Chapter 81
“Speak!”
Eslyn closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, facing Kardan, who was thrashing about wildly.
Today was truly exhausting—utterly chaotic and draining.
She had been happy to meet Tebet, yet it ended with Kardan.
It was unbearably unpleasant.
“What exactly are you planning to do by making Diel your close magician?” Eslyn asked, her tone sharp as if interrogating him.
“I’ll drag him in somehow and make him find it!”
“That… it?”
“The castle…!”
Kardan, excited, barely managed to close his mouth. But Eslyn understood well enough.
‘So Tatullan lured Kardan with the Holy Grail,’ she thought.
He must have sworn false loyalty and promised to offer the Grail, not realizing it was a trap that would tighten around his own neck.
“You’ve always been greedy…” she muttered.
“What?”
Kardan leaned closer. Eslyn met his gaze without flinching.
“I mean it won’t go as you want it to, Kardan.”
“This is insane!”
Kardan raised his hand, breathing heavily.
The tip of his sword trembled, but he restrained himself from striking.
Even if she was just a maid, she could not be killed carelessly. Better somewhere hidden, where no one would know…
A gleam passed over Kardan’s eyes.
“Do you really think you can act arrogantly in my castle? If even a single limb is cut off, then maybe you’ll think twice.”
Eslyn inwardly laughed. Just what she wanted—if Kardan took her out, it would be the perfect development for her.
Outside, Zex was waiting. If her escort knight was competent, rescuing Eslyn would be easy.
“Stand up!”
Kardan grabbed Eslyn’s shoulders, forcing her to her feet, twisting her arm to bind her with one hand. The rough grip made her frown automatically.
Then, at that moment, Eslyn caught a strange scent from Kardan.
‘What is that?’
It was sweet and intoxicating.
‘Some kind of perfume… but not Resilia’s.’
Ah… a smile curved her lips slightly.
‘Quite diligent.’
Even in this mess, he had time to tend to such details.
Regardless, Kardan marched confidently to the door, reaching for the doorknob.
“…Hmm?”
Kardan furrowed his brow.
Why was the door opening when he hadn’t even touched the handle?
Creeeak—the door slowly swung open.
A sleek, black shoe appeared first through the gap.
“Am I witnessing a kidnapping right now?”
The man spoke as he stepped over the threshold with long strides.
“I trust that’s not the case, Your Highness Kardan.”
Click. The door to the reception room shut.
“Li… Duke Ferrius? Weren’t you gone?”
Kardan scanned the suddenly appearing man’s face, but the man’s gaze was not on him.
His red eyes fixed stubbornly on the arm holding Eslyn.
“Start with that hand.”
A black shadow fell over Kardan. He instinctively stepped back.
“Perhaps you should release her?”
“T-This is… an interrogation! The Duke has no business here!”
“Ah, an interrogation,” Tebet murmured coldly.
“It’s been concluded that it’s not poisoning. The interrogation ends here.”
“…Concluded?”
Already? Kardan added softly.
At the same time, the firmly closed door burst open. Kardan’s attendant stumbled in.
“Your Highness! The Emperor said it wasn’t poisoning… Huh?”
The attendant stammered, trying to comprehend the situation.
“Not poisoned? Then why did he collapse?”
Nervous, the attendant stuttered:
“Well, according to the physician… due to his weakened condition, digestive movement slowed sharply, preventing proper secretion of gastric acid. Combined with other factors, it caused reflux to the esophagus…”
“What? Can you put it simply!”
“In short, he nearly died from overeating.”
Tebet summarized neatly. The attendant, sweating, could not deny it.
“…Ahem.”
Kardan wiped his lips and coughed awkwardly.
Eslyn, though expecting it, was still incredulous.
“Your father… must not have been in good condition,” Kardan muttered.
Tebet approached and removed his hand from Kardan.
“Shall we be on our way now?”
“H-Her Grace. Even so, this is extremely rude,” Kardan protested.
“Rude? I’m helping you,” Tebet said, a faint smile curving his lips. Yet the smile carried a chilling undertone.
“You must have good fortune… spreading bad rumors would be disastrous, wouldn’t it?”
What he meant by “good fortune” was obvious: becoming the crown prince. With the emperor in such frail health, it wouldn’t be long.
“Hmph. Hypocrisy,” Kardan muttered, but his lips relaxed slightly.
“You know I have many things to say to you, right?”
Tebet ignored him, only concerned with Eslyn by his side.
“You ignored my letters so completely… and now? Confused memory?”
Kardan let out a loud exclamation and stepped closer to Tebet.
