Ch#234
**Shards of the Broken Glass Shoe**
**Chapter 234**
The idea of cross-dressing was sound. I couldn't visit a military camp in a woman’s body, and there were no other real alternatives. Still, there was no denying that it was a mad undertaking.
I furrowed my brows at the sight of Lady Roshan, who was smiling brightly at me. It was quite irritating to see her elegantly sipping tea while everyone else was moving about frantically.
The maids she had brought in secret seemed accustomed to such disguises, as they transformed my appearance with great skill. I had merely sat still, yet in no time, they had created a somewhat awkward-looking boy.
I let out a gasp of wonder, marveling at the stranger reflected in the mirror. To hide my feminine features, they had applied materials obtained from a theater troupe around my jawline; it looked surprisingly convincing. A boy around Jack's age stood there now.
Though, because they had bound my chest so tightly with cloth, it was difficult even to breathe.
Lady Roshan spoke to me, her voice laced with amusement as I stared unblinkingly at the mirror.
"Good, it’s perfect. To be honest, I was worried whether a disguise could hide your beauty, Sise, but looking at you now, it’s not bad at all."
"Yes. It’s quite amazing. I don't feel like myself. Even my mother wouldn't recognize me."
"That’s exactly how it should be. Oh, right. Now you must practice lowering your voice. Ah, I’ll attach a maid to you so you can disguise yourself skillfully once you arrive. But it’s better for you to learn the basics yourself, Sise. Just in case something happens."
She maintained a perfectly calm expression, as if she wasn't worried at all about me leaving for the battlefield. When I grumbled that I was scared, she even tilted her head as if she couldn't understand. It was as if she were asking what I had to fear when the Crown Prince would surely protect me. Her face was filled with absolute trust in him.
Surprisingly, Lady Roshan seemed quite accustomed to the concept of death. I assumed it was because she had seen many people die while staying by the Crown Prince’s side.
It was fate that the closer one was to power, the more one became accustomed to blood. Therefore, Lady Roshan would find it difficult to empathize with what I feared.
"Soon, rumors will spread that you are in seclusion due to poor health. We’ll also spread the word that Roena was rescued in secret. Matters regarding the business will be handled with your guardian, but don't worry, I will ask for your opinion on important points."
I couldn't answer easily, fearing that the guardian might take advantage of my absence to meddle with House Bischwaldz at the Crown Prince’s command. The Crown Prince I knew was more than capable of such a scheme.
After all, what could be easier than making a move while I was away? I would do the same in his position.
Because of that, this whole situation felt uncomfortable and suspicious. From him calling for me using a prophecy as a pretext, to every fortune teller offering readings that led me to him as if they had all coordinated in advance.
However, given the mysterious dream I’d had the night before, and the fact that Lady Roshan was swearing upon her family before God, I couldn't remain purely guarded. Everything was flowing as if it were a predetermined destiny.
Lady Roshan informed me that the Crown Prince had promised to deploy his personal Shadow so that I could attend to family matters even from the Border Region. As proof, she presented a document stamped with the Crown Prince's personal seal.
With the daughter of one of the Empire's most prominent marquess houses and the man who would surely be the next Emperor joining forces to protect House Bischwaldz, I had no choice but to believe them. Perhaps they would lead the family even better than I could. But what if they swallowed the house whole in this manner?
The biggest problem was continuing to hide Roena well. Since Mullang was the only one who knew about her being confined in the attic, I felt restless.
While I didn't doubt the head maid's loyalty, Marie’s reckless behavior could ruin everything. So, I decided to send Marie and Seril to my mother.
I used the excuse that Lady Roshan, out of goodwill toward me, had invited my mother to the Rosan villa. Since it was a villa with a private hot spring, it served as a plausible reason for my mother's health.
The following night, before it grew too late, I sent my mother off to the villa with Lady Roshan's full support. Fortunately, despite the sudden suggestion, my mother was delighted, saying she was enjoying such luxury thanks to me.
She was most pleased by the Lady's public promise to ensure Lian’s comfort. Thus, she boarded the carriage with a more energetic step than usual.
Marie and Seril also headed to the villa without a shred of suspicion, following my request to look after my mother well. It was a relief.
Afterward, I was quite busy. Spending days checking matters I had to see in advance and creating various alternatives for unforeseen events, I felt as if I needed several bodies to keep up. Connecting with the information brokers in secret from Lady Roshan to make other requests was also a task.
Days followed where I barely slept two hours. I suffered from headaches and dizziness. My complexion grew so pale that anyone seeing me would have thought a corpse was sitting in the chair. But thanks to that, I didn't have dreams about the assailant, which was good.
