Chapter 4: Curse – 4

Come to think of it, the Duchess wasn’t wrong.

For some reason, I had been thinking that I would eventually leave this land on my own when the time came.

I thought I just had to endure, but… I started to wonder if that wasn’t the case.

“In fact, you two share a lot of similarities. Perhaps you could depend on each other to live?”

“…What do we have in common?”

“You both have to face a harsh world, you’re both still young, you’ll both long for your parents’ embrace, and you’ve both witnessed the battles of your family. All quite similar.”

When I didn’t respond, the Duchess pinched my cheek gently and shook it.

It was an action that completely treated me like a child.

With a kind smile, she spoke.

“I hear… in the Eastern Kingdom, the knights of the Alan family are so highly esteemed.”

“Kailo, if I were to leave… could you protect my daughter? Like a true knight?”

At the absurd request, I carefully brushed away the Duchess’s hand.

“Does that even make sense?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“We’re from enemy families.”

“I told you, that was in our generation. You two are different. Do you have any reason to hate Vivian? Does Vivian have any reason to hate you?”

“Of course. Not everyone can separate emotions so cleanly based on reason like you, Duchess. Besides, what makes you trust me enough to say that? Isn’t it madness to entrust the protection of your daughter to someone from an enemy family? And what am I supposed to protect her from? Didn’t the Delrum Kingdom win the war?”

At my question, the Duchess’s smile gradually faded.

As her expression grew serious, I started to wonder if I had said something wrong.

Then she whispered.

“…Protect her from the Rondor family.”

“…What?”

I couldn’t understand her words.

Protect Vivian Rondor from the Rondor family?

Had it not been for her serious expression, I would’ve thought it was a joke.

“When I’m gone, wild dogs will flock to take away Vivian’s place and everything she has.”

“Up until now, all our vassals, the families who swore loyalty to us, followed my husband. But we have no son, and with me leaving soon… don’t you think enemies will target Vivian?”

“Please protect her, Kailo. If you feel sympathy for Vivian, who will be left all alone… if you feel my earnest plea… if you can show mercy to Rondor…”

‘…If you have a conscience, Kailo Alan… show mercy to our family…’

That voice echoed once again.

• Creak!

I stood up.

“…Enough. Don’t you know how old I am? It’s hard enough for me to protect myself; how could I possibly protect anyone else?”

I’m only fourteen.

My height only recently started growing.

Even hair is just beginning to sprout.

If an adult pushes me, I get tossed around.

What on earth can I do?

The Duchess gave me a gentle smile.

“Are you sure it won’t work?”

“Yes. I don’t want to. Stop saying nonsense.”

I turned around, intending to leave the room, but then I remembered that the only place I could stay was the prison.

In the end, I froze in the middle of the room, unable to do anything.

Seeing me like this, the Duchess rang a bell that had been under the bed.

• Ding.

The door opened, and Pippin entered.

“You called for me?”

“Please prepare a bath and a place for our guest to rest. Tend to his wounds and provide him with a meal as well.”

Pippin glanced at me once before nodding silently.

“Follow Pippin, Kailo. We’ll have more chances to talk.”

“And when that time comes, tell me about my son.”

She was referring to Lois Rondor, who had once been captured as a prisoner by us.

I lightly bowed to her and left the room.

As I stepped out, I realized someone had been waiting for me to come out.

It was the person the Duchess had asked me to protect.

Vivian Rondor.

My heart clenched again.

Her presence always took my breath away, no matter how many times I saw her.

I couldn’t tell if I should greet her or just ignore her.

As I stood there awkwardly, Vivian made the decision.

• Thud!

With tears welling in her eyes, she bumped my shoulder and walked past me.

Vivian crossed the threshold and went through the door, and from beyond the closed door, I could hear the sound of her sobbing.

That sound made me sink into thought once again.

The Duchess said she was going to leave this world too.

What will happen to Vivian when that time comes?

Will she wake up to reality and grow strong… or will she crumble?

I didn’t like either option.

***

“Cough, cough!”

The Duchess of Rondor coughed, struggling as if something had gone down the wrong way.

She could feel her body weakening day by day.

“I suppose I really don’t have much time left.”

She whispered to herself in a self-deprecating manner.

A man who had been in the room with her nodded.

“Indeed.”

The Duchess had hoped that the man would at least offer some comforting words, like telling her she could live longer or to hang in there, but… well, this blunt honesty was part of what made him admirable.

It was also why she trusted him.

If there was anyone in the Rondor family that could be truly relied upon, it was this man alone.

Her husband, too, had once said to rely on this man if things ever became difficult.

“So, how is the investigation going?”

The Duchess whispered with a flash of hatred in her eyes.

“Was there really… a third party involved in the deaths of my husband and son?”

The atmosphere grew heavier with the weight of the subject.

Publicly, it was known that the Duke of Rondor and their eldest son, Lois Rondor, had been killed by the Alan family.

The Duke of Rondor had succumbed to wounds he sustained in a battle with the undefeated knight, Jade Alan.

Lois Rondor, who had once been a prisoner of the Alan family, had been released after the Duke’s death for humanitarian reasons.

However, on his way back home, he was caught in a landslide, and both Lois and his escort perished.

The Duchess did not want to believe that Lois’s death had been an accident.

Instead, she believed it had been a scheme orchestrated by the Alan family.

The Alan family didn’t want to return the eldest son to the weakened Rondor family after they had lost their leader, but they still wanted to preserve the appearance of acting honourably.

She believed it was all part of a complex plot.