His mouth curled as if recalling something amusing.
“I haven’t forgotten, Duke. How you knelt before me, begging to become the executioner of the dead princess…”
Tebet flinched for the first time.
Kardan’s lips curled further, steeply, as he shouted with a mad glint in his eyes:
“How you begged to be Eslyn’s executioner!”
Ha ha ha! Kardan laughed heartily, recalling the scene. The room’s silence was strangely filled by his laughter alone.
Tebet couldn’t relax his expression.
“…What did I do?” he murmured in confusion.
“Why! Pretending not to know? Bowing your head like a loyal minion, and now denying it!”
“….”
“Fine. Anyway, I’ll obtain an even more competent piece than you. Just don’t interfere with my plans!”
Kardan bellowed, his gaze returning to Eslyn.
“You! Follow me.”
His large hand gripped Eslyn’s shoulder again.
At that moment, a flash of silver light cut through the air.
“Are you insane! Duke! How dare you!”
“Duke Ferrius!”
Kardan shouted, and his attendant rushed over in alarm.
“If I were truly insane, your wrist would already be on the floor,” Tebet said.
“H-How dare you!”
“Or maybe your neck.”
His voice was dark, eerie, sending chills down the spine.
Before Kardan realized it, Tebet’s sword pointed at his wrist.
“How dare… you raise a sword against me…”
Kardan froze under the threat.
Tebet ground his teeth. His patience had reached its limit.
“You’re unreasonable.”
Swish—the sword moved.
Something dropped to the floor.
“Aaah!”
Kardan screamed, checking his wrist frantically. A golden button, dried with food, rolled across the floor—it had been attached to his sleeve.
“What’s all the fuss about?” Tebet smirked.
Kardan’s legs went weak, and he sank to the floor. The attendant supported him, astonished.
Tebet calmly sheathed his sword, his cold gaze pressing down.
“You seem tired today. Better to leave now.”
“D-Duke… this is…”
“Escort the crown prince.”
“Yes, yes!”
The attendant helped Kardan, who moved in a daze.
Clack. The reception room door closed.
A short silence fell over the room.
“Any injuries?” Tebet asked, turning.
Eslyn sat on the cold floor, and he clicked his tongue at her.
“Are you hurt? Let me see.”
“Did you… kneel?”
“What?”
Her eyes were somehow moist. Tebet frowned unconsciously.
Her dry shoulders trembled slightly.
Unable to bear it, he took his cloak nearby and wrapped it around her.
Even then, Eslyn remained seated, dazed.
“You… really knelt in front of Kardan?”
She asked repeatedly like a broken doll.
Tebet shook his head.
“I don’t remember. I don’t know why I did.”
“….”
“To kill that princess…”
Even he found it absurd, a self-deprecating expression passing over his face.
Eslyn bit her lip.
To kill? No.
‘To save me.’
This proud man had knelt before Kardan, begging.
What had he said? His expression? The atmosphere? The air? Kardan would surely have mocked him—what had it felt like then?
Eslyn knew without asking. She, too, had knelt before Kardan, had begged like a dog.
“Ha…”
She placed her hand over her left chest. Her clothes pressed tightly as she applied pressure.
Still, her aching heart did not ease.
“Hey.”
Tebet carefully cupped Eslyn’s chin, lifting her to gauge her expression.
“Why now? Are you really… hurt?”
He froze, as if struck by lightning.
Tears fell from her lake-like eyes.
His breath caught. His mind went blank.
“Why are you crying?”
Tebet barely forced out his voice.
His fingers touched warm tears, the sensation shocking.
“Damn… please.”
He hurried to check on her, unsure how badly she was hurt.
Yet, no visible injuries were found.
Tears kept sliding down her pale cheeks. He was partially losing his mind.
He could not understand why, but silent Eslyn’s crying was utterly destructive to him.
“Don’t cry. Here, take a handkerchief…”
Tebet urgently searched his coat.
He took a handkerchief embroidered with the Riferious crest from his inner pocket, intending to wipe her face. A memory flashed:
‘I had no handkerchief to give you.’
“….”
Even without seeing clearly, he knew.
It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her tears.
He looked at the handkerchief in his hand.
He hadn’t handed it over before because back then, these tears meant nothing to him.
“…I see.”
Tebet slowly reached out.
The soft fabric quickly absorbed the moisture as he carefully wiped her face.
“Today, I’d like to lend you a handkerchief.”
Eslyn observed each of his movements, imprinting them in her memory.
“Will you accept it?”
Even his bitter smile, she noted every detail.
