It was a building closer to a small house than a mansion. Despite its neat exterior, dust had accumulated inside as it hadn’t been cleaned for a long time.
Since it was an unused vacation home, even servants didn’t reside there. It was essentially an abandoned place. It was a location left alone because it offered neither particular advantage nor disadvantage.
There were several such vacation homes within the capital, and Ashika often used them for personal purposes. Especially in situations like now, when she wanted to avoid her grandfather’s gaze.
Two men sitting in the hallway jumped to their feet when they spotted Ashika.
“Oh my, my lady, you’ve arrived.”
“Greetings!”
Despite being much bigger in stature than Ashika, their attitude was cautious. A commoner and a Young Duchess would normally never meet—the social divide was clear. No matter how delicate the lady appeared, she was undoubtedly a formidable figure to them.
“It’s been a while.”
Ashika acknowledged their greeting with a slight nod. Jeanne stepped forward right after.
“How’s the injury?”
“He lost a lot of blood, but the wound doesn’t seem too deep. The physician said to just be careful with the burn, so we’ve been diligently applying medicine.”
The black-haired man answered Jeanne’s question.
These two disheveled men were Jeanne’s former mercenary companions. Jeanne, who came from a common background, had talent with the sword but no money. Therefore, she had taken whatever work came her way to pay for lessons, and those connections continued even after she entered the duke’s household.
Ashika, who had no authority over the knighthood, needed associates untouched by Weive’s influence, and the connections Jeanne provided proved quite useful.
Ashika lowered her voice while looking at the closed door.
“How is he handling meals?”
“Don’t worry. He’s eating like he could devour an ox.”
“Despite looking thin, he must be skilled with a sword. His body is quite exceptional.”
“Has his identity been confirmed?”
“Well…”
“He refuses to speak with anyone except for you, my lady. He won’t cooperate with anything other than eating, sleeping, and receiving treatment.”
“Ha.”
The unidentified man who had allowed himself to be captured was quite shrewd. Knowing he couldn’t do anything immediately, he seemed to be focusing on recovery as much as possible.
“I’ll talk to him. Open the door.”
“He has been docile throughout, but please be careful nonetheless.”
Ashika nodded quietly at the cautionary words.
When the door opened, a stale smell rushed out. The scent of dust, medicine, and the acrid smell of blood that hadn’t been completely cleaned away.
“Wow, the Young Duchess has finally arrived. If you were going to provide a room, couldn’t you have given me a clean one? How could you put a guest in a room that hasn’t even been cleaned?”
“What is this fellow mumbling about? You’re ungrateful even after being spared?”
Jeanne’s expression crumpled in anger. The man, still lying on the bed, just turned his head to meet Ashika’s gaze.
His clothes were soiled with blood and soot as he hadn’t changed, and his shoulder-length gray hair was a mess from sweat and dust. However, despite his exhaustion, his blue-gray eyes remained clear.
“What kind of posture is that when your benefactor has arrived?”
“I’m a patient. You even called a physician for me, have you already forgotten?”
The man smoothly countered Jeanne’s consecutive rebukes. Ashika’s face showed disbelief.
“How can you be so brazen?”
“You’re not going to do anything to me right away anyway. My mouth still works, so I should say what I need to say. Look at my condition. No matter how much I’ve rolled around on the streets, I’ve never lived this filthy.”
The man openly expressed his dissatisfaction.
“And could you please sit down? It’s already difficult with my body in this state, and it’s hard to look up at you with my neck strained.”
“Huh.”
“Well, this is…”
Even Jeanne was at a loss for words. His audacity was so excessive that it made those scolding him feel foolish. Ashika’s stern expression began to relax, and then her voice deepened.
“Jeanne, I think we picked up the wrong thing. I thought it was a person, but it seems we’ve got useless trash that can’t even be utilized. You know how to dispose of it, right?”
“Of course. I’ve never disposed of a person before, but disposing of a person or waste should be similar. Should I call the guys outside?”
“Call them and clean this up. Make sure the cleanup is thorough, leaving no traces.”
Ashika turned away mercilessly, as if there was no need to even consider it.
The man’s eyes widened, and he hastily tried to get up from the bed.
“W-wait. Young Duchess…, ugh.”
