Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Forgotten Unease
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That nagging discomfort I'd felt yesterday.
The letter to Kairun sitting on Ronas's desk.
The sense of strangeness in what should have been a simple greeting letter might have been a warning of an impending tragedy I could still avert.
I grabbed Eisen's arm in urgency.
"Baron, the letter... you haven't sent it yet, right?"
"Pardon? No, Ronas said he'd send it this afternoon... it hasn't gone out yet."
"Thank goodness..."
I let out a sigh of relief and put on a grave expression.
"Baron, I have a favor to ask. Before it's too late, could you add even just one line to that letter?"
"Add something? What sort of content...?"
"A message concerning Young Lord Karl."
Changing the future outright might be impossible.
But if this single line could ripple through Karl's heart, even a little...
If it could give Kairun just one more option to choose.
'I have to stop the tragedy of Kairun losing his brother right before his eyes.'
His brother's death would shatter Kairun, and the aftermath would reach Kara and our child.
This world I'd thought was a simple happy ending.
But a world where the main story hadn't even begun.
A massive rift different from the original tale, an original tragedy we hadn't averted yet, still lingered.
Ronas's study.
"Ughhh..."
Ronas had his face buried in his desk, eyes hollow and sunken.
Mountains of regular reports for the Grand Duke's household, thank-you letters, and territory financial statements piled up around him.
Documents he'd powered through all night with the energy from a single glass of strawberry juice.
"Just... just need to send them now... then I can sleep..."
Bang!
The study door flew open roughly.
Eisen Baron and I burst in, panting.
"Hold it! Stop right there!"
"Father? What's this all of a sudden...?"
Ignoring Ronas's protests, Eisen strode straight to the desk.
He snatched up the envelope addressed to Kairun, already sealed with red wax.
"There's something we need to revise."
"What?! Now? It's ready to go!"
Ronas yelped in horror, but the baron pressed on undeterred.
Crack.
The sealed red wax tore away decisively.
The seal was broken.
"And why is Barg here too...?"
Ronas glanced at me, but I had no time to reply.
My eyes were fixed on the exposed letter paper.
"Baron, thank goodness we're not too late."
I swallowed dryly and spoke.
"Barg, before that, may I ask your reasoning?"
Eisen's gaze sharpened.
It was the piercing look of a mentor and politician probing for political intent laced with personal curiosity.
I couldn't say I knew the future.
Instead, I turned the political insight he'd taught me against him.
"You said in class, Baron, that the Northguard Grand Duke's house rules the North."
I laid out my logic calmly.
"Not just the current Grand Duke, but relations with Karl von Northguard, the next in line, are vital too."
"Indeed."
"There was a bit of friction—no, a threatening situation—with Young Lord Kairun at the border. It was resolved fine, and he apologized, but news has a way of twisting as it passes from mouth to mouth. Especially if it comes from someone who saw it differently."
I put on a serious face.
"I'm worried his brother, Young Lord Karl, might hear a distorted version and form misconceptions or prejudices about our Winter Claw Tribe. We can't afford to get on the bad side of our future liege."
"Hm... that's a valid point."
"So please add a note asking Young Lord Kairun to have a deep talk with his brother Young Lord Karl and clear up any misunderstandings about our Winter Claw Tribe."
I drove the nail home.
"As a request from his mentor, it'll give him the perfect excuse to have a serious chat with his brother."
That was my aim.
To keep Kairun glued to Karl's side.
Eisen listened, pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Excellent insight, Barg. Not a word out of place. You've developed a keen eye for the empire's politics."
He dipped the quill in ink.
But.
"......"
The pen hovered over the paper.
Eisen's brow furrowed, the quill tip trembling faintly.
"However..."
"However? Is there a problem?"
"This letter... I spent all night perfecting not just the sentences, but the seams between them, the rhythm, even how it flows when read aloud."
Eisen fixed me with a solemn gaze.
"Inserting a political line now would ruin the perfect structural beauty. The context would stick out like a sore thumb."
"......Pardon?"
My jaw dropped in disbelief.
No, seriously.
Lives might be at stake here, and you're fussing over context?
That was when.
"Argh, Father!!"
Ronas, who'd been watching, finally exploded.
"Just add it as a P.S.! This is frustrating me to death!"
Ronas clawed at his hair and jabbed at the window.
"Is now the time for aesthetics? Can't you hear the messenger's hooves?! He's about to leave, and you're posing!"
"Hm... a postscript."
Eisen stroked his chin.
"It might look a bit sloppy... but it's the only way without disrupting the main text's rhythm."
Still looking dissatisfied, he yielded to his son's outburst and picked up the quill again.
"To preserve the main text's beauty, we'll space it apart..."
His stubbornness persisted.
Scratch, scratch.
Words began filling the blank space at the bottom of the letter.
「P.S.」
Eisen's eyes deepened.
Since he was writing anyway, a simple request wouldn't do.
As mentor and an adult who'd watched the brothers for years, he added necessary advice.
『Share your border experiences with your brother, Young Lord Karl, and dispel any misunderstandings about the North's new ally. That is the duty of a younger brother supporting the next Grand Duke.』
He paused briefly, then added one more line.
『And a brother's time is not eternal. When he's near, have one more conversation with a bit of space in mind; when he's near, check his heart. That takes more courage than gripping the sword.』
"Done."
Eisen set down the quill and dripped fresh red wax to stamp the seal.
Squish.
The letter was resealed.
I watched, exhaling in relief.
'Good.'
The political excuse was just that—an excuse.
