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~Chapter 8~
At Ren’s command, Jacques Bedelius immediately began issuing orders to the knights.
The moment Ren drew out his dagger, Allen stepped forward.
“I’ll do it.”
Taking the dagger from Ren’s hand, Allen sliced open the wound without hesitation. Then, over and over, he sucked the venom from the bite and spat it out.
“Your Highness,” Jacques said urgently, “the fastest horse among us is yours.”
Ren grimaced.
“That’s a problem… No matter who it is, that beast won’t let anyone but me ride him.”
Ren’s horse, Alex, was notoriously vicious. Other than his master, he allowed no one on his back.
“Ren,” Allen said, his voice low but steady, “please take Ellie. I want to carry her myself, but I left my horse behind while searching for her.”
Ren looked at him for a moment before nodding and approaching his horse.
“Alex. Today, you’ll have to carry someone else too. It’s an emergency, and she’s injured, so don’t act up.”
“Hiiing—!”
The wild stallion snorted sharply, pawing the ground.
Ren stroked his neck.
“Good boy.”
He mounted first, calming the beast, and Allen carefully passed Elenoa into his arms.
Then—
With one sharp kick—
Ren and Alex shot through the forest like an arrow.
Without resting for even a moment, Ren rode hard for Winterfencer, Elenoa secured in front of him.
By the time they reached Winterfencer, Alex was lathered in sweat, but Ren didn’t stop. He rode straight through to Duke Ridevain’s castle.
“We found her. But what happened?” Ludwig called out the moment Ren arrived. “Where’s Allen? Why are you bringing her?”
“The physician?”
Ren ignored Ludwig’s first question entirely.
“Not here yet,” Kyle answered instead.
“…So I got here first.”
“What happened?”
“Allen will arrive soon. She was bitten by a venomous snake. The poison was sucked out, but she needs treatment immediately. Alex wouldn’t let anyone but me ride him, so I brought her. He was the fastest.”
“The ducal physician?”
“You know he’s at the capital residence,” Kyle replied grimly. “The only doctor here right now is the imperial physician. But as you know…”
Ren’s expression hardened.
“If His Majesty orders it, that won’t matter. This girl saved the Emperor’s life. I’ll go see him.”
After laying Elenoa carefully on the bed, Ren straightened and strode from the room.
Ludwig called after him—
But Ren ignored him completely.
Ren headed straight for the chambers of his cousin—
The Emperor.
“Your Majesty,” the attendant announced, “Grand Duke Einhardt requests an audience.”
“Let him in.”
Ren entered, bowing properly.
It seemed the Emperor had just finished receiving treatment himself; Clian was fastening the buttons of his shirt.
“What is it?”
“I have an urgent request, Your Majesty.”
“What request?”
“There is a critical patient. I ask permission for the imperial physician to treat her.”
“A critical patient?”
“Yes. She was bitten by a venomous snake. The poison was drawn out, but treatment is urgent.”
“…Drawn out?” Clian repeated, visibly surprised. “By whom? You?”
“No. I only brought her here.”
Ren lifted his head.
“She is the one who saved Your Majesty’s life.”
Clian’s golden eyes narrowed.
“…She saved me?”
Then—
“Was the one you speak of… a woman disguised as a man?”
“Yes.”
A strange silence filled the room.
“From what I heard,” Clian said slowly, “she may also be connected to the assassins.”
On the journey to Winterfencer, Clian had already been briefed.
A cross-dressed woman had been found in the carriage where he had lost consciousness.
Some suspected she was tied to the assassination attempt.
And yet—
Ren was claiming she had saved him.
“Your Majesty.”
Ren’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Clian studied him for a long moment.
Ren was many things—
Cold.
Stubborn.
Exasperating.
But never dishonest.
“…Very well.”
At last, Clian turned to the imperial physician.
“Go and treat her.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
As Ren turned to leave—
“When she wakes…”
Ren paused.
“I’d like to see her myself.”
“…Understood.”
Though his answer came a fraction too late, Ren bowed once more and departed.
Once alone, Clian rose from his seat and walked toward the window.
Moonlight spilled over his face, illuminating his sharp golden eyes.
“…Who is lying?”
Ren?
Impossible.
Ren would never fabricate something like this.
So then—
Was some noble trying to pin a failed assassination on an unrelated girl?
“…I’ll know once I meet her.”
A liar could deceive with words—
But not with their eyes.
Still…
Something bothered him.
“…Strange.”
He looked down at his right hand, clenching and unclenching it slowly.
He distinctly remembered the sensation—
As though someone had poked him repeatedly with something sharp…
And…
As though he had grabbed onto something.
“…What exactly happened?”
His expression turned unreadable.
* * *
“It is finished.”
The imperial physician stepped back from the bed.
“I’ve disinfected the wound and completed treatment. Have her take the medicine according to this prescription.”
“You’ve done well.”
“Then I shall take my leave—”
BANG!
The door flew open so violently that the physician couldn’t even finish.
“Ellie?!”
Allen stormed inside.
“The treatment just ended,” Ren replied.
Allen immediately rushed to the bedside.
Seeing Elenoa breathing evenly in sleep—
He finally exhaled in relief.
“Sir Perio. Bring those two.”
Without even turning around, Allen gave the order.
Perio immediately left again.
“The female knight and maid who were with her?” Kyle asked.
“Yes.”
Allen’s voice sharpened.
“There are things I need to hear.”
