Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Midnight Rendezvous
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“Lin...?”
The moment Rena whispered, the clouds parted to reveal the moon. Faint moonlight illuminated the young man’s refined features. It was Lin. Rena’s sharp gaze softened as it fell on him, and Lin released her wrist. Freed, Rena feigned a grave mutter.
“I forgot it.”
“Forgot what?”
“The safety measure.”
She would have stabbed him with her dagger if he’d gotten any closer. Baring her teeth, Rena spoke through the shock of his silent approach. Lin rubbed his stiff wrist and mumbled in response.
“Seemed like you didn’t need it.”
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing...”
As Rena pressed him, Lin awkwardly shut his mouth. At his evasion, she let out a scoffing laugh. Then, in a voice suddenly clear and bright, she said,
“We met sooner than I expected.”
“Yeah.”
She had known they might cross paths in the imperial palace, but not like this, not right away. Rena and Lin were both genuinely glad to see each other. And Rena took note of Lin’s dimly visible figure.
“You look different. A lot different.”
She said as she examined his hair and clothes. He was a far cry from a few days ago. His shaggy hair was neatly combed back, and instead of a tattered cloak, he wore an embroidered coat. Beneath it peeked a high-quality satin blouse. The vagabond wanderer had transformed into a noble young lord. If she hadn’t recognized his voice first, she might have mistaken him for someone else. Amazed by the change, Rena prompted him, and Lin answered sheepishly.
“I’m in the imperial palace.”
“Not everyone here dresses like that.”
When Rena pointed it out, Lin looked embarrassed and changed the subject.
“Out for a stroll?”
“Yes. And you, Lin?”
“Me too...”
Lin answered slowly, hesitating. He had approached on impulse out of delight, but now face-to-face, he wasn’t sure what to say. He had plenty he wanted to talk about, but nothing that came easily. As he paused, his eyes suddenly caught Rena’s attire.
‘Pajamas again.’
He gazed at the lady dressed in her nightclothes once more, then casually asked,
“Aren’t you cold?”
Rena blinked at the sudden question, then gently rubbed her shoulders.
“A little.”
Far from cold—fever burned through her from the poison—but she played along as if otherwise. At that, he shrugged off his outer garment. Soon Lin’s coat draped over Rena’s shoulders, providing a handy excuse for them to walk together.
‘He’s so kind.’
Rena secretly smiled as she fastened the coat’s lapels. She felt the warmth trapped in the fabric envelop her body. Then came the unfamiliar scent.
Savoring the coziness, Rena stole a glance at Lin’s profile. He was gentle. He didn’t grope under the pretext of care but treated people with pure goodwill. Having swallowed poison laced with malice, Rena found his kindness refreshing. She didn’t need comfort for her heart, but the warmth felt good anyway. It was then, as she stepped forward with a cozy heart—
“Did you meet your father?”
She had been enjoying the rare change of mood. But at the mention of her father again, Rena smiled bitterly.
“Is that a question? Or confirmation?”
“I heard you did.”
“How much?”
“Up to getting turned away at the door.”
“You heard almost everything.”
Everything except the poison.
“They say words grow wings in the imperial palace. Seems true.”
At Rena’s self-mocking words, Lin thought to himself. He had wondered about her bold visit to the marquis, but it didn’t seem like ignorance of palace dynamics. So what was it?
“Are you really Rena Rubel?”
“Huh?”
“Are you really the daughter of the marquis who died of illness?”
“I didn’t die of illness, but yes, Marquis Rubel is my father.”
Lin’s suspicions deepened at her playful reply. If true, it was a strange situation. Rubel had turned his healthy daughter into a dead woman, and now she had returned after years to find him. To the imperial palace, where all eyes were on her, right before the founding anniversary. She had come deliberately, flaunting it.
‘Too dangerous.’
Rubel must find this sudden Rena quite burdensome. But Rena was in the same boat. Rubel was a key figure in the North. Could she even scratch such a giant by pinning a scandal on him? Forget scratches—she might trigger an avalanche by throwing stones carelessly.
