Chapter 99

“There was no body belonging to Sir Matthias among those delivered,” Malena reported quietly.

While Odelliana hovered on the edge of death, the bodies of the fallen were brought back to Eisenwald. Of the hundred soldiers who had marched out, more than eighty returned as corpses. The remaining twenty or so were listed as missing, their whereabouts unknown.

“What about the areas struck by the blizzard?” Odelliana asked.

“Most of the snow has been cleared,” Malena replied. “We have erected separate tents to house refugees and are focusing on restoring the villages.”

“…That is a relief,” Odelliana murmured.

“All of the deceased from the poorhouse were buried together as well,” Malena continued. “Since they were orphans with no surviving relatives, there was no separate discussion of compensation.”

Odelliana fell silent for a moment before asking, “Do you think the survivors there resent me?”

“Of course not,” Malena said at once. “They were far more worried about your condition, miss. No one believes this happened because of you, so please do not trouble yourself.”

The possibility that Matthias might still be alive, and the fact that there were no urgent official duties demanding her immediate attention, finally allowed Odelliana to breathe. The pressure that had been crushing her chest eased, if only slightly.

“How is the war situation?” she asked.

“It remains the same,” Malena answered. “There has been no progress.”

Hermann and the Second Knight Order had been dispatched, but no one expected meaningful results.

“So the poorhouse incident will simply fade away like this?” Odelliana asked.

“All those involved are dead,” Malena replied. “The dead tell no tales, and there is no one left to hold accountable.”

Odelliana nodded, as though she understood. Though she was the greatest victim of the incident, she accepted with unsettling calm that it would end inconclusively. Malena watched her with a bitter smile. Once Odelliana finished every last spoonful of gruel and swallowed her medicine, Malena rose from her seat.

“Please get some rest,” she said.

After leaving the room, Malena went straight to Blair’s study.

“I have come, my lord,” she announced.

Blair greeted her while rubbing at his gaunt, unshaven face.

“…How is Odelliana?” he asked.

“The fever has completely subsided,” Malena replied. “She cannot move on her own yet, but she is recovering quickly. Thankfully, the young lady has a strong will to live. She does not miss her medicine or meals.”

“…That is good,” Blair said quietly.

“Would it not be best if you visited her yourself, my lord?” Malena suggested.

Blair shook his head, a bitter smile touching his lips.

“I do not yet have the face to stand before her,” he said.

“This was not your fault, my lord,” Malena said gently.

“…The sins of my family are also my sins,” Blair replied. “You did not tell Odelliana, did you?”

“…How could I?” Malena answered after a pause. “If she learns that the mastermind behind this was the eldest young master, it would be too much of a shock.”

Through Liam and Martin’s relentless investigation, the truth had come to light. Hermann was behind the poorhouse incident. Several of Hermann’s knights had been seen approaching the guards stationed there, and additional testimony revealed that one of the guards had once spoken of receiving orders from higher up to “clean up” the poorhouse.

There was no physical evidence, but the circumstances were damning.

“They were ordered to bring back a silver haired, blue eyed, lame woman alive,” Malena said, her voice tightening. “The rest could be killed. Just like the mercenaries who attacked the young lady before.”

Blair, who already knew the full story surrounding Odelliana and the family, remained composed. Malena, however, struggled to suppress her rising anger.

“Why is the Grüsewald family going this far?” she demanded. “How long must the young lady live exposed to such danger? Only now do I understand why she was so desperate to learn the sword and bow, even forcing herself to learn horseback riding beyond her limits.”

Blair said nothing.

“She was grasping at anything she could,” Malena went on. “Struggling, even a little, just to stay alive. And yet… even so, the young lady is too fragile. Her physical limitations are undeniable.”

No matter how much they strengthened her guard or protected her like an iron fortress, accidents would still happen. If the enemy was determined, there was no guarantee something like this would not happen again. Especially when that enemy was a grand noble who held the empire in his grip, it would repeat endlessly. Even imagining it made Malena feel suffocated. How much worse must it be for the one living it?

“Would it not be better to send her into exile?” Malena asked.

“…Exile?” Blair echoed.

“To hide the young lady somewhere beyond the reach of the Grüsewald family,” Malena said. “In my view, there is no truly safe place left in Reveln.”

Blair remained silent.

“I believe this option deserves consideration,” Malena continued. “Of course, I will stay with the young lady until the end.”

“…You would even accept exile for Odelliana’s sake?” Blair asked.

The disbelief in his gaze was unmistakable. Why would she go that far? Malena let out a short, humorless laugh.

“I do not know myself,” she admitted. “I cannot say why I feel this way.”

“I suppose I have grown attached,” Malena said. “Having no family of my own, I find it hard to let go once bonds are formed.”

Blair turned his gaze toward the window. Eisenwald lay blanketed in pure white snow, serene and beautiful. Yet his heart was in turmoil.

I only wanted to give Odelliana her freedom. I only wished for her to live happily.

Had that been too much to ask?

Swallowing his bitter smile, Blair answered at last, “I will think on it.”

