🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 11
Theodor stood in front of a shabby carriage rental shop.
He had said it would be better to go straight to the capital, and it seemed he really intended to rent a carriage.
Seria trudged over to Theodor.
“Are you really going to rent a carriage?”
“Of course. There’s also a skilled coachman here.”
“What?”
When Theodor stepped aside, a young-looking boy came into view.
He couldn’t have been more than fifteen, Seria guessed.
Seeing her puzzled expression, Theodor continued,
“This coachman knows a shortcut. If all goes well, we could reach the capital by tomorrow.”
“But it’s been snowing heavily until just now. How is that possible?”
“It’s unreliable, but I’ve already checked. And there’s one more thing.”
Theodor tapped his own eye with his finger, then leaned close to Seria and whispered in her ear.
“This coachman can neither speak nor read, so there’s no way he can tell anyone about us.”
Seria rolled her eyes and glanced at the young coachman. Meeting her gaze, the boy smiled awkwardly and bowed his head.
Watching the scene, Theodor muttered quietly,
“Thanks to this, I’ve avoided a nuisance.”
“A nuisance?” Seria questioned the words in disbelief.
What exactly did he mean by a nuisance?
Thinking back, she realized she had never ridden the same carriage twice. The carriage she took to meet Theodor, the one back to the monastery, and the one that brought them here to Kerus—none were from the Belbat household, and all the coachmen were ordinary civilians.
Changing carriages multiple times to prevent their plans from leaking was understandable.
But given Theodor’s nature, it was possible that it didn’t end with simply changing carriages.
What if he had killed the coachmen to keep them silent?
Seria grabbed Theodor’s cloak, which he had been about to move along with the coachman.
“You! What did you do to all the coachmen?”
“Relax. You think I actually killed them?”
“You didn’t?”
“Why would I go that far?”
Seria paused at his words.
If he hadn’t killed them, he had at least done something to make sure they couldn’t speak.
The sight of Theodor smiling faintly with that calm, casual expression sent chills down her spine.
“It’s better to reach the capital quickly than linger here. For both of us.”
“What are you going to do with that boy?”
“I told you, I’ve already removed the nuisance. No need for me to intervene.”
Theodor smoothly withdrew his cloak from Seria’s grasp.
Did he feel no guilt for what he had done, or had he become so numb that he no longer did?
Seria clenched her fist as she stared at the empty hand where the cloak had slipped away.
The young coachman drove the carriage with skill far beyond his age.
By the time the carriage left the village and entered the forest path, Theodor, who had been silent until now, spoke softly.
“If we take the shortcut from here, we’ll reach the northern gate in no time. If we ride through the night, we should arrive at the capital around morning.”
Seria half-listened, turning her head away.
Theodor paid no mind and continued, looking straight at her.
“When we reach the mansion, we’ll need to move quickly, so get a good rest now.”
It was almost laughable to hear Theodor say “rest.”
Did he really think she could sleep?
Since boarding the carriage, she could not shake off the unease. Her imagination ran wild with thoughts of what might have happened to the previous coachmen.
And the young coachman driving now weighed heavily on her mind.
Seria’s expression darkened.
Watching her, Theodor spoke again.
“If you worry too much about other things, you won’t be able to focus on what’s truly important. Leave it be for now.”
“Ha… fine.”
Seria muttered reluctantly, smoothing the frown from her brows.
After all, the most important things were to kill the crown prince and meet Serion. There was no time to worry about anything else.
Even if things were unsettling, it was better to set them aside for now. Worrying would not solve anything.
Seria took Serion’s brooch from deep within her pocket.
The gem in the brooch still glowed with a soft green light.
Clutching it tightly, she looked at Theodor.
“You must act decisively too, just like you promised.”
“Of course. I have no intention of breaking my promise, as I need your help just as desperately.”
Despite his words, Theodor’s expression did not seem desperate at all.
Instead, his composed demeanor gave the strange illusion of looking at a well-crafted doll.
Unable to read his intentions, Seria crossed her arms and leaned back, feeling uneasy.
The rough shortcut caused the carriage to jolt, shaking her back.
‘At this rate, I won’t get any rest; I’ll just get more exhausted.’
Her head kept bumping the seatback, so she lowered it and soon drifted off to sleep.
While Seria slept, the carriage steadily moved toward the northern gate.
Feeling the carriage slow, Theodor opened his eyes and peered out.
Through the thick undergrowth, a signpost pointed toward the northern gate.
The presence of the signpost meant they were close; they could arrive earlier than expected.
Just as he thought this, the carriage slowed drastically and came to a complete stop.
Instead of looking outside, Theodor listened carefully. He heard the footsteps of four or five people approaching.
“There will be a checkpoint.”
With the words came the sound of the carriage jostling and a scuffle.
A checkpoint? That made no sense. They hadn’t reached the northern gate yet. Moreover, the soldiers guarding the gate had no reason to patrol this far.
“No wonder things have been going too smoothly…”
Theodor chuckled softly and woke Seria, who was asleep.
“Seria.”
“Mm…”
Seria blinked sleepily as Theodor tapped her forehead.
“Have we arrived…?”
“Unfortunately, no. Stay alert. There are bandits.”
“What?”
As Theodor pulled a hood over her head, the carriage door burst open.
A man with a menacing expression stood in the doorway. His rusty, crude armor revealed yellow teeth in a sinister grin.
“You’ll need to step down for a check.”
Behind the man, Seria saw the coachman pressed to the ground, his back stepped on.
Seria’s head spun. Did she really understand what was happening?
And Theodor, calling them bandits, sat calmly with his arms crossed, adding to the confusion.
“Step down when told, or what are you doing?”
When the man knocked loudly on the carriage, Seria’s shoulders flinched.
At that moment, the coachman looked up from the ground, and their eyes met.
His dirt-streaked face seemed to silently beg for mercy.
“The situation in the north must be bad if you let these rabble run wild.”
“What is this guy saying?!”
Theodor’s deliberately provocative tone enraged the man further.
“Step down quickly, or I’ll kill him!”
The man pressed a dagger to the coachman’s neck. Blood flowed, and the boy froze, unable to scream.
If left as is, he could really die.
Seria sprang up, grabbing Theodor’s sleeve, whispering,
“Let’s get down. We can’t let him die like this.”
Her eyes flashed under the hood.
Theodor sighed lightly, finally standing.
“Ahaha! Now you speak my language.”
As soon as Theodor stepped out, the man forced him to kneel on the ground. Seria was dragged down beside the coachman in the same manner.
Grabbing her neck, she looked around frantically.
Three men, previously unseen, now circled around Theodor and Seria, licking their lips like hunters.
Seria’s heart raced at their savage behavior.
“If you had come down peacefully, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Right, boys?”
“Yes, captain!”
Despite the chaos, Theodor knelt calmly, shoulders held but back straight, face composed.
Even under threat, his posture and calm expression gave no hint of danger.
Amid this tense scene, Theodor seemed completely detached.
Seria had no clue what he was thinking.
Then she noticed him subtly moving his lips, whispering something.
