Chapter 146

What They Had in Common

Ferda left the forest and walked back toward the village.

Hestia Village.

He stopped in front of a particular house and knocked.

No answer came from inside.

Just in case, he extended his shadow beneath the door, undid the lock, and quietly stepped inside.

William wasn't there.

Then where would he have gone?

Where would a stablemaster hide a princess he meant to protect?

...Perhaps there.

Ferda headed for the inn district.

It had once been built to accommodate countless adventurers. Now, with the adventurers long gone, only traveling merchants stayed there from time to time.

Finding the place was easy.

Despite the late hour, only one inn still had its lights on.

As Ferda opened the door, a bell above it rang.

"We're closed for the night."

Ignoring the innkeeper's greeting, Ferda scanned the room.

As expected—

one man sat inside.

William.

He was seated alone in a corner with a single drink before him.

Their eyes met.

Countless emotions crossed between them.

"Excuse me!"

The innkeeper continued trying to get Ferda's attention.

If the man so much as laid a hand on him, Ferda fully intended to snap his wrist.

"Innkeeper. Don't be rude."

William stopped the owner before he could become aggressive.

The gesture clearly said, I'll handle this.

Only then did the innkeeper step back.

Ferda walked toward William.

William rose respectfully.

"My Regent. What brings you here so late at night...?"

"I came for a drink. And you?"

"I came for one as well. I couldn't sleep."

"You said back at the castle you wouldn't drink because you were still hungover."

"So I did. Looking back, perhaps I should've had a few more glasses of the castle's fine wine."

Silence settled between them.

The tension felt like walking across thin ice.

Finally, Ferda spoke.

"So... how many drinks have you had?"

His eyes bored into William.

"Two."

William looked away.

"You don't seem drunk for someone who's had two."

"I'm the type that doesn't show it."

"I see. Would you mind if I bought you another?"

William answered politely.

"No, thank you. I've had enough..."

"Are you refusing a drink offered by the lord of Hestia?"

Ferda's voice remained calm.

His eyes did not.

"I'm sorry. Excessive drinking isn't a knight's virtue. If possible... perhaps tomorrow—"

"Then you'll have to accept the penalty."

Ferda produced the punishment.

A dagger.

"If you won't drink, then this seems appropriate."

"..."

William fell silent.

Ferda's gaze asked the question his lips did not.

Did you help the princess escape?

William neither admitted it nor denied it.

Silence was answer enough.

Please...

Ferda felt murderous rage welling inside him.

He wanted to wring the man's neck.

Instead, he turned away from the stubbornly silent knight and called for the innkeeper.

"Innkeeper."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Now that he knew Ferda was the Regent, all traces of his earlier roughness had disappeared.

"How many guests are staying here tonight?"

"Well..."

"Don't think too hard. I'm not in the mood to be merciful."

"...One."

"A woman?"

"Y-Yes."

"I see."

Ferda tossed him something.

A gold coin.

"Go outside and relieve yourself."

"For about two hours."

"W-What? You want me to leave...?"

"You may stay and watch if you wish."

"But whatever's sitting on top of your neck will end up rolling across the floor."

"Is that what you want?"

"I-I'm sorry! I'll... I'll go find somewhere far away to take a leak!"

Clutching the gold coin, the innkeeper fled outside.

After his presence disappeared into the distance, Ferda spoke again.

"Now stop hiding behind your silence and answer me."

"That is... if there's still a knight left inside you."

"...Very well."

William nodded in resignation.

"What possessed you to do this?"

"...She..."

William hesitated.

"...She was crying as though her heart had broken."

"She said she couldn't bear staying there any longer."

"She begged me to take her away."

"So you touched her?"

"Touched her...?"

Crunch!

Ferda drove the dagger straight through the back of William's hand.

Bright red blood welled up instantly.

"...!"

William let out a short groan.

Ferda's voice turned ice cold.

"When I ask a question..."

"...you answer it."

"...I never laid so much as a finger on her."

"How could I—a mere captain of the constabulary, not even a knight anymore—ever dare covet Her Highness's chastity?"

At least the worst possibility had been avoided.

The urge to snap William's neck eased slightly.

"Go on."

Ferda stared at him.

"What dream were you chasing?"

"Did you honestly think helping her run away would make the princess fall for you?"

"I..."

William lowered his eyes.

