Chapter 10
He turned her this way and that, examining Lanya as if he could not believe his eyes. Ritterich frowned and asked Mia,
“Do you know something about this?”
“Lord, have you forgotten the incident in Lacsen?”
Mia had served Ritterich since childhood and had been with him during the Lacsen lord affair. Of course, Lanya remembered no such thing about her presence there. That was why Mia immediately recognized Lanya and now stood in bewildered shock. The woman who had come as a bride—the only bride who had survived—was the very same girl from that day.
How could something like this happen?
Still confused, Mia explained.
“That day, the lord murdered a woman in the middle of the street. You became furious and turned Lacsen upside down.”
Ritterich’s dark eyes, tinged with gray, trembled for a moment. A forgotten memory surfaced in his mind.
You will come, won’t you?
It had been on the road to the imperial hunting grounds near Lacsen. He had received word that the crown prince—now the emperor—had been gravely injured during a hunt, and he had hurried to his brother’s side. On the way, in the city of Lacsen, he witnessed the local lord stabbing a middle-aged woman. Not only that woman, but also the girl who seemed to be her daughter—he tried to kill her as well. He could not simply walk away. He could not ignore the child crying out for her mother.
So he intervened. It was not only the murder itself that enraged him but also the crimes the lord had committed as ruler of Lacsen—siphoning the blood and wealth of the imperial subjects and dragging countless women into his bed before cruelly killing them. As the grand duke, he arrested the lord and sent him to the capital prison.
I will keep smiling.
The girl, left alone after losing her mother, looked at him as if he were a hero and asked whether he could take her with him. He had felt strangely moved and decided, uncharacteristically, to keep the child by his side. But he had been on his way to his brother, so he planned to return for the girl after seeing his sibling.
No matter how hard it gets, I will stay strong. So please come back for me. You must give me a chance to repay this kindness, all right?
Yet his brother’s wounds had been deeper than expected, and more time had passed than he anticipated. He forgot the promise he had made to the child. When he finally remembered and sent someone to Lacsen, the girl was already gone. After hearing that news, Ritterich forced himself to forget her.
“To meet you like this… of all ways.”
“Do you remember me?”
“Yes, I remember. You are that little girl, aren’t you?”
“Yes! That’s me!”
To meet her benefactor again like this… but to find him suffering under a curse. Overwhelmed by emotion, Lanya burst into tears, large drops falling from her eyes. Startled, Ritterich looked at her.
“Why… are you crying?”
“I’m so happy to see you again… but it makes me sad!”
Lanya wept like a child.
Childhood Memories
Lanya’s early life had been poor but not unhappy.
You are quite pretty.
Her mother—renowned for her beauty in the village—caught the eye of the local lord.
Bring her to my chamber tonight.
The lord frequently selected beautiful women from the village and took them to his bed. The next day, their bodies were often thrown out, lifeless.
Because of this, Lanya’s father worried whenever her mother went outside. Her mother, one of the loveliest women in the area, always covered her face with cloth. Still, the lord eventually noticed her.
Run away with Lanya.
Lanya’s father, unwilling to see his wife taken, begged them to flee before the lord’s guards arrived.
But her mother refused.
How can I leave you behind? I cannot do that!
Please… don’t make me a worthless husband. Don’t make me a man who cannot protect his wife!
Her father wept and pleaded.
Don’t you remember? I used to be a famous mercenary. I promise everything will be fine.
In the end, her mother fled with Lanya while her father stayed behind. He was torn apart and displayed at the city gate. Devastated by his death, her mother still tried to protect Lanya and escape, but the lord never gave up the pursuit.
Ahhh!
As guards dragged her mother away, Lanya rushed forward and bit the lord’s hand.
You little brat!
Don’t hurt my mother!
The lord shoved Lanya aside and drew his sword.
How dare you bite me!
Huh!
Before the blade could strike Lanya, her mother embraced her, taking the blow. The sword pierced her back.
Mom…?
Lanya stared in horror as her mother collapsed, blood spilling from her mouth.
Mom!
No one helped them. Everyone else avoided involvement, desperate not to draw the lord’s wrath.
Lanya clutched her dying mother and prayed. But as always, the gods turned away, and her mother’s life faded.
Gently laying her mother down, Lanya rose and looked at the lord.
I will kill you…!
The lord hesitated at the madness in her eyes, then shouted for his guards to seize her. They kicked and beat her, breaking bones and crushing organs, yet she kept struggling to stand.
The lord raised the very sword that had killed her mother.
Get out of the way!
The guards stepped back. Lanya, bloodied and trembling, glared at him.
Die!
Just as he swung the blade—
Stop.
Someone’s sword pressed against the lord’s neck.
Who dares…!
The guards froze, lowering their weapons. The newcomer wore golden armor, and beside him stood a man on a white horse, draped in a brilliant white cloak—an unmistakable presence of authority.
Kneel!
One of the armored knights displayed a golden seal. The lord’s eyes widened in terror. He dropped his sword and knelt before the man in the white cloak. His guards followed, surrendering.
The lord had been the mountain of this village, its king. Yet now he bowed before a youth—barely more than a boy.
H-how did you come here…!
The villagers stared in confusion, unsure who the young man was. He dismounted gracefully.
I heard there was good hunting nearby. I stopped for a meal, but instead I found this tragedy.
He approached the lord, then looked at Lanya and at her mother’s still body.
He knelt and gently closed the dead woman’s eyes.
When he turned back, he approached Lanya. Crouching to her level, he said,
Little one, it’s all right now. You don’t need to tremble.
He smiled softly and stroked her head. The tension in Lanya’s small body melted away.
H…huh! Wahhh!
She threw herself into his arms and cried.
