ELND Chapter 50

Chapter 50

 Finally Found You

“Here we are. This is the place.”

As the carriage came to a stop, Thompson peeked through the curtain and spoke.

It seemed we had finally arrived.

I shifted in my seat to get a better view through the window, and he quickly closed the curtain again, turning to look at me.

“Don’t come out just yet. Stay inside until I inform the village chief that Your Highness has arrived.”

I nodded, and Thompson immediately got down from the carriage and headed toward the village entrance.

“Are you really okay, Your Highness?”

Mina’s question drew the attention of the other maids, all their eyes filled with concern.

“They won’t be friendly toward Your Highness,” one of them warned.

“That’s right. Of course, we’ll do our best to defend you, but… don’t be too surprised.”

I smiled gently to reassure her.

“You all seem to worry more than I do. I’ll be fine, so don’t stress yourselves.”

With that, I slightly opened the curtain to peek outside.

At the entrance of the village where the carriage had stopped, a small sign was fixed to a tree:

[Grayzone Village]

Beyond it stretched a simple, modest village.

Inside the village’s fence, quaint and unique houses lined up neatly, smoke curling up from every chimney.

It looked like the villagers were just beginning to prepare breakfast.

Despite mothers calling their children to eat, the kids ran along the paths, laughing brightly.

Seeing such a heartwarming scene, I couldn’t help but smile.

From afar, I saw Thompson returning to the carriage.

I drew the curtain shut again, as if nothing had happened, and waited for him.

When he finally opened the carriage door, his expression looked slightly troubled.

“I’ve spoken to the village chief and a few of the local leaders. You may step out now.”

I got out of the carriage and, together with the maids, unloaded our luggage.

“What’s this?”

Thompson, standing beside me, looked curious.

“I couldn’t come empty-handed. It’s a small castle.”

“For a small castle, that’s quite a lot,” he remarked, taking the luggage from my hands.

“Thompson, I can carry this myself,” I said.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly returned to his usual scowl.

“I’ve made myself clear. Under no circumstances will I help Your Highness,” Thompson repeated firmly.

I took the luggage back from him and replied, “I know. Let’s consider your vow of not helping me effective from this moment onward.”

Thompson shook his head in exasperation and walked ahead toward the village entrance.

Following him, we finally reached the village center.

A man sitting on a bench laughing suddenly tilted his head, noticing me.

He squinted at my simple attire and hat, as if unsure, then looked at my face again.

His expression immediately darkened.

“You…?!”

Other villagers’ gazes also began to focus on me.

“Isn’t that the Duchess of Twins?”

“I think so. But why is she here?”

“How shameless…!”

Spittle flew from a young man’s mouth, landing at my feet.

Mina immediately stepped forward, her expression hardening.

“Long time no see, Roy.”

“You… Mina? What’s going on here? And with that shameless woman?!”

Mina’s face turned even colder. She drew a deep breath, holding back her anger.

“No matter what you think, this is the Duchess of the Twins, the central figure of our mixed-blood demons.”

“Hey, Mina…”

“You should watch your words,” Mina warned coldly.

The young man scoffed, mocking her.

“Sure, you still claim loyalty to the Twins family. I supported the Duchess back then, too! And how did she repay me?”

Rising from the bench, his face twisted with anger.

“Discrimination, contempt, and dismissal!”

The villagers’ attention returned fully to me.

Mina glanced around, then growled a warning toward the man.

“Show some respect, Roy. We didn’t come here to fight our own kind.”

The young man’s face only grew more vicious.

“How are we supposed to believe that?! And you brought that cruel Duchess to our village!”

The villagers’ gazes intensified, growing increasingly hostile.

“That woman treated us so poorly!”

“I still feel the sting from the whip she gave me whenever it rained!”

“She came into our village on her own, so she must pay the price!”

The atmosphere became tense, ready to erupt. The maids formed a protective circle around me.

“Enough, Roy,” an elderly voice called, and the heated tension subsided slightly.

I turned to see a thin old man with a bushy white beard.

The village chief, standing beside a flustered Thompson, slowly approached and bowed slightly.

“I am Devon, chief of Grayzone Village. I was the steward at the House of Light, so you may remember me.”

I bowed politely.

“Nice to see you, Devon.”

Devon’s manner was more courteous than Thompson or Roy, though his eyes betrayed his caution toward me.

“I heard from Thompson that you’ve come to meet the villagers?”

The villagers’ scowls intensified, and many raised farming tools and shovels.

I swallowed hard and looked back at Chief Devon.

“Yes. It may be presumptuous, but I’ve come to speak with you and ask for forgiveness.”

Devon’s long, white eyebrows raised in surprise.

He glanced at the maids around me, then spoke again.

“You didn’t bring any knights?”

“No, they’re all I brought.”

“Then it seems you did not come to destroy our village… That’s a relief.”

It seemed Devon had suspected I might have come to punish Grayzone Village.

Good thing I only brought the maids, I thought. Rebecca would have done far worse.

“I thought my maids would suffice. I did not come to fight… I came to apologize.”

Devon’s eyes widened.

“You’ve come to apologize?”

Small murmurs of surprise rippled through the villagers.

“Yes. I sincerely apologize and plan to return the jobs I took from you all.”

“Jobs?”

“I intend to establish a welfare foundation for mixed-blood demons. It will support those who face unfair treatment in the human world.”

“….”

“I want you to be part of this foundation.”

I looked Devon squarely in the eye.

Devon’s pupils trembled slightly.

“Are you… serious?”

A ripple of murmurs spread among the villagers.

“Yes. I am sincere. Please allow me the chance to apologize.”

“….”

“I ask of you.”

I bowed politely.

The murmurs ceased.

In the stunned silence, the maids stepped forward.

“Chief Devon, Your Highness is different now.”

“We who have served her closely can guarantee it!”

“That’s right. So now even the Duke truly cares for her!”

Some villagers snorted in disbelief.

“What? The Duke cares for the Duchess?”

Laughter and mocking voices erupted across the village.

“Hahaha! Even a passing dog would laugh at that!”

“Hmm… who’s saying otherwise?”

The maids shouted, faces flushed.

“It’s true! Do you need the Duke himself to show up to believe me?”

At that moment, from the village entrance, a huge sandstorm approached, and the sound of a horse galloping grew closer.

All eyes turned toward the source.

As the swirling sand settled, a figure on a massive black horse became visible.

Why is he here…?

I turned in shock. Mina also grabbed my arm, her voice trembling.

“Your Highness, that person… is that the Duke?”

“Yes, I think so…”

Yet Cedric, usually calm, looked somehow different—furious, as if chasing a runaway thief.

I blinked slowly, bewildered.

Does Cedric have any reason to urgently seek Grayzone Village like this?

As I stared at him, our eyes met.

Cedric clenched his jaw and spurred the horse into the village center at full speed.

The black horse stopped before me, and another sandstorm swirled around.

“Cough… who is that person…?”

The villagers coughed and whispered nervously.

“T-The Duke? How did he arrive without any notice…?”

In countless eyes, awe and reverence sparkled.

Some covered their mouths, holding back cries of admiration.

I knew the Twins family was respected as leaders of mixed-blood demons, but this…

Amid the villagers’ sudden change in attitude, I turned my attention.

“Rebecca.”

Cedric’s deep, ominous voice rang out.

I looked up and met his eyes from atop the massive black horse.

His eyes, usually warm, were now cold, though beneath the chill, I sensed a fiery intensity.

He stared at me with a piercing gaze for a long moment.

Finally, Cedric’s lips parted slowly.

“…Finally found you.”