"I served beside Her Highness as her deputy."

"I had my prejudices because she was an imperial princess..."

"But she was an outstanding leader."

"A person worthy of admiration."

"So, as a soldier, you couldn't simply stand by and watch that injustice?"

Ferda fixed him with an unwavering gaze.

If William intended to justify everything under the banner of knightly honor—

Ferda would kill him without hesitation.

"...Her Highness..."

William's voice grew heavy.

"...was about to make the worst possible choice."

"What choice?"

"She..."

"...tried to take her own life."

"With a dagger..."

The injustice heaped upon Olivia had finally broken her.

"I barely managed to wrest the dagger away from her."

"And?"

"What does that have to do with what you've done?"

"She begged me."

"She said there was no one left in this world she could trust."

"She asked me..."

"...to take her somewhere far away, even if only for a little while."

"So..."

"...I brought her here."

It was beyond absurd.

Ferda's anger flared.

"Have you completely lost your judgment?"

"You're not a knight."

"You're the captain of the constabulary."

"You've committed the very act that disturbs the peace you're sworn to uphold."

"And yet you thought I would forgive you?"

"...No."

William lowered his head.

"Of course not."

William himself did not believe what he had done was right.

"But if I close my eyes to the injustice suffered by a comrade who fought beside me... then how is that any different from stealing her achievements for myself?"

He said he had simply acted according to his convictions.

Had anyone else uttered those words, Ferda would have dismissed them as cowardly excuses.

But William was different.

He could have dodged the dagger.

He could have blocked it.

He could have counterattacked.

Instead, he had done none of those things.

Even after the blade pierced through the back of his hand, there was no hatred in his eyes.

He merely accepted the outcome with quiet humility, as though he had expected it all along.

His integrity was admirable—

and yet, in another sense, it was poisonous.

"Why didn't you report it to me?"

"I couldn't at the time. I intended to report everything tomorrow morning, after seeing how things developed."

"What developments?"

"Her Highness... is in a very unstable state."

"That isn't something you should be worrying about."

"...You're right."

Ferda thought to himself.

What should I do with this fool?

For the moment, he couldn't reach a conclusion.

At last, he let go of the dagger.

"Stop the bleeding yourself."

"And wait here."

"...Yes."

Leaving William behind, Ferda climbed the stairs.

At the end of the pitch-black hallway, candlelight flickered softly beneath a door.

He knocked—

then simply opened it.

It wasn't even locked.

Almost as though someone had expected him to come.

Inside...

was the princess the stablemaster had carried away.

The moment he saw her, Ferda froze.

Now he understood what William had meant by "seeing how things developed."

"...Princess Olivia Arken?"

Golden hair.

Blue eyes.

She wore clothes she had evidently picked up somewhere along the way—loose around the waist yet tight across the chest.

Her makeup had run.

Her hair was disheveled.

The overall impression was strangely alluring.

It was astonishing.

At the same time, Ferda finally understood how she had managed to escape the palace unnoticed.

Looking like this...

she seemed nothing like the Olivia he knew.

Only her makeup and demeanor had changed.

Yet she looked like an entirely different person.

Olivia glanced at him.

"What are you standing there for?"

"Come in."

Ferda stepped inside.

Olivia lifted the bottle she was holding and drank directly from it.

Gulp.

Gulp.

"Hah!"

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Everything about it was crude.

If one remembered she was an imperial princess, the sight felt utterly surreal.

"So... here you are."

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm here."

"You found me surprisingly quickly."

"The Empire is in complete chaos."

"I know."

"If someone stole a jewel, wouldn't it be strange if nothing happened?"

She laughed bitterly.

She had called herself a jewel before—

but this was the first time she had spoken the word with genuine emotion.

Her eyes drifted toward Ferda.

The lifeless gaze...

the vacant expression of drunkenness...

instinctively told him she was in danger.

"What did you do with Deputy William?"

Ferda answered plainly.

"I intend to punish him."

"He kidnapped the imperial princess."

"Don't."

"I'm the one who knows exactly how to use a man like him."

"Men that rigid are easy to manipulate."

"Just threaten them with a knife, and they'll do whatever you ask."

Her gaze settled on Ferda once more.

"Unlike someone who isn't interested."

She raised the bottle again.

"Stop drinking."

Ferda's words halted her.

"Why?"

