Last Gambit
"Even a cornered wolf can bare its fangs."
The echo of footsteps reverberated through the prison corridors—heavy, deliberate, unashamed.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
In the depths of a filthy cell, Samon lifted his head. He'd been staring at nothing for hours, but now his gaze sharpened.
"Ah. You've finally arrived."
Outside the iron bars, the Fourth Princess stood glaring down at him, her face twisted in contempt.
"How dare you—a commoner—attempt to threaten me?"
The letter had been delivered through Raju, written in Samon's own hand:
*Your Highness, shall I reveal to the world that it was you who released the wolf during the hunting competition? The one who orchestrated the attack on Medea?*
Samon shrugged, rising to his feet with a wince. He walked closer to the bars.
"If I hadn't done that, you never would have come looking for me. What other choice did I have?"
His lips curled into a sardonic smile.
"So, Your Highness—how does it feel? Meeting the brother of your dreams?"
The mockery in his tone was unmistakable. He already knew the answer.
"Shut your mouth. Unless you want me to tear that insolent tongue from your skull."
Because he'd struck a nerve.
The Katzen delegation had fled the palace when news of the rebellion reached them. But before they'd crossed the border, word came that the uprising had been crushed.
They turned back immediately.
"The King has returned! The King has appeared!"
To be more precise, it was the Fourth Princess who had forced the delegation's return—driven by the news of Peleus's arrival.
By the time they reached the palace, the grand celebration had already concluded.
The Fourth Princess stood before the King, her heart pounding with anticipation.
It felt like discarding a shirt with its buttons sewn wrong and slipping into something crisp and new.
"I've heard about Katzen's delegation."
When the King's gaze turned toward them, the Fourth Princess swallowed hard.
Even though he was merely looking in her direction, she felt as though she were balanced on a blade's edge.
'How... how can someone look like that?'
For a moment, she could only stare.
The King of Valdina had become even more handsome than she remembered from years ago. His lips, his nose, the silver-white hair that seemed dusted with moonlight, those piercing blue eyes—all of it remained.
But now, his cold and reserved demeanor was sharpened by the brutal elegance of a warrior who had seen real battle.
Her mouth went dry. She worried that standing beside him, she would look shabby. Unremarkable.
The desire to pluck a beautiful rose warred with the fear that touching it would draw blood.
"King of Valdina, congratulations on your victory. May good fortune and the will of the goddess be with this country. I am Angeli—"
"It seems the delegation's purpose has already been fulfilled. The Grand Duke of Castulo conveyed Katzen's sincerity quite thoroughly. I suggest you depart at your earliest convenience."
Before Angelique could even finish her carefully prepared greeting, she was met with a dismissal as cold and beautiful as frost.
The way he spoke—noble yet cutting—was exactly like his cousin.
"No! We had nothing to do with the Archduke! He acted alone!"
But Peleus had already turned away, as though further argument was beneath him.
"I apologize, Your Highness. Further audiences are not possible."
The Fourth Princess stood frozen, treated as little more than an unwelcome guest.
She was a member of the Katzen royal family—and yet he'd shown her such blatant disrespect.
The King of Valdina is like a sharp sword. Medea, soft and kind on the surface, seemed almost preferable.
But even as anger simmered in her chest, she couldn't erase his beautiful face from her mind.
As if he'd anticipated her reaction, Samon's mouth curved into a knowing smile.
"Didn't I tell you? Our cousin may bend, but he will never break—especially not for Katzen."
"You bastard. Do you want your head separated from your shoulders before the execution even begins? I don't think you understand your situation."
Samon shrugged.
"What more is there to fear when I'm already condemned to die?"
"Then tell me why you summoned me. Quickly."
The Fourth Princess frowned, her eyes scanning the filthy cell with barely concealed revulsion.
All she wanted was to finish this business and escape the stench of this place.
Her gaze swept over Samon's pale complexion, his body stained with dirt and blood. His left arm hung at an unnatural angle—broken during the rebellion when he'd blocked an Agema's blade. It still hadn't been treated.
'I must have been insane. For even a moment, I thought this man resembled the King.'
Even dressed in finery, Samon would have been barely passable. In his current state, he couldn't compare at all.
Angelique felt contaminated just standing near him.
As soon as I leave, I'm going straight to the baths.
"Your Highness, please help my family. If you would only—"
Exactly as expected.
The Fourth Princess snorted and crossed her arms.
"Why should I? After you conspired with Jason and betrayed me?"
She glanced at his twisted arm with disgust.
"Are you really going to abandon me like this?"
"Did we ever share anything of substance? You were nothing more than a rag I used to wipe my feet. Don't act as though something meaningful passed between us."
The courteous smile vanished from Samon's face.
"You'll regret this."
"Ha! Regret? The only thing I regret is ever getting involved with filth like you!"
The Fourth Princess stamped her foot, her fever spiking suddenly. She swayed, dizzy.
"Your Highness!"
"I'm fine."
Her maid steadied her as she waved dismissively at Samon.
"You seem desperate to live. How pathetic. You think begging will save you? Unfortunately, you're not the first fool to try."
She spat.
Samon wiped the spittle from his temple, his eyes burning.
"You're not even an ant I could bother stepping on. Well then, farewell. Thank you for visiting to witness my final moments. When you're dead, I'll be sure to ask how it felt to be beheaded."
Samon bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood.
Though he longed to seize that insolent Princess by the throat and silence her forever, he couldn't forget that she held all the power in this moment.
The lives of my family rest in her hands.
He spoke softly.
"Your Highness should be careful. You are not alone."
"What?"
The Fourth Princess turned sharply, clutching her forehead.
Between the bars, she saw Samon's face—a wolf's grin, sinister and knowing.
"Didn't you know? The fruit of our love lives and breathes within Your Highness's body."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The Fourth Princess was acutely aware of her position—and the strategic importance of marriage.
Her husband would have to be a man with a solid background, someone who could support and elevate her ambitions. Not some washed-up traitor.
Even during her numerous dalliances, she had never once forgotten contraception. Samon had been no exception.
"Let me ask again. Have you felt anything unusual in your body lately?"
"Absolutely not!"
Samon snorted.
"How can you be so certain? Since Your Highness is so desperate to avoid bearing the offspring of men like me, why not consider that there might be others who would use your body as a vessel to infiltrate the imperial family?"
"You filthy bastard—"
Unaware that Raju had bribed her confidants, the Fourth Princess assumed Samon had tampered with her contraceptives himself.
"That paltry contraceptive pill couldn't stop my love for Your Highness."
"Shut up! Stop spouting nonsense! Do you really think I'll fall for your lies?"
"You'll know the truth soon enough."
He said it with quiet pride.
"We've already sent word to Katzen. His Majesty the Emperor should have received the news by now. Since our child is the first grandchild of the imperial family, I'm sure he's delighted."
The Fourth Princess stared at him, her face draining of color.
"What?"
"You informed the Emperor—my *father*?"
"Of course. Isn't it customary for the Katzen Imperial Family to announce joyous occasions to the temple? Our passionate love has transcended the borders of Valdina and Katzen."
"You insane bastard!"
The Fourth Princess screamed.
Samon had already created irrefutable evidence—a trap designed to ensure she couldn't even consider terminating the pregnancy.
The wolf, cornered and dying, had bared its fangs one last time.
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