The Fated Sword: The Duke's Second Life

Snow fell gently from the dark sky, yet that night felt colder than death itself.

In the distance, the Maxwell family castle stood majestically beneath the gloomy heavens, a symbol of the honor and power possessed by Duke Maxwell, a man who had never known the meaning of defeat.

For generations, the Maxwell family had been entrusted with protecting the kingdom. The heirs of the family would inherit the title of Duke and serve as trusted retainers to whichever Emperor sat upon the throne.

But that night, all of that power, honor, and pride had collapsed alongside Maxwell's body as he lay helplessly on the cold floor, enduring a burning pain that spread from deep within him.

His ceremonial armor could protect him from blades, but it could do nothing against an attack from within his own body.

The poison was working quickly.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, staining the white snow that had blown through the cracks of the great doors.

Before him, the door to the chamber stood wide open, revealing a sight more painful than the poison coursing through his veins.

Consort Shera, the beautiful woman whose scent he had longed for every day—the woman he had loved and protected above all others—stood there with a smile far too calm for the situation.

Her thin pink nightgown shimmered beneath the faint light still burning inside the room. In her arms was a half-naked man who stared at Maxwell with undisguised contempt, a thin blanket covering only his lower body.

That man was Darius, Maxwell's personal guard, the very man he had trusted with his life.

Their laughter rang through the chamber like shattering glass. Shera's coquettish sighs and playful whispers made Maxwell's hands curl into trembling fists.

He stared at them helplessly, his body shaking beneath the effects of the poison. Yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of betrayal.

"My dear," Shera murmured sweetly as she traced her fingers over Darius's broad, muscular chest. "Look at him. Even the poison I gave him was too gentle. Still, there is one good thing about it. He gets to watch for himself how well you can satisfy me in his own bed."

Darius gave a low laugh before wrapping his arms around Shera from behind.

"You're such a naughty woman, my dear. I'm exhausted, and I've thoroughly enjoyed this enormous bed. But if you want to know what I'm truly capable of, perhaps we should move somewhere else and continue..."

"Ahh, you're so naughty..." Shera replied playfully, lightly patting his chest.

Maxwell tried to speak, but his voice came out hoarse and broken.

"S... Shera..."

That was all he could force from his lips.

The woman stood and approached him, adjusting her thin gown as she walked. She stopped beside him, her expression filled with contempt, while Darius began putting his clothes back on behind her.

Shera's footsteps echoed softly across the chamber before she placed one foot against Maxwell's chest and looked down at him with open disdain.

Then she crouched before him and gently touched his chin, as though she were still the woman who loved him.

"Oh, my Duke... you really are naive."

A cold smile appeared on her lips, and her blue eyes glittered with cruel amusement.

"All this time, I was merely playing the role you wanted me to play. The weak, spoiled woman you believed needed your protection. But now... I'm tired of pretending."

She tilted her head.

"You couldn't even satisfy me in bed, so did you really think I was happy?"

Darius sneered and pulled Shera back into his arms, pressing a kiss against her slender neck.

"That's enough, darling. Let him die in his own way. The Emperor has already gotten what he wanted."

Darius then gently placed a thick fur-lined cloak over Shera's shoulders.

"We should leave. I want to change rooms and spend the rest of the night with you. I won't let you go until the rooster crows."

Maxwell froze.

"The Emperor?"

So this was not merely the betrayal of a woman he had loved.

It was part of something much larger.

"Why...?"

The question barely escaped his lips before being swallowed by his labored breathing and the blood flowing more heavily from his mouth.

Shera answered with a smile Maxwell knew he would never forget.

"Because this world no longer needs a proud Duke who believes he can defy the throne. A man who always thinks he is superior and powerful."

She leaned closer.

"You know what? Your so-called loyalty and generosity are actually disgusting!"

With that, Shera spat in Maxwell's face.

Suddenly, the sound of horses echoed outside the castle.

