The Weight of Vengeance
The next day, after finishing his inspection and returning to the castle, Yulken had to doubt his own ears. From the start, the fact that his daughter wished to speak with him in secret, in a place even her mother knew nothing about, had filled him with a measure of unease. Yet this news surpassed anything he could have imagined.
“Is it truly as you say?”
Though his tone seemed to question the truth of it, Yulken’s voice already carried a note of certainty. This question was nothing more than a final psychological defense, a last attempt to deny a reality too shocking to accept.
He had been born into the Robeheim family and witnessed every kind of political game since childhood, but that did not mean he could face every situation with calm detachment. Especially not when the information Ariel brought was far beyond mere tales of backroom maneuvering or faction-building.
“Yes, Father.”
Even as she met Yulken’s piercing, frost-like gaze, Ariel simply nodded with an expression that remained utterly serene.
“I cannot believe it. No matter how long I was away, for some ungrateful wretch to commit such an act…”
“I have already narrowed down the suspects. The only issue is that we lack concrete evidence.”
“Evidence will surface eventually if you dig deep enough. But that is precisely why one must handle suspicion with extreme care.”
Yulken wanted to trust his daughter’s words without reservation, yet the reason he insisted on caution lay here. Choosing the wrong target at the stage of mere suspicion could twist the entire matter beyond repair before any real proof emerged. On the other hand, once the list of suspects was perfectly refined, gathering evidence became far less arduous.
What mattered most to him in this affair was the criterion by which the suspects had been narrowed. If the process struck even Yulken as convincing, he could move at once.
“Father, would you look at this first?”
“…What is it?”
“I believe you will understand once you read it.”
Knowing this, Ariel offered him a bundle of papers she had prepared. Every detail was recorded there—the full sequence of the incident, the subsequent developments, every minute point.
Flip. Flip.
As Yulken turned the pages one by one, reading with intense focus, Ariel watched him and sipped her tea. Her demeanor was so tranquil it seemed impossible she was the victim herself.
It took him roughly twenty minutes to finish. The conclusion he reached was clear: there was indeed room for suspicion. Yet something still felt insufficient to justify immediate action.
“I acknowledge your reasoning, Ariel. However, you must realize that this alone is not enough for us to move recklessly.”
“Of course. What I wish to request from you is not the arrest of those on the list, nor a separate investigation.”
“Hmm?”
Yulken’s eyebrows twitched at the unexpected reply. He had assumed her brief observation of the situation meant she required his power for some decisive step. Then what exactly did she desire? As her father, he would fulfill whatever was necessary, but he could not help wondering what she truly wanted.
“I have two requests. Will you hear them, Father?”
“Yes. Speak freely.”
At his firm consent, the smile on Ariel’s lips deepened. What she sought was not particularly grand. It was merely a means to make things more certain. Of course, that would require scattering some bait, and she intended to entrust that task to him.
“First, grant me full authority over all dispositions.”
“…Full authority over all dispositions. That is quite a sweeping phrase.”
It was not even an expression typical of Ariel. Given her personality, she would normally have stated it precisely—‘authority over the disposition of everyone involved in the crime.’ Yulken felt a subtle dissonance at the vague wording. Not that he failed to anticipate her actions. On the contrary, that very ambiguity served as excellent foreshadowing for what she would do next.
“You mean to repay sin with even greater revenge.”
“Yes. Will you stop me?”
Ariel did not deny it; instead, she turned the question back on her father.
“As your father, I wish to stop you… yet I am hardly in a position to lecture others, so the words stick in my throat.”
There was a saying that revenge only bred greater revenge. Yulken was one of those who rejected that notion entirely. He himself had never once pursued vengeance with cold, rational discernment. Where in the world did it say one must repay exactly what was done? If slapped on the cheek, it was only human to sometimes want to kick the opponent in the stomach.
Besides, every person cherished something more dearly than their own life, wealth, or honor. For Ariel, that was Edgar, and their enemy had touched it. In such a situation, could merely severing the heads of those responsible truly be called satisfying revenge?
“I grant you permission. But remember this, Ariel.”
“Yes, Father.”
“The blood on your hands may be washed away, but the sin itself will not disappear. Keep in mind that revenge means answering sin with even greater sin.”
“I will engrave it upon my heart.”
She had expected as much. Born as the Robeheim family’s successor, she had always known that one day she would step onto the battlefield and inevitably stain her hands with blood. This was merely rehearsal.
How lamentable that I cannot protect my daughter’s innocence.
Though he had given his consent, Yulken could not erase the bitter ache in his chest. He had never imagined she would live forever without witnessing death, but he had not expected the moment when she would dye her hands in blood for the sake of vengeance to arrive so soon.
May she never be devoured by vengeful spirit. May she never cast aside what is precious for the sake of what is precious. May this time simply pass, and may she return to being the daughter she had always been.
As her father, those were the only wishes left to him now.
Lux licked his parched lips with saliva as he walked down the corridor, summoned without warning by Yulken. It was the classic case of a thief’s guilty legs giving him away. Ever since the recent operation had failed, he had spent his days holding his breath in hiding.
