Chapter 14 

Even as flames spread around them, Van had no intention whatsoever of leaving Vened Manor without Tyrtan. Furniture crackled and burned, black ashes fell like rain from the ceiling.

Amidst the chaos, Van muttered toward Tyrtan. The man who now pointed a sword at him filled him with hatred and a touch of contempt.

〈Where’s your sword?〉

In the past, Tyrtan had been appointed a knight of the Hatz Order. At the ceremony, the former king, Dran Nizena, had presented him with a sword. 

The knights of the Hatz Order traditionally wielded the swords bestowed by Dran. But the sword Tyrtan held now was not one of them. Instead, he held a plain, unadorned, nameless blade.

Van knew exactly where that ceremonial sword was, but asked anyway. He needed to know if Tyrtan had truly committed such atrocities in his right mind.

〈You already know that. More importantly… did you come here to kill your father?〉

But the only response he got was a mocking curl of the lips.

〈Tyrtan!〉

Aurin Vened, standing behind Van, called out his son’s name. His eyes, filled with disbelief, were fixed on the sword in Tyrtan’s hand. To point a blade at Van could only mean one thing: Tyrtan was turning against the kingdom. For Aurin, the horror was indescribable.

〈You’ve already done enough. Now you dare raise your sword against me too?〉

〈Yes.〉

〈You insolent…!〉

Father and son, committing treason together. Van felt such a violent fury rise within him that he wanted to wring their necks and erase their very existence from the world. He raised his sword, gathering magical energy into his hand with the intention of destroying Tyrtan completely.

He should have killed Tyrtan that day.

But once again, Van was distracted, just for a moment, by something that drew his eyes elsewhere. And in that instant, Tyrtan escaped.

Recalling that day, Van pressed his thumb to the bridge of his nose, trying to ease the dull ache rising behind his eyes.

“I don’t mean to go against Your Grace’s decision, but I do wonder… why did you allow Elena Vened to join the order?”

Wandering through those unpleasant memories, Van was brought back to the present by Heinen’s disgruntled voice.

“I explained it to you already.”

“I just can’t accept it. Neither can Dame Quirea. We both have concerns.”

When Elena had submitted her application to the order, both Heinen and Quirea had strongly objected to her acceptance. And to be fair, had they approached the situation logically, Van would never have accepted her either.

Elena was the daughter of a former noble underling of the Vened family, once affiliated with the Anti-Dragon faction, and the sister of none other than the treasonous Tyrtan, the very man Van wished he’d killed.

“She’s necessary.”

Van muttered the words, as if offering an excuse.

“I waited, hoping against hope that Your Grace had some greater plan. But now that Tyrtan has appeared in Tussla, doesn’t that mean your plan has already gone awry?”

“No. Tyrtan will return to Valra.”

Van murmured, recalling the piercing clarity of Elena’s blue eyes.

“He’s someone who still genuinely loves his little sister. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have kept her alive all this time.”

Elena was nothing more than bait to lure Tyrtan out. That was why it was better to keep her close. Whether or not she tried to kill him, it was safer to have her within arm’s reach.

“If that’s Your Grace’s position… then I’ll excuse myself.”

“Very well.”

At last, Heinen relented.

A short while later, he left the office, carrying documents to be delivered to another department. Once he was gone, the office grew quiet again.

In that silence, Van found himself remembering Elena, how she had tried to stand against him despite her lack of skill.

Just thinking of her family made his insides twist and a wave of nausea rise.

What kind of cursed fate bound him and Elena together like this?

He despised how helpless he was to sever this tie. All he could do was hate her, cling to that hatred with everything he had.

* * *

Surprisingly, Van had approved Elena’s sudden request for leave.

It was a rare day in Anhal, when the biting winds that usually cut through to the bone were replaced by something closer to a gentle summer breeze. Seeking to calm the turmoil in her heart, Elena visited the estate of her longtime sponsor, Baron Saulliren.

After the fall of the Vened household, the Baron and his wife had become her guardians, continuing their support even after she reached adulthood. Though Baron Arpanin Saulliren now worked at Grand Duke Nizena’s estate, he and his wife had always treated Elena with warmth and affection like true parents.

“Elen! If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve prepared something special. What a shame you didn’t send word.”

“I’m sorry. The leave was unexpected.”

“My dear, you’re not unwell, are you?”

The moment she arrived, Baroness Laura Saulliren had come out to greet her, embracing Elena with warmth. Worried by the pallor of Elena’s face, she reached out to touch her forehead. There was no fever, but Laura still examined her carefully, knowing all too well how often Elena pushed herself too hard.

