39. The Art of Blood

In front of the tent, beside one of the pillars, I saw Viter and Edan waiting.

Deon also noticed them and waved.

“She said she got lost.”

“Lost?”

“She got lost while taking a walk.”

He emphasized the unasked question.

No one had asked.

Edan alternated between looking at Deon and me with a bewildered expression. It was natural; it was a confession of a random walk, not an order.

However, Viter’s expression upon hearing those words was worth noting. His eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“My Lady, are you alright? Why did you get lost? Maybe you should rest a bit more and thaw yourself out. Don’t overexert yourself.”

Edan extended his head into the tent. Approaching me with measured steps, he bent his tall frame and whispered quietly.

“If you’re considering going ahead with the schedule as the Duke suggested, would you like me to tell him that we should take a short break first? Everyone will agree if you need some rest. We’ve brought extra food and horses.”

“I’m fine. The castle must be empty, so it’s better to return quickly. Thank you for your concern in various ways.”

I forced a hollow laugh.

Viter silently stared at me for a moment and then abruptly turned and left the tent.

Beyond the open curtain of the tent, a reddish light shone through.

It was getting brighter.

That also meant I couldn’t sleep.

* * *

I nestled quietly in his embrace.

Deon lifted me onto the horse in one swift motion. The white horse lifted its front legs slightly and snorted.

“I couldn’t bring the carriage. You’ll have to ride even if you’re not used to it. It’s not a walking distance.”

“…I didn’t ask for one.”

In a life-or-death situation where blood had been spilled, who would bother bringing a carriage? I wasn’t a runaway princess seeking a mundane life, and I didn’t desire such accommodations.

But it seemed that we had run farther than I had thought, given that it wasn’t a walking distance. It seemed we had escaped quite a distance.

After securing me on the horse and fastening the saddle, he mounted the black horse in front. As his horse began to move, the soldiers followed suit. The well-trained white horse also followed him automatically, without the need for reins to change direction, making it easy.

“Now, there’s no need for excuses.”

Viter, who was on horseback, approached me and leaned in close, whispering so softly that only I could hear. His teasing tone had become familiar by now.

“You said you stumbled and fell, right? You woke up and found yourself in the Western Mountains.”

“Did I? It really seems that way. I was pushed away without realizing it, and I ended up there.”

I brushed it off easily. He shot me a sharp look, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

“What was pushing you so forcefully? The Duke no longer has a blood command unit or financial constraints. We’ve provided everything you desired. The Lady Arin, whom you personally invited to the castle, is here. What more could you possibly want? Previous bloods…”

He seemed about to say something more but clamped his lips shut.

“What about the previous bloods? I’m curious.”

“There’s no need for you to know, Young Lady.”

“Do you have to be so pushy? It’s not like it’s the first time.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve come to capture blood before, haven’t you? If not here, then maybe on the opposite side…”

“…What?”

He widened his eyes. Indeed, my guess was correct.

It was evident that every blood had a magical tattoo on the back of their hand and a defensive barrier surrounding their domain

I sighed. The ongoing argument was tiresome.

“Don’t worry; I won’t run away now.”

“I’ve heard that kind of talk more times than I can count.”

Really, he did. I didn’t even have the strength to take one more step.

“I thought about getting some sleep in the morning… but having to accompany you until the day of duty is exhausting. If you plan on causing trouble, at least spare the day of duty.”

I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were stern.

“You could just not follow me. There are plenty of people like Deon and Edan who can restrain me. Do you really need to follow as a secretary?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

He pressed his tired eyes with his fingers.

“Why?”

“Because it’s my responsibility. The original head of the command unit is coming back.”

Ah, it’s you.

So, that’s why you could become so ruthless.

Finally, the empty puzzle pieces fell into place.

Deon, who had no interest in anything but himself, the oblivious Edan, and Viter, who would sacrifice anything for his master. The treatment of blood was their perfect collaboration.

Now I understood. If Edan had been in charge, he might have been more considerate and lenient.

Well, maybe he would have just let me go if I had run away.

Either way, I now understood the kind of suffering previous bloods had gone through.

They must have desperately tried to escape and even lost their hands, but they still received cold, indifferent stares. Just like now.

Did Viter instruct the one who caught him to cut off his hands? And Deon, who didn’t care about blood… did he notice that the hands were missing?

