Your taste is (10)
It was so cold that I got goosebumps on my arms.
The fire in the fireplace seems to be dying down again. I need to add some firewood before it goes out.
Contrary to my expectations, I rolled up the blanket.
I didn't want to get out of bed because it was cold. I'll just stay here until Nadia comes.
"..."
As I thought about that, I opened my eyes wide. As the sleepiness went away, my dazed mind became clearer.
The events that happened in the morning flashed through my mind Iike a revolving lantern.
The assassin sent by Oslo. Ian, Rahon, and Kalit risked their lives for me.
I got out of bed in a hurry.
I don't know where Rahon went and I was taking up the bed. I hope he didn't crawl onto the bed while I was sleeping.
I quickly washed up and came out, and then the scenery outside the window caught my eye.
The blizzard had turned into a heavy snowfall.
The snow had piled up so much that the bodies of the assassins, which had been clearly visible until dawn, were no longer visible at all.
Can the carriage come? Will it be okay if the wind doesn't blow?
With that thought in mind, I opened the window slightly and quickly closed it. The temperature seemed to have dropped further in the meantime. My teeth chattered.
It felt particularly cold for some reason.
As I was shivering and trying to put on some clothes, I heard a noise from downstairs.
Three voices are having a lively conversation. It seems they are already awake.
I went outside, held onto the wall, and walked slowly.
Ian heard the sound of footsteps and strode up the stairs, grabbing my hand.
"Are you awake?"
"I guess I overslept. It's embarrassing."
"It's not too late. Be careful on the stairs."
"Thank you."
He was wearing a checkered shirt and trousers with many pockets. His hair was casually down, giving him the appearance of a seasoned hunter rather than a knight.
Did he receive treatment from Rahon? The bandage wrapped around his left arm had been replaced with a new one.
As we descended into the drawing room, the air was thick with smoke. There was a roaring fireplace and firewood piled high up to the ceiling.
Only then did my body, which had been frozen in the cold, loosen up.
'Ha, I think I'll survive.'
The first floor was as clean as if the events of the previous night had been a dream. The broken windows had been replaced with wooden boards, and there was no sign of Montpain powder.
Kalit and Rahon were playing chess. The chessboard and pieces were old and worn as if they had come from somewhere.
Rahon can play chess too.
It's only natural if he's my benefactor, but somehow I feel like I've found new evidence.
"Checkmate. Did you sleep well?"
Kalit asked with his signature smile. It was an unusually affectionate smile for someone who had just blown away the white king with a black knight.
"Thank you, did Your Highness sleep well?"
"I woke up early because it was cold. While I was at it, I gathered a lot of firewood for our little Duke. We won't have to worry about firewood for a few days."
It's enough to last a month, not just a few days. It's surprising that not only Ian but also Prince Kalit chopped firewood.
"Would it be difficult to return to the castle today?"
"It's snowing heavily. It's also gotten very cold. If you ride a horse in this weather, you'll get frostbite before you even get out of the forest."
I guess I'll have to stay here until the weather clears up.
Food is running low and Oslo might send assassins again at any moment.
Even if we wanted to ask for help from outside, it was impossible. We were completely isolated.
Even though it was clearly the worst-case scenario, I wasn't anxious.
Was it because the three men looked so calm? I began to believe that nothing bad would happen when I was with them.
'Now that I think about it, they're all gathered here.'
Of the three, the person I have the closest relationship with is Ian.
But if I rule him out as a candidate because he doesn't have a scar, then either Rahon or Kalit would be my benefactor.
'The problem is that neither of them have the opportunity to be my benefactor...'
Could the answer be hidden among the lost memories?
I guess I'll have to ask Rahon to make a potion that will restore my memories.
The moment I sat down next to Rahon with that determination, Rahon put down his utensils and stood up.
Hey? It seems like you're avoiding me just now. Am I mistaken?
"Let's have one more game after breakfast."
"Great."
Kalit accepted Rahon's informality naturally. It seemed like he knew that Rahon spoke informally to everyone.
Rahon went into the kitchen and Kalit cleaned up the chessboard. Ian sat down in front of him. The two men's silent game of chess began again.
The game between the two proceeded smoothly. There was no stopping the moves, to the point where the chess clock was meaningless.
It was only natural that Kalit was a chess prodigy, but Ian was unexpected.
His skills were comparable to those of Kalit.
'Why are you keeping it so nice?'
