Chapter 90

Two days later, Elise found herself once again boarding the ferry to cross the river. As she awoke, there was an eerie absence of any sign of the Arganians, Barnon included. The events of two days prior were a hushed topic, deliberately ignored by everyone, indicating that it must have been orchestrated by the owner’s command.

Rezette, seemingly determined to bury the tumultuous events of the past four days, behaved as if they had never occurred. Despite the palpable lack of conversation, it was evident that he had managed to suppress his anger, a feat made apparent when Elise, upon his brief awakening after fainting, found solace in his embrace.

Their subsequent intimacy unfolded slowly and gently, a deliberate choice that felt right under the circumstances. Rezette’s assistance in boarding the boat was executed with delicate consideration, maintaining the habit of pulling down the hood to shield Elise’s face from the river breeze. The gesture felt familiar, even as it naturally progressed to touch her cheek and, eventually, her lips.

It was an encounter that conveyed an illusion of normalcy, as if nothing had transpired. Elise, however, couldn’t shake the feeling of awkwardness and suffocation by Rezette’s side, despite the usual reassurance that leaning on his shoulder would provide. With the hood covering her vision up to her nose, Elise couldn’t help but endlessly ponder the south that Barnon would have headed to.

As she mused, a haunting realization lingered. It’s as if nothing happened at all…

All the hard-won hope, the joy of reuniting with Andrei, and the anticipation of discovering her own abilities had crumbled into nothingness. Elise, wrapped in her large and thick robe, found herself questioning the reality of it all. Was it truly possible?

As she huddled in contemplation, memories of the contract Rezette had reminded her of resurfaced. “Should I put the contents of our contract into words?” she recalled his words. 

Right, it was just a contract marriage. Love, jealousy, and the pain of being hurt—it all distilled into a straightforward arrangement, as clear as laughter untainted by absurdity. Despite their bodies intertwining, there was no sharing of hearts. Elise vowed not to repeat the same foolish mistake.

Having weathered trials, Elise fortified her heart, transforming it into a resilient diamond. The man now offering his shoulder did not love her; he harbored no intention of reciprocating her feelings. Instead, he seemed content to adorn the pinnacle of his castle with her, treating her as if she were a pretty and precious treasure.

But it was only for the duration of the contract, and Elise found solace in the knowledge that there was an end in sight. Turning this fact around, she understood that once the contract concluded, they would revert to being perfect strangers without any ties.

While the contract rendered her his possession, its termination promised her freedom from him. Elise tightly held the power within, preventing its escape, and cautiously circulated it within herself to ensure it wouldn’t slip away.

Even someone who knew her well, perhaps too well, like Rezette, remained ignorant of certain aspects. While he was aware of Elise having a ‘dream,’ he lacked the knowledge of how to exploit it. Unable to dominate her subconscious, the ‘dream’ remained Elise’s only weapon and escape route.

She was determined not to be discovered and helplessly taken away as before.

Elise clasped her waist with both arms, fingers tracing the intricate magic circle adorning her lower back. In a whispered farewell, she uttered, ‘See you soon, Andrei,’ invoking the bridge of dreams that connected their souls.

As she stood along the flowing river, an elusive scent of the bloody waters seemed to linger in the air. Weary, Elise closed her eyes, succumbing to the embrace of fatigue. Above the Tene River, a repository of countless secrets, the blood-red sunset painted a vivid tableau.

***

Duke Irrien’s carriage rumbled into the Yellow Field, finally arriving at Opel. A tall, robust middle-aged man descended with an air of somber determination, his formidable expression hinting at an unusual circumstance.

“I’ve come to see His Majesty the Emperor,” Duke Irrien declared with a respectful bow before making his way into the castle, an attendant trailing behind. Sensing an air of urgency, the attendant hesitated before speaking, “Your Highness, I regret not informing you in advance, but today is a difficult day for His Majesty…”

“Difficult?” The Duke’s eyes blazed, a flame ready to consume anyone in his path. He seized the attendant’s collar with a force that spoke of his inner turmoil.

“Quickly, go to His Majesty. Tell her that Irrien’s daughter, who left as an envoy to Rotiara as per the Emperor, has returned as a corpse. Also, take this, which was placed on her chest,” the duke proclaimed, delivering a letter with its seal brutally torn open. Sensing the gravity of the matter, the attendant swiftly bowed and hurried to relay the grim news to the emperor’s office.

Within the hour, an imperial edict arrived, summoning Duke Irrien to the audience hall without delay.

***

“Tell me, how is Genovia faring exactly?” The Emperor of Van Yela, Noyer, inquired, his tense neck receiving the relief of a soothing massage. “Having awakened from the brink of life and death, is she displaying signs of recovery?”

The crimson veins on Duke Irrien’s fist betrayed his escalating frustration. “Is her recovery really the most critical concern at this moment?”

“I never fancied dispatching my daughter to that accursed land every year. Even if the girl insisted on going, Your Majesty could have intervened. I knew one day it would lead to this!” The Duke’s words were laced with resentment.

