CHAPTER 39…………..
A Foreboding Premonition
“Captain William, are you conscious?”
At the very moment the carriage carrying Mikrok exploded before his eyes, William, who had been standing closest, was gravely injured and collapsed on the spot.
When he barely opened his eyes again, he found two villagers and a knight gathered around him. With difficulty he sat up, only to realize he was lying in the bedroom of some unfamiliar country house.
“What happened?”
“At the time of the accident, everyone was holding the ropes to steady the tilting carriage, so we were all injured to varying degrees. His Highness Mikrok and you, Captain, were the most seriously hurt.”
“His Highness?”
William tried to rise but immediately grimaced as stabbing pain seared through his shoulder and chest.
“He has yet to regain consciousness. The physician has been tending him constantly.”
“And that bastard Maon?”
“He’s dead.”
“You’ve confirmed the body?”
“Yes. His Highness Mikrok’s sword pierced straight through the man’s heart and pinned him to the ground. Thanks to that, though the carriage was blown to pieces, neither His Highness nor the man fell over the cliff.”
Fortunately, the village children had been rescued unharmed. The villagers took the badly wounded Mikrok and the knights into their homes, summoned physicians, and administered swift first aid.
Suppressing his own pain, William gave orders to the least-injured subordinate.
“Send a message to Ralph. Tell him His Highness Mikrok must be brought immediately back to Pritan Castle.”
“Her Majesty the Queen will be terribly shocked.”
“There’s no helping it.”
“Especially since His Highness’s injury is in the worst possible place…”
The subordinate whispered something low into William’s ear. William’s face contorted.
“If he only wakes up, what’s an injury compared to that?”
Even as he said it, William could not fully shake a creeping unease. Of all places, why there?
“Tell the village headman to arrange one carriage fit for His Highness Mikrok and another large enough for all the other wounded, with fair payment.”
“And the body? Shall we behead him and hang it at the village gate?”
“What for? Such a vile sight. Have Ralph recover the corpse and cast it into the Wind Gorge. Let the Dark Dragon vent our fury for us.”
“Yes, Captain.”
William sat briefly on the bed allotted to him, then forced himself up again despite the agony wracking his body.
“Where are you going in that state?”
“To His Highness Mikrok. If I must suffer, I will suffer at his side.”
Half a day had passed since Shine had been humiliated in Queen Lea’s audience chamber, but her anger still had not cooled.
Yet with Julmon’s stern warning hanging over her, she could not simply lash out as she wished.
Shut up alone in her room, nursing her temper, she looked up to see Julmon entering with a tray of food.
“I don’t want it!”
She hurled a pillow, which Julmon calmly dodged before approaching her bed.
“You must eat something. Only then will you have strength, and blood will reach your brain so you may think clearly.”
“Are you saying I’m not thinking clearly right now?”
“Open wide.”
Though she snarled back, Julmon pried open her mouth with both hands.
Caught off guard, Shine let her jaw part. Julmon slipped in a finger and carefully examined her tongue. His eyes widened.
“Remarkable. Your tongue has fused perfectly.”
“Hmph!”
She snapped her head away with a scowl, irritated at having had to rely on another.
“It would have healed itself by morning anyway. That woman needn’t have meddled.”
The demon Malau tribe possessed regenerative powers far surpassing other races. Shine had known even a severed tongue would heal within a day, which was why she dared stage such a dramatic scene.
“Still, to cut out your own tongue on the spot—such quick thinking.”
Braced for scolding, Shine straightened at the unexpected praise.
“The people of Pritan had no inkling your tongue would mend so swiftly. Thanks to that, Queen Lea withdrew her order for your expulsion.”
“Exactly. I don’t even know how I came up with that brilliant idea myself.”
As Shine preened, Julmon hesitated, then spoke.
“Your Highness… has it struck you that Queen Lea looks strangely familiar?”
“Why? Because she has platinum hair like us?”
“No, not that… Forget I spoke.”
“Say it. Who does she resemble?”
“From the first time I saw her—the way she glared, her whole bearing—it was just like Lord Clemens.”
Shine leapt up, glaring murderously.
“Do you have a death wish? How dare you speak that name?”
“My apologies.”
“Say it before my father and your head will fall where you stand.”
Julmon bowed in silence.
Shine kicked aside her blanket with a burst of irritation.
“I can’t work with such incompetence. Where is that fool Haron?”
“He too received the expulsion order. He’s preparing to return to Haron.”
“Is that so? I must see him at once. He likely knows more about Queen Lea’s healing power.”
“No, Your Highness. I advise against it.”
“Hmph.”
Ignoring Julmon’s protest, Shine swept out of her chambers toward the lobby.
‘Ah… perhaps I praised her too much.’
Julmon sighed, then hurried after her lest she stir up further trouble.
Robbie’s carriage stood waiting before the West Palace.
The Stone family’s steward, Hans, had just loaded the last of the luggage when Robbie emerged, ready to depart.
At that moment Shine sidled up with a mocking smile.
“So in the end you’re being driven back to Haron.”
Robbie cast her a sidelong glance, then strode on toward the carriage without reply.
