(35) Seeping Warmth (5)
Despite Ariana's protests, Louis insisted on asking Cyrus for guidance. Cyrus glanced up briefly and stared intently at Ariana.
"You want to become strong?"
Ariana's face flushed at the slightly mocking question.
Anyone would laugh at the girl, whose body was thin from not eating properly, for saying she wanted to become strong.
"Is that necessary? If you go to the East Realm and become a Princess, there will be dozens of knights to protect you."
"I don't know. I doubt any knight would truly want to protect a Princess who suddenly appeared."
"Whether she crawled from the ground or fell from the sky, they would naturally protect their Princess."
Ariana didn't respond.
"The knights of the East Realm are protecting me?"
She didn't think so.
Subjects obey their lords' wishes. If the East Realm doesn't regard Ariana with favor, how could their subjects?
Even if she went to the East and somehow persuaded the Eastern Duke to take the Princess's place, she had no intention of feeling secure. That was the beginning.
Cyrus, who had been staring intently at Ariana, spoke.
"Good."
"Yes?"
"I'll teach you."
Seeing Ariana's skeptical expression, Cyrus raised a corner of his mouth.
"Why do you look like that when I say I'll teach you? Do you doubt my skill level?"
"How dare I doubt Your Excellency's skill? However, I know that knights do not naturally share their skills with others..."
"First of all, I'm a Duke, not a knight. And you can't learn my skills anyway. You're clever, so you understand that only natives of the Northern Realm can use magic, right?"
"Yes, I understand."
"I'll teach you a few techniques to protect yourself with that dagger you have."
Ariana was surprised that he was so willing to teach her self-defense techniques. But the playful glint in his eyes gave her a hint of his true feelings.
“You must be saying that because you have time to spare. There’s nothing much to do until we depart.”
In that case, she decided to gratefully ask for his help. She owed him so much that she had to repay his debt, and adding another one wouldn’t make a difference.
Ariana and Cyrus didn’t realize that Louis was watching them with a pleased expression.
If Rachel had planned everything, the Duke Bronte’s carriage should have left the West by now and set foot on Imperial soil. But now they were stranded in a small town beyond the Weifen Mountains.
A few days ago, soldiers who had gone out to search for the Second Princess’s carriage had returned with the coachman’s body.
-“We couldn’t find the bodies of the Second Princess and the maid. We’re still searching, so you’ll be able to see them soon.”
At the time, she thought Ariana’s body would be found soon. But the news she heard the next day sent a chill down Rachel’s heart.
"We found the bodies of bandits at the foot of the cliff. The condition is so bad we can't tell the details, but perhaps the Second Princess has escaped safely!"
The soldiers reported with joy, but Rachel and Jacob couldn't be happier upon hearing the news. Ariana's safe return was a serious issue.
Rachel told the soldiers to take care of her daughter while secretly hiring mercenaries to find Ariana.
She expected news soon, but for five days now, Ariana has been nowhere to be found. Not even the maid who was with Ariana. With her daughter gone, she couldn't comfortably travel to the Empire.
Perhaps she should turn the carriage around.
"If we keep this up, won't we miss the Empire in time for the social season?"
Helena whined, unsure of her fate, while Victoria sat quietly with dark eyes. Jacob had left in a rage the previous night, asking, "Is this the plan you thought was the best?" and still hadn't returned.
"Why did this happen?"
The happy and noble Bronte family, which had been without any problems, was falling apart.
When they finally emerged from the cave, two men were waiting for them in front of the cave. A pretty man with bright blond hair and green eyes, and a man with black hair and charming gray eyes.
“Greetings to Your Grace. I am Noah, Vice-Captain of the Black Knights.”
The black-haired man approached and bowed his head.
Ariana was taken aback, but she gracefully bent and straightened her knees.
“I am Ariana.”
“My name is Isaac. Isaac Peren.”
Isaac Peren, the greatest alchemist on the continent.
She heard of his reputation, so she studied his face with curiosity.
Ariana heard that Isaac Peren had a face as beautiful as a woman's, but in person, he was even prettier than the rumors. His hair, which fell below his ears, suited him perfectly.
Noah said,
"We're going off-road now, so I haven't prepared a carriage. Does Your Grace know how to ride a horse?"
"I can ride a horse, but..."
Ariana was puzzled by his question. She had expected them to part ways at this point.
When she turned to Cyrus, he shrugged.
"Since we're on our way, I suppose it would be all right to accompany you."
Ariana had originally thought she could ride the carriage to the empire. She'd only figured out Rachel's plan the morning they left the mansion, when she'd placed Ariana in a separate carriage. She was so focused on survival that she hadn't considered what would happen next.