While I was finishing my work, news arrived that several battles had occurred in the Border Region and that the Imperial Army continued to win. Most of the reports were favorable, claiming that while they hadn't dealt a major blow to the barbarians as the battles were small-scale skirmishes, there was no difficulty in upholding the Empire's dignity.
People believed the Crown Prince would soon return in triumph with the barbarians' heads. They believed he would hold a coronation more brilliant than anyone else's after safely completing the late Emperor's funeral. I would have thought the same if not for a single letter that arrived secretly at the mansion.
*[Hurry.]*
It was a very short text, but it reeked of urgency. It was an uncharacteristic haste for the Crown Prince—especially for someone said to be tasting only victory in successive battles.
Upon seeing the letter, the Knight asked me politely if we couldn't depart a little earlier. His face was full of anxiety.
As it happened, I had finished all my preparations that day, so departing immediately wasn't difficult. Since I had made up my mind to go, there was no harm in leaving a bit sooner. Leaving late in the evening was also better for avoiding public attention.
So, we quietly left the Capital that evening on pre-prepared horses. Racing to save every second, we broke through several cities in an instant.
Of course, we took breaks of an hour or two along the way to rest. It was due to my meager physical strength.
My returned body had already long surpassed the days when I played in the streets, so it collapsed rapidly under the strain of sleeping outdoors a few times.
It was only by luck that I rode a horse more skillfully than most nobles; had that not been the case, I might have spent an even more grueling time.
Fifteen days after leaving the Capital, when we nearly reached the Border Region, my body was practically a wreck.
Forced to ride at a pace close to a forced march to shorten the time, it was inevitable. My buttocks and thighs were throbbing and numb with muscle aches.
I was also exhausted from many nights spent awake late to provide proper answers to news sent from the mansion.
The hardest part was the food. Perhaps I had grown refined in the meantime, as I found it difficult to swallow not only the hard jerky and bread but even the cheap food from roadside diners. If not for the maid who followed me to help with the disguise—she had also cross-dressed—bringing various supplies, I would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
As we neared the Border Region, the Knight slowed our pace and began to gather information in the vicinity. Since no further urgent letters had arrived after I sent my reply that I had departed, we were in the dark about the situation at the border. Since the last victory report was over ten days old, it was necessary to closely investigate how the war situation had changed.
The closer we got to where the Imperial Army was stationed, the more unfriendly the attitudes of the nearby villagers became. Blunt words were the baseline, and irritable reactions were common.
The people especially tried not to converse with us. They were afraid of letting their tongues slip. It was a fact known even to three-year-olds that spies constantly resided in villages near the army to gather information. They also knew that the village would be held responsible for any strange rumors that spread.
Therefore, the people were overtly fearful of strangers stopping in the village and did not show hopeful reactions to the army's victory.
Contrary to what was widely known, the people here believed the barbarians had won more often. Unsettling rumors were rampant that something had happened because the Crown Prince hadn't been seen for the past few days. It was shocking how different the atmosphere was from the Capital.
The Knight tried to obtain more information somehow, but he shook his head at the cold glares the people sent. Since there was nothing to find, staying here any longer was a waste of time. So, we left the village early in the morning, avoiding the villagers' eyes. And then we raced for another three days without rest. Until the Border Region came into view.
Arriving at the Imperial Army's camp near dawn, the security was tight. Beyond the fence made of sharply carved wood, massive torches flickered violently as several soldiers carrying weapons passed by in single file.
A damp, gloomy feeling hung in the air, with the surroundings soaked by a faint mist. A tension like a tautly pulled string sat sharply over the camp.
The Knight had me wait for a moment and approached those standing guard first. When he said something in a low voice, the soldiers who had been alert lowered their raised spears and showed respect.
Without time to even receive the greeting, he approached me and told me to follow. Passing through several tents—where soldiers warming themselves by fires glanced at me—we approached the largest tent, and he had me wait in front of it again.
It was some time later that he, having entered the tent without much explanation, came back out and told me to enter.
I blinked my eyes, heavy with fatigue, and nodded. Then I carefully stepped inside.
The inside of the tent was large and wide. A brazier was lit inside, giving off a warm air. Since it was designed for smoke to escape through the roof, it didn't sting my eyes, but a familiar scent lingered. It was the scent of herbs.
The Knight signaled to me as I stood blankly. The inside of the tent was not one wide open space, but was divided by thick cloth. His gaze was fixed on that hidden space.
I walked slowly and lifted the cloth that hung like a canopy. The Crown Prince was sitting inside, wrapped in bandages. In his hands, he held several sheets of paper while his upper body was half-naked, and the man opened his mouth with a nonchalant attitude as he looked at them.
