Chapter 72
“I knew you were a fool, but not to this extent.”
With a chilling voice, Fernan threw something harshly.
What he threw before the Marquis was the subordinate the Marquis had once planted in the Grand Duke’s castle.
Trembling, the subordinate knelt in front of the Marquis and muttered,
“I-I’m sorry, Your Excellency…”
Realizing that his own subordinate had spilled everything, the Marquis leapt to his feet, his face instantly drained of color.
Damn it, how am I supposed to clean this up? Clicking his tongue in frustration, the Marquis raised his voice first.
“How dare you! What insolence! Barging in here and causing havoc!”
Feigning ignorance and shouting louder in return, the Marquis tried to flip the situation. But Fernan approached without a single change in expression.
With no hesitation, Fernan raised his sword, making the Marquis scream and fall backward.
Fernan pinned the Marquis down by one arm and muttered coldly,
“If you’d stopped at a reasonable point, I wouldn’t have planned to kill you.”
Then he drove his sword into the Marquis’s other arm. The Marquis began to scream in agony.
“Listening to the filth you spout from that dirty mouth, I realize… I truly cannot let you live.”
“Aaagh! Ughhh!”
As the Marquis shrieked, Fernan looked down at him with eyes gleaming with murderous intent, withdrew the sword, and plunged it deep into his thigh.
The blade sank into the flesh, causing the Marquis to foam at the mouth and flail violently.
Twisting the blade to intensify the pain, Fernan slowly tilted his head.
“There’s no need to tremble so much, Marquis. I won’t kill you right away.”
What the Marquis had done to Yulia couldn’t possibly be repaid with a single slash.
He deserved to suffer the utmost pain, over and over, before death.
So that he would never again dare to show his shameless face before Yulia, claiming to be her father.
“P-P-Please… spare me…”
The rest of his plea was silenced by the sharp blade shoved into his mouth.
The floor was instantly stained red with blood.
The Marquis’s subordinates were later reported to have been killed by bandits after being robbed.
Only the corpses of the subordinates were discovered, so the Marquis was treated as missing.
However, since blood-stained belongings and pieces of the Marquis’s clothing were found, no one truly believed he was alive.
The House of Elody had already fallen into decline long ago. This incident passed in the capital without much buzz.
Only the Marchioness fainted upon hearing the news, while their son, Grayson, reportedly did not shed a single tear.
The Emperor seemed certain that the Grand Duke was behind the matter, but he didn’t dare voice it openly.
He knew very well that baselessly accusing the Grand Duke, just to avenge the Marquis, would only bring harm to himself.
Meanwhile, the Marquis, bound in an underground prison and subjected to relentless torture, died on the third day.
It took four days before Fernan returned to the mansion.
He had told Yulia he’d be back soon, and the longer delay made him anxious.
Heading straight to her chambers, he knocked lightly—but it was a maid who answered, not Yulia.
“Where is Yulia?”
The maid bowed her head and quickly replied,
“This morning, she said she wanted to see the sea and went to the coast.”
“Alone?”
“No, she was accompanied by a knight.”
Without hesitation, Fernan turned and left the mansion.
They had once promised to go see the sea together, but due to various events, it had been delayed—perhaps she had decided to go alone.
Mounting his horse, Fernan rode swiftly toward the coastline.
Now that he had eliminated anything that could disturb her peace, Yulia would finally be able to rest here without interference.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to settle the people from Richel—her old acquaintances—here too.
He’d seen before how much Yulia loved children. She also seemed to rely heavily on that elderly woman.
If they came and went frequently, maybe Yulia would smile even more than she already did.
Just seeing her clear smile was enough. Just having her within his domain made everything alright.
Eventually, he reached the gravel path near the coast.
Tying his horse nearby, he loosened his shirt collar.
Just as he was about to step onto the beach path, a knight came running madly from beyond the road and stopped abruptly upon seeing him.
“Your Highness!”
The urgency in the knight’s voice instantly sent a chill down Fernan’s spine.
Then came the thunderbolt of a report.
“Her Highness has… she’s disappeared!”
Two days after Fernan had left and not returned, Yulia went alone to the coast that evening.
Unlike the sweltering, burning heat of the daytime, the evening brought a chilling breeze.
She stood for a long time, gazing at the distant horizon, and then returned to the mansion.
The next day, she kept checking the window several times to see if Fernan had returned.
He’d said he’d be back soon, so she thought a day or two at most—but clearly, he was busy.
Another day passed. It had been nearly a week since she arrived here, and the day she had promised to meet Cedric was drawing near.
She considered leaving after seeing Fernan’s face one last time—but deep down, she knew.
This was her chance—his absence gave her the perfect opportunity.
So once again, she headed to the beach.
As she walked along the sand-and-pebble-covered shore, Yulia’s lips set into a slight frown.
“In the end… we never did see the sea together.”
Her blue eyes shimmered faintly with a mixture of emotions.
She felt it might have been for the best. If she’d spent more time with Fernan, her heart would’ve only grown more entangled.
Yulia stared at the bright summer sea for a long while. The sunlight was especially warm that day. The breeze, gently blowing, was refreshingly cool.
That evening.
At an inn called Feribel, directly across from Lian Port, Yulia safely reunited with Cedric.
“Yulia!”
Cedric couldn’t hide his emotion as he saw her enter the inn.
He quickly checked her over and breathed a small sigh of relief. She didn’t look as bad as he had feared.
“Cedric, have you been well?”
Yulia smiled softly, looking up at him. It had been two seasons since they last met.
The war in the Holy Kingdom had begun in winter. Fernan’s villa in late winter and spring. And now they met again in this coastal city, in the heart of summer.
“I’ve been alright, but… what about you, Yulia? Were you okay?”
Seeing the worry in his pale green eyes, Yulia gently nodded.
She was almost too okay—that was the problem.
“I thought I’d have to wait at least a few more weeks. Did he really let you go so easily?”
Yulia lowered her gaze and replied calmly.
“I escaped while His Highness was away. I used a bit of holy power to distract one of the knights… but physically, I think I’m alright.”
“Oh…”
Cedric’s eyes glimmered with concern. She wasn’t supposed to use any more holy power.
Sensing his gaze, Yulia simply shrugged, as if to say she was fine.
“Anyway… when should we leave?”
Her shift in topic brought Cedric back to focus, and he answered readily.
“The sooner, the better.”
Since he didn’t know when she would return, Cedric had been buying ferry tickets every evening.
“Tonight would be best. That way, we’ll have a better chance of avoiding the Grand Duke’s search.”
Yulia nodded resolutely. Just as he said, the sooner they left, the better.
At least for today, Fernan’s search wouldn’t reach this port. Since she vanished near the mansion, they’d likely begin searching the coastal area and nearby villages first.
While Yulia sorted her thoughts, Cedric quietly looked over her attire.
“Yulia, I think you should change clothes first. Traveling long distances in that dress… would be too difficult.”
Yulia glanced down at her outfit. She was still in the lavish dress she had worn at the mansion—it would draw attention anywhere.
When she nodded, Cedric borrowed some ordinary clothes from the innkeeper.
After changing clothes and gathering what she needed, the sun had just begun to set.
Only then did the two leave the inn.
