The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall – Chapter 109

Chapter 109: The Road Back (3)

Yesterday, she had felt a strange sensation, as if something inside her had suddenly slipped away. The consciousness of the fake Astrid had completely vanished.

For about an hour, she had control of her body.

She had been ejected from the mysterious tower, and as soon as she recognized her surroundings, she dashed toward the main road.

But after an hour, as if a switch had been flipped, she lost control of her body again and collapsed on the spot.

And like that, an entire day passed.

What was likely Leopold’s voice continued to echo.

“Astie, Astie!” Though his voice rang clear, he remained unseen.

She could also hear her father Wolfgang’s voice and Baizik’s as well.

All of them were voices filled with worry.

She was fine, but no matter how loudly she shouted inside, trying to tell them that something strange was happening, her voice couldn’t escape her lips.

She could feel Leopold’s hand gently stroking her hair. She tried everything—forcing herself, as she had done in the past, to regain control of her body—but nothing worked.

【Hey, hey! Answer me!】

She screamed for the fake Astrid until her throat felt raw, but no answer came.

Was the fake Astrid gone?

Had she returned to wherever she originally came from?

But had it really happened so suddenly?

Just as she had come here out of the blue, was it also possible to return in the same abrupt manner?

Even if that were true—

Having only one hour a day to control her own body was far too cruel.

Astrid opened her eyes the next day.

As soon as she did, she sat up straight, not like a patient at all. She startled the attendant nearby, pushing him away with all her strength—

Only to end up tumbling to the floor herself.

The attendant was shocked, but Astrid was even more so.

She hadn’t even pushed that hard. Normally, it should have been the attendant who was knocked over.

But instead, she was the one sprawled on the ground.

“St-Strength…?”

She stared at her own hands. Nothing seemed different.

But she couldn’t feel it.

The blessings that usually flowed through her body, the energy that always coursed within her, were barely present.

The familiar sensation of two blessings running like a twin stream had reduced to only one.

‘N-No way…’

Her thoughts didn’t get far.

The door burst open with a bang, and Leopold, Wolfgang, and Baizik entered the infirmary.

Seeing Astrid sitting on the floor, Leopold rushed over to her.

“Astie! You’re awake…!”

“Y-Your Highness…”

Leopold wrapped her in an embrace, squeezing her as if he might never let go.

It was comforting to feel his warmth.

And yet, it hurt.

The strength with which he held her hurt.

This shouldn’t have been possible—no, this couldn’t be happening.

But it hurt.

“Your Highness, if you hold her so tightly, won’t it hurt her?”

At Wolfgang’s soft admonition, Leopold finally released Astrid from his grip.

He cupped her face with his hands, gazing into her mint-green eyes.

“Astie, are you really awake?”

“A-Father.”

“Yes. What on earth happened?”

Astrid considered this.

To explain the strange phenomenon happening to her body, she would need to start by revealing that another consciousness had coexisted within her.

But as long as the tower remained, it wouldn’t be easy to explain.

Even if she told the truth, there was no guarantee they would believe her.

The best course of action was to deal with the root of the problem—the tower.

“I… I found out where the tower is.”

“The tower? You went to the tower?”

“What do you mean, the tower? Didn’t Elder Baizik come with you to destroy it? Are you saying you failed?”

“We were in the midst of the attack when Astie disappeared, which delayed us. But Astie, if you know where the tower is, where is it?”

“So, let me get this straight. You went to destroy the tower with Astie, failed, and then Astie disappeared—only to reappear after returning from the tower?”

With Leopold, Baizik, and Wolfgang all speaking at once, the conversation was going nowhere.

“Your Highness, Father, Elder. We won’t get anywhere like this. Please, let me finish.”

Only then did the three men quiet down and focus on Astrid.

When silence settled, Astrid began to speak.

“The tower… it wasn’t where we thought. It was actually in the opposite direction, in a ravine… Yes, it was in a ravine. Also, I can only be awake for one hour a day.”

“O-One hour?!”

Leopold’s outcry was almost a scream.

