CH 14

Addis, who was walking down the corridor, came to a halt. Ha, with a deep sigh, she leaned against the wall and swept her face roughly with her hands. She couldn’t stop Serdel from joining the expedition in the end. Rather than stopping it, she had no choice but to allow it.

How angry she was at the report she heard from the butler this morning! It’s been a long time since she was so angry with Cartal. If she didn’t want to see Serdel first, she would probably have stormed into Cartal’s office.

“…a precognitive dream.”

She remembered it clearly. In the middle of summer, when the sun is shining brightly. The day young Serdel awoke barefoot and refused to let go of her mother’s dress, who was trying to get on the carriage early in the morning.

“Mother, don’t go! Ugh, don’t go. Don’t go. It’s dangerous.”

She was getting ready to leave to celebrate her grandfather’s birthday. Because it was long-distance, the busy Cartal was unable to join her. Instead, he loaded a carriage full of precious gifts. Addis and Redan tried to follow along at first, but couldn’t because of their mother, who insisted that they shouldn’t neglect family lessons.

And Serdel, who was too young to butter a long journey, was completely excluded.

“Don’t go, Mother! No way! No way! It’s dangerous. The carriage is about to flip! And then there are the bad people— uhh hng.”

They thought it was just a child who didn’t want to be separated from her mother. Because Serdel especially liked and followed her mother. If she couldn’t see her for a second, she would search all over the house.

“Hng, don’t go. Dream, I saw you in my dream. Bad, bad people—.”

Cartal, whose smile was not awkward at that time, hugged Serdel.

“Mother!”

“Serdel, you have to stop. Sister will play with you, okay? You like to play swordsmanship. Sister bought a wooden sword for Serdel.”

Desperately struggling, she even forcibly removed Serdel’s small hand, which was trying not to let go of the hem of her mother’s dress.

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

“Serdel, don’t cry too much. Huh? I’ll also buy and send gifts that Cerdel likes. All right?”

That was the last word. 

As Serdel mentioned, the carriage in which the mother rode struck down shortly after a box of gifts arrived. She was later abducted and murdered. When a corpse arrives in front of the family, the decomposition has advanced so far that the search has been delayed, and even her face is unrecognizable.

Cartal and Redan were stunned.

She screamed madly. She felt as if she was going to die from suffocation from her endless anger and guilt. Cartal became the target of her helpless anger. She should not have let her mother go, as Serdel said!

But it’s not Cartal’s fault.

She was the one who forcibly removed Serdel’s hand, which refused to let go of the hem of her mother’s dress at the time. Cartal’s expression changed after that day. Redan wasn’t as enthusiastic as he used to be, only half-heartedly doing what he was told with a deep sense of loss. The brother who had lost his passion was like melted candle wax.

“Household? A powerful genius should take over. Wouldn’t it be the same as if I got it as well as my father? I hate myself for not being able to protect a precious person.”

“Redan!”

“If I lose someone else— I’ll kill everything I see. I’m going to die, too.”

The glistening eyes between the anger were unusual. That was the first time the brother felt scared. “If you have a strong will like your sister, you will be able to lead well. Even without me. Isn’t it?”

Redan simply handed over the position of succession to her with a twisted word. In the end, it was up to him to handle everything. Either he accepted or denied his mother’s death.

Serdel became dazed but did not cry after a while. She walked around the family, unable to recall a single word. Because of a memory problem, they called a famous person and took her to the temple, but it was useless.

It doesn’t affect her daily life either. Perhaps it would be better for a child to live her life the way she did, and everyone gave it to her so carelessly at the time. Cartal, Redan, and herself. 

She began to turn a blind eye and refused to listen to the child. 

What a nasty thing to do. What cruel abuse it was.

Everyone knows now, but she was so shocked that she had lost her family that she was only concerned with finding the criminal at the time. The family relationship, which had begun to squeak, had gotten out of hand. If she had known she would not be able to track down a criminal for such a long time—.

‘I should have realized it sooner, but I couldn’t.’

She’s just being spiteful because she doesn’t want to see her being weak.