He had to know—
Why Elenoa had ended up here alone.
“…Is she really your sister?”
At Kyle’s question, Allen’s gaze shifted.
“…Isaac told you.”
“How much?”
Ren answered instead.
“That you’re Duke Philemon’s son, but Lady Selena has a different mother… while the girl lying here shares the same mother as you. Assuming she truly is Baron Ricardo’s daughter.”
Allen shut his eyes tightly for a moment before reopening them.
“…It’s true.”
His voice was quiet.
“Selena and I have different mothers. Ellie and I share the same one.”
He looked down at Elenoa.
“She’s my sister.”
And then, more softly—
“I still remember what she looked like as a child.”
Knock knock knock.
“Your Grace. I’ve brought them.”
“Enter.”
Perio returned with Sharmel and Lanster.
Isaac followed behind.
“My lady!”
Ignoring all etiquette, Sharmel ran straight to Elenoa’s bedside.
Such behavior in front of nobles—especially a grand duke—should have been unthinkably rude.
But not one person rebuked her.
“She’s fine,” Allen said.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“…Thank goodness.”
Relief flooded Sharmel’s face—
Only for her shoulders to stiffen at Allen’s next words.
“You have something to tell me.”
“…”
“Sharmel.”
“…Y-Yes.”
“Explain.”
His tone left no room for evasion.
“Why… is Ellie here?”
Sharmel swallowed hard.
“…My lady climbed over the estate wall. Sir Lanster and I followed her.”
“…What?”
Allen’s brow twitched.
“She climbed… over the wall?”
That habit really hasn’t changed.
“Yes… At first, we intended to bring her back to the barony, but…”
Sharmel hesitated, glancing at Ren, Kyle, Ludwig, and Isaac.
“There were nobles trying to connect her to the assassins,” Allen said coldly. “So we need to know why she was here.”
“Assassins?! Absolutely not!” Sharmel cried. “It’s true my lady found His Majesty, but it was pure coincidence! We were actually trying to go to Romania, but because it was our first journey, we got lost…”
“…You intended to come to Astrian?”
“Yes. We thought Baron Ricardo would never expect my lady to flee to the Grand Duchy of Astrian.”
Because surely—
Her parents would assume she’d never run somewhere so obvious.
“…What?”
Allen’s voice grew dangerous.
“What do you mean?”
Sharmel hesitated.
Then—
“Before my lady left… she had been bedridden for several days.”
Allen’s expression darkened.
“And then?”
“She overheard Baron Ricardo and his wife.”
“…Say it.”
“They planned to marry her off.”
The room fell silent.
“If the Baron’s current business succeeded, they intended to move to the capital… and marry Lady Elenoa to a much older nobleman in exchange for financial backing…”
“…Ha.”
Allen laughed.
But there was no humor in it.
“Unbelievable.”
Sharmel flinched.
“And Elza?”
“Lady Elizabeth went to the capital with them. It seems they instructed Lady Elenoa to marry well and continue serving as their source of money.”
“…I see.”
Allen’s voice went flat.
“So they still only care about Elza.”
His eyes darkened dangerously.
“Those two truly never change.”
“Y-Young master…” Sharmel said hesitantly. “What will happen to my lady?”
Allen answered immediately.
“She’ll stay with me.”
“…But shouldn’t you at least inform them?”
“No.”
His tone turned glacial.
“They left without ever telling me where they were going either.”
Sharmel bit her lip.
“But… I heard you’re currently Duke Philemon’s heir. What if they dislike having her there? What if—”
“Then I’ll leave the ducal house.”
Everyone froze.
“Even if I have to abandon it all… I won’t leave Ellie alone.”
“B-But if you do that—”
“I can’t leave her by herself.”
Allen glanced down at the sleeping Elenoa.
“If I leave this reckless little troublemaker alone, she’ll only create bigger disasters.”
“…Young master.”
Sharmel sighed.
“With all due respect… even if you stay beside her, my lady is still absolutely capable of causing trouble.”
A faint snort escaped Allen.
That’s true.
But there was one problem greater than all the others.
His grandfather—
The former duke.
That man despised Allen’s mother enough to rise from his grave if her name was mentioned.
A greedy woman who had drugged Allen’s father, destroyed his future, and nearly ruined his life before his marriage—
That was how the ducal family remembered her.
Allen had been acknowledged despite that blood.
But Elenoa—
Elenoa wasn’t a Philemon by blood.
And every time someone saw her red hair…
They would remember their mother.
Still—
“…I don’t care.”
Even if it meant losing everything—
He would protect her.
“Don’t be stupid.”
Isaac finally exploded.
“Do you even understand how hard you fought to reach your current position?!”
“Ellie is my sister.”
“And she’s also the daughter of that damned woman who abused you—and Baron Ricardo!”
Isaac’s voice thundered.
“You finally have a stable life! You clawed your way this far, and now you’re willing to throw it all away?!”
“Watch your mouth, Isaac.”
“Then abandon her!”
“Enough.”
Allen’s voice dropped.
Cold.
Lethal.
“I said stop before you cross the line.”
“Both of you, that’s enough!”
Ren stepped between them.
“What are you doing? There’s a patient here.”
Isaac cursed viciously—
Then stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
“…I’ll go after him.”
Ludwig sighed and followed.
And in the heavy silence left behind—
Allen remained by Elenoa’s bedside.
Watching.
Guarding.
As though no matter what happened next—
He had already made his choice.
