Chapter 94
“I plan to report to my father as soon as he returns tomorrow. You two can rest while I handle things here.”
I nodded briefly at Kestian, whose face showed he was exhausted as he spoke slowly.
I bit my lip while looking at pale Rubyche, lying in bed.
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was my fault.
It felt like coming to Pallieva to avoid the Rangers led to this outcome.
I wanted to stay close by, but having too many people around felt overwhelming.
After telling Kestian to take care of himself, I left the room and let out a deep sigh.
“I feel like I’m causing trouble for everyone.”
“You look angrier than sorry.”
“I’m not the type to wallow in guilt and cry over it. It’s better to catch the one who did this and find out who’s behind it.”
Even if what happened was my fault, dwelling on guilt wouldn’t change anything.
“I can apologize once we catch the culprit. So, speaking of that…”
I looked up at Aden, narrowing my eyes.
As I quietly met his gaze, Aden started to glance around and walked slowly.
I walked alongside him and spoke up right away.
“What do you think, Aden? It seems like the Rangers poisoned the water.”
“I checked with the chef and the servants earlier, and they said that the water jug was always there; no one moved it or brought it in.”
“So, are you saying a Ranger was hiding among the servants coming in and out of the dining hall?”
“I can’t say for sure yet. Nothing is clear yet. But one thing is certain: we know who they were aiming for.”
So it was an indiscriminate attack with a clear target.
That’s such a filthy and despicable act.
If someone older or a child had drunk that poison, it could have killed them.
Did they not care about that? I sighed and brushed my messy hair back.
“We need to be careful about what we eat from now on. If they could poison water right in the middle of the Pallieva mansion, they could poison anything we eat.”
“There’s no need to worry. The Rangers will be caught by tomorrow.”
I looked at Aden, surprised by his casual mention of catching them.
As usual, there was a faint anger overlaying his stiff expression.
I couldn’t tell if he was trying not to show it or if he was just not good at hiding his feelings.
Aden was clearly angry.
“I was planning to let them follow quietly until I figured out their intentions, but now that their aim is clear, there’s no need to just sit back and watch.”
He went back into the dining hall, opened the water jug with the poison in it, and checked the smell.
At that moment, he poured the water into his mouth.
“No, wait, what are you—!”
Before I could stop him, Aden emptyied the jug and looked down at me.
Even without seeing, I could tell I was visibly shocked, and he let out a long sigh, narrowing his eyes.
“I mentioned earlier that we know who they were targeting.”
“…”
“This poison won’t affect me at all. So, that means it was meant for one of us, either you or me, Sierra.”
The chill in Aden’s words sent shivers down my spine, even though he wasn’t directing his anger at me.
His eyes, shining a golden hue in the dark like a beast’s, narrowed.
For a moment, I understood why Rippleton was called a monster.
* * *
I couldn’t sleep at all, lost in thought.
I was so tired I could fall asleep right away, but once I lay down, my mind was filled with random thoughts.
After tossing and turning in bed for a while, I let out a sigh and got up.
“Ugh…”
I brushed my bangs aside and swung my legs over the side of the bed.
It looks like I won’t be able to sleep after all.
Swallowing hard, I got up, threw on my coat, and cracked the window open a bit.
The air in Pallieva was chilly, autumn having settled in.
It felt strange how different the temperature was from the warm capital just above us.
I closed my eyes, feeling the wind against my face.
I hoped the breeze would blow away my worries.
I just want to sleep.
Even though it was getting late, the night in Pallieva was still bright.
Flags and torches were set up everywhere.
From the soldiers to the knights on guard duty, security had tightened since we first arrived.
Was it because Rubyche collapsed from the poison?
Thinking about that weighed heavily on my heart again.
I couldn’t easily shake the feeling that I had caused trouble for the young lady.
“Huh?”
As I tried to shake off my thoughts and focus on something else, I noticed a familiar figure in the garden.
I squinted to get a better look and tilted my head.
Is that Kestian? What’s he doing out there at this hour?
After watching Kestian for a while as he gazed at the moon, I turned around.
I headed straight to the garden where Kestian had gone.
As I opened the door, a strong gust of wind blew in.
As I tidied my messy hair and stepped into the garden, I saw Kestian still standing there.
I approached cautiously to check on him, and Kestian slowly turned his body.
“Were you not sleeping?”
“I couldn’t fall asleep. How about you, Kestian?”
“I usually stay up late.”