The shame of falling for her taunt about being Queen Lea’s lover—and then confessing, only to be humiliated—still made his body tremble.
But more than that, Lea’s icy words still cut at his heart.
‘Lord Robbie Stone. Hear me well. Should you ever spread unverified rumors again, I will not forgive you, no matter who you are.’
She had always softened her eyes and called him “Robbie” since childhood. But that day she had addressed him coldly as “Lord Robbie Stone.”
‘No words undermining me or my husband will be tolerated. Should it happen again, you will be punished for lèse-majesté against the royal family of Pritan.’
My husband and I. She had bound herself and her husband as one, while casting him, her longtime friend, outside the circle.
Robbie no longer wished to remain in Pritan Castle. He moved quickly to board the carriage.
“If you had told them about Queen Lea’s healing ability, no one would have suspected you of being her lover. After all, would a supreme healer take a lowly viscount’s son as a paramour? It would hardly be fitting.”
Robbie turned back to her at last.
“Are you saying Lea is a top-ranked healer?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know. You were childhood friends—you must have realized long ago.”
“Absurd. Unless I see her healing with my own eyes, I cannot believe a word you say.”
“Oh, so you’ll protect her secret to the end? Did she order you to keep it?”
Convinced Robbie was still feigning ignorance, Shine pressed harder.
“She reattached my severed tongue herself. Of course, for demons like us, such wounds heal quickly, but she personally—”
“Your Highness, have you forgotten the order of secrecy?”
Julmon, alarmed, rushed to silence her, but it was too late.
Shine thought her revelation would force Robbie to open up.
But contrary to her expectation, Robbie turned away and climbed into the carriage before she even finished speaking.
“Hey! I wasn’t done!”
He ignored her completely.
“Hans, depart.”
“Without even saying farewell to Her Majesty the Queen?” Hans asked, startled.
Robbie’s face was like stone.
“Straight to the Imperial Palace of Haron.”
“Yes, young master.”
The carriage rolled swiftly out of Pritan Castle.
‘Could this be what the Haron Emperor wanted me to discover? That Lea possesses supreme healing power?’
Robbie recalled the letter he had been given, its purpose concealed.
Observe Lea Uzkall’s condition thoroughly. Report immediately if you detect anything unusual.
‘So… you hid such a vital truth from me.’
Clenching his teeth in a surge of betrayal, Robbie muttered inwardly:
‘Lea, don’t blame me later. You left me no choice.’
A week had passed since Robbie’s departure from Pritan Castle.
Though our last exchange had ended poorly, I never imagined he would leave for Haron without a word of farewell.
The thought that I might never see him again to clear the misunderstanding weighed heavily.
But then, perhaps it wasn’t even a misunderstanding. Robbie had seen me as more than a friend, while to me he was only that—an eternal friend.
If neither of us could change, perhaps distance was for the best.
Truthfully, the one filling my thoughts now was not Robbie, but Mik. No word had come from him since his expedition.
“Milly, still no reply from Duke Zenon?”
“No, Your Majesty. I have tried repeatedly to learn news of His Highness Mikrok or the knights, but the duke remains silent.”
On previous campaigns, letters carried by messenger birds had flown back and forth constantly.
Though this mission was said to be more dangerous, total silence was inexplicable.
“This won’t do. I must ask the Chancellor directly.”
I left the Queen’s Palace and headed to the East Palace where the Chancellor’s office was.
At the entrance I noticed several unfamiliar carriages. I summoned a page.
“Why are there so many strange carriages at the palace?”
“I heard, Your Majesty, that the Chancellor has summoned all the physicians in the capital.”
“What of the royal physicians?”
“That I cannot say.”
To summon so many doctors at once—something was amiss.
When I entered the Chancellor’s office, Duke Zenon rose in haste to greet me.
“Your Majesty, what brings you here without notice?”
“I cannot simply wait idly. Is there still no word from His Highness Mikrok?”
“Sir Ralph and the majority of the knights remain in the Wind Gorge, but I have reports that His Highness Mikrok and Sir William continue northward with only a few men.”
Not at all the relief I had hoped for. I sighed deeply, then recalled the line of carriages.
“I saw many outside the East Palace. Why summon all the physicians?”
“Eh?”
For a moment Duke Zenon looked visibly flustered, though he quickly regained composure.
“Ah, yes… There have been reports of plague in villages near the Wind Gorge. I have gathered the doctors to study remedies.”
“Oh dear. Is it severe?”
“Not at all. Merely a precaution, to be prepared for any eventuality.”
“May I attend the discussions?”
“Your Majesty?”
I had suggested it on impulse, thinking my healing might be of help. But Duke Zenon’s eyes trembled as though struck by an earthquake.
“We are still in the earliest stage of deliberations. Once we have concrete measures, we shall report to Your Majesty.”
Only the Malau envoys and Milly had seen me heal Princess Shine. The Chancellor still knew nothing of my power.
I considered confessing, but decided it best to tell Mik first.
“If there is any way the Queen’s Palace can assist, we will gladly do so. Please inform me at once should the plague worsen.”
“Yes, of course.”
As I turned to leave, a strange impression struck me.
Was it just my imagination, or did the Chancellor look palpably relieved to see me go?
