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Chapter 59
Even in the darkness, David could tell that the study had a different atmosphere than usual.
It wasn’t organized. Several sheets of parchment lay scattered on the desk, and the drawers were loosely open. Even the last drawer, where the most private items were kept, had been disturbed.
David felt a cold chill run down his neck. With trembling hands, he lit the oil lamp on the desk.
He picked up the largest sheet of parchment and examined it. It was a map of the eastern part of Padon Island. The marking that stood out indicated demolishing the forest and building a royal palace in its place.
“…Melania.”
The pieces of the puzzle that had been jumbled in his mind finally fell into place.
He had intended to go to Padon Island himself to rescue his sister.
In the shock and panic that had paralyzed his reasoning and judgment, he had recklessly ridden out on horseback without any plan.
The road he had ridden on extended all the way to the center of Yorca, but he had to stop midway. The streets were completely blocked by freight wagons and hired carriages.
Impatient, he couldn’t just stand there idly. To find the cause of the traffic jam, he moved to the front of the line through a side path.
Levantean soldiers were collecting tolls. A sour smell of alcohol emanated from them. One soldier, his eyes half-lidded, reached into the cargo hold of an old wagon.
From the cargo hold, a blonde girl was dragged out by her hair. The soldiers hurled abusive curses at her, pressed her against a wall, and slapped her.
David quickly dismounted and ran forward, stopping the soldiers. “What are you doing?!”
The skinny girl trembled violently. Her hair was disheveled, her lips cracked, and her worn-out clothes were tattered at the seams. She looked every bit like a runaway slave.
The girl looked up at David. Her eyes, flickering like a candle, pleaded desperately for help.
She looked about fifteen or sixteen. Suddenly, her face overlapped with his sister’s in his memory. More precisely, it reminded him of the time she had disguised herself and hidden among straw in a wagon to escape.
Unable to stand it, he drew his sword. The soldiers, flushed with drunkenness, lunged at him. A sudden duel broke out, and the number of adversaries kept increasing.
Eventually, even knights bearing the emblem of the Governor’s Office stood against him.
After subduing about a dozen, a beastly scream came from behind. He turned around to see a horse’s neck cut. In the moment of panic, he was caught.
“…Damn it.”
A chill ran through his body as if every hair was being pulled out.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, David stepped out into the corridor.
In the dim hallway, Sir Kirill, the bodyguard knight, was leaning against the wall.
“Sir Kirill.”
Startled at being called, Kirill straightened up immediately, relief washing over his face.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke, you’ve finally come to your senses! Do you recognize me?”
Kirill waved his hand in front of David. David frowned, feeling as if he were being treated like a madman.
“…We have to get to Padon Island as soon as possible.”
“Such a sudden remark at this hour! Are you saying you rode all the way to Yorca to cause that chaos just to return to Padon Island?”
“Prepare the horses.”
Kirill pouted and shook his head vigorously.
“That is absolutely impossible, Your Highness.”
“Why?”
Annoyed by the knight’s disobedient answer, David pressed further.
“The Crown Prince of Levanteia has placed you under house arrest. If you’re caught leaving Blansk without the Governor’s permission, you will be immediately arrested.”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes. The garrison’s security unit has also sent an official notice prohibiting your outing. You cannot imagine how tight the castle’s security has become.”
Overwhelmed by shock again, David roughly brushed back his bangs.
“So you’re saying I can’t leave Blansk?”
“Yes. If you resist arrest, they will not hesitate to use lethal force. I am your bodyguard, existing to protect your life, so I will stop you from going out.”
Kirill spread his arms in front of David with a serious expression.
David paused and reconsidered.
If Kirill was right, escaping Blansk would mean risking death.
He had never cared much for his life, but if he died…
The only protector left for Melania would be the nanny. And now that Melania was in the Queen’s hands, the nanny’s safety could not be guaranteed either.
Despair tightened around his throat. His vision blurred.
