfly. 

Asha knew better than anyone how much the world of the nobility was imbued in lies and illusions. 

At this Flower Banquet, she had to be seen as a more splendid and rare woman than any other woman in the world.

She will thus fully capture the Emperor’s heart. 

Asha’s eyes gleamed with determination as she confidently headed for the ballroom.