Duke Camelon sent as many troops as possible to strike Robley. There were voices of concern that Sig might take advantage of the situation, but for the duke, reclaiming the flu was the top priority.
As a result, Duke Robley was killed, and Sig managed to take over Robley Castle. Camelon had been complacent, believing that as long as Robley was alive, the two would never be on the same side.
“Didn’t I tell you to capture the duke alive, no matter what!”
Duke Camelon shouted in frustration as the defeated officials returned, their faces filled with shame.
“There are reports that it was a Robley soldier who shot the duke with an arrow,” one knight cautiously added. Duke Camelon turned to him, raising his voice.
“What good does that do us now? Robley is already in the hands of that mad dog!”
Duke Camelon continued to flee south, evading the approaching Altheim army. He reached the southern end; there was nowhere left to run.
“I can’t keep running forever.”
He resolved to confront the mad dog. Trapped in a corner, the duke decided he could no longer avoid the fight. Surely, he could find a way to win against that mad dog.
Despite his determination, the northern forces proved brutally strong. Duke Camelon fell within a single night, captured by northern knights and forced to kneel in humiliation.
“Sig, it seems your knights haven’t learned how to show respect to royalty.”
Sig stood before him, sword in hand.
“Since you’ve betrayed my uncle, there’s no need to treat you like royalty anymore.”
“Do you think my blood means nothing just because I’ve defied the emperor? Whatever I do, I am still the emperor’s brother and your uncle.”
Duke Camelon exhaled in fury, resenting the emperor who had put him in this position.
“I’ll give you a piece of advice as your uncle: don’t trust the emperor. Don’t believe his sweet words about how important and precious you are to him.”
Duke Camelon lifted his chin and smirked at Sig.
“Don’t think for a second that you’ve become family just because the emperor claims you are his favorite nephew. Look at you now. The emperor has you doing his dirty work while he keeps his hands clean.”
“If you were here, uncle, you would have taken your own head.”
“Hmph, you really can’t grasp the situation, can you? You’ve fallen for the emperor’s three-inch tongue.”
Duke Camelon clicked his tongue and scoffed.
“Do as you please. But soon, you’ll find yourself in the same situation as I am. You’ll be deceived and used until you’re thrown away.”
“Used…”
As Sig muttered, looking puzzled, Duke Camelon nodded, feeling vindicated.
“Don’t you find it odd? The emperor says he loves and cherishes you, yet he leaves you to rot in the north?”
“I wanted to be in the north.”
“The emperor led you to believe that. Otherwise, there’s no reason you would want to live in a barren land filled with cold and hunger.”
“You’re being deceived.”
“The north is my homeland, and it’s my father’s land. Most of the people here consider that barren land to be their home and place of life.”
“And you keep saying you were used by your uncle, but in reality, it was you who took advantage of your uncle’s favor.”
If he hadn’t attempted assassination or plotted rebellion, the emperor would have continued to protect him. Sig knew that he had used the emperor as a shield.
“Your uncle truly considered you family. The one who betrayed his trust is you.”
Sig raised his sword, pointing it at Duke Camelon’s neck, telling him there was no reason for him to feel wronged or angry.
“Duke Camelon, for your act of treason against the royal family, you are hereby executed.”
—
Time passed, and it was already January. It had been about two months since Duke Camelon was executed, but it took longer to reclaim the southern castles that the Vizhreng Alliance had occupied.
After about five months, Sig, his hair now slightly longer, finally stepped onto the threshold of the royal palace. Though he had told Britia that he would arrive tomorrow, he couldn’t wait any longer and had hurried overnight.
The vice-captain glanced at Sig and let out a chuckle. Sig, uncharacteristically cheerful, was even humming an awkward little tune under his breath.
“Won’t Lady Britia be surprised that you’re arriving a day early?” the vice-captain asked, and Sig smirked.
“Of course, she’ll be surprised.”
“You seem to think she’ll be overjoyed, but that might not be the case.”
Sig stopped for a moment, turning to look at the vice-captain.
“She might be annoyed that you came without giving her time to prepare.”
“I don’t need a grand welcome. I just need her.”
“I hope Lady Britia appreciates that noble sentiment of yours,” the vice-captain teased, grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re so single-minded! Every day, you check the tiny heart on that eye patch, as if it might disappear.”
Sig shot a silent glance at the vice-captain, who was clearly enjoying himself, teasing him.
“I’ll keep it a secret from her that you secretly take out the clothes we found at Fort Huate just to look at them whenever you miss her.”
“You always tease me like this. But you’re no different, you know.”
“No different? Me?”
“Don’t you keep the letters from Heather under your pillow?”
“…”
“Or am I wrong?”
The vice-captain’s eyes widened in surprise. How had Sig found out? Had he seen it? How long had he known?
“I’ll keep that a secret from Heather too.”
“…Much appreciated.”
As they walked, people who recognized Sig were startled.
“Is Lady Britia with my uncle? Or perhaps my aunt?”
“They’re all together.”
