~CHAPTER 78~
“His Grace the Grand Duke is looking for you.”
At those words, Tereo followed the knight with light steps.
He had already been thinking of visiting the Grand Duke soon. To escort Lincia in this castle, he needed permission from the Duke to resume his position anyway.
Although his arm had not fully healed, Tereo was restless and wanted to do something.
“…If you have to choose between the worst and the lesser evil, of course you should choose the lesser evil, right?”
He also wanted to see the princess who boldly called him the lesser evil.
It was slightly unsettling as the knights approached the underground prison, but since there was no resistance possible, Tereo decided not to worry too much.
“I heard you were summoned.”
“Seize him.”
Suddenly, Harbirich’s command came down, and the knights immediately intimidated Tereo.
As a Southern knight, Tereo’s physique was immediately overpowered by the massive Northern knights.
Thrown to the desk by two knights, Tereo rolled his eyes in dismay.
“Something unfortunate has happened in the castle.”
The Grand Duke approached Tereo and looked down at him with cold red eyes.
“But, sir, you yourself are someone whose very presence in this castle is unfortunate.”
He would understand why Tereo was under investigation, right?
The pointed question, delivered without hiding displeasure, sounded similar to how an emperor might stir trouble when in a foul mood.
Were they friends? Maybe that’s why they resembled each other.
Tereo imagined Harbirich and Yulias reacting in the same strong way if they had witnessed this.
“Your actions yesterday were quite suspicious.”
Caught? Tereo blinked.
As the Grand Duke said, Tereo had left behind suspicious behavior the previous day. With nothing to do in the Northern castle, he had wandered around bored.
Though he was often stopped by knights when venturing too deep, he had learned the limits of his permitted areas.
“What did you do?”
“I trained…”
“Many saw you enter the training grounds.”
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Tereo glanced away from the Duke’s gaze.
The Grand Duke grabbed Tereo’s chin and forced his head up. Tereo groaned as his neck was painfully stretched.
“But it seems you weren’t actually in the training grounds.”
Being physically weak, he couldn’t have properly trained anyway.
The Duke’s quiet remark was accurate.
Tereo had been repeatedly entering the training grounds for another reason.
One day, he had discovered a hidden path in the castle’s training area that remained unnoticed by others.
People called it a secret passage.
There were various types of secret passages. Unlike the palace’s, which were blocked by paintings or art, the Grand Duke’s passages were complex and winding to match the fortress structure. Doors along the passages changed the layout periodically, leaving outsiders like Tereo clueless.
It was fun, at least.
And for someone dying of boredom, nothing was more important than fun.
Tereo, subtly rolling his eyes to indicate the reason without speaking, caught the Duke’s attention.
“Go out.”
As soon as the two knights who had intimidated Tereo disappeared, the Duke pressed down on his back. Tereo groaned painfully. True to his Northern build, the Duke disregarded Tereo’s delicate frame.
“Stop joking around and speak properly.”
The Duke grabbed the back of Tereo’s head.
“If not, I’ll put you in there.”
Tereo’s mouth slightly opened as he faced the space where prisoners were kept.
Inside, dark red fluid soaked the ground, and flesh was scattered.
Though there were no corpses, Tereo, being a seasoned knight, could guess what had happened.
Who did the Duke kill? Considering his current appearance, Tereo could imagine it easily.
“…I…”
“Why did you try to find a way using the secret passage?”
“I was looking for a way out.”
“Why?”
Could he even say this?
Ah! Another scream burst from Tereo.
Realizing that prolonged silence would feel like his head might explode, he shouted desperately.
“Because I was bored!”
“……”
“I was extremely bored.”
If Tereo wasn’t imagining it, the Duke’s eyes reflected disdain at that moment.
***
“Do you live without thinking?”
The Duke asked.
“No.” Tereo answered.
“I was planning to ask when you would restore me to my position today.”
Though it seemed he was only focused on idleness, Tereo hadn’t entirely neglected his duty. Still, Harbirich’s negative assessment of him remained unchanged.
Tereo interpreted the Duke’s silence as agreement. Those who often manipulate facts live long and healthy lives.
“Oberok is dead.”
“What?”
Tereo’s eyes widened.
“When?”
Harbirich spoke, but before he could continue, a knight, clearly not very bright, interjected.
“What does that have to do with my being dragged here?”
Harbirich could no longer hold back and blurted out the thought lingering in his mind.
“…And yet you performed Lincia’s escort duties with such frivolity.”
Lack of talent wasn’t just a problem at the Grand Duke’s castle.
* * *
Lincia opened her eyes in bed.
The book that had been on her lap last time was now on the desk. She had probably fallen asleep while reading.
Her constant drowsiness seemed a real sign that her body was changing. Lincia blinked absentmindedly.
Anna, noticing her waking, approached.
“Did you cough?”
“Since you were sleeping, I put the book away for you.”
“Thank you.”
Anna helped Lincia sit up and handed her a glass of water.
Lincia took a sip, her gaze drifting out the window. Feeling confined, she sought even a distant view.
It would have been nice to go for a walk at a time like this.
The snow showed no sign of stopping, leaving Lincia trapped inside the castle.
“Your Highness, Your Highness.”
At that moment, Anna, who had been speaking to someone outside, ran over.
“Doctor Ethan asked if he could see you now.”
“Ethan?”
“Yes. He said he has something to tell you regarding what you wanted to know.”
Recently, Lincia had wanted to know only one thing: whether a drug could truly erase memories.
Startled by the unexpected news, Lincia immediately woke up. Anna continued.
“The doctor said it would be good to meet you in the study.”
“Can you tell him I’ll come soon?”
“Yes, of course.”
Then, stretching her shoulders and back, she reminded Lincia of a small bird puffing its chest in the south.
I laughed aloud unintentionally, realizing it was the first time Lincia had smiled since the argument with Harbirich a few days ago.
Lincia spoke sincerely.
“Thank you. What would I do without you?”
“Ah, Your Highness. Don’t imagine a life without me.”
Anna shook her head and hurried to the doorway. Lincia watched her retreating figure with a mix of satisfaction and slight melancholy.
Now, Anna was the only one in the castle who could make her smile.
