episode_0158

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt Taildon looked different from my memories. Marie, trailing behind in the shadows, had an equally puzzled expression.

Only Ruyef, walking ahead, maintained a composed expression.

“What… what happened?”

Taildon, always bustling with life from sunrise to sunset, had now transformed into a desolate city.

Even just walking through the outskirts, empty roads were visible. The light from the streetlights erected in every major alleyway was nowhere to be found, and the taverns that used to be noisy even at night were now enveloped in suffocating silence.

Taildon used to be a place where people clamored as they drank until night, and even patrolling soldiers would join in dice games. The scene we now faced felt as if we had entered a graveyard.

However, it was different from our village, which had completely vanished. People could be seen moving around somewhere, and laundry hung in various places indicated that people still lived here.

“Everyone has gone out on an expedition.”

Ruyef explained briefly. About two months ago, Lord Kintop, the lord of Taildon, had personally organized a large-scale expeditionary force and headed towards Deseo.

“I don’t know the exact reason. It seems the lord harbored resentment towards the King of Deseo.”

“That’s right. He started a rebellion.”

Before I collapsed, the words Lord Kintop had shown me came to mind. [Usurpation of the Throne]

Lord Kintop had long sensed the unusual movements occurring in Deseo and had been steadily preparing. If that meticulous old man had taken action himself… then something must certainly have happened in Deseo.

“But… it has nothing to do with us.”

What the nobles plotted or whether the monarchy collapsed was no longer important to me. We had come down to Taildon for only one purpose.

When I looked up, the moon had already risen brightly. We had never visited Taildon this late at night. No, except for just one time, when Tia led us to the Harvest Festival.

Rustle. Rustle.

As we entered the city’s outskirts, a familiar shop came into view: Auntie Lily’s confectionery. It was the shop where we used to buy ginger biscuits every time. It should have been closed for business by now, but fortunately, lamplight could be seen seeping through the window.

Swish-.

Ruyef pulled his hood up over his head. Taking that as a signal, Marie and I also pulled our hoods down deep and followed him.

Lowering ourselves, we looked around. The city’s unusual quietness felt very jarring, but at least there were no people roaming around at the moment, which was a good situation for us.

Ruyef approached the confectionery and knocked lightly. Tap tap.

A moment later, Auntie Lily’s sleepy voice came from inside. “Hmm? We’re closed now—please come another time.”

Tap tap.

But Ruyef, unconcerned, knocked on the door again. Eventually, Auntie got up from her seat.

“Ugh—what is it at this hour?” Along with a slightly grumbling sound, the bolt clanked open.

Auntie, who had carelessly opened the door and was about to step out, gasped in surprise upon seeing the large young man standing at the door and recoiled.

“Oh, dear!”

“Please forgive our rudeness for visiting in the middle of the night, Auntie.”

Auntie, who had been startled, was surprised again upon hearing that unique low voice.

“Wait… could it be, Ruyef?”

“Yes.”

“Good heavens!”

When Auntie cried out loudly, Ruyef shook his head with an expression that pleaded for quiet.

“May we come inside for a moment?”

“Y-yes. Come in, quickly!”

“Hello.”

When Marie and I appeared afterward, Auntie Lily was truly on the verge of fainting. She couldn’t speak, her face looking as if she had seen a ghost.

“Ritsu…? Marie…? Oh, dear…”

To the people of Taildon, I was already a dead person. Rumors had spread that Ruyef and Marie had also fled far away, so Auntie Lily probably thought she would never see us again.

However, the children of Breezedown were clearly alive. We had suddenly appeared here without any prior notice. The shock was by no means small.

Auntie covered her mouth and began to sob.

“Ritsu… were you alive…? I’m not… dreaming, am I?”

“……”

What on earth should I say? Where should I begin to explain what went wrong? Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared to give Auntie a clear answer.

The only reason we came to Taildon and sought out the confectionery ‘first’ before any other place was… because Auntie Lily was the only person we could trust in this situation.

“…It seems this will be a long story, Auntie.”

We hurried inside the shop, avoiding other people. This place, where we used to run around and choose sweets as children, had now become a temporary refuge where we could hide.

For Auntie, who was still confused, I briefly explained what had happened. I didn’t tell her everything. I just gave her a suitably embellished story that made it seem like I had appeared to die from an illness, causing the villagers to misunderstand, and Ruyef had saved me.

After hearing the entire story, Auntie wiped away her tears.

“It’s truly, truly fortunate to see you all again. I… I thought you had all died or scattered…”

Ruyef replied. “We understand. In fact, that’s why we deliberately tried not to reveal ourselves. You know, Lord Kintop…”

“That’s right. I saw them dragging people from Breezedown. We didn’t know what was happening and even welcomed them… But when I saw them imprisoning everyone, I realized something strange had happened in your village.”

This was why we had to hide our faces as much as possible in Taildon. If news of us being alive spread throughout the city, it could cause immense chaos. Fortunately, the likelihood was low now, but if Lord Kintop had been in this city, he would surely have ordered my capture.