“We didn’t know you’d returned! We were told you’d be arriving tomorrow, so the welcome ceremony is scheduled for then…”
The attendant started explaining, but Sig didn’t have time to listen. He was too eager to see Britia and quickened his pace.
“Lady Britia is really something. She’s been by the emperor’s side for five months straight.”
Even those who had earned the emperor’s favor never lasted more than a month. But five months? And it had been even longer if you counted before Sig had left for the campaign. The vice-captain was genuinely impressed.
“Maybe it’s because of that ability of hers?” he asked, testing the waters.
Sig ignored him, as he still hadn’t told anyone about what Britia’s special ability was.
“Fine, I’ll just ask Lady Britia myself.”
“You really think Britia will tell you?” Sig shot back.
“I’d like to think I’ve earned more of her trust than you realize.”
Sig suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Why would you say something like that? What’s going on between you two behind my back?”
“Are you jealous? Either way, I won’t tell you. Lady Britia specifically asked me to keep it a secret.”
That wasn’t true at all, but the vice-captain couldn’t resist playing along, feigning a smug expression.
“Tell me.”
“No can do. She was very clear that I mustn’t tell you anything.”
“If you don’t, I’ll…”
Sig reached out to the vice-captain as if he was going to force him to talk, but at that exact moment, a maid came around the corner and bumped into Sig, not having seen him. The water in the bucket she was carrying spilled everywhere.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!”
The maid was on the verge of tears, apologizing to Sig and the vice-captain, both drenched. The vice-captain sniffed the air, trying to identify the source of the unpleasant odor. It smelled terrible, likely the water used to clean rags.
“I can’t tell if it’s the water that smells bad or if it’s you.”
The vice-captain remarked, looking at the terrified maid, who seemed ready to faint.
“You might as well take this chance to clean up before meeting her.”
He added, glancing at Sig, suggesting Britia would appreciate it too. Sig, however, remained silent, leaving the vice-captain unsure if he was angry.
But Sig wasn’t speechless out of anger. He was stunned that he hadn’t avoided the spill. Normally, he would’ve easily dodged it, but this time, he hadn’t. Was it because he was too preoccupied with the thought of seeing Britia?
His head throbbed, possibly from the shock of his own reaction. He loosened the eye patch, which had started to smell, and felt a bit of relief.
“My lord?”
The vice-captain called out to Sig, noticing him standing there, staring blankly as he removed his eye patch. Sig slowly lifted his head in response.
“…Yeah. I need to clean up.”
He nodded, frowning, though the headache that had slightly eased seemed to be growing worse again. It must’ve been the stench clinging to him.
Even after a thorough wash and a change of clothes, the pounding in Sig’s head intensified.
“Are you alright, My lord?”
“It’s strange. My head… my head…”
Sig trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly staring off into space.
“Should I call a priest?”
“…Oddly enough, my mind feels clear.”
Sig, who had been frowning moments before, now flashed a wide grin. It was the first time the vice-captain had ever seen him smile like that. Startled, the he took a step back.
“You must really be looking forward to seeing Lady Britia to smile like that! You nearly scared the life out of me,” he stammered, shaking his head, silently pleading with Sig to avoid making that expression again.
“Well, it’s a relief if you’re feeling better,” he added, handing Sig a freshly cleaned eye patch. But Sig clicked his tongue and swatted the captain’s hand away.
“I don’t need it. What I do need, though, is something else.”
“What do you mean, ‘don’t need it’? This is—”
“Milk.”
Sig cut him off, stating his request.
“I’ve cleaned up, so now I need a glass of milk. Go get me some milk.”
When did he start craving milk after cleaning? The vice-captain thought, bewildered, but he could tell something wasn’t right with Sig. While the man was always a bit intense, there was something off about him today.
“Well, don’t blame me if Lady Britia scolds you.”
Despite his unease, the vice-captain obeyed the order and left to fetch the milk. Once he was out of sight, Sig—now overtaken by something else—touched his face with a large hand, chuckling to himself.
“Ah, Nancy, Nancy! You were my finest pupil!”
Had Nancy not possessed the maid she shared a room with after failing the assassination attempt? Had she confessed under interrogation? If so, the spirit would no longer be here.
The only downside was that the maid’s body was frail. Her status was lacking as well. But now, the spirit had gained a much stronger vessel!
“Are you watching, goddess?” the spirit mocked, blowing a kiss toward the heavens.
“Sit there, watching me ruin the world you cherish, helplessly sucking your thumb.”
With that, the spirit strolled down the hallway in a good mood. Normally, after possessing someone, it would take time to fully control the body. But this one had already been possessed once before, making it much easier to maneuver.
Humming a cheerful tune, the spirit pranced around, but its mood soured when it spotted a statue of the goddess.
“Ah, you just can’t stand me being happy, can you?”
The spirit grabbed the statue’s head and smashed it against the ground, startling the maids nearby who had been watching Sig, or what they thought was Sig. Ignoring their shock, the spirit kicked the statue’s head, then sensed something and turned sharply.
At the end of the hall stood Brian and Harty. The spirit licked its lips and strutted toward them.
“Hello, beautiful.”
It smiled sweetly at Harty as it approached him.
