Chapter 16 – Part 18

“She’s left the house.”

The butler reported to Duke Miles as soon as Arlen had quietly left the carriage.

He nodded in understanding, and the butler left the room.

“It took longer than I thought.”

It had been a week since he had given his daughter her options.

“What answer will she bring back?”

With that muttered, Duke Miles continued to watch Arlen’s carriage as it drove out of the manor.

Arlen left the mansion and headed for the place where she and Shannua always met. A dim light greeted her, as if it knew she would be there.

Stepping out of the carriage, she pulled on her robes, glanced up at the second floor, where she knew Shannua would be, and entered the mansion. Once inside, she found him pacing the floor, having just descended the stairs.

“I thought you’d be here sooner.”

Shannua tried to wrap his arms around Arlen’s waist as he lumbered toward her. 

But he was stopped and pushed back by Arlen’s hand on his chest.

“You said you loved me! Is this how you love me?”

She shot back with a rare look of anger. Shannua looked down at Arlen, the smile slowly fading from his face.”What have I done?”

When he finished asking the question, the smile had completely disappeared.

“The Empress? You want me to go under her thumb and follow her?”

Shannua frowned.

“Are you suggesting that I dethrone the current Empress?”

Arlen didn’t answer. But he knew that it meant yes.

It was like this every time. She would not say what she wanted, but she would be grumpy, irritable and withdrawn, leaving him to make his own decisions.

And he naturally fell out of that responsibility.

“I’ve done everything to prove myself to you. Because you wanted to maintain a friendly relationship, I did it, and I even promised not to partner with anyone who doesn’t suit you, and I even got a contract with Eli and made him your partner do it.  What more can I do for you?”

Shannua had endured it all so far, but he wasn’t willing to do it anymore.

“You told me you loved me, but you tried to marry Eli Grit. You even traveled all the way to Shuban to do it.”

“I told you, that’s…!”

“Arlen. That excuse won’t work anymore.”

His businesslike expression was unfamiliar to her, as Shannua had always smiled broadly in her presence.

Embarrassment showed on Arlen’s face.

“I’m telling you I’m going to go through with this because I love you, Arlen.”

“…….”

“I am making this proposal to you, taking into account everything, including the uproar that will come from the Marquis of Tules. That decision of mine… Is it just a shame for you? ”

If that was all Arlen saw in his proposal, he would be truly disappointed.

“The rift in our relationship started when you rejected my proposal but couldn’t let me go. I’m also taking responsibility for not being able to let you go.”

In truth, Shannua still didn’t clearly understand why she had rejected his proposal.

It was something he’d swept under the rug, thinking that maybe she was having second thoughts and regrets, that maybe she felt the same way he did, seeing that she couldn’t let go of him.

But now even his confidence in Arlen’s heart was wavering.

“If you don’t take this chance, our relationship will be over.”

With that, Shannua left the mansion, leaving Arlen behind.  It was the first time in their entire relationship that he had left her behind like this.

It annoyed her again, as if to say that Shannua now had the upper hand in their relationship.

She couldn’t figure out how it had happened when there was nothing wrong and things had been going so well.It was evident that her well-functioning life had begun to falter with the encounter of a small stumbling block.

* * *

“You really have it all.”

“It was the Marquis’s orders to keep a generous supply of non-perishables. The perishables were to be replaced frequently.”

Gardner, the knight she first encountered here, was explaining to Ruby about the food storage in the manor’s basement.

When Ruby, who was amazed at the daily emergence of new foods, asked about the ingredients, Gardner guided her here.

“The Marquis never knew when he would need to use this place, so he ordered to always be prepared.”

The Marquis probably didn’t know that she would be using this place in his absence.

As Gardner explains, the mansion had everything she needed.

This includes the ingredients, the study, the terrace where you can get some fresh air, and the short walkway around the house. If she wanted, she could read books, play simple games, and draw pictures. There was a lot of consideration for the people staying here.

It was a protected place, except for the fact that it was in the woods, not easy to find from the outside, and not easy to get out of. It felt exactly like something Eliot would have prepared.

In truth, Ruby still didn’t fully trust the knights.

