(37) Seeping Warmth (8)
Cyrus raised an eyebrow.
“You thank me every chance you get.”
“Because I am grateful. And now I must go my own way.”
“Where is your way?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know.”
Ariana didn’t reply. It seemed like he was being needlessly awkward.
Cyrus stared at Ariana for a moment and then stood up.
“I don’t know where you are going, but my path is clear.”
Noah had a blank expression the entire time he rode. Then, failing to notice a low-hanging branch, he hit his face and fell off his horse.
Cyrus, riding ahead, must have heard the sound, but he didn't look back.
“Yes, that’s how my lord should be...”
Noah, Isaac, and Louis had frozen at Cyrus’ hearty laugh earlier. It was the first time they had seen such a sight in their lives, and it was something they thought they would never see in their lifetime.
A lord laughing out loud?
They had never imagined that.
Louis stopped talking and asked in annoyance.
“Are you okay?”
“Louis, I think my lord is sincere. Really, really sincere. Really, really sincere to the point where it makes you wonder if this is even allowed.”
“You know that now?”
“But why... are you sending your Duchess to the East? Why can’t you just take her to the North?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure my lord has an idea.”
The empire was vast, and they had to avoid people’s eyes, so even though they hurried, it took more than 15 days to cross the eastern border.
They had set off on a slightly chilly day in early to mid-March, but it soon became warm.
Unlike the jungle-covered and humid West, the East exuded a breezy atmosphere. It was fascinating how the landscape could change so drastically, despite being on the same continent, separated only by an empire.
After entering the East, she drove for several more days before arriving at the outskirts of Elles City, the capital of the East.
Outside the city gates lay a peasant-inhabited area, vast fields stretching out before her.
The sight of the farmers working the fields seemed peaceful, but Ariana's heart was not in it. Pulling the hood of the cloak she'd purchased in the city she'd just visited down low, she gazed at the high walls.
Chase Castle, where the Duke resided, boasted a sturdy presence, visible even from outside the castle walls.
"This is it."
She'd been to the vicinity of Dongling before, but never to Elles City, where the Duke resided. When the Third Prince planned to eliminate the Duke, she hadn't felt enough affection for him to aid in the hidden agenda.
The cold gaze of the Eastern Duke she seen only once at the imperial party came back to her as vividly as if she seen it just moments ago.
A furrowed brow, a displeased expression, tightly pressed lips, and a cold gaze that seemed to draw a line. Ariana couldn't even offer him a simple greeting.
'It'll be the same this time, I suppose.'
Having fled from the West and come all the way here, he might look even more displeased than when they'd met by chance at the imperial party.
'If only I had gotten my hands on Rachel's letter...'
Then, remembering Cyrus's interference, she'd lost the letter, and for a moment, she felt resentful toward him, but that feeling quickly vanished.
Thanks to Cyrus, she'd arrived here safely and comfortably. So, that was over.
'It's okay. At worst, it'll just be a repeat of the treatment at Bronte Manor. I'm used to that.'
With that thought, her heart felt lighter.
After all, all she expected from the Duke was to become the Princess of the East. She didn't particularly desire his affection, so she didn't care what expression he made.
"Are you nervous?"
Cyrus's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Not anymore."
"Yeah, don't be nervous. Who would dislike a woman as clever as you?"
Everyone. Everyone did.
Ariana swallowed her words and turned to Cyrus to thank him. But Cyrus had already disappeared, and his men were nowhere to be found.
Ariana was left alone on the path between the wide fields.
There was no trace of them, so much so that she wondered if everything she experienced with Cyrus and his men had been a dream. Not a single figure, not a single scent, not even a single footprint.
In an instant, a melancholy so indescribable that it was hard to describe washed over Ariana.
Ariana squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, driving the feeling away.
'You were never mine. It was just a fleeting, dreamlike connection.'
Perhaps one day, if Ariana proved useful enough, they might meet again, but she didn't think that day would ever come. Even without Ariana, Cyrus would be surrounded by countless other smart and talented people.
Ariana bowed her head gently to where Cyrus had stood, expressing her gratitude, and then walked toward the gates of Elles City.
Cyrus, who had disappeared, watched Ariana walk toward the gates. Her back, unwavering and straight, was confident and courageous.
A strange feeling came over him. He wanted to grab her arm and tell her not to go, and he also wanted to kidnap her and take her to the North. Without knowing why, he watched Ariana walk away.
Isaac asked quietly,
"Are you really going back to the North?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you leave Louis and Noah behind? You never know what might happen."
Louis and Noah's eyes sparkled as if they absolutely wanted to do so, waiting for Cyrus's order. But Cyrus was firm.
“No. There’s no need. The Eastern Duke is different from the Western Duke. It won’t be easy to fool him. And the Eastern Duke will be warm to Ariana.”
