CH 3.5

Looking at the direction where Adrian disappeared, she turned around and saw a shadow standing in front of her.

“Eilene? It’s a surprise!”

Eilene, who had broken away from the group, was standing there looking at her. What about those many followers and picks, she was alone. As Damian was watching her with her trembling face because of their bad breakup last time, she nodded to follow her with a look of urgency and walked away. They stood facing each other behind the podium that had been vacated after the King’s speech. Eilene, who was choosing her words, carefully opened her mouth. Her eyes were lowered and her expression looked as if she was about to shed tears.

She knew this face too. This was the face she made when she complained about how hard it was in front of her last fall. More distantly, the time when a friend she was particularly close to in high school said that she was bullying her. Damian realized it was a misunderstanding or a lie, but when she was younger, when they were playing together, Si-yeon broke a vase her father cherished and asked if it would be okay if she said it was her who broke it.

So far she thought, ‘You must be really in trouble. You’re a child with a soft heart, so this situation must be difficult.’ But, was it because she was petty that she looked a little different today?

“Hey Damian, I’m sorry about the last time. Are you mad?”

A sigh bursts out. She was angry. The friend who appeared after a long time laughed at her when she said she was happy. She came to know that she was a bonus caught up in your fate,

“I’m angry. But I’ll accept your apology. Last time, and today, I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

“Whatever, I’m trying to apologize. I have something to ask of you”

“Ask?”

“I heard that you are dating Duke Bigor. Is that true?”

“What if it’s true?”

“Will you arrange a place for me to meet with him?”

What was this again? Why did she want to meet with Adrian?

“I need to know what’s going on so I can tell you if he’ll be able to listen or not.”

At her answer, Eilene bit her lip and let go. The eyes that were closed and raised, and the mournful expression changed a little.

“Can’t you ask Duke Bigor to stand on the side of our Lord Dozern? Wouldn’t it be nice if your friend became the queen too?”

Friends… Yes, they were friends, even if she didn’t know what her friend was doing. Did Dozern make her do it? To gain Adrian? This wasn’t some kind of campaign, her friend’s husband was going to be king. So let’s help? What was that? She shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s an area I can ask for because of our friendship.”

“They say you’re dating, but aren’t you close enough to ask?” 

“It’s none of your business how close we are, and if you need the Duke’s support, wouldn’t it be better to try to ask your father?”

“Father? Are you admonishing me again? Think about it. After leaving home like that, I didn’t contact him and even had a child with the man he was against. Will my father ever forgive me?”

Watching Eilene raise her voice with her eyes wide open, she got angry, and then got to the point where she worried about her. Why was he really doing this since last time? The child who suddenly disappeared suddenly appeared and did things she shouldn’t have done, so could she figure out why she’s doing this? Seeing her up close, why did her face look so bad? She thought to give it a try, and her heart soared, then she lowered her voice, biting her teeth under her pale complexion and her dark eyes, which even makeup couldn’t match. Even though she was a kid who sometimes hurt her heart by saying ignorant things, she wasn’t the kind of kid who jumped at her like this? Besides, she couldn’t even fight here with the child who would become the princess.

“Eilene. The issue of supporting the heir to the throne is not something that can be said simply like this. You’ve been so strange since last time. What’s going on at the palace?”

“What’s wrong with me? Isn’t it natural that I’m getting along well when I’m in the palace? Don’t dare to say anything strange about me. I’m happy. Don’t uselessly admonish me when you can’t do that one favor.”

“Are you doing well? I’m asking because your face looks so bad when I look at you up close. If you’re not going to tell me because I’m just a young lady and you don’t think I’ll be of any help, then I’ll tell Duke Donovan. It’s been said that it’s a discipline, but I’m sorry. I think it would be better if we bumped into each other at least once.”

Eilene opened her eyes fiercely and was about to shout something, but her voice was heard from the other side of the podium. Damian was surprised too, but Eilene looked at the person who showed his face with a really horrified face.

“You are saying what I want to say, Lady Ethard.”

What was this again? It’s Lillian. She stood beside Eilene with her calm face. Eilene stood there pretending not to know, avoiding her gaze.

“It’s been a while, sister. It’s really hard to talk to you.”

Lillian came to Eilene’s side and continued to talk to her as she stood there and turned away.

“My father said he really wanted to see you. He was very worried.”

“No way. He must have intended to offer me to the crown prince.”

Eilene answered, glancing with her saggy eyes, and Lillian furrowed her brow and let out a deep sigh.

Damian was inwardly surprised as she watched the conversation between the two. The relationship she had been hearing about last fall wasn’t a relationship with this kind of feeling. Was Lillian pretending in front of her?

“If you didn’t like it that much, you should have said it, sister. You’ve never told father properly about your will. The way my father speaks is, yes. He’s a bit coercive, you know.”

“That would be true for you and your younger brother. I lived in that house without even breathing a single breath!”

“It was me or my mother who lived with tansion. Who is it that made us criminals with her tears? It seemed like you had a thing against us.”

“You’ll hear it, but you’ll get angry and ask me to come back. Why are you doing this now? Wouldn’t it be the perfect family for me to fall out of? Tell them not to worry because I made my own family too.” 

Eilene wrung her lips, sarcastically turned around and walked away. Lillian, who had been watching Ailene’s back, let out a deep sigh. She’s at a loss what to do, and as she stands scratching her cheek, she looked at Damian.

“I interrupted during your conversation and was rude.”

“Oh, no. It wasn’t even a conversation.”

