Chapter 93
The distance from here to Arwin was very far.
And if Theorn’s injury was not treated quickly, it would clearly become a problem.
But instead of getting on his horse right away as she expected, Theorn crouched down on the ground.
“What are you doing?”
“We need to make a passage.”
Aileen stared in confusion as he pulled out something that looked like a small tree branch from his clothes, stuck it upright into the ground, and even covered it carefully with soil.
After dusting off his hands and standing up lightly, Theorn looked at her as if she were the one being unreasonable.
“Were you planning to walk all the way to Arwin?”
“Well…”
Aileen lost her words.
The pale gray-brown branch instantly began to grow, sprouting leaves. If it had stopped there, she wouldn’t have been so shocked.
But the trunk twisted, then split in half, creating a wide opening large enough for two people to walk through.
“Don’t tell me… we’re going through that?”
“If going through there takes us straight to Arwin, why would we bother traveling by foot?”
His answer was completely natural.
She had seen many of Theorn’s strange abilities before, but this was new. She had no idea he could do something like this.
“You could do this too?”
“It works because it’s a branch taken from the Goddess’s Tree.”
“Should you really take something like that so casually?”
“Do you remember that incident before? It’s part of a branch that died from illness back then, so it’s fine.”
He meant the case she had helped resolve.
She remembered now.
She hadn’t expected it to come back like this, in the form of help.
“So this is the Goddess’s Tree…”
Aileen stepped closer and placed her palm against the trunk.
Even though there was no wind, the leaves trembled slightly.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but it felt like it was greeting her.
“You’re not very surprised. And you’re not afraid.”
“Being afraid of a tree would be strange.”
“…Are you going to keep standing there?”
Standing in front of the large opening, Theorn extended his hand.
She almost took it, then lowered her own.
“I’m not planning to leave forever.”
“I wasn’t expecting that.”
Aileen hadn’t accepted his offer intending to leave the Empire permanently.
Yes. This was avoidance. Escape.
More like trying a choice that didn’t suit her, just once.
“I’ll leave it to your decision. Even if you stay indefinitely, I won’t chase you out.”
“…I will come back.”
For now, considering the safety of the people close to her, this felt like the best choice.
But circumstances could change.
If things changed, she would move accordingly.
Honestly, she wasn’t even sure herself when she would want to return.
That was how heavily everything binding her had been weighing her down.
As if understanding her inner struggle, Theorn smiled faintly.
“You might change your mind once you see Arwin.”
“You’re that confident?”
Without answering, he held out his hand again.
This time, Aileen took it.
His cool hand guided her.
Passing through was easy. It felt like walking through empty air.
But the moment they stepped through, the scenery completely changed.
They were no longer in a dense forest, but standing on a low hill.
Aileen turned around instinctively.
There was nothing behind them. Just empty space.
“There’s nothing.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not a two-way passage. It can only be used once to return to Arwin.”
He didn’t openly point out what that meant—that going back to the Empire would be troublesome.
Standing in the wide open space, a refreshing wind seemed to scatter her tangled thoughts.
“This way.”
Theorn’s voice cut off her thinking.
He was still holding her hand.
“Oh…”
As she followed him a few steps, the view that unfolded made her gasp.
“It won’t be easy not to like it after seeing this.”
At the end of an endless wide plain stood a massive structure.
A huge gate rose proudly, supported by tall towers on both sides.
Everything was dazzling white.
“Welcome to Airnen, the capital of Arwin.”
Now she truly felt that she had made a decision she couldn’t easily take back.
***
Cedric felt something ominous the moment Kassel came out to greet him.
It meant Kassel hadn’t even waited for him to enter the main castle.
“My lord.”
Kassel slowed his horse and called out.
The weight in that single phrase was heavy.
Cedric’s bad feeling deepened.
“What is it?”
“It’s confirmed. The Baron did move the troops.”
Riding beside him, Kassel lowered his voice and reported quickly, glancing around cautiously.
“But as soon as I confirmed it, we received a letter from the Baron. He says Zenis’s movements seemed suspicious, so it was a precaution.”
“Even so, moving troops of that size without reporting to me first?”
Cedric’s tone had turned stiff.
There had been no prior report of suspicious movement.
It felt like the Baron had acted first to avoid being questioned.
