CH 69

Ryzen, who had been watching her stubbornly closed lips for a few moments, sighed and changed the subject.

“If you don’t mind, Your Highness, we are planning to make it to the castle today instead of camping out.”

“You mean we will be on the move all night?”

“Yes, if we do that, we will be able to reach the castle by dawn.”

“I don’t mind either way, but…” She trailed off. 

She was staying in the carriage anyway, so she had no problem with moving through the night. The problem was for the soldiers who would have to march all night.

“We have no problem either. Everyone has enough stamina left. Then, may I tell His Excellency that you don’t mind progressing through the night?”

Asella gave a small nod.

“Thank you for your patience thus far.”

Ryzen said sincerely.

Difficulties, both minor and significant, inevitably arose during travel.

But their new mistress of the Grand Duchy had not once expressed a single word of complaint, nor did she show a hint of displeasure on her face.

She was a person of too few words, but that could not be called a shortcoming.

“I cannot express how grateful I am that you endured the difficult journey so well.”

“You prepared well for the journey.”

“I’m just doing my job, Your Highness. Then, I’ll see you around later this evening.”

After greeting her politely, Ryzen closed the carriage door.

Shortly after, the carriage began to move again.

Contrary to Ryzen’s concern, Asella had not felt any discomfort in particular during the past few days.

The carriage that had been sent from the Grand Ducal residence in the capital was spacious and comfortable, comparable to the previous one. The heating was also perfect, making it warm even on chilly mornings and evenings.

The sofa that doubled as a bed was perfect, except that it was a tad narrow. Still, it was much more comfortable than the barracks.

Inside the moving carriage, Asella looked out the window, as she always did during this trip.

‘That man-‘

As she looked out, every once in a while, when the road would make a big turn or something, she could see the figure of the man leading this march through the window.

This was the case now.

There he was, the man on a black horse as dark as his hair color.

‘Doesn’t he ever get tired..?’

It was a long journey, and he could just use the carriage with her, but instead, he opted to personally lead the men on horseback. In the evening, like the rest of the group, he rested in the barracks.

Of course, being the Grand Duke’s tent, it had to be more spacious and comfortable, but it was by no means comparable to the comfort of a carriage.

Either way, they had a completely different sphere of activity.

He never came to see her, let alone exchange a conversation.

Although it couldn’t be, Asella went so far as to even think that Calix might be deliberately avoiding her.

‘But…’

Strangely enough, however, there were often times when she felt this impossible feeling… a feeling that he was somehow watching her, though she didn’t know how or from where. 

* * *

Late at night, in the Emperor’s bedroom…

Fernandez, who had been sleeping alone, woke up feeling an intense thirst.

He saw a bottle on the table. Usually, he would have checked to see if it was poisoned with the stick he always uses, but his thirst was so intense that he had no time to do so.

He tipped the entire bottle and drank the water without even bothering to pour it into a cup. After emptying almost half of the bottle, the thirst that had been driving him crazy was finally quenched.

“…Damn it.”

The dream he had was also unsettling. This aroused considerable discomfort since it was unusual for him to dream in the first place.

Perhaps it was because of what Duncan had reported to him during the day.

If it had been someone else, he would have ripped out his tongue for saying such a thing and then cut off his limbs and killed him. But since it was Duncan Lysak, he endured his anger and chose to spare his life based on the loyalty Duncan had shown so far.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep when he lay down again, Fernandez sat up in bed.

He went slowly around the room in large circles, pondering. Whenever he ran into a problem, this was his personal way of finding a solution.

‘I need to find a way to get the girl out of that house.’

The Grand Ducal Castle of Benvito was no different than a fortress. Not even spies, let alone assassins have been able to set foot inside.

So far, many people have tried to access it for their own various purposes, but all of them have died, no exception.

So as long as Mariel Chartus stayed there, it was difficult to get a hold of her.

‘Still, surely there must be a way.’

It was that suspicious ‘Calix Benvito.’ There was no way for a half-hearted deception attempt to fool him.

It had to be natural enough to arouse no one’s suspicion yet good enough to make them take the bait.

While Fernandez struggled…

‘Hmmm…?’

On the table where the water bottle was placed, a piece of paper the size of a postcard caught his eye.

‘Was there something like that?’

He was drinking water while still half-awake from sleep, so his memory was not clear.

Fernandez made his way toward the table.

It was a familiar paper of good quality with a smooth, dense surface. It was the same type of paper he always uses.

But he did not understand why paper used only in the office was here.

Under the faint moonlight, he caught a glimpse of the words on the paper.

‘What does it say?’

Because the room was too dim to see clearly, Fernandez flicked his hand to generate light using magic.

But at that moment, his head began to spin around, and something gushed out from deep inside his body, causing a few drops of tears to gather in his eyes.

Gasp…

In the brightened bedroom, the Emperor’s blood mixed with reddish-black lumps soaked the floor.

As he vomited blood from his mouth, his trembling eyes never left the sight of the paper, which was now soaked with blood at the edges.

The elegant and antique handwriting belonged to a familiar person.

The content was brief.

[How do you like the taste of water?]