"How would you know? The Duke pretended not to notice until his wife ended up like that. Now that his daughter has appeared, do you really think he'll suddenly treat her well?"
Cyrus recalled the letters he had found in Rachel’s coat.
The letter from the Eastern Vassal was inserted among the correspondence exchanged with the Western Vassal.
“I’m not particularly worried about that part, but I’m worried about Duke Hern’s nagging.”
“Ah...”
Isaac swallowed a sigh, thinking of Duke Hern, who must have been waiting in the North Territory at any moment. He was returning much later than planned, and he couldn’t take his future Duchess with him.
“I sent a letter to Duke Hern... This is terrible.”
“The letter? What’s it about?”
Cyrus asked curiously, but Isaac didn’t answer.
He can't say, even if he dies, that it was about taking the Northern Duke's spouse with him.
Cyrus raised an eyebrow.
“You thank me every chance you get.”
“Because I am grateful. And now I must go my own way.”
“Where is your way?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know.”
Ariana didn’t reply. It seemed like he was being needlessly awkward.
Cyrus stared at Ariana for a moment and then stood up.
“I don’t know where you are going, but my path is clear.”
He would go to the North Ridge.
He could have gone straight from the West Ridge to the North Ridge, but Cyrus traveled with her to the Empire’s territory. Knowing that it was for Ariana’s sake as she headed to the East Ridge, he felt a deep sense of gratitude.
The Empire wasn’t safe, but she couldn’t ask him to accompany her to the distant East Ridge.
She had already received so much, and she didn’t want to incur any more debt.
“I’m going to the East Ridge. Is that the same direction you’re headed?”
Ariana was so shocked by his words that she didn't notice Noah and Isaac's jaws gaping open behind her. Louis was still watching the scene with a pleased smile.
"Your Excellency, if you're just going to escort me to the East, you don't have to waste so much precious time. From now on, I'm more than enough on my own."
He could have gone straight from the West Ridge to the North Ridge, but Cyrus traveled with her to the Empire’s territory. Knowing that it was for Ariana’s sake as she headed to the East Ridge, he felt a deep sense of gratitude.
The Empire wasn’t safe, but she couldn’t ask him to accompany her to the distant East Ridge.
She had already received so much, and she didn’t want to incur any more debt.
“I’m going to the East Ridge. Is that the same direction you’re headed?”
Ariana was so shocked by his words that she didn't notice Noah and Isaac's jaws gaping open behind her. Louis was still watching the scene with a pleased smile.
"Your Excellency, if you're just going to escort me to the East, you don't have to waste so much precious time. From now on, I'm more than enough on my own."
"You're so confident. Why do you think I'm going to the East for you?"
"...Isn't it?"
"I have business to attend to."
Ariana squinted, trying to discern his true feelings, but his expressionless, doll-like face was devoid of any insight. So she turned to look at his subordinates, and they were all nodding with smiles, as if to say, "Duchess, everything he says is right, everything he says is true."
"...Isn't it?"
"I have business to attend to."
Ariana squinted, trying to discern his true feelings, but his expressionless, doll-like face was devoid of any insight. So she turned to look at his subordinates, and they were all nodding with smiles, as if to say, "Duchess, everything he says is right, everything he says is true."
"Do you really have business to attend to the East?"
"Yes."
"Is it because of Paganus?"
Cyrus's eyes lit up with interest at Ariana's question.
"You're intriguing, after all. I've never seen a woman so easily mention their names."
The Paganus.
They were a pagan group that lived in a vast city in the northeastern part of the continent. While they were called a vast city, their size was so great that they could almost be called a nation.
At first, they were simply a group that believed in another god, but their actions gradually became more horrific.
They kidnapped people and offered them as sacrifices to the gods, and drank human blood to become stronger.
The empire, unable to bear it any longer, issued an order to subdue the Paganus, and in the resulting war, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Cyrus's parents were also killed in the battle against the Paganus.
When Cyrus assumed the Northern Fume's throne, his first action was to attack the Paganus, who had spread throughout the north. Cyrus achieved a resounding victory, and as a result, he gained a position that even the Emperor could not easily control. However, he was unable to completely eradicate the vast Paganus. Remnants of the Paganus still existed across the continent.
Ariana had often heard rumors that Cyrus was waging war against the Pagans, so she suspected that this might be the reason he was going to Dongling.
“There are many remnants of Paganus in the east. Since the Emperor has lost interest in the East, you will have to deal with them alone. Isn’t that scary? They say Paganus are the best at eating women.”
It was meant to be intimidating, but it wasn’t scary at all. The women were afraid to even mention Paganus’s name because of the horrific rumors about them, but Ariana’s true fear was something else: dying again without any vengeance.
“Wherever there are people, there are dangers. Whether you die at the hands of your own mother or are eaten by Paganus, death is the same. What is there to fear?”