One hour—only one hour a day.

Questions flooded his mind: How could she know that? Why was this happening? How could they fix it?

But if Astrid was right, then every moment was precious.

“Whether you believe me or not, I can only be awake for an hour. Anyway, the location of the tower is…”

***

“Come to think of it.”

“Hm?”

There were only two people in the carriage: Astein and Veracien.

The coachman couldn’t hear their conversation from inside.

By the fifth day of their journey, Astein and Veracien had run out of things to say, and silence had hung between them.

Amid this silence, Astein suddenly spoke to Veracien.

“You’re not planning on returning to the academy, are you?”

“Who knows? I’m not sure.”

Veracien’s lukewarm response didn’t sit well with Astein.

But it wasn’t worth pressing the issue now. There were more important matters at hand.

“Even if you don’t return, it doesn’t really matter, right?”

“Doesn’t matter to me.”

“Then, I suppose it’s time to proceed with the plan.”

Ridiculous.

Veracien thought to herself.

She had never once seen one of Astein’s plans succeed.

But she kept her thoughts hidden, maintaining her indifferent expression.

“Sure. I don’t care.”

The academy life hadn’t been bad.

But the two people who could create the scene she longed to see were outside the academy, so it truly didn’t matter.

“Alright then. I’ll activate the barrier. I have no lingering attachment to the academy, after all.”

“Do as you please.”

Veracien barely paid attention.

She stared out the carriage window with a bored look.

Astein placed his hand near his ear, likely communicating with Parienne.

Veracien remained still, her gaze fixed outside, but her senses were sharp.

【Ms. Parienne, please activate it.】

【Now?】

【Yes, now.】

【Um, what about the Lady Grand Duchess…?】

【She has given her permission.】

【Understood!】

The barrier covering the academy grounds was activated.

For a long time, sorcery had been seen as foreign witchcraft, leading to its gradual abandonment.

In such an environment, few had paid attention to the hidden spells woven into every corner of the academy or the newly arranged landscapes and structures.

Once the trigger embedded in the top of the self-replicating tower was pulled, the barrier would activate, turning the academy into a hellscape filled with an onslaught of monsters.

Even if the academy was the cradle of knight training, it would stand no chance against such a sudden attack.

“This will ensure the Royal Academy closes its doors, bathed in blood.”

“Yeah—”

Not that she cared.

“Wolfgang, Baizik… If such a catastrophe occurs at the academy, right next to the capital, they won’t be able to stay in the north. By the way, Veracien, is Astrid still alright?”

“She’s fine.”

Veracien hadn’t lied.

Though she had subdued Astrid somewhat, the girl’s presence and marker were still exactly where they should be.

Leopold was right by her side.

That was the part Veracien found most delightful.

***

“Ah, it’s already time…”

Just as she had said, Astrid finished speaking, then closed her eyes and slumped over.

Leopold quickly caught her limp body.

Holding Astrid, who had no strength and lay unconscious, he let out a small sigh.

‘It really was only an hour…’

What on earth was going on?

It felt like a bolt from the blue—a disaster striking on a clear day.

He should have come with her.

He should have.

He had to.

It was too late now, but regret filled him. Leopold bit his lip as he gazed down at Astrid’s pale face.

Her skin was white as snow.

Her lips were a faint shade of ash.

She wasn’t lifeless, but she remained unresponsive, as if trapped in a deep sleep.

‘I will save you, Astie. I swear it…’

“Achoo!”

She sneezed loudly, sitting at her desk with her big toe pressing the computer’s power button, waiting for it to finish booting up.

Since midday, the strange voices had continued to echo in her ears.

‘Astie, Astie. Who on earth is Astie?’

Yet the voice had a familiar ring to it.

Every time she heard it, a peculiar feeling washed over her.

A sense of longing.

A feeling of nostalgia.

And yet, it came with a hint of No, that’s not it!

I will save you, Astie. I swear it…

“Well, you’d better.”

She didn’t know who Astie was.

Muttering to herself, she took a sip from the cold can of iced tea sitting beside her desk.