Chapter 26

The claim that the woman was ill was a blatant lie. In truth, due to Karel’s unexpected actions, everyone in Oedel now knew that the two had formed a bond. Selma, in her own way, had taken measures to ensure the woman wouldn’t be seen by the villagers. She assigned her tasks like tidying up guest rooms that wouldn’t receive visitors until winter passed or handling kitchen chores—jobs that didn’t require her to interact with customers.

The woman was grateful for Selma’s decision. Although her hands became cold and chapped from washing vegetables and doing laundry in freezing water every day, she welcomed the physical exhaustion. It allowed her to forget her memories with the knight, her worries about his safety, and the pangs of longing that struck her when she thought of him.

“Hey, girl. Just a moment.”

The problem, however, was that others, unlike Selma, were not as eager to protect her.

‘How did such a quiet girl manage to pull off such a scheme?’

It wasn’t jealousy. Her fellow servants knew that catching the attention of such a distinguished lord and warming his bed was a matter of luck. Yet, that didn’t mean they would tolerate Selma’s favoritism toward her.

The servant who spoke to her fiddled with a silver coin in his pocket.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s looking for you.”

“Well, um, Selma told me to… finish this first…”

She hesitated, knowing full well that the person looking for her was Randolph. Bowing her head deeply, she resumed chopping radishes.

She had already disappointed Selma enough with the incident involving the knight. The knight would surely return before the night of Magiella, so all she had to do was keep working quietly until then.

‘It’s been almost a month since he left. It won’t be much longer now.’

At the same time, she found it uncomfortable to face the Lord’s third son. Though his words to her were gentle, the way he gripped her wrist and the unsettling gaze that swept over her made her uneasy. Determined to avoid such summons, she focused solely on her task, ignoring her colleague’s probing.

“…Fine.”

It’s your life, after all.

To her surprise, the colleague retreated without further persuasion. The silver coin in her pocket was worth only that much effort.

From then on, there wasn’t a single employee at Selmane who hadn’t received at least one silver coin from Randolph. The amount, equivalent to the price of a bowl of stew, was a generous tip for the staff at Selmane but a trivial expense for Randolph, the Lord’s youngest son.

He used the coins to request minor favors related to the woman.

“Girl, the night of Magiella is just after the next Sabbath. Once it passes, it’s likely the expedition won’t return…”

“But I heard the knight is the finest in the royal capital…”

“I know that. But if they were so strong, wouldn’t they have returned by now?”

In this way, others would subtly tried to persuade her to give up waiting for Karel.

“You’re not really carrying his child, are you? Even if you are, shouldn’t you be grateful that someone who might become the Lord is willing to take you in? He even said he wouldn’t mind raising the knight’s child.”

They also attempted to coax her into liking Randolph.

But the woman never gave in to these attempts. Some servants, emboldened by the substantial tips Randolph offered, even tried to trick her into meeting him, but they failed each time. Selma remained vigilant, ensuring the woman stayed far from the dining hall, and the woman herself diligently avoided Randolph.

Meanwhile, the night of Magiella approached, only a few days away.

* * *

“Still no sign?”

“None at all…”

The men whispered in hushed tones. They were members of the village militia standing guard at the border leading into the Gray Mountain Range.

“Could they have really gone all the way to the dragon’s lair? They’re far too late for a return…”

“Then… could they have met their end deep in the mountains?”

Their gazes drifted toward the inn’s interior. Once again, Selma was struggling to pacify Randolph, who was demanding to see the woman.

It had been over a month since Lord Montferdia had left Selmane, leaving his emblem with one of the tavern’s servants. Everyone in Oedel knew that if he didn’t return, the Lord’s third son intended to take the woman for himself. 

On one hand, both the servant and Selma were waiting for Lord Montferdia’s return. On the other hand, rumors spread that the village elders, who had allied themselves with Randolph, were already acting as though the expedition would not survive.

As the situation unfolded, the villagers began discussing things they wouldn’t have dared to imagine before.

“Could it be that the Light Dragon really is awakening, and that’s why Lord Montferdia had to step in?”

“Now that I think about it, it was strange to send a hero revered in the central region on a mere magical beast hunt. Even if the beasts are more aggressive this year because of Magiella’s night…”

“And seeing how the elders are siding with the village Lord’s son, could it be they already know he won’t return…?”

