Chapter 5 – Part 7

The carriage carrying Sorvan headed further into the inner part of the palace.

After a while, it finally stopped.

“We’ll escort you this way.”

The attendant waiting guided Sorvan. Passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a large door, which opened as if they had been expected.

“Long time, no see, Del.”

Inside, Shannua, the Emperor of the Luben Empire, greeted Sorvan warmly.

“Long time, no see.”

“How have you been?”

“As usual.”

“Is that so? Your construction seems to be in disarray. You’re not visible in society either.”

Shannua asked in a natural tone.

“I took a break for a while and got some fresh air.”

In response to Sorvan’s answer, Shannua casually nodded.

“Have you gotten too comfortable? Or is there something else bothering you?”

“…I just needed a break from the suffocation.”

“I’ll do my best to protect you, but I can’t guarantee your safety once you leave the capital, especially for people who might be after you.”

Only then did Sorvan, who had his head slightly lowered, face Shannua.

In this empire, Sorvan had no connections, and the only person he had met inside the capital was Ruby. He wondered if the Emperor knew about Ruby, the wife of his close friend and subordinate, who was passionately searching for the woman known as Marchioness Grit.

“Shouldn’t you recognize them as your brothers? They’re probably just waiting for the right moment.”

Shannua’s advice was kind in its own way.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Understood.”

With Sorvan’s obedient response, Shannua refrained from saying more.

It was difficult to discern the emperor’s thoughts solely from his expression. However, Sorvan refrained from directly asking, as he was concerned about the possibility of revealing unknown facts.

If the emperor accidentally knew something, there was a possibility that he might tell Marquis Grit about it. Given their close relationship, it was entirely plausible.

“Sit down. You must have many questions.”

Ultimately deciding not to ask, Sorvan sat across from the Emperor.

“You’re probably most curious about the situation over there, right?”

The regular meeting between the two was to provide information on the Kingdom of Cains and confirm Sorvan’s safety.

“Well, both sides are suffering heavy losses. The recent negotiations broke down, and the war has practically become one where one side has to die for it to end.”

“…”

“Not long ago, the fifth Prince died in the canyon, of course, during the war.”

“Oh….”

Sorvan recalled the prince he played with as a child.

He was the brother who treated Marsha and him kindly and who had long retreated from the race for succession.

“In the previous fight, the 15th and the 8th Prince died in the Kingdom of Mortu. It is said to be an accident.”

“…”

“I looked at the situation and found that they were collecting knights. They were probably watching and checking the movements and killing them.”

Sorvan found himself in a similar situation. The only difference was that Sorvan had truly done nothing and survived, while the 8th Prince had tried to do something and died.

“Well, if they keep dying one by one, it’ll eventually come to an end.”

At the end, would he still be alive?

Sorvan had to wipe his sweaty hands for a while because it felt like the blade that was tightening towards him was hanging in front of him.

***

“Where have you been since you came after such a long time?”

Marsha was sulking.

“I just went out for a moment to get some fresh air.”

Due to the considerable distance between the capital and Capel, Sorvan had to leave the house for quite a while when he went out. Naturally, during that time, Marsha had to stay alone.

“Tch. Is the wind in the capital different from the wind outside?”

It was a statement filled with lingering resentment.

“Sorry.”

Sorvan now embraces his only family.

Using studying abroad as an excuse, he barely managed to escape the threat of death, taking only this child with him.

Perhaps Sorvan already knew when he decided to study abroad. His older brother, who had always ignored and looked down on him, had eyes that seemed to want to kill him.

In fact, during the civil war, the most beloved concubine of his father, which was his mother, was the first to be murdered.

“Sorry, I won’t go out for a while.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll do my best to protect you, but I can’t guarantee your safety once you leave the capital, especially for people who might be after you.”

Recalling the Emperor’s admonition, Sorvan hugged Marsha, thinking it would be better for everyone to stay quiet for a while.

***

“It’s freshly baked and delicious.”

“I know. That’s why I came out on time.”

Handing over a warm loaf of bread, Campbell glanced at Eli, standing next to Ruby.

“I’ll come again.”

With a curious expression, Ruby avoided Campbell.

“Give it to me.”

Eli, who was standing beside her, took the bread wrapped in paper instead.

“…Thank you.”

“Ruby!”

Laura, who discovered Ruby and called out cheerfully, was surprised when she noticed Eli next to her.

“Hello, Laura. How have you been?”

“I’m fine. And how about you?”

“I’m fine too. Did you get a reply from Palman?”

“No, not yet. Instead, I got a letter from Chancellor Chandler. Well, he inquired about Ruby in the letter. Oh, he’s a relative in the capital.”

