Chapter 2.1 – The Commotion at Dawn

“It’s raining so much outside. With the territory flooding, how could I, as the Lord, possibly stretch out my legs and sleep soundly?”

“Father…!”

“Don’t worry too much. I promise I’ll be back soon, just after a brief rest.”

There was no one more irresponsible than a Lord who failed to care for his people. In high positions, there always came great responsibility.

Brienne recalled the lesson her father had repeated countless times, biting her lip tightly.

She didn’t fail to understand her father’s decision to go help the territory’s people himself.

With this kind of downpour, the river running through the territory would surely overflow and there’d be no way to avoid the flood, and those living in low-lying areas would be in danger.

But even so…

She couldn’t bring herself to send her beloved father into danger so willingly. Perhaps because of the strange dream she’d had, today she had a particularly bad feeling. Part of her wanted to throw herself forward and go in his stead, but she knew her father would never allow it.

“Just this once… can’t you not go? Please.”

Every time this situation repeated, it felt like her insides were burning up. At times like this, she resented and was upset that her father was the Lord, that he was a Marquis.

While she respected him for personally going out when other nobles only cared for their own safety, she also always resented him for it.

“Three hours. I’ll be back in exactly three hours. Do you remember how we used to play hide-and-seek every time I came here? This time too, I’m just the seeker.”

“…”

“Brie, so come here and give me a hug, will you?”

Damon called Brienne gently, smiling kindly. Though she was no longer a child to be fooled by hide-and-seek, Brienne could only sigh and surrender herself into his embrace.

Right now, the lives of the territory’s people were at stake.

Just as she truly loved and cherished her father, she knew there were others just as precious to those people.

“Please… come back safely. If it gets too dangerous, come right back.”

“Of course, if my daughter says so, I must do just that.”

Damon smiled, patting Brienne’s back. But Brienne’s throat kept tightening, and she couldn’t bring herself to smile back.

“Everyone, listen carefully.”

Detaching Brienne from his arms, Damon looked around at the servants with a now-serious expression.

“From this moment, all authority of the Ford family will be temporarily delegated to Shylo.”

“…Father!”

At that, Shylo, who had only been sniffling, lifted his head. Damon simply gave a bitter smile, as if he was aware he might not return.

“Open the door.”

At his command, the two waiting knights opened the tightly shut door. The rain, impossible to see through, greeted them fiercely. Damon, as if remembering something he’d nearly forgotten, turned to Brienne.

“Oh, if anything interesting happens with Young Master Belif, you must tell me all about it!”

Unaware of his daughter’s turmoil, he grinned mischievously and disappeared into the rain with the two knights.

* * *

<Of course, isn’t it time?>

Seated in the carriage, Damon looked up at the window of the guest room where Herace was staying. The answer to the question he’d heard yesterday still lingered deeply in his heart.

<…Time, why do you think so?>

<It’s obvious. Time waits for no one and just flows on. A newborn child grows up, and eventually, until the day they close their eyes in old age… We all live, losing everything equally. If I’m going to lose it anyway, I want to give all my time to the woman I love. I’ll cherish every moment together and never leave her alone, not even for an instant.>

When he’d heard those words, it felt as if he’d been struck by something. Damon himself had never been one to hold back affection, but he’d hardly ever spent time wholly with his family.

The council, the family, the territory.

Looking back, work had always come first in his life. He told himself it was because he had so much to protect, but even now, wasn’t he risking his life on this journey meant to comfort Brienne?

He believed that reviving the weakened family was for the sake of his family. That earning the trust of the people by caring for them was for Shylo, who would inherit his place. That way, Brienne too could marry a man from a good family.

But after hearing Herace’s words, he thought again. What the family wanted was none of that, but simply time with their father.

‘…When I return to the capital, I should spend every weekend with my family.’

A look of bitterness spread across Damon’s face as he turned away from the window.