His half-raised body collapsed back onto the bed. Watching the trembling man, Ashika stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“Haah, Young Duchess, you and I have things to discuss…”
The man gasped for breath, his face contorted with pain.
“Do you actually intend to talk properly?”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
The man’s expression became urgent, fearing she might abandon him again.
When they first met in the carriage, Ashika couldn’t take her eyes off his wounds. The man realized then that Ashika’s pale face wasn’t due to fear, but because she was shocked at seeing him soaked in blood.
She was a tender-hearted woman masquerading as detached. That’s why he had unwittingly let his guard down. Still, he was facing none other than the Young Duchess Igraine.
Ashika spoke coldly with an expressionless face.
“I’m sure you understand the weight of what you’ve said. You must also know that it would be simpler to silence you quietly than to ask for reasons.”
“That’s a bit…”
Though stumbling over his words, the man didn’t refute her.
“Don’t try to climb up. And don’t delude yourself into thinking you hold the initiative in this matter.”
“…Yes.”
Though her tone was calm as she spoke methodically, it carried weight due to its firmness. The man responded in a subdued voice. Whether from pain or not, sweat beaded on his face, but he no longer showed signs of discomfort.
‘How can someone be so self-willed?’
The status of a young duchess is anything but trivial. It’s a rank not easily challenged. Yet, from the start, the man’s attitude had been unrestrained in front of someone who should intimidate him.
While thinking how strange this was, Ashika’s gaze lingered on his shoulder where blood was seeping through. She felt uncomfortable, as if she was tormenting a patient when she hadn’t done anything.
At Ashika’s gesture, Jeanne brought a chair.
“Jeanne, leave us for a moment.”
“My Lady?”
“That chain on his ankle, it doesn’t reach this far, right?”
A long chain connected the man’s ankle to the bedpost. It was a precaution taken from the moment they arrived at the vacation home.
“That’s true, but…”
“Jeanne.”
At her firm voice, Jeanne closed her mouth. It was an indication that she would not allow any further objections. Reluctantly, Jeanne quietly withdrew from the room.
An awkward silence descended upon the room now that they were alone. With the garrulous man suddenly quiet, the atmosphere was different from before. Despite being disheveled, his fair skin and well-proportioned features were neat.
‘He doesn’t seem like someone who would be rolling around on the streets.’
“Um… Young Duchess.”
A somewhat tense voice emerged under Ashika’s piercing gaze.
“Shouldn’t you first reveal your identity?”
The man’s expression momentarily stiffened. The clear blue-gray eyes sank deeply.
“My name is Nile.”
“And your family name?”
“Could I tell you that later? Just as you can’t trust me, I find it difficult to trust you. At least for now.”
There was no pretense felt in his calm response. Ashika readily agreed. She focused more on the immediate events.
“You were at the poorhouse fire scene that day, weren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t you who set the fire?”
“Ha, am I crazy? People went there to survive…..Has the arsonist not been caught yet?”
Nile’s expression changed when the poorhouse was mentioned. Suppressed anger was palpable in his truncated words.
“I heard that many people fled from the poorhouse that day. It seems several have already been caught and handed over to the security force. Thanks to that, the security force is having a hard time.”
“The security force? Why send patients to the security force?”
“We don’t know if those people are patients or arsonists disguised as patients. No, if they were patients, why did they run away in the first place? There are many strange aspects to this incident. It’s also questionable why someone like you was there.”
No matter how she looked at it, Nile didn’t appear to be destitute enough to seek refuge in a poorhouse.
“I…”
Even within her calm tone, there was a sharp edge to be felt. Thinking that she wouldn’t be easy to deal with, Nile moistened his dry lips.
“I was there because I needed treatment. I don’t know if you’re aware, but that place was the only treatment center in the empire that provided free high-quality medical care.”
Ashika’s expression showed a mix of understanding and confusion.
“What kind of treatment?”
“You probably won’t understand even if I tell you. It’s a rare incurable disease.”
“The poorhouse in the capital was treating rare diseases?”
“Yes.”
Nile kept his answer brief, conserving his words. Even the small bits of information he held needed to be saved for now. If people had been caught by the security force, it would become known soon, but he needed time.
“Patients with rare diseases entered the facility after being promised treatment support. I heard that’s why many people gathered there.”
“Then why did you run away?”
