Chapter 269
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 269
Chapter Title: 75. More Proudly Than Anyone (2)
The door burst open.
A handsome royal knight rushed into the room, only to freeze solid upon spotting me.
"Kals."
No matter how many times I called his name, he couldn't bring himself to approach. He just stood there, rooted to the spot for the longest time.
Thud.
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees.
"...I'm sorry, Your Highness."
The single apology he managed to squeeze out carried such a tangle of emotions that it left even me feeling choked up.
I wanted nothing more than to reach out and help him to his feet right then and there, but my body wouldn't cooperate.
And Adelia, plastered firmly against me, showed no signs of letting go.
By that point, I'd already given up trying to push her away.
My clothes had been soaked in her tears and snot for ages anyway—no point in shoving her off now.
"Get up, Kals."
With no other choice, I urged him verbally, but Kals remained utterly still, like a statue.
As I sighed at the sight of him with his head bowed low,
Crash!
Someone came barreling in through the open door with a racket.
"Your Highneeeeeess!"
It was Marquis Bilefeldt.
But the usually impeccably groomed marquis was a sight to behold.
His clothes were a crumpled mess, and his uncombed hair stuck out in wild disarray.
With tears welling in his eyes like that, I couldn't help but want to laugh despite myself.
Forcing back a chuckle, I spoke to the marquis calmly.
"Mind helping Kals up over there? He looks like he hasn't eaten or slept properly—I'm scared he'll keel over."
The grand marshal's eyes went wide. Kals jolted as if struck by lightning, snapping his head up. Even Adelia, sobbing in my arms, stopped her tears and looked up at me.
"Why...?"
I furrowed my brow.
I couldn't fathom what was so shocking about my words.
In the midst of it all, Kals—who'd seemed ready to kneel there for days—finally rose to his feet.
"...I'm sorry for worrying you."
"No need to go that far."
I brushed off his overly grave words and turned to the marquis.
"Speaking of which, you got here awfully fast. Were you already in my palace, by any chance?"
"...Things just sort of ended up that way."
The old marquis's face looked a decade older after just a few days apart.
His flushed complexion only made it more apparent.
As I stared at him, a sharp alcoholic tang pierced my nostrils.
"You've been drinking?"
"My heart felt so empty..."
The marquis didn't deny it.
"Smells like you've had a few."
I narrowed my eyes and repeated myself.
"...That's not the important thing right now!"
The marquis suddenly shouted.
I'd figured he was like a thief who'd raided the liquor cabinet while the master was out cold, getting jittery and making a fuss. But apparently not.
His expression was far too grave for that.
"The Northern Duke is gathering troops, vowing revenge for Your Highness!"
My heart plummeted.
My head spun.
Vincent's severed head rolling across the floor flashed before my eyes.
My breath came in short gasps.
"Y-Your Highness...?"
Adelia's voice snapped me back to reality.
Without realizing it, I'd been clutching her with all my strength. A faint look of pain clouded her furrowed brow.
"Ah, sorry. Did that hurt?"
She shook her head at my words and fumbled for a handkerchief to dab at my forehead.
The worry and affection in her touch were so vivid that they helped push the horrific visions from my mind, if only a little.
But the chill lodged in my chest remained.
"Where's Vincent right now?"
The old marquis clamped his mouth shut at the hoarseness in my freshly awakened voice.
His face twisted in self-reproach for speaking so rashly.
"He's stationed at Iron Lion Fortress with the Northern Legion. His Majesty just left the palace himself to try and talk the duke down."
I had to prod him several times before he answered.
My breath quickened again.
The image resurfaced of Vincent declaring bloody vengeance before a sea of soldiers.
It must have happened around the time I'd witnessed that scene.
My heart throbbed.
At the same time, relief washed over me.
Thank goodness I woke up in time. Thank goodness it wasn't too late, I repeated inwardly over and over.
After mulling it silently for a while, I spoke to the marquis.
"Send a messenger."
The marquis didn't ask what message to relay.
We both knew.
Just word that I'd awakened. One line saying I was waiting.
That alone would be enough to snap Vincent out of his vengeful madness.
The marquis didn't hesitate. Right there, he ordered his swiftest rider from the grand marshal's office dispatched as messenger.
...Sir.
Then a faint voice drifted in from outside the palace.
Brother...! Brother...!
The desperate plea grew closer, like a lost duckling calling for its mother.
"Looks like the Second Prince heard the news too."
The old marquis smirked upon hearing it as well.
"Brother!"
And soon enough, the voice's owner appeared.
"Maximilian..."
Before I could finish, Maximilian threw himself into my arms.
"Brother! Brother!"
Forgetting all princely decorum, he wept bitterly, calling my name endlessly.
"Brother!"
"I'm here."
"Brother! Brother!"
"Yeah. Right here."
I responded to each meaningless call, showing my delight that way.
"Brother! Brother!"
But there was a limit. After the hundredth time, I was utterly exhausted.
"This is driving me nuts."
