HDBMTD 131

HDBMTD | Chapter 131

~Chapter 131~

Because Minette’s body was very weak, we decided to camp outside. We thought if we kept teleporting, her condition might get even worse.

After we finished getting ready for the camp, I went to find Minette. She was talking with Nocturne.

“…Aria?”

While we traveled, those two often talked separately. Usually, Nocturne explained things and Minette listened. From how serious they looked, it seemed like they were discussing politics.

‘Wait, didn’t I just hear my name?’

A few moments later, Minette finished her conversation and walked toward me. I handed her a potion from the healer and asked,

“Minette, do you have any discomfort besides dizziness?”

“Yeah, I’m okay… Thank you.”

Minette nodded with a soft smile.

She was so much warmer now compared to when we were in the imperial palace. She didn’t just stop being hostile—she even seemed moved every time she looked at me.

‘Why is that?’

It was as if Minette felt a heavy guilt towards me.

But really, the only bad thing she ever did to me was acting a bit mean during those few days in the palace. So her attitude now felt a bit too much.

‘It seems like Minette is seeing Aria in me… Should I keep my distance?’

I remembered my own troubles with Nocturne at the imperial hospital, when I insisted, ‘Don’t call me Aria,’ and wouldn’t agree to be his partner unless he called me Bis.

‘Should I do the same with Minette?’

While I was thinking, Minette walked up to me.

“Hey, Ari. I want to say thank you.”

“I’ve already heard enough thanks from you.”

“No, not just for saving me. Of course, I’m grateful for that too, but…”

Minette looked a little shy.

“I mean for playing chess with me that night.”

“……!”

I realized she was talking about my last night in the palace. With a trembling voice, she confessed,

“Thank you for letting me into your room and staying with me when I was drunk.”

“…That was a really lonely and hard night for me.”

I knew what day she meant.

It was the 20th anniversary of Minette and Aria becoming friends. Minette must have given Aria special earrings that day—red garnet earrings made to look like Aria’s eyes, and there were only two pairs like them in the world.

“I always wanted to say thank you.”

“…I see.”

“Can I call you Aria, too?”

“Um.”

As I was thinking about how to answer, Minette confessed again.

“Actually, after Aria died, I felt deep guilt for surviving alone in the war.”

“…It’s not your fault Aria died.”

“I know. But I can’t help but think—if I had stayed with her to the end, would Aria have survived?”

She was showing a classic case of survivor’s guilt—when someone who survives a war or accident feels bad, even though it wasn’t their fault their friends died.

‘Is there anything I can do to help her?’

While I was thinking, Minette said,

“But when I’m with you, that guilt feels a little lighter.”

She glanced at me, looking nervous.

“But if you don’t like it, I won’t call you that.”

I felt bad for her.

She was already going through so much, but she was still worried about how I felt.

Maybe because she was a mental-type Eshafe, she was mature and honest about her feelings.

That made it easy for me to answer.

“If calling me that helps you feel better, you can call me Aria.”

“Thank you, Ari…”

Minette’s silver eyes became wet with tears.

I instinctively patted her, and when I looked up, Nocturne was staring at us with a strange expression.

He opened his mouth.

“Why…”

“…?”

Nocturne looked like he had a lot to say, but then he just closed his mouth and turned away.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

The next morning, we prepared for teleportation again.

We needed to teleport three more times to reach our destination.

I looked at Minette and asked,

“Minette, do you think you can do it?”

“Yeah, I rested well and got treatment. I’m okay.”

She smiled, but she still seemed weak.

The days of wearing a control ring and harsh interrogations had left Minette’s body and mind exhausted.

So I kept a close eye on her while we traveled.

But then I noticed something strange.

“Ari, are you alright?”

“I just feel a little dizzy. I’m okay.”

“I’ll call the healer. Rest before we move again.”

Minette was also watching over me.

Maybe it was just because she was a mental-type Eshafe, but the weird thing was that she wasn’t the only one.

Nocturne offered me his hand.

“I’ll help you.”

“I-I’m fine…”

“If you’d rather be carried, I can do that too.”

“I’ll hold you.”

Nocturne was being overprotective, as usual.

“Your Highness, please drink this.”

“I already got treatment from the healer. Give it to someone else who needs it.”

Even the knights kept checking on me.

‘Why are the Meyer family’s knights checking on me, instead of just Minette, their own lady?’

‘This is Minette’s rescue team, right?’

‘Maybe they heard about what happened in Greymoss last week—how I almost died using my empathy powers on a brainwashed Eshafe. Or maybe they know I spent three days in intensive care after being poisoned. Or maybe they know that, as a clone, using my empathy power has serious side effects…’

‘There are a lot of possible reasons.’

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I took Nocturne’s hand for the third teleport.

Our final destination wasn’t the Bendrix duchy or the Meyer duchy.

It was the Arten border territory.

Ten years ago, it was a kingdom, but now it was part of the Empire, allowed to govern itself. The lord there was friendly to Princess Ariadna, so it was a perfect place to hide Minette.

The border count of Arten was part of the Golden Butterfly Group.

Minette didn’t have any direct connection here, so even the Imperial family wouldn’t expect us to run to this place.

While the pursuit continued, we planned to stay here, help Minette recover, and decide our next move.

“Kyaa!”

There was a big square on the way to the count’s castle. I heard children’s laughter all around.

Suddenly, I realized I hadn’t heard children laughing in a long time.

‘So I’m really back in the Empire now…’

I’d been so focused on rescuing Minette, I hadn’t noticed it had been three months since I left the palace.

I looked around, happy and excited.

Since I woke up, I’d always stayed inside the palace. It felt good to finally see the Empire again.

Feeling both happy and nervous, I headed toward the castle.

At the castle gate, the captain of the knights, who had already been notified, greeted us.

“Welcome to Count Arten’s castle, Duke Bendrix, Lady Minette. And…”

He smoothly welcomed Nocturne, and even Minette, who was a wanted criminal for attempted prince assassination.

Then, his eyes searched and landed on me. His face lit up.

“We greet the sleeping light of Ramsar.”

“…?”

He was calling me the sleeping sun before dawn—a poetic greeting.

The captain bowed deeply to me, and so did the other knights. Their faces were full of respect and excitement, as if it was an honor just to meet me.

“…Thank you for your warm welcome.”

I accepted their greetings with mixed feelings.

[Pam-pam-pam! Pam!]

Suddenly, loud trumpet sounds rang out all over the city.

While the castle gate opened slowly, the security captain frowned and looked toward the square.

“It’s been crazy since last night. Lady Minette has been officially wanted all across the Empire.”

As if to prove his words, an emergency alarm from the royal family started blaring across the square.

Of course, a criminal sentenced to death for trying to kill the prince had escaped, so they had to sound the alarm…

I thought it made sense, and headed into the castle.

At that moment, a familiar voice came from the broadcast.

[People of the Ramsar Empire.]

I stopped walking.

“Padva…”

Everyone in our group stopped and turned toward the square, too. Bright flashes of light could be seen there—Padva’s face was probably being shown on the artifacts in the square.