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Chapter 18
“All of a sudden?”
Was there an episode in the original story about the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet?
Perhaps because I was so startled by Kahinel’s sudden declaration that he was going to the capital, my brain just wouldn’t start working properly.
Still, there was one thing I remembered very clearly.
In the original story, the incident where Kahinel went to the capital was connected to the female lead.
Which meant it happened after Rishua died.
But I’m not dead yet?
And yet Kahinel is going to the capital?
I didn’t know how things had gotten twisted like this, but one thing was certain—this was an emergency.
Why?
I didn’t think he’d meet Hayley this soon.
Hayley, the original female lead, was in the capital.
And Kahinel was written as a male lead who fell in love with Hayley at first sight.
Which meant what?
He’s the one who’s going to cheat—not me.
Before I even get a chance to break the curse, divorce papers might come flying at me for a completely different reason than in the original story.
It was rare for Kahinel to go to the capital.
The House of Hyrant maintained political neutrality and did not enter politics, so there was no real need for them to stay in the capital.
Their relationship with the current imperial family was poor as well, so they rarely attended imperial events.
For the Duke of Hyrant to attend something as trivial as a young Crown Prince’s birthday banquet—rather than a national event like a coronation or a royal wedding—was highly unusual.
There was a clear reason behind this exceptional move.
“Have you sent the reply saying we’ll attend?”
“It should have arrived at the imperial palace by now.”
“I wonder what expression the Emperor had when he received it.”
He probably crumpled it up or burned it.
After all, he was someone who despised the appearance of Hyrant more than anything.
As Taylor placed documents that required the duke’s approval onto the desk, he asked,
“Do you plan to reveal everything?”
“Reveal what?”
“That Your Grace knows everything.”
Recently, the imperial family had secretly formed agreements with several houses that possessed private knight orders.
All of them held territories near the lands of Hyrant.
Those secret pacts were intended as a means to keep Hyrant in check.
Hyrant possessed power and military strength that no one could rival—and as a result, had many enemies.
There had been countless incidents aimed at restraining Hyrant, but this was the first time Kahinel had openly reacted.
That was why Taylor was curious about what his lord was thinking.
As his aide, he needed to understand his master’s plans to prepare for what lay ahead.
“Well…”
“Is that an answer to my question?”
“Won’t they figure it out even if I don’t say it outright?”
Despite Kahinel’s curt response, Taylor nodded.
After working together for so long, it wasn’t difficult to grasp the duke’s intent.
“Just Your Grace showing yourself will be warning enough.”
Kahinel let out a faint chuckle.
That must have been the correct interpretation.
“And if the imperial family pretends ignorance, what do you plan to do?”
“Do you think they can? Then the only thing left would be an armed conflict.”
They would neither admit it nor outright deny it.
If they admitted it, they would be condemned.
If they denied it, Hyrant would not stay still.
That was exactly what Kahinel was aiming for.
Their predicament—where they could neither admit nor deny anything.
There was nothing more humiliating than being forced to realize just how incompetent and pathetic they were, having achieved nothing at all.
When the conversation ended, Kahinel returned his focus to the documents he had been reviewing.
A short while later, Albert came in.
“All preparations for departing to the capital are complete.”
“Good. Let’s leave in two days.”
“I’ll relay that to the Northern Wall knights.”
“While I’m gone, keep a close watch on whether my wife makes contact with Marquis Dale.”
Albert was a capable, seasoned butler who had served even the previous duke and duchess.
Having watched over Kahinel’s life and supported him all this time, there was nothing Albert didn’t know about him.
Naturally, he was also aware of Kahinel’s relationship with Dale.
That was why he understood why Kahinel had ordered him to monitor the duchess.
Still, Albert voiced his doubt.
“Isn’t milady going to the capital as well?”
“What are you talking about?”
Kahinel frowned deeply, his voice dropping.
But the one more puzzled by that reaction was Albert.
Because—
“Milady is currently packing as well.”
Albert went on to explain just how busily Rishua was moving about, preparing for the journey to the capital.
Hearing what his wife was doing, Kahinel couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“So she is? She says she’s going too?”
“Yes. She said that since husband and wife are one body, they should go together wherever they go.”
