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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Reason for That Feeling, I Don't Know (6)
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Cyrus had told her about the importance of sleep, but on days like this, she still couldn't get proper rest. She even tried lying on the floor, thinking it was because of the still-unfamiliar plush bed, but her mind only became clearer.
Eventually, she gave up on sleep, got up, put on her gown, and left the room. The guard knight standing by her door straightened his back.
The guard knight, whose name was Lanster and who appeared to be just over twenty, had been assigned as Ariana's personal guard by Russell after the kidnapping incident. He was a cautious-looking young man with hair as black as night and ash-grey eyes.
"I can't sleep, so I'm going for a walk in the garden. You don't have to follow."
"I cannot allow that."
Lanster insisted on following behind Ariana.
Watching Lanster follow silently, Ariana thought of the people from the Northern Territory. Cyrus, Rui, and Noah also moved without making a sound.
‘The Eastern Territory's White Knights are strong enough to be compared to the Northern Territory's Black Knights.’
Ariana wondered who would win if Lanster and Rui were to duel.
‘Are they all doing well?’
She had been so focused on adapting to the Eastern Territory, keeping her guard up, that she hadn't thought of them until now.
Suddenly, she thought of Cyrus, who would appear out of nowhere regardless of where she was, and wondered if he might be hiding nearby. But she quickly dismissed the thought.
‘He's a busy man; he wouldn't spend time in the Eastern Territory where he has no business.’
She wasn't sure if she would ever see Cyrus again in the next few years, or even her entire life. Unless Cyrus was interested in social circles, she recalled that he rarely appeared at social gatherings.
Feeling a little down, Ariana spoke to Lanster to shake off the feeling.
"Can the knights of the Eastern Territory also use stealth?"
"Please speak comfortably, Princess."
"If I were the Eastern Territory's princess, I would, but I am still Ariana Bronte."
"His Excellency the Eastern Duke regards you as a princess, so we do likewise. If you do not treat me comfortably, I dare not raise my head."
Since Lanster insisted, Ariana reluctantly said,
"Alright, Lanster. If you say so, I will."
"Yes. Some of the White Knights can use stealth."
"To the point where you wouldn't notice someone passing right in front of you?"
"Are you referring to the Northern Territory's stealth, Princess?"
"Yes."
"No one can replicate the Northern Territory's stealth. I understand that the Northern Territory's stealth techniques are passed down among the natives of the North, and the magical power they still possess significantly influences it."
"Ah, so that's also a type of magic."
"I understand it's a mix of magic and technique. Would you understand if I said it's similar to strong knights repeatedly training to generate sword energy?"
"Yes. I get the gist. Then, if people from the Northern Territory use stealth and sneak in here, would we not be able to detect them?"
"It's not easy to discern Northern Territory's stealth, but it is possible."
Lanster looked around.
"There is no one using stealth here."
"I see."
Concern filled Lanster's ash-grey eyes.
"Is there someone from the Northern Territory targeting you, Princess?"
There was no one targeting her, but if she were to say that someone had occasionally watched her from the shadows, and that person was the Northern Duke, what kind of expression would Lanster make?
She was curious, but Ariana smiled faintly and continued walking.
"There's no way someone from the Northern Territory would target me."
Chase Castle was larger than Rosen Castle, where the Western Duke resided. Ariana walked for a long time before finally reaching the central garden.
It was a maze-like area, densely lined with neatly trimmed shrubs. She slowly walked, brushing her fingertips against the shrubs, until she reached the center of the garden.
Beyond an archway was a large fountain, with several sculptures placed near it. While beautiful in daylight, they had an eerie feeling in the dark of night.
"Can't sleep?"
As she was about to sit on a bench beside the fountain, a voice came from between the shrubs. It was Jeor.
He approached with long strides and said,
"You should get some good sleep if you want to leave early tomorrow."
"I thought a short walk might help me sleep."
"Indeed, you're not going to the Empire for a good reason, so it's understandable you can't sleep. Lanster, I'll escort her from here."
Lanster didn't answer and looked back at Ariana. Ariana was inwardly surprised by his action.
It was natural for a personal knight to follow his master's orders, but Ariana was neither Lanster's master nor a princess, so she naturally expected him to obey Jeor.
However, Lanster was waiting for Ariana's command.
When Ariana nodded lightly, Lanster stepped back.
Jeor extended his hand to Ariana and said,
"He's a loyal fellow. Though a bit rigid."
"I can walk by myself, Your Excellency. If you go ahead, I will follow. And I like rigid people."
When Ariana declined his hand, Jeor shrugged and walked on.
"I thought with eyes like ice, you wouldn't like anything."
"I like things if they're likable."
"What about me? Am I likable?"
"Is there anyone in this Eastern Territory who would dislike Your Excellency?"
"And you're not yet a person of the Eastern Territory."
Under a deep blue night sky adorned with scattered starlight, Ariana and Jeor walked together. Jeor led the way, and Ariana followed a step behind him.
