Chapter 59
Reina snapped back to her senses at Kaiden’s stubbornly uttered words.
Resolving the misunderstanding seemed to be the top priority.
“Kaiden, he hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“You’re too lenient.”
“No. He really hasn’t done anything wrong. If anything, he’s a benefactor!”
Reina raised her voice in frustration.
Kaiden furrowed his brow at the word “benefactor.”
“I was in the middle of asking him to find my brother.”
“……Then why on earth were you crying?”
“Because he gave me this watch.”
Kaiden’s gaze turned to the pocket watch. Reina opened the inner lid and showed it to him as she spoke.
“This is the gift I gave my brother to celebrate his twentieth birthday. It’s something he carried with him even when he went off to war. The Arteon who gave it to me introduced himself as my brother’s close friend.”
* * *
The prison was damp and cold. The northern chill seeped through the bricks into his lungs, an utterly unpleasant sensation.
He had requested several times to summon the steward, but the guards didn’t even bat an eye.
Treated as if he were invisible, Arteon had no choice but to give up.
With no windows, he had no idea how much time had passed.
By his estimation, at least half a day had gone by.
As night fell, the cold grew even more biting.
With no other option, he wrapped himself in the moldy blanket, feeling utterly pitiful in his situation.
‘This isn’t why I came to the north…….’
If he had known the princess would be so shaken, he would have arranged a separate place to talk.
It was only natural for the duke to misunderstand, given that it happened right in the middle of the banquet hall.
‘Still, by now, the misunderstanding should have been cleared up.’
Unaware that Reina had collapsed in tears, Arteon grew even more anxious.
Just as he wondered if he’d have to sleep there, a guard opened the prison door and said,
“Come out.”
It was a far different level of courtesy from when they had first thrown him in.
Arteon quickly tossed aside the blanket and rose from his spot.
The guard led Arteon to the reception room.
As he entered, he came face-to-face with Alfredo, who had been pacing restlessly on his feet.
“Oh dear, young master!”
Alfredo burst into tears upon recognizing him.
Arteon was glad to see him too.
“Steward!”
“I told you to be careful, didn’t I? We nearly had a funeral in the north!”
Of course, the gladness vanished without a trace the moment he heard those few words.
The steward’s nagging didn’t stop there.
“I was suspicious from the moment you said you’d attend the banquet. Why on earth did you make the duchess cry?”
“I didn’t know she’d cry.”
“So you did do something that would make her cry.”
“Well…….”
Arteon couldn’t easily continue and scratched the back of his head.
At that, Alfredo, his face turning red and blue with anger, let out a roar.
“When you see the madam later, start with a thank you! If the duchess hadn’t stepped in, you’d have died here!”
“The madam wants to see me?”
Arteon’s eyes sparkled, and Alfredo swallowed a gasp.
“The duke will be there too, so I trust you’ll mind your manners. If your head is screwed on right, you’ll understand what I mean.”
“My ears are going to bleed.”
Seeing Arteon plug his ears and grimace, Alfredo fired off even more relentlessly.
“If bleeding ears scare you that much, why did you act so recklessly? When we get back, I’m telling the count everything. Then you’ll wish your ears were just bleeding.”
“Ah, steward!”
“What!”
Alfredo, his heart still pounding, kept stroking his chest and grumbling.
In truth, his throat was hoarse from going to the duke’s aide to protest while Arteon was imprisoned.
“At this rate, traveling with the young master will kill me before my time.”
“You’ll live a long life, steward. All that resentment will keep you going.”
“Oh, that rascal. What riches and honors am I chasing to drag around such a scoundrel?”
“I can hear you, steward.”
“I said it so you would!”
It was just as Alfredo let out a shriek, clutching his forehead in lament.
Reina and Kaiden entered the reception room.
* * *
An awkward silence filled the reception room. The unexpected face-to-face encounter brought with it a peculiar tension.
Kaiden eyed Arteon warily, like a fierce guard dog protecting its master.
It was clear at a glance that any nonsense would land him right back in prison.
Reina, on the other hand, remained composed. It was hard to believe she had been at the center of the earlier chaos, which only made her aura feel even more unapproachable.
Then, Reina broke the silence.
“It seems Kaiden misunderstood. I heard you were locked in prison—are you alright?”
Only then did Arteon recall his unjust imprisonment, reacting sharply.
“I got to experience firsthand why prisoners lose their minds. And I now know what it feels like to have your bones ache from the cold.”
Of course, since he had played a part in it, he didn’t openly protest.
As he pursed his lips, Kaiden twitched one eyebrow.
Startled, Arteon added softly.
“But one thing’s for sure: the duke is scarier than the prison.”
“Kaiden, don’t glare at him like that.”
“I’m just looking.”
Looking where, exactly?
Arteon rubbed his arms, where goosebumps had risen, and frowned.
Of course, the killing intent he felt now was duller than at the banquet, but it was enough to revive the recent experience.
‘He really dotes on his wife to an extreme.’
It was better than being outright mistreated, but from the receiving end, it was torturous.
Arteon placed one hand on his chest and said,
“First, I apologize for my rudeness. It was a sensitive matter for me as well, so I unintentionally made the madam uncomfortable.”
Steward Alfredo widened his eyes as Arteon politely offered his apology without resistance.
He had been about to make him grovel and beg for forgiveness, so this was all the more surprising.
Reina responded calmly.
“You were rude, yes.”
“……”
“But thank you. For finding this.”
Reina fiddled with the pocket watch, offering a faint smile.
Her deep blue eyes took on a watery gleam, as if thinking of the watch’s owner.
A moment later, she cautiously spoke.
“I’m curious why you believe my brother is alive.”
“To be precise, I’m only estimating that. The place where that memento was found was off the subjugation route.”
“……”
“Of course, there’s the possibility someone stole and sold it……. But I think Jeffrey is alive.”
Arteon stated his opinion in a firm voice.
It was less evidence than she had hoped for, but it was fine.
At least, the fact that someone else besides her believed and hoped Jeffrey was alive made her feel supported.
She had thought she was alone.
Perhaps she had isolated herself, she realized.
“You said you were my brother’s close friend.”
“Yes.”
“Then, Sir Arteon, were you searching for my brother for personal reasons?”
“To be exact, the request came from the Eve County. Of course, they withdrew their hands long ago, and I’ve been quietly pursuing it on my own.”
Reina’s lips parted in surprise as her forgotten maternal family was mentioned.
She had no idea they had separately commissioned the Hook Merchant Guild for the missing person search.
“Your Highness, please stay strong.”
“Please never forgive us for leaving you like this.”
Before leaving the capital, the Eve Count and Countess had held her hands, endlessly apologizing.
They seemed unable to tear themselves away, leaving the young princess behind in the capital.
After that, the Eve County had never sent a single letter.
Reina had thought they had abandoned her.
Kaiden, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
“Why did the Eve County withdraw the request? With such clear evidence emerging, shouldn’t they have put in even more effort?”
“Well, that’s…….”
