Chapter 36
Chapter 34
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Joseph walked away from Walter, little by little. To others, it might not seem like much, but Joseph, who had lived with him through thick and thin, could keenly sense that Walter was in low spirits. No, not just low, but deeply displeased.
Beside Walter was Grace. Compared to the robust Walter, she was a small lady who barely reached his chest, but Joseph discerned that the balance of power between the two had currently tilted towards Grace.
So…
“A wolf being ensnared by a fox’s tail…”
As he muttered without realizing it, Walter, with a frown, immediately turned to look at him. Joseph deliberately widened his eyes and shook his head.
“Did I say something?”
Meanwhile, as Joseph had sensed, Walter’s mood was not comfortable. Nevertheless, he was being pushed along by Grace’s gentle words, even though she was half his size, so the impression of a wolf being ensnared by a fox’s tail was not wrong.
However, it wasn’t just that he couldn’t refute Grace’s words that made his steps uneasy.
Walter, too, was one who had prepared and waited for over a decade. He had knights who had become the strongest in the empire, and Richmond’s rusty sword would not be able to stop them. Once he reclaimed Richmond, Walter intended to return this castle to Eliza’s embrace.
Of course, in his plan, Eliza never rose from her seat nor faced Walter. She would barely manage to secure a successor before finally entering eternal rest.
The last courtesy Walter planned for Eliza was to bury her grandson beside her. But Grace’s plan for Eliza was different.
In her plan, Eliza was the queen who had once commanded Richmond.
Hadn’t Walter also imagined that image?
During the three years he had spent with Walter, Eliza had maintained the appearance of a queen even while staying in the annex. He had seen her weeping silently, but even then, she never lost her composure. It was Eliza who had secretly educated him, and it was she who had told him to go to the Wall of Death and make the knights his own.
‘You have survived with the price of my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson’s lives, so Your Highness must never die. Survive by any means and gain strength to ascend to the throne as if to show off.’
She had said that in a voice as chilling as ice.
During the decade or so he had spent wandering the Wall of Death, Eliza had not responded to any of Walter’s calls. She said she would not leave the annex, and that she would not know even if her limbs were cut off. That was how she had collapsed alone. He had survived by any means and gained strength, but…
Was it possible for Eliza Richmond to return to her former self? If so, could he shed this wretched cycle of guilt that weighed so heavily on his shoulders, as if he were carrying the world?
As he pondered, the annex was already within a step. As if waiting, Mrs. Isaac, who appeared as the door opened, bowed politely.
Walter didn’t wait for her guidance and strode into the annex.
“Joseph, check to see if anyone is listening around us.”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
The cold air inside, colder than outside, chilled his entire body. Unlike yesterday, when the deep twilight had obscured his vision, the hallway he faced today was desolate.
There wasn’t even a proper picture frame, let alone decorations.
Walter couldn’t help but laugh.
If Eliza’s laughter was like black blood pooling in her dried-up intestines, Walter’s laughter was like bright red blood flowing from a beating heart.
‘I will definitely come back alive and return your name, so don’t die and wait.’
He had said that to Eliza on the day he left for the Wall of Death.
Grace’s insight that Walter had a clear goal to revive Eliza was accurate. With a face that wouldn’t be strange to die tomorrow, the reason she hadn’t died until this day was because of Walter.
His heart was seething. Her beloved grandson was already dead, and it was foolish to have rotted away for over a decade, hoping for a mere skeleton with only a hollow name and ashes left.
‘Never, never, never give up.’
She had said it as if she would follow him to the end of hell and kill him if he gave up, but what was this state she was in?
‘Hyung! Ah, no. Crown Prince Your Highness!’
Who killed that child?
Bang!!
“Your Excellency!”
As the door was opened roughly without a knock, Mrs. Isaac screamed and rushed over. But Walter was relentless.
The only room in this wretched annex that had any warmth. Beside Eliza, who was lying down like a tomb, was a bowl of soup that showed no signs of having been touched.
Walter, as if dumbfounded, looked down at Eliza, who was looking at him, and sat on her bed.
“Your…!”
The moment Mrs. Isaac tried to call him with a scream, Grace grabbed her arm. Mrs. Isaac, who was surprised and turned around, froze with a speechless expression. It was because Grace’s expression, as she watched the confrontation between Walter and the Grand Duchess, was as stern as a commander leading an army.
