Chapter 37
“Please, have a seat. Are you cold? I’ll light a fire.”
“…Thank you.”
Asha had gone outside to check on me because she was worried when she saw me walking stiffly. She took me to Glacies Castle first and moved me to a room.
Once inside, I finally felt the chill deep in my bones. Shivering, I rubbed my palms together and hugged myself, and Asha added some dry kindling and lit the fire.
By the time the room had warmed a little, Asha made the sound of poking through the logs with a fire iron. Until then, I had just been sitting quietly on the bed.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
Why are you apologizing?
I wanted to ask that, but before I could, Asha quickly approached and grabbed my hand.
‘It’s warm.’
A wave of warmth spread across my palm as if by magic. The warmth carried her resolve not to lie, so I decided to remain still.
“You may find it suspicious, but His Grace the Duke doesn’t tell me many things. So I can’t answer all your questions.”
I knew that.
Compared to the steward Prater, Asha didn’t seem to know much about Russell. But the strange distance between Russell and Asha right now somehow reassured me.
After hesitating for a moment, Asha spoke cautiously.
“You may not believe me… but His Grace really cares about you. I hope you at least know that.”
He claims to care for me, yet does whatever he wants regardless of my wishes and keeps everything secret.
I lowered my head, feeling tears threatening to fall. My hair slipped from my shoulder and covered my face.
“Why… does Russell always hide things?”
He called me a scarecrow duchess.
Is that why I feel worthless? Then why was he so kind to me before?
If it was all pretense, why was he so tender?
Asha continued speaking in a calm, gentle voice.
“Please understand. He has endured a lot to reach this position.”
“What kind of hardship?”
Russell had omitted much of it, so I felt frustrated knowing little.
‘Maybe Asha can tell me.’
I focused on Asha’s words.
“I’ve heard it wasn’t easy for him to be recognized as a member of the royal family. He had to face the Crown Princess in a life-or-death match, and only after that did he become recognized as part of the royal family.”
“Face the Crown Princess?”
I had heard that the empire had two princesses and three princes besides Russell. Among them, the most capable was designated the Crown Princess—the First Princess.
That much I had heard from Prater; the rest was new information from Asha.
“The Crown Princess was the empire’s strongest magician before His Grace arrived. The Emperor said they must duel to be recognized as part of the royal family.”
“A duel? Why such a brutal method…?”
Asha nodded slightly, as if confirming my thought.
“Because there was no chance His Grace would win that duel.”
“That’s… basically saying he won’t be recognized by the royal family.”
“Yes. The Emperor probably expected His Grace to lose. I thought the same when I first heard of it.”
I didn’t need to hear the rest to guess what happened. Against everyone’s expectations, Russell defeated the Crown Princess, taking victory in a shocking triumph.
Everyone must have been astonished—the empire’s strongest magician defeated by a previously unknown son of the emperor.
‘But now Russell’s origins are unclear.’
Where was he before joining the royal family? Was he a commoner’s child?
But I couldn’t picture the Emperor bothering with a commoner.
Moreover, even if a royal wanted to, it would be hard to have contact with a commoner inside the royal palace.
I felt a growing unease. Then a question occurred to me.
“But Asha, how do you know all this?”
Contrary to my expectation that she would hesitate, Asha answered without pause.
“I’m a maid. It’s my duty to listen to rumors and report them to my master.”
Something felt off. I sensed that Asha might be hiding something too, but after what just happened, I wanted to trust her.
Suddenly, there was a light metallic clink. The sound was sharp and clear.
“It’s a key. Do you want to continue exploring the castle?”
“Can I really?”
“Of course.”
But I had just argued with Russell. Was it really okay to continue exploring?
Asha seemed to have been waiting for my answer and responded without hesitation.
“There’s only one place we haven’t been yet.”
The one place we hadn’t been…
It was Russell’s office. I hadn’t gone there because I thought I needed his permission.
But now that Russell knew my hand, I had to learn more about him.
Even without strength, courage to take a step forward makes nothing terrifying.
Recalling those words, I said firmly,
“Then can you take me to Russell’s office?”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
Asha pressed a fist to her chest, as if she had been waiting for this, and obediently agreed.
I was just grateful that she respected my wish, even though I might run into Russell.
“At this hour, His Grace isn’t here.”
Following Asha, I entered the office and sharpened my senses to the smells around me.
‘The scent of parchment and ink… and is that… clove?’
Clove trees don’t grow in the northern cold. They’re native to southern islands and are used by nobles to mask odors.
‘Cloves are so valuable that even finding one could allow you to buy a tin of sardines nearing expiration.’
I turned my head toward the direction where I felt Asha’s presence.
“Asha, can you describe the office to me?”
Though I had been here once or twice, I wanted to remember it.
‘My stick’s power is limited to three uses a day, so I don’t want to waste it.’
This time, Asha calmly began explaining without being flustered.
“The ceiling is high, the walls are dark brown. There’s a stuffed reindeer head opposite the desk. The fireplace was recently extinguished. If you move about twenty steps from there, you’ll find the desk. Behind it, there’s a row of bookshelves.”
“Bookshelves?”
“Yes. Nothing unusual, but do you want me to guide you?”
“Please.”
I walked to the bookshelves with Asha’s guidance, running my hands along the spines but feeling nothing.
‘Maybe I can read them using the stick’s power.’
Just as I raised my hand with the stick, Asha spoke.
“That’s an advanced magic manual. The other books you’re holding are about the empire’s war history and swordsmanship.”
None of them were what I was looking for.
I had come here holding onto a tiny hope of learning something about Russell, but I realized I would have to confront him directly.
As I grabbed a random book in disappointment, the floor shook.
“A-Asha?”
“Princess! Hold on! The study is opening!”
The study is opening?
So it wasn’t an earthquake. I tried to stabilize myself while grabbing Asha, who sounded alarmed.
“Stairs?”
Judging by her reaction, Asha must have just realized there were stairs hidden behind the bookshelves. I was equally surprised but knew I had to assess the situation.
“Asha, explain.”
“This… this is my first time seeing it too. A staircase leading down appeared. I can’t see the bottom.”
A staircase to the basement? Who would install something like this?
More importantly, I felt we might finally get a clue about Russell. I gripped the stick and approached the staircase.
“Princess, it’s dangerous!”
Following Asha’s warning, I didn’t descend but knelt at the entrance. I listened carefully to the depths below and extended my palm toward the stairs.
A cold northern wind brushed my hand.
I could faintly hear the sound of air moving.
“I can hear the wind…”
“Does it lead outside?”
“I don’t know, but it seems likely.”
I didn’t know what lay ahead, but I sensed that Russell must be hiding something. Otherwise, why conceal a staircase near his working desk?
I steeled myself and turned to Asha.
“Asha, you can stay.”
I didn’t want to involve her in this. One person’s courage is enough to face the danger.
‘Since it’s stairs, I have to be careful.’
As I thought this, a warm hand covered the back of mine, holding the stick.
“Don’t say that. I’ll stay with you.”
A heartfelt warmth spread through me, thawing my chilled core. Descending the stairs alone would be difficult, so her offered courage was invaluable.
“Okay… thank you.”
I held Asha’s hand and carefully stepped down the stairs, not knowing what awaited below.
