Chapter 19
I was fixing my hair, getting ready to visit the orphanage, when I suddenly jumped up in shock.
“A landslide happened in the southern part of Mount Agil?”
Mount Agil was located in the southern part of the Lockton Viscounty. If you passed through the long road beneath the mountain range, you would reach the Bellomon Duchy.
“The Lockton Viscounty is right above the Duchy, so I think our territory was affected too.”
“If even the Bellomon Duchy was hit, then the landslide must have been pretty big.”
“Yes. The Lockton Viscounty has requested help because they don’t have enough workers for the recovery.”
“What about the people? Were there any casualties?”
“Since it rained so much, most people avoided going outside. That helped keep the number of victims low.”
“‘Low’ means there were still victims, though, right?”
“Yes. It seems a carriage traveling on the road near the collapsed mountain got buried in the landslide. And that carriage was…”
Riley shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe the tragedy.
“It belonged to the Agris Marquisate.”
“…What?”
My mind went blank for a moment.
Who was inside that carriage?
“The Agris Marquisate. You know how the Marquis has been traveling all over the Empire since last year? As if something terrible would happen if he stayed in his territory.”
Riley kept talking, but I couldn’t hear anything else.
The Marquis of Agris, who hadn’t even replied to my letters—why now, of all times?
“Wait… he wasn’t inside that carriage, was he?”
Could he have been coming to the Duchy to take Amelia?
Was he in such a hurry that he didn’t even have time to reply?
“Is that why they’re gathering soldiers?”
“Gathering soldiers? What do you mean?”
“Sir Gillian seems to be urgently gathering soldiers. He said they must rescue the carriage no matter what. Now that I think about it, if someone inside the carriage wasn’t the Agris Marquis himself, then— Oh my, my lady, are you alright?”
Riley grabbed me as I stumbled.
“How could this happen…”
I was finally about to meet him.
Everything was supposed to be okay now.
This is my fault.
If I hadn’t sent that letter…
If I had just left things to follow the original story…
Then the Marquis wouldn’t have come all the way to the Duchy in this terrible weather.
How am I supposed to face Amelia now?
I thought of Amelia’s innocent face—the girl who had cast aside all doubts and chosen to believe in me.
No.
There’s no time to blame myself. I need to think about Amelia—she must be so worried right now.
I shook my head, forcing out the negative thoughts.
“Riley, is the Agris Marquis safe?”
“They haven’t confirmed that yet. But at least the rocks seem to have fallen past the carriage instead of directly hitting it…”
“Then there’s a chance, right?”
A chance that Claude Agris was still alive.
“Huh?”
Without answering, I turned and ran out of the room.
No matter what, I had to save the Agris Marquis.
I immediately got into a carriage and headed to the site of the landslide.
Thankfully, the rain had lessened, so I was able to arrive without any major issues.
“We’ve arrived.”
As soon as the coachman informed me, I stepped out of the carriage and was left speechless.
“Oh my god…”
The wide road, big enough for two carriages to pass easily, was now completely buried under fallen rocks and soil.
Gillian and the soldiers, who had arrived earlier, were already working hard—digging through the debris with shovels and installing barriers to prevent further collapses.
“We have to rescue them before the rain starts pouring again!”
Gillian shouted orders at the soldiers before turning toward me, sensing my presence.
“My Lady Rilfrey, what are you doing here?!”
His face twisted in frustration the moment he saw me.
“We’re already overwhelmed as it is, and now—”
“Move.”
I pushed past Gillian, stepping forward.
Beyond the soldiers working tirelessly, I could see the towering pile of dirt and fallen trees.
There was no sign of the carriage at all—it had been buried completely.
“Can we save him?”
My voice trembled as I asked.
Gillian’s face was full of irritation.
“Stop standing around and go back.”
“Answer me! Can he be saved?”
“……”
Gillian’s eyes changed as he looked at me—he must have sensed my desperation.
“We’re doing everything we can.”
