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Chapter: 12
Following the princess’s guidance, Gilliard strolled through the palace’s central garden.
As expected of a royal garden, all kinds of flowers and trees were arranged beautifully and neatly.
When they reached roughly the middle of the flower-lined path, Cerizena asked,
“‘That child’… are they doing well?”
Even without mentioning a name, it was clear who she meant.
Gilliard recalled the face of the knight trainee who had been standing in front of him, drenched in rain just last night.
Did they even know?
No matter how much they tried to hide it in the rain, no matter how wide their big eyes were opened, they couldn’t completely conceal the tears streaming down.
Recalling yesterday made a heaviness settle in Gilliard’s chest.
Especially on a day like today, after delivering a report about the “Jewel Clan” at the palace, the feeling weighed even more.
But he couldn’t openly express that sentiment here, so he answered succinctly:
“Yes, they’re doing well.”
“From the rumors, it doesn’t seem like it. Don’t be so cold to them. They must already feel so lost… it’s pitiful.”
“I am simply fulfilling my duty as their guardian. There’s no need to worry too much.”
The princess hummed and rested her chin on her hand.
Soon, Cerizena’s expression shifted playfully, like a mischievous child.
“I don’t know what your second brother is plotting, but I’ll always be on your side. If you’re ever in trouble, come to me. After all… we were once even considered for marriage, weren’t we?”
Once considered for marriage with a princess of a kingdom.
This was precisely why Gilliard had wanted to avoid meeting Cerizena as much as possible.
At the word “marriage proposal,” his steps made an audible clack.
Seeing his obvious reaction, Cerizena burst into laughter.
The proposal had been about two years ago.
There were several dukes, but among them, only the Duke of Lighlus had both extensive territories and the title of war hero.
The king had marked Gilliard as a prospective son-in-law since his days as a minor duke and actively pursued the match—but ultimately, it never came to pass.
Cerizena had gone home after having a meal with Gilliard and dramatically collapsed, screaming.
“I! Should be forced into marriage like this!? Wouldn’t it feel better if I just sold myself off?!”
“No, your face is—”
“Even if he’s handsome, he’s not my type! I don’t want to share a blanket with him! I want a man with chest and biceps as thick as thighs! Someone I could fold in half and carry in my pocket—I’ll marry someone like that!”
Faced with the princess’s unilateral refusal, the marriage with the Duke of Lighlus naturally fell through.
On the surface, that was the reason—but Gilliard already knew.
He knew that the princess’s dramatic behavior had been a way to consider his feelings.
“Thanks to that, I survived as well. It’s late, but thank you,” he said.
“Look at you, thanking me two years later—it shows you have no interest in me at all. I’m going to marry a man who adores me and has no clue what to do with it.”
“I am grateful in many ways.”
“So you should focus on that child in your mind… Don’t worry too much about the crown princess. She’s in much better condition now and even goes for walks frequently.”
“Pardon me for imposing, but I’d appreciate your help. If anything happens…”
“Yes, a treatment that reduces auditory hallucinations has recently been developed. I’ve already sent someone, and if I receive good news, I’ll tell you first.”
“Thank you.”
A ward, a crown princess—there were far too many things to worry about, and it was exhausting.
Yet Gilliard kept his face neutral, hiding everything.
If he didn’t, he felt he might collapse under the weight of everything he carried.
When she opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.
Sia held her throbbing head and forced herself to sit up.
Her mind was still foggy, and her fever hadn’t fully broken.
She groped for a glass of water on the bedside table, drank it, and flopped back down.
Outside, the sounds of knight trainees shouting during training continued.
They’d all gotten wet in the rain, but why did she feel like she was suffering the most?
Sia cursed her weak body.
Normally, this amount of rain wouldn’t bother her, but despite her denial, the shock had clearly taken a toll.
As she reluctantly opened her eyes, she noticed a white piece of paper on the table.
It was a deposit statement from Tineo Bank.
The money that had been taken was back, and Sia let out a bitter laugh.
“So it comes back like this? This money?”
It was a large sum, but she felt no joy.
Irritated, she crumpled the paper and tossed it into the corner.
“Trust no one. No comrades, no friends, not this country, and certainly… not even me. That’s how you survive here. Remember that.”
Her guardian’s cold eyes came to mind.
Despite her frustration, she realized he had given her advice appropriate to the situation.
“Thank you… for painfully drilling this cruel reality into me.”
Without the strength to even scoff, Sia pulled the blanket over her head.
“How should I live from now on?”
To kill the emperor with these hands—this goal hadn’t changed, not before death, not after.
But in this life, she resolved to make the most of her guardian for what she had suffered.
Yet now, her current state—lying there in shock—was pitiful.
To survive, did she truly have to trust no one?
How long would she have to remain so lonely?
Was that the only way to reach a future free of pointless death?
One question still remained.
“…Why did that bastard go to all this trouble?”
What Gilliard wanted to achieve with his time, money, and effort was beyond her understanding.
As her tangled thoughts twisted into a knot, Sia finally forced herself to stand.
“Right, I’ll just ask him directly.”
In the past, she couldn’t have imagined doing this, but somehow she felt Gilliard wouldn’t ignore her question.
Thinking this, she opened the door and stepped outside.
Evening, with the flowers in full bloom, yet a slight chill in the night air.
Sia walked along the school garden and stopped upon seeing who stood before her.
The icy-looking instructor actually had a sentimental hobby: walking under the large ginkgo tree in the central garden after dinner every evening.
Today, as usual, Gilliard was admiring the tree and noticed his student approaching.
“I have a question.”
Fortunately, Gilliard did not avoid it.
“What is it?”
“Regarding the Harrington family… if you already knew, why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“You ask meaningless questions. I would have said. Whatever the reason, once you’re involved with the Lighlus family, you can’t be tangled with messy factions. That’s all.”
As usual, his response was cold, but Sia couldn’t accept it so easily.
She could understand not wanting the great Lighlus name to be sullied, but why go through such a troublesome method just to inform her?
There was something suspicious, and she couldn’t let it pass.
“I know you dislike me, Instructor. So I assumed you wouldn’t… but still—”
“But?”
“This time, it seems like you took every possible measure so that I would remain completely unaware. As if…”
As if he had resolved to become the villain and bear all blame himself.
She swallowed the words she hadn’t spoken.
She knew it was unlikely, but thinking this way made it easier to understand her guardian’s actions.
Gilliard’s eyes twitched slightly. What expression was that? What was he thinking?
She wished, just once, she could enter his mind.
Finally, he let out a small laugh.
“You’ll never be a great detective, Ermodian. You actually believe I went through this troublesome step out of consideration for you… Do you truly think so?”
“….”
“Human trafficking has long been an issue the palace has been tracking. If you got involved, handling it would have been troublesome, so I simply kept you away as much as possible.”
“But no matter how I think about it…”
“Coming all the way here to ask such foolish deductions proves your mind is still soft. Stop wasting time on speculation and go back to your room. It’s a waste of time.”
Sia laughed bitterly.
Why had she come this far expecting wealth and glory?
Perhaps she had been foolish to expect a proper answer.
She wanted to leave as he said, but unfortunately, she had one more task.
Suppressing her growing frustration, she spoke again.
“I have a request.”
“What now?”
“Please… let me see Mrs. Harrington again.”
