Chapter 75
Perce stroked his chin at the unexpected news.
“He sent the delegation back without even letting them in?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
“Was it really Riga’s order?”
“Yes, sir. The son of the Basque chief was the only one allowed inside the castle, but Riga sent him back out without speaking to him for long. They say the delegation was in a hurry to get back, as if they were being driven out.”
“You mean he made the decision on his own, without even informing the elders of the delegation’s visit, and in such a hurry?”
“I don’t think he had any intention of informing them in the first place, and I wouldn’t have known until now if my friend, the one guarding the walls that day, hadn’t tipped me off.”
A smooth smile soon formed at the corners of Perce’s mouth.
“Well done.”
Perce pulled a thick pouch from a drawer and tossed it to him. The soldier’s face lit up for a moment, and he bowed deeply in greeting.
“If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call!”
After the soldier left, Perce quickly organized the stories he had heard in his head. The Basque tribe had come to Riga in person, asking for the bride back, and Riga had sent them away immediately. They must have come with a great offer for the bride.
“He didn’t even tell us that…. Riga, a man who values procedure and principle so much?”
Riga was a man who never showed any flaws. Even if you tried to criticize him, you couldn’t because he always did things perfectly.
He had handled this important task alone, without informing anyone. And the reason was obvious without asking.
“He’s his father’s son after all. Blood doesn’t lie.”
Perce chuckled and moved to the window. Today, he was completely convinced. Rashid must be that man’s blood.
Beneath the window, Krell was practicing walking a little, but his weak ankle, now barely held together by ligaments, was no match for his weight. Now he was practically being dragged around by servants flanking him on either side.
“Tsk….”
Perce clicked his tongue, remembering the doctor’s words from the other day. He’d said she’d be able to walk with a limp once she got better. At the doctor’s remark that walking was a miracle, he picked up the pottery next to him and threw it. The pottery shattered on the doctor’s head and he was covered in blood. He was so frustrated that he beat him and changed doctors. He would do the same thing to the new doctor if he spoke like that.
“You shouldn’t be so happy that you made my son look like that.”
The words were muttered under his breath, full of hatred. It was an old hatred, an inevitable malice. Ever since he coveted his half-brother’s position, it had been a relationship that could only be ended by one of them dying.
His half-brother abandoned his tribe, went to save his wife, and died a miserable death. The son fulfilled his duties and responsibilities, but in the end, like his father, he was captivated by a woman.
I can still see him on the day of the banquet, rushing to the woman who had collapsed after drinking wine.
The look on his face, the fear of losing someone dear to him, was one that Perce had seen before. Twenty years ago.
“It’s about to be a good time to hunt.”
Perce looked to the sky and smiled. And then he realized. His third chance, granted by the heavens, had arrived.
***
Rosetta looked in the mirror, tying and untying her hair.
I’ve been wearing this green ribbon too often lately, I should try something else. Maybe I should let my hair down? But that would make me look too disheveled.
Come to think of it, it looks a little empty around my neck.
Rosetta picked up one of the necklaces she’d been keeping in a drawer and put it around her neck. The necklace and matching earrings definitely make her face look more radiant.
Then she took the necklace and earrings off and put them back in the drawer. They were too much jewelry for this late in the day. She would have been better off with a thick ring. It would be visible every time she lifted her teacup.
Now that I think about it, I’d never thought about it before.
Rosetta had always accepted what the maids picked out for her without thinking about it, but lately she’d been doing more of her own adorning.
In the end, Rosetta kept her hair the way Benny had done it that morning, only adding a sapphire ring to her finger. Benny had picked it out for her when the merchants had stopped by the castle not long ago. Though she knew she didn’t particularly like trinkets, he still bought them for her from time to time. As if giving her something like this would make her feel better.
‘Can I tell him tonight…?’
Rosetta let out a small sigh as she stroked the blue jewelry. How many times had she tried to tell him that she was not the daughter of the Basque chief, but she had never been able to? The thought of the look on his face when she told him that she was Princess Lysa made her jaw clench.
In truth, they’d hardly had a chance to talk, because when they were together, they were too busy kissing and cuddling. His kisses and touches were enough to make her ecstatic every time, and that made her a little afraid. She couldn’t imagine what was next.
Lost in her thoughts, she noticed that the door was slightly open. The man was standing in the doorway, looking at her.
“When did you get here?”
Rosetta smiled up at him. She tucked some hair behind her ear, deliberately making sure her ring was showing.
“I’m glad you’re here before the tea gets cold. Have a seat.”
He closed the door and walked slowly over. Rosetta quickly sat down in the chair. Pouring tea into a teacup, she waited for him to sit down. But he didn’t sit down. Instead, he stood a few feet away from her and stared down at her.
“Rashid, what’s wrong?”
Only then did Rosetta realize that his expression was different than usual. The muscles in his face were frighteningly rigid. Even though he usually showed little expression, he had never looked this stiff.
“Rashid?”
Rosetta tilted her head, and his mouth parted.
“Rosetta Villard Lysa.”
At that, Rosetta let the teapot slip from her hand. Seeing the hot water spilled on the table and flowing toward her, Rashid quickly grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.
The hot water spilled over the chair Rosetta had been sitting in just moments before. Rosetta realized that if he hadn’t caught her, the water would have been all over her legs by now.
“Th, Thanks….”
But she couldn’t finish her thanks. Feeling her heart pounding frantically, Rosetta thought about what she had just heard. What did he said a moment ago?
“Rosetta Villard Lysa. Is that your name?”
His words fell again, and Rosetta slowly lifted her head to look at him. Rashid’s face was still expressionless. He didn’t even have this look on his face when she first met him.
When Rosetta froze and didn’t answer, a look of certainty crossed his face.
“…So, it really is.”
Rashid let go of her arm. Rosetta staggered a little and grabbed the chair next to her for support, feeling like she would collapse at any moment if she didn’t.
“How did you know….”
The words came out in a stutter. How did he know she wasn’t the daughter of the Basque chief, and how did he know she was a princess?
“That’s not the important thing, I suppose.”
Rosetta flinched at the harsh-sounding words.
“…I didn’t mean to deceive you.”
The moment she realized she had to say something, the words of self-excuse came out of her mouth. No, it wasn’t an excuse, it was the truth. She’d made it clear from the beginning that she wasn’t the real bride. He was the one who had misunderstood.
“I kept telling you that I’m not the daughter of the Basque chief, but you….”
“I don’t blame you, so you don’t have to say anything more about it.”
He cut Rosetta off.
“You were the one who said it then. ‘I never deceived you, so don’t blame me later.’ Yes, I was the one who thought and judged all I wanted.”
By saying that, he freed Rosetta from all blame. He could not blame her for this. But strangely enough, it didn’t make her happy.
“I was foolish to bring the wrong woman.”
Foolish.
The words flew out of his mouth like a bolt from the blue. He didn’t really say anything wrong.
“You wouldn’t have come all this way alone. Where are the people who accompanied you?”
Unlike the confused Rosetta, he seemed to have regained his composure. No, it was as if he hadn’t panicked in the first place.
Rosetta answered, “In Basque….”
Now that I think about it, why haven’t I heard anything from Allen? With his personality, he should have been here in a heartbeat.
All the problems that I hadn’t thought about while I was living so comfortably here came flooding back to me.
I had taken it for granted. All I had to do was wait here. They’d always been the ones making the moves, and I’d always been the recipient of what they did for me.