The men’s voices grew quieter.

The Oedel militia knew the Gray Mountain Range better than anyone. As caretakers of the forest’s ranger posts and mountain lodges, they had been closely monitoring the mountains in preparation for the expedition’s return. They wanted to ensure the group, if they emerged from the harsh northern cold, would have a warm place to recover.

But what if they truly couldn’t return…?

The men exchanged glances, swallowing nervously.

“If even the Knights of the Capital ended up like that, shouldn’t we consider leaving Oedel too? If they fell victim to the Light Dragon…”

“Oh, come on. If the Light Dragon had really awakened, we’d all be dead by now. Besides, even the earth spirits near the lair have been quiet lately.”

“Exactly. If the Light Dragon were truly awakening, the magical beasts would still be running rampant, wouldn’t they?”

The expedition’s progress in the mountains could be inferred by the number of wild animals descending to the forest’s edge. The magical beasts that had overrun the Gray Mountain Range had driven the wildlife out, forcing them into the village. However, the number of wild animals had significantly decreased, suggesting that the expedition had been effective in subduing the beasts. It also indicated that the Light Dragon likely hadn’t awakened. 

Yet, there was still no sign of their return.

“Doesn’t the night of Magiella start in the mountains first?”

“Usually, since the coldest areas experience it first… But I don’t think it’s time yet. It seems there are still a few days left before the Blue Moon is full.”

“I just hope they manage to make it to the mountain lodge…”

“Yes. That is, if they haven’t been wiped out…”

Once again, the men’s gazes drifted toward the largest table in Selmane. Randolph, his face flushed red from drinking, was shouting loudly again. His patience, already worn thin from not even catching a glimpse of the woman, was nearing its limit.

* * *

“So, it’s finally today…”

Randolph muttered, furrowing his brow deeply. It had been a month since he started drinking at that wretched tavern every day, supposedly to bring in money for them. The previous night, he had drowned himself in anger-fueled drinking, leaving his head pounding as if it might split.

Reclining against the backrest of the main seat in the drawing room, Randolph listened as the village elder spoke in an overly ingratiating tone.

“I asked the militia, and it seems the earth spirits are quiet, and there’s no sign of movement near the border.”

“…Ha, after all that trouble, it ends like this. Damn it.”

“Meeting the night of Magiella in the mountains… Well, they’re as good as gone, aren’t they?”

The elder, who had endured Randolph’s tantrums all this time, felt an immense sense of relief, as if a thorn had been removed from his side. There was less than half a day left before the sun would set and the Blue Moon would fully rise. That meant the troublesome Montferdia, who had caused him so much grief over the past month, would be gone from this world. And this wretched scoundrel, worse than the rumors suggested, would leave with the girl.

At this point, the elder felt he could grant Randolph anything he wanted—whether it was falsifying birth records or something else. Although Randolph had pretended to be somewhat gentlemanly at Selmane, it was impossible to completely hide his true nature. While staying at the elder’s residence, there wasn’t a single piece of furniture or person that hadn’t suffered under Randolph’s temper.

“…Ha, just thinking about having her in my grasp makes me even more impatient.”

Randolph grinned, baring his teeth. One of his hands, which had been lazily draped over the armrest, began to rub against the front of his shirt. The outline of his swelling desire was unmistakable.

“Elder.”

“Yes, yes.”

“You’ll have to take my place and treat the innkeeper with utmost care at sunset.”

“Pardon?”

The elder’s face, already trying to avoid looking at Randolph’s actions, was now filled with confusion.

* * *

The afternoon of Magiella’s night.

Selmane was unusually quiet. The Lord’s third son, who had been filling the dining hall with noise, was hosting a banquet at the elder’s residence today. The event was supposedly to thank the villagers for their efforts in accommodating the expedition from the royal capital and for hosting him during his stay.

Selma had also been invited, as she was credited as the key figure in hosting the expedition.

With their patron absent, those hoping to curry favor also stayed away, leaving the staff at Selmane with a rare moment of peace to prepare for the night of Magiella. They tightly secured the shutters and checked to ensure they had enough provisions to last three days.

All the while, the woman’s face was clouded with worry and unease.