…Because I still hadn’t repaid the debt I owed him.

Auntie Lily asked with a worried expression. “Um—then… is Tia safe too?”

“……”

My heart sank. The moment I heard ‘Tia’ from someone else’s lips, I clenched my fists with an unknown impulse.

While I was unable to speak, my breath caught in my throat, Ruyef answered for me.

“We came to ask the same thing. But it seems you don’t know Tia’s whereabouts either, Auntie.”

“The last time I saw Tia was last winter. About four months ago. She looked very sad, so I gave her some leftover sweets and comforted her… But the very next day, a strange rumor started circulating that Tia was the murderer who killed Ritsu, didn’t it? I said Tia would never be that kind of child… So it wasn’t true after all… Oh, poor Tia. What should we do…”

Ruyef consoled Auntie Lily in a quiet voice.

“There’s no need to worry too much, Auntie. Tia is surely alive somewhere.”

“That’s right… Tia is brave and smart. Yes. She’ll be safe.”

We already knew. That Tia was in Goldburg. The problem was that we were completely unprepared to cross over to that place.

From Taildon to Goldburg was a two-day journey by carriage. It was a city located a considerable distance away.

Ruyef and I had considered walking if necessary, but traversing the Golden Plains with the frail Marie was close to impossible.

We had little money left, and we didn’t know how to arrange for a carriage to Goldburg.

Therefore, I shamelessly decided that we needed the help of Auntie Lily, the kindest and most reputable person in Taildon.

It was my cunning calculation that Auntie Lily, of all people, would never refuse our request.

“Auntie. We need your help.”

I bit my lip and pleaded. “We promise not to cause you any trouble, but… could you perhaps arrange a room for us to stay in for a short while?”

Auntie Lily calmed her surging emotions and stood up.

“Of course. Just tell me if you need anything.”

And so, we headed to an inn.

The innkeeper cast extremely suspicious glances at the two young men and a girl who entered late at night with their hoods pulled up, but when Auntie Lily declared them ‘her guests,’ he immediately dropped his suspicion and guided them to a room.

Auntie wrapped some biscuits in a bundle and handed them over, telling us to eat them even though they had become hard and cold. She also added a small amount of money, instructing us to use it in an emergency.

Tears welled up in my eyes at Auntie Lily’s warm kindness. At the same time, I felt immensely guilty for taking advantage of such a good person.

“I’m sorry. It feels like we’re imposing too much…”

“Not at all! I’m incredibly happy right now! I’m so overjoyed that you’re alive… My heart, which ached all winter, has completely healed.”

Auntie squeezed my hand tightly.

“Tomorrow… you’re leaving, aren’t you?”

“It seems so.”

“Wherever you go, don’t get hurt. Stay safe. And please… be sure to come back. With Tia.”

“……Yes. We will definitely come back.”

I didn’t know if I could keep all those promises. But I firmly vowed that I would.

“Thank you so much… Auntie.”

Auntie Lily silently stroked each of our heads once and then went downstairs.

When I saw her back, walking alone down the dark night road, the story that Auntie ‘had a son’ suddenly crossed my mind.

* * *

The next morning. We didn’t have much time to spare. It would have been great if we could just pack up and leave for Goldburg immediately. But before that, there were a few things we needed to confirm.

“We can’t all go around together.”

Ruyef and I were in a situation where we couldn’t be seen by people. However, if we went around with our hoods pulled down deep like last night, it could arouse even more suspicion. It wouldn’t be strange for two men, not just one, walking around like that to get stabbed somewhere.

Ruyef frowned and retorted. “Are you saying we should send Marie alone?”

“It probably won’t work, right?”

Just moving around Taildon, which was much larger than Breezedown, would be a great strain on her body, and it was doubtful if Marie could navigate it well by herself.

Just as I was thinking we’d have to find another way, Marie, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke.

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

Ruyef said with a dismissive voice. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’d be helping us more by just staying put.”

“But…”

“Enough. Where do you plan to go with that frail body? Do you even know the way? You haven’t even been to Taildon often.”

“I know the way, Oppa.”

Marie stood up and pointed out the window. And then, as if she were seeing something there, she spoke clearly.

“If you go out to the left, there’s the liaison office. If you go towards the sunrise, there’s the market. Opposite the market is the harbor. The trade post is between them. We’re looking for a carriage to Goldburg, so we should go to the trade post, right?”

“……?!”

We both gaped in unison.

It was truly astonishing.

I had only learned Taildon’s roads by relying on experience. So if someone asked me where something was, it would be difficult to answer easily. It would be more like explaining, ‘just go down this road, turn the corner, and the market will appear.’

But Marie was stating exact directions and locations, as if she were looking down at a map of Taildon from above.

A bewildered Ruyef asked with incredulous eyes. “How… how on earth did you…?”

Marie fidgeted with her hands and replied. “Tia Unnie taught me. So I can picture places I’ve never even been… in my mind.”