Ch.115Defanged Snake (3)

The busy days passed by.

Despite Kirsy being healthy enough to eat on her own, I continued to feed her.

When I entered her room with a food bowl, she would quietly watch me until I pulled up a chair beside her. Then, without saying a word, she would fold her hands demurely in front of her, close her eyes, and open her mouth.

Even when I entered the room thinking, ‘How about you try eating by yourself today?’, those thoughts naturally dissolved when I saw her behavior.

Clearly, if I could just bring myself to say something, Kirsy wouldn’t protest like she used to.

She would accept the bowl without complaint and eat by herself.

Knowing this made it even harder to speak up.

It wasn’t that decisions were made through conversation—rather, all decision-making power essentially rested with me. This made every word and action even more cautious.

I decided to continue like this a little longer. Just until she became a bit healthier.

Because I had things I needed to tell the twins. Facts I had been hiding from them, who needed to rest.

About Shallon Payne.

About what would happen with Judy and me.

About the war.

Kirsy, who sometimes wandered around the castle looking for me, might have sensed something was happening, but since I had ordered the twins to keep quiet about various facts, she wouldn’t have figured it out exactly.

After taking care of Kirsy, I went to see Asena.

Asena didn’t need me to feed her.

When I brought in the food bowl, she naturally took it.

We didn’t have any other conversation either.

We just exchanged glances.

Asena would put the spoon in her mouth with her thinned arm and just look at me.

I could feel many emotions in her eyes.

I could tell she wasn’t looking at me without any thoughts.

I didn’t avoid her eyes, which expressed various emotions, wanting to understand her intentions even a little. And Asena stared into my eyes as if she wouldn’t miss a single detail of me.

Even between close people, maintaining eye contact for a long time without speaking is usually awkward.

We felt that too, but at the same time, we also felt comfortable.

It was like having a long, silent conversation.

We remained like this throughout her mealtime.

Only when it came time for the last spoonful did Asena’s behavior change slightly.

She slowed down her eating pace. She began to look at me more deeply.

She knew I would leave when the meal ended, so she was stalling.

“…I have things to do, brother.”

Only after I said that would she nod and finish her meal.

Today passed in this manner as well.

.

.

.

.

The next day, we received an unexpected visitor.

She entered our courtyard with a few guards.

I, Helen, Tein, numerous servants, and Judy waited for them to arrive.

Just by looking at the horses’ labored breathing, hollow eyes, and dripping saliva, we could tell how hard our guests had ridden to get here.

The carriage wasn’t a luxurious transport but rather a cargo wagon meant for trading goods… the urgency was evident from the exterior alone.

She jumped out from the back before the carriage even came to a complete stop.

It was a dangerous move given all the moving horses, but she didn’t seem to care.

This was the first time I had seen such urgent behavior from her. Clearly, what had happened to me was having a significant impact on those around me.

Daisy’s expression crumbled as soon as she saw me.

She ran to me with quick steps and embraced me without a word.

“…Daisy.”

“Ah…! Caden…!”

While the servants of our family and the members of the Hexter Family who had escorted Daisy might have seen our meeting as a dramatic reunion… I could tell that Daisy’s emotions were more complex than that.

The guilt I felt in her trembling body. The remorse conveyed through the force with which she clung to me. And simultaneously, the relief that I was alive.

To unravel these complex emotions, it was best to move elsewhere.

“Daisy, let’s move somewhere else.”

“…..”

After separating from me, she nodded with her eyes tightly closed.

A tear fell from her closed eyes.

The moment I turned around holding her hand, Daisy froze.

“…..?”

Daisy’s eyes were fixed on Judy.

She remained frozen for a moment, then released my hand and politely placed her hands at her waist.

Then, bowing deeply, she conveyed a heartfelt greeting.

“…Thank, no… thank you… for saving Caden, I’m truly grateful…”

Judy was drawn into our conversation by Daisy’s gesture.

She grabbed Daisy’s shoulders to help her stand up and quietly said:

“…Let’s talk inside… I also…”

Judy closed her mouth, then slowly continued.

“…I also have something to say.”

****

Certainly, I too felt various emotions at first.

No one had anticipated Shallon Payne’s attack, and all the blame lay with them.

After hearing that news of my attack had spread quickly through the Vensrak Family, I wondered where the Hexter Family had been.

When I was fighting for my life, why didn’t they send help when they were only a day’s journey away? This thought had crossed my mind while I was resting alone after returning to the Praester territory.

Of course, even though we were bound by an arranged marriage, and unlike with Daisy, I didn’t have deep ties with the Hexter Family itself.

