Episode 18
The Consequence of Evil
Before leaving for the expedition, Prince Chris and Prince Noah left three of their loyal men behind to guard me.
The royal knights didn’t seem happy about it — after all, I was the daughter of the noble family that had long caused their prince trouble.
In a sharp tone, Friedkin said,
“Please hold out your hands, my lady. I’ll tie them again.”
He said it was for my safety, but it was obvious he didn’t want to risk me escaping.
It looked like I wouldn’t be able to use my hands freely until I returned to my family’s territory.
Still, I was satisfied that at least they didn’t gag me — my mouth was free.
Following the prince’s order, the knights moved busily, preparing to leave the cabin for the nearby camp.
When I stepped outside, I felt a dull pain in my right eye. The cold air mixed with the lingering incense smoke made my eyes sting and tear up again.
I lowered my head to hide it, but Wilshire, one of the knights, noticed and quietly handed me a handkerchief.
Feeling the soft fabric, I sniffled and said,
“Thank you, Sir Wilshire.”
The other knights glanced at me. Their looks were uncomfortable — as if they pitied me for crying over the prince’s mercy, thinking me weak and fragile.
I didn’t like that misunderstanding, but I still wiped my tears and asked softly,
“Um… may I be alone for a while?”
Wilshire exchanged looks with the others.
“May I ask why, my lady?”
“My eyes hurt… I’d like to wash my face.”
Friedkin sighed.
“As long as you stay within our sight, it’s fine. But we must reach the camp before sunset, so please be quick.”
“Yes, of course.”
While Friedkin and Wilshire loaded the carriage, another knight named Ginger led me toward the edge of the lake.
The mist had settled, and the quiet air was broken only by the occasional chirp of a bird.
Thin ice had formed along the edges, and fallen leaves floated on the still surface of the water.
Ginger said he would wait by the tree roots nearby. I leaned on my makeshift cane and slowly walked toward the water.
Splash.
As I washed my face, the sting from the incense finally faded. I could open my swollen eyes properly again.
When I finished wiping my face, I suddenly felt it — someone was watching me.
“…”
A chill ran down my back. The calm scenery no longer felt peaceful. I looked around, but no one else was by the lake. I told myself it was just my imagination and turned back —
Crunch.
Something stepped on a dry leaf.
Startled, I grabbed my cane and began walking toward where Ginger was waiting.
The bushes nearby rustled slightly, and when I turned to look… my tension melted away.
Under the bushes was a small creature with orange fur and twitching whiskers.
‘A fox…?’
A tiny baby fox looked up at me, making soft noises as if calling for its mother. I let out a shaky sigh of relief.
Ever since being kidnapped by assassins, I’d become far too jumpy. With my heart finally calm again, I started back toward the cabin.
Tap, tap.
My cane hit the pebbles rhythmically as I walked. Hearing the sound, Ginger came toward me.
“You’re back sooner than I thought, my lady. Shall we go now?”
“Yes, I’m done. Can you show me which way we’re heading?”
“This way.”
He tugged lightly on the rope that bound my wrists, leading me along the path.
Just before leaving, I glanced back — and froze. Behind the bushes where the fox had been, the ground was pressed down.
There was a faint hollow, as if someone had been sitting there.
“My lady, is something wrong?”
I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking.
Ginger looked at me curiously, and I shook my head.
“No… I just thought I heard something.”
“Ah, you must’ve misheard. This is the nameless forest of Ardel. Only woodcutters or mushroom pickers ever pass through here.”
He urged me to hurry, saying we needed to reach the camp before the prince’s army advanced on the Nir tribe.
I forced myself to ignore the uneasy feeling and followed him back.
***
A few days earlier, I had overheard Noah and the other knights talking.
“While we’re risking our lives in Ardel fighting barbarians, Nicholas and Ravier are probably sitting safely in the castle spouting pretty words.”
“If the King gives all the credit to the wrong people, I won’t stand by.”
“Nor will I. Do you think you’re the only one who’s fed up with the noble faction?”
Whenever they insulted my father and brothers, I pretended not to hear or quietly left.
I knew exactly who held my life in their hands, and besides — they weren’t entirely wrong.
Though my family supplied weapons and money during wartime, none of them actually took command on the battlefield like the Long ville Dukes did.
They preferred to send soldiers instead of fighting themselves. Since my father had grown older and we had no capable warriors in the family, we relied on money and trade.
The King’s faction often mocked us for being “cowards who fight with gold instead of swords.”
‘It’s exhausting… I just want to leave this place soon.’
I sighed and slipped my hand into the hidden pocket of my dress. My fingers brushed against small glass bottles — poison I’d secretly taken from Devon’s room for self-defense. That thought calmed me a bit.
Then, a voice came behind me.
“Planning to wander off again, my lady?”
Startled, I hid the bottles under my cloak.
It was Wilshire.
He kindly said his name again, thinking I might not recognize his voice.
I smiled awkwardly and adjusted my cane.
“I just wanted to get some fresh air. Is that not allowed?”
“No, it’s fine.”
He frowned slightly as he looked at me standing awkwardly by the tent.
“You didn’t expect us to be kind to you, did you?”
“Of course not. I never did, and I don’t now. But hearing my family’s name dragged through the mud right in front of me… it’s uncomfortable.”
“…I understand. I’ve long since cut ties with the Mermandi family myself. I won’t offer an apology.”
Among the King’s loyalists, Wilshire was one of the few who treated me with some decency. I nodded quietly and stepped out of the tent.
Outside was a dusty open yard.
We had stopped at the camp instead of heading straight east because, until the war with the Nir tribe was over, the royal army’s encampment was the safest place to be.
Prince Chris had ordered us to leave Ardel at dawn two days later.
Under the flag bearing the dragon emblem — symbol of the royal army — mountains of supplies were stacked high.
Among them, I noticed several carts marked with my family’s crest.
Beyond the forested horizon, fires and smoke rose into the sky.
I turned to Wilshire and asked,
“Are they really as strong as our army? I knew a war was coming, but I didn’t think they’d invade all the way to Ardel.”
“They’re barbarians, my lady. No matter how strong they are, they’re just desperate. Famine and floods have plagued their lands — now they covet our fertile valleys. Of course, His Highness the First Prince also… provoked them.”
“The First Prince did?”
I widened my eyes as if hearing this for the first time — though I already knew the story. Wilshire nodded.
“The Nir tribe has long attacked our southern borders, stealing crops and slaves. His Highness simply gave them the excuse they needed — a reason for war.”
According to The Tyrant’s Flower, before the war began, the Nir tribe’s chieftain had been overthrown in a coup.
Chris accused them of letting an unapproved leader rise to power — and used that as justification to start the conflict.
But that was only part of his true goal.
The war was really a step toward uniting the northern region of Ardel with the southern lands under royal rule.
