Chapter 29
I stepped out of the room, pretending to be a maid on an errand, carrying an empty tray in my hands.
The two knights standing guard in the hallway paid me no attention. They seemed too engrossed in their card game.
They were royal knights assigned by Kabbalah to accompany the maids, but more likely, they were there to keep an eye on me rather than to protect me.
I passed by them and descended the stairs.
Perhaps they didn’t trust the royal knights either, because from the very next floor down, Callias’s knights were standing guard.
I spotted a familiar red-haired knight among them and approached him.
Though I was wearing Lamia’s maid uniform and had my head covered with a hood, he immediately recognized me, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Your Hig—”
“Shh.”
I quickly raised a finger to my lips, signaling him to keep quiet.
“The royal knights must not know.”
I grabbed his sleeve and hurriedly pulled him down the stairs.
Though Lamia’s help had calmed me somewhat, my body was still trembling.
The red-haired knight whispered cautiously.
“Is something wrong? You’re shaking.”
“There’s someone suspicious.”
“Excuse me?”
“A servant who just came to my room! Their eyebrows were shaped oddly. You’ll recognize them right away.”
The red-haired knight looked puzzled.
“I’ve been standing by the stairwell the whole time. No one but maids went up to your floor, Your Highness.”
“……!”
I was so flustered I couldn’t respond right away. Stammering, I asked,
“I-Is there only one staircase to the upper floors? What about the windows? Maybe they climbed through a window. Or maybe they’re hiding in another room—”
“But the royal knights are upstairs, aren’t they? If someone suspicious had appeared, wouldn’t they have stopped them?”
“I’ve never seen those knights before today. I don’t trust them.”
I wasn’t even sure if they were real royal knights to begin with.
Hearing my words, the red-haired knight looked even more confused. Then, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he tilted his head.
“Then where are Your Highness’s maids? Why did you come down alone?”
His doubtful gaze made me flinch without thinking.
For a moment, his face overlapped with the faces of all those who had mocked me in the past.
“She’s lost her mind.”
“They say she keeps lying like she’s possessed.”
The whispers and sneers of those who ridiculed me echoed in my head.
People who pretended to believe me in front of me but mocked me behind my back.
The violence I suffered from Count Pelsus, dismissed as hallucinations, delusions, or lies.
All those memories weighed me down.
‘He doesn’t believe me either.’
A creeping sense of helplessness spread through my entire body. No matter what I said, it would be useless.
But then—
‘If I just leave things as they are because no one believes me, I’ll end up repeating the same miserable life.’
I glared at the red-haired knight, my eyes sharp.
“Do you think I’m crazy too?”
My blunt question startled him.
“Wh-What? N-No, I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Even if I were mad, I am here as the Marchioness of Rodrian. You, as a knight of the marquis, have no right to treat my words lightly.”
I gave him a firm command.
“Go to the Marquis of Rodrian and tell him what I just told you.”
“P-Please calm down. I’ll report it to the captain first.”
That was an odd response.
I frowned, staring at him.
“If you don’t want to tell the marquis yourself, I’ll do it. Where is he?”
Maybe my tone was harsher than I thought.
The red-haired knight, who had been acting all mature, suddenly looked like he was about to cry.
“No, it’s not that! The lord hasn’t returned yet, so Bar— I mean, Viscount Kriff went to find him. I just wanted to report it to the captain quickly… I swear I don’t think you’re crazy, Your Highness…!”
“……!”
I was stunned. I’d never seen a man bigger and fully armored than me look so tearful.
‘Did I misunderstand?’
Despite standing in the cold hallway, my face felt hot.
Trying to act as composed as possible, I said,
“W-We don’t have time for this. The Marquis of Rodrian might be in danger. Please report this to your superior immediately.”
At that moment—
Callias was outside the outer walls of Avenet.
Since sunset, a fierce snowstorm had begun to blow harder and harder.
Visibility was so poor that it was difficult to see even a foot ahead.
Yet Callias, as if accustomed to this, urged his horse forward through the storm.
The white horses of Lonheim were large and resilient to the cold, pushing onward without complaint.
Reaching a desolate area, Callias dismounted, looking as calm as if out for a stroll.
He reached toward a bag tied to his saddle.
At that moment, a sound echoed—like the wind, or perhaps a child crying.
Eeeaaaah!
Whoooaaah!
Callias smirked.
“Making a fuss all the way out here, huh?”
He pulled something from the sack.
It was a type of fish, extremely rare in the northern cities. Though it was dried, it was still a treat.
“Here, a special meal.”
He tossed the dried fish far into the distance.
Something flickered through the blizzard-shrouded visibility.
“I’d like to get you something fresh someday… though that might be difficult.”
He muttered, reaching into the bag again to grab more fish.
Just as he was about to scatter them, he suddenly stopped.
“…?”
Amid the roaring wind, he heard something out of place.
The sound of footsteps in the snow.
They came from the direction he had traveled.
‘Three? Maybe four?’
In this weather, at this time, and in such a secluded place—he couldn’t consider it a coincidence.
With a grim expression, he placed a hand on his sword.
Eeeeaaah!
Nyaaaah!
The same eerie windlike cries echoed around him.
“I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Hawick Blago. I received a brief report from Alex. You said you saw someone suspicious?”
The red-haired knight, who had introduced himself as Alex, had hidden me in a safe room and brought back the captain of the knights.
The captain had a sturdy appearance, his hair cut so short that his scalp was visible—he looked solid, like a walking boulder.
‘He looks like a golem.’
A monster described in legends as being made of stone—if it were to take human form, it would probably look like him.
Even his thick cloak couldn’t hide the bulging muscles beneath.
“Sir Hawick.”
I spoke calmly.
“I know who the intruder is. He’s extremely dangerous. I believe he followed us here from the capital. Has the Marquis of Rodrian returned yet?”
“Viscount Kriff went to fetch him. He should be back soon.”
Whether he lacked expressions or didn’t grasp the situation’s gravity, Hawick looked remarkably calm.
“Don’t worry. Our men are already searching the inn and its surroundings for the man you described.”
I insisted,
“I heard the marquis went out alone. He might be in danger. Where did he go?”
Hawick furrowed his brows, looking troubled.
“He went to check on the cats.”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Thinking I misheard, I leaned in and asked,
“What did you just say, Sir Hawick?”
“Ahem.”
Hawick cleared his throat awkwardly before replying reluctantly,
“He went to check on the cats.”
“Cats?”
“Yes, snow cats.”
I hadn’t misheard.
I couldn’t believe it and asked again.
“By cats… you mean those small carnivorous animals?”
“Yes, that’s right. Small carnivorous animals.”
I looked back and forth between Hawick and Alex.
‘Cats? What cats? Why now? Where are they? What kind of cats are they? Did he go to visit someone’s pets? Or stray cats?’
My mind was racing with questions.
Whether they knew how confused I was or not, both Hawick and Alex remained calm and serious.
They whispered to each other while glancing at me.
“The poor things must be starving without him, Captain.”
“He must’ve rushed out to feed them.”
Alex glanced out the window.
“And now there’s a blizzard, too.”
“Hm.”
Hawick nodded.
‘What even is this conversation?’
Just as I was about to snap at them in disbelief, Hawick reassured me.
“He’ll be fine, so don’t worry.”
“Aren’t you going to send someone to look for him?”
“The marquis ordered us to prioritize Your Highness’s safety.”
There wasn’t a hint of concern on the captain’s face. Alex looked just as relaxed.
‘Even if Callias is an exceptional swordsman…’
They had already dispatched knights to investigate, so it’s not like Hawick was ignoring me.
‘But still… why are they so calm…?’