Laura’s voice was joyous as she happily continued talking when Palman became the topic. Ruby laughed, occasionally chiming in with remarks.

“Yes, I realized I talked too much about myself. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll give you a bottle of delicious wine.”

“Oh no, I already received one last time.”

“Oh, come on, choose one. Chenlder mentioned that he wants to entrust his daughter to a good teacher. Her name is Gloria. There are probably many good teachers in the capital, but writing a letter indicates sincerity. Ah, I didn’t mention anything about you as you requested. Don’t worry about it.”

Laura, even thinking back, couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the sophisticated Chenlder.

“I’m glad Palman is doing well.”

“All thanks to Ruby’s excellent teaching. She seems to have adapted well. Do you like sweet wine?”

“Yes, thank you…”

“Kerna wine, then.”

Eli, who had been keeping his distance during their conversation, had quietly approached.

“Oh, are you Ruby’s companion? I haven’t seen you before…”

Although Laura knew about Eli, she pretended not to, and she asked Ruby.

“Ah, that’s…”

Ruby hesitated about how to explain. It seemed better not to know who he was, and if she said he was a nobleman’s wife, there would be too much to explain. The hesitation to answer was due to this dilemma.

“I’m her husband.”

However, Eli answered before Ruby, who was contemplating the response.

“Oh, you’re married, Ruby? When?”

Laura asked in surprise.

“It’s been a few years.”

Ruby awkwardly smiled, feeling uncomfortable that she had not been honest when she first arrived.

“I thought you came alone at that time, so I naturally assumed you weren’t married. And there’s a reliable young man who brings wine every few months, so I thought it would be nice to introduce him to Ruby this time…”

As Laura was rambling, one of Eli’s eyebrows twitched.

Laura had thought about how to make Ruby not waver in the face of that sly guy. She hoped that encountering a good person might help Ruby resolve any inner turmoil.

“I didn’t know you had a husband.”

After a while of chattering, Laura noticed Eli’s expression and stopped talking.

“He knows a lot about wine and matches Ruby well, right? So, I subtly recommended him.”

“Can you get me some cheese that goes well with wine? You can get whatever you like.”

Ruby purposely made the request to Eli for Laura’s sake. He understood Ruby’s intention and nodded obediently, leaving the store.

“Is he really your husband?”

After Eli left, Laura, who couldn’t believe it, asked Ruby again.

“Yes. I had reasons that made it a bit difficult to explain. I didn’t mean to deceive you, but I’m sorry.”

“……He’s not chasing you all the way here, is he? ”

“What?”

“I heard you worked in a noble family. Perhaps he even had a family, but he might be making advances towards you despite that.”

Laura thought that Campbell’s speculation had some credibility. His face was too handsome up close, and he seemed too charming for any woman not to be attracted to him.

Ruby could sense what kind of imagination Laura had, hearing her words.

“That’s not it, Laura.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ruby waved her hand as if to say it was absurd. Even before marriage, Eli never flirted with women he rejected, and he was not a person to play tricks.

“If anything happens, be sure to tell me! ”

Laura said this with concern, handing Ruby the packaged wine.

“Yes. But it’s really nothing.”

Ruby emphasized while receiving the wine. She soon left the wine shop and headed to the cheese shop.

Then she stopped before she reached the store.

She saw an Eli playing with a child in front of the store.

Contrary to the rough impression he gave, he seemed to get along well with the child. The child laughed happily as they played together.

Seeing his warm gaze, Ruby was sure that he genuinely liked children.

He would have made a good father. Thinking about that, Ruby’s momentarily pleased expression turned a bit bitter.

Ruby, with mixed feelings, tilted her head down slightly and headed towards the cheese shop.

“Did you talk for so long about that?”

Eli, who noticed Ruby, casually asked while receiving the items. He wondered if there was any explanation about the guy who delivered wine.

“Laura’s daughter learned from me. She got a good response at the capital’s party, so she thanked me.”

Ruby decided not to mention that Laura was concerned about Ruby when she first mentioned the wine delivery guy.

Eli still hadn’t fully withdrawn his suspicious gaze, but he didn’t ask further.

She didn’t think she needed to talk about Laura’s misunderstanding of him, so she left it out. Eli seemed to have caught on but chose not to press further.

Ruby tapped Eli’s wine slightly with the tip of his index finger and gave it to him as a reward, he added.

He still didn’t completely drop his suspicious gaze, but he didn’t ask any more questions, choosing to believe without further inquiry.

“Why don’t you show off your husband around the town?”

Eli, holding items in one hand, held Ruby’s hand with the other, muttering.

The act seemed strange to Ruby, who was about to withdraw her hand. However, seeing Laura’s reaction, it seemed better not to resist.

People who watched them from behind were surprised, but the two didn’t care.