No matter how generously he tried to interpret it, it was overstepping authority.
“He claims he had no choice. He says he intended to report.”
If this were the old Cedric, he might have let it pass.
Even now, part of him wanted to.
Chester Lowell was an experienced knight with countless battles behind him.
Maybe he had his reasons.
Maybe he acted for Cedric’s sake, for Lowell’s sake.
Maybe it couldn’t be helped.
He could have tried to rationalize it.
But—
“…Tell my uncle I want to hear his explanation directly.”
Cedric finally decided.
He had hesitated for long, but his voice was steady.
“Shall we send a summons to the main castle?”
“Yes.”
Not a suggestion. Not a request. An order.
The Baron of Demicalon would understand the weight of that.
But Kassel’s face darkened further.
“You may have to make a decision, my lord.”
“You think so too?”
“I tried not to doubt him, for the sake of the former Duke and for you.”
Kassel tightened his grip on the reins.
“But I am in a position where I must offer honest counsel.”
“So even from a rational perspective, there are things that don’t add up.”
“It may be… the time we always knew would come.”
The words neither of them wanted to say.
That for Cedric’s safety, he might have to eliminate his closest relative.
Kassel didn’t want it to come to this either.
But objectively, Chester Lowell had always carried the potential to cause trouble.
“I know. I know what it means to summon my uncle at a time like this.”
Cedric looked at Kassel briefly.
They understood each other without further words.
—
But an even bigger problem arose.
Aileen’s arrival was delayed.
If she had decided not to come, there should have been word.
But there was nothing at all.
“What is going on?”
Was she more sick than expected? Was it more than just a cold?
Had she fallen seriously ill?
Thoughts circled endlessly.
‘She wouldn’t like me interfering. And I don’t want to either.’
If he contacted her, she would probably reply coldly.
And if something truly important had happened, Aileen would have informed him herself.
So Cedric told himself it was nothing and waited a few days.
But when it passed a week, his anxiety exceeded its limit.
“This won’t do. Aaron, gather some knights—”
“The carriage from the Marquis of Ribbonshire has arrived.”
At the guard’s report, Cedric shot to his feet.
He rushed out of his office and practically flew down to the courtyard.
‘It must have been nothing.’
If so, they could mend things as if nothing had happened.
Especially now that his doubts about his uncle seemed real, Cedric had decided—
If he saw Aileen, he would admit it.
That perhaps his judgment had been wrong.
That he wanted to correct it.
And if the time came when he had to make a harsh decision, he would.
If Aileen stood beside him, he believed he could endure it.
She would stay with him.
“…Aileen is missing?”
Instead, he was met with half-ruined soldiers from the marquisate—and Aileen’s maid, whose tears had dried on her face.
“What are you saying? What do you mean she’s not here?”
“She’s not inside.”
Cedric thought she was hiding to avoid him.
Why lie and hide in the carriage? He could simply look for her.
But the chaotic carriage was empty.
Only Jeon and Mary stepped out.
“There was an attack, Young Master. I shouldn’t have let her go so far from the carriage…”
“Ruth. There was at least minimal escort, wasn’t there?”
Cedric had felt reassured because Ruth volunteered to stay behind.
He believed Ruth had grown strong enough to protect Aileen.
But Mary’s answer was shocking.
“He disappeared too.”
“What?”
“I don’t know what happened. It seemed like they were targeting my lady. They attacked the carriage, then suddenly retreated.”
Cedric didn’t want to think further.
Clenching his fist tightly, he stepped away from the empty carriage.
“Where did the attack happen? Dispatch a full search party.”
“We don’t have the manpower. The Baron is on his way here.”
Kassel spoke realistically.
It made no sense to split the castle’s forces when they didn’t know what might happen.
“Then what do you suggest?”
“I… I’m sorry.”
Kassel’s face was heavy.
He couldn’t bring himself to say they might have to leave it for now.
Cedric gripped his sword hilt tightly as if he might draw it, then let go.
He wanted to slash at an enemy with no shape, no identity.
“Ha…”
Anger wouldn’t solve anything.
He knew that.
‘Don’t act emotionally, Cedric.’
Aileen’s voice echoed in his mind.
But the person who used to stand beside him and say those words directly—
was no longer there.