“…Hah…”
“If it were someone outside the carriage, they’d be in more danger. But since the Agris Marquis was inside, there’s still a chance he survived.”
“He has to be alive…”
I stomped anxiously on the wet ground.
I wanted to help, but I knew I’d only get in the way if I jumped in blindly.
“……”
Gillian stared at me, but I was too preoccupied to care.
There had to be something I could do.
I forced myself to think through my panic—and then an idea came to me.
“Where’s the nearest village?”
“At the end of this road. It’s about ten minutes away by carriage.”
As soon as I got the answer, I climbed back into the carriage.
“My Lady? Where are you going all of a sudden?”
I didn’t have time to answer.
“Coachman, hurry! Take me to the village!”
“Ugh…”
Claude Agris groaned as a sharp pain ran through his head.
Even though his eyes were open, everything was dark—almost as if they were still shut.
Slowly, his memories returned.
“A landslide…”
He remembered seeing the mountain collapsing, sending debris crashing toward the carriage at a terrifying speed.
Claude witnessed the landslide and quickly opened a small compartment under the carriage floor. This hidden space was designed for emergencies, allowing someone to hide in case of an attack or accident. Thanks to this, Claude survived.
However, he had no memory of what happened afterward, suggesting he had briefly lost consciousness.
“It was worth the money,” he muttered.
Though his head ached, he decided not to touch it, realizing he was in an extremely tight space where even moving his hands was difficult. His large build made it even more uncomfortable.
Wanting to escape the cramped space, Claude attempted to open the door leading back into the carriage.
But it wouldn’t budge.
The door was completely blocked by heavy, rain-soaked soil.
“I was so close…”
He had almost reached the Bellomon Duchy. Even considering the rain, he should have arrived at the orphanage by today.
But now, he was trapped here. And he had no idea how much time had passed.
“Amelia…”
Claude thought of Amelia, the child waiting for him at the orphanage.
If he had died, she would have been left all alone as an orphan.
That thought made him feel relieved to be alive. No matter how long it took, as long as he survived, he would be able to meet Amelia again.
‘The problem is how long it will take to be rescued.’
If people knew that the person trapped under the landslide was the Marquis of Agris, the rescue efforts would be faster. However, there was no way to know how long it would take—maybe hours, maybe even days.
A normal person might have panicked, but Claude was different. Even in complete darkness, his strong mind and body kept him steady.
He closed his eyes and tried to make time pass faster. He focused all his senses outward, hoping to hear the voices of rescuers.
When the waiting felt unbearably long, he thought about Amelia. He also prayed for the coachman and servant, who had likely lost their lives because of his rush to get there.
But no matter how many times he repeated these thoughts, he heard nothing. Not even the sound of a single insect crawling.
“Sigh…”
Claude let out a deep breath.
Being stuck in such a small space for too long was making it harder to breathe. His muscles ached from lying in an awkward position.
And worst of all, it was the middle of winter. The cold seeped through the ground, and he had no way to escape it.
‘If only there was more fresh air…’
He punched the door again, but it didn’t budge.
‘Am I going to die without ever seeing Amelia? Without ever seeing my brother again?’
Just as the thought crossed his mind—
“Woof!”
A sound came from nearby. The dirt shifted, and a dog barked loudly.
‘Could it be…?’
Had someone come to rescue him?
“Woof! Woof!”
Almost immediately after the bark, he heard movement.
“Over here! This way!”
Claude pounded on the ceiling and shouted, “I’m here! I’m okay!”
“Are you alright?”
A woman’s voice called out, trembling as if she was on the verge of tears.
Claude found it strange that a woman was helping with the rescue, but he didn’t dwell on it.
“Yes! I’m alright!”
“Hold on! We’ll get you out soon!”
The sound of digging resumed. The dog barked occasionally, guiding the rescuers.
Claude listened as the sounds grew closer and closer.
Just a little more, just a little longer.
Then—
The ceiling door was finally pulled open, and bright light poured in.
“We found him!”
And above him was a woman with tear-filled eyes.