Under the night sky illuminated by torchlight, four black-clad figures appeared. They seemed to leap through the air before landing in the courtyard. Their faces were hidden behind iron masks, and each carried a burning torch.

"The time has come to end all of this," Darius said coldly.

The four figures landed perfectly and bowed to Darius. After he nodded and raised his hand, they immediately hurled their torches toward the castle walls.

Flames erupted.

They spread rapidly across the wooden walls like starving beasts, devouring everything in their path.

"No..."

Maxwell struggled to drag himself away from the growing fire, but his arms had lost their strength, and his legs were completely useless.

The castle that had once represented the glory of the Maxwell family was now engulfed in flames.

Shera gave him one final look before climbing into a carriage with Darius.

The snow falling from the sky had begun to turn into ash, swirling through the scorching air.

Before the carriage departed, Shera opened a small window and looked toward Maxwell, who still lay helplessly near the doorway.

"Goodbye, my dear husband. Oh, I almost forgot... your wife is giving birth in the chicken coop without a midwife. Who knows? Perhaps she'll give birth to a chick instead... Hee hee hee."

Her laughter was soft and mocking, as though she were savoring her complete victory.

Several servants hurried back and forth, moving belongings into another carriage under Darius's orders. Yet not a single one of them came to help Maxwell, their own master.

"If you want revenge..." Shera smiled faintly. "Take it out on that foolish Emperor, or..."

She paused before giving him a cold smile.

"...just enjoy your own stupidity in hell."

The carriage began to move as Shera waved goodbye. Even from inside, Maxwell could still hear the woman's coquettish laughter—the woman he had once been so proud of.

The carriage disappeared into the snowy night, leaving a long trail across the ground, now stained red by blood and glowing embers. Another carriage followed behind, loaded with the spoils they had taken.

Meanwhile, the fire consumed the sky, the walls, and whatever hope remained.

Maxwell remained lying among the ruins, his body trembling from the unbearable heat.

He could do nothing but watch.

He looked toward the sky, struggling to breathe through the thick smoke.

"...Liora..."

Her name surfaced in his mind like his final prayer.

'If only I could see you one more time...'

'Our child...'

As his vision began to blur, something moved beyond the flames.

A woman's silhouette appeared through the smoke.

She stumbled forward, running desperately through the burning castle. The ends of her long hair had caught fire, and the hem of her hanfu was scorched. Blood covered her face.

Her steps were unsteady, yet her eyes remained clear.

They were the same eyes Maxwell remembered.

"Maxwell!"

Her voice echoed above the roar of the flames.

Liora Maxwell.

His first wife.

The woman he had neglected, the woman he had destroyed with his misguided love.

"Li...ora..."

Maxwell tried to reach for her hand, but his body was completely paralyzed.

Tears streamed from his eyes, not only because of the physical pain but because regret was destroying him from within. The poison had taken control of his body so quickly that he could no longer move. His legs were numb, and his heart felt as though it had been pierced by an arrow.

"Maxwell!"

Liora fell to her knees beside him and cradled his face between her burned hands.

"My husband... We have to leave! The fir..."

"Liora... our child...?"

Maxwell stared at her bloodstained dress and her now-flat stomach.

"Forgive me..." His voice trembled, almost inaudible beneath the crashing wood and collapsing roof.

"I failed to save our child... but you have to live, Maxwell."

"Our... child..."

Maxwell's eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed by the deepest regret he had ever known. He wanted to scream, but his voice disappeared beneath the roar of the fire.

No...

Suddenly, a massive burning beam broke loose from the ceiling and came crashing down toward them.

Liora immediately pulled Maxwell toward her and wrapped her body around his.

"Aargh!"

The burning beam struck the ground beside them, but the impact crushed Liora's back, causing blood to burst from her mouth.

"Liora!"

Maxwell's eyes widened as he witnessed the final sacrifice of the woman who had loved him with all her heart.

Liora looked at Maxwell as he pulled her into his arms.

A gentle, peaceful smile appeared on her lips.

"I never... stopped... loving you... Max...."