It’s nothing short of the worst.

“Hoooo…”

She felt as if she were being suffocated. She was terrified.

‘Did the long-lost memory return? Serdel wouldn’t have seen mother’s body because the maid was blocking it at the time, but just remembering the atmosphere of that time would be a nightmare.’

Serdel’s expression about the dream was completely insensitive.

As a result, she couldn’t know anymore. A kid who struggled with herself as a child has matured into an adult who understands how to hide her emotions. And she’s not sure if she’s keeping her memories hidden from herself. Or did she simply begin to dream?

Serdel’s mouth could be filled with hatred if she asks this question, stating, “My mother died because of my sister.”

She was out of breath. Her hands trembled as well. She felt guilty and wanted to run away from Serdel once more. “Hooo… Hoo…” Her complexion became paler.

“Are you okay, Dame Addis? Are you sick?”

Siri rushed after seeing this just in time.

“Should I call a doctor? 

“I-I’m fine—”

‘Come to your senses, Addis Robbesta!’

Don’t do something you’ll come to regret.

‘She said she needed to protect something.’

Serdel’s dreams may have included knights and warriors who were continuously sacrificed in the woods. Elbash Forest is extremely dangerous. They have to consider losing someone to some extent.

Even if it’s their own life on the line.

But that must have been a terrible and heartbreaking scene for a weak-hearted sister. That’s why, despite her lack of energy, she went out of her way to help them with her knowledge. She has lately changed because she saw the future in advance through her dream.

Being calm in the face of a broken engagement.

Ugh. 

‘I have to protect that child!’

Don’t let a single hair get damaged.

‘I believe the golden hawk knights’ discipline has gotten a little slack.’

She believes she will have to roll hard before she can begin exploration. Addis’ eyes glistened. It was the start of brutal Sparta.

She never experienced another precognitive dream, which was unfortunate. As a result, she couldn’t tell who took Radun’s distribution, and she was becoming hotter by the day.

‘Isn’t there something I can do about it? I’ve seen the future, and I can’t take it away from the 2nd Prince.’

Especially for him, who is about to be sent to the forest on the Emperor’s orders. Regardless of how much the original’s power works on him. ‘I’m going to twist it.’ To do so, she needs to keep him away from the expedition.

‘It makes no sense to set a trap—’

She needed to go first to prepare, but it was too much for her.

Rather, she may die while trying to set up a trap. Furthermore, it is the Elbash Forest. There was no guarantee that the trap would be correctly placed, and she had no idea what unexpected events could happen. While trying to tie the 2nd Prince’s feet, she might have endangered not only herself but possibly everyone else. No one should have been injured, no matter how important it is to gain strength. Even so, it was unnecessary to ask for help from Cartal, Addis, or Redan.

‘I’m sure they’ll help.’

However, they will not allow her to absorb power since it is dangerous. These days, Addis and Redan, in particular, are beginning to look at her openly. They could take the power— and that might not be such a bad thing either.

‘The question is whether the two of them can safely accept Radun.’

That made her a little worried. She couldn’t allow them to put their lives in danger.

‘I’ve got a reset, so whatever it takes.’

Furthermore, Addis’ situation was not that simple. Because she is involved as the heir to the family and the Imperial Knight’s vice-captain. She had to take priority over the second prince’s commands. Leaving her at a crucial moment and doing what she requested may have resulted in much more trouble.

‘I can’t use the family knights.’

It was too much.

‘I have to find a way. Something that can be resolved without causing harm to the family—’

Sshk. 

Siri gave her thumb out of nowhere after Serdel had been lost in thought for a long time.

“Lady, bite my nails if you’re going to bite your nails.”

“…..”

“Or you can have this.”

She now held a plate in her other hand. As she opened her mouth blankly, she sliced the cake into pieces. It’s delicious. Her injured hands caught her attention after she’d been eating it like a baby bird for a while.

“Are you hurt?”

“Hmm? Oh, this? I’m not hurt. These days, I’m training hard.”

“—Training?”

Is she actually dancing with a pair of forks?