Now that Rachel's people were searching for Ariana, it would be better to have company than to travel alone.
Ariana turned to Cyrus and spoke.
“I don’t know how to repay your kindness.”
“Didn’t I tell you? You’ll repay me for the rest of your life.”
Ariana ignored him, but Noah and Isaac were astonished. The two men gaped at Cyrus, then found Louis standing there, pleased.
Louis’s eyes spoke.
'Look at this. Wouldn’t your current master personally prepare a bed for a woman?'
Cyrus said, patting the neck of the black horse beside him.
“You said you knew how to ride, but how well do you know?”
“I won’t be a bother.”
Ariana had naturally picked up horseback riding, having had to travel all over the continent to assist the Third Prince. Cyrus jumped on his horse and said,
“I’m looking forward to it. You can cry if it gets tough.”
“I’ll cry if I need to.”
As Ariana grabbed the reins, Louis stepped forward to help. But it was unnecessary.
Ariana mounted her horse with incredible grace, as if she were a painting. Sitting erect and upright, without the slightest fear, she struck a powerful note, like a war god.
Isaac clicked his tongue.
“I didn’t think she was an ordinary girl... but she’s truly strange. How can a girl confined to the mansion know so much? The more I look at her, the more strange her behavior becomes.”
“She’s not a girl, she’s a woman, Isaac.”
Louis corrected Isaac and rode, while Isaac and Noah each mounted their own horses.
As Cyrus began to run, the rest of the group followed.
It was difficult to run through the pathless mountains, covered in trees and bushes, but Ariana kept up well behind Cyrus.
“She’s so fast.”
Cyrus’s horse seemed to fly even as it ran in the lead.
Knowing that to ride well on such a rough road, not only the horse's ability was important, but also the skill of the horseman, Ariana couldn't help but be amazed at Cyrus's horsemanship.
Isaac, who was riding behind to protect Ariana, said to Noah,
"His Excellency rides slowly."
"It must be to protect the Duchess."
Despite Ariana's protests, Louis insisted on asking Cyrus for guidance. Cyrus glanced up briefly and stared intently at Ariana.
"You want to become strong?"
Ariana's face flushed at the slightly mocking question.
Anyone would laugh at the girl, whose body was thin from not eating properly, for saying she wanted to become strong.
"Is that necessary? If you go to the East Realm and become a Princess, there will be dozens of knights to protect you."
"I don't know. I doubt any knight would truly want to protect a Princess who suddenly appeared."
"Whether she crawled from the ground or fell from the sky, they would naturally protect their Princess."
Ariana didn't respond.
"The knights of the East Realm are protecting me?"
She didn't think so.
Subjects obey their lords' wishes. If the East Realm doesn't regard Ariana with favor, how could their subjects?
Even if she went to the East and somehow persuaded the Eastern Duke to take the Princess's place, she had no intention of feeling secure. That was the beginning.
Cyrus, who had been staring intently at Ariana, spoke.
"Good."
"Yes?"
"I'll teach you."
Seeing Ariana's skeptical expression, Cyrus raised a corner of his mouth.
"Why do you look like that when I say I'll teach you? Do you doubt my skill level?"
"How dare I doubt Your Excellency's skill? However, I know that knights do not naturally share their skills with others..."
"First of all, I'm a Duke, not a knight. And you can't learn my skills anyway. You're clever, so you understand that only natives of the Northern Realm can use magic, right?"
"Yes, I understand."
"I'll teach you a few techniques to protect yourself with that dagger you have."
Ariana was surprised that he was so willing to teach her self-defense techniques. But the playful glint in his eyes gave her a hint of his true feelings.
“You must be saying that because you have time to spare. There’s nothing much to do until we depart.”
In that case, she decided to gratefully ask for his help. She owed him so much that she had to repay his debt, and adding another one wouldn’t make a difference.
Ariana and Cyrus didn’t realize that Louis was watching them with a pleased expression.
***
If Rachel had planned everything, the Duke Bronte’s carriage should have left the West by now and set foot on Imperial soil. But now they were stranded in a small town beyond the Weifen Mountains.
A few days ago, soldiers who had gone out to search for the Second Princess’s carriage had returned with the coachman’s body.
-“We couldn’t find the bodies of the Second Princess and the maid. We’re still searching, so you’ll be able to see them soon.”
At the time, she thought Ariana’s body would be found soon. But the news she heard the next day sent a chill down Rachel’s heart.
"We found the bodies of bandits at the foot of the cliff. The condition is so bad we can't tell the details, but perhaps the Second Princess has escaped safely!"
The soldiers reported with joy, but Rachel and Jacob couldn't be happier upon hearing the news. Ariana's safe return was a serious issue.
