IFLDMHF | Chapter 126

Episode 126

11. Reunion with a Nemesis

‘Unbelievable….’

I slightly parted my lips as I stared at the luxurious paper with gold embossing on my desk. Once again, I found myself amazed.

‘Damien, you’re truly remarkable!’

Even if the credibility of the original story had faltered, one thing remained undeniable—he was indeed a devoted servant of the goddess.

That’s why I accepted his words without filtering when he visited the ducal estate.

‘Of course, I still need to wait and see regarding his talk about the duchy’s independence….’

Regardless, he was the High Priest offering to help me, and there was no reason to reject such assistance outright.

But just as I was beginning to think this was a fortunate turn of events, something felt off.

The way he looked at me and Euclid was strangely different. Even though I reluctantly held out my hand to him, he ultimately claimed he couldn’t sense anything about the change in weather.

I thought he was capable, but he seemed less so than I had expected. That was a little disappointing.

Especially towards the end—his face had gone completely pale, as if he had been struck by a sudden realization, and he simply stared at me, lips moving soundlessly.

Even when I asked him what was wrong, he only shook his head and didn’t leave. He just stood there for a long time.

Meanwhile, I was the only one growing impatient, desperate to hurry over to Euclid.

— We shall meet again soon.

Though I had explicitly stated that I had no plans to visit the capital, Damien left those words behind before departing the ducal estate.

And now, several days had passed since he had returned from his volunteer work at the temple in the Rudion Duchy.

“Has the Imperial Family ever sent an invitation like this to the North before?”

“No, Madam! Never!”

I asked just to confirm, but Delano answered on behalf of the pensive Euclid.

He added that, aside from the time when the title was granted, there had been no interactions between the Rudion Duchy and the Imperial Family.

“I don’t understand what this is about. His Highness the Crown Prince has won countless battles, so why now? Aruhin Kingdom, this war’s opponent, was already on the verge of collapsing due to internal strife. So why throw a grand victory banquet as if it were the end of a long war and even send out invitations like this…?”

Delano scowled in frustration, unable to comprehend the emperor’s actions. Then, he cautiously glanced at me.

It was understandable. As a Northerner, it was only natural for him to hold some resentment toward the Imperial Family. He must have realized how strongly he had spoken and was now checking how I would react.

Of course, I was already a Northerner through and through, so I nodded firmly.

“I agree.”

I was being completely honest.

Delano claimed not to understand, but I could see right through the emperor’s intentions, which made it all the more absurd.

Clearly, he was using this large-scale victory banquet to shift public sentiment and, at the same time, silence any rumors related to the North by inviting the Rudion Duchy.

“Y-You do?”

Surprised by my response, Delano’s eyes widened.

“Then, Madam, shall we decline…?”

“That’s not an option. The invitation explicitly states that attendance is mandatory.”

I sighed, frowning.

After my marriage, I had deliberately avoided setting foot in the capital.

Though I regularly exchanged letters with Melissa and even considered inviting Alexis to the Rudion Duchy, I still found the idea of facing Duke Basilian and Sionel uncomfortable.

‘And now, a banquet to celebrate the victory of a war where the Crown Prince was the supreme commander?’

Truthfully, I was a bit curious about how the Crown Prince—who had branded me a liar—would react upon hearing about my marriage.

‘Not that I ever wanted to confirm it in person.’

However, as I had just told Delano, the emperor had made it clear in the invitation that unless there was a valid reason, such as a funeral or illness, attendance was absolutely required.

At this point, going was the only viable choice.

If we refused outright, there was no telling how the emperor would manipulate the rumors about the North.

‘He might even brand the Rudion Duchy as a disloyal house that disrespects the Imperial Family.’

The rumors had only just begun to spread. I couldn’t let them be twisted like that.

It was better to attend and deal with it head-on.

‘Go ahead and try something. I’ll make you regret inviting us.’

