Chapter 14
The owner answered without hesitation.
“Of course, it’s Duke Demerut. He’s the master here and a kind person who takes care of us.”
I didn’t relax at all hearing that. It didn’t sound like he was exaggerating, so I asked again.
“You mean Duke Demerut is a kind person?”
“Of course. When there’s a bad drought or poor harvest, he reduces the taxes by half. No one else thinks of us like that.”
Calyx’s reputation was better than I expected. Quite different from what I imagined.
What’s going on?
Having actually been beside him, the owner’s words felt unfamiliar. Of course, I was grateful he had let me ride in his carriage, but before that, I still held a poor opinion.
I ate the cabbage soup with a stern face. The owner, curious, asked:
“But why are you looking for Prod Swindel? Lately, royal people have been wandering around oddly.”
“Royal people?”
“Yes, the royal knight order even came before.”
A light seemed to enter my previously dark thoughts. I asked quickly:
“Do you know where they stayed? Or where they went?”
“I don’t know exactly. Maybe they had business nearby. Or maybe they came to supervise unnecessarily because this is the Duke’s territory.”
“Has the royal knight order been here before?”
“Quite a few times. The Duke and the royal family don’t get along. So they come here to nitpick and make things difficult for us.”
The royal family was meaner than I expected. Even if they didn’t like Duke Demerut, doing this was extreme.
But recalling Calyx, it wasn’t entirely surprising. He seemed untouchable—so it made sense they might act with malice.
I shook my head and continued eating the soup, feeling a bit warmer. I put my cloak on as the air outside was cold.
The restaurant owner paused, looking at me—at my cloak, specifically.
Seeing my confused look, he quickly said:
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“What do you mean?”
“If you’re associated with the Duke, I could have given you more food.”
“Oh, I’m just working as a mercenary…”
“I heard good news is coming soon. Looks like it’s true.”
“Really?”
The owner smiled contentedly.
“You don’t have to pay. Maybe spring is finally coming here too.”
The words were strange, but since he said I didn’t need to pay, I didn’t. Money was tight, so it was fine.
When I left the restaurant, a familiar carriage was right in front of me. Black, shining more than the others—it was Calyx’s carriage. He had apparently come for something. The shop right in front was an apothecary.
Is he buying medicine alone?
Just then, Calyx came out of the apothecary. Tall and striking, he immediately caught the eye. The shop owner bowed repeatedly as he left.
The carriage soon departed. I ran to the shop owner I was about to enter.
“Excuse me!”
The old man, his hair completely white, looked back.
“Hello, may I ask you something?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I’m looking for someone. Do you know Prod Swindel?”
The man thought briefly and shook his head.
“Never heard of him.”
I wasn’t expecting much. ‘Prod Swindel’ wasn’t even his real name; he could have changed it.
“By the way, you’re Duke Demerut, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Do you usually buy medicine alone?”
The man looked closely at me and asked:
“Do you know the Duke personally?”
“Ah, I’m Lerit Bin. I work nearby as a mercenary.”
I lifted my cloak slightly. His eyes widened.
“That cloak—isn’t it the Duke’s family cloak?”
“The Duke gave it to me.”
The man was speechless for a moment, then guided me inside.
“You’re such an important guest, I should have treated you better. Come this way.”
I followed, curious, and the smell of herbs surrounded me.
“Please sit. The Duke hasn’t been well lately, so I have a lot to tell you.”
Not well? He seemed fine recently.
He served steaming tea. Fortunately, it had no red tinge, and it smelled good. I took a sip.
“The Duke’s sword energy has grown stronger. If that continues, the medicine I’ve prescribed may not work, and his body could go out of control. So, Lerit, please speak carefully to him.”
“What?”
“You need to share the serum that stabilizes his power.”
Share serum? With Calyx? I couldn’t imagine it. I doubted even Calyx would do such a thing.
“Is there really someone who can do that?”
“From his current state, there must be someone nearby who can.”
“Who would that be?”
“Someone capable of neutralizing his power.”
“Someone like that…”
“A royal.”
My eyes widened.
“A royal?”
“Yes. Only royalty can stabilize the Duke’s power now.”
Royalty? Who could it be? Calyx had said the princess was still alive.
Could he know where she is and be hiding her nearby?
I looked at the apothecary owner, full of questions.
“The Duke used to be manageable with medicine, but now that his power is partially stabilized, he especially needs to be connected to royalty.”
I nodded slowly. The owner continued, frustrated:
“I’ve told the Duke repeatedly that he must mend relations with the royal family, but he never listened.”
If the Duke ignores him, would he listen to me?
“Do you think he’d listen to me?”
“You’re part of his household, so maybe he’ll listen more than to me. You’re wearing the cloak, aren’t you?”
That cloak was apparently significant. Calyx had just handed it to me casually. Even if he tried to return it, he wouldn’t accept it.
I paused, thinking. If the owner says this, then clearly someone from the royal family is around Calyx.
The royal knight order? But they never got near Calyx. I hadn’t seen them around here either.
So, one suspicion pointed to Calyx himself: the missing princess the king had lost. He had boldly claimed she was alive.
Could it be…
I was stunned. If Duke Demerut is hiding the princess, he’s at odds with the king. That means he could harass the king by keeping her hidden.
If I was right, this was huge. Maybe I could even report it to the king and get a reward.
“Lerit?”
I looked up at the sudden call. The apothecary owner spoke earnestly.
“Please speak carefully to the Duke.”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll speak to him properly.”
“That eases my mind. Earlier, the Duke took a stronger dose of medicine. I hope now the Duke and the royal family can restore their relationship.”
The owner then talked about Calyx. He had watched him since childhood, cared for him, and worried about him.
“Since the hunter died, the Duke’s personality changed so much.”
“Hunter?”
“Solpain. Famous in this area. Harsh words, reckless actions. Skilled hunter, too, which local merchants liked. Good quality, cheap leather.”
I listened silently. He continued:
“But the king killed him. The Duke hunted a deer in the royal forest, but the king couldn’t punish the Duke’s father, so he killed that hunter instead. After that, the Duke despised the royal family and became antagonistic.”
“Was that hunter really that important to the Duke?”
“Solpain was more than a father figure. He taught the Duke to control his power with a sword, survive in the forest, and ride wild horses.”
I remembered the harsh language Calyx used with his soldiers. I’d thought he was rough for a noble, but now it made sense—it came from his upbringing.
“The Duke’s father paid little attention to him. His mother died at childbirth.”
It felt strange seeing this side of Calyx. I had expected an arrogant noble raised with love, but he had been neglected.
He never had parental love.
I had been poor but loved by my mother and aunt. Survival was hard, but I had love.
The old man continued a little more, then gave me some medicine for muscle pain as I left. My hands smelled of herbs.
He came outside and saw me off.
“Please take care of the Duke. Mercenaries usually don’t wear cloaks like that, but since you’re a woman, the Duke seems to favor you specially.”
I only smiled. It wasn’t favor—it was that the price didn’t match, so he spared me.