“It’s not my fault. Your daughter was so…” Noyer wisely halted, swallowing the words he almost uttered.

The transformation of Genovia Irrien, once a shadow following the Duke, into an untouchable figure was a widely known tale in Van Yela’s social circles. Had she been an ordinary noble lady, she might have met her demise at Rezette’s hands long ago. However, being the highest-ranking noble in Van Yela due to the absence of women in the imperial family, Genovia’s status remained. Noyer understood that Rezette’s tolerance of Genovia stemmed from this fact.

Furthermore, Genovia willingly volunteered as an envoy to Rotiara, leaving Noyer with no valid grounds for objection. Nevertheless, it was Noyer’s shortcoming not to anticipate that his younger brother’s patience would eventually wear thin.

The duke, his temper swollen like a toad, honed his words to a sharper edge. “Had I not dispatched a shipment of thorns and ivy, she might have succumbed to suffocation before reaching Norella.”

“Did you truly anticipate all of this amidst your preparations?” Noyer questioned with a measured tone. Thorny vines, renowned for partially nullifying magic, were the only plants known to possess such an effect. In response to the duke’s calm assertion, his eyes ominously widened.

“Are you saying that now? My daughter barely survived, and the visible lump on her throat will be a scar for life. Your Majesty, if not for your brother reducing my daughter to such an extent, would you keep sidestepping the issue?”

“I was merely attempting to convey that in misfortune, there lies some fortune, Duke. I can empathize with the shock you must be feeling.”

Noyer endeavored to pacify his subordinate calmly, fully aware of Rezette Kyrstan’s potentially twisted mindset. The letter sent to the lady whom Rezette had left half a corpse was undoubtedly a cruel mockery. It served as both a warning against intrusive surveillance on his territory and a clear statement that any action detrimental to his possessions would not be tolerated. Given its content, it almost resembled a grand warning directed at Duke Irrien and the imperial family, explaining Duke Irrien’s justified fury.

In the midst of it all, referring to ‘his possession’ undoubtedly meant the Princess of Argan. Despite the initially shocking world-shaking wedding and Rezette’s seemingly lenient demeanor, it appeared that, after a few months, he was asserting complete ownership over her.

Has he surrendered his heart already? This was a man who dared to regard the emperor as if he were an insignificant insect even when the subject of his heir was broached.

“I will summon Rezette Kyrstan separately and subject him to a thorough interrogation. Rest assured, I will ensure he faces a severe punishment,” proclaimed Noyer, only to receive a disdainful snort from Duke Irrien. 

“I reluctantly accepted that Your Majesty handed over Rotiara to a lowly creature. However, your consistent favoritism toward Rezette Kyrstan in every matter, while neglecting Norella and Irrien, is baffling,” he said, voicing his grievances with a pointed tone.

Silence hung heavy in the air, and Noyer found himself caught off guard. “The reason Irrien betrayed His Highness the Crown Prince to support you, who was only the 5th Prince, wasn’t to witness this outcome. Please treat Irrien fairly,” the Duke urged, his words cutting through the quiet tension.

Noyer, attempting to approach discreetly, found himself thwarted and clicked his tongue in frustration. Irrien of Norella stood as the second most significant political asset for Noyer, following closely behind Rezette, and a never-ending source of wealth. Irrien smiled patiently.

“In the end, you seek compensation from my younger brother. Very well. What is it that you desire?” Noyer inquired, prepared to negotiate.

“Please grant custody of the child born to the Princess of Argan to Irrien,” the Duke asserted, leaving Noyer momentarily stunned.

“What?” Noyer exclaimed, initially interpreting it as a misheard request. However, Duke Irrien stood resolute, showing no signs of faltering.

“I should receive, at the very least, this much in exchange for Genovia’s life.”

Initially, Irrien’s strategy revolved around securing Genovia for the Grand Duke, positioning her as both the companion of the Grand Duke and the mistress of Rotiara. This master plan aimed at gaining partial ownership of the revered land, with the stipulation that it mattered little if the Grand Duke had another successor from a different lineage. In fact, it was preferable if he had no successor at all.

The Grand Duke, an almost immortal knight resembling a half-divine being, was unparalleled in history. If such a remarkable figure were to establish a lineage, extending the Grand Duke’s influence beyond the individual to create a legacy, the resultant power, even within Van Yela, would become so formidable that even someone of Irrien’s stature would be unable to recklessly oppose it.

In light of this, the Princess of Argan and the child she bore became nothing more than a hindrance to Duke Irrien. He couldn’t simply stand idly by and witness a dragon ruling the country, surpassing a duke— a grand noble and a founding hero of the nation. Crushing the rebellion outright would have been a more favorable outcome if it succeeded.

Hence, Duke Irrien’s optimal demand to the Emperor was twofold: preventing Rezette Kyrstan’s successor from ascending the throne and, additionally, ensuring Irrien obtained a top-notch dragon.