Honestly, I had already been shocked when Damien first showed up at the ducal estate, but this was even more surprising.

If he knew I’d be heading to the capital anyway, couldn’t he have given me a heads-up about the emperor’s invitation?

That way, I wouldn’t have been caught off guard and could have prepared a countermeasure in advance.

As I pouted slightly, I glanced at Euclid, who remained silent.

It seemed as though my presence had caused the North’s affairs to be exposed to the capital, ultimately dragging us into this troublesome situation.

At that moment, Delano suddenly raised his voice with a somewhat frantic expression.

“My Lord! Are you really going to attend the banquet?”

Even knowing how strained the relationship with the Imperial Family was, was he that afraid of going to the capital?

Though I found it odd, I was also curious about Euclid’s thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Euclid responded calmly.

“What choice do we have? We have no special reason to refuse, so of course, we must attend.”

“But there is a reason! You both recently suffered a serious accident!”

I hadn’t completely dismissed that thought myself.

After all, the accident had indeed happened.

Additionally, this was a perfect opportunity to naturally reveal the discovery of the magic stone mine in the North.

However, there wasn’t a single person unaware that Damien had visited the duchy during that time.

Claiming that Euclid was still bedridden would be an absurd excuse.

“You may have recovered physically, but mentally, you haven’t fully healed yet!”

Even so, Delano was unreasonably persistent.

“I only heard about the accident, and it was terrifying enough to keep me up at night with my heart pounding! Imagine how much more traumatizing it must have been for the two of you!”

Hmm. Delano, weren’t you overjoyed about the magic stone mine discovery, celebrating as if you had won the lottery…?

Maybe you were waking up in shock because you were still in disbelief about your newfound wealth.

Still, his words weren’t entirely without merit.

Fortunately, I had lost consciousness during the accident, and even when I was trapped in the darkness, Euclid had been with me, preventing it from becoming a fearful memory.

Instead, I had felt intense guilt over the fact that Euclid had been injured because of me.

But thanks to Damien, I had managed to overcome that guilt rather quickly.

Especially after realizing how skilled Euclid was at lying, I resolved to observe him more closely from now on.

And as soon as I made that resolution, I noticed that something was slightly off about Euclid.

To be precise, it started when I returned after seeing off Damien, who had visited the ducal estate.

— Oh? The Tower Master has already left?

I had wanted to share the story about finding money in the carriage, talk about how I first got to know Euclid, and, at the same time, see if he would say anything absurd!

I had hurried back almost at a run, but the Tower Master was nowhere to be seen, and my excitement drained away.

Was he lost in deep thought?

It seemed he hadn’t even noticed me entering the room, as he remained unresponsive to my voice, standing blankly in front of the bedroom window.

Approaching him with curiosity, I suddenly held my breath.

Just a while ago, Euclid had claimed that divine power had improved his condition, yet his complexion was now deathly pale.

— Are you feeling unwell? The High Priest just left—should I call him back?

— Ah… My wife.

Startled, I had practically shouted my question. Only then did Euclid seem to register my presence, turning his head toward me.

The corners of his lips lifted faintly, and his eyes folded gently.

At first glance, it was a smile that looked no different from usual. But his gaze held no light.

Somehow, Euclid seemed so fragile, as if he might shatter at any moment.

An overwhelming anxiety gripped me—the fear that I might lose him forever.

Instinctively, I lifted my hand and cupped his cheek.

I just wanted to feel his warmth.

However, the moment my hand touched him, I hesitated, realizing how sudden and impulsive my action had been.

Sure, during our recent outing to inspect the ducal territory, I had felt that we had grown closer than before.

But that was from my perspective—Euclid’s feelings might be different.

Would it be better to pull my hand away and pretend nothing happened?

As I hesitated in uncertainty, Euclid quietly smiled and leaned his cheek into my hand, as if seeking comfort.

Then, with eyes that carried a hint of sorrow, he softly spoke.

— My wife, I do not regret meeting you.