Chapter 10 –  The Master of the North (Part 5)

From the Empire to the North, it typically took about two weeks, even when traveling nonstop, a minimum of one week. Therefore, he thought that no matter how fast, it would take at least two weeks from the day the outsider took the carriage to reach the North.

But, as if mocking his thoughts, Cherta arrived here just four days after the outsider reached the capital.

‘Was he in that much of a hurry?’

He hadn’t fully believed the rumors he had heard so far. He thought there must be some exaggeration. But now, seeing this, he realized it was not an exaggeration but merely the tip of the iceberg.

“So, what is the reason that someone who should be most aware of the unwritten rule between the Imperial family and the North has provoked the North by breaking it?”

“I followed the trail.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

At the response of feigning ignorance, Cherta took out the yellow ribbon he had carefully kept in his bosom.

“This is the ribbon that the woman I’m searching for last wore in her hair. But it was caught on a tree right in front of the northern border.”

“Is that so?”

“That tree had its roots on a sloped cliff. So the answer is clear. It got caught on the tree as she fell off the cliff. And when I crossed that cliff, the northern guards appeared.”

“….”

“Marquis Verdandy, where is my woman?”

Having already grasped the entire situation that had passed, Cherta stared at Knox with piercing eyes. Knox, leisurely savoring another sip of tea, was inwardly quite impressed.

Indeed, the Crown Prince was the Crown Prince. To deduce all of this from just a ribbon caught on a branch.

“Well, do you have any assurance that she is here? I have nothing to say based on such conjecture. And more importantly, you seem to be forgetting that the North is currently closed. Outsiders can’t enter, nor would they dare to, fearing the repercussions.”

“….”

“I’ve heard rumors and vaguely understand what the woman you’re looking for means to you, Your Highness, but I don’t know if it’s significant enough to disrupt the long-standing trust between the Imperial family and the North and break the unwritten rule.”

The sound of the teacup being set on the saucer echoed in the quiet drawing room. Unlike before, Knox’s sharply honed navy-blue eyes met Cherta’s.

“You are still young. To lose sight of the important things because of personal emotions. The North has no intention of risking their lives to protect such a lord.”

With that, silence lingered in the drawing room for a while. Knox quietly observed Cherta, who said nothing, and then turned his head to the window.

In truth, the one most entangled in personal emotions was himself. He harbored the selfish desire not to let go of the child who reminded him of the daughter he had lost forever due to his shortcomings, in the North, in the Marquis household.

Most of the people in the Marquis household probably felt the same way.

The Northerners aren’t particularly kind to outsiders. If there’s something needed, they’ll provide it, but they show no interest beyond that. As long as it doesn’t harm them, they don’t care if someone freezes to death, starves to death, or dies from festering wounds.

Yet, they were unusually kind to that child. Without being told, they prepared nutritious food, gathered medicinal herbs, reduced their sleep to ensure she was comfortable, and provided conveniences.

The meaning was clear. The North was still stuck on that day 13 years ago. Still… unable to forget the little master of the Marquis household.

A deep sadness clouded the sharply honed navy-blue eyes. As if submerged under deep water, sounds reaching his ears grew faintly muffled, when Cherta’s firm voice pierced through.

“There’s no need.”

“…What?”

“If she’s not here anyway, this Empire, the position of Crown Prince, means nothing to me.”

Knox furrowed his brow at the sudden words. 

What on earth—

“What meaning is there in a life without the one you hold dearer than life itself? Over the past few days, I’ve wanted to kill myself countless times. For failing to protect her that day, for being foolishly complacent about the situation.”

By now, his red eyes were filled with emotions like anger, madness, sorrow, and despair, all mixed together. Each word he uttered sounded like a cry of pain.

“Yet, the only reason I haven’t done so is the faint hope that Ria might still be alive. If the master of my life is still alive, my duty is to find her.”

“….”

“Marquis, you know well, don’t you? How great the pain of losing someone precious is. So please…!”

At some point, only desperation was evident in his voice. A loud thud echoed as his knees hit the hard floor.

“Please let me see her. If she’s not here, help me find her. She’s in the North, definitely in the North.”

“Your Highness!”

“If you want the position of Crown Prince, I’ll give it up. If you want to punish me for breaking the unwritten rule, I’ll gladly accept it. Such things don’t matter to me anymore. I only need Ria to be alive….”