A faint smile appeared on Cyrus’s lips.
“They say all the women of House White are excellent warriors. It seems White blood definitely flows through you.”
“Can I become a warrior?”
“Everyone has their own way of fighting. You decide whether to use force or intelligence, and that’s how you become a warrior.”
His firm words cleared her mind.
Throughout the journey, she had lamented and regretted her own lack of strength. Wanting to be as strong as Louis, she had learned self-defense from Cyrus, but she hadn't felt any stronger.
But his words, telling her to find her own way, showed Ariana her path.
She hadn't planned to use force to suppress them.
Noble and yet vulgar. She would bring them down in their own way.
"Your Excellency."
Ariana looked up at the man standing before her with a renewed sense of wonder.
Technically, Cyrus was much younger than Ariana. Ariana had lived to be 28 and then returned to this age.
Yet, Cyrus possessed an enviable wisdom.
“You are truly wise,”
She blurted out, not knowing how to compliment him. Cyrus burst out laughing. Ariana's eyes widened, hearing him laugh out loud for the first time.
He was dazzlingly beautiful, laughing so loudly that his silver hair fluttered. His crescent-shaped eyes, his wide-open mouth, and the neat teeth within it—it was so beautiful that it was deeply etched into her heart.
Finally, Cyrus stopped laughing and lightly patted Ariana on the head.
“Should I do the same?”
"Yes."
"Is it because of Paganus?"
Cyrus's eyes lit up with interest at Ariana's question.
"You're intriguing, after all. I've never seen a woman so easily mention their names."
The Paganus.
They were a pagan group that lived in a vast city in the northeastern part of the continent. While they were called a vast city, their size was so great that they could almost be called a nation.
At first, they were simply a group that believed in another god, but their actions gradually became more horrific.
They kidnapped people and offered them as sacrifices to the gods, and drank human blood to become stronger.
The empire, unable to bear it any longer, issued an order to subdue the Paganus, and in the resulting war, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Cyrus's parents were also killed in the battle against the Paganus.
When Cyrus assumed the Northern Fume's throne, his first action was to attack the Paganus, who had spread throughout the north. Cyrus achieved a resounding victory, and as a result, he gained a position that even the Emperor could not easily control. However, he was unable to completely eradicate the vast Paganus. Remnants of the Paganus still existed across the continent.
Ariana had often heard rumors that Cyrus was waging war against the Pagans, so she suspected that this might be the reason he was going to Dongling.
“There are many remnants of Paganus in the east. Since the Emperor has lost interest in the East, you will have to deal with them alone. Isn’t that scary? They say Paganus are the best at eating women.”
It was meant to be intimidating, but it wasn’t scary at all. The women were afraid to even mention Paganus’s name because of the horrific rumors about them, but Ariana’s true fear was something else: dying again without any vengeance.
“Wherever there are people, there are dangers. Whether you die at the hands of your own mother or are eaten by Paganus, death is the same. What is there to fear?”
A faint smile appeared on Cyrus’s lips.
“They say all the women of House White are excellent warriors. It seems White blood definitely flows through you.”
“Can I become a warrior?”
“Everyone has their own way of fighting. You decide whether to use force or intelligence, and that’s how you become a warrior.”
His firm words cleared her mind.
Throughout the journey, she had lamented and regretted her own lack of strength. Wanting to be as strong as Louis, she had learned self-defense from Cyrus, but she hadn't felt any stronger.
But his words, telling her to find her own way, showed Ariana her path.
She hadn't planned to use force to suppress them.
Noble and yet vulgar. She would bring them down in their own way.
"Your Excellency."
Ariana looked up at the man standing before her with a renewed sense of wonder.
Technically, Cyrus was much younger than Ariana. Ariana had lived to be 28 and then returned to this age.
Yet, Cyrus possessed an enviable wisdom.
“You are truly wise,”
She blurted out, not knowing how to compliment him. Cyrus burst out laughing. Ariana's eyes widened, hearing him laugh out loud for the first time.
He was dazzlingly beautiful, laughing so loudly that his silver hair fluttered. His crescent-shaped eyes, his wide-open mouth, and the neat teeth within it—it was so beautiful that it was deeply etched into her heart.
Finally, Cyrus stopped laughing and lightly patted Ariana on the head.
“Should I do the same?”
***
Noah had a blank expression the entire time he rode. Then, failing to notice a low-hanging branch, he hit his face and fell off his horse.
Cyrus, riding ahead, must have heard the sound, but he didn't look back.
“Yes, that’s how my lord should be...”
Noah, Isaac, and Louis had frozen at Cyrus’ hearty laugh earlier. It was the first time they had seen such a sight in their lives, and it was something they thought they would never see in their lifetime.
A lord laughing out loud?
They had never imagined that.
