Chapter 78

Upon returning to the castle, Odelliana confided in Blair without holding back. She told him everything—from the truth behind the murder case that had shaken the public to the fact that the duke had hired mercenaries and was now actively threatening her life.

Blair was furious. Without hesitation, he increased the number of guards assigned to her. Security throughout the castle tightened, and the entry process became far more stringent. He also sent spies into the marketplace to identify mercenaries working under the duke’s orders.

Malena, a former mercenary herself, blended in effortlessly. She moved through the market as if she belonged there and carried out her duties as an informant with precision. Thanks to her efforts, it didn’t take long to locate the mercenary who had slipped into the city, targeting the woman with the limp.

It’s all because I’m too weak.

Odelliana bit down on the thought, but it lingered. She didn’t expect to be as strong as she once was, but surely she should at least be able to protect herself. This wasn’t sustainable.

And yet, here she was, trapped in a body not her own and forced to carry the weight of a life she hadn’t chosen. In some ways, this existence felt more exhausting than the one before. But what else could she do? No one knew where her original body was. She couldn’t go back. Like it or not, she had to live as she was now.

“Malena, is everything I asked for ready?” Odelliana asked.

“Everything except the horse,” Malena replied. She hesitated before continuing. “But… are you really going through with this?”

“I am.”

Malena let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall. Her gaze swept over Odelliana slowly, critically, taking in every inch of her form.

“I can help you with sword and archery training,” she said. “But I’m against horseback riding.”

“Because I limp?” Odelliana asked coldly. “You think I can’t ride because of that?”

“It’s not just the limp,” Malena said. “Horseback riding is dangerous even for healthy people. Falling accidents happen all the time. With luck, you might end up with a broken arm or leg. Without it, you could die. I’ll be blunt. In your condition, it’s not possible. You can’t stay balanced on a moving horse if one leg can’t support you.”

Odelliana said nothing.

“If it’s for self-defense, basic swordsmanship is enough,” Malena continued. “I understand you’re uneasy after what happened, but we’ve already increased your security. You don’t need to push yourself like this.”

Her voice was steady, her reasoning solid. But the calm refusal only made Odelliana’s throat tighten. It wasn’t just Malena’s words that stung—it was what they implied.

“If you won’t help me, I’ll find another riding instructor,” she said sharply.

“My lady—”

“I—”

Their voices rose together. Odelliana’s breath caught, and she spoke again, this time more forcefully, her frustration spilling out in a rush.

“I don’t want to let my disability decide what I can or can’t do.”

Malena fell silent.

“If I blame every limitation on my condition, then what will I ever be able to do?” Odelliana asked, her voice trembling. “I know how I must look to you—foolish and reckless. You probably think I’m being stubborn just for the sake of pride.”

“My lady…”

“But I want to do this,” she said. “Do I need some grand justification just to want something for myself? I don’t want to live a life full of regrets. And if I have to give up this much just because I’m disabled… then I’d rather be dead.”

Malena didn’t speak. The quiet between them stretched painfully.

“I told you,” Odelliana whispered. “I hate being weak. I don’t want to live like a useless fool.”

She clenched her fists. The truth was ugly, but it was hers. She loathed helplessness. She despised the idea of being pitied. And while instinct had driven her to rely on Matthias in moments of danger, she couldn’t depend on him forever.

“There’s no guarantee my life will always be this safe,” Odelliana said, her voice low but firm. “Right now, I have you, and Matthias, and my brother and the knights. But how can I be sure they’ll always be there?”

She looked directly at Malena, her eyes unwavering.

“In a crisis, weakness is nothing but dead weight. It doesn’t just drag me down—it drags down the people I care about. I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be helpless, or a burden just because I’m not useful.”

Malena’s expression tensed. “…My lady.”

“Why should I assume someone will always be there to protect me?” Odelliana asked. “Just because I have trouble walking? Is it right to take your kindness for granted, or expect help from others simply because I’m struggling? If I think that way, does that mean any effort I make is meaningless?”

Malena frowned. “But horseback riding…”

“Horseback riding is my way of challenging the impossible,” Odelliana said sharply.

It was more than just a skill to her. It was an investment in survival, a bet against the risk of future wars. Though her leg made riding difficult, if she could just manage to stay on a horse, she might be able to escape danger without relying on anyone. If that one physical limitation could be overcome by mobility, then wasn’t the risk worth taking?

“…What if you get hurt?” Malena asked quietly. “You could end up even more disabled than you are now. Are you really okay with that?”

