Chapter 130
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: A Late-Night Visit
"...Are you saying the head of the Artban family is coming to the North?"
Late afternoon. I gathered everyone to tell them the news. The atmosphere grew heavy.
From the moment the word 'Artban' left my lips, Hestia looked as if she had been struck by lightning, completely frozen.
I couldn't take my eyes off Hestia the entire time I was explaining, worried about her.
"Yes. That's what I heard. I only found out today."
"Who informed you of this?"
"Sage told me."
He told me quite proudly that he'd done some digging.
Hestia looked baffled by my unhesitating answer, then asked in surprise.
"Then does he also know about your relationship with the Artban family?"
"I don't think he knows the details yet. He probably just has a rough idea."
Actually, I couldn't even be sure of that.
How could I know, when I can't read his mind to see how much he's figured out?
Besides, I'd tried to be careful, but Sage seemed to know everything anyway. I was starting to lose confidence in how long I could keep it a secret.
"Apparently, now that the Artban family has become the head of the East, they've decided to forge a new agreement with the North. He's scheduled to arrive here in two days."
"That's too soon."
"...And something feels off."
Paymon nodded at Karma's murmur, adding his own thoughts.
It wasn't just the two of them; everyone else at the table seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Myself included, of course.
"Given the timing, it's unlikely he's visiting any other families, right?"
"The North is the farthest territory from the East, so it doesn't seem like a very efficient itinerary."
Karma drove the point home, dashing my faint hopes to the contrary.
So in the end, the reason Diel Artban is coming all the way to the North is because of me.
There was no other explanation for him to drop all his other plans and come to the North so soon after taking over the East.
Mesis ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled.
"Why don't we just go back to the South? There's no reason to stay here any longer."
"It's not that I haven't considered it. I know that going back is the best option."
"Then please decide when we'll leave. I'm so relieved we can finally get out of this place." Mesis looked as if he wouldn't mind leaving this very instant.
He hadn't said anything to me directly, but he must have been having a very hard time.
The North's climate was the polar opposite of the South's, so it was understandable.
Everyone was probably exhausted by now.
But something was holding me back from readily agreeing to return.
If we went back to the South, wouldn't Hestia go through with her original decision and request to be excommunicated?
That thought kept bothering me.
Now that I knew about the darkness in her heart, I couldn't just leave her be.
And...
All sorts of thoughts began to swirl in my mind.
"Oh, Hestia. Have we secured all the pheromone stones my lady will need when she returns to the South? I should have asked about that first."
Paymon asked, scratching his cheek with an awkward expression.
But Hestia remained lost in thought, staring blankly.
Paymon tilted his head and called her name again.
"Hestia?"
I quickly answered for her.
"We've secured the pheromone stones, so it's fine, Paymon."
"That's a relief. ...Then we just need to set a date."
He seemed to sense that something was wrong with Hestia and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
I quickly raised my voice to divert his attention.
"As for our departure... I'll think about it a little more today and make a decision, so could you all leave for now? My thoughts are still a mess."
* * *
In the end, I couldn't sleep that night. It was a dark night, nearing midnight.
I draped a thick shawl over my shoulders and left my room.
In the empty hallway, the sconces on the wall burned with a soft glow.
I don't know how long I walked down the hall.
I arrived at the door of my destination. After hesitating to knock several times, I took a deep breath and rapped on the door.
"...Sage, are you asleep?"
It was a bit reckless of me to show up unannounced, but I had a feeling he wouldn't be asleep right now.
A moment later, the door opened halfway, and Sage appeared.
"...Aileen?"
Seeing me waiting for him at his door, Sage's expression seemed to stiffen for a moment.
I gave him a smile full of apology.
"Sorry, were you sleeping?"
"No."
"Then, can I come in?"
Sage didn't answer. He just stared at me intently.
I lowered my gaze and fiddled with the edge of the shawl wrapped around my shoulders.
"I couldn't sleep."
"You can't sleep?"
"Yeah."
Silence fell again.