As she shook her head, Lillian looked at her blankly. She couldn’t figure out what was going on, so neither did she.

“I know this is also rude, but please, Lady Ethart. Please convince my sister to see her father.”

“Well, Eilene won’t listen to me…”

“At first he was very angry, but my father has softened a lot. The reason I participated today is to see my older sister’s face.”

When she heard her say that with a lonely face, it seemed real. The image of Lillian in her head was a typical villain laughing at Eilene, who collapsed on the floor with tears in her eyes.

Oh, she really didn’t know anymore. She had no idea what’s right and what’s wrong with Eilene. She couldn’t give a definitive answer, and she parted ways with Lillian. She didn’t want to go back to the barracks, so she wandered for a while, and then, having nowhere to go, she went into the barracks. As if her rear end was only showing her face and was away, Philia and Titana stuck together very well. She looked at Titana and Eilene snuggled up behind her, and eventually came back out.

‘Uh, huh. The autumn leaves are very bright. Oh, I want to see Adrian.’

* * *

As soon as the hunt started, Adrian ran through the forest. Adrian’s favorite horse, which had been running happily with the owner for the first time in a while, was also excited. Adrian, who came out quite far in a short amount of time, wondered what game would suit the handkerchief Damian gave him. If he had to say the prey in this forest, would it be a deer or a wolf? Reindeer herds came down in the middle of winter, but now was not the time.

Adrian, who got off his horse and looked around, luckily found a trace of ‘it’. After estimating the direction of the footsteps, he gets back on his horse and starts running. Hegel, who had barely caught up, screamed.

“Joo Gu-woon!”

Hegel and Thierry ran for a long time while relieving their tired words, and when they caught up with Adrian again, he was already pulling the bowstring. Hegel and Thierry, who confirmed what Adrian was aiming for, swallowed in vain. Before he could say anything, the arrow-shot roared ferociously and charged Adrian, and he drew his sword without changing his expression. Without delay, Thierry drew his sword and jumped out, while Hegel, grumbling and muttering, jumped off the horse and at the same time pulled out his special skill, the arrow, and aimed it.

“Oh, when George says he’ll come.”

Hegel’s perfect cover, Thierry’s proper pincer attack, and Adrian, who didn’t fly as if possessed by something, were able to defeat him after a long struggle. Thierry looked at the fallen giant with his throat pierced by Adrian’s sword, and Hegel, who was checking the number of arrows remaining, looked at Adrian that way.

“Take it.”

Adrian looked at the two men who were sitting on the floor, breathing, and said nothing, and got on the horse again. Now he could go see Damian. His heart was in a hurry.

“This is just the two of us? Lord? Joo Gu-woon!”

Hegel sighed as he watched the back of the horse moving away. Thierry was silently laying a huge leather bag on the floor. Now he had to wrap it up in a bag and drag him to the hunting grounds. The sun hadn’t even reached mid-heaven yet. Hegel also rolled up his arms, thinking that if he did well, he would be able to return before lunch.

Adrian, who was riding his horse, stopped when he heard the sound of swords clashing somewhere. Since a beast would not attack with a blade, it had to be a man. Wasn’t it a suitable place to assassinate someone? There was no one around since the number of people was limited.

Despite making a reluctant face, Adrian headed towards the sound. Arriving at a place where his trunk was thick with birch trees, he saw Homer exchanging swords with three men who covered their faces and heads with black suits. The Crown Prince sat on the floor in a state of dismay. Adrian and Homer, who recognized each other, shared their eyes even in the middle of it.

“Do you need help?”

“No. It will be over soon.”

Adrian did not even get off his horse and just watched. As promised, Homer even cleaned up the remaining thugs after a brief sword fight.

“Where are the 2nd Guards going and is the leader escorting them?”

After sweeping away the blood with a swing of his sword, Homer glanced at Tirellius, who was still mesmerized, and approached Adrian. The 1st Guard guards the king and queen, the 2nd Guard guards the crown prince and princes, and the 3rd Guard guards the princesses and other members of the royal family. The members of the 2nd Guards, which should have been there, were nowhere to be seen.

“The master went hunting, but the hounds didn’t follow.”

Homer, called ‘the king’s dog’ by the daily, laughed bitterly. When the assassin appeared, the guards chased the fleeing crown prince, but after overpowering the attackers, Homer followed, and found that they all scattered and the crown prince was left alone, speechless.

Adrian got off his horse, still looking unwilling. Then he approached the sitting crown prince and took his hand.

“Your Highness, stood up.”

Tirellius looked up at Adrian and stood up holding his hand with a grin. The smell of alcohol wafted from him as he approached.

“Oh, my great cousin. Have you come to rescue me?”

“It is the leader who saved His Highness. I was passing by.”

“That’s right, Sir Homer. The King’s faithful dog. Kilkill, when I become king, I’ll restore your family. Don’t worry, I won’t act mean like father.”

Homer didn’t respond and turned his head away. Adrian also took a couple of steps back from the Crown Prince, who was staggering and reeking of alcohol.

“Is this a frequent occurrence?”

“Recently, they have been attacking quite often, but I’m not sure if they’re seriously aiming for him… If it were me, I’d use a more reliable method.”

“No, alcohol.”

When Adrian points to Tirellius, who was giggling with his chin, Homer smiled with a broken face.

“It seems that the stage of recovery has passed.”

“I can see that with my own eyes.”

Adrian gave Homer a light pat on the shoulder and mounted his horse again. Leaving behind the sighing Homer.