RR 20

Chapter : 20

Suddenly, the castle was thrown into commotion. Maids and attendants craned their necks, waiting for Emblin. Emblin was leaving the capital. They had thought she would grow old and die locked away in the tower.

Emblin descended the stairs wearing a simple dress. At that moment, mouths shut on their own. Silence fell over everything.

Her turquoise eyes were cold and still, her skin white and flawless like untouched snow. Her hair, catching the light pouring in from the tall windows, shimmered in shades of brown. Every step carried dignity, and her tightly closed red lips bore an air of haughty pride.

It was astonishing. She was only eighteen. Though she had lived under persecution, she seemed to embody exactly what royal blood meant.

As Emblin crossed the hall after descending the stairs, Masere followed her as though he had been waiting.

“So you’re finally leaving.”

Emblin did not answer.

“If you’d been a bit smarter, you would’ve left long ago. I hope you’ll finally learn to see the world wisely. Things that can’t be done simply can’t be done. From the beginning, nothing here was ever yours.”

At those words, Emblin stopped and turned to face Masere.

“Were you the one who spread the rumors?”

“The scandal? That wasn’t me. Someone quicker with their hands did that. All I did was give you a little push from behind. It’s not like I lied. This was never a place for you.”

A place to belong… Hardly something one should say to the daughter of the Queen of Sloland, the rightful heir to the throne. But it didn’t matter. As Masere said, the throne was never hers anyway.

Emblin spoke calmly.

“I’ll wait and see you ascend the throne. I’ll watch how well you rule this world.”

Masere let out a short laugh.

“You don’t have to say it so ominously.”

Emblin turned her gaze away, expressionless. So that was it. Everyone had conspired to push her off the cliff. Regret washed over her for having sent that letter to Tris. She should have handled everything alone, whether she lived or died. How long had she really expected to live, asking for a guardian?

Still, he wouldn’t come anyway. Why would a man destined to become the Duke of Eike lack anything enough to marry her? Protection? If she died, that would be the end of it. Emblin’s expression remained cold.

Before boarding the carriage, she looked up at the tower one last time. She thought she could see Meryl’s shadow. In her heart, she offered a farewell.

Goodbye, Mother. Thank you for sending me away.

She had a premonition—this was the last time she would ever think of Meryl.

Three days later, in the deep of night while everyone slept, Meryl descended the tower barefoot. She was wearing the white dress from her wedding day, her long veil trailing behind her. Without making a sound, she walked through a secret passage into King Akkas’s bedchamber. Having lived in the capital since she was fifteen, there was no secret passage she did not know.

Meryl stood by the bedside and looked at Noren Akkas and Yohas. After gazing at their naked, sleeping forms, she walked to the window. She opened it, climbed onto the frame, and looked at Noren one last time.

A love that only ends in death.

At that moment, King Akkas suddenly opened his eyes, sensing something. For an instant, he thought he was seeing a ghost—a white figure standing on the window frame. He hurriedly grabbed his sword and shouted,

“Who’s there?!”

The white figure whispered,

“Goodbye, Noren.”

The white figure vanished. King Akkas rushed to the window and looked down. In the darkness below lay a white dress…

Meryl Rediang was dead.

“Noren, what’s going on?”

Yohas’s startled voice rang out. King Akkas strode over and pulled her into his arms.

“We can finally marry now, Yohas. Meryl is dead.”

Before Emblin reached the Rediang territory, a messenger who had chased after her delivered grim news. Meryl was dead. Elga, too, had jumped from the tower after Meryl’s death. Both were gone.

Even after hearing the news, Emblin remained silent. She had expected it. She had felt it coming. She knew Meryl would never be able to give up King Akkas. She had believed Meryl would sever that bond through death.

Emblin spoke flatly.

“You’ve done well.”

