episode_0141

In the spacious carriage, Lian was sweating coldly amidst a strange nervous tension.

“Iris, even if your brother says it’s okay, you can’t just climb onto my lap and hug me without permission.”

“If my brother is fine with it, then it’s okay, right?”

“Well, that might be true, but it could cause inconvenience to others around us since this isn’t a private space for just the two of us.”

“Okay, so it’s fine if we’re alone in a room later? If my brother gets us separate rooms, let’s share one together.”

“What, what?! Is it not a problem for two people to share a room in such a crowded situation like this?!”

“We’re siblings, so it’s fine.”

Amidst Noah and Iris’s intense conversation, Jess subtly slipped in, crouching down and resting his head on Lian’s lap. He then took Lian’s hand, guiding it to gently stroke his fine hair.

“Pat, pat.”

Softly whispering as if sharing a secret, Lian found the meaning hidden in Jess’s words endearing and began petting Jess’s head as if entranced. His ear tilted in anticipation of being stroked, resembling his childhood self, which brought a smile to Lian’s face.

With lips smacking, a relaxed face tinged with a blush, and thinly dilated pupils glistening alluringly, Jess looked up at Lian amidst an unknown tension, causing Lian to swallow dryly.

“Jess…”

Suddenly noticing Jess playfully with Lian, Iris called out to Jess with a terrifying voice as if she had just emerged from hell.

“Hehe.”

Realizing he could be kicked out, Jess swiftly pulled Lian closer by the waist. Iris’s hair began to sway silently. For some reason, a dark aura seemed to flutter behind them.

“Get off Lian’s lap right now!”

“Mmm, just a little longer.”

Like a stubborn child, Jess nuzzled his face into Lian’s stomach, pressing closer. Feeling the ample chest and soft face distinctly through the fabric, Lian stiffened like a statue.

Noah, initially observing Jess and Lian with a blank face, soon blushed deeply. Memories of his past actions flooded back, prompting him to reflexively cover his mouth with the back of his hand. Unconsciously, Noah’s gaze drifted towards Lian’s lips.

“Can you move already!? That’s my spot!”

“Just a bit longer! Miss Juin belongs to Jess’s Miss Juin!”

Contrary to the chaotic scene inside the carriage just three seconds ago, the outside was peaceful. The knight sitting on the coachman’s seat chuckled softly to himself.

“As expected of the young master. He’s already so popular.”

Though not exactly understanding the conversation, it was clear that several people were arguing with Lian at the center.

“No need to worry about the succession issue.”

With a faint smile, the knight watched as the carriage sped ahead.

***

The world of dark fantasy consists of a single continent. A massive land to the west is dominated by an empire, while the eastern lands are divided among roughly twenty smaller nations.

The Demon King’s territory, situated at the heart of the continent, was gradually expanding its influence like cancer cells. The eastern lands of the empire and the western lands of the Demon King’s territory shared a border, forcing the Marquis who defended the north to move eastward.

While there were many who could handle monsters and savages coming from the north, only the Marquis could easily block external threats from the Demon King’s territory due to his capabilities.

For this reason, they were moving northward. The village they had stayed in was located to the east of the empire, closer to the Demon King’s territory than the capital of the empire.

However, as it was not incredibly close, it was not a place that would be heavily attacked or influenced.

The starting point itself was skewed to the east, so going north would likely lead to the castle where the Duke currently resided.

The black horses pulling the carriage were of a carefully selected breed, possessing top-notch appearance, build, and abilities. They had the strength to easily knock down trees and smooth out rough roads. Consequently, their speed was remarkably fast.

Assuming one traveled by regular means, a distance that would take about 6 weeks was significantly reduced to 3 weeks. To further shorten the duration, the coachman headed towards the ‘Royal Road.’

The Royal Road was a well-maintained road that nobles and royalty could use. It was a path accessible only to the chosen few, making it difficult for thieves or bandits to lurk. These Royal Roads were scattered throughout the empire.

Clip-clop!

As the sturdy horses began to run along the well-kept road, their speed increased even more than before. At this rate, it was estimated that the Duke’s arrival could be achieved in just a week.