The question still lingered.

In fact, I could get the answer quickly.

They said they had found a body presumed to be mine. They didn’t send troops because they thought I was dead.

They thought I was dead, and the Hexter Family was likely strained by plague and famine, so I could accept that.

In the end, what I needed was a somewhat understandable reason.

I needed something that would make me nod and say, “Ah, so that’s why.”

Moreover, today, seeing Daisy’s extremely guilty expression as she got off the carriage, I could tell without being told that she had wanted to help me.

Based on what I had read in the original novel of this world, I knew that the plague in the Hexter Family wasn’t a simple matter, and I knew Daisy wasn’t the type to betray someone. So the knot in my heart quickly untied.

So, the problem wasn’t with me.

It was with Grandmother.

She hadn’t spoken much about this subject, but from her darkening expression and tightening lips whenever the Hexter Family was mentioned, I could quickly discern her displeasure.

The fact that she didn’t come out to greet Daisy today was telling enough.

When I suggested we go welcome them, she refused with a tone that implied it was obvious, saying, “Why should I?”

So, postponing the meeting with Grandmother, it seemed we needed to talk among ourselves first.

In the conference room with a small round table, refreshments and tea were prepared.

Since Judy also said she had something to say, she followed us in and took a seat.

Daisy’s expression was growing darker. Once everyone was seated and had caught their breath, she asked:

“…It seems everyone already hates me…”

It wasn’t hard to guess who she meant by “everyone.”

It would be Grandmother, Asena, and Kirsy.

Despite entering the Praester territory, none of them had shown their faces, so the unspoken pressure Daisy felt must have been immense.

“……”

I held my words for a moment. The twins’ health was something to discuss slowly, and Grandmother’s anger wasn’t misplaced.

Daisy swallowed her breath, suppressing her tears as well. Knowing it was time for a conversation, she forcibly held back her tears.

Even here, I could glimpse her steadfastness. Indeed, she wasn’t one to be easily shaken.

“Caden, it might sound like an excuse… but I really tried to help… really.”

“…I believe you. Take your time and tell me.”

“…My father… my father was so against it… said the territory’s situation was too poor to help… said a body was found so we should give up…”

She tightly grasped my hand, pulling it to her chest, and conveyed her feelings while looking into my eyes.

“No matter how much I shouted… or got angry, my father said no… so I even looked for mercenaries, but they all refused…”

“…….”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I really wanted to help… I never doubted you were alive… you had promised to come back…”

I squeezed her hand firmly, calming her once more.

I wasn’t angry anymore, so the matter ended the moment I received her apology.

Hearing the full story from her lips, not a trace of negative emotion remained.

I could understand.

“…It’s okay, Daisy. Look, I’m alive. I understand everything. After all, you wanted to help me.”

But her expression didn’t lighten.

“…I really did wrong… I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help… I’m ashamed…”

“…Have some tea first. I’m really okay, so don’t worry too much.”

Her eyes, which had been looking at me, slowly began to turn toward the floor.

The deep concern on her face only deepened.

After staying like that for a while, not letting go of my hand, she whispered:

“……….What will become of us?”

“…….”

I realized why her expression hadn’t lightened.

But unlike her, I believed our engagement wouldn’t be easily broken, so I felt quite different from her.

Seeing Daisy, of all people, afraid that our engagement might be broken brought a smile to my face. This incident only made her feelings clearer to me.

Right now, she doesn’t know that I’m the acting head of the Praester Family. Instead, she probably only knows that I was expelled from the Praester Family.

To some extent, might this have played a role in the Hexter Count’s decision not to send me support?

Regardless, at this point where I had received help from the Praesters but my status as an exile hadn’t changed, it was pleasing to me that she feared our engagement might be broken.

So, to reassure her, I said:

“Don’t worry. Everything will be—”

“—About that…!”

At that moment, a voice cut in from the side.

It was Judy.

“…Da…Daisy, before I saved Caden’s life, I received a promise…”

Unlike Daisy, Judy’s voice wasn’t confident. She might act tough outside, but like during our previous meeting, and now too, she became timid in formal settings.

Tall and skilled with a sword, yet so fearful in these situations.

Daisy, startled by the voice of a presence she had forgotten, raised her head to face Judy.

Immediately after, she bowed her head again and expressed her gratitude.

“Ah, Judy. Thank you again—”

“—If I s-saved Caden, you p-promised to allow our m-marriage…!”

The two voices overlapped.

But they both clearly heard each other’s words, as Daisy’s body immediately stiffened.

“……What?”

Daisy, who had been frozen for a while, whispered in response.