After the messenger returned to the capital, Emblin remained where she was for an entire day. She was alone now. She had no one. And yet, she felt nothing—only an inability to move. Not until the next day did she quietly give the order.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The carriage began moving again. They entered Rediang territory, racing across endless plains covered in snow. The owner of such vast lands had thrown herself away in vain. A person who possessed everything had died for love.

Love is like snow. It deceives the eyes. It dazzles while hiding filth beneath its surface. Love. But with time, it melts, revealing the truth it concealed. A petty yet most lethal illusion—love, so much like snow.

I will never give my heart to anyone.
I will rely on no one.
I will trust no one…

They traveled a long, endless road. At last, they arrived before the Valley of Wind—the greatest obstacle ahead. Thankfully, it was winter. They said winter was the safest season, when opposing gusts collided and weakened one another. Summer was the most dangerous time.

After offering a fervent prayer for divine protection, Emblin stepped into her fate. Swept away by the wind meant death; surviving meant life. Everyone held their breath as they crossed the valley. When they finally reached the end, a single tear fell at last.

Emblin whispered to the wind,

“Thank you, Mother.”

She had finally found freedom.

Tris exhaled warm breath as he examined the mountain of wolf pelts. He had hunted nonstop for two days. A show of force like this kept the wolves afraid of humans and away from the village. Thanks to it, there was meat to eat and fur to keep warm. The villagers were ecstatic—they would be feasting.

Tris spoke up.

“Don’t fight. Divide it evenly.”

“Yes, Sir Tris.”

Taking the pelts he had already set aside, Tris headed back to Delor Castle. Though still under confinement, he planned to stop by the main castle to deliver the pelts. He would slip in through the back entrance and hand them to the head maid. The Duke of Eike wouldn’t make a fuss over something like this.

Tris personally washed the pelts to remove the stench of blood. There was no need to make anyone else do it. As he hung them to dry near the fireplace, he spoke to Ron.

“I’ll head to the main castle early tomorrow morning. I’ll be back before evening, so don’t worry.”

“Yes. But this time, it feels like the lord’s anger is lasting longer than usual.”

“So what? It works out. I’ve got plenty to do.”

Tris knew the Duke of Eike all too well. Overflowing with aristocratic pride, the duke disliked that Tris could do everything. He hated seeing him mix with commoners, repair walls, dig trenches, and forge swords himself.

<When I look at you, I doubt your very birth.>
<Is that so?>
<And that doesn’t offend you at all?>

Conversation with the Duke of Eike was impossible. People said they snarled at each other because they were alike, but that wasn’t true. Of the four children, Tris resembled no one—neither the duke nor the duchess.

From a young age, Tris had been praised as intelligent and gifted, the son the duke expected most. But after Tris turned ten, the duke grew displeased. The reason was simple—Tris would not submit.

No matter how he was taught or punished, he never offered complete obedience. With a fiery temper and icy composure, Tris was considered an unprecedented anomaly in the history of House Eike. It constantly grated on the duke’s nerves.

Ron smiled and said,

“I’ll probably be punished for saying this, but—”

“Say it. I’ll take the punishment with you.”

Ron smiled brightly. Having Tris as his older brother felt like a blessing. Thanks to him, Ron lived at least somewhat like a human being. If it had been Aden or Tommy, there would’ve been no hope—especially Aden. He was every inch an Eike man.

“I wish you’d become lord soon, Sir Tris.”

Tris chuckled.

“That really is something you’d get punished for. You’re basically wishing my father dead. Let’s just hope he keeps me locked up here for a long time.”

But what sounded like a joke was accurate. The Duke of Eike had no intention of lifting Tris’s confinement—he planned to keep it going for a very long time. All because of Idella’s marriage.

The next morning, as promised, Tris left early, tying the wolf pelts to his saddle. The snow-covered road was magnificent, a dazzling white expanse stretching endlessly ahead. Tris patted the horse’s neck.

“Shall we give those new horseshoes a test run?”

Neighing loudly, the horse reared as Tris kicked its flank.

“Hyah!”

Clear hoofprints stamped sharply into the blinding white snow as they raced forward.