I glanced at Adelia beside the leech-like Maximilian who kept clinging and calling out.
Sighing at the sight of the two dividing my left and right sides like siblings,
The old marquis burst into hearty laughter at me.
"Marquis, quit laughing and do something about these kids."
"You brought this on yourself, Your Highness."
"So I should just keep them hanging around to see me?"
"Endure it."
His tone grated like he was deliberately goading me, but it wasn't wrong, so I just kept sighing.
And a crowd of people came to my palace.
But considering my freshly awakened state, the marquis turned them all away, insisting I needed absolute rest.
This time, I was truly grateful to him.
If they'd all swarmed in at once, I wouldn't have gotten to savor the joy of my return properly.
And so night fell.
Even Maximilian, who'd stubbornly refused to leave, was dragged out by the marquis. Now, only Adelia remained by my side.
I asked her what had happened while I'd been out.
She looked up at me with her puffy eyes, fiddling with my hand in hers.
After staring blankly for a long while, she said all she knew was that I'd died and come back to life.
Only then did I realize I'd asked the wrong person.
Adelia of all people.
She probably hadn't a clue how the kingdom had been run—just stuck by my side crying her eyes out.
"Never mind. What does it matter what happened."
I reached out to stroke her cheek. She pressed her face firmly into my palm.
The feel of her skin at my fingertips was heartbreaking.
Her once-plump cheeks had withered away in no time.
"It's okay now. I'm back, so everything's fine."
Her eyes welled up instantly, but she nodded at my words, lips trembling like she'd burst into tears again any second.
I whispered to her over and over that it was alright now.
How much time passed like that?
Adelia fell asleep.
She must not have slept properly all this time—now that the tension had eased, she finally could.
As I tried to rise, I noticed she still gripped my hand tightly even in deep slumber, so I lay back down.
"Quit lurking out there and come in."
I stared at her intently, then spoke quietly toward the window.
No response.
"I said come in."
I didn't give up, repeating myself to the empty air.
After babbling like a madman at nothing for a good while, the door finally creaked open belatedly.
There stood the woman I held dear.
Arwen.
She lingered frozen at the threshold, just looking at me.
Her gaze, usually piercingly direct to the point of discomfort, was cast downward. She fidgeted endlessly with her clasped hands, as if she'd committed some grave sin.
A sigh escaped me unbidden.
The Arwen Kirguyen I remembered was prouder than any knight, yet now she looked so small and fragile.
I knew exactly why—and who was to blame—so my heart ached all the more.
She must have suffered terribly.
Guilt over hastening her lord's death would have driven her to torment herself endlessly.
Seeing her so gaunt, I realized I'd done her a terrible wrong.
I opened my mouth several times, only to close it again.
No idea what to say, how to comfort her.
"It won't happen again."
After agonizing forever, that was the best I could come up with—lame even to my own ears.
Arwen still didn't reply.
She merely lifted her downcast eyes to meet mine.
The storm of emotions swirling in them gradually faded.
Until they vanished completely.
"...Welcome back."
After hesitating forever, her words were every bit as rough as mine.
But neither of us chided the other's clumsiness.
We just gazed at each other for a long, long time.
Bow.
Finally, she gave a small curtsey and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
I let out a sigh without thinking, when I noticed Adelia's eyelids fluttering.
She must have woken at the sound of me calling Arwen.
I knew why.
In the horrific future Ophelia had shown me, Adelia had hated Arwen like an enemy.
No doubt, while I'd been unconscious, Adelia had lashed out at her with uncharacteristically harsh words countless times.
That's why she lacked the courage to face Arwen.
"It's all my fault."
I squeezed Adelia's hand tight as she kept her eyes firmly shut.
"I did everyone wrong."
I whispered it over and over until she drifted back to sleep.
The next day, Ilai showed up at my palace bright and early at dawn.
He reeked of booze from head to toe—must've been holed up somewhere drowning his sorrows until he finally got word and rushed over.
"At least wash up first."
Despite my scolding, Ilai just stared at me with a blank face.
"...Your Highness? Is that really you?"
Then the fool uttered something utterly idiotic.
Classic Ilai.
"Who else would I be?"
He ground his teeth and heaved for breath at my reply.
"...Urgh!"
His flushed face looked ready to spill tears any second.
"...For real!"
"For real what."
"Real, real!"
The babbling idiot suddenly threw his hands up and charged at me, babbling nonsense.
Like he was about to hug me.
"No!"
But Adelia blocked him before he could reach me.
"Do something about that filthy stench first!"
Ilai's face twisted like he'd taken a mortal blow at her innocent remark.
"...I'll be right back."
He bolted without a proper greeting, and when he returned, the booze-soaked mess from before was gone—he was neatly dressed.
"Better now?"
He asked Adelia meekly, glancing at her.
She gave a small nod.
"Your Highneeeeeess!"
To the now-clean Ilai,
"Stay back! Right there!"
I recoiled and yelled.
"I just wanted a hug 'cause I'm happy to see you!"
I cleanly ignored his wounded protests.