Standing at the door, Sage covered his eyes and let out a sigh.
"...So that's why you came to find me at this hour."
His blue eyes, peeking through his blond hair, seemed to be looking at me as if he didn't know what to do with me.
It is a little awkward, I suppose.
I'd debated turning back several times on my way here.
I was aware of what it might look like, knocking on his door so late at night.
But that just showed how deep my worries were.
It seemed best to go back for now and visit him again in the morning.
Just as I was about to turn and leave.
"If you come in, I can't promise what will happen next." Sage said in a low voice, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"If you're okay with that, then come in."
"What's that? Are you trying to scare me away?"
"You heard me right."
"...I think I'll be going back to the South."
My voice echoed in the hallway.
Sage didn't react, as if he'd already expected it.
"Did you know about this, too?"
"Just that you'd be leaving soon."
He opened the door wider.
"Come in first, Aileen."
"...Okay."
Sage stepped aside. I hesitated, then slowly entered, taking in the room.
A pristine white rug on the floor, a large bed, and a dark gray sofa came into view one by one.
I pulled the shawl from my shoulders. My body temperature, which had dropped slightly while walking through the hall, was returning to normal.
"Sit there, Aileen."
"Okay."
I leaned back into the sofa. Sage sat across from me and asked.
"Why couldn't you sleep so late?"
"Because I don't want to go back."
Sage's hand, which had been pouring hot water from a glass pot into a cup and picking up tea leaves, paused.
Sage fixed his gaze on me.
"If that's your worry, you've come to the wrong person. You know what I'm going to say."
"......."
"Or do you want me to make you stay?"
I didn't answer his question. But that was an answer in itself.
I didn't want to go back to the South.
To be precise, I didn't want to go back like this.
At the very least, I wanted to see for myself what kind of person the head of the Artban family was.
Who exactly was this person who had hurt my loved ones and continued to torment them to this day.
I wondered if I should really run away knowing nothing.
But I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. Because...
"I know that if I say I want to stay here, everyone will support my decision. Even my father, though he'd object at first, would eventually give in."
"They would."
"That's actually what makes me hesitate more. I don't know what the consequences of my choice will be."
I couldn't live my life constantly tormented by the Artban family.
Especially not when they were making a move to meet me in person.
After all, the day might come when we would have to face each other.
"Then just make the safe choice, right?"
I shook my head.
"...In the end, this will only be resolved when one side is completely finished. If that's the case... wouldn't it be better to meet him and see who I'm up against?"
"So you're saying you want to meet the head of the Artban family."
"That's right."
Sage's eyes narrowed as if he were thinking about something. Then he murmured, as if to himself.
"A relationship where one side must be finished. And the Artban family wants you, Aileen."
"......."
"Does that mean if they get you, the Artban family wins?"
I didn't bother to deny it. At the same time, the worst-case scenario, one I didn't want to imagine, played out in my mind. My expression hardened at the image of my family and my clan collapsing helplessly.
My lips trembled, and as I bit down on them, Sage leaned forward and reached out.
His touch was gentle as he softly brushed my lips, as if telling me not to.
"This is Kiraas territory, Aileen. Even if that man comes after you and tries something, there's nothing he can do here. So don't worry."
I knew that, too. No matter who Diel Artban was, he wouldn't dare do anything reckless in the North.
But I was worried about something else.
When they couldn't protect me from him. It would never happen, but if that moment ever came...
Sage said suddenly.
"I'll make it so no one can touch you."
"What did you say?"
For a moment, I was so surprised by his words that I just stared at him blankly.
How could he say something like that when he didn't know any of the details?
When he knew nothing about how terribly entangled I was with the Artban family.
What if something happened because of it?
"So you just do what you want to do. Don't worry about the rest."
"You'll regret saying that later, Sage."
The head of the Artban family could never harm me directly. But he could use me to hurt the people around me as much as he wanted.
That fact made me feel endlessly weak.
"That won't happen."
"...Okay. Thank you."
I don't know why his words were so reassuring. I couldn't help but respond.