“You need to act cleverly. Only by behaving wisely can you guarantee your life.”
Declan’s eyes slowly reddened as he stared at him silently.
“You’re telling me to walk into a battlefield to survive?”
“Isn’t it better to die honorably on the battlefield than to die like dogs like your parents?”
Declan’s eyes flared sharply, but tears soon began to fall.
“What’s the reason for all this? Why did my father and mother…why did Aila have to die like that?”
Though he wasn’t entirely sure, the Grand Duchy of Monferrato had maintained friendly relations with the Imperial family. The Emperor and his father, as well as the Duke and Empress, had been close friends since childhood, and the family and Imperial household had always been reliable allies to each other. At least, that’s what Declan knew.
Just then, the carriage arriving at the Grand Duke’s residence came to a stop. However, instead of getting out, Declan firmly remained in his seat. The Duke, looking out at the residence through the window, let out a long sigh.
“What I’m about to tell you must be forgotten the moment you leave this carriage. Will you promise me that?”
Declan nodded.
“Did you know that His Majesty the Emperor wasn’t originally in line to inherit the throne?”
This was news to him. But since it seemed somewhat out of nowhere, Declan silently rolled his eyes. The Duke continued as if he had expected this reaction.
“Though His Majesty was the legitimate son of the previous Empress, he was clearly the second son. Originally, his older brother, Crown Prince Teril, was supposed to inherit the throne.”
“…”
“He was an excellent person. Not only did he have flawless legitimacy, but he also had sufficient qualities as a ruler. If he hadn’t died early from illness, everything would have been his.”
The Duke rested his chin on the window and muttered as if talking to himself.
“Not just this country, but the Empress too.”
Declan frowned at the conversation’s incomprehensible flow.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Why are we suddenly talking about the deceased Crown Prince?”
“His Majesty deeply cherishes Empress Melophe. He has since they were young.”
The Duke continued with his words steadfastly despite Declan’s question.
Melophe was not only a renowned beauty of the continent but also quite an intelligent woman. Her cheerful personality matched well with Crown Prince Teril. Though in fact, it was this prince, Carlos, who often spent time with her.
People at the time predicted she would soon become the Crown Princess. The Emperor and Empress of that time, the Crown Prince’s parents, were quite fond of her as well.
If Crown Prince Teril hadn’t died early from illness, that prediction would have become reality.
“Although he gave up and married an ordinary noblewoman since she might have become his brother’s wife, it’s already widely known that as soon as he ascended to the throne, he deposed his original wife and took Melophe as Empress. You must know that His Majesty has children who aren’t from the Empress?”
Declan rolled his eyes in confusion.
Indeed he knew. He had even gone hunting with Joseph. Back then, he simply thought the Emperor had other women besides the Empress, but he never dreamed there was such a backstory.
“At the time, all the nobles opposed dismissing the Crown Prince’s wife and bringing in a new Empress. Nevertheless, the Emperor didn’t bend his will. That’s how deeply he cherished her.”
“…”
“He suspected your father and the Empress of having an affair.”
Declan’s face hardened.
“That’s impossible.”
“That’s not for us to judge.”
The Duke drew a cold line.
“It’s true that your father frequently exchanged correspondence with the Empress. He even visited her quarters directly several times.”
“…nonsense.”
At this quietly muttered word, the Duke raised his eyebrows. But Declan was struggling just to maintain his sanity amidst the tremendous shock.
“It’s really… really absurd that this is the reason my parents and younger sister died.”
He buried his face in his trembling hands. He couldn’t bear this whole situation. Between his fingers covering his face, sobs mixed with tears leaked out.
But there was no one left in this world to embrace and comfort him.
Time passed quickly.
Declan, who at first couldn’t even properly shoulder his rifle when he first enlisted, had transformed into a proper soldier who could handle his weapon as naturally as his own body.
After joining the military, Declan wandered everywhere from minor suppression operations to border battles. He crossed deserts and waded through swamps that reached his waist. Camping on the roadside had become nothing special now.
Though letters from Monferrato consistently found their way to wherever he was, he deliberately left them unopened. After joining the military, Declan consciously avoided thinking about his hometown and family.
After hearing the Duke’s words, he couldn’t even purely miss his family anymore. It wasn’t so much that he was reluctant to dwell on the fact that he alone had survived, but rather that he was afraid the Duke’s words might be true – that his father had brought all this upon them.