He had to get Melania off Padon Island, no matter what.
Then, where could she go afterward? Colonized Dvorca had poor security, and the treatment of residents was no better than that of slaves. If she were to stay on the mainland, it would have to be Blansk.
The only safe place David knew in Dvorca was here, and the only place where he could personally watch over her was here.
“Your Highness, why do you want to return to Padon Island?”
Kirill asked, watching David stand rigidly.
“…There’s someone I need to bring back.”
“Who?”
“Don’t ask.”
David cut him off firmly. Embarrassed, Kirill scratched his philtrum awkwardly.
“But… do you really need to go personally? Whoever it is, can’t you send someone else to get them?”
“Send someone…?”
David’s eyes lit up. That was something his mind hadn’t considered.
He had a principle: he handled personally whatever responsibility fell on him. But given the current restrictions, he had no choice but to enlist someone’s help.
Kirill shrugged and chuckled lightly.
“There are plenty of places—mercenary guilds or errand services—that will do any job for money. In this desolate colonial land, people jump at anything profitable.”
David pondered. If he were to hire someone, a mercenary guild would be better than an errand service. They would need to search the entire Padon Island for Melania and handle any combat that might arise.
In the worst case, Melania would be trapped in the lord’s castle on Padon Island. Its guards were formidable. To sneak in, one would need to be highly skilled.
Even after a mercenary guild brought Melania, there was a problem: she had no official ID. Technically, she could not enter Blansk.
“I need to find a way to get her in somehow.”
David recalled their escape five years ago. They had hidden in a wagon to reach Padon Island from Yorca, passing several inspections without being discovered—though luck had played a big part.
“Sir Kirill, how much would it cost to hire a mercenary guild?”
“I’m not sure. Well, traveling to Padon Island alone would cost hundreds of revels for transport—carriage and boat. If we hire five mercenaries, including fees, protection, and service charges, it would easily come to 50,000 revels.”
David was secretly surprised at the amount—equivalent to a knight’s annual salary. Still, there was no hesitation; it was within the personal budget allocated to him by the Grand Duchess. He had barely spent any of it, leaving plenty of room.
The only concern was explaining the expense transparently. David knew very well that he wasn’t good at lying.
Where Melania would stay was another problem.
Long-term lodging in a city inn was possible but too conspicuous.
Melania’s appearance was extraordinary, perhaps even more so than David’s. When she went out, the nanny always covered her with a hat and translucent veil, so even the villagers in the forest didn’t know what she looked like.
“Your Highness, may I ask if the knight you want to bring as an escort from Padon Island is… another woman? I’m already lonely as the only Dvorcan in the order, so bringing one to be my companion would be greatly appreciated,” Kirill joked, guessing wrong.
David ignored him.
“Find a house.”
“…A house?”
“I want to purchase a residence. In your name, Sir Kirill.”
“A house? In my name? Are you granting it to me?”
“No.”
As expected, Kirill’s briefly sparkling eyes dulled.
“Ah, it’s for the person you’ll bring from Padon Island.”
“Make sure it’s in a safe area, enough for a woman to live alone.”
“A woman…? The person you’re bringing is female? What… what’s your relationship? You didn’t have a lover on Padon Island! Strange, I’ve never seen you with a woman!”
Overcome with a foreboding sense, Kirill pulled at his hair and babbled incoherently.
David hastily covered Kirill’s mouth with his hand.
Startled, Kirill blinked. He couldn’t believe the person the master was bringing was a woman. Helping recklessly could lead to disaster. Thinking of the Grand Duchess’ sharp silver eyes already made him nervous.
“Keep your voice down, Sir Kirill. Is it impossible to get out of this castle too?”
“No orders have been given to confine Your Highness. Outings in town might be impossible, but many other knights will accompany you. You are now under close surveillance.”
“…Hah.”
Feeling completely trapped, David’s chest sank.
Everything was the result of his own actions, and he alone had to bear the consequences.
