Why the Northern Duke Wanders the Snowfields - Chapter 70

“Your Grace.”

Once the two of them were alone, Sion called to Kaeloc.

“I know. That was no ordinary skill.”

With an indifferent expression, Kaeloc approached the sofa to sit down.

“An assassin has infiltrated the castle. This isn’t the time to be so carefree.”

Kaeloc stood blankly staring at the sofa, then turned to Sion.

“What if there wasn’t just one assassin, but two?”

Sion approached with a puzzled expression, and Kaeloc picked up a candelabrum and held it high. Sure enough, there was hardly any dust on the white cloth covering the sofa.

That meant the assassin unexpectedly disturbed something in the room.

“I doubt they deliberately left a trace.”

“It seems the murder wasn’t planned.”

The assassin was probably already hiding in the room when Cedric entered. Then, as was his habit, Cedric tried to rape someone, injured his lower body, and fell facedown defenseless. At that moment, the assassin severed his spinal cord.

“Can you tell where the technique originated?”

“This kind of secret technique is characteristic of the Kingdom of Blanc.”

“What are the chances it was someone from the Carnu tribe?”

“It’s possible, but it wouldn’t be easy for someone from the Carnu tribe to sneak in. They’d have no reason to do so either.”

Kaeloc studied Sion intently before speaking, “Let me ask one more thing. What if someone inside the castle did it? Who would be the suspects?”

Sion snorted. “Even among the knights, only a few people are capable of such an extraordinary technique.”

A shadow fell across his severe-looking cheek.

“If there were anyone, it would be me….”

His shadowed black eyes slid toward Kaeloc.

“Or perhaps you, Your Grace.”

A faint trace of amusement seeped into the blue eyes that had only shone coldly until then.

“It seems neither of us did it.”

Perhaps each had secretly hoped the other was responsible, because smiles appeared on both their faces for the first time in a long while.

***

The road was rough. It was eerie after sunset, and despite this being an inhabited village, lights were scarce.

“If you travel north from the castle, you’ll come to a village called Limonvalen. But….”

Lien hesitated as she told Aubrianna where Hardin lived.

“I heard that many people of mixed Carnu blood live there.”

Even at her words, Aubrianna merely nodded.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re not actually planning to go there, are you?”

“No. Of course not.”

After reassuring Lien, Aubrianna opened a chest the moment she left and grabbed a handful of jeweled ornaments.

Then she immediately left without telling anyone.

While everyone else lived their lives in peace, these horrific acts against only those of mixed blood were carried out in secret.

Countless people of mixed blood were imprisoned, killed, or beaten. There was no reason.

In her previous life, people believed Kaeloc’s disappearance was connected to those of mixed Carnu blood, so they went as far as persecuting people they already shunned.

‘Hardin….’

Aubrianna bit her lip tightly and hurried along the uneven road made of gravel and stones. Whenever she heard signs of someone inside a building that appeared abandoned, she flinched and pulled the hood of her cloak lower over her face.

She left the carriage at the village entrance and walked quite a distance, but she still couldn’t find the house Lien described.

‘She said the boundary stone in front of his house was painted black.’

She carefully examined the widely scattered houses, but it was so dark that she could barely see.

There was no one passing by whom she could ask. Even so, Aubrianna didn’t give up.

Hardin was the person who taught her how to survive in the snowfields. He was the boy who approached her without hesitation despite knowing who she was. He was her only source of joy during her lonely imprisonment.

And he was the boy who first discovered Kaeloc in the snowfields.

Aubrianna questioned Hardin again and again. She asked what Kaeloc looked like when they first met, what expression he wore, whether he was aloof or pleased to see him. Without showing any annoyance, Hardin answered every one of her questions.

“He was extremely surprised and bewildered. Of course, since a child like me suddenly appeared in the middle of the snowfields, it would’ve been enough to knock anyone backward, but His Grace remained steadfast, as expected.”

Her conversations with that boy were the only times she could smile.

Whenever she felt like throwing her life away, time and again, that boy kept her alive.

‘But I can’t tell anyone this. No one would understand.’

They were her memories alone, her precious moments alone. But she had to repay him, even if the Hardin of this life would neither be imprisoned in the underground dungeon nor lose his younger sister to illness.

