~Chapter 52~
“The snow is starting to fall like this… what on earth…”
As soon as Lady Ribbonshire left, Eileen looked out the window and felt uneasy.
Snow was falling heavily from the sky. What had started as light flurries quickly became so thick that she couldn’t see ahead. The snow was piling up faster than she imagined. In no time, the ground was completely covered, and everything around her was turning white.
“The snow is coming down hard. If it keeps up like this, it’ll be hard to travel for a while.”
Lord Rotner, who was standing beside her, looked worried too.
Eileen had been planning to ask him about his relationship with Lady Ribbonshire, but now her focus was on the snow.
“…By the way, I’m sorry for surprising you like this.”
“No, it’s alright. I can’t blame you for Lady Ribbonshire’s request. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Lord Rotner didn’t have a personal connection with Lady Ribbonshire. However, in the past, the former Ribbonshire Marquis had helped him by writing a recommendation for his youngest son to join the Imperial Guard, so Lord Rotner couldn’t refuse her request.
“It was just sudden.”
“I think it’s because you’ve been busy with family matters, and you didn’t hear about Lady Cashier’s engagement until recently.”
“That makes sense, I guess.”
Although she said that, something still didn’t feel quite right. However, Eileen didn’t want to press Lord Rotner for answers since he didn’t seem to have any hidden motives.
“If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
“Well, if there’s any special news about the Cashier family, please let me know.”
“You don’t miss an opportunity, do you?”
Eileen shrugged, responding lightly. People like Lord Rotner liked to form connections and build networks. And even though she had unknowingly used Prince Leonard for her own advantage, it seemed that Lord Rotner found it interesting that she wasn’t completely disconnected from the royal family.
“Well, he wouldn’t mind if I used his name a little.”
At that moment, Eileen found herself wishing she could be in the capital. It would have been interesting to hear firsthand about the fifth person the Crown Prince was supposed to marry.
“I’ll write a letter for you to deliver to the Crown Prince. I’ll make sure to fill it with good words.”
“I’ll make sure it reaches him.”
“Thank you.”
Although exchanging pleasantries was normally just a way to pass the time when they happened to meet, writing a letter could give her an excuse to meet the Crown Prince. And Leonard would probably read it if he knew it was from her.
Of course, she didn’t have anything particularly important to say to him.
No, actually, there was one thing she could say, though she knew Leonard wouldn’t react to it.
‘…If you’re going to break the engagement, at least do it quietly.’
It bothered her a little that the Cashier family’s wealth had been spent so recklessly. At this rate, the Cashier gold mine might be drained within the next decade.
“I guess I’ll go now. Cedric should have arrived by now.”
However, Eileen couldn’t have a serious discussion with Cedric about her leaving. It wasn’t because he refused to talk or because there wasn’t enough time, but because he wasn’t there.
He had gone off to find Lord Noheel, and had not yet returned. Even the knights who had accompanied him had not come back.
***
Cedric had only planned to take a quick look around before returning. It was more of a habit he’d developed from his father’s teachings.
‘Always check your surroundings wherever you go.’
‘Even if it’s annoying?’
‘If you let yourself be annoyed by it, you’re courting death.’
His father’s dry advice was sometimes harsh, but it stuck with him. That’s why Cedric, whenever he arrived in a new or unfamiliar place, would instinctively scan the area, as if it was second nature. He couldn’t sit still, even in what was supposed to be a safe area.
“Sir, should we head back?”
“I’m still uneasy.”
The goal was to find Lord Noheel. But the lord was nowhere to be found.
“Over there. Who is that?”
Suddenly, Cedric’s eyes caught sight of something. It disappeared in an instant, but he was sure he had seen someone.
“Is that a person on the mountain?”
“Yeah.”
Cedric squinted and stared at the mountain. It was hard to tell if he had really seen someone or if it had just been a trick of the light. The bare winter mountain didn’t give much away.
“Could it be a deer?”
“The movement doesn’t seem like that.”
Large wild animals didn’t move in such a stealthy manner. They would usually stand still and wait before fleeing.
“Let’s go check it out.”
Cedric spurred his horse and rode towards the mountain. But it didn’t seem to lead anywhere useful.
“Was it nothing after all?”
As they kept riding up, they reached a dead-end and were about to turn back when something unusual caught Cedric’s eye.
“Look. The branches are broken.”
Cedric jumped off his horse, with the knights following him. He pushed through the brush, stepping on the branches, and followed the broken trail.
“I doubt Lord Noheel would come this far.”
“Yeah. I’m curious too… but I think I know the answer.”
As they moved forward, they suddenly came upon an open space. The knights instantly went into battle formation because scattered bodies were lying around. It was clear there had been a fierce battle.
“Check if anyone’s still alive.”
Cedric, though tense, didn’t draw his sword yet. He slowly approached, examining the area. There were horseshoe and wheel tracks scattered across the ground, suggesting something heavy had been transported.
Just then, two knights spoke almost simultaneously.
“There’s a survivor here.”
A soldier was lying on the ground, groaning in pain. His injuries were severe, and it seemed too late for treatment. But he was the only lead to understanding what had happened.
Cedric bent down, leaning in to ask him.
“What happened here?”
“The… ship… suspicious… ma… fortune…”
As the soldier took his last breath, Cedric suddenly looked up, twisting his body in the direction the arrow had come from. With a sharp whistling sound, an arrow narrowly missed his head.
The arrow lodged itself into a tree behind him. As Cedric scanned the area, his knights immediately drew their swords.
“Who’s there?”
“Chase them!”
Cedric got up, moving swiftly. Whoever was behind this had likely left a scout or an archer behind. They had definitely been aiming at him, which meant they knew who he was.
The knights quickly caught the culprit. Perhaps because they hadn’t captured the assassin who had attacked Eileen before, they were moving with extra speed.
“Who are you? What’s your affiliation?”
But the soldier remained silent. Still, Cedric didn’t give up.
Since he was a soldier, not a knight, it seemed easier to convince him. The soldier’s worn clothes and tired expression made him appear vulnerable.
“If you answer me honestly, I’ll spare your life.”
“…Really?”
“I promise, on my name.”
The soldier hesitated, but eventually, his face dropped in defeat.
“…The Finikel family. I was a soldier for the Finikel family.”
“What?”
So, there were still remnants of them left. Cedric had believed he had handled it well, but it seemed like he was wrong.
Cedric sighed, feeling frustrated with himself.
“What does Lord Noheel have to do with this?”
“Our commander… was a close friend of his.”
The soldier’s gaze shifted to the man lying on the ground. That person was the lord. His clothes were more luxurious than the others.
“Seems like they were really close friends,” Cedric muttered bitterly, his tone sarcastic.
