Chapter 371: Bread and Dagger (69)
Chapter 371: Bread and Dagger (69)
Cien wandered through the freezing night.
The northern moon scattered a particularly mournful light. Every time that chilling silver radiance pierced her retinas, goosebumps rose along her skin.
The night wind was like a whip.
With every gust of the north wind, her delicate skin felt as if it were being torn apart. Her flushed cheeks throbbed with stinging pain.
It was not weather suited for a stroll.
Nevertheless, the Princess could not stop her frantic steps. Neither pain nor cold could rouse the girl from her trance.
It’s my fault.
The words of self-reproach were embedded in her mind like sharp shards of glass. Just as the dry, biting wind grazed her skin, an endless sense of self-loathing lashed at the girl’s tender heart.
It’s all my fault.
“Heu… ugh….”
Suddenly, the Princess’s breathing grew ragged.
Her body, unable to endure any longer, ducked behind a wall of its own accord. Her pale gray eyes trembled incessantly.
As she pressed her hands over her ears, scenes flashed before her eyes.
Their first meeting, where she had been drenched with a bucket of water.
The dependable sight of his back as he protected her from the Dark Priest.
Even after that, Ian had never blamed her. He had always treated her with a gentle smile.
And so, the Princess had inadvertently harbored a presumptuous thought.
It was the naive hope that perhaps she could be forgiven.
She had been foolish.
The Princess had committed yet another blunder.
Having experienced her first real combat, the Princess’s mental state had been unstable. Furthermore, it was right after she had harmed another living being for the first time. Her hands had trembled so violently that she couldn't even cast her magic properly.
The price for that was catastrophic.
If only she had acted a little faster when Ian was fighting the Snow Leopard Majin.
If she had, Ian wouldn't have gone missing. He wouldn't have lost his memory, and he certainly wouldn't have become a traitor to humanity, pointing his blade at her.
It was a cruel tragedy.
The Princess was already in Ian’s debt.
To commit such a pathetic mistake again before she could even settle that debt…
She had been blaming herself for days now, frantically tousling her hair in despair.
Yet, her mood did not improve in the slightest. On the contrary, the sense of loss from losing a hero of humanity—the wonderful knight she so admired—only grew heavier.
And knowing that the responsibility lay with her, the weight on her heart was beyond words.
“Heu, haa… hng, ugh, aaaaaah!”
Thump. The girl’s head struck the wall.
Her mind was being fouled as if murky mud were boiling within it. Whenever that happened, she would abuse her own body as if in a frantic struggle.
She felt as though only then would her thoughts become clear for a brief moment.
But regret is always belated.
The water was already spilled. The best she could do now was devise a way to save Ian.
But how, exactly?
As the difficult problem pierced her mind like an awl, her thoughts became tangled once more.
Thump. The sound of the Princess slamming her head against the wall continued.
With the sharp sting of pain, her vision cleared. Cien bit her nails, lost in agonizing thought. her entire body shivered.
Think. Think of something.
What about a hostage exchange?
Wouldn't a Princess of the Empire be a more valuable hostage than Ian? If she could save Ian by sacrificing herself, she was more than willing to put her life on the line.
“Haa, ugh….”
It wasn't an idea born of sound judgment.
However, the shock of her first kill and the loss of the man she loved had long since broken the girl’s mind. The desire to wash away her sins, by any means necessary, dominated her.
The more she chewed on the thought, the more it seemed acceptable.
Cien would go to the elves, and Ian would return to humanity.
Amnesia?
His memory might return if they talked. At the very least, it was several times better than him staying with the elves and being branded a traitor to humanity.
Of course, Cien would have to endure all sorts of humiliation.
She was a girl raised as the Imperial Treasure. She knew all too well that she couldn't expect noble treatment in the coniferous forest, where everything was scarce.
It was scary. She was terrified.
But for the girl whose life had become a living hell, it was her only salvation. Hadn't a rescue team led by Delphine and Elsie just been dispatched?
If she could persuade them, it wasn't impossible.
Cien shook off her unpleasant imaginings and began to fantasize about what would follow with vacant eyes.
Ian would return.
On the other hand, Cien would be dragged away by the elves, and there was no telling what they would do to her. While she suffered like that, Ian would once again be held in the arms of other women.
Delphine Yurdina.
He might even crave that fox’s body again. It was an event that had once filled her with a sense of defeat so intense it made her blood boil, but now, it didn't matter.
Once Ian regained his memories, he would think of the Princess every night.
This was the conclusion she drew based on the character she had observed in him thus far. Right before he fell asleep, when he ate his meals, and even when he held another woman.
Ian would never be able to erase the Princess from his mind.
She didn't expect love anyway.
The Princess had already committed too many sins. She couldn't possibly be thick-skinned enough to say she wanted to be held in Ian’s arms.
If so, what was the problem with remaining as a scar instead?
Perhaps one day, Ian would come to rescue her.
Would she be able to ask for forgiveness then?
Punishment is the most classic way to wash away sin. If she could receive Ian’s forgiveness by suffering for however many years it took, Cien was confident she could do it.
