Chapter : 42
“No! That’s impossible!”
At my words about going to the battlefield, Rajif’s expression changed for the first time. He had never looked like this before.
So he does turn red when he gets excited…
I spoke even more confidently to Rajif, whose face was flushed and showing hints of embarrassment.
“You don’t have the right to stop me. I’m going. Didn’t you say you had to protect me within a radius of ten rota? If I go, you’ll have to go too.”
“The Crown Prince will never allow it,” he replied.
“Sorry, but that only applies when the Crown Prince is here. He isn’t, is he? Or you could go directly to the battlefield and get the order yourself.”
“….”
Rajif closed his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words.
You must follow me to the battlefield.
“What happens if I die on the way, Rajif?”
“….”
His face grew even more rigid, but he still didn’t answer.
Right, if I die, things will get quite complicated for you.
Calix must have left you here to protect me.
You’ll probably die too. Calix might kill you…
No, Calix’s personality seems to have changed quite a bit now, so maybe he won’t.
Anyway, you’ll probably be fine—as long as you don’t die. Right?
“Follow me within the ten rota, and protect me well. Make sure I get to Calix safely. That’s the order you were given, isn’t it? I can’t die, and you can’t let me out of your sight. I’m going to Aolium.”
“Why are you doing this?!”
Finally, Rajif raised his voice.
The usually calm man was shouting… he’s really angry.
Good, I asked the right question.
I’ll explain everything clearly, so remember this.
“I think you should protect Crown Prince Calix by his side. That’s why I was going to send you. If you say now that you’ll go alone, there’s no need for me to go myself, right? Me, so weak, going to the battlefield… I might collapse and die along the way.”
I paused for a moment, tapping my arms and legs.
Part of me hoped this would finally persuade Rajif, but thinking about my frail body, the future seemed bleak.
“However, since Rajif refuses to go alone, I have no choice but to go. I am absolutely loyal to Calix. And Calix needs you, Rajif. Don’t forget to relay everything I just said to the Crown Prince. Remember it well and tell him later.”
I must make sure he knows how loyal I am to Calix!
Of course, I also intended to make my presence known when I reached Calix, but having a witness makes it even more effective.
“Lady Kaelin Brockburk! The battlefield is—”
Rajif, who was almost shouting in excitement, suddenly stopped when he saw my startled face.
Looking at his fierce expression and tone, I could tell what he meant without him saying a word.
The battlefield is as dangerous as that expression of yours, Rajif.
For a weak woman like me…
But Rajif said no more.
And I didn’t ask.
Judging by his fierce aura, he seemed capable of keeping me safe throughout the journey to the battlefield.
I spoke clearly.
“This afternoon, when Father goes out, I’ll leave immediately. I can’t walk the whole way, so please get a carriage, Rajif. Otherwise, I’ll just take the Brockburk family carriage.”
Rajif pressed his lips shut.
But he would get a carriage.
He was tasked with keeping me safe, so no matter how reluctant he felt, once I moved, he had to ensure my safety.
Taking a conspicuous carriage like the Brockburk family’s would obviously be the worst choice for him.
After the war broke out and the Emperor fell, Father and Luke went out every day.
While waiting for their departure, I packed my things.
I tried to prepare lightly, but even so, the bag filled up completely.
It was very heavy, but since the journey would take several days, there was no way to remove anything.
Just as I finished packing, I heard horses whinnying through the window.
Father and Luke were finally leaving the house.
Looking at the clock, it was slightly earlier than their usual departure time.
I watched from the window until their carriage disappeared from view.
When I could no longer see the carriage, I got up immediately.
It was time for me to leave as well.
But as I was about to step out, I froze for a moment.
A certain thought had come to mind.
“Always wear the necklace.”
The fortune-teller had said this when selling the red stone necklace.
I had worn it only for the first few days and then left it in a drawer because it was heavy.
I took out the forgotten necklace and put it on.
It felt surprisingly heavy after so long.
Would it be too cumbersome on the way to the battlefield?
After a brief hesitation, I put the necklace back in the drawer.
But then I stopped again at the door.
No! Since I’m going to the battlefield, I should have a talisman like this!
I paid a lot for it, so I must take it now. When else would I use it?
Believing in superstition doesn’t hurt.
Even though the bag was already heavy, I placed the red stone necklace on top.
It made the bag feel even heavier.
When I carried the heavy bag to the entrance on the first floor, the butler, who normally wouldn’t ask, questioned me today.
Apparently, it seemed odd that I was leaving again after my morning walk.
His eyes fell on my bag.
“You’re going to meet AB, aren’t you? The Marquess Dalton. You must have packed quite a few things for AB.”
I hastily lied.
The butler, who couldn’t even imagine that I was sneaking to Aolium, quickly understood and said politely,
“Shall I prepare a carriage for you?”
“No, I’ll walk a bit and get a carriage myself. Don’t worry about it.”
“Very well, then. Please go, Milady.”
Seeing me off, I let out a sigh of relief.
It was lucky that I usually walked alone without a maid. In this situation, a maid would have been hard to shake off.
As I entered the path, I heard hoofbeats within minutes and saw a carriage stopped on the road beside the path.
A rather ordinary black carriage.
Rajif.
I approached the carriage.
“Get in.”
Rajif was sitting on the driver’s seat.
It seemed he intended to drive it himself.
I quickly got in.
The carriage was surprisingly spacious inside. Wooden boards were placed on the seats, making a makeshift bed, and blankets were prepared on top.
Was this for taking a nap?
Rajif is surprisingly considerate.
Ah, wait!
A bed and blankets?
He’s not planning to camp in the carriage, is he?
Clop clop clop
As my anxious suspicion arose, the sound of hoofbeats started.
The carriage set off, and my heart raced with tension and excitement, going to a battlefield I had never seen before.
I kept muttering as if chanting a spell.
“This is the right thing. This is the way for me to survive, for my family to survive. I’m going to survive… I’m going to survive…”
“Ow, my back.”
I groaned involuntarily.
I could hardly believe it.
Rajif was actually letting me sleep in the carriage.
He drove the carriage toward Aolium at a relentless pace, making me wonder if he had ever been angry about me going to the battlefield.
Even though I was uncomfortable, I could lie on the wooden boards on the seats and sleep a little. But he drove the carriage without rest, even while I slept.
When we reached the village in the morning and stopped at an inn, I thought he would finally rest.
But he bought a horse there and changed the horse pulling the carriage.
He seemed to think that the horse should rest even if he didn’t.
The horse’s welfare mattered more than his own, huh.
“Rajif, aren’t you sleeping at all?”
“I rested briefly when I was tired.”
When?
The carriage kept moving until I fell asleep, and it was still moving when I woke up.
Reading my mind, Rajif said,
“You didn’t notice because you slept for a long time, Milady.”
Tch. Ridiculous.
He didn’t even sleep enough for the horse to rest properly…
I kept silent.
It was his responsibility.
I only had to make sure Rajif delivered me to Calix on time.
Outwardly, it seemed Rajif was taking me to Calix.
If we could just go quickly and return immediately, that would be even better.
I thought so.
“I’ll depart now.”
Rajif urged me as I stood dazed in front of the inn.
How had he held back from rushing to the battlefield until now?
I glared at the back of Rajif’s head for a moment, then got into the carriage.
Incredibly, we stayed at the inn only for the second night of the journey, and for the third and fourth nights, I had to sleep in the carriage.
On the fifth day, Rajif said,
“We’ll reach Aolium in a few hours.”
After days of restless sleep, I woke up instantly to Rajif’s voice coming through the window connecting the driver’s seat and the carriage.
We were almost at the battlefield.