My real goal was singular.
To keep Kairun by Karl's side.
The original tragedy.
Karl von Northguard, enduring lower-body paralysis and his father's cold neglect, chooses suicide.
In the original, Karl first tried poison.
『Even death... eludes this wretched body...』
But ironically, due to long-term low-dose poisoning—the cause of his paralysis—he'd built tolerance, and the poison failed.
For a painless death, nerve toxin was best.
『I can't... block Kairun's path... like this...』
With even death denied, Karl despaired and chose his final resort.
Throwing himself from his room's window.
Just as his younger brother Kairun headed to the study to meet him, right before his eyes.
'But with this letter...'
With his mentor Eisen's request, Kairun would stick by his brother for days, using the border story as pretext.
His pride as a young lord wouldn't let him ignore his teacher's assignment.
As long as Kairun chattered nearby, Karl wouldn't leap from the window.
If only for his brother's sake, not wanting to traumatize him.
'Those few days... could change fate.'
Time to notice the poisoning attempt.
Or time to change his mind.
Buying that time was my role.
"Here, take them."
Ronas handed the stack of documents and letter to the messenger.
"Don't be late! His Grace awaits!"
"Yes, sir!"
The messenger mounted and cracked the whip.
Neigh-!
Hooves thundered as he kicked up dust, galloping toward the Grand Duke's estate.
I watched his receding figure, clenching my fist.
The empire's northern sky was dyed red.
As if foretelling the fate to come.
'Please... arrive in time.'
My desperate wish rode with the messenger's hooves.
After the letter fuss, I returned to the bedroom, tension draining as I slumped onto the bed.
Kara leaned against the bed to greet me.
"You did well, dear."
"It was nothing. Felt a bit bad for Ronas, though."
I chuckled and took Kara's hand.
"Well then, shall we start the last task of the day? What does our queen fancy tonight?"
Every night, receiving Kara's morning sickness quest wrapped up the day.
While Kara pondered, I glanced around.
"Huh? Where's our aspiring knight?"
Alina, always stuck to Kara like glue, was nowhere in sight.
"Bedtime? She hasn't even had dinner. Nap?"
"No."
Kara flashed a secretive smile, pressing a finger to her lips.
"She went out earlier, shushing me and dragging the head maid along all seriously. Said it's a surprise for me."
"A surprise?"
Kara and I exchanged looks, puzzling out Alina's whereabouts.
"Took the head maid, it's a secret, and for you... obvious."
"Yeah. Off to fetch dessert again."
We giggled in unison.
Since seeing Kara suffer morning sickness, Alina had scoured the territory for every tasty dessert.
"But this time it's specific."
Kara stifled a laugh.
"Earlier, while I was reading, I offhandedly said 'grapefruits are bitter, not really my thing'?"
"And?"
"Alina's eyes went wide: 'Sister hasn't tried our delicious grapefruit tarts! Our territory's grapefruit jam isn't bitter at all!'"
"Ah."
"So she went to prove it herself."
"She's so cute, can't even bite her."
I smiled warmly.
Can't imagine Eisen guard without Alina.
"Exactly. Our territory's specialty, tarts made with 「Ruby Grapefruit」, are sweet-tart with no bitterness—perfect for morning sickness."
"Right? Alina really... Huh?"
Kara and I whipped our heads around.
That voice just now.
Wasn't either of us.
Eisen Baron stood at the open bedroom door.
Adjusting his glasses with a dignified expression, hand on the knob.
"Door was open. Meant to close it, but overheard your talk... my apologies."
"Ah, Baron! When did you arrive?"
"Just now. Alina hasn't returned yet, I see."
Eisen closed the door casually and entered.
But on the baron's shoulder...
"......?"
Something massive, like luggage.
Looking closer, it was a person.
Ronas, mouth agape in soul-exhausted stupor, half-drooping.
"Baron... is that Ronas on your shoulder? Is he alright?"
I asked cautiously. Eisen hoisted the load and replied flatly.
"Oh, he's fine. Eyes rolled back the instant the Grand Duke paperwork finished. Overloaded, it seems."
"......"
"Won't wake no matter what, so taking him to toss on his bed."
Eisen carried his grown son like it was nothing.
Grumbling yet caring— the picture of a father.
"Speaking of, Alina's sharp. Knew exactly when those tarts come out fresh. Straight from the oven's best."
"I see. We'll wait a bit longer then."
Kara smiled in anticipation.
Eisen readjusted Ronas and grinned.
"Rest easy till dinner. Tonight's dessert: grapefruit tart."
Eisen shouldered Ronas and strolled out leisurely.
Peace returned to the room.
I leaned against the headboard, gently stroking Kara's hair.
'If our baby's a boy, he'll grow responsible like Ronas?'
'A girl, cute and sticky like Alina.'
Imagining our future child filled me with happy anticipation.
This peace felt eternal.
I glanced out the window absently.
The sun dipped low; Eisen guard's streets looked serene.
The red sunset was beautiful.
But.
'......'
Suddenly, a chill unease brushed my chest.
Two weeks till enrollment.
Which meant now was...
The timeline of chapter 1 in the original novel Bastard's Snowflower Path.
And the time when the biggest event signaling the story's start unfolded.
When the original's heroine, the bastard princess Elicia, began her real activities.
And her travel route was...
'No way...?'
My gaze shifted out the window to the southern avenue entering Eisen guard.
Romance fantasy novel law, article 1, clause 1.
「Events follow the heroine.」
And the most clichéd event of all...
「Kidnapping」.