IOWYC Chapter 95

Chapter 95

After nearly half a year of delay, the date for the vassal council was finally set.

The number of complaint letters from the vassal families during that time had been enough to fill an entire bookshelf.

‘Since they seem so idle, I’ll give them something to do.’

Kallion intended to use the excuse of war between Valdormer and Heister to drag both the vassal houses and Heister into mutual destruction.

Of course, he would personally take the lead at the front so that they could not withdraw.

He would guide them straight into hell with his own hands.

After all, he had nothing left to fear or hesitate over.

In the past, things had been different.

Because he had to protect Yuliana, there had been countless restrictions.

The vassal families had once declared that unless Yuliana, daughter of a rival house, was cast out, they would not join the war.

Kallion had then fought Heister with only Valdormer’s forces, without their support.

In the end, he had been betrayed by the vassals and crushed by the Imperial family.

But now, Yuliana was no longer here for them to cling to as an excuse.

And this time, the justification for war was more than enough.

Their marriage, which had symbolized the truce, was broken. Which meant the truce itself was already over.

Kallion wasn’t blaming Yuliana, but this gave him the perfect reason to convince the vassals.

And Layla would play her part in it—without realizing that it would lead her and the vassals to ruin.

“Letters confirming attendance at the council are arriving one after another,” Layla reported eagerly.

Kallion stood with a blank expression and put on his coat.

“Are you… going out somewhere?” she asked nervously.

“I’ll be back before the council,” he replied indifferently, leaving the office.

Layla anxiously watched him go.

‘He used the Sorento family’s scandals as leverage when asking about Yuliana’s whereabouts… Could it be… he’s going to see her now?’

Unable to bear the thought, she rushed into her private office after confirming his carriage had departed.

There, she quickly scribbled a letter.

Since she hadn’t been able to contact Lloyd while locked away, she hurried now to warn him:

Kallion has discovered Yuliana’s location. Take action immediately.

Kallion looked out the carriage window at the Valdormer estate growing smaller in the distance.

By now, Layla would be contacting Lloyd.

But he had not stopped her.

In fact, he had almost arranged things so she would have the opportunity.

Because knowing Yuliana’s location but being unable to bring her back was torture enough.

‘I saw her happiness—that is enough. Lloyd will take better care of her than I ever could. I won’t interfere and risk making her unhappy again.’

But that didn’t mean he would leave her completely unprotected.

Even if he didn’t know her location, he needed someone who could watch over her, guard against dangers, and report back regularly.

He could trust no one in Valdormer—their ties to the vassal houses ran too deep.

He needed someone who would place Yuliana’s safety above all else.

His carriage was heading for the Heloica Orphanage.

On a bench outside the orphanage, Kallion spotted Jared returning from a hunt, carrying several rabbits and a deer over his shoulders.

Jared’s brows furrowed as soon as he saw him.

“I already told you before, I don’t know where my lady is.”

Kallion had indeed visited the orphanage once before while searching for Yuliana.

And he had confirmed then that Jared truly didn’t know her location.

But this time, Kallion had come with a different purpose.

“I’ve found out where Yuliana is,” he said.

Jared’s eyes widened in shock. Then he narrowed them, asking quietly, “Are you planning to force her back?”

Kallion didn’t answer immediately.

After a long pause, he spoke slowly.

“I have no intention of dragging her back against her will.”

It was unbelievable coming from the same man who had once searched for her like a madman.

Jared eyed him suspiciously.

Kallion continued calmly.

“What I need is someone to stay near her, protect her, and send me regular updates.”

Jared studied him, trying to gauge his sincerity.

Kallion added, “You don’t need to tell me where she is. Just let me know she’s safe.”

“You already know her location, don’t you?” Jared asked.

“Yuliana is in Marcellino now. But since I know that, she’ll surely move soon.”

Jared frowned in confusion.

“So… you want me to follow her, but never reveal where she goes? Only report on her safety?”

“That’s right,” Kallion confirmed.

“And the exact location doesn’t matter at all?”

“As long as she’s safe, it doesn’t matter.”

Jared’s expression grew serious.

“If you’re this worried, does that mean she really is in danger?”

“…”

Kallion hesitated, then gave the best answer he could.

“She’s safe for now. But… that could change.”

Jared was silent for a long while, then finally met Kallion’s eyes.

“…Understood. I’ll accept the task.”

Relief softened Kallion’s face.

At that moment, the orphanage children ran up to Jared.

“Uncle! Where are you going?”

“When will you be back? What about the deer stew?”

Jared comforted them, dropped off the game in the storehouse, and with a small nod at Kallion, disappeared.

I (Yuliana) sat gazing at the sleeping Denian, then turned my eyes to the snowy window.

These days, Lloyd had been going into the city more often.

I didn’t know what business he had there, but he always returned with expensive gifts.

I knew he had cut ties with Silverstel for my sake.

So what was he doing in the city that allowed him to buy such costly things?

Or… was he still in contact with Silverstel?

I was still lost in thought when a carriage stopped outside our hut.

This surprised me—Lloyd always walked back from the nearby village to avoid being tracked.

I peered out the window.

And there he was, stepping down from the carriage.

But his face and hurried steps were full of tension and unease.

Alarmed, I asked, “What’s wrong, Lloyd?”

Without answering, he began shoving essential belongings into a large bag.

“Get ready to leave, Yuliana.”

“What? Leave?”

“We’re leaving right now.”

His urgent movements unsettled me, and I tried to calm him down.

“What happened? Why so suddenly?”

Finally, Lloyd raised his voice, impatient.

“Your location has been discovered. We have to go immediately—get Denian.”

The seriousness of his words sank in. I quickly picked up Denian.

There wasn’t much to pack—most essentials had already been prepared when we came here.

We loaded one large bag with Denian’s clothes and diapers into the carriage and left the hut behind.

For three days straight, the carriage traveled.

Thankfully, it was a fine carriage, comfortable enough that we weren’t too exhausted.

At last, we arrived at a small fortress on the border between Heister and Silverstel.

Though called a castle, it was more like a fortress deep in the mountains.

Stepping out with Denian in my arms, I shivered as a chill ran down my spine.

Soldiers stood guard not only at the gate but along every wall.

“Lloyd, what is this place? And all these soldiers?” I asked nervously.

He reassured me, “Don’t worry. As long as we’re here, Valdormer will never find you.”

Just then, a knight responsible for security approached Lloyd.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Lord Lloyd.”

On the knight’s chest gleamed the emblem of the Imperial family.