IOWYC Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Living in Lloyd’s castle, several seasons had already passed.

Denian could now walk and run well.
He even spoke clearly enough to express his own opinions.

In just two more months, Denian would turn four.

According to the physician, for a three-year-old, his vocabulary and speech were already much more advanced than most children his age.

“Mommy!”

Denian called out in his still-clumsy but confident voice and ran over.

I looked at him lovingly and smiled.

“Denian, I told you not to run inside the castle.”

“But! I want to go to our hideout quickly!”

By “hideout,” he meant the cottage Lloyd had built for us.

Denian preferred the open forest and river around the cottage far more than the suffocating castle.

And truthfully, so did I.

Even after years here, the castle still felt oppressive and uncomfortable.

My relationship with Lloyd was the same.

Or maybe it was just me who felt uncomfortable—because he was still as kind and gentle as ever.

But I couldn’t simply smile back at him.
Not after that incident…

Three years had passed like this, me living like an empty shell.

Lloyd seemed content as long as I stayed by his side, even as an empty shell.

I felt both fear and pity for him.

“Stay here for a bit, Denian. I’ll go talk to Uncle Lloyd.”

“Okay!”

He answered brightly. I smiled faintly at him and headed to Lloyd’s office.

Since the incident three years ago when I tried to leave, Lloyd had been more cautious with me.

For example, he never assigned people around the cottage I visited with Denian.

He even allowed me to stay there for days or weeks at a time, as long as it was within the castle’s territory.

It was his unspoken way of guaranteeing me and Denian a little personal space.

Since then, whenever the castle walls felt too suffocating, I would spend time with Denian at the cottage.

But there was always an unspoken rule—I had to tell Lloyd in advance.

‘If I ever broke that rule… I can’t imagine what he would do.’

It was like walking a tightrope every day.

When I knocked and entered, Lloyd was putting on his coat, as though preparing to go out.

“…Are you going to the Imperial court again today?”

At my question, Lloyd smiled faintly.

“This time, I’ll be gone for a while. I may be away from the castle for about a month. Will you be alright?”

At his gentle question, I replied calmly, keeping my tone even.

“Then may I stay with Denian at the cottage during that time?”

Lloyd, fixing his collar, glanced at me.

The silence that followed made me clench my hands nervously.

‘Whenever he goes silent and loses that smile, I can’t read his thoughts. That’s when the fear comes.’

Just as I swallowed hard, Lloyd suddenly smiled again and spoke kindly.

“Alright. But come back to the castle from time to time. Otherwise, I might worry and send someone.”

His last words felt more like a warning.

‘If I don’t keep the minimum boundary, he’ll cross it instead.’

My face stiffened, and Lloyd gently coaxed me.

“Even though Valdormer and Heister are still at war, you never know what could happen. Denian’s safety matters to me too.”

Forcing myself, I smiled.

“I understand.”

At my calm reply, Lloyd smiled back and kissed my cheek lightly.

“Then I’ll see you in a month, Yuliana.”

“…”

“Lord Kallian! We must retreat!”

Even at Rodrigo’s shout, Kallian kept cutting down enemies.

Years of war had left his armor crusted with blood and his blade dull, no matter how often it was sharpened.

His body was thin and worn, but his fierce eyes burned brighter than ever.

In fact, the longer the war dragged on, the closer his gaze seemed to madness.

“Lord Kallian!”

They were surrounded on all sides by Heister forces that had ambushed their forward base.

Rodrigo shouted again, but Kallian roared back,

“There is no retreat! Anyone who shows their back will be treated as an enemy!”

Rodrigo’s face went pale at his madness.

But with morale already broken by years of war, and now an ambush, turning the battle was nearly impossible.

Yet Kallian fought as though desperate to die.

He slashed endlessly, cutting down enemies one after another.

Rodrigo, trembling at the sight of his back, eventually turned and fled.

Noticing too late, Kallian shouted,

“Rodrigo!”

As he turned, a sword pierced through his shoulder.

“Urgh—!”

He swung back in pain, but another sword stabbed into the back of his thigh.

“Gaaah—!!”

His leg gave way, but he gritted his teeth.

‘Why… is this battle different from my past lives? This ambush… none of it happened before.’

Three years of relentless war had worn down his body.
Even the Dark Command’s aura that once shielded him had weakened.

Another enemy blade cut into his side.

Blood poured out, soaking his armor.

Clutching his wound, Kallian bit down hard.

Through his blurred vision, he thought he saw Yuliana’s figure.

‘Kallian.’

‘Ah, Yuliana… If I die here, will my soul at least be with you? Or return to those brief moments of happiness with you?’

‘If so, then this death is welcome.’

His body, like a tattered rag, staggered forward. Even enemy soldiers stepped aside, seeing he was already close to death.

The sunset before him glowed crimson, the same shade as Yuliana’s hair.

At the cliff’s edge, an arrow struck deep into his chest, right where his heart was.

With the arrow embedded, Kallian toppled like a puppet with cut strings, falling into the ravine below.

I walked hand in hand with Denian along the river near the cottage, scanning the surroundings nervously.

The war between Valdormer and Heister had dragged on for three years.

Since this river connected to Heister territory, weapons, armor, and sometimes even the bodies of dead horses would drift downstream.

Denian had insisted on walking here, so I had no choice, but I kept tense, afraid he might see something gruesome.

Then—

“Mommy! Look over there!”

Denian pointed with his small hand.

Startled, I quickly covered his eyes and looked where he pointed.

Something dark was floating near the riverbank, curled up.

‘An animal?’

I was about to turn away when I saw it twitch faintly.

Narrowing my eyes, I realized it was a person.

I gasped and covered my mouth.

‘What should I do? A soldier washed ashore?’

Soaked and bloodied as he was, he would surely die if left there.

As a mother, I couldn’t walk away—thinking that he was someone’s son too.

I told Denian firmly to stay put and went closer.

The figure’s body was covered in deep wounds, blood seeping out.

The sight made me grimace, but I still approached.

“E-excuse me, can you hear me?”

When I saw his face, I froze.

It was too familiar.
A face I should never meet again.

It was Denian’s father—my husband, Kallian.

My heart sank as I noticed an arrow lodged in his chest, near the heart.

But strangely, there wasn’t much blood there.

Puzzled, I pulled at his clothes and found a thick bundle of papers pressed to his chest.

The arrow had pierced them instead of his heart.

The papers—letters—were soaked from the river, their contents ruined.

Realizing this, I quickly pulled my hand back.

‘No—I need to leave. If he sees Denian…’

I tried to get up and flee, but suddenly—

Grab!

His large hand clutched my wrist.

My heart dropped.

In shock, I stared as he rasped,

“Help… me…”

His voice sounded strange, unfamiliar.

When I looked into his eyes, they were distant, as if seeing me for the first time.