24. Sinful and stubborn people
The atmosphere in the castle became chaotic overnight.
This was because knights arrived non-stop from the afternoon after the luncheon until dawn, and the staff at the main headquarters were busy welcoming new knights.
Because the distance from the main castle to each fortress was different, the arrival times of the knights were also different.
Although Bianca was not surprised by the commotion because she had heard the story from Julie in advance, Bianca was unable to sleep properly due to the sound of the knights moving until dawn.
Finally, in the early morning, when the last greeting, ‘The Knights of the Seventh Castle greet the Duke,’ rang out, Bianca gave up on sleep.
The sun would rise in a couple of hours, so it was obvious that if I fell asleep now, I would probably sleep until the afternoon of the next day.
When Bianca began to think that oversleeping might cause a commotion, she got out of bed in case she fell asleep again.
There was darkness everywhere at this time.
It was too early to call an attendant, and it would take a long time to sit still and wait for the morning.
As Bianca thought for a moment, she remembered that now was the perfect time to go to the study.
Bianca moved quietly, washed her face, and finished dressing up briefly, then put on her white coat and left the room.
Tick.
With the sound of the lock being released, the head of the standing guard outside the door moved up.
“Good morning.”
Bianca gave an awkward greeting and smiled slightly.
“Hello, ma’am. If you need anything, I will call a maid right away.”
Noise from the first floor came in between the knight’s words.
“This individual carries the weapons himself…..the knights of the seventh fortress…… Duke, what are you going to do about the 4th floor? There is some space on the 2nd and 4th floors…….”
“The 7th Fortress knights should be spread through three floors. Place them at both ends.”
Busy.
It was busy everywhere.
Does it make sense to expect help during this time?
Bianca shook her head slightly and laughed.
“I think I’ll ask Sir for help.”
“Please speak.”
A noble lady never moves alone.
Not only did she have a personal escort, but she should also bring with her at least three, and usually up to five, dedicated maids.
However, Bianca, who was hated by the Emperor, was never allowed a personal escort or dedicated maid.
Everyone knew such circumstances, but where in the social world would such circumstances be taken into account?
If she had gone alone, she would have been disparaged and reduced to rags.
And then, again, if the rumor went around, she would be taken before the Emperor and beaten.
In order to survive, Bianca had to become extremely cunning.
Bianca had learned how to naturally be accompanied by a knight.
“I’m not familiar with the road, so could I ask you to guide me to the study?”
It was still the same as before as there were no escort knights for her.
The only thing given to the princess, who was left to die, was the dress she was wearing then.
But now that she had arrived in the Northern Territory….
She did not think that the reason there were no escort knights even after arriving in Baloch Territory was because Jillian was treating her poorly.
He just didn’t have time to do it.
“Do you mean you need directions?”
In response to her sentence, the knight asked a polite question….
“If you are talking about the Knights of the 7 Fortresses, wouldn’t the 1st or 4th floor be more suitable?”
Following Hailey’s voice
“They are the knights of the 7 castles, so they should be on the 3rd floor. Is there anything more important than the duchess’s floor, Hailey?”
Jillian’s questions rang out in confusion.
Bianca had decided what to say next after the pause.
“Please, I don’t want to wake up my sleeping young maid this early in the morning and make her wait on me. A child needs to sleep well to grow well.”
“A child?”
The knight’s cheeks, which had no expression at all like a well-made statue, twitched and a smile flashed across his face.
“As you can see, Julie is still young. She wants to grow taller quickly, so I’d like to help her.”
At the end of the conversation, Bianca held out her hand and asked for an escort.
The knight did not hesitate and immediately put his arm under Bianca’s hand.
“The study is one floor down. You have to go down the stairs, so watch your step.
“Okay.”
As I was being politely escorted by the knight, I suddenly remembered a memory from the past.
‘Please give me directions.’
‘…..It’s just on the right.’
A cocky way of speaking and a careless attitude that could not be believed to be the attitude shown to the princess of a country.
When I stumbled because I couldn’t see the stairs that were hidden by the hem of my rich dress, he would reluctantly hold my hand as if he was holding something dirty.
But now, I felt the arms of the knight who carefully supported me as if I was something precious.
Bianca felt a little overwhelmed.
The study room we arrived in before long was dark, and as if it was only natural, the knight stepped forward to light the fire and start the stove.
After everything was sorted out, the knight tried to leave, but Bianca stopped him.
“Sir, I’m a little scared, so could you please stay here with me?”
The place where the knight was heading to was a dark hallway.
Bianca did not want to leave her benefactor knight standing like that.
“Ah, then I shall stand here….”
“Sir, I wonder if you could sit down and wait, otherwise I would feel so uncomfortable….”
The low whisper along with her lowered eyes were powerful weapons.
The knight hesitated, but eventually had no choice but to pull a chair nearby and sit down as Bianca wanted.
With the burning fireplace and warm flickering lights.
Along with the presence of the knight sitting comfortably.
Now I feel ready to read a book.
Feeling relieved, Bianca took out a book and began to read.
How long has it been like that?
Bianca sighed softly.
Despite her smooth start, Bianca struggled.