Rachel told the soldiers to take care of her daughter while secretly hiring mercenaries to find Ariana.
She expected news soon, but for five days now, Ariana has been nowhere to be found. Not even the maid who was with Ariana. With her daughter gone, she couldn't comfortably travel to the Empire.
Perhaps she should turn the carriage around.
"If we keep this up, won't we miss the Empire in time for the social season?"
Helena whined, unsure of her fate, while Victoria sat quietly with dark eyes. Jacob had left in a rage the previous night, asking, "Is this the plan you thought was the best?" and still hadn't returned.
"Why did this happen?"
The happy and noble Bronte family, which had been without any problems, was falling apart.
***
When they finally emerged from the cave, two men were waiting for them in front of the cave. A pretty man with bright blond hair and green eyes, and a man with black hair and charming gray eyes.
“Greetings to Your Grace. I am Noah, Vice-Captain of the Black Knights.”
The black-haired man approached and bowed his head.
Ariana was taken aback, but she gracefully bent and straightened her knees.
“I am Ariana.”
“My name is Isaac. Isaac Peren.”
Isaac Peren, the greatest alchemist on the continent.
She heard of his reputation, so she studied his face with curiosity.
Ariana heard that Isaac Peren had a face as beautiful as a woman's, but in person, he was even prettier than the rumors. His hair, which fell below his ears, suited him perfectly.
Noah said,
"We're going off-road now, so I haven't prepared a carriage. Does Your Grace know how to ride a horse?"
"I can ride a horse, but..."
Ariana was puzzled by his question. She had expected them to part ways at this point.
When she turned to Cyrus, he shrugged.
"Since we're on our way, I suppose it would be all right to accompany you."
Ariana had originally thought she could ride the carriage to the empire. She'd only figured out Rachel's plan the morning they left the mansion, when she'd placed Ariana in a separate carriage. She was so focused on survival that she hadn't considered what would happen next.
Now that Rachel's people were searching for Ariana, it would be better to have company than to travel alone.
Ariana turned to Cyrus and spoke.
“I don’t know how to repay your kindness.”
“Didn’t I tell you? You’ll repay me for the rest of your life.”
Ariana ignored him, but Noah and Isaac were astonished. The two men gaped at Cyrus, then found Louis standing there, pleased.
Louis’s eyes spoke.
'Look at this. Wouldn’t your current master personally prepare a bed for a woman?'
Cyrus said, patting the neck of the black horse beside him.
“You said you knew how to ride, but how well do you know?”
“I won’t be a bother.”
Ariana had naturally picked up horseback riding, having had to travel all over the continent to assist the Third Prince. Cyrus jumped on his horse and said,
“I’m looking forward to it. You can cry if it gets tough.”
“I’ll cry if I need to.”
As Ariana grabbed the reins, Louis stepped forward to help. But it was unnecessary.
Ariana mounted her horse with incredible grace, as if she were a painting. Sitting erect and upright, without the slightest fear, she struck a powerful note, like a war god.
Isaac clicked his tongue.
“I didn’t think she was an ordinary girl... but she’s truly strange. How can a girl confined to the mansion know so much? The more I look at her, the more strange her behavior becomes.”
“She’s not a girl, she’s a woman, Isaac.”
Louis corrected Isaac and rode, while Isaac and Noah each mounted their own horses.
As Cyrus began to run, the rest of the group followed.
It was difficult to run through the pathless mountains, covered in trees and bushes, but Ariana kept up well behind Cyrus.
“She’s so fast.”
Cyrus’s horse seemed to fly even as it ran in the lead.
Knowing that to ride well on such a rough road, not only the horse's ability was important, but also the skill of the horseman, Ariana couldn't help but be amazed at Cyrus's horsemanship.
Isaac, who was riding behind to protect Ariana, said to Noah,
"His Excellency rides slowly."
"It must be to protect the Duchess."
"Love."
"Yes, love."
Louis, whose mouth was tight, simply watched the couple riding ahead with a contented look.
Ariana had ridden horses often before she died, so she was used to it, but it was still difficult in this body. Her untrained muscles screamed, and her arms ached as if they would break.
However, Ariana didn't show it and silently followed Cyrus.
When they reached the stream, Cyrus stopped.
"Let's rest and then go."
Ariana, unaware that Cyrus rarely rested until they reached their destination, dismounted with a sigh of relief.
Her body, which had barely recovered while resting in the cave, ached again.
She glanced at Cyrus's face, but he showed no sign of fatigue. In fact, he looked refreshed, like someone who had just returned from a leisurely stroll.
'I envy you...'
Ariana envied his strength.
If only she were as strong as he was, she would have nothing to fear.
Then, Isaac approached her and asked,
"Are you tired, Duchess?"