"You must have suffered much to get here."
The Crown Prince's body, illuminated by the light, looked somewhat serious. The stains on the bandages were blood. Despite the treatment he surely received, a pungent scent of blood lingered.
I swallowed a sigh upon discovering the doctor crouched on the floor pounding herbs and the blood-stained bandages scattered around him. Then, I spoke, lowering my voice as much as possible.
Since it was a voice I had verified with Lady Roshan before coming here, it wasn't particularly awkward. Above all, the voice of a boy who hadn't passed puberty was close to a falsetto, making it easy to mimic. I just had to think of Jack.
"Yes. But have you been wounded?"
Was my voice quite interesting? Only then did the Crown Prince turn his gaze to look at me. And he gave a faint smile, as if my appearance was also amusing to him.
"It was due to being careless. So, your name?"
"It’s Rade. Rade Relshin."
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow as if surprised that I had attached a 'surname.' He hadn't expected me to act as a noble rather than a commoner.
Relshin was my mother's surname. From a noble family that had long since vanished. And Rade was the name my mother once said she wanted to give me if I had been a boy.
The Crown Prince ordered the doctor to leave. And as soon as he disappeared, he asked me immediately.
"Pretending to be a noble. What are you thinking?"
I replied in a nonchalant voice.
"Is it not better to be a noble than a commoner to stay by Your Highness's side? Especially when you grant the reward for this task."
"Reward? A reward..."
"Then were you planning to give me nothing at all?"
"...You make me laugh in truly unexpected ways. Yes, I must certainly reward you."
"Yes, you just need to do that. Now, what work am I to do here?"
"You don't ask why I called you. Are you not even curious about how I was wounded?"
His behavior, slightly furrowing his brow as if he were hurt, was no longer even funny. If he were the type of person to answer submissively just because I asked, I would have asked long ago.
"How could I dare to ask?"
"But you should be curious. This is the reason I called you."
The Crown Prince began to speak immediately without even inviting me to sit. This was a tactic to justify his actions by explaining how he came to be wounded.
His intentions were transparent, but since I couldn't overtly refuse, I listened while offering half-hearted responses in between.
According to him, the wound on his body was sustained during the third battle after arriving in the Border Region. He was caught in an unexpected ambush, and an arrow aimed at him pierced his armor and stopped just inches from his heart.
It was thanks to the talisman hanging near his chest. The arrow's tip was blocked by the small iron plate. The very one I had gifted to Knight Aires.
The Crown Prince shrugged and answered my silent question of why he had the talisman.
"I happened to find it on the ground while returning to camp after the second battle. I kept it for a moment because Mel looked so comically pale and restless thinking he’d lost his talisman, and as a result, it saved my life."
And with eyes that had settled calmly, he spoke another word to me. He said he had visited a Wagus to have his fortune told before departing for the Border Region, and they had offered the exact same prophecy as the Witch.
This Wagus was not a mere wanderer, but someone members of the Imperial Family visited in secret whenever major events occurred, and it was said that none of their words could be ignored.
"Originally, I don't believe such talk, but what can I do when it’s an old tradition?"
In truth, if only the Wagus had said such things, the Crown Prince would have let it pass. He wasn't the type to dwell on such matters. However, after arriving in the Border Region, he had been plagued by strange dreams, and in the third battle, he had nearly lost his life, so he said he couldn't help but pay attention.
The Crown Prince added that he especially felt a chill when a hallucination occurred, making the ground appear soaked in the red of the sunset just before he was struck by the arrow.
"Do you know? Every time I sleep, I feel a single black shadow wavering and standing by my bedside. So I’ve changed the location of the tent several times, moved the bed's position, and even sprinkled holy water distributed from the temple. But it remains. I cannot sleep. In the midst of that, I nearly died, so how can I not care about that prophecy? Amazingly, I survived thanks to your talisman."
The Crown Prince reached his hand out toward me. In his palm lay the talisman with a deep indentation in the center. It was the very one I had given to Knight Aires. It was perfectly crumpled inward, as if it would have pierced his heart had it been even slightly thinner.
"It’s a very strange thing, isn't it? To be fall victim to a prophecy I created myself. In truth, if those unexpected words hadn't been added then, I would have passed this matter off as a joke as well."
Was it self-mockery for his situation? Over his slightly twisted lips, the words I wanted to forget flowed out.
"Yes, I have already seen it once. The woman who defied death."
Beyond the faint light, his deeply wavering eyes were soaked in an inexpressible rapture. It was like the gaze of a beast that had discovered delicious prey.
"That is why I need you."
In other words, the Crown Prince was telling me to become a living talisman. For his sake.
**Shards of the Broken Glass Shoe**