“Why do you want to meet Rubel?”
“You sure are interested in my business, Lin. Without sharing any of yours.”
Lin’s worried question tired Rena’s smile. She liked this young man’s kindness. But his meddling was a bit much. Besides, she didn’t welcome this topic. To shut him up, she prodded lightly, only to get an unexpected answer.
“I’m with the East.”
Lin confessed flatly. Rena wondered what nonsense this was now, then lost her words at his following explanation.
“I didn’t say earlier because you claimed to be Rubel’s daughter.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, laughter flickering in them. But Lin, oblivious, continued.
“I figured you’d be uncomfortable knowing I’m from the East. It was pointless in the end, but back then, I didn’t know what kind of person you were.”
Everyone in the empire knew the East and North were bitter rivals. So Lin couldn’t reveal himself to Rena, who claimed to be Marquis Rubel’s daughter. With nowhere else to go, she’d be more troubled learning she’d met her father’s archenemy. Rena was quite flustered by his explanation. She had dismissed his secrecy as mere rudeness. But it had been consideration after all.
“You’re really...”
Rena muttered blankly, then laughed as if she couldn’t handle it. With no choice, she confessed.
“I want to exist.”
“Hm?”
“Why I want to meet my father.”
In the end, Rena answered his earlier question with a sense of surrender.
“You said it yourself earlier, Lin. The daughter of the marquis who died of illness. That’s me right now. Cleanly erased from the world, where it’s strange to be alive, more natural to be dead.”
As she spoke, Rena looked down at her hand. Her five fingers moved at her will. A small motion, but through it, she reconfirmed she was alive. At the same time, she mocked her situation, needing to verify her own existence like this.
“So I came to make my father take responsibility.”
“Responsibility?”
“You erased me, so you fix it.”
Rena smiled calmly, then added lightly.
“But far from holding him accountable, I haven’t even met him yet.”
She said it nonchalantly, but Lin heard pathos in it. So he asked carefully.
“Want it back?”
“Huh?”
“The altar you found for me. With that, Rubel might meet you.”
“You’ll return what I yielded?”
When Rena asked with a laugh, Lin nodded willingly. Realizing his sincerity, she smiled even deeper.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m good. I want my father to welcome me himself. Not because of something else.”
At Rena’s firm reply, Lin glanced at her profile under the moonlight. Fascinating. Kind people were soft, strong ones cold. But this lady was both gentle and resolute. He couldn’t claim to know her fully from just two meetings, but even those two were enough to leave a deep impression. Admiring her qualities, Lin muttered unwittingly.
“You’re strong.”
“And you’re pretty, Lin.”
He groaned at the counterattack. As Lin stared in dismay, Rena grinned all the more, putting him in a bind. In the end, he cleared his throat needlessly and changed the subject.
“If the marquis refuses, come to the East.”
“And if I do?”
“I’ll treat you accordingly.”
“How intriguing.”
“What?”
“You, Lin. I thought you were just a grunt wandering alone for altars, but today I see you’re higher up than expected.”
At the unexpected proposal, Rena said with a mischievous smile.
“Should I call you Your Grace next time?”
Rena stopped walking and asked Lin, who halted beside her. She had suspected earlier, but now it was clear. A few days ago, she had pegged Lin as an imperial errand boy. A knight dispatched to collect altars. But not today. The finest clothes, his dismissive attitude toward the marquis, his speech representing the East. Rena had heard of the East’s young duke. Lin sighed at her insight. He hadn’t meant to hide it forever, but he hadn’t expected her to figure it out so quickly.
“In front of people, yeah.”
In front of people? Rena noted the odd clue and continued.
“I have a question.”
“What?”
“Why were you...”
Rena deliberately called his name. Lin looked at her steadily, and she resolved to keep calling him that.
“Why were you wandering alone, Lin? When searching for the altar.”
“It’s the quietest and fastest way.”