"Does it offend you to see a woman drinking straight from the bottle?"

"It looks disgraceful no matter who does it."

"...Right."

"You're right."

"I hate it too."

"Depending on alcohol like some pathetic loser..."

Pathetic loser...

She openly cursed herself.

Even sitting down, she swayed as she picked up the bottle once more.

"I always despised people who drank themselves senseless."

"If you're sad, then work harder."

"Fight harder."

"Keep living."

"So running away into alcohol..."

"...was the most pathetic thing imaginable."

"..."

"But..."

A hollow smile spread across her face.

"I finally understand those people."

"You try."

"You keep trying."

"And all your effort amounts to absolutely nothing."

"Do you know why?"

"..."

She pointed toward the ceiling.

"Because those bastards sitting up there won't let it."

Laughing bitterly, she took another swig.

Bang!

She slammed the bottle down so hard the table nearly broke.

Brushing her fallen hair aside, she revealed the dagger still clutched in her hand.

Looking at the weapon, Ferda quietly asked,

"What will you do from here?"

"My future...?"

Olivia leaned back in her chair.

"What future?"

"I'll just end up like every other noble lady."

"Laughing prettily."

"Saying things I don't mean."

"Giggling all day."

"Do you know what that's like?"

"I don't."

"A courtesan."

Resting her chin on one hand, Olivia stared directly at him.

"Regent..."

"Have you ever been with a courtesan?"

What nonsense she was spewing now that she was drunk.

"I haven't."

"Perfect."

"I'll play the part for you."

"Come here."

"Don't do something you'll regret."

"Why not?"

"There are different kinds of courtesans."

"The cheap ones sell only their bodies."

"The expensive ones are educated."

"They know how to entertain elegantly."

"Mages prefer the expensive ones."

"Is that so?"

"Right now you're wondering why an imperial princess knows so much about high-class courtesans, aren't you?"

"..."

"You pick things up naturally."

"Do you know the difference between them?"

"...No."

"Then guess."

"Come on."

"Open your mouth instead of standing there like a statue."

"You're irritating me."

"Don't irritate me."

Her emotions grew increasingly unstable.

The dagger gleamed ominously in her hand.

Ferda doubted she intended to use it on him.

She was far more likely to turn it on herself.

And that was the worst possible outcome.

"...Status."

"I suppose that's the difference."

"Status?"

"What is status?"

"Bloodline?"

"That precious, noble golden blood?"

"Perhaps."

"'Perhaps,' he says."

"It's meaningless."

"..."

"Maybe men have it differently."

"But if you're born a woman..."

"You're just decoration."

"It doesn't matter whether your husband is competent or worthless."

"Your job is simply to flatter him."

"So tell me."

"How is that any different from being a courtesan?"

Listening to her lament felt like poison seeping into his mind.

Ordinarily, Ferda wouldn't have cared what became of her.

Yet even so...

he found himself growing irritated.

"So when I commanded an army..."

"They said the noble sons who merely carried out my orders deserved more credit than I did."

"Heh..."

"Those sons of bitches."

"Your language is becoming rather foul, Your Highness."

"Why?"

"Did you think I was some sheltered little flower who couldn't say filthy words?"

He shouldn't have said that.

The moment he did—

the floodgates burst open.

"Those fucking bastards."

"All they ever did was stare at my chest."

"Always trying to find an excuse to sleep with me."

"To touch me."

"Did they think I didn't notice?"

"Those sons of bitches."

"If they were so damn capable..."

"...shouldn't they at least have acknowledged what I accomplished?"

She spat the words out like a curse.

Then, eyes burning with resentment, she glared at Ferda.

"You're the same, aren't you, Ferda?"

"..."

"Be honest."

"You're a man my age."

"Your hormones should be raging."

Ferda knew she was beautiful.

Even in this broken state...

she possessed a beauty that scarcely seemed human.

Yet he had never once desired Olivia.

Not in the past.

Not now.

His heart had never raced for her.

He had never felt the slightest attraction.

When Ferda remained silent, Olivia let out an empty laugh.

"Maybe I should just give up entirely."

"Forget being some untouchable flower."

"I'll just become an easy woman."

"Let everyone use me however they—"

"Olivia."

Ferda spoke her name.

The torrent of bitter words stopped instantly.

"Don't say anything you'll regret."

"...What do you mean?"