“Why is a knight of Talion here?”
The clothes he wore were not a knight’s uniform, but civilian clothes. It meant this was an unofficial visit.
At Ashika’s question, the other person’s face twisted more fiercely. He didn’t hide his hostility, as if even being questioned was unpleasant.
“They say watching fires is entertaining, but the fire went out long ago. If you need a spectacle, go somewhere else.”
“Are knights of Talion usually this rude? What is your position?”
“I have no obligation to answer.”
Ashika’s face froze coldly.
“Seeing that you’re dressed in civilian clothes, it must be because of the Grand Duke’s territory issue. Are you cooperating with the Security Force? Or is Talion acting independently?”
“Do you find prying amusing? Do you think stirring things up will reveal something? Ah, when problems arise, certain noble families prioritize covering them up, don’t they? I heard they pretend to know nothing even if dozens of people die. Have you come out to investigate in advance, fearing there might be something to criticize?”
There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in his sarcastic tone. It was excessively rude language to dare utter to a Young Duchess.
‘I’ve never seen his face in the capital before.’
He probably hadn’t been in the domain for long.
“I see Talion’s reputation was earned by fighting with words rather than swords. No wonder you get beaten by lower knights.”
“How dare you!”
“How dare a mere knight be disrespectful to me!”
Her voice cracked like breaking ice. It was a resolute cry that seemed unbelievable coming from such a slender figure.
The man hesitated for a moment, and his face twisted like a rotten apple. His gaze, glaring at Ashika, was as menacing as if he would devour her.
“I am Baron Aegonite Delfino. Not a mere knight, but as the captain of the Talion’s knights…”
“A knight captain starting a fistfight in the middle of the capital’s streets? Now I understand Talion’s standards.”
Ashika cut off his words and lashed out. She didn’t care that he was a man of much larger build than herself.
She had tried to let it go peacefully, thinking the dispute between the knights was old grudge-settling. However, insubordination was another matter, regardless of long-standing grudges.
People in front of the poorhouse craned their necks to watch the tense confrontation. Urgent hoofbeats were also approaching from somewhere.
“I speak plainly because I can. When our family’s formal complaints were completely ignored, this is the only way to speak the truth.”
“Just what event from the past…”
“Enough!”
Right behind them, along with the sound of a horse’s neigh, a thundering shout rang out.
Ashika and Aegonite turned around in surprise. They saw a familiar figure hastily dismounting from his horse.
“Aegonite, shut your mouth.”
“Your Grace!”
“If you say one more word, I’ll send you straight back to the territory.”
At Drushia’s firm command, Aegonite’s face flushed red. He glared at Ashika with an enraged look, but Drushia blocked his view.
“Lady Igraine.”
Drushia was breathing heavily, having apparently rushed here.
“…Duke Talion.”
Her heart, which had remained calm even in front of the large knight, began beating rapidly from the moment she confirmed Drushia’s face.
“We had an unfinished conversation, didn’t we? I thought if I sent a letter, I’d be rejected again, so I’ve been waiting.”
Ashika’s brow slightly narrowed.
‘Could he possibly know all my movements?’
She had thought he might know about the Baroness’s salon since it was an official schedule. But today’s outing was conducted secretly with Nile.
“Aegonite, keep people from approaching and withdraw our personnel.”
Seeing Drushia’s angry face, Aegonite bowed his head.
There were several more knights in civilian clothes around them, not Security Force officers. They had quietly deployed personnel for investigation, but because of Aegonite, attention was now drawn to them. He was not originally so reckless, but when it came to Igraine, he acted without restraint.
‘I shouldn’t have called him to the capital. If it weren’t for grandfather’s orders…’
Drushia suppressed his rising anger.
“I will follow your orders, Your Grace.”
Aegonite glared at Ashika with wide eyes, then reluctantly withdrew from his position.
The raindrops were getting heavier. Drushia’s hair was getting wet from the rain and sticking to his face, and Ashika’s cloak hood was also soaked and drooping.
Ashika frowned at the rain splashing on her face and spoke.
“Are you possibly monitoring me?”
“If you hadn’t repeatedly rejected my letters, I wouldn’t have gone this far.”
“So you are monitoring me.”
“Let’s put the questioning aside for now. There’s something more urgent. That man Lady Igraine took away, I want you to hand him over.”
It was about Nile again. Strangely, Drushia had been on edge about capturing Nile from the beginning.
“Doesn’t Talion have other people they’ve captured?”
“Lady Igraine.”
Drushia sighed, wiping away the rain flowing down his face.
“I told you last time. That man is different from the others. I’ve already confirmed with the Grand Duke’s people. A foreigner appeared in the Grand Duke’s territory asking questions about various things. He could be an arsonist, and he’s the most suspicious one.”