The two even had similar strategies.
Even the movement of the knight from the second number is the same. If someone who doesn't know saw it, they would think that they learned from the same teacher.
After watching that, I quietly stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"In the kitchen. I can go there alone, so play chess."
Ian looked at me for a moment, then turned his attention to the chess board when Kalit tapped on the table.
I felt my way along the wall toward the kitchen. Even if I wanted to pretend not to see it, there was so little furniture that I could just hold onto the wall and walk, and the kitchen would be right there.
"Rahon, I can help you. I can place the dishes on the table."
"Why bother with something that's only a few?"
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay."
"Please wake me up..."
"Why wake up a sleeping child?"
His voice was the same as usual, but his expression was strange. I found it particularly awkward that his gaze was fixed on the food, not paying attention to me.
I wonder if he is hiding the aftereffects of abusing his power.
As I was about to reach out to his forehead with that thought, Rahon grabbed my wrist.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah! was just checking to see if you have a fever."
"Just ask. Why are you trying to touch me?"
"It's a habit. Since I lost my sight, I feel anxious unless I touch something to check."
"...I don't have a fever."
"I'll check anyway."
When I reached out again, he quickly dodged.
"This won't work. Don't come near me anymore."
"Why?"
"If I tell you not to come, then don't come."
Without realizing it, I lifted my collar and sniffed.
I don't think there's any strange smell...
But people don't really know what they smell like.
I was like that too.
Even though I lost my eyesight and my sense of smell became abnormally sensitive, I didn't even know I smelled until Sierra told me.
After that, I started bathing compulsively and didn't meet anyone.
No matter how many times Nadia told me that I didn't smell, I couldn't believe it.
"I guess it's because I didn't wash properly. I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden? When did you ever smell?"
"...Isn't it?"
"Don't think weird. You smell good."
"Then why are you avoiding me?"
"It's not that I avoid you, it's that I think I'll regret it later."
What does that mean? Before I could ask again, Rahon called Ian and Kalit.
"Eat!"
I had no choice but to sit down at the table. I'll have to ask for the memory recovery potion later. We started the meal with just soup, bread, and a few baked potatoes.
"I guess I have to hunt."
"Hunting is fun. Let's go together."
"If you're going to do it, bring rabbits. They're the easiest to groom."
I joined three men talking about hunting while eating.
"I have a question."
The three exchanged glances and then closed their mouths. After gathering their thoughts for a moment, they continued speaking.
"Is it possible that the Third Prince will send an assassin again?"
When we clearly mentioned the background and purpose rather than lumping them together as a villain, silence fell over the table.
Kalit leaned back in his chair, stilI smiling.
"I don't think you have any intention of burying it."
"I'm sorry."
I still wanted to give Kalit whatever he wanted, because he had a lot of debts to repay.
"But I can't put my loved ones at risk."
How to protect my people while helping Kalit. I have to find a middle ground.
"His Majesty has ordered a quiet retreat."
"Because I am a guardian who can refuse His Majesty's orders."
"Do you have any evidence that my brother is behind this?"
"There are assassins who passed out in Montpain."
"..."
There was only one place in this place where prisoners could be held.
The storage room in the villa's backyard. You probably found the chessboard there too.
Kalit looked at me blankly and smiled languidly.
"Unfortunately, they can't be witnesses. They don't know their client."
The Emperor asked for evidence. It seems he has already interrogated the captured assassin.
"I see you interrogated him. What did he say?"
"He said he was just following orders."
"Then we'll have to catch the guild leader. He must have dealt directly with the Third Prince."
The smile finally disappeared from Kalit's face. He looked at Rahon with an incomprehensible gaze and asked him.
"Do you have a large piece of paper? It doesn't matter if it's not paper, as long as I can write on it."
"A map is fine?"
"It's perfect. Can you bring it to me?"
While Rahon went to fetch the quill and map, Ian pushed the food aside.
A map was laid out on the table. It was yellowed, but it was still readable.
"Please write it large so that it can be seen from far away."
Rahon nodded and dipped the nib of his pen in ink.
"What should I write?"
"Baba."
"What is Baba?"
"The guild leader's name."
"...Do you know the name?"
How could I know only his name? I also know his end.
Shrugging his shoulders, Rahon wrote in large letters on the back of the map.
"Baba, and?"
"You have ten months to live."
"..."
"Have you written everything down?"
No one answered.
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