He’d tried to leave quietly so as not to wake the guest, but he couldn’t help feeling regret at the thought that he might never see that beautiful young man again.

‘It was such a fitting answer for Brienne, too.’

Vowing to return without incident, Damon pulled back the carriage curtain and surveyed the landscape below, where the water had risen.

The village he’d prioritized was already submerged, not a single roof in sight. As if a huge lake had always been there, the eerily quiet scenery sent chills down his spine.

If this had been a region accustomed to heavy rain, it might have been different. But with the lack of flood facilities, it was uncertain whether the people of Ford territory had evacuated safely. Even if he went there now, there would be little he could do.

Blaming his own complacency, Damon ordered the carriage to head for the second village. How much time had passed? After some distance, the carriage suddenly stopped.

“The rain is too heavy, we can’t go any further by carriage!”

One of the knights hurriedly got off his horse and knocked on the window. As if expecting this, Damon opened the window, and the knight lowered his posture to report.

“Marquis, as the ground gets lower, the road ahead is flooding. If we go any further, the wheels might get stuck and we won’t be able to return. It’s better to get out and walk from here.”

“Understood. Prepare to tie the horses here.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Damon promptly jumped out of the carriage. Another knight had already opened an umbrella and was helping him along.

“Hold onto me tightly. The water could deepen at any moment, so don’t ever get separated from me.”

Damon nodded and managed to take a step forward. His feet sank deep into the soggy earth, his body swaying back and forth. With each step, his trousers threatened to slip off.

“We’re almost there!”

As the knight had said, before long, the water that had barely reached their ankles now started creeping up to their knees. Damon frowned, staring at the clothes and various household items floating away in the distance.

“That is…”

But he soon realized what was drifting away wasn’t clothing.

They were definitely people.

People who showed no movement, perhaps already having drawn their last breath.

“…Damn it!”

The color drained from Damon’s face, who had barely managed to stand his ground. 

Was I really too late? If only I’d arrived a little sooner…

“There’s a child over there!”

At that moment, the knight shouted loudly. Damon, lost in guilt, snapped his head up. Following the knight’s gaze, he saw a young girl standing on a rooftop.

Just then—

“Ugh…!”

The umbrella shielding their view was snatched away before anyone could grab it. A sudden gust of wind sent the fierce rain lashing at their bodies mercilessly. Then, out of nowhere, a large plank came flying.

“Get down!”

One knight quickly shielded the Marquis’s head, making them both duck. As their heads nearly plunged into the muddy water, the plank landed with a splash behind them.

“Marquis, are you all right?”

Even in that situation, Damon couldn’t take his eyes off the child.

A little girl, who seemed to be about six years old, was clinging to a chimney for support. Even the roof beneath her feet seemed barely intact.

The trembling little face overlapped with Brienne’s own childhood. Brienne, at that very age, had suffered from mysterious colds and fevers every day.

“P-please save me…!”

A scream, mixed with sobs, pierced his ears through the sound of the rain.

“Mom…! Dad…!”

Bricks and planks fell everywhere in the fierce wind. The child’s feet kept slipping, hastening the collapse of the roof. The house looked ready to crumble at any moment.

Below, the rushing water seemed eager to swallow the child whole.

“H-hey! Quickly, that child—”

As Damon faltered, one of the knights shouted loudly toward him.

“Marquis, the water has already risen even more! We must turn back now!”

But Damon only looked at the child.

If he didn’t step forward now, who on earth could possibly save that child?

“…Wait, just wait a moment!”

In the end, he shook off the knight’s hand and pushed through the current. Startled by the sudden turn of events, the knights hurried after him.

“Marquis! It’s too dangerous!”

“Please, come back!”

At that moment, another fierce gust of wind and rain swept through. The rain was so harsh that no one standing there could even open their eyes properly.

“Marquis…!”

When the knights following Marquis Ford finally managed to open their eyes, both the child and the Marquis had vanished.