“I said he’s not an arsonist. He was just at the poorhouse when he got caught up in it…”
“You’re believing what he says? When did you see him?”
Drushia raised his voice, opening his eyes wide. Feeling she had slipped up, Ashika bit her lip.
“I heard there’s a village for rare disease patients in the Grand Duke’s territory? Did you know about this, Duke?”
This time, Drushia kept his mouth shut.
“You knew, didn’t you? Why didn’t you inform our side?”
“There’s a clear division between the regions managed by both sides. I don’t have an obligation to tell you every little detail.”
“I heard it’s spreading? It could be an epidemic, isn’t hiding such important information neglect of duty?”
“No. It’s not like an epidemic.”
Drushia cut her off resolutely. Ashika’s face was clouded with questions at the attitude that matched what Nile had shown.
“What do you know? No, what are you hiding?”
“Lady Igraine, do you realize how big the repercussions of this are getting? Rumors are spreading that an epidemic patient village was hidden in the Grand Duke’s territory. I need to know why that man was there and what he knows.”
“If you want cooperation, please share the information you know.”
Ashika said, wiping the wet corners of her eyes with her fingertips. She was annoyed that her vision was obscured by the pouring rain. Suddenly, she remembered what Nile had said.
[Why did the late Emperor order the Grand Duke’s Castle to be sealed? Was there really a need to go that far when it had already become ruins?]
She strongly felt there was something more. Ashika took a step closer to Drushia and asked coldly.
“Is it true that the Grand Duke’s Castle is sealed?”
For a moment, a perplexed look crossed Drushia’s face. But it immediately hardened into a resolute expression as he retorted.
“What nonsense did that man tell you? It’s been closed for 40 years.”
“What’s in the Grand Duke’s Castle?”
“How would I know?”
“Was it really the late Emperor who turned the Grand Duke’s Castle into ruins?”
“What are you talking about?”
Seeing Drushia’s surprised face, Ashika quickly closed her mouth. These were the words Nile had thrown at her. She had blurted them out unconsciously, just in case.
The rain was getting stronger. Both of them were soaked but made no move to leave, so a knight who had been waiting approached.
“Your Grace, this is not a good place for a conversation.”
“Withdraw first with Aegonite.”
“Well, about that. The captain said he would wait for Your Grace…”
Water was now streaming down their faces. Drushia continuously wiped his eyes against the pouring rain that obscured his vision.
Even Ashika, who was wearing a hood, was soaked, with rainwater flowing down her face. It was hard to tell whether her sternly frozen face was due to anger or something else.
‘Even if I suggested we go somewhere quiet to talk, she’s not the type to follow along willingly.’
Ashika looked at a nearby knight and opened her rain-moistened lips.
“I haven’t seen that knight before. Is Baron Aegonite Delfino from the territory?”
“You’ve never seen him? That can’t be.”
“Has he been to the capital?”
As much as Igraine and Talion were adversaries, they knew each other well. But Aegonite was a face she had never seen during her entire time in the capital.
“He’s never been to the capital. But it’s funny that you talk as if you’ve never seen him before.”
As you can see, he was a person who would fly into a rage at the mere mention of Igraine, so they never even considered calling him to the capital.
“Ah.”
Ashika belatedly understood what he was saying.
“Now you remember?”
She still didn’t remember his face. But she thought she knew what time Drushia was referring to.
‘He must have been at the memorial service.’
A memorial service held near the accident site for the missing whose bodies were never found. Despite the bitter disputes between the two families, they had no choice but to attend the memorial service together.
“Do you remember the faces of people from my family, Duke?”
Her pale lips tensed. Ashika was not without things to say. Like other Igraine vassals, she too could get angry and vent her frustrations.
But if she joined in when everyone else was doing the same, they would not be able to maintain their current cooperative relationship.
“I remember.”
Ashika’s eyes widened at Drushia’s answer.
“Even if I don’t remember who I saw that day, I know how many victims there were, who they were from which family, and how the survivors are doing. I’ve even obtained portraits to imprint them all in my mind. When we couldn’t even find their bodies, wouldn’t the injured feel wronged if I didn’t do even that?”
A calm voice speaks of old wounds. Yet the weight contained in those words settled heavily on both their hearts.
“So I hope you’ll overlook my knight’s rudeness.”
Drushia’s voice remained calm.
Perhaps this was the best apology Drushia could offer. She couldn’t bring herself to get angry or question him further.
In the middle of the pitch-black sky pouring rain, a flash of lightning passed. Following it, a rumbling thunder sound made her heart plummet to the ground.
Her shoulders hunched in surprise and her face turned pale. Ashika’s expression froze in an instant.
