ARE YOU CURIOUS TO SEE GRAND DUKE BALLOT'S FACE?
IS THAT A CRIME?
WE'VE BEEN AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS FOR FIVE YEARS. IT'S ONLY NATURAL TO BE CURIOUS.
THE GRAND DUKE IS THE ENEMY OF OUR EMPIRE.
IT'S NOT NORMAL TO BE CURIOUS ABOUT AN ENEMY'S FACE.
THE MOMENT YOU SHOW EVEN THE SLIGHTEST OPENING, HE WILL TAKE YOUR LIFE...
HE IS YOUR NEMESIS.
SO FOCUS ONLY ON KILLING HIM, SIA.
THINK OF NOTHING ELSE.
DO NOT DOUBT.
SERHIN IS RIGHT ABOUT MOST THINGS.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE HE'S THE CROWN PRINCE OF THE TENASIS EMPIRE,
AND EVEN LESS BECAUSE HE IS THE MASTER I SERVE.
THEY SAY HE'S JUST BEEN BRILLIANT SINCE THE DAY HE WAS BORN.
UNLIKE ME, WHO ONLY KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT.
YOUR MIND IS WANDERING, SIR SIA.
I DON'T RECALL GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO USE MY NAME,
GRAND DUKE BALLOT.
APRIL 10TH, YEAR 408 OF THE IMPERIAL CALENDAR.
YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT ON YOUR MIND TODAY.
SAVE THAT LEISURE FOR AFTER YOU'VE TAKEN MY HEAD.
THE LEMART CONFLICT ZONE.
THE TIME SINCE THE WAR BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS BEGAN HAS BEEN...
100 YEARS.
ARROGANT AS ALWAYS.
MY ARCH-RIVAL, WHOM I'VE CLASHED SWORDS WITH COUNTLESS TIMES OVER FIVE YEARS OF WAR,
GRAND DUKE CADRIAN BALLOT.
I WON'T BE SATISFIED...
...UNTIL I SEE THAT GUY FORCED TO HIS KNEES, HIS FACE TWISTED IN DEFEAT.
COME AT ME.
HAS ANYONE ELSE EVER MADE ME FEEL THIS EXHILARATED?
THAT'S WHY,
I REALLY HAVE TO...
...SEE GRAND DUKE BALLOT'S FACE FOR MYSELF.
NOT THE EXPRESSIONLESS FACE IN A PORTRAIT,
BUT THE LIVING, BREATHING FACE OF THE GRAND DUKE.
AAAAGH!!!
WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL OF A SUDDEN?!
WH-WHAT! I CAN'T MOVE MY FEET...!!
GWAH!
H-HELP...
DO NOT STEP ON THE BLACKENED EARTH!
SOLDIERS OF KADEA! DO NOT ENGAGE, FALL BACK IMMEDIATELY!
IT'S DARK MAGIC!
DAME SIA,
LET'S POSTPONE TODAY'S DUEL FOR ANOTHER TIME.
...SO,
MAKE SURE YOU SURVIVE.
YOU STILL HAVE TO...
...TAKE MY HEAD, DON'T YOU?
HE'S TOO SOFT.
TELLING AN ENEMY COMMANDER TO SURVIVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD?
AND EVEN TELLING ME TO TAKE HIS HEAD?
BUT... I ALSO HOPE HE SURVIVES.
I GUESS CLASHING SWORDS FOR SO LONG GAVE US SOME SORT OF CAMARADERIE.
IF SERHIN HEARD THIS CONVERSATION, HE'D SAY WE'VE BOTH GONE MAD.
...HUH?
SIA...!
...DAME SIA!
...WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
THE GRAND DUKE?
IS HE CRAZY? WHY IS HE COMING BACK?
DON'T COME HERE...
PLEASE...
GO BACK...!
HEY! THERE'S A SURVIVOR OVER HERE!
UGH...
...WHAT?
I SHOULD DEFINITELY BE DEAD...
OH DEAR... SHE MUST BE IN SHOCK.
WHERE... WHERE AM I...
ARE YOU AWAKE? THIS IS TERIDANA BEACH IN THE BALLOT FIEFDOM.
HOW ON EARTH DID YOU END UP HERE...
WHAT... DID YOU SAY?
THE KADEA EMPIRE'S...
...BALLOT DUCHY?
I GUESS THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SMOOTH PATH, EVEN AFTER DEATH.
AHEM! YOUNG LADY. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
I'M USUALLY THE TYPE TO JUST ACCEPT THINGS AND MOVE ON.
BUT THE KNIGHTS' REACTIONS?
Don't worry too much, everything will be fine.
I GET IT. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I SAW THIS FACE, TOO.
THE REASON I WOKE UP IN AN UNFAMILIAR BODY?
WHO KNOWS. I DIED BY DARK MAGIC, SO I GUESS IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM... IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SAY SO, JUST LIKE HE SAID.
THANK YOU.
...AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE I DIED.
BUT WHY OF ALL THINGS,
WE'LL BE AT THE GRAND DUKE'S RESIDENCE SOON, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH US.
WHY OF ALL THINGS DID THIS BODY HAVE TO BE IN THE ENEMY'S TERRITORY, THE GRAND DUKE'S FIEFDOM?!
DON'T WORRY, LADY.
THE BEACH WHERE YOU WERE FOUND IS A RESTRICTED AREA,
SO WE'RE ONLY GOING THERE TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY.
YEAH, RIGHT!!
THEY SAY THE GRAND DUKE BEHEADS ANYONE, MAN, WOMAN, OR CHILD...
...THE MOMENT HE DEEMS THEM A THREAT!
Waaaah, save me~
THERE ARE RUMORS EVERYWHERE THAT HE TOASTS WITH THE BLOOD OF ENEMY PRISONERS!
HE'S THE ULTIMATE VILLAINOUS BASTARD!
I'M GLAD I PAID ATTENTION TO THE RUMORS.
I MUST AVOID GETTING ON THE GRAND DUKE'S NERVES AT ALL COSTS.
WITH THIS SCRAWNY BODY, I CAN'T EVEN DREAM OF BREAKING THROUGH THE KNIGHTS TO ESCAPE...
...WHO EXACTLY IS THE OWNER OF THIS BODY?
I DON'T HAVE A SINGLE MEMORY OF HER.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?
WE WILL ARRIVE AT THE GRAND DUKE'S CASTLE SHORTLY.
...FINE.
SINCE IT'S COME TO THIS, I'LL JUST GET SOME INFO ON THIS BODY AND THEN BAIL!
HEY, GRAND DUKE.
I'M JUST STOPPING BY YOUR PLACE FOR A TINY BIT, OKAY?!
SHE'S KIND OF LIKE A WILD ANIMAL.
Sia and Grand Duke Cadrian Ballot, who have been mortal enemies for five years, encounter dark magic while dueling in the Lemart conflict zone. The duel is postponed, and as Sia believes she has died, she awakens in an unfamiliar frail body on Teridana Beach in the Ballot fief. Knights take her to the Grand Duke's residence to verify her identity.
