IWER 11

Chapter: 11

Theodore stood in front of a shabby carriage rental shop.

He had insisted it would be better to go straight to the capital, and it seemed he really intended to rent a carriage.

Seria trudged toward him.

“Are you really going to rent a carriage?”

“Of course. They even have a skilled driver here.”

“What?”

Theodore moved aside, revealing a boy who looked barely older than a child.

Perhaps no more than fifteen years old.

Seria tilted her head, and Theodore continued.

“This driver knows a shortcut. If all goes well, we could reach the capital by tomorrow.”

“But it’s been snowing heavily until just now. How is that possible?”

“Not entirely reliable, but I’ve already checked. And one more thing.”

Theodore tapped his own eye with a finger, then leaned close to Seria to whisper.

“This driver can’t speak and doesn’t know how to read, so he won’t be able to tell anyone about us.”

Seria rolled her eyes and looked at the young driver. The boy, meeting her gaze, gave an awkward smile and bowed his head.

Watching this, Theodore muttered under his breath:

“That saves me a lot of trouble.”

“Saves you trouble?” Seria doubted her ears at his murmur.

What did he mean by “trouble”?

Now that she thought about it, she had never ridden the same carriage twice.

The carriage she had taken to meet Theodore for the first time, the one she used to return to the monastery, and now this carriage to Kerus—none were affiliated with the Velbart family. The drivers were ordinary civilians.

Changing carriages repeatedly to prevent leaks in their plan wasn’t unusual.

But knowing Theodore’s personality, it was possible that simply changing carriages wasn’t all he had done.

She feared he might have eliminated the drivers to silence them.

Grabbing Theodore’s cloak, Seria stopped him from moving toward the driver.

“You! What did you do to all the drivers?”

“Relax. Do you really think I killed them?”

“You didn’t?”

“Where’s the need for that?”

Seria paused at Theodore’s words.

If he hadn’t killed them… even if he didn’t, he must have used some other measure on them.

The smile curling on Theodore’s lips sent chills down her spine.

“It’s better to get to the capital quickly rather than stay here. For both of us.”

“And what about that kid?”

“I told you—trouble’s already handled. I don’t need to touch him myself.”

Theodore smoothly pulled his cloak free from Seria’s hand.

Did he feel no guilt for what he had done? Or had he simply become numb to it?

Seria clenched her fist as she watched the fabric slip from her hand.

The young driver skillfully guided the carriage despite his age.

Once they left the village and entered the forest path, Theodore finally spoke, quietly.

“If we take the shortcut from here, we’ll reach the northern gate quickly. If we travel all through the night, we could be at the capital by morning.”

Seria barely paid attention, turning her head away.

Unbothered, Theodore continued, looking straight at her.

“When we arrive at the mansion, we’ll be busy. Rest well now.”

It was almost laughable to hear him tell her to rest.

Did he really think she could sleep?

Since boarding the carriage, unease gnawed at her. Her imagination ran wild over what might have happened to the previous drivers.

Now, even the young driver at the reins troubled her.

Seria’s expression darkened.

Watching her, Theodore spoke again.

“If you focus too much on other things, you’ll miss what’s truly important. So stop obsessing over it.”

“Sigh… fine.”

Reluctantly, Seria exhaled, straightening the crease between her brows.

No matter what, the most important tasks were to eliminate the crown prince and meet Serion. She could not afford distraction.

Even if everything felt unsettling, she had to put it aside for now. Worrying wouldn’t solve anything.

Seria pulled out Serion’s brooch from deep in her pocket.

The gem embedded in it still emitted a faint green glow.

Clutching the brooch, she stared at Theodore.

“You’ll act decisively too, not just me. As promised.”

“Of course. I value your help just as much. I have no intention of breaking my word.”

Despite his words, Theodore’s face showed no urgency.

Instead, his calm expression seemed almost like a lifelike doll’s, which unsettled her further.

Unable to read his thoughts, Seria crossed her arms and leaned back in the carriage.

The rough shortcut made the carriage rock violently, rattling her back.

‘This won’t let me rest—it’ll just tire me out more.’

Bumping her head against the seat, she chose to bow it and soon drifted into a light sleep.

While Seria slept, the carriage steadily approached the northern gate.

Feeling the carriage slow, Theodore opened his eyes and glanced outside.

Through thick bushes, a signpost pointed toward the northern gate.

The presence of the sign meant they were close; they might arrive earlier than expected.

Just as he decided this, the carriage slowed sharply, then stopped entirely.

Theodore stopped looking outside and listened carefully. He heard the approaching footsteps of four or five people.

“There will be an inspection.”

Along with the voice, the carriage jolted, followed by sounds of a struggle.

An inspection? That made no sense. They hadn’t even reached the northern gate.

Nor would a soldier stationed there patrol this far.

“No wonder things were going too smoothly…”

Theodore smirked and woke the sleeping Seria.

“Seria.”

“Mmm…?”

She blinked awake as Theodore tapped her forehead.

“Have we arrived…?”

“Unfortunately, no. Stay alert. There are bandits.”

“What?”

As Theodore pulled a hood over her head, the carriage door burst open.

A menacing man stood in the doorway, clad in rusty, crude armor, grinning yellow teeth.

“You’ll need to step down for inspection.”

Behind him, the driver lay on the ground, his back being pressed down by a boot.

Seria’s head spun. Did she really understand what was happening?

Moreover, Theodore calmly sat with his arms crossed, having just called them bandits.

“What? I said step down! What are you doing?”

The man banged the carriage loudly, making Seria flinch.

At that moment, the driver, pressed to the ground, met her eyes.

His dirt-covered face begged silently for his life.

“Seems the north’s in bad shape. Letting these rabble get away with this…”

“What is this guy saying?!”

Provoked by Theodore’s words, the man grew agitated.

“Step down or this one dies!”

The man drew a dagger from his belt and pressed it to the driver’s neck.

Blood trickled down, and the driver froze, unable to cry out.

If left like this, he could really die.

Seria jumped to her feet and quietly grabbed Theodore’s sleeve.

“Let’s get down. We can’t let him kill that kid.”

Her eyes gleamed beneath the hood.

Watching her, Theodore let out a faint sigh and stood.

“Ha! Finally, we’re communicating.”

The man forced Theodore to his knees as soon as he stepped down. Seria was dragged toward the driver and made to sit likewise.

Gripped by the collar, Seria quickly scanned her surroundings.

Three more, unseen moments ago, had appeared, circling around them, licking their lips like hunters who had spotted prey.

Her heart raced.

“If you’d come quietly earlier, we wouldn’t be in this mess! Right, guys?”

“Yes, Captain!”

Amid the chaos, Theodore knelt calmly, shoulders held, but with his back straight and an unshakable, noble expression.

Who would guess he was under threat of a knife?

In this tense moment, only Theodore seemed detached.

And then, Seria noticed him mouthing words quietly.