At that moment, a voice that chilled his spine was heard.
“What is this rudeness?”
Walter tilted his head, meeting the Grand Duchess’s jet-black eyes.
“Still, you have your eyes open today.”
“What?”
“Didn’t I say? I will definitely come back alive and return it to you, so don’t die and wait.”
“So, can’t you see that I’m alive?”
“Ah, are you alive?”
“……”
“In this wretched place, looking just like a tomb.”
Each word seemed to contain an ice pick.
Wretched, tomb.
Who would dare to utter such words in front of Eliza? Mrs. Isaac was at a loss for how to handle this situation.
Although they were grandmother and grandson, the two had not gotten along from the start. Both were owners of spear-like personalities, so it was the same that they didn’t like each other. Nevertheless, because Walter was young at the time and tried to hide his true nature, such a scene had never been staged.
But the returned him was different.
“I don’t even know if all your limbs have been cut off, and you’re just barely clinging to life. Is that what you call being alive? Yes, Grandmother?”
Eliza stared at Walter while lying down. Then, she burst into laughter. Her dark and viscous laughter made not only Mrs. Isaac but even Grace hold their breath, but Walter, who was looking down at her, instead countered with a cynical smile.
After laughing for a long time, Eliza slowly raised her body. Through her scattered silver hair, eyes of the same color as Walter’s flashed fiercely.
“So, you, I told you to survive and gain strength, and all you’re doing is bringing a woman you’re not even married to and turning the castle upside down noisily?”
Eliza and Walter were definitely connected by blood. Not only their appearance but even their way of speaking was similar.
“Since there’s no way to confirm where and how much it’s rotten, I have no choice but to turn it upside down.”
“It must be done with dignity and according to reason! Not with scandalous acts that will remain as a bad example!”
“Dignity, huh? Ah, so that’s why you’ve been like this? Afraid that if you opened the lid to see what Richmond is like and how it’s rotting, you’d get splattered with filth.”
Mrs. Isaac and Grace were impressed by the Decan Royals’ vicious way with words.
“That impatient temper.”
Eliza said, clenching her teeth tightly, but Walter didn’t care.
“Our family’s temper is nothing new, is it?”
Then, he kindly handed her the bowl of soup and spoke in an artificially affectionate voice.
“That’s a relief. I was worried that I would have to personally feed you if you couldn’t even hold a spoon. I couldn’t be happier to see you so healthy, Grandmother.”
“What?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Eliza.
From the old woman, who had not felt any vitality, came strength caused by anger. The black eyes, which had been as dry as withered grass in a graveyard, sparkled with a different light. It seemed as if blood vessels were rising on her dry, wrinkled neck, and a voice as cynical as Walter’s flowed out.
“Leave.”
“……”
“What are you standing there for, Arwen!! The Duke is leaving! Escort him!! I won’t go far, Duke!!”
At the old woman’s clear voice, Mrs. Isaac was moved and her eyes turned red, and Walter seemed to have more to say and tried to open his mouth.
At that moment, Grace, who had suddenly realized her role, jumped between the wolves who were baring their teeth and claws at each other. Mrs. Isaac was reminded of a fragile life jumping between fierce beasts without fear.
“Grand Duchess, I am glad to see you have risen. Your Excellency was very worried.”
Two fierce beasts simultaneously looked at Grace.
What are you talking about?!
But Grace didn’t care and first turned to Walter and covered his mouth.
“Right?”
This time, she turned to the old woman and smiled, curving her eyes.
“I apologize for coming again without permission. But please understand my heart that wanted to see you even like this.”
It wasn’t a spear-like, stabbing tone, but a warm and affectionate tone that reminded one of a bountiful wheat field. She was like a ray of sunlight that had slipped its head out amidst the fierce rain and wind.
When Eliza fell silent, Grace straightened her back and lightly grabbed the hem of her skirt with both hands. Then, she deeply bent her knees and lowered her posture. Until the crown of her head was below Eliza’s gaze.
At that moment, Eliza’s slowly flowing time stopped.
“Although it is late, I will now properly greet you. Grace of the Taylor Dukedom greets the Grand Duchess of Richmond, the owner of the Bedrock of Decan, the Tevex Mountains, and the Orutu River, and the guardian of the Northwest.”