The surest, safest. And necessary. Lin had several reasons but stated only two and hid the rest. But Rena caught some of what he concealed and smiled like a crescent moon.
“The Eastern Knights must have it rough. Having to serve a duke who runs around on foot.”
“Not really. Don’t worry.”
Lin denied it with a feeble smile at her teasing. He meant it. The lord of the East coveted this lady, equipped with skill, composure, dignity, and charm. He had suggested it casually, but Rena refused without hesitation.
“Thanks, but that won’t work.”
“Why?”
“I have things to do. Or how about you come to me, Lin? A pretty one like you is always welcome.”
Lin’s expression turned subtle at her counteroffer. Wondering if she meant it, he looked at Rena. She met his gaze calmly, and her boldness made him burst into laughter.
“You’re really...”
Lin muttered blankly, then laughed as if defeated. He had never revealed it to anyone, but the name ‘Rig-nan Aiterner’ was an inescapable burden to him. That was why he couldn’t readily bare himself to Rena, whom he met as ‘Lin.’ Lin would vanish, crushed by Rig-nan Aiterner’s name. But surprisingly, Rena brushed it off lightly. She even offered to take him in if he wished.
‘I knew she was bold, but...’
Not to this extent. It caught him off guard. But it wasn’t bad. No, it was enjoyable.
“I’ll think about it.”
Lin replied happily. The lady nodded graciously, making the young man laugh more. Their casual stroll was stretching longer than planned. But they didn’t notice at all.
...
When it was time to part, Lin asked before bidding farewell.
“What should I call you next time we meet?”
“Would Your Grace have reason to call for me?”
Lin smiled bitterly at her jest. It wasn’t entirely a joke. Seeing Lin look crestfallen, Rena changed her words.
“Lady in front of people, and when it’s just us like now, call me by name. Rena.”
Instead of agreeing, Lin turned toward the lake.
“I often come out for air at night.”
“Huh?”
“Just, you know.”
Lin averted his gaze nonchalantly, and Rena pondered the meaning before biting her lower lip.
“What a coincidence.”
Rena swallowed her laugh, pretending innocence like Lin.
“I like night strolls too.”
***
Dawn broke, sunlight flooding the sky. In that early morning, the Rubel household butler sat by the window like a rotten old tree.
‘It’s probably over by now.’
The sleepless butler sighed. It had been a night as long as a millennium. He couldn’t relax, not knowing what ill news might arrive. His worries ran deep, but fortunately, the night passed peacefully. No reports of some lady taking a dire turn in the night and barely surviving, or being found early enough to save her life. She must have passed quietly as planned.
‘Time to move...’
The butler checked his watch and rose, stiff body protesting. Now for the cleanup. A death in the imperial palace couldn’t be hushed quietly. Nor could the lady’s attempt to contact Marquis Rubel. Circumstances would make people suspect the marquis. He couldn’t stop suspicion, but he could prevent it from snowballing. The butler dressed more impeccably than ever and steeled himself. Just as he was about to leave the room.
“Butler.”
He ran into a knight in the corridor, who had come looking. From the North, the knight bowed politely to the marquis’s butler, then spoke awkwardly.
“Pardon the early hour. A lady named Rena Rubel is here.”
“Who?”
The old butler paled. But the knight, unaware of his shock, continued.
“She says it’s news you’ve awaited all night for Marquis Rubel, and handed over this letter.”
The knight proffered a peach-colored paper. A neatly folded, ordinary letter. Forgetting greetings, the butler hastily unfolded it. There, in elegant handwriting, was Rena Rubel’s greeting.
*To my dear father. Hello, Father. Circumstances prevent a face-to-face, so I greet you by letter first. You must have been startled by my unannounced visit yesterday. Please forgive me; my eagerness to see you overrode everything. It’s been six years since I last saw you. You must wonder why I vanished without word and suddenly appeared. I wonder the same. Why did you do that to me? Tell me the reason, and I’ll tell you mine. What I came to do, and what I can do. I look forward to seeing you soon. Awaiting our father-daughter reunion, Rena Rubel.*