He had even avoided all contact with Vincent, fearing it might stir up unnecessary trouble. Aside from the one brief meeting they had arranged earlier for discussion, they had not spoken at all.
I’m going mad.
In such a state, an unexpected summons could only heighten his nerves. Moreover, the messenger had not even revealed the purpose of the call, which only intensified his tension.
First, calm yourself. Just act normally.
Right before reaching Yulken’s office, Lux paused, steadied his breathing, and patted his own cheeks with both hands. Perhaps it was something trivial after all. There was no point in agonizing beforehand, and it would not be too late to think when the moment arrived. In any case, he had erased every trace that could serve as evidence, so there was virtually no chance of his movements being discovered.
“Are you all right?”
“Ah, sorry for making you wait.”
When the man who had come to fetch him tilted his head in concern, Lux quickly turned and gestured impatiently for them to proceed.
Soon they stood before the office door. The plain, unremarkable door that had never drawn a second thought before now felt strangely imposing and heavy. Lux could not fathom why.
After announcing his arrival, permission came shortly. He adjusted his clothes once more—though he had already straightened them dozens of times—and stepped with heavy feet through the open doorway.
“Welcome, Sir Lux. Forgive me for calling a busy man like yourself.”
“I was merely playing chess with a servant in my room, so please think nothing of it.”
Yulken knew full well that Lux had no interest in chess. The remark was simply a roundabout way of saying he had been idle. Under normal circumstances, Yulken would have laughed and called it an amusing jest. Today, however, he guided Lux to a seat with a calm demeanor and settled onto the sofa opposite him. A heavy silence descended upon the office at once.
“…Let us speak plainly. I ask because I trust you, so I hope you will answer honestly.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Whether he would actually answer honestly depended on the question, but Lux nodded for now.
Yulken’s tightly closed lips finally parted.
“In truth, I heard that my daughter was attacked by enemies a few days ago. Have you heard anything about it?”
“No, nothing at all. When did this happen…?”
“It occurred at a way station on the route from Bellucci to Hespania.”
“My word, what audacious scoundrels.”
Lux widened his eyes as though hearing the news for the first time and responded with carefully measured surprise.
“Among the groups suspected of orchestrating the attack, your name has come up.”
“Pardon? But, Your Grace…”
“I know. I know you are not the sort of man who would do such a thing. That is why I summoned you in secret. Besides, Sir Vincent’s name was also on that list, so the information cannot be considered entirely reliable.”
Publicly, Vincent was regarded as one of the long-standing retainers who had faithfully served the Robeheim family. By deliberately mentioning him, Yulken was implying that Lux was equally trustworthy.
Only then did Lux feel somewhat relieved. He nodded calmly and waited for Yulken to continue.
“I intend to call Sir Vincent separately later for further discussion. But before that, I felt you should know.”
“You plan to speak with Sir Vincent as well?”
“Yes. This is not something I should say in front of you, but among those currently under suspicion, he is closest to being completely innocent.”
Watching Yulken speak as though the investigation were already well underway, Lux swallowed hard.
So they conducted it secretly without our knowledge.
He had nearly been caught completely unaware. It was fortunate he had erased every trace and removed all possible evidence. Moreover, the hopeful part was that his accomplice Vincent was currently considered innocent. If Vincent was cleared, further investigation into him was unlikely, and there would be no risk of his own actions being exposed through him.
But something feels off. Why tell me this?
Lux was no fool; he could sense the unnatural quality of the situation. Objectively, he knew his standing among the Robeheim retainers was not particularly strong. Nor did he enjoy great trust from the family head, Yulken. So why summon him privately to share such information? It would have been more natural to remain silent until the matter was fully resolved and simply observe reactions.
Surely not…
As his thoughts continued, Lux noticed one peculiar detail. Whoever else was on their list, the inclusion of both himself and Vincent meant their past movements had been scrutinized. Yet after the incident, the pair had met only once and had deliberately avoided further contact to prevent any suspicious noise. There should have been nothing incriminating to discover.
Therefore, perhaps they had devised this scheme through reverse logic—deliberately informing the two of them in order to catch the moment when, feeling the heat, they would meet to discuss it.
Feigning trust in order to manufacture evidence where none existed. It was entirely possible.
A foolish ploy.
Lux hid a sneer and settled more comfortably into the sofa. As long as he avoided contact with Vincent, there was no chance of being caught. There was no need to take a roundabout path. Maintaining his current attitude would allow him to dismantle their plans regardless of what they believed.
I must continue avoiding contact with Sir Vincent.
At least until an official announcement declared the incident closed and every retainer knew of it. It would be a rather long time, but for the sake of the greater cause, it was something he must endure.
Thus, Lux savored the sweet taste of victory and gave appropriate responses to Yulken’s continuing words. The conversation held little substance, but watching the man flail about so pitifully stirred a flicker of sympathy that compelled him to at least engage in dialogue.