#113. The Empty Seat (1)
The shocking news of the Grand Dukeās death spread quickly, and mourners from all over the north gathered at Bellicordo Castle.
By the time Pavel, Sasha, and their party arrived, the castle was packed and crowded with people.
The funeral began the moment the most important personāPavelāarrived.
Dmitri Volkovās funeral proceeded in a solemn atmosphere.
A priest from the Central Temple, sent by the Emperor, recited the eulogy.
Because the body could not be retrieved, an empty coffin was placed in the center, and the mourners bowed their heads.
Ssshhhā
Rain poured down over the heads of those weeping for the Grand Dukeās death.
It was early spring in the cold north; it should have been snowing, not raining. It felt as if even the heavens were grieving him.
Calling it a strange sign, the crowds that had gathered murmured like clouds.
Closest around the coffin stood the loyal vassals. But the farther back you went, the thinner the respect became.
Many had come simply to attend a major event and keep up with the latest fashion of appearances.
Dmitriās death did not truly move them.
They wore black mourning clothes, yet unlike the faithful retainers in front, they did not grieve from the heart.
Their interest was fixed only on Pavel Volkov, the new Grand Duke to be.
As they watched him stare with a dry face at his fatherās coffin, their eyes gleamed like hyenas.
āPavel Volkov will be the next Grand Duke for sure, wonāt he?ā
āOf course. Heās not a child anymore, and he lacks neither quality nor bloodline.ā
A few months agoābefore Pavelās coming-of-ageāthings might have been different.
But now, no one could object to his succession.
There were a few greedy collateral relatives, but with the late Count of Tulaāhis closest kināalso dead, no one could insist on serving as regent.
They had neither the right nor the ability.
So it would be Pavel Volkov who ruled the vast north from now on.
With this fact so certain it was almost boring, the gossips soon shifted their attention elsewhere.
Not far, though. Their eyes moved to the woman beside Pavel, dressed in black.
Her face couldnāt be seen under her mourning veil.
Only her rain-damp silver hair, pure and beautiful, was visible to them.
āHow must it feel to become the lady of such a great ducal house overnight?ā
āShe was already acting as the lady, so perhaps itās not too moving. Still, now that sheāll be officially recognized, she might be pleased.ā
Though Sasha could surely feel their sideways glances and whispers, Alexandra did not lift her head.
āThe marriage happened by the late Grand Dukeās will. Now that heās gone, she might fear the marriage could be dissolved.ā
Everyone knew that Sasha was a bride who had been bought.
It was also known that the late Grand Duke both purchased her and arranged the marriage.
āThey say the young lordāno, the new Grand Duke, Pavelādidnāt even want the marriage and tried to skip the ceremony.ā
āThat story is famousā¦ā
It was an old tale that once set the north ablaze.
Even dragging out that stale story now, you could hear how some quietly wished for Sashaās misfortune.
One tactless person added:
āI heard their marriage is going well. She wonāt be thrown out.ā
āStill, who knows? Her background isnāt ideal to keep around just because they get along. In unstable times like these, a wife with a strong family backing is neededā¦ā
As they kept talking, their voices grew louderāloud enough to reach Sasha in the front row.
āAhem, ahem!ā
A retainer standing behind Sasha cleared his throat, warning them, but the clamor didnāt die down easily.
Whip!
Pavel couldnāt hold back and turned his head.
His face was expressionless, but the red eyes that shot toward them carried a barely contained killing intent.
āā!ā
The chattering crowd fell silent the moment they met his gaze.
The whites of Pavelās eyes were bloodshot, making his eyes look entirely red. Just being stared at like that overwhelmed them.
Even as the brief commotion swelled and died down, Sasha did not react. She had no strength to respond to such petty things.
In truth, she didnāt even know how she had made it back.
As soon as the knight brought the bad news, they hurriedly prepared to head north.
They packed in a rush and only went to the Emperor to say they were leaving.
The knight who brought the news couldnāt explain in detail what had happened.
Why Dmitri died, whether the battlefield without him was all right, what became of the lands without their lordā¦
From far-away Kalita, there was nothing they could know.
So the only thing that mattered was to return to their domain as quickly as possible and grasp the situation.
As they were about to leave, people sent by the Emperor arrived.
Because monsters had increased, the road would be dangerousāso he attached the Imperial Knights to escort them and even included a high priest from the Central Temple for the funeral.
Even though the court must be in chaos because of the Crown Prince, the Emperor had shown them great generosity. They felt grateful.
But they couldnāt go back to thank him again, so they sent written thanks and moved quickly.
They could hardly sleep on the way.
Unease and helplessness weighed on everyone.
The Grand Dukeās knights, who had devoted their lives to him, could not suppress their surging emotions.