Ariana took in Jeor's shoulders, his sturdy-looking back, and his navy hair fluttering in the breeze.
‘This man died for the Eastern Duke, even though he wasn't his biological father.’
It was strange how some women would try to kill their own daughters, while some people would lay down their lives for those who weren't their biological parents.
It was also strange that she didn't dislike Jeor, who had thrown away his life for the Eastern Duke.
They walked in silence for quite some time. Eventually, they arrived at the top of a tower attached to the walls of Chase Castle. From there, the entire view of Ellus City spread out before them.
"This is my favorite spot. You can see the whole city at a glance."
"It's beautiful."
Ellus City, enveloped in the deep night, was truly beautiful. The pale buildings glowed softly under the moonlight, and the streetlights scattered throughout the streets looked like stars in the night sky.
"From May 6th, the Festival of Abundance will be held in this city for three days. It's a festival to pray for a good harvest, and it's very lavish. Many merchants come during that time, and there are circuses and other attractions, so there's a lot to see. It would be nice if you could enjoy the Festival of Abundance, but the trial happens to be scheduled then."
"Indeed. I'm curious what it would be like. I've never been to a festival."
"I hear there are several festivals in the Western Territory too? Isn't there a festival similar to the Festival of Abundance around this time?"
"There is. But I was never allowed to attend."
Jeor glanced back at Ariana, who stood beside him.
"What about next year? Do you think you'll be able to join the Festival of Abundance next year?"
"That would depend on the trial's outcome, wouldn't it?"
"Even if you lose the trial and return to the Western Territory, Father won't leave you alone like before."
She couldn't answer that.
Would he really?
Ariana had married a man sixteen years her senior when she was sixteen. At the imperial party, the Eastern Duke, whom she had encountered, didn't offer a single word of comfort to his daughter, who had been sold into marriage at sixteen.
‘If I return to the Western Territory this time, I'll probably be forced to marry that man again. Or, I'll die.’
The Western Duke didn't seem like the type to let Ariana live, especially after she had escaped the Western Territory and tried to find her own way. He was the kind of person who would think it's easier to kill her before she could cause more trouble.
‘If I lose the trial, it's over.’
Although she had anticipated and prepared for what the Western Duke might do in this trial, her anxiety hadn't completely vanished. This was Ariana's first custody trial, so she couldn't be certain of the outcome.
Suppressing the chill that rose in her chest, she calmly looked down at Ellus City when Jeor spoke.
"The Eastern Territory is a beautiful place. Except for the borders where Paganus occasionally invades, it's quiet and peaceful. That's why the people here naturally have relaxed personalities."
"It seems so."
"The White family is like that too. They're all unsuspecting and kind-hearted."
"Yes, they're all good people."
Jeor turned to Ariana. His amethyst-like eyes gazed piercingly at her.
"But I'm not like that, Ariana. I'm suspicious of what you're hiding within you."
Ariana raised her head and met Jeor's gaze. Her blue eyes quietly received his piercing stare.
"Because of your custody trial, Father and Grandfather – the two great pillars of the Eastern Territory – have to go to the Empire. During that time, the Eastern Territory will be empty. Or rather, its two great pillars will be away from the Eastern Territory. If the Western Duke takes advantage of that moment, a bloodbath might ensue in the Eastern Territory."
"Would the Western Territory's forces be a match for the Eastern Territory's?"
"Of course, if it were only the Western Territory's forces, there would be no worry. But are the Western Territory's forces truly only Westerners?"
Ariana was inwardly impressed.
Jeor was already suspecting collusion between the Western Duke and Paganus. Even though he was only twenty-one.
"The Emperor, too, was swayed by the Western Duke's tongue and turned his back on Father. The Emperor is a greedy, suspicious, and gullible man. What if the Western Duke manipulates him with his words again? Father and Grandfather, who only took one unit of knights, might never set foot on Eastern Territory soil again."
It was a reasonable suspicion.
So much so that it was strange no one else had voiced it.
No, perhaps everyone suspected it but simply kept it hidden.
It was also possible that the Eastern Duke or the Former Eastern Duke had Jeor create this situation. They might have passed on suspicions they felt sorry to show their own kin to Jeor, who wasn't blood-related.
She wasn't angry or disappointed. She had never expected unquestioning trust in the first place.
It was a ridiculous notion to ask for trust from a daughter who suddenly appeared from the Western Territory, whom they had only seen briefly at birth.
"I..."
Jeor approached Ariana closely.
His right hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
His amethyst-like eyes gleamed chillingly, and a heavy killing intent obscured the starlight. The aura of a warrior who had never known defeat in the border wars pressed down on Ariana's slender shoulders.
But Ariana neither flinched nor avoided his gaze. She had expected that someone like him would eventually reveal his true intentions.
A family welcoming her with open arms. Such good things had never existed in Ariana's life, and couldn't possibly exist.
Glaring at Ariana, who calmly looked up with her head held high as she always did, Jeor said,
"I'm debating whether it's better to kill you here for the sake of the Eastern Territory."