For someone destined to sit in the most noble position, losing the one most precious to them could drive them mad in an instant.

Knox, startled, sat back on the sofa as if he had thrown himself onto it. Covering his eyes with his hand, he recalled a case he had read about briefly before. The fact that it came to mind, especially in this situation, and was so similar to the Crown Prince’s actions, was certainly not something to take lightly. If so, it was better not to endure any longer.

“What will you do if the one who is to ascend to the most noble position has their knees so close to the ground? Very well, please rise.”

“….”

“Your Highness.”

When Knox called him once more, Cherta finally, reluctantly, got up and sat back on the sofa. Seeing his face, drenched in profound anguish, Knox roughly ran his hand over his own face a couple of times.

“The words you just spoke are not those of someone who is to ascend to the position of the next Emperor. How can the subjects and citizens trust and follow such an irresponsible Emperor?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. In that position, you must protect the one you claim to hold dearer than life.”

Cherta’s head snapped up. As hope began to bloom in his gradually brightening golden eyes, Knox continued speaking.

“Yes. I found her after she fell from the cliff and brought her here. Her condition wasn’t very good.”

“H-how bad was it? How is she now?”

“There were clear rope marks on her wrists and ankles, reddish in color, and her entire body was covered with wounds, from small ones to large ones. The yellow dress she was wearing was already soaked with blood.”

The two hands on his knees clenched into fists so tightly they turned white. Hearing about the severe situation, even secondhand, Cherta’s eyes trembled with anger and worry.

“Moreover, she lost consciousness, and her body temperature dropped rapidly. She suffered from a high fever for three days, teetering on the edge of life and death, and only regained consciousness several days after the fever subsided. It was a week.”

“Ha—.”

“Fortunately, after waking up, her recovery sped up, and now I hear she can lift herself up. However, it seems she took a severe blow to her legs when she fell from the cliff, as she still can’t move them.”

And finally, he crumbled, wearing an expression as if he had lost the world. 

How desperate must you have felt, unable to move your legs again? While you were feeling that pain and despair, I was… 

The gloom melted into his heart, split by self-reproach. Anger at himself for failing to protect her, despite wanting to, burst forth.

“…So, her legs, does that mean they can’t heal?”

“That’s not the case. According to Letban, it should be possible within a few days.”

It was the best news he had heard so far. Cherta lowered the hands that had been covering his face and clasped them together, pressing his forehead against them like a prayer, closing his eyes. Knox continued speaking, observing him, unable to even let out a sigh of relief.

“She called for the four of you often. It seems she has frequent nightmares, unable to sleep deeply, waking up repeatedly, and each time, she cries silently, calling your names.”

“….”

“She seems mentally exhausted as well, and I considered telling her about you four, but the stories spreading around the capital weren’t… favorable, so I didn’t tell her anything. I thought recovering from her serious physical state was the priority, and creating worries wouldn’t help. I only informed her that letters had been sent.”

“Letters?”

“Yes. Sent a few days ago, so it seems you crossed paths.”

In truth, he couldn’t just leave the child who cried silently every night to endure each day. So he sent a letter the day after he heard the report from Ennie.

But seeing the child recover quickly, he became greedy, thinking maybe she could live like this, and forgot about it. Blinded by personal emotions, he tried to ignore her pain.

If they hadn’t come looking within four days, if they hadn’t pleaded with him, giving up everything, he might have continued to ignore it, only satisfying his own desires. Looking back now, it was a terribly dangerous thought.

Because he can’t predict what they would do to find her. Perhaps things would have escalated, leading to a bloodbath. He’s so relieved to have come to his senses now.

“Anyway. So that she doesn’t worry about your appearance more than her own body, shave that beard first. People might mistake you for a patient.”

At Knox’s gesture, the head butler standing by the drawing room door quickly instructed a maid outside to bring shaving tools. The quick-footed maid soon returned with the tools.

Realizing belatedly that he hadn’t tidied his scruffy beard, Cherta rubbed his chin with his hand before swiftly accepting the tools to shave. He wanted to see her as soon as possible, but knowing that Ria would likely try to use healing magic on him upon seeing his disheveled state, he took care of it first.