WPVMVA Chapter 57

Yes. It’s all written here that he “got news that the Grand Duchess was heading to the Asland territory” and “told them to help the assassins that Duke Rodion would send over nearby.” In the meantime, he said he would do everything he could to prevent me and my knights from going to the Asland territory.”

“And that ‘everything’ was giving you a false report about the Akila Kingdom’s elite soldiers. …Damn it.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

Ashid calmly agreed with the enraged Rowell. His downcast ultramarine eyes glowed with a terrifying sense of betrayal. The intense hatred he felt was greater than his desire to know why he had done such a thing; he just wanted to find him and snap his neck right now.

Rowell looked at Ashid with a hardened face and asked, “What should we do? Should I immediately order Sir Wellard and the knights waiting near Chamber’s fort to arrest Cyril Olborn and throw him in the dungeon?”

“No. For now, tell them to keep a close eye on him so he can’t escape the fort until I get there.”

“…Understood.”

Rowell bowed respectfully and left the office.

Ashid swept his fallen hair back, glared at Cyril’s crumpled letter on the floor one last time, and then went outside. He had to see Daniella before he went to Chamber’s fort. There was something he had to say to her.

Martin interrogated Daniella fiercely as he treated her.

“How on earth did you get so hurt? How can a lady have such a huge bruise on her waist! And what’s with all this dust!”

“W-Well… It wasn’t my fault. The assassins who were chasing me threw me into a well… The bruise is from when I hit a rusty wooden bucket…”

“It’s a miracle that your spine wasn’t broken. If the bottom of that well was paved with rocks or if the bucket was made of iron, you would never have been able to walk on your own two feet again. No, you might have even died.”

“…Ugh.”

“As a physician, I know it’s presumptuous of me to give such advice to a high-ranking Grand Duchess, but I can’t help but say this. …Please be careful from now on. There’s no guarantee that something like this won’t happen again, is there?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Daniella apologized obediently.

After the urgent treatment was finished, Daniella was helped by the maids and went to the bathroom. The maids washed the dust from Daniella’s body with warm, fragrant soap. They all clearly wanted to ask what had happened, but they seemed to be holding back as they couldn’t dare to question their mistress.

Afterward, Daniella changed into a comfortable dress and lay down on the bed where the maids had laid out new sheets. As the urgent situation passed and she was in a comfortable state, her whole body began to ache. Daniella whimpered and rubbed her waist with both hands.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Ashid came into the bedroom. He didn’t even acknowledge the maids’ greetings and looked at Martin, who was standing by Daniella’s side, and asked, “How is the Grand Duchess’s condition?”

“The wounds on her arms and legs are not serious enough to require much treatment, but she has a large contusion on her waist. If she receives proper treatment, she won’t have any problems with her mobility later on, but she must refrain from moving as much as possible until she is fully healed.”

“I see.”

Ashid gave a short reply after hearing Martin’s answer. Then, he ordered Martin and the maids to leave.

When they were alone in the bedroom, Ashid sat at the head of the bed where Daniella was lying. At his action, Daniella struggled to stretch her arms to sit up. Ashid raised one eyebrow and said gruffly, “It’s alright. Don’t get up.”

“No. I want to. …My waist hurts too much to lie down.”

Daniella replied with an awkward smile. Ashid sighed shortly, then reached out and helped her sit up. Then, he put a soft pillow between her back and the head of the bed so she could sit comfortably. At his consideration, Daniella felt a little shy and thanked him.

“Thank you.”

Ashid nodded gruffly.

A moment of silence followed between the two. Daniella furrowed her brows slightly, wondering at Ashid’s gaze, which was just staring at her without saying a word.

‘Does he have something to say to me?’

Should I ask him what’s wrong?

As Daniella thought that, she opened her mouth.

“Um…”

“I have something to say.”

At the same time, Ashid also opened his mouth. A short silence followed again. Daniella gestured to him and said, “You go first.”

“You go first.”

“No. You go first. You said you had something to tell me.”

The two of them passed the right to speak back and forth. In the end, Ashid, who lost the back-and-forth, let out a short sigh and spoke with difficulty.

“…I just found a letter from Cyril Olborn in the Asland territory. It was all his doing, attacking you and giving me a false report to lure me to the North.”

“Huh, why on earth did he do that?”

Daniella asked, letting out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

She already knew he was a villain who incited evil, and she had suspected that he might have orchestrated this incident. So, she wasn’t surprised at all that he was the culprit, and she was only curious about his reason for doing such a thing.

Ashid gave a bitter laugh and shook his head.

“I don’t know that either. We’ll find out as we investigate.”

“Please find out for sure. And if you could, please tell me the reason too.”

“I will.”

“Okay.”

“…”

“…Is that all you have to say to me?”

Daniella tilted her head and asked. It was obvious from earlier that he had something he wanted to say to her but was struggling to say it, so she deliberately asked him directly.

Ashid shook his head firmly. He hesitated, unlike himself, and just moved his lips pointlessly for a while.

‘Damn it.’

He hit his chest inwardly in frustration. No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find a smooth way to express this feeling. He finally gave up and blurted out, “I’m sorry. If I had believed you back then, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Pardon?”

“I sincerely apologize for taking the side of that damn traitor… Cyril Olborn, and cornering you. I will apologize as many times as it takes for your heart to be at ease.”

Ashid said so and bowed his head. He wanted to apologize with better words, but this was his limit. That’s because he had never bowed his head to anyone or apologized so sincerely before.

At his actions, Daniella’s eyes widened in surprise.

She never thought he would apologize to her so sincerely. While that fact was surprising, it was also a little embarrassing. After all, she also didn’t think Cyril Olborn would go this far. And the person who should be apologizing was her.

Daniella shook her head and said to him, “It’s alright. I’m the one who’s sorry. Even if I was frustrated, it was my mistake to speak as if I was comparing you to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I know. You don’t have to apologize twice.”

“Still, my heart won’t feel at ease. …And thank you for saving me, Your Highness.”

“…!”

“After the Mona Forest, this is the second time. …I’ll be really careful from now on so this doesn’t happen again.”

She finished her words with an awkward smile.

Ashid found himself staring at Daniella as if he were possessed. He realized it only then. He had almost lost her twice, and he had found her with great difficulty. And he didn’t want to go through such a terrible experience again.

At the same time, a terrible memory suddenly came to mind. The memory of the day he witnessed his mother’s death, a memory he could never forget no matter how much he tried. The days when he had to retreat unfairly because he had no evidence to punish the real culprit, even with the culprit right in front of him.

If he had made a wrong choice, those events would have been repeated.

That thought tormented Ashid. In his mind, Daniella’s pale face was superimposed on his dead mother’s face.

Ashid, without realizing it, said to her in a desperate voice.