Chapter 133
Together to Royster
At the innocent congratulations, Nora’s face turned pale.
“This is nonsense. It’s just a lie to mock me.”
She wanted to believe that, but there was something that bothered her.
Now that she thought about it, it had already been far past the expected date, yet her period hadn’t started. Normally, her cycle was irregular, so she hadn’t paid much attention. But now, thinking back, it had been over three weeks since the scheduled time, and that felt strange.
‘No, no…!’
The worst situation she had thought of wasn’t actually the worst.
The shock of falling into the unknown was great. Her family had fallen, her engagement to the crown prince was officially broken, and now, she was pregnant with a child whose father she didn’t even know. This was an amount of misfortune she couldn’t bear.
But still, this was too much.
Nora trembled with pale lips, her body swaying as she nearly collapsed.
Eleanor caught her by the shoulder to steady her and continued speaking.
“Arlo might not accept the child as his, but… think of the baby and try to overcome it.”
Now you’re a mother. The whispering voice felt harsher to Nora than anything else.
“You…! How dare you…!”
Nora glared at Eleanor with eyes full of rage, as though she were looking at her worst enemy.
“What did I do? I haven’t done anything.”
Eleanor shrugged her shoulders as if it was an unfair accusation.
Her long fingers trailed down her shoulder and lightly poked below Nora’s collarbone.
“This is all your choice, isn’t it?”
Nora chose to betray her, to pretend to be a true princess, to never give up her seat beside the castrated Arlo, and to follow the ugly orders of the Duke of Astria. Now she blamed Eleanor for all of it, and it was simply absurd.
“If it weren’t for you…! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this situation!”
Nora screamed in anger.
“Really, is that so?”
Eleanor murmured, a subtle smile playing at her lips.
“Nora, this suits you.”
“What…?”
“This shabby dress, the empty neck without any gold, sitting beside the disgusting eunuch…”
Her voice was soft in Nora’s ear.
“A life full of misfortune, too.”
It was a familiar yet unfamiliar speech.
Nora quickly realized that these were the same words she had once said herself.
“Those things suit me better. The extravagant dresses, the position by His Highness, the life of a lady.”
Exactly the opposite of what she used to proudly whisper in the past.
“Ugh!!”
Her anger surged to the point that her entire body trembled. Nora could no longer hold it in and screamed as she reached out her hand, but she was quickly caught by Eleanor.
“You need to gain some weight. How are you going to raise a child like this, so weak?”
“Let go! Let go, you b****!”
“You should cut down on the swearing.”
Eleanor clicked her tongue lightly and let go of Nora.
As she glanced sideways, she saw that Karsian had already come closer. With his large fists tightly clenched, it was clear that if Eleanor hadn’t grabbed Nora’s wrist, something far worse would have happened to her.
“Let’s stop the pointless talk here.”
Eleanor decided it was best to wrap things up for Karsian’s sake and took a step back.
“By the way, I’ve sent a congratulatory gift for your pregnancy to the Duke’s mansion. You’ll receive it soon. I’m not sure how long you’ll be able to keep the mansion, but don’t worry, those people will help raise the child wherever you go. I’ve already paid a year’s worth of expenses in advance.”
At these words, Nora’s face contorted even further.
Eleanor, with a final bit of generosity, added an explanation.
“Well, when raising a child, whether you like it or not, you have to rely on your parents’ help, don’t you?”
With that, Eleanor passed by Nora. Karsian followed her, and Nora, left all alone, huffed and glared at Eleanor’s back.
“Stop! I’m not done yet!”
She had more to say! Nora shouted with all her might, but Eleanor didn’t look back.
“Eleanor!!”
No matter what name Nora called her, Eleanor had no intention of turning back.
That conversation was the last. It was Nora’s last chance to apologize and avoid the worst outcome.
Nora had kicked it away herself, and Eleanor would never offer the same chance again.
In the future, no matter how much Nora regretted it…
***
Afterward
Eleanor, back at the Duke’s mansion, asked Karsian for permission and immediately went to her room, collapsing into bed, exhausted.
After a long day, or perhaps because she had finally completed what she had longed for, all the accumulated fatigue hit her at once.
She slept soundly, without any dreams, and when she woke up, it was already dark outside the window.
There was no sound from the servants either, and only the mournful chirping of insects could be heard.
Eleanor got up from bed with a dazed expression and slowly walked to the balcony.
