TOPWL 254

“…Sir, Commander!”

Yudit turned his head at the call. Noban, who had approached beside him, was shouting something.

“The horses… are tired. It’s best… to stop for today.”

The rain made it hard to hear clearly, but it seemed he was saying they should stop for the day. Yudit looked around. The horses and men, having ridden all day, were exhausted, and rain poured down as if the sky had been pierced. Seeing the horses shivering in the cold winter rain, Yudit nodded.

“Yes, let’s rest here.”

Noban felt relieved.

“We should be on guard; the imperial army might be stationed here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Perhaps because the army had arrived, the village was deserted. Or rather, people were there, but they were locked tight behind their windows, likely out of fear. It wasn’t hard to understand. Yudit thought he’d have to sleep in his sleeping bag, sheltering from the rain as best he could, when he saw an old man standing on the hill, wearing an umbrella, watching him. The old man seemed to be waiting for him, and Yudit found himself drawn to him. When he stood before the old man, the old man bowed his head in greeting.

“I greet Prince Yudit.”

“…Do you know me?”

“I was informed that Your Highness would arrive around this time, from Marquis Kinezia.”

At those words, Noban’s face turned suspicious.

“We haven’t rested once since departing. How could you have been informed?”

“A messenger pigeon brought it.”

The old man answered nonchalantly before turning away. His demeanor suggested he expected them to follow naturally. Yudit looked around. The rain had grown heavier. They had already been traveling in the rain for about an hour. The winter rain had significantly lowered their overall body temperature; even if it was a trap, seeking shelter from the rain seemed preferable now. Yudit led his horse inside.

“You can leave the horses over there.”

The old man pointed to the stable prepared on one side. It was a stable large enough to hold hundreds of horses. Once inside, Yudit personally removed the saddle and began drying the horse’s wet body.

“I’ll do it.”

“It’s fine, I’ll do it.”

The horse, perhaps exhausted, stood still with lowered eyelashes, tolerating the clumsy wiping. Yudit felt nothing but gratitude toward the horse that had run all day without complaint. On his way out, Yudit suddenly bit his lips as a sudden pain clenched his abdomen.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I must have overworked myself.”

“I’ll take you to your room.”

“Just a moment.”

Yudit approached the old man and asked if he could see the note from the messenger pigeon. Without hesitation, the old man handed him the note from his pocket. Yudit took a notebook from his own pocket and compared the handwriting. It was indeed the Marquis’s.

“I owe you a great debt today.”

“Yes.”

The old man answered nonchalantly.

“Would you prefer the public bath or a private bath?”

“There’s a public bath?”

“It’s a place with hot spring water.”

“I’ll take the private bath.”

Yudit chose the private bath, thinking the public bath might stir complicated thoughts among the soldiers. Without further comment, the old man said he would send hot water up to the room.

Once inside the room, Shane and Bagon searched every corner. With war looming, everyone’s alertness was at its peak. The bathroom resembled the one at the inn he’d seen yesterday. It used pipes to draw in lukewarm water, then poured hot water over it to adjust the bathing temperature.

“Is the water temperature alright?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

Perhaps because they’d come from the cold, the water felt a bit hot at first, but it became comfortable after a while. Yudit curled up in the wide bathtub and rubbed his stomach. The tightness in his belly was slowly easing. The cold rain had lowered his body temperature, and the baby seemed startled.

“I’m sorry…”

It’s because I want to save your father. Can you hold on just a little longer?

Yudit murmured, stroking his belly repeatedly. The baby showed didn’t move, perhaps having fallen asleep. Once he had warmed up sufficiently, Yudit stepped out. The guards, who had likely taken turns bathing, looked much better than before.

“How far is it to the capital?”

“Seven hours.”

“We’ll arrive around noon, then.”

Yudit said, gauging the time.

“Any news about Khalid?”

“Not yet.”

Yudit sighed softly.

“Once we reach the capital, do you intend to proceed with the original plan?”

Shane asked. Yudit thought for a moment before speaking.

“Hmm, unless something unexpected happens, yes.”

Yudit intended to head toward the back alleys. While many had moved on or disappeared as the streets were being reorganized, some still remained there. Prostitutes, gamekeepers, shopkeepers, each worked in their own place, selling the information they gathered there. Since one could also enter the imperial palace through the maze garden connected to the back alleys, it was better to go that way from the start.

“Understood.”

Just then, the servants brought in the meal. Hot potato soup, soft white bread, pickles, and a large piece of meat were served according to the number of people. Whether from exhaustion or worry over Khalid, his appetite wasn’t great. But since the guards seemed ready to feed him themselves if he didn’t touch it, Yudit had no choice but to pick up a piece of bread.

Fortunately, once the food was in his stomach, genuine hunger began to set unauthorized copyin, and Yudit managed to eat about half of the food on his tray.

“I know you won’t sleep, but for the baby’s sake, please try to rest your eyes even a little.”

Bagon said after checking Yudit’s sleeping arrangements. Bagon and Darius, who had recently returned from completing their mission, had willingly joined Yudit on his dangerous journey.

“If I fall asleep, you must wake me on time.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll wake you, even if I have to splash cold water on you.”

Bagon said with a kind smile. Only then did Yudit relax and close his eyes.

* * *

Woaaah-!

People crowded into the square to witness the rare execution. Yudit looked up at the throng gathered like ants. Khalid was kneeling before the square’s guillotine. The cold steel blade glinted in the sunlight, blindingly bright. Yudit charged forward like a madman. But the dense crowd made it nearly impossible to advance.

People he bumped into grumbled, but Yudit pushed on regardless. Yet before he could even reach the platform, the blade fell upon Khalid’s neck.

With a snapping sound, Khalid’s head was severed.

The excited crowd cheered. Reginald, now emperor, grabbed Khalid’s severed head and waved it playfully. His gaze met Khalid’s Read onunfocused eyes. Simultaneously, the faces of everyone around him transformed into Reginald’s.

‘You should have protected the one you were meant to protect.’

Reginald’s mocking voice buzzed in his ears.

You should have protected the one you were meant to protect. You should have protected the one you were meant to protect. You should have protected the one you were meant to protect. You should have protected the one you were meant to protect…

“Hngh…”

Yudit clutched his chest and opened his eyes. His back was soaked through with sweat.

“Were you sleeping?”

Bagon leaned close, his voice filled with concern. Yudit nodded weakly.

“Yes. I had a nightmare…”

“At least you got some rest.”

Bagon clicked his tongue regretfully. Yudit had barely slept the night before. In the end, he’d had to ride his horse wide awake from dawn. Whether from riding all day yesterday or the persistent rain, the horses’ pace had noticeably slowed. Since pushing the speed was risky, Yudit deliberately moved quietly.

Moving slowly among the people, he must have dozed off. Yudit had learned during this war that one could even fall asleep on horseback.

A familiar mountain path came into view. Yudit realized he was now right before the capital. He gradually slowed his pace.

This mountain path was known only among merchants, passed down by word of mouth. It had been widely used over thirty years ago but fell into disuse when a new, wider road opened. It was one of the routes Yudit had kept in mind, perfect for an escape route. The grass grew so thick that an unfamiliar person would think there was no path; it was a road known only to those in the know. Thanks to Yudit having mapped this route, he had made it this far without encountering a single enemy soldier.

He dismounted and entered the makeshift tent to change his clothes. He slipped a loose-fitting dress over his armor, put on a wig, and finished with a pair of glasses. The light blue lenses made his violet irises appear black.

“All done.”