Lost in thought, the white horse’s pace gradually slowed down. Viter held the reins and matched its pace.

He still had his eyes narrowed.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

He responded as if he had been waiting for my question.

“Apparently, someone personally dug the place to lie down at dawn.”

“……”

“It’s a grave. Don’t say you don’t even remember this.”

It finally dawned on me. I laughed inwardly as much as I pleased.

“Yes, I dug it to fit my size.”

“Isn’t it too early to dig it? Even if your health is weak, you wouldn’t die in just a year.”

“Well… That’s something we’ll have to wait and see. Death comes without anyone knowing.”

“Really?”

He looked at me as if I were strange.

“Have you become enlightened in the meantime? Why are you…?”

He continued to pull the reins on the words he was about to say, determined.

He made a strange expression and furrowed his brows.

“You’re just like a bird, Young Lady.”

“Why? Because we don’t have them in the north?”

It’s definitely not because she’s beautiful. As if responding to that question, Viter added.

“Sometimes, you realize you have wings.”

He muttered softly, as if talking to himself. It wasn’t difficult to find the hidden meaning in his words.

A bird that flaps its wings and longs to fly, knowing it can’t fly.

“A bird…”

I contemplated the word quietly.

“I guess I hoped they would sing beautifully while I devoured them.”

What should I do? I spent a lot of money to buy them and kept them in cages, but they couldn’t fulfill their purpose.

“What about the previous ones?”

“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

“Just curious. It seems like I wasn’t the first one to run away, after all.”

He avoided my gaze.

“…They weren’t like Young Lady. They all sympathized with the cause and followed willingly.”

A lie.

All I know is the past bloodlines, but he fought desperately and struggled.

And that part is not recorded in this novel. It’s like history written from the perspective of the victors.

If Mila were to be born… Someday, if that child asks me about myself, should I introduce myself with the modesty I used to have?

And should I also enforce the same modesty and obedience on that child?

“Just remember this. Among all the previous generations, unquestionably, Young Lady was treated the best.”

As if I were sincere.

“It’s truly an honor.”

I also replied without hesitation.

Viter, who had been momentarily ahead, turned to me again.

“In case there’s any talk of running away or escaping from the Duke…?”

His voice sank. Unlike the casual words he had spoken earlier, this was serious.

“You haven’t done that, have you? That talk… it’s best not to mention it at all. Thinking about it and hearing it directly are worlds apart. Just go along as usual on a day like today.”

“You didn’t hear? I went for a walk. I did.”

Viter let out a deep sigh.

“…Yes, you’re right. I momentarily forgot.”

He looked ahead.

We’re back at the castle.

Although it couldn’t be seen through the fog, I could feel it.

My heartbeat was getting closer again.

Farther away, the woman who had been wandering in front of the castle raised her head at the sound of hooves.

After greeting Deon, she looked at the people who had mounted their horses one by one with an impatient expression. When her eyes met mine, shadows disappeared from her face, and her complexion changed.

Elizabeth ran up, her turquoise skirt billowing.

She jumped off the horse. It wasn’t too high for her.

Elizabeth quickly ran over and stood in front of me. Then, she gently held my cold hand. It stung where her fingers passed due to the lingering pain that still remained. Her hand was cold. She had obviously been waiting since dawn.

“You said you went for a dawn walk and got lost. Are you okay?”

How much has been revealed?

I looked at Viter. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I received a message in advance. I was so surprised when I heard that Lady Leonie was missing at dawn.”

“…Why did you come out and wait for me? Your body must be heavy.”

“I couldn’t help but worry, so I couldn’t stay quietly inside the castle.”

Elizabeth’s lips quivered. Her breathing was uneven.

“It wasn’t anything serious. I just… wanted to get some fresh air.”

“I see. It would have been nice if you had come with me.”

“But you know, the Lady doesn’t know the way.”

Because of her heavy body, she had only been to the greenhouse and the garden. Even that was a light walk due to her frail health.

Truly, the lady was comporting herself as the nobility desired, quietly practicing the aristocratic upbringing inside the Duke’s castle. She ordered everything to the maids and enjoyed herself, appearing noble and elegant as the nobility and the bloodline expected.

“I may not know the way, but… still, if we had been embracing each other, it would have been a little warmer, wouldn’t it?”

Elizabeth remained warm and kind as ever.

To the extent that she couldn’t even resent the child in her belly.