She had no way to confirm whether they were people working under Eli or not, so she remained cautious.

But one thing was certain: They were not trying to harm her.

As proof, Ruby could go anywhere she wanted. She could even go for a walk if the knights accompanied her.

Most of the time, she was accompanied by Gardner. Sensing her frustration, he took her to places where she could see beautiful landscapes.

Moreover, he answered all her questions and even told her things she didn’t need to know. Thanks to that, Ruby was gradually learning about the mansion.

“Oh, by the way, we can get outside this way too. It’s safe to use this way in case of emergencies. We lock the gate outside because of the wildlife, but it opens right up inside.”

“…… Is that so?”

“Yes. I’ll show you where this door leads next time you go for a walk.”

“Thank you.”

That was pretty much all the information she got.

He’d go out of his way to show her where I could get in and out of the mansion, where she could escape, and where she could hide.

Ruby’s suspicions were beginning to fade, though she wondered if Eli had really prepared this place in advance. The method was also Eli’s, so Knight’s words were not completely unreliable.

It’s something one gets when they talk to people about their pasts, but Eli’s loyalty is almost too hidden to recognize.

Just as he kept Ruby in the dark about Sorvan’s identity and the danger she was in by creating this place.

As Ruby stayed here, she sometimes wondered how much more she didn’t know.

“Can I use some of the ingredients here?”

“You want to cook yourself? We can……”

“I’m not used to cooking.”

The meals prepared for Ruby were made by knights who were used to using only swords, so it was obvious that they weren’t used to cooking. They must have been working hard, but they couldn’t hide it.

“I want to try cooking. But I’m not good at it, so don’t expect too much from me.”

“……No, anything is fine.”

The night, who knows a thing or two about cooking, couldn’t say no twice.

It was obvious to Ruby, and she laughed lightly.

“You’ll have to help me with that, though.”

“Of course.”

If she had to stay here until Eli arrived, there was no telling what kind of situation might arise, so it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her friend or foe. With that thought, Ruby gathered the ingredients and left the warehouse.

* * *

“It wasn’t a normal break-in. They were heading straight for your wife’s room and breaking things as if they were trying to disguise themselves.”

Eli’s grip on the reins tightened as he remembered the knight’s words, and his pace quickened.

The knight, who had come to deliver the news to Shuban, must be on his way to the capital. The reason he didn’t accompany Eli was because of his own orders.

“Marquis, how about I go with you? ”

Leton asked as he handed Eli a handkerchief as he mounted his horses to ride to Zenfield.

The situation was urgent, and a knight who had only just arrived in Schwern would likely not be able to keep up with Eli’s pace to get back.

“It’s okay.”

Eli shook his head.

“Tyrus, you rest here for half a day and then go where I told you. I’ve got some business for you to attend to, so stop there and then come to Zenfield.”

Tucking the handkerchief into his pocket, Leton handed the letter to Tyrus.

It was a letter he had hastily written and stamped with the Marquis of Grit’s seal, as preparations for his trip to Zenfield were quickly underway.

“Where should I go?”

Tyrus asked, gathering up the letter.

“The imperial palace.”

“What?”

It was a similar reaction not only from Tyrus but also from Emily and Leton, who stood to see Eli off. They looked doubtful about what they had heard.

“Take this to His Majesty. He’ll give you an answer. Bring back that answer.”

“Understood.”

Eli gave a brief explanation, and Tyrus didn’t ask more.

“Is older sister okay……?”

Emily was watching the rapidly changing situation with anxious eyes. The mention of the imperial palace made her feel like something really bad had happened.

“She’ll be fine.”

It seemed more like self-assurance directed at himself than an answer to Emily.

“Take care of yourself.”

Emily said, hiding her anxiety for the sake of her brother, who was probably more anxious than she was.

“Be careful.”

Eli gave Emily and Leton a grateful glance, then took off running.

And with that, Eli set off for Zenfield, never stopping except to switch horses. Ruby’s face was blurry anyway, so he couldn’t rest properly.

Eli’s eyes sharpened again as he remembered the situation before he left Shuban. Whoever was behind this, he wasn’t going to let them get away with it.

But first, he had to make sure Ruby was safe.