Kestian quietly smiled and pointed to the ground with his eyes, indicating I could stand next to him.
I walked over to where he pointed and looked up at the moon.
The half moon, hidden behind clouds, was faintly shining.
“Do you like looking at the sky?”
“I love looking at the stars.”
I tilted my head, and Kestian answered with a relaxed smile.
“I don’t like it.”
“Really? That’s surprising. But why? There’s not much reason to dislike it, is there?”
“When I was a kid, if I got scolded, I had to stand and think about what I did wrong while staring at the window. Now, whenever I look at the sky, it feels like I’m getting scolded again.”
I found myself staring at Kestian, who was smiling softly, and I couldn’t help but lift the corners of my mouth.
That was an unexpected answer.
It seemed like a punishment style that didn’t quite match the Pallieva family.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t show much authoritarianism.
“Are you not sleeping because of Rubyche?”
“Partly that, and there are also other things I need to think about.”
Kestian glanced at me thoughtfully before turning his head away.
I expected him to ask what I was thinking, but he didn’t throw out any unnecessary questions.
He was always a man who knew where to draw the line.
Not too intrusive, but not too distant either.
Kestian was very aware of the boundaries he could cross.
“Rubyche will be fine. I think she’ll regain consciousness by lunchtime tomorrow, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“I’m glad to hear that. But if you need anything, just let me know. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Whatever…”
Kestian murmured briefly, and I nodded at him.
His gaze dropped to the ground, and then he looked back at me, speaking softly.
“Then, could you come by to see Rubyche again before you leave? She really likes you, so it would make her happy.”
It felt a little strange and unexpected that a princess I didn’t even know liked me, but it wouldn’t hurt anything.
I could just pass through Pallieva on my way back, just like I did when I arrived.
“I’ll do that.”
Kestian smiled slightly, turning his gaze back to the sky.
The clouds that had fully covered the moon were starting to reveal it again.
Just then, a wind blew, chilling my body.
“Please be careful on your way back.”
Kestian turned to look down at me.
His softly smiling lips turned serious, and his gaze became heavy as it focused on me.
“I don’t know about Sierra, but I need you.”
Kestian’s smooth lips curled into a gentle arc.
The wind blew.
It swept around both of us, as if binding Kestian and me together, then quietly scattered.
* * *
“What’s going on?”
A man with a brown mask pulled low and sighed heavily.
Instead of answering, he ripped off the mask, revealing a face soaked with sweat.
The person who spoke to him clicked his tongue in annoyance and shook his head.
The man scratched his head with a frustrated expression and looked up.
Even though it was broad daylight, the tall coniferous trees cast a shadow, making it dark.
Only the man’s eyes, resting on a giant branch, were shining brightly.
After scanning the area for a while, he let out a sigh of relief and turned his head.
“Those bastards. They chased me for two hours.”
The man recalled the knights who had been hot on his heels and their golden eyes.
Just looking at them made his knees weak, and he shivered.
“But it’s amazing. How did a guy who excels at hiding like you brother get tracked down by those assassins?”
He also found that puzzling but didn’t bother trying to understand it.
Facing those monstrous eyes filled with murderous intent, such thoughts were useless.
It was all about escaping to survive.
That’s all there was to it.
Even though he had built a reputation as a ranger and considered himself the king of rangers, he had never felt this level of danger before.
As his breath started to calm down, he pulled out a medicinal pill from his pocket and tossed it into his mouth.
It was a drug that helped reduce heart rate and ease breathing.
Taking too much was dangerous, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“What are you going to do? Are you planning to keep chasing them like this?”
“Are you crazy? I’d rather bleed out than chase that monster. I’m heading back.”
“But the mission is still…”
“No matter how much they’re paying, if I’m dead, the mission doesn’t mean a thing. Pack your stuff. We’re going back.”
The man cut off the conversation without leaving any room for discussion.
He just wanted to escape from this terrifying place as quickly as possible.
Once he packed up, he glanced around before carefully making his way down.
Fortunately, he thought he could escape safely since there was no one below.
“It’s getting pretty late.”
But he had to admit his thoughts were wrong when a voice came from behind him.
He moved before he could think, but a sword was already hovering over his neck.
“Brother, what are you doing? Aren’t you leaving? You packed everything, so hurry back…”
The younger brother, who had crawled down from the tree with a blank expression, froze when he saw the sword against his brother’s neck.
“Take that guy too.”
A short command echoed softly.
