Chapter 019
The aftermath of the Demos attack was greater than expected.
The inner castle suffered no significant damage, but the villages surrounding the walls were brutally destroyed, just as Shaila had seen. It was said that damage of this magnitude was not a common occurrence.
“What a tragic incident.”
“This didn’t happen very often, did it?…”
the Duke of Graywolf received visitors while lying in his bed, his arm bound in a cast. His weakened appearance as a patient did not suit him at all, and Shaila stood beside him, feeling tense.
“Was the Little Lady injured anywhere?”
“Fortunately, I am fine.”
Antonio knew about Shaila’s outing, as well as Hannah’s death.
“Because of me… an innocent girl… suffered… such a…”
“This is not the Little Lady’s fault at all. The Demos possess a wicked skill. They use sound waves to target children…”
“I heard about that.”
Shaila interrupted the butler’s words with her voice, something that had never happened before.
“But since she was with me when the misfortune struck, I believe it is my fault.”
“…”
Antonio added nothing more. The young girl’s fingers moved nervously, expressing her anxiety as she toyed with her dress, bunching it up. That, too, was something he had never seen before. Antonio changed the subject entirely.
“This is a secret, but in the Kingdom of Azasha, a coup attempt recently took place. The matter has finally been settled between two families that have been competing for generations.”
The Kingdom of Azasha had been occupied with internal turmoil, so they had found no time to bother the Empire. The Pyramos family, powerful maternal relatives who had produced five queens, and the Azasha Royal Family, which clung to legitimacy despite being mere puppets.
The Pyramos family sent one of their adopted sons to the royal family and altered the records to gain legitimacy and control the situation. The new king, ‘Helgut Azasha,’ bore the royal family name but was entirely a subordinate to Pyramos. That was how he had been trained.
“In other words, they acted like a cuckoo, didn’t they?”
Like a cuckoo bird that lays its eggs in another’s nest, pushing out the other eggs to remain alone.
“Exactly.”
This was the cunning plan of the Pyramos family, which had been restricted by the laws of legitimacy for hundreds of years. This is what had transpired during the recent period.
“Since you are in the North now, you must know the current state of the enemy kingdom.”
The Kingdom of Azasha, the Demos attacks… these were things unimaginable in the peaceful capital.
“Truly… things are different here.”
“Welcome to the border,” Antonio replied with a small, joking laugh.
The dangerous situation in the North was supposedly due to some Demos creatures raised by the kingdom escaping their enclosure.
“It is likely that these monsters escaped their place and reached the North this time as well, so there is no need to worry…”
“No, this time is different.”
The Duke, who had been silent all along, suddenly cut into the conversation as if pouring cold water over it.
“It was definitely a planned attack.”
The Graywolf knights had pursued the fleeing Demos. Their direction of movement was different from before. Furthermore, it wasn’t a common soldier guarding the beast enclosure who was watching; it was a high-ranking knight of the Demon Army monitoring everything from behind the cliff. It was as if he were verifying whether the Demos were executing orders precisely, and as if he were scouting the strength and movements of the Graywolf knights.
“…”
A cold silence filled the Duke’s bedroom. Shaila’s face became darker than ever. Only three months had passed since her marriage and her arrival in the North. She had hoped she could tame her husband and live in comfort, but the Duke was suddenly laying the groundwork for the possibility of war…
“…I will step out for a moment. Please speak freely.”
The cowardly butler left the room first. The atmosphere needed to be changed. When Shaila was left alone with the Duke, she felt a great sense of responsibility. To give hope to the injured, ailing Duke, there was only one way.
Sacrificing Calion to make the discussion more pleasant!
“Calion, you can’t imagine how smart he is! He knows the letters now, and although only one of his ears has become upright, it is a great achievement!”
The upright ear was proof of his growth. He hadn’t transformed into a human yet, but it was an achievement that hadn’t existed before. However, the Duke’s cold expression did not change at all.
“He learned the entire alphabet in just one day! At this rate, he might become a great scholar of the Empire one day, Duke.”
Still, the Duke did not seem satisfied. Shaila defended the absent boy with effort.
“With that body of his, it’s easy to lose focus, but he was so enthusiastic about learning the letters! He is truly wonderful. Smart and energetic.”
“Perhaps he will transform into a human soon.”
She added that, but the Duke showed no reaction toward Calion.
“Try not to wander around too much.”
“Alright…”
While they were rebuilding the collapsed territory, they received refugees into the inner castle. The Duke advised her to be careful because, during the relief period, dangerous people might be mixed in with the refugees. Shaila listened to his warning and left the Duke’s bedroom.
* * *
‘The situation is very unstable.’
As the Duke said, the inner castle was noisy. In one corner, refugees gathered and whispered, and in another, a funeral ceremony was being held. Shaila attended the communal funeral and prayed fervently for Hannah.
‘May you find peace in that valley.’
‘I’m sorry, Hannah…’
She pleaded for Hannah to be reincarnated in her next life as a wild flower that no one would step on. Priests from the Great Temple came to preside over the funeral prayers. After the ceremony ended, an entire day had passed. Shaila postponed dinner and rushed to the East Wing to meet Calion.
“Ar-ar!”
Suddenly, a stray spotted dog appeared before Shaila’s eyes. It had followed the refugees into the castle.
“Oh my, how bold!”
The servants carrying luggage shouted as they saw a dog the size of a fist acting like a lion.
“He was demanding food from us, but with the Little Lady, he’s asking to be petted!”
“Asking to be petted?…”
“Look, he’s rolling on his back now!”
In the past, Shaila wouldn’t have spared a glance for an unknown animal, but for some reason, she couldn’t ignore it. A friendly and daring dog showing its belly easily even to strangers.
‘If only my little one had half of this confidence…’
The sight of the confident dog asking for affection overlapped with the image of Calion, who always watched with such caution.
“Here, eat this.”
Shaila pulled out a snack she always carried in her pocket: a soft sweet potato. The dog approached her quickly, wagging its tail, and ate the snack with gusto. Then, it propped its front paws on her knees, demanding more with sparkling eyes.
Shaila felt even more frustrated thinking about Calion because of this incredible friendliness.
‘If only he had half of this…’
Shaila stood up after quickly rubbing the dog’s chin and back and brushed off her dress. She wanted to see Calion immediately.