“What? Elen’s sick?”

Hearing this, Baron Arpanin quickly followed suit and pressed his hand to Elena’s forehead.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Whew, that’s a relief. Darling, you mustn’t overreact like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“If your heart falls out, I’ll just stick it back in. Easy.”

At his quip, Laura gave a loud snort.

“Honestly…”

“You’re strong. But our Elen is delicate…”

“You do remember she’s part of the Ridwan Order, don’t you?”

“She’s still a child in my eyes.”

The couple, still speaking to each other with formal politeness, bickered good-naturedly in front of Elena, who stood there awkwardly smiling. Their usual banter was so familiar, it already made Elena feel at ease.

“You two, let’s go inside. I’m starving.”

“Oh my, are you? Look what you’ve done, keeping her out in the cold like this!”

“Cold? I’m sweating!”

“Come now, let’s go in.”

In front of the Saullirens, Elena naturally slipped back into her role as the youngest daughter of House Vened. She wore a smile rarely seen at the Order, linking arms with the Baron and Baroness as she stepped toward the manor’s front door.

Though the couple was half-dragged along by her lively stride, they were delighted to see Elena looking so energetic again.

“I’ll just change my clothes quickly.”

“Of course. Then come straight to the dining room.”

With few servants in the manor, Elena made her way to her room alone. After selecting a suitable outfit from the wardrobe, she opened the pendant hanging around her neck and pulled out the folded note tucked inside.

It was time to make a decision.

Though the Saullirens had helped her find peace of mind, her thoughts began to swirl again.

The Anti-Dragon faction… truthfully, she’d never had any intention of joining them. Rumors said the movement was backed by the Holy Kingdom of Aquinia, a place known for its extreme stance.

Elena had no interest in aligning herself with a nation so rigid. She wasn’t concerned with dragons or other nonhuman races. Her target was Van Nizena. That was all.

Their intolerant ideology, especially toward nonhumans, was something she simply couldn’t accept.

But now…

As her thoughts drifted, a knock sounded at the door.

“Miss, I’ve come to fetch you.”

“Oh, yes. Just a moment.”

It was Haran, one of the manor’s servants. Elena quickly tucked the note back into the pendant and tied her hair up in its usual ponytail.

“It’s been a while, Miss.”

“It has. It’s good to see you, Haran.”

“Have you settled into the Order?”

“Mm. It’s already been a year and a half since I joined.”

When Elena opened the door, Haran greeted her with a warm smile. She had cared for Elena since the girl’s earliest days at the Saulliren estate, and knew just how hard she had trained to join the Ridwan Order.

Despite everything she had gone through, Elena had pushed herself and achieved the incredible, earning a place in one of Valra’s most prestigious knightly orders.

Considering that the Vened Barony had originally begun as a knighthood, her accomplishment felt all the more meaningful. Perhaps that’s why Haran now looked at Elena with such pride in her eyes.

“And the Baron and Baroness? I’ve kept in touch through letters, but… they always write such cheerful things.”

“It’s just as they say in the letters. They’re both doing well, still the famously affectionate couple.”

“Thank goodness.”

Though they had exchanged letters regularly, the Saullirens had never expressed anything but concern for her well-being. Elena had asked Haran just in case, and was relieved by the answer.

The Saulliren estate was Elena’s refuge. When the weight of reality made her feel like she couldn’t breathe, this was the one place she could run to and take a breath.

“Elen, I made all your favorites. Eat as much as you like.”

When they arrived in the dining room, Laura greeted her again. A long rectangular table was laid out with all the dishes Elena loved. Even her favorite drink was there, despite not matching the food.

“But Elen, don’t you have any good news to share?”

“Good news?”

“Yes. I’ve heard there are many wonderful people in the Order. So maybe our Elen…”

“No way. I can’t just let her go. But… if someone really special comes along, I might reconsider.”

Caught off guard by Laura’s unexpected question, Elena quickly reached for her drink to suppress her embarrassment.

In Valra, noble families typically began arranging marriages around the age of nineteen. By that measure, Elena was well past the expected age for proposals.

Last time she had visited, neither Laura nor Arpanin had said a word about such things, so she’d assumed they weren’t interested. Apparently not.

“N-no, I’ve just been so busy with training…”

“That’s too bad… Ah, but how about attending the upcoming ball?”

“The ball?”

……

T/N: I get it now. Tyrtan had become a member of the Anti-Dragon Faction and so is his father, Aurin… I guess Van had every right to hate Veneds.