But there was one fact she had later discovered.

Lois Rondor had met with the young Kailo Alan, who had been observing the war.

And at that time, Lois Rondor had shown mercy to Kailo Alan.

It seemed likely that Jade Alan had released Lois in recognition of that act of mercy.

…By then, the Rondor family had already begun its decline after losing the Duke, so there would have been no need to kill Lois.

This had led to another hypothesis.

Perhaps, amidst all this chaos, there was someone else aiming to take over the Rondor family.

From the beginning, there had been many strange things surrounding the Duke’s death.

Would such a strong man have really died from a simple wound?

Was Lois’s death really an accident, or was someone else involved?

The man who was with the Duchess shook his head.

“…There are many suspicious details, but we haven’t found any conclusive evidence that a third party was involved.”

“Is that so.”

“Madam, as I’ve said before… all of this could just be my own delusions. It’s entirely possible that the Alan family was responsible for everything…”

The Duchess nodded.

“At this point, I almost hope that’s the case.”

“Pardon?”

“Then I could pass away knowing that there’s no enemy targeting Vivian.”

“I’m afraid. I’m afraid of leaving this world, and Vivian trembling in fear every day, thinking she might die. I fear she’ll be alone, calling for us every night.”

Tears had filled the Duchess’s eyes at some point.

The man sighed deeply and asked.

“Has the child from the Alan family accepted the offer? Has he agreed to protect Lady Vivian?”

The Duchess wiped away her tears and smiled faintly.

“Of course not. I’d be lucky if he didn’t think I was mad.”

It had been an unreasonable request from the start.

Why would Kail Alan, of all people, agree to protect Vivian?

Still, even though it was an unreasonable request, it was something she had to ask.

The Duchess was that desperate.

There was no effort too great when it came to ensuring the safety of her last remaining child.

There were several reasons why Kailo Alan had come to this land.

As the Duchess had mentioned to him, part of it was for the people of the territory, but…

The truth was, they needed his presence.

The Duchy of Rondor was in a precarious position, with unknown enemies lurking in the shadows.

But even those enemies would likely have their limits.

Kailo Alan might not realize it, but on this land, he was untouchable.

No one would dare try to kill him.

If anyone did, Jade Alan, the undefeated knight, would come charging in with fury.

There was no point in claiming land that would only be trampled underfoot.

So, the Duchess believed that as long as Kailo stayed close to Vivian, she would be safe.

That’s why she had demanded him as a hostage.

Whether her plan was going well remained to be seen.

“What did you think of the Alan family boy?”

The man asked the Duchess.

She smiled as she recalled their previous meeting.

“He’s a good child.”

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Really? I heard he got into a verbal sparring match with thousands of people in the square. And did you know how much he argued with Lady Vivian in this very room?”

The Duchess chuckled softly.

“That’s a good thing. It shows he’s brave. How many boys do you think would be able to do that in enemy territory?”

“The Alan family is still the Alan family, it seems. That bravery… it would be ideal if he could use it to protect Vivian.”

“Aren’t you worried about his reckless behaviour?”

“Reckless? No… I think Kailo was just scared. Even when he was arguing with me, there were times when his voice didn’t rise past a certain point. And when I pushed his hand away, he did so very cautiously—cough, cough!”

The man hurriedly handed her a glass of water as she coughed again, but the Duchess shook her head.

Then she spoke.

“I just hope Vivian doesn’t make too many mistakes with Kailo.”

“Mistakes, you say.”

“Kailo might be the only friend Vivian finds in this land. She’s going to be very lonely. Not only because we’ll be gone… but because the power she’ll have to wield will isolate her. And the only person who could understand her might be Kailo.”

“But if she comes to hate Kailo as much as she has… and then finds out that it was another enemy that was truly responsible for our family’s deaths… if she lashes out at the wrong person…”

“Well, who knows. If it turns out all of this was my imagination, and the Alan family really was responsible, she could see it as delivering justice.”

“…Perhaps. But is it really justice to blame an innocent child for the sins of his family?”

The Duchess swallowed hard and then spoke.

“…Write down my will.”

The man, who had been clenching his teeth, nodded with difficulty and prepared paper and ink on the table.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve already spoken to the nanny about Vivian’s education. I’ve asked her to be especially strict with Vivian… because I trust her. Even if it gets too harsh, I’ve asked her to look the other way.”

“Delegate Lady Vivian’s education to Lady Linne… And…”

Scratch, scratch.

The Duchess’s will was being written down.

“…Lastly.”

“Go ahead.”

“…I will entrust Vivian’s protection to Kailo.”

The man froze for a moment.

“…But Madam.”

“Whether or not he accepts… that will be Vivian’s choice. But this is what I want in my will.”

“Understood.”

The Duchess finished her will and looked up at the man.

The two exchanged a long gaze.

Finally, the Duchess spoke in a low voice.

“…Thank you, for everything.”

The man tried to lighten the mood.

“It’s too early to be saying your final goodbyes. I’m sure we’ll meet again a few more times.”

“Still, I should say it.”

“…Can you protect Vivian?”

The man smirked and shook his head.

“Of course not. I have to stay alive too. For a while, I plan to keep my distance from Lady Vivian. I’ll hide away. Even if she’s in danger, I’m not going to risk my life for her. I have no intention of dying a pointless death.”

“Do you really have to be that honest?”

The Duchess spoke with a tinge of disappointment, but the man didn’t retract his words.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“…I’ll try.”

The Duchess smiled.

“That’s enough.”

And six days later, the Duchess passed away in her sleep.