At intervals along the Royal Road were accommodations where nobles and royalty could stay, providing more comfort than any camping experience they had encountered so far.

Although the Royal Road was a vast road like a thick vein, it did not extend all the way to the castle where the Duke resided. For this reason, on the fifth day, they departed from the Royal Road.

At this pace, the Duke’s arrival was expected in about two days.

Knight Fanton took a deep breath, watching the white snowflakes falling gently, and then exhaled.

“I have returned alive.”

A sense of relief washed over Fanton as he reached this place unscathed.

Clang!

A group of knights on horseback appeared, raising dust as they approached. Delicate tiger patterns engraved on their snowy white armor indicated their affiliation.

They looked around as if on guard, causing both the coachman and mercenaries to hold their breath. Slowly walking their horses, they approached the carriage, not seeming to be there to find enemies.

“Fanton… You are alive.”

The knight at the forefront exclaimed in a surprised tone upon spotting Fanton. Considering how few managed to survive hiding in the Demon King’s territory, his reaction was natural. Fanton smiled slyly and replied,

“It’s been a while, Commander Jeon.”

“Ah… I see, welcome back.”

Though belonging to different knight orders, the two engaged in conversation willingly due to their amicable relationship.

“What brings you here?”

“I was tasked with escorting the carriage.”

Before his sentence could finish, the knights swiftly surrounded the carriage. Their stance seemed to either treat the carriage as an enemy encircled in the center or to ensure thorough protection.

“His Excellency awaits…”

“He is waiting at the castle. Hurry. The road is still long.”

Despite feeling uneasy about the Duke sending the knights instead of coming himself, Fanton suppressed his feelings and nodded. His loyalty was too strong to let his emotions be swayed.

Kurung!

The thunderous sound of dozens of horses galloping created a sensation akin to a bomb exploding. With Jeon leading at the front, the speed increased even further.

Thanks to the almost flying pace, they covered a two-day journey in just one day. However, since they had to have meals in the carriage, those inside did not encounter the knights and the carriage party.

‘As if they were His Excellency’s children…’

Jeon glanced briefly at the carriage and smirked slightly.

‘There have been quite a few of them until now, those kinds of people.’

The child of the duke had gone missing, a fact widely known. Consequently, swindlers began to take advantage of the situation. In a world where magic exists, there were those audacious enough to bring a child resembling the duke.

As such incidents repeated year after year, the duke lost faith that his child was still alive. Instead, he swiftly dealt with anyone claiming to have found his child. While the number of swindlers approaching the duke decreased significantly after that day, they were not entirely eradicated.

“If it weren’t for Fanton, they would have sent assassins instead of a carriage.”

Fanton was a knight loyal enough to be acknowledged by the duke. During a snowstorm when the duke and his men were stranded in a cave without provisions, Fanton had been willing to sacrifice his own thigh without hesitation.

Due to the trust and belief in him, a carriage was sent, but due to increased suspicions, mercenaries and knights were also dispatched.

“Having returned from the demon king’s land, it wouldn’t be surprising if a dark wizard was hiding.”

It seemed more plausible that Fanton had fallen victim to a dark wizard’s magic rather than having found the missing child of the duke. The meticulous encirclement of the carriage by mercenaries and knights was to prevent any swindler aboard from escaping.

“Sigh… Fanton. I hope you’ve been brainwashed or hypnotized.”

If Fanton had conspired with a dark wizard or the demon king, there would be no choice but execution. Therefore, Jeon fervently prayed that Fanton had simply made a mistake, fallen under the spell of a dark wizard or hypnotized.

His ability to be so certain without even confirming the face of the person inside the carriage was simple.

“Considering the nonsense about His Highness having twins, brainwashing or hypnosis seems more likely.”

It was all due to a glaring error present in Fanton’s story. And he was not the only one thinking along those lines. Everyone waiting for Lian’s party at the castle harbored similar thoughts.

As time passed, unexpected guests arrived at the gates of the pristine palace, where nobody had anticipated their arrival.