***

“For someone who looks like she would die if you poked her, you are surprisingly hard to kill,” Jocelyn remarked.

How had she forgotten that this detestable man was staying here?

Odelliana glared coldly at the uninvited guest who had barged in without warning. Unbothered, Jocelyn set a basket of fruit beside her bed.

“Fruit is good for restoring strength,” he added lightly. “Eat one every day.”

“Well, at least you lived,” Jocelyn went on. “If you had died, all that trouble of being stranded together would have been for nothing.”

Odelliana said nothing.

“At this point, you might at least say thank you,” Jocelyn said.

Odelliana let out a quiet, mocking laugh.

“Did you come all this way just to show off?” she asked.

“Well, partly,” Jocelyn replied.

“I heard you regained consciousness, so I came to check on you,” Jocelyn continued. “And to remind you of the debt you owe me. I imagine it would drive you mad to be indebted to someone you hate.”

“…I will not forget the debt,” Odelliana said. “I will repay it, one way or another.”

Jocelyn smiled faintly and stroked his chin as his gaze roamed over her.

“You are still insolent,” he said.

He looked distinctly displeased. Whether it was because the woman who owed him refused to bow her head in pitiful submission, or because her rigid boundaries offended him, it was unclear. Either way, he was far from pleased.

“How will you repay me?” Jocelyn asked. “From what I can see, you have nothing I would want.”

“…What do you want?” Odelliana asked.

“I did not come expecting payment,” Jocelyn replied, “but now that you insist, it gives me something to think about. What exactly could you give me?”

His eyes lingered on her, dissecting her inch by inch with unnerving persistence.

The drab, unremarkable woman from before was gone. Even wrapped in bandages, she now carried a strange allure. That thought led him to recall the young knight who had sworn loyalty to her, the one who had dared to deflect Aidas’s sword.

At the time, Jocelyn had been too enraged to think clearly, but in hindsight, the fact that such a young body had parried the blade of the Second Knight Commander was proof enough of talent.

He had looked exactly like a fiercely loyal guard dog, willing to tear apart anyone who threatened his master.

In truth, Jocelyn thought, what interests me more than the woman is the dog she keeps.

Loyal, capable, and pleasing to the eye. A hunting dog of such fine stock was wasted on a crippled woman.

Yet from experience, he knew that a dog who had already chosen its master rarely turned on them.

In that case, he mused, why not take the master instead?

Possess the owner, and the dog would naturally follow.

“I will think about what to take from you later,” Jocelyn said aloud. “Still, it is refreshing that you are not completely shameless. Wanting to repay your debt is admirable.”

“Do not misunderstand,” Odelliana replied quietly. “I want to repay it solely so that nothing remains between us.”

“Even so, that does not change the fact that you have a conscience,” Jocelyn said. “There are many in this world who take what they can and run.”

Did he know that, in a previous life, he himself had been one of those people?

Odelliana turned her head away and closed her eyes.

“I am tired,” she said. “Please leave.”

“I still have something to say,” Jocelyn replied.

“I have no desire to hear it,” Odelliana said.

“You will regret that,” Jocelyn said lightly. “I was going to share some hard won intelligence, for your sake. About the annihilation of the Eisenwald supply convoy.”

Odelliana’s eyes flew open as she turned to stare at him. The desperation on her face was so naked that Jocelyn burst out laughing.

“What is it?” he asked. “Do you have someone precious among the knights dispatched with the allied forces? That reaction is rather intense.”

“…Speak,” Odelliana said. “What is this intelligence?”

“It was not a barbarian raid,” Jocelyn replied.

Odelliana held her breath.

“They were killed by an attack from their own allies,” Jocelyn said.

“…Are you certain?” Odelliana asked.

“Of course,” Jocelyn replied. “I have eyes and ears all over the front lines. And beyond them.”

If the information came from his so called tails, it was unlikely to be entirely false.

“Curious who is responsible?” Jocelyn asked.

Odelliana remained silent.

“It is the same person behind the poorhouse incident,” Jocelyn said.

She had expected it, but still, could it truly be Hermann?

“Oh?” Jocelyn said. “It seems you already know who the mastermind is.”

“I did not anticipate this information,” Odelliana replied, “but I am aware of who is targeting me.”

Perhaps the fool had gone blind in wartime frenzy. Even if war made it easier to conceal crimes, how could he justify turning on his own allies while a common enemy still existed?

The thought that undermining Blair mattered more to him than reclaiming Anatolia from the barbarians made her feel sick. With someone like that sitting in command, obsessed only with personal gain, it was no wonder there had been no progress.

“There was no body belonging to your knight among those delivered,” Jocelyn said.

Odelliana’s fingers tightened.

“That means he is alive somewhere,” Jocelyn continued. “And surviving that chaos suggests he has a good grasp of what is really happening. Hermann left someone here to identify the bodies, so he will soon learn that your knight still draws breath.”

His voice carried unmistakable amusement.

“If your knight truly lives,” Jocelyn said softly, “then one of the two will surely die. Is it not exciting? To see which one returns as a corpse.”