She thought she had brought everything from the Baloch family genealogy to the book on the history of the Northern Territory, but no matter how much she searched through the books, she couldn’t find what she was looking for.
‘Termina will set Baloch free after all his sins have been forgiven.’
The ‘prophecy’ of the North that Julie told her was enough to stimulate Bianca’s curiosity, as she had always been curious about Baloch’s blind submission.
She came to the study in hopes of finding a clue to the prophecy, but it was more difficult than she thought.
She took everything with her just in case, but there was no mention of prophecy anywhere.
‘Where on earth is it?’
Feeling at a loss, Bianca fell face down on her desk.
Time flew by and the sun had long since risen.
The feeling of the sun shining through the thick glass window warming my body made me very tired.
It was probably natural for the sleepiness I had been putting off to take over.
Although she was aware that she was falling asleep, Bianca was in such a good mood that she did not shake off the approaching sleepiness.
At that moment, even the sound of my own breathing seemed to ring loudly in my ears.
My senses faded away and my tinnitus rang.
‘Stubborn, why are you looking through the book when you can just ask me?’
‘You should praise me for trying not to be a fool.’
‘So what if you act a little foolish?’
‘You shouldn’t say such irresponsible things if you weren’t going to help me for the rest of my life.’
‘Do you think so? It would be a hundred years at most.’
‘Oh my God, this is so irresponsible.’
‘Irresponsible. You are the one who knows my sincerity better than anyone else. Do you want me to at least make a promise?’
‘Stop it.’
The voice, which had been excited with anticipation, had suddenly become very complex.
The disappointment was evident.
‘If you don’t believe me, shouldn’t I make you a promise? I’ll always teach you so you don’t have to search for anything in the study for the rest of your life.”
He became unbearably angry at the light, laughing voice that came in response.
‘stop!‘
“stop!”
Bianca’s eyes widened in surprise at the sound that made her screamed.
“Lady!”
Wasn’t I dreaming?
“Are you crying? What’s going on?”
I was even crying.
Bianca felt responsible for comforting the startled knight.
“While I was sleeping for a moment, I had a nightmare.”
“Ahh…….”
The driver nodded, so I thought the morning’s commotion was over.
Then I tried to read the book again, but soon put it aside.
“Are you tired?”
Suddenly, I heard a voice that shouldn’t be heard here.
“Jillian? Since when were you here?”
“It’s been a while.”
It was hard to notice him because I was so lost in thought.
With a low laugh, he stretched out his hand and gently grabbed the back of my stiff neck.
As his hand slowly moved down on my tense muscles, I felt a pleasant pressure.
“Ugh…”
I didn’t want to moan, but just the thought of him stroking the tense nape of my neck with his thumb gave me goosebumps that made my hair stand on end.
“Are you sick?”
“Uh, that’s not it.”
It is throbbing, but it doesn’t hurt.
The tingling sensation that caused my shoulders to come together and point up was just unbearable.
“Well, just be patient. If you leave it as it is for a long time, it will become more stiff.”
Jillian pushed down her bulging shoulder with his other hand and pressed the back of her neck.
At that time, I was desperately gritting my teeth to endure the overwhelming thrill from his action.
“What were you curious about?”
He asked the question suddenly as if making casual talk.
Omg.
I was so startled that I swallowed a small gasp in my mouth.
“Are you curious about Baloch?”
No.
“What in Northern Territory you want to know?”
No.
“No one knows these things better than me, so please let me know what you are curious about”
At the end of his words, his thumb brushed my pulse point, as if by mistake.
Bianca opened her mouth in a panic, fearing that someone might have noticed her heart fluttering in surprise.
“Well, I’m just curious about this and that.”
“What is this and that?”
Jillian’s expression as he slowly rolled his golden gaze to check the books that Bianca had piled up was almost reverently beautiful.
Covered in sunlight, he did not emit the dark dampness characteristic of a sinner.
‘Baloch will be forgiven for all his sins’
What sinner.
It doesn’t make sense.
Baloch, who was with the founding father of Termina, may have glory, but there was no ‘sin’, so she couldn’t bear to ask what the Northern prophecy means, how could she possibly doubt his ancestors?
If she did ask because she couldn’t contain her curiosity, would he be able to accept the accusations pointed at his ancestors?
Bianca swallowed the question welling up in her throat and opened her mouth.
“…….I’ll try searching them by myself.”
“I can tell you in more detail and explain them clearly more than any other book.”
“I will do it myself.”
“You are stubborn.”
“……Yes?”
Bianca whispered with her eyes wide open as she recalled the previous conversation as that seemed more like a dream.
“You should praise me for trying not to be foolish.”
This was said not of my own will.
The body that had been deprived of the initiative talked as if it were being controlled by someone.
I see the golden gaze melting like midsummer butter and heating up as sweet as honey.
“So what if you act a little foolish?”
He was smiling softly as he answered.
But why did Jillian, who was smiling dazzlingly, feel like he was crying?
***
At the same time.
“Izar. Everyone is said to have infiltrated safely.”
Izar also smiled at Salvar’s whisper.
Everything went smoothly.
***
TL:
I am so so sorry for the late chapter, actually this chapter took so long to translate, I don’t know whyಥ‿ಥ
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, the next ch. will be locked, bye ~