In that regard, the military’s harsh lifestyle was quite helpful. When the body was exhausted, thought processes naturally became simpler.
When he collapsed from exhaustion, at least he couldn’t recall those memories that troubled his mind, and that much was good.
Many seasons had changed since he left Monferrato and joined the military ranks. Then, his unit received a summons.
It was an order to return to the capital to conduct an execution ceremony for a member of the imperial family.
****
The soldiers who had been wandering near the miserable borders for years were visibly overwhelmed by the capital’s brilliant appearance.
Even on the day of the execution, everyone was busy chattering about the capital’s splendid scenery. While everyone’s eyes sparkled with excitement, only Declan maintained an unmoved expression.
“Hey, do you guys know something?”
Suddenly, a red-haired soldier lowered his voice and whispered.
“Actually, they say the Empress didn’t commit treason.”
The soldiers who had been working with bored expressions suddenly showed interest.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know. They say she’s being executed for having an affair with another man.”
“Who says that?”
Declan responded sharply before he knew it. The one who first spoke shrugged as if he didn’t know either. A short soldier who was with them frowned as if it made no sense.
“That’s complete nonsense. I heard there’s clear evidence she tried to poison His Majesty the Emperor.”
The attention of the gathered soldiers shifted from the red-haired soldier who first brought up the topic to him. With a triumphant expression, he continued.
“They say the Empress served the Emperor tea laced with poison. Apparently, she had brewed the tea herself. I heard she even personally selected the tea leaves.”
“Nah, I heard she wasn’t trying to kill His Majesty, but his illegitimate children. Because that would give her daughter a chance to ascend to the throne.”
People started sharing stories they knew from various places. Ridiculous rumors circulated, from claims that the House of Ricata descended from witches and used sorcery, to suggestions that she had poisoned him out of fear of losing the Emperor’s affection.
Since these were all nonsensical claims, Declan kept his mouth shut and focused only on untying the ropes bound to the timber.
At that moment, the commander’s loud shout could be heard from far away. The gathered soldiers’ heads naturally turned toward the commander’s direction. Someone’s faint, terrified mutter of “Here we go again” could be heard.
“These crazy bastards…! Of all things, now they’re dumping this kind of menial task on us!”
When the commander raged, a soldier standing beside him carefully responded.
“The child’s clothes suggest they’re not from an ordinary family.”
“Hah. If they were really from a noble family, would they let them wander around outside on a day like this? If it were my child, I’d lock them in their room and not let them anywhere near a window.”
The commander snapped back, still looking angry.
“It’s even more problematic if they’re from a noble family. If we can’t find them properly, we’ll be the ones taking the blame.”
The commander rubbed his darkened eyes and heavily leaned back in his chair. Then he let out a sigh deep enough to sink the ground.
Declan, who had been watching him without much thought, unintentionally made eye contact with the soldier standing next to the commander. The soldier’s face, which had been staring at Declan, suddenly brightened.
“Commander. We have the perfect person for this, don’t we?”
****
A blank piece of paper was handed to Declan, who had been organizing timber. It was an order to find the guardian of a child who was wandering alone in the chaos.
[You were once part of high society, so you must have connections in that world.]
The commander said this with a satisfied expression. As Declan left with the given paper, his fellow workers looked at him with sympathy. But Declan didn’t think much of it.
‘Isn’t finding a lost child better than preparing for an execution?’
Declan thought indifferently as he grabbed the doorknob of the room where the child was. As he entered, he briefly scanned the child with his eyes.
The child was around the same age as Aila. That is, around the age she was when she died.
After standing at the doorway for a moment, staring at the child, Declan let out a shallow breath and sat at the table.
“What’s your name?”
The child’s face was covered in tears, having apparently been crying for quite a while. Yet they kept their lips stubbornly sealed and just shook their head.
“We need to know your name to either take you home or find your parents. If you don’t want to tell me your name, you can tell me where you live.”
Even when asked again, the child just bowed their head low.
The meaningless back-and-forth continued for nearly an hour. He had thought they would open up quickly with gentle persuasion, but their stubbornness was beyond imagination. Like a clam, they kept their mouth tightly shut and wouldn’t say a word. In the end, it was he who grew tired and gave up first.
