Chapter 23: Walking Into the Trap

While Uther and Arthur were conferring, Gaius stood to the side, distracted. He could not shake the feeling that he knew Edwin—his appearance, his name, and even his surname all stirred a profound sense of familiarity within him.

Driven by an unsettling need for clarity, Gaius decided to investigate, hoping to put his mind at ease. He did not even understand the source of his own anxiety. After exchanging a few brief words with King Uther, he hurried off to the Great Library. There, among the most exhaustive records of the Celtic kingdoms, he was certain he would find the answers he sought.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Kay hid within the maid’s quarters, observing Edwin through a crack in the door. He realized that the man truly meant Morgana no harm; he watched as Edwin tenderly brushed her hair and whispered apologies, explaining that he had never intended to hurt her and promised to heal her soon. He even seemed to harbor a genuine affection for her.

Kay found this distasteful, but he knew better than to act rashly. He remained still, keeping a cold, watchful eye on the treatment.

After a string of meaningless murmurs, Edwin finally turned to his true task. He produced a small pair of tweezers and a white handkerchief, carefully turning Morgana’s head to the side and tucking away the hair obscuring her ear.

Then, he began to chant an incantation.

Moments later, a tiny, blood-stained beetle crawled out of Morgana’s ear. Edwin caught it carefully with the handkerchief, lifted it with his tweezers, and placed it into a small wooden box. Inside, the box was swarming with identical beetles. It was clear that even he held a deep fear of the creatures. He held his breath, his concentration absolute, terrified of dropping the little devil. Only when the lid was snapped shut did he finally exhale.

Having finished, Edwin quickly recited another spell and used the handkerchief to gently wipe away the blood by Morgana’s ear. Throughout the entire process, he remained oblivious to the eyes watching him—not because he was careless, but because Kay had used a subtle art to mask his own presence from the very beginning.

When a somber-faced Gaius returned to the scene, Edwin was just finishing his treatment and stepping out of the room.

"Great news, Your Majesty!" Edwin approached King Uther, waving the bloodied handkerchief triumphantly. "You will be pleased to hear that the Princess is not suffering from encephalitis."

King Uther stared at the handkerchief in Edwin’s hand, his voice thick with suspicion. "What is that?"

"A brain hemorrhage! It was a brain hemorrhage, my King." Edwin, failing to notice the King’s unease, cast a meaningful glance at the grim-faced Gaius, delivering a diagnosis entirely contrary to the one Gaius had provided earlier.

To Edwin’s surprise, Gaius did not argue. Instead, he closed his eyes, his expression one of profound grief.

Edwin, having come alone to seek vengeance against the King, was a man of meticulous planning. Seeing the change in Gaius’s demeanor, he immediately sensed danger. At that moment, the door to Morgana’s room opened again, and a young, blond-haired, blue-eyed knight stepped out.

The knight nodded to King Uther. "Morgana is well."

No sooner had he spoken than a contingent of knights and guards emerged from all directions, shielding the King and his party.

Edwin realized at once that he had been exposed. He could hardly fathom how the King had the audacity to allow him into the palace and treat the Princess, all while knowing his true identity. But that mattered little now. What mattered was that he had been foolishly outmaneuvered; he had delivered himself into the hands of his enemies and had even helped save the Princess.

He had lost, and he had lost completely.

"Edwin, your scar has healed... I often wondered what became of that poor boy, but I never imagined... Why did you return, Edwin?" Gaius asked, unable to remain silent as he looked at the surrounded man.

"I recall saying that we had never met," Edwin remarked with a detached curiosity, showing no sign of panic despite being encircled.

"Myun! That was your mother’s maiden name. I should have known. You are the son of Greg and Jaden. After all, beneath the burn scars, you look just as you did when you were a child," Gaius said, his eyes filled with pity.

Edwin, who had maintained a composed and elegant demeanor throughout, felt his eyes ignite with the fires of hatred at the mention of those two names.

"They were your friends, Gaius!"

"But they were sorcerers!" Gaius’s expression hardened, his pity replaced by a cold, blank mask. He knew that even if he wanted to save this boy, it was impossible now. He had used sorcery to attack the Princess and had intended to harm the King. His crimes were beyond redemption.

"Ha! Is that so? They practiced magic, yes, but so did many others then, and they had no intention of using it for harm! It was your indifference that allowed them to die at the hands of this tyrant! You had the chance to save them, but you didn't. You stood by and watched them burn before my eyes. Are you truly their friend? You are not worthy to speak their names!" Edwin sneered.

"Enough!" King Uther stepped forward, cutting their conversation short. He cared nothing for the origins of this assassin. He only knew that the man had to die—for Morgana, and for Camelot!

"Kill him!"

Uther gave Edwin no further chance to speak, ordering his execution immediately.

Following the command, the soldiers, already prepared, unleashed their arrows, intending to strike the dark sorcerer down.

Edwin looked at the incoming volley with contempt. He flicked his sleeve, and every arrow froze in mid-air. Before anyone could react, he uttered a short incantation, and the arrows flew back toward their owners.

Only the quick defense of the knights in the front row, holding their shields aloft, prevented a devastating loss.