Aubrianna checked the ornaments tucked inside her clothes, then quickened her pace again, examining the boundary stones of every house she passed. Whether it was a custom of the Carnu tribe or only of this village, every house had a boundary stone, each painted a different color. Yellow, blue, red….

As Aubrianna searched for a black one, a house caught her eye. It was much smaller and shabbier than the other houses in the village.

It was in even worse condition than the cabin where she and Kaeloc stayed in the snowfields. Aubrianna approached, confirmed that the boundary stone was black, and walked up to the door.

Knock, knock.

“Hardin?”

She called cautiously, but there was no answer.

‘Is no one inside?’

Aubrianna looked around the eerily silent village, then called into the house again in a whisper.

“Hardin? Are you there? It’s me, Aubrianna.”

Just then, she heard the faintest movement, followed by a frail voice from behind the door.

“My brother isn’t back yet.”

Even from her voice alone, it was clear that she was very ill, as though it might fade away at any moment.

“You must be Isaren.”

“You know me?”

“Of course. Hardin told me about you.”

Creak.

In the quiet village, the sound of the warped wooden door opening seemed remarkably loud, startling even the child.

“Please come in.”

Her body was reduced to little more than bones, making it look as though her clothes had merely been draped over her rather than worn. The child had neatly tied back her black hair, the same color as Hardin’s, yet she was still cute and pretty.

The distinct silver rims around her irises clearly announced that she was of mixed blood.

“She’s in poor health, so she can’t hide the silver rims around her eyes. That’s why I have to work.”

The moment their mixed blood was discovered, they might no longer be allowed to live together. Because it was difficult for them to find work, some even starved to death.

Aubrianna heard there was only a year between them, yet Isaren was so small that she looked three or four years younger than Hardin.

‘I should’ve brought something to eat.’

She regretted being in such a hurry that she brought only the ornaments. Aubrianna quickly collected herself.

“Isaren. I’m Aubrianna. I met Hardin in the snowfields.”

Aubrianna smiled gently as she told her about what happened in this life, not the previous one that had already passed.

“So he went to the snowfields. I didn’t know because my brother never told me about it.”

“He probably didn’t want you to worry. Anyway, the reason I came here is….”

How could she persuade this child?

For now, Aubrianna pulled the ornaments from inside her clothes and abruptly pressed them into Isaren’s hands.

“An order to arrest people of mixed blood will be issued soon. Take these and flee with Hardin before that happens.”

“What?”

With a bewildered expression, Isaren stared at the pearl necklace, rings, and earrings set with various jewels overflowing from her hands, then looked at Aubrianna.

“What is all this…?”

Just then, the door cautiously opened and Hardin appeared.

“Isaren, did you wait long? Huh?”

Hardin’s eyes widened when he spotted Aubrianna.

“How did you get here?”

Delight spread across Aubrianna’s face.

“Hardin!”

“Shh!”

When Aubrianna’s voice grew louder, Hardin and Isaren both pressed their fingers to their lips, gesturing for her to be quiet.

Once Aubrianna closed her mouth, Hardin asked, “How did you get here?”

Aubrianna explained everything that happened.

“So take these and run away for now. You can come back after the Queen leaves.”

“….”

“Hardin?”

“Please go back.”

Hardin took the ornaments from Isaren’s hands and returned them to Aubrianna.

“I’ll be fine.”

“How can you be fine? If they catch you, you’ll be taken to the underground prison!”

“But Isaren is too frail to travel far.” Hardin murmured bitterly, “If something like that happens, I can put as much distance between myself and Isaren as possible before letting them capture me. Isaren is good at hiding quietly on her own anyway.”

Only then did Aubrianna understand why the siblings were being so quiet.

“Hardin, you already knew.”

“Rumors have been circulating. I also heard what happened to people of mixed blood whenever the Queen visited other regions.”

This village was founded by people of mixed blood from throughout the Kingdom of Trilan who gathered here after hearing rumors that it was safer to live in the duchy, closer to the border.

Some had fled their territories, so all these people were fugitives and criminals.

“It’s no longer true that the Queen won’t come to the north.”

A determined light appeared in Hardin’s eyes.

“But we still won’t run away. We….”

Hardin and Isaren met each other’s eyes for a moment, then looked at Aubrianna. Their gazes were calm and solemn.

“Have nowhere else to go.”