On the way to the duchy, there were two battles with monsters. Each time, the knights hacked the creatures to pieces as if venting their rage.
The Imperial Knights had to work hard to restrain them.
And Pavel, who had lost his fatherā¦
Biting her lip, Sasha thought of her husband, who looked so shaken.
She was just as panicked, but she could not lay bare the turmoil inside her.
First, to the northāto Volkov lands. Once they reached home, it would be better than this blind fear and ignorance.
But even after they arrived, the helplessness remained the same.
āMilady! The master, the masterā¦ sob!ā
Yelena and Ivan, who came to greet them, were gloomy as well; they had already heard the news.
Even in their sorrow, they worked busily to receive guests and prepare the funeral, but without a chief in charge, things were lacking here and there.
Pavel and Sasha had to direct and oversee everything.
But Sasha couldnāt leave all the work to Pavel, who had lost his father. And she had been the one managing the household to begin with.
So she had to keep calm and handle things.
Somehow, the funeral they had managed to prepare drew to a closeā¦
Ssshhhā
The continuing rain wet her face. It ran down her thick lashes like tears.
She still couldnāt believe Dmitri was dead.
Perhaps because there was no proof.
The body had not returned.
Because she couldnāt see his death, the thought kept coming that he might still be alive somewhere.
It was Igor Medvedevāno one elseāwho assured them that Dmitriās death was certain.
ā We knights, myself included, could not handle the high-level monster he faced. His Lordship briefly left the line of battle and did not return for a full day.
While tracking his traces, we found signs of a fierce fight near a cliffā¦
ā¦and we could not find him after he fell into the chasm.
The letters were unmistakably Igorās, but crooked and broken by grief. The paper, speckled with round teardrops, trembled and sagged.
Igor and the knights had been closest to Dmitri for so long.
Their sorrow must be greater than Sasha could imagine. More than anyone, they would want to mourn him here.
But they could not leave the front lines now, so Sir Medvedev and the other closest knights could not attend. How must they be feelingā¦
Her hands shook. After standing long in the rain, her chilled skin broke out in goosebumps, and her chest, roiled by nameless, tangled emotions, felt heavy.
Thenā
āā¦ā
āā¦!ā
A warmth gently closed around her hand.
Sasha glanced to the side.
Pavel was there, still with a dry face and sunken eyes, staring at the coffin.
He held her hand tightly. Spreading his fingers to lace them with hers, he gripped as if to say:
āIām here. Weāre togetherā¦ donāt be too afraid.ā
Sasha couldnāt read minds like Pavel could, but just this once, she felt his heart clearly.
Thump, thump. Shovelfuls of soil fell into the pit. Heavy earth covered the coffin. As its shape slowly disappeared, the mournersā hearts seemed to sink with it.
Dongā dongā dongā
The clear bell tolled to end the funeral.
Awoooā
Aika, who had loved Dmitri, let out a sorrowful howl.
From far off, others answered that grief, their howls echoing until evening.
A busy day came to an end.
They received mourners one by one until late at night, and the fatigue piled up.
Maybe that was why. Even deep into the night, Sasha could not sleep.
āHaaā¦ā
Eyes shut tight, she kept tossing and turning.
Perhaps because her worries ran deep. Her crowded, confused thoughts wouldnāt let her rest.
Loss cut to the bone and chilled the heart, but they couldnāt drown in sorrow forever.
They were still at war with monsters. Things were so urgent that even the knights couldnāt attend the funeral.
The battle that had somehow held even had tilted sharply with Dmitriās death.
So Pavel, as heir, had to join the war and fill the Grand Dukeās empty seat.
Everything moved in a rush.
After the modest funeralāmodest was all they could manageāPavel immediately rose as Grand Duke.
There could be no coronation. There was no room for it.
Preparations to depart were made quickly. By tomorrow, Sasha would not see Pavel.
The elite knights who had remained in Kalita with him would leave as well, and Bellicordo Castle would be emptyā¦
Sasha let out a trembling breath. She felt the fine shakes in her body and could not calm them.
She pressed her joined hands to her forehead like a prayer.
She had been nervous sending Pavel into the tournament. But this was no playful contest. This was real war.
A place where blood splashed and lives were lost.
A place where even a seasoned knightāthe Grand Dukeācould die so suddenly.
Pavel could truly die.
āTomorrowā¦ I have to send him off with composure, so I wonāt be a burden to himā¦ā
But it wasnāt easy.
Time passed. Night deepened, and she still lay awake.
Near dawn, when drowsiness finally brushed her and she hovered at the edge of sleepā
Twitch.
Sashaās eyelids quivered.
Someoneās here.
She sensed a presence close by.
Someone had entered her room.