She carefully opened the door and stepped outside, feeling the cool autumn breeze on her neck.
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t even change my clothes.’
Looking down, she saw the cream-colored dress she had been wearing since this morning. The fabric was thin, and it was insufficient to block the chilly autumn wind.
Should she go back inside and get a shawl? Eleanor hesitated for a moment but decided to bear the cold. The weather in Juvnal was always chilly, and she had lived here her whole life, so she was used to it.
She stood quietly, staring at the black sky where not even a star could be seen.
At first, her mind had been crowded with thoughts, but over time, it became clearer and clearer.
Her memories of Arlo faded, Damian’s foolishness was forgotten, and her hatred for her father slowly dissipated. Finally, after letting go of the precious, yet unappreciated memories with Nora, her mind was free from worries.
For the first time, Eleanor was without any thoughts, quietly looking at the night sky in the peacefulness of dawn.
She felt light and at ease. Now that she had emptied herself, she felt she could take in something new.
How long had she been standing there, staring at the sky?
Only when she felt the cold creeping in did she realize how long she had been lost in thought. She quickly reached for her arms and felt her skin, which had become as cold as ice.
Just as she turned around to go back inside, something soft wrapped around her.
It was a large, soft blanket. It felt as warm as the person who gave it to her.
“When did you get there?”
“Just a little while ago.”
Eleanor tilted her head and asked. Karsian answered in a calm voice. When he handed her the blanket, his skin had felt as cold as hers, so she guessed he had probably spent almost an hour in the chilly wind too.
‘He’s been waiting for me without saying anything until the warmth returned…’
Feeling both sorry and warm inside, Eleanor thought to herself.
While worrying whether she would be cold, he had waited, not wanting to disturb her alone time. His heart was warm and thoughtful.
“…How are you feeling?”
Karsian asked softly, his eyes showing concern as he gently examined her face.
“I’m feeling great.”
Eleanor smiled brightly, leaving the dark sky behind.
“Because, you know, there’s that saying. Revenge only leaves emptiness. I was curious… Would I feel that way after the trial ends?”
“And did you feel it?”
“No, not at all.”
She shook her head firmly.
“I just feel relieved. Finally, I can be free from that annoying hatred. If I have to find something I wish, it would be if there was a faster and more sure way to get revenge. I wanted those people to suffer as much as possible.”
Eleanor spoke and casually glanced at Karsian.
She worried for a moment if he thought she was being too harsh, like the Emperor did. But Karsian didn’t show any expression.
“But after thinking again, everything I did was the best option, so I have no regrets. Ah, now I can breathe.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air she inhaled felt sweeter than usual, as her heart felt lighter.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Karsian looking at her with a warm and loving smile.
How does he manage to make even his gaze so sweet?
Eleanor felt a little embarrassed and started fiddling with the blanket on her shoulders.
“Well, if you’re wondering what to do next, I’m a bit unsure. I should have thought of more things while I had the chance. Now that I’m free, not much comes to mind.”
“Take your time and think about it. You have all the time now, and you can do anything you want.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
She smiled brightly and expressed her gratitude. Karsian slowly parted his lips and his red eyes slowly swayed in the dark.
It was a familiar expression. The one she had seen often today, the one he was holding back something he wanted to say.
Would he finally say it?
Eleanor blinked her big eyes, waiting for him to speak. She didn’t know what he would say, but seeing him hesitate so much made her think it was something important.
“…Eleanor, I have something to tell you.”
As expected, a very serious voice followed.
She swallowed dryly, nodding her head to indicate for him to continue.
“Recently, as the weather has gotten colder, there have been more sightings of the beasts from the Stella Mountains. It’s something that happens every winter, so it’s not very dangerous, but to reduce the damage, I’ll need to personally lead an expedition. That’s why I’ll need to stay in the Royster Duchy for a while.”
Eleanor realized that he was going to have to return to Royster.
A deep sense of regret filled her. While she didn’t have concrete plans, she had many vague desires to spend time with him.
But even so, she couldn’t stop Karsian from returning. She had heard so much about how great a knight and hunter he was.
Royster needed him, and that was the most important thing. So, she would have to endure the regret of parting for now.
“So, Eleanor…”
But it was Karsian who didn’t seem to have any intention of enduring his regret.
“If you don’t have any other plans… would you come to Royster with me?”