And then, perhaps, one day…
A feverish heat drifted through the Princess’s mind. Memories rising like steam illuminated the scenery of a certain night.
It was the afterimage of the day two people had intertwined in shared ecstasy.
“Haa, haa… hng, ah….”
A panting sound began to mix into Cien’s voice.
Holding her breath as much as possible, she inadvertently moved her hand downward. Like an adolescent girl who had just opened her eyes to sexuality.
However, before long, the Princess’s body froze with a start.
She heard a presence nearby.
Crackle. The faint sound of snow being stepped on grazed her ears. The Princess, who had been about to engage in a secret act, held her breath even tighter.
This was a secluded spot even within Yurdina Castle.
To begin with, only those with guaranteed status could enter Yurdina Castle. Aside from the servants, they were mostly nobles.
Under normal circumstances, there was no reason for anyone to come to such a remote place in the middle of the night.
Unless, like the Princess, they had arrived after walking aimlessly.
Coincidentally, there was a small hole in the stone wall. It was just the right size for Cien, who took pride in her eyesight, to peek through.
As her pale gray pupils suddenly covered the air hole, the chilling moonlight poured into her eyes.
In the distance, she saw the shadow of a man.
He was wearing thick clothes, so she couldn't make out his features in detail. However, even just looking at his slumped shoulders, his back gave off a sense of old age.
The Princess’s pale gray pupils instinctively narrowed.
Her vision was blurry, so she couldn't see clearly, but she didn't sense any positive emotions.
Anxiety, nervousness, despair.
The Princess almost frowned at those gloomy colors.
But the thing that would truly shock her hadn't even begun yet.
“…Stop hiding and come out.”
Was he speaking to her?
The Princess was startled and almost stood up instinctively. But just before she did, another man’s shadow overlapped behind the first man’s.
It was an impressive display of stealth.
The Princess felt even more suspicious of this strange meeting and strained her ears.
The brilliant moonlight reflected, illuminating the face of the newcomer.
It was a masked assailant.
He began to speak in a crackling voice. It was a voice that anyone could tell had been distorted.
“I heard Sir Alex is dead. Is the secret being kept well?”
“I have given strict instructions to the messenger. To tell them that a terrifying fellow is after his head….”
The masked assailant remained silent at the listless reply.
The elderly man turned his tired gaze toward the assailant.
“By the way, yours is a face I haven't seen before… Does the Cult have plenty of manpower these days?”
“That is not a matter for the Marquis to concern himself with.”
Marquis?
As soon as the Princess heard that word, she forced herself to swallow a scream.
She covered her mouth with both hands and slid down the wall, only managing to calm her breathing after a moment.
A Marquis.
There was only one Marquis staying in Yurdina Castle.
Marquis Yurdina.
The master of this castle.
*
Only gray ash fluttered in the burned-out village.
Delphine stood before a grave made of snow. Her blood-red eyes were fixed on the mound where a greatsword had been thrust into the earth.
“Alex….”
The woman’s voice was laced with complex emotions.
Why had Alex come here?
He had claimed to be handling the disappearance case alone, but Delphine had never heard such a report.
Either someone had disrupted the reporting system again, or…
Delphine couldn't bring herself to consider the other possibilities.
He was a loyal retainer who had served the family since before she was born. She didn't want to shroud him in dishonor after his death.
And besides, the truth would be revealed soon enough anyway.
Delphine’s eyes flickered behind her. There, a woman with reddish-brown hair, her face haggard, was spraying liquid onto the ground.
Beside her, a small girl followed, letting out constant exclamations of wonder.
“Whoa, ah! Footprints! Hey, commoner! How did you do that?”
“I made it on the way here.”
It was a voice steeped in profound exhaustion.
At Emma’s confession, Elsie fell silent with a somewhat awkward expression.
The process of searching the coniferous forest was a forced march in itself.
It must have been an even harsher schedule for Emma, whose physical strength was not particularly great. And yet, she had saved time on sleep to brew the potions.
Even Elsie couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback by that willpower.
“My life is as good as thrown away anyway. I would have died if it weren't for Ian… So, I want to help Ian, even if it’s just a little.”
“I-I see….”
Deep determination was etched in Emma’s light green eyes as she scanned only the ground. A resolve that had settled firmly and crystallized.
Elsie soon let out a chuckle and clung to Emma.
“Commoner, you’re not bad! I like you… When we find Master, I’ll specially allow you to be his concubine!”
She spoke as if she were already his primary wife.
Delphine snorted inwardly but didn't intentionally provoke Elsie.
That brat wouldn't know anyway.
The feverish whispers they had shared that day, and the pleasure that had seared through her spine.
Delphine smiled slightly at that inexplicable sense of superiority and transgression. But on the other hand, her heart tightened.
I have to find him. Master.
As if responding to that yearning, Emma’s clear cry rang out.
“I found them! Traces of a group moving together!”
Startled, Delphine’s gaze snapped toward Emma. Indeed, there were footprints scattered in a chaotic mess.
They were all traces pointing in a specific direction.
Only then could Delphine breathe a sigh of relief.
She had finally found it.
The place where Ian had gone.
In a day or two at the latest, they would be able to find the hideout where he was concealed.