“That’s a risk I’ll have to accept.”

“You’re so reckless.”

Odelliana gave a small smile. “You’re just realizing that now? It’s not like I only started being stubborn yesterday.”

She stepped forward and took Malena’s hand in hers, gripping it tightly.

“Help me, Malena.”

Malena stared at her in silence.

“So I can live a better life,” Odelliana said.

Malena’s voice dropped to a cautious whisper. “What does a better life mean to you?”

“…Becoming far more capable than I am now,” Odelliana replied without hesitation.

Her gaze didn’t waver. Her voice held no doubt. For the first time, her eyes—always shadowed by fatigue and resignation—burned with a clear, steady light.

Malena stared at her, taken aback by the change. There was something different now, something solid in her presence. A noblewoman cast aside for being unsightly, a cripple discarded by her own family, was standing here with the will to become someone of worth.

And who, Malena thought, could dare crush that resolve?

“The lady’s desire to become capable,” Malena said slowly, “maybe it’s a kind of rebellion. Against the way you were branded incompetent from the start.”

Odelliana gave a small nod.

“To ride despite your limp would be your first defiance,” Malena continued. “Proof that you’re not confined to what people think you can or can’t do.”

Faced with her mistress’s unshakable determination, Malena finally let out a slow breath and raised both hands in surrender.

“I’ll prepare a horse as soon as I can.”

***

“My lord, a letter has arrived from the House of Grüsewald.”

Blair said nothing. He stared at the envelope in the butler’s hand, embossed in gold with the Grüsewald family crest. It looked important at first glance—heavy parchment, careful seal—but without opening it, he took it and tossed it directly into the hearth.

Flames curled around the edges, swallowing it whole.

The contents were obvious. They always were.

Why was he so obsessed with Odelliana?

The Duke of Grüsewald—Blair’s own father—was a man he simply could not understand. When Odelliana had lived in that house, the duke had treated her like she didn’t exist. Now he was sending threats, demanding her immediate return to the main estate. If anything, shouldn’t he be glad? A daughter he considered useless had been taken in by a son who lived independently. From the outside, it should have looked like a favorable outcome for everyone.

There was a knock at the door.

“My lord, it’s Malena.”

“Come in,” Blair called.

The door creaked open, and Malena entered with a courteous bow.

“What is it?” he asked. “Did something happen to Odelliana?”

“No, my lord. I came because I have something to report.”

“Take a seat first.”

Malena settled into the chair across from him. She got straight to the point.

“How is Odelliana?” Blair asked.

“Understandably anxious,” Malena replied. “She’s endured a difficult life for a long time, and she’s always been unusually aware of danger. Lately, she’s asked me not only for sword and archery lessons, but also for horseback riding.”

Blair raised his eyebrows. “Horseback riding? In her condition?”

“I tried to talk her out of it. I was worried. But her determination is unwavering. She sees it as a personal challenge—to overcome her limitations. Denying her would be the same as breaking her spirit.”

Blair groaned and buried his face in his hands. Swordsmanship and archery were one thing. But horseback riding? That felt dangerously close to self-destruction. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her no. Not when she was trying so hard to take back some control over her life.

“There are more mercenaries after her than we initially thought,” Malena continued. “All of them sent by the Grüsewalds. I think that fear is pushing her. She’s afraid they’ll drag her back, and she wants the strength to stop them herself.”

Blair’s voice was quiet. “If she were ever forced to return to that house, I think she might truly take her own life.”

Malena hesitated, then spoke carefully. “My lord, if I may speak honestly—I don’t understand any of this. Wasn’t Odelliana treated like a burden when she lived under the duke’s roof? Even when she was seriously injured, neither he nor the duchess ever came to see her. And they protected the maid who pushed her down the stairs instead of her.”[

Blair didn’t answer.

Malena leaned forward. “Do you know something?”

“I don’t,” he said.

She paused, studying him. “From what I’ve seen, this isn’t just about hiding the existence of a secret daughter. There’s something else going on. Something deeper.”

Blair sat back and crossed his arms, thoughtful. He couldn’t dismiss her suspicion. The threats, the sudden fixation on Odelliana, the lack of any compassion until now—it didn’t add up.

“I’ve had that same feeling,” he said. “That my parents are hiding something. Something about her. If this continues, it’ll become a drawn-out war neither side can afford. But I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Once Malena left, Blair quietly summoned his most trusted messenger and gave him specific instructions.