Chapter 5
“Are we really okay doing this?”
“Doing what?”
Pel, a servant who was securing Winston’s trapped carriage more firmly to the ground, looked up at the question from his young colleague who was also disguised as a servant.
As he did so, the knight’s uniform hidden under the black cloak was briefly revealed.
The deep navy uniform symbolizing the northern night sky and the silver wolf embroidery on it – it was the uniform of the Silvano Knights led by Killian.
“I mean Winston Hilton. Isn’t he one of the Empress Dowager’s people? Is it really okay to treat him this roughly? If something goes wrong…”
“Hmph. Who cares? The Empress Dowager’s side started it first. They probably can’t even imagine our lord entering the palace looking like this.”
Pel snorted in response to the young apprentice knight’s words.
It would take a lot of explaining to describe why his lord, Duke Heberus, was disguised as Winston.
Where to begin?
Well, first of all, as everyone knows, today’s banquet was a party hosted by the imperial family for the Duke.
It was supposedly to honor the Duke’s achievements in returning victorious from the battle with Kashar, the empire’s long-standing troublemaker.
But that was just the surface reason – the reality was somewhat different.
Orders had been secretly issued from the Empress Dowager’s side to prevent Killian from entering the palace.
“But why is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager trying to prevent our lord from entering? Wasn’t she the one who proposed this banquet in the first place?”
“You see, Pey…”
Pel put his arm on Pey’s shoulder, who was following closely behind him, and looked around once.
Then he lowered his voice.
“It’s because the Empress Dowager plans to put a bell around our lord’s neck today.”
“What? A bell?”
“Surveillance, I mean surveillance. It seems they’re planning to restrict our lord’s movements and announce his marriage to a daughter from one of the Empress Dowager’s noble families at today’s banquet where all the nobles are gathered.”
“Whaat?”
“Shh. Lower your voice, man.”
Pel quickly covered Pey’s mouth, worried that Isis and Letricia walking ahead might hear.
“Since every surveillance agent sent to the North has returned dead, the Empress Dowager seems to have come up with a new method of her own.”
“Then what should we do? If someone from the Empress Dowager’s side really becomes the Grand Duchess…”
“Don’t worry. That’s why we’re doing all this right now.”
“But what if our lord’s identity is discovered at the palace entrance…”
“Ah, don’t worry about that either. We have the Vice Commander.”
Pel gestured with his chin to reassure Pey.
At the direction he pointed were two people.
One was Killian, and the other was Mark Davis, the Silvano Vice Commander, who like Killian was wearing a robe pulled low over his face.
Just then, as the wind blew, Mark’s robe fluttered slightly, revealing and then concealing his distinctive silver hair.
Mark was disguised as Killian in case of any unexpected situations.
“The Vice Commander will act as a decoy to draw attention from the gate anyway.”
When that happens, all attention in the palace will be focused on Mark, so Killian can pass through inspection using Winston’s invitation.
Since Winston is one of the Empress’s people, the inspection will be lax, so it’s not a particularly difficult plan to execute.
“Then what happens after we get into the palace? What happens then?”
“After that? …Don’t know, I don’t know that far. Our lord must have a plan.”
“What?”
Pey’s face darkened at Pel’s confident but seemingly baseless answer. Then he pointed his finger towards Killian.
“Then what about…”
More precisely, he was referring to Letricia who was sharing Killian’s horse saddle.
But before Pey could finish speaking, Isis’s grumbling, who was sitting pressed against Mark, filled the forest.
“Do we really have to travel like this? Isn’t it a bit much for two grown men to share one horse?”
“I believe you were the one who insisted on riding this way first.”
“No, that’s because I didn’t know it would be this cramped…”
“If you don’t like it, you can still take the side road. I won’t stop you.”
“Ahem. Come to think of it, it’s not that uncomfortable after all.”
Isis quickly fell silent at Killian’s indifferent response.
Pey’s chubby face shook watching this frivolous scene.
Then, collecting himself, he came back with a question more relevant to his original purpose.
“The lady sitting in front of our lord, judging by the crest on the carriage, seems to be Lady Esta. Was she also part of our lord’s plan?”
“Hm?”
“Otherwise, why would our lord share a horse with her? He’s someone who shows no interest in people except his territory’s residents.”
“Hmm. I suppose so…?”
Pel vaguely trailed off his words under Pey’s clear, questioning gaze.
As he did so, he recalled the conversation he had with Killian just before coming here.
“But my lord, why did you choose Winston Hilton? Aren’t there other nobles who would be easier to work with? It’ll be quite troublesome to clean up afterwards too.”
“He was scheduled to pass by the road from Esta mansion to the palace.”
“What? What does that have to do with this…?”
“It has something to do with it.”
“Pardon?”
“…He still didn’t give me an answer after that.”
“What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
“Hmm? What? I didn’t say anything.”
“…You did. Do you take me for a fool?”
“Good grief. I’m telling you I didn’t. Pey, you’re still young but how can you already be having hearing problems?”
‘Ah damn it, whatever. This must be part of our lord’s plan too.’
Pel, who had brazenly teased Pey, shook his head vigorously.
His bag-like hair made fluttering sounds as it swung powerfully from side to side.
“Anyway. Have you ever seen our lord’s strategy fail on the battlefield?”
“No, never.”
“Exactly. This time will be the same, so our cute junior should put aside unnecessary worries.”
His concerned expression from earlier now completely gone, Pel, who had noticed the palace getting closer, stretched his lips playfully.
“Just get ready to enjoy an interesting show at the upcoming banquet, okay?”
* * *
“We’re here.”
As they approached the palace, Winston, no, Killian, loosely held the horse’s reins.
By then, dark clouds had thickly gathered in the gloomy sky, making the surroundings dark even though the sun hadn’t completely set.
Moreover, this wasn’t the only carriage stuck in the mud.
Nobles who had hurriedly come on horseback were chaotically entangled in front of the castle gate.
Because of this, it wasn’t easy to verify people’s faces, so the soldiers were each holding torches while checking visitors.
One soldier, smelling of burnt wood, approached.
And like a wooden puppet, he mechanically recited words that he had probably repeated countless times.
“May I see your invitation