Louis stopped talking and asked in annoyance.
“Are you okay?”
“Louis, I think my lord is sincere. Really, really sincere. Really, really sincere to the point where it makes you wonder if this is even allowed.”
“You know that now?”
“But why... are you sending your Duchess to the East? Why can’t you just take her to the North?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure my lord has an idea.”
***
The empire was vast, and they had to avoid people’s eyes, so even though they hurried, it took more than 15 days to cross the eastern border.
They had set off on a slightly chilly day in early to mid-March, but it soon became warm.
Unlike the jungle-covered and humid West, the East exuded a breezy atmosphere. It was fascinating how the landscape could change so drastically, despite being on the same continent, separated only by an empire.
After entering the East, she drove for several more days before arriving at the outskirts of Elles City, the capital of the East.
Outside the city gates lay a peasant-inhabited area, vast fields stretching out before her.
The sight of the farmers working the fields seemed peaceful, but Ariana's heart was not in it. Pulling the hood of the cloak she'd purchased in the city she'd just visited down low, she gazed at the high walls.
Chase Castle, where the Duke resided, boasted a sturdy presence, visible even from outside the castle walls.
"This is it."
She'd been to the vicinity of Dongling before, but never to Elles City, where the Duke resided. When the Third Prince planned to eliminate the Duke, she hadn't felt enough affection for him to aid in the hidden agenda.
The cold gaze of the Eastern Duke she seen only once at the imperial party came back to her as vividly as if she seen it just moments ago.
A furrowed brow, a displeased expression, tightly pressed lips, and a cold gaze that seemed to draw a line. Ariana couldn't even offer him a simple greeting.
'It'll be the same this time, I suppose.'
Having fled from the West and come all the way here, he might look even more displeased than when they'd met by chance at the imperial party.
'If only I had gotten my hands on Rachel's letter...'
Then, remembering Cyrus's interference, she'd lost the letter, and for a moment, she felt resentful toward him, but that feeling quickly vanished.
Thanks to Cyrus, she'd arrived here safely and comfortably. So, that was over.
'It's okay. At worst, it'll just be a repeat of the treatment at Bronte Manor. I'm used to that.'
With that thought, her heart felt lighter.
After all, all she expected from the Duke was to become the Princess of the East. She didn't particularly desire his affection, so she didn't care what expression he made.
"Are you nervous?"
Cyrus's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Not anymore."
"Yeah, don't be nervous. Who would dislike a woman as clever as you?"
Everyone. Everyone did.
Ariana swallowed her words and turned to Cyrus to thank him. But Cyrus had already disappeared, and his men were nowhere to be found.
Ariana was left alone on the path between the wide fields.
There was no trace of them, so much so that she wondered if everything she experienced with Cyrus and his men had been a dream. Not a single figure, not a single scent, not even a single footprint.
In an instant, a melancholy so indescribable that it was hard to describe washed over Ariana.
Ariana squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, driving the feeling away.
'You were never mine. It was just a fleeting, dreamlike connection.'
Perhaps one day, if Ariana proved useful enough, they might meet again, but she didn't think that day would ever come. Even without Ariana, Cyrus would be surrounded by countless other smart and talented people.
Ariana bowed her head gently to where Cyrus had stood, expressing her gratitude, and then walked toward the gates of Elles City.
***
Cyrus, who had disappeared, watched Ariana walk toward the gates. Her back, unwavering and straight, was confident and courageous.
A strange feeling came over him. He wanted to grab her arm and tell her not to go, and he also wanted to kidnap her and take her to the North. Without knowing why, he watched Ariana walk away.
Isaac asked quietly,
"Are you really going back to the North?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you leave Louis and Noah behind? You never know what might happen."
Louis and Noah's eyes sparkled as if they absolutely wanted to do so, waiting for Cyrus's order. But Cyrus was firm.
“No. There’s no need. The Eastern Duke is different from the Western Duke. It won’t be easy to fool him. And the Eastern Duke will be warm to Ariana.”
"How would you know? The Duke pretended not to notice until his wife ended up like that. Now that his daughter has appeared, do you really think he'll suddenly treat her well?"
Cyrus recalled the letters he had found in Rachel’s coat.
The letter from the Eastern Vassal was inserted among the correspondence exchanged with the Western Vassal.
“I’m not particularly worried about that part, but I’m worried about Duke Hern’s nagging.”
“Ah...”
Isaac swallowed a sigh, thinking of Duke Hern, who must have been waiting in the North Territory at any moment. He was returning much later than planned, and he couldn’t take his future Duchess with him.
“I sent a letter to Duke Hern... This is terrible.”
“The letter? What’s it about?”
Cyrus asked curiously, but Isaac didn’t answer.
He can't say, even if he dies, that it was about taking the Northern Duke's spouse with him.
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