That remark from Rishua had genuinely surprised Albert.
He never expected the duchess—who had avoided her husband and lived in hiding for two years—to hold such a view of marriage.
Hearing about Rishua’s perspective through Albert, Kahinel frowned.
“How ridiculous.”
Taylor looked mildly impressed.
“I never imagined milady would say something like that.”
Everyone in the ducal castle had noticed Rishua’s change.
Among them, the one who felt it most strongly was her husband, Kahinel.
At first, he refused to acknowledge her change.
He was convinced she must have some ulterior motive.
But now, he had no choice but to accept her little by little.
Her actions and words were consistent, leaving him with no choice but to believe her.
Still, the fact that Rishua had changed so strangely meant no one could fully let go of their suspicions.
Taylor asked in a serious tone,
“Will you be traveling with milady?”
Kahinel answered with a deep sigh.
“You’ve seen her yourself. She’s not the kind of person who gets pushed away no matter how hard you try. And she told me not to push her away.”
“Surely milady wouldn’t… toward Your Grace—”
Taylor trailed off awkwardly, and Kahinel pressed him on it.
“Wouldn’t what? Why stop mid-sentence?”
“It’s nothing. Please consider it a slip of the tongue.”
“How half-hearted.”
Kahinel turned his gaze back to the documents.
But the words on the page refused to enter his eyes.
She’s truly a troublesome woman.
She could just stay quietly here—why follow him all the way to the capital?
At this rate, he wondered if she planned to chase him around for the rest of his life.
Early dawn, before the sun had fully risen.
A lone figure moved through the empty training grounds.
As if his thoughts were tangled, the figure’s movements were sloppy and unsettled.
For days now, from the moment he woke until he fell asleep again, Bellio’s nerves had been on edge.
I’m not qualified.
A knight’s duty was singular.
To protect.
Whether it was one’s country or a person, a knight had to protect them—even at the cost of his own life.
But he hadn’t been able to do that.
Though he had somehow been appointed the duchess’s escort knight for a single day, he had foolishly failed to fulfill that duty.
Bellio couldn’t forgive himself.
From the moment he faced his own incompetence, he could no longer accept any part of himself.
I shouldn’t have accepted that request.
If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have failed to protect her—and he wouldn’t be tormenting himself like this.
Bellio left the training grounds and walked aimlessly.
In this state, he couldn’t start his day’s duties. He needed to sort out his thoughts.
“Sir Bellio?”
Meeting the person who hadn’t left his mind for days was a complete coincidence.
“…Greetings, milady.”
Bellio wasn’t the only one surprised.
Rishua, who had come out for a walk since she was already up early, looked somewhat flustered by the unexpected encounter.
To Rishua, Bellio wasn’t someone she felt at ease with.
It was an unavoidable discomfort born from knowing the original story.
She considered turning back, but something she wanted to say to Bellio came to mind, and she didn’t avoid him.
“Sir Bellio, I’m sorry.”
Bellio couldn’t understand why she was apologizing to him with such a sorrowful expression.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you suffered because of me. At the Northern Wall.”
“That was…”
That wasn’t your fault—it was mine.
Bellio clenched his fist tightly and bowed his head.
Seeing how much more troubled he seemed than she’d expected, Rishua felt a bit sorry.
He must have been suffering a lot.
He looked worse than when they first met.
Watching Bellio—who gave off a lonely air like a barren tree stripped of its autumn leaves—made her feel uneasy.
Just as Kahinel had said, she felt guilty, as though she alone was causing hardship for so many people.
“That day, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine. If you’re suffering because of me, then I’ll apologize.”
“No. It was an accident that happened because I failed in my duty.”
“I’m the one who ignored your advice and stubbornly pushed ahead.”
Rishua smiled shyly.
As she apologized to Bellio, she felt a quiet sense of pride in herself for recognizing and admitting her mistake.
“I already told Kahinel that I’d recommend you as an elite knight of Hyrant. He agreed as well.”
“……”
“Congratulations. I’ll be cheering for the future that awaits you as an elite knight of Hyrant.”
She naturally assumed Bellio would be happy to hear the news.
But he showed no reaction at all.
So much so that it was Rishua who ended up feeling flustered instead.