“I didn’t run away; I was trying to chase the arsonists. They were disguised as poorhouse residents, but they were clearly armed. I ended up succumbing to the smoke inhalation.”
Ashika’s doubts grew deeper. What could be the reason for setting fire to the poorhouse, going so far as to disguise themselves?
A fire at the capital’s finest poorhouse and treatment facility. Mysterious fleeing individuals and arsonists. The security force rummaging through every corner of the streets to find them. This fire had kept the middle of Palmred Street in an uproar until now.
‘I really don’t understand what’s going on.’
She couldn’t figure out what this incident meant or why it was so suspicious.
“You said you came from the Grand Duke’s Castle?”
“Yes, Young Duchess.”
Nile swallowed a tense breath as he answered.
“Explain. The reason you claim to have come from the Grand Duke’s Castle, which was closed down decades ago. The reason you dare say you came from a place that is strictly sealed off by knights of Igraine and Talion.”
“Before that.”
Nile cautiously glanced at Ashika. Her eyebrow raised, wondering what excuse he would make now.
“I need medicine. Could you get that for me first?”
“Are you playing word games with me?”
“It’s not an excuse; it’s a matter of life and death for me. With the treatment center burned down, I have no way to get the medicine right now.”
“So you’ll only speak after I get you medicine?”
“Well, not exactly, but I need to stay alive first.”
He seemed to be yielding, but in the end, Nile was trying to slip away like a slippery eel. Both amusing and frustrating, Ashika was curious to see how far this outrageous conversation would go.
“What will you do if I refuse?”
“Either way, I’ll die—sitting still or without medicine. One way or another, I’m doomed, so I have no choice.”
“Is the medicine that urgent? Do you have a disease that will kill you immediately without it?”
“Not exactly, but the disease rapidly worsens if I don’t take medicine regularly.”
Though speaking brazenly, Nile couldn’t hide his anxious demeanor. It felt like a wounded animal recognizing its savior and clinging to them.
An uncomfortable feeling rose from the bottom of Ashika’s heart. She felt that she had picked up a very strange fellow indeed.
“So you want me to take full responsibility and save you since I’ve already saved you once? Is that what you’re saying?”
Nile nodded with a tense expression.
A scoffing laugh, “Ha,” escaped from Ashika’s lips.
If what Nile said was true, his consistently brazen attitude was somewhat understandable. If he was going to die either way, there would be nothing to fear.
“If you get me the medicine…”
“If I get it?”
“I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“What?”
Ashika narrowed her brow, not understanding Nile’s words. She wondered why he would go so far for mere medicine. However, Nile’s expression as he spoke was serious.
“I’m serious.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You’ll need me soon enough.”
He was an increasingly intriguing man. With a pale, anxious face, he was bargaining with his own lifeline, yet he remained remarkably confident.
“I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand right now. What’s important is that things you’re unaware of are happening, and you’ll need help.”
Ashika quietly stared at his face. It wasn’t a gaze trying to discern his true intentions or to intimidate. That calm silence rather made Nile tense.
“What makes you trust me enough to do this?”
Nile flinched and hunched his shoulders in surprise.
His body and mind were at rock bottom. Knowing that his life wouldn’t last long at this rate, he had been on the verge of giving up everything. But when he saw the woman in the carriage who couldn’t take her eyes off his wounds, a glimmer of hope seemed to appear.
Ashika’s instinct was right. Nile was unknowingly clinging to someone who might save him. Saying he didn’t want to die like this. Asking to be saved.
The person Nile had originally intended to meet wasn’t the Young Duchess Igraine. But in his desperate state, the carriage that caught his eye happened to be Igraine’s.
If he had gone to Duke Talion as initially planned, the Duke would have calculated Nile’s usefulness and decided whether to save him. But this woman was someone who would save him first and then calculate his usefulness. That was the crucial difference.
“I’ll answer that too once you get me the medicine.”
Saying that, Nile rummaged through his belongings. He took out a folded piece of paper half the size of his palm and tossed it towards Ashika. Keeping a sufficient distance from Nile, Ashika picked up the paper.
“A prescription?”
Ashika’s lips parted slightly. He was truly an amazingly brazen man. But Nile’s voice was both respectful and desperate.
“Please, Young Duchess.”