"It's okay."
"I have some good medicine. Just a moment."
Isaac rummaged through his bag and pulled out a few vials.
"First, this one will fade scars when applied to wounds, and this one will restore your stamina."
“Thank you for your concern, but it’s okay.”
Ariana didn’t want to owe Cyrus any more than that. But Isaac forced the vial into Ariana’s hand and said,
“I’m not like His Excellency. My heart is as broad as the sea, so I don’t charge a debt for every favor I do for a woman.”
“Lord Isaac.”
Louis winked sternly at Cyrus’s disparaging remark, and Isaac added with a look of disapproval.
“Of course, His Excellency only feels the same way toward his Duchess...”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Isaac.”
Isaac closed his mouth and rolled his eyes at Cyrus’ warning.
Cyrus pushed Isaac’s shoulder and said,
“Take it. He didn’t put any poison in it.”
“I didn’t think of that, Your Excellency.”
“Then what’s the problem? Use what you can. This guy is stupid, so he’s easy to use.”
Cyrus said, patting Isaac’s shoulder. Despite being called stupid, Isaac smiled brightly.
“That’s right, Duchess. So take the medicine. It’ll work well even on scars that have already healed, so apply it before it’s too late.”
“Yes, but... Isaac, I’m not Duchess.”
“Yes, yes. I know.”
Why did he keep calling her Duchess when he knew?
Ariana felt uneasy every time she was called Duchess. She worried that Cyrus would get angry and say, ‘Stop playing around with this nonsense!’
After sitting down to rest for a while by the stream, she continued running, arriving at a small lake when the sun had completely set, and decided to camp.
While Louis and Noah prepared a meal made from the game they’d hunted along the way, Ariana took out the vial of medicine Isaac had given her.
The vial, smaller than the palm of her hand, was filled with a green liquid.
After making sure Cyrus wasn’t looking, Ariana opened the vial and poured the medicine into her mouth.
"Yes, love."
Louis, whose mouth was tight, simply watched the couple riding ahead with a contented look.
***
Ariana had ridden horses often before she died, so she was used to it, but it was still difficult in this body. Her untrained muscles screamed, and her arms ached as if they would break.
However, Ariana didn't show it and silently followed Cyrus.
When they reached the stream, Cyrus stopped.
"Let's rest and then go."
Ariana, unaware that Cyrus rarely rested until they reached their destination, dismounted with a sigh of relief.
Her body, which had barely recovered while resting in the cave, ached again.
She glanced at Cyrus's face, but he showed no sign of fatigue. In fact, he looked refreshed, like someone who had just returned from a leisurely stroll.
'I envy you...'
Ariana envied his strength.
If only she were as strong as he was, she would have nothing to fear.
Then, Isaac approached her and asked,
"Are you tired, Duchess?"
"It's okay."
"I have some good medicine. Just a moment."
Isaac rummaged through his bag and pulled out a few vials.
"First, this one will fade scars when applied to wounds, and this one will restore your stamina."
“Thank you for your concern, but it’s okay.”
Ariana didn’t want to owe Cyrus any more than that. But Isaac forced the vial into Ariana’s hand and said,
“I’m not like His Excellency. My heart is as broad as the sea, so I don’t charge a debt for every favor I do for a woman.”
“Lord Isaac.”
Louis winked sternly at Cyrus’s disparaging remark, and Isaac added with a look of disapproval.
“Of course, His Excellency only feels the same way toward his Duchess...”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Isaac.”
Isaac closed his mouth and rolled his eyes at Cyrus’ warning.
Cyrus pushed Isaac’s shoulder and said,
“Take it. He didn’t put any poison in it.”
“I didn’t think of that, Your Excellency.”
“Then what’s the problem? Use what you can. This guy is stupid, so he’s easy to use.”
Cyrus said, patting Isaac’s shoulder. Despite being called stupid, Isaac smiled brightly.
“That’s right, Duchess. So take the medicine. It’ll work well even on scars that have already healed, so apply it before it’s too late.”
“Yes, but... Isaac, I’m not Duchess.”
“Yes, yes. I know.”
Why did he keep calling her Duchess when he knew?
Ariana felt uneasy every time she was called Duchess. She worried that Cyrus would get angry and say, ‘Stop playing around with this nonsense!’
After sitting down to rest for a while by the stream, she continued running, arriving at a small lake when the sun had completely set, and decided to camp.
While Louis and Noah prepared a meal made from the game they’d hunted along the way, Ariana took out the vial of medicine Isaac had given her.
The vial, smaller than the palm of her hand, was filled with a green liquid.
After making sure Cyrus wasn’t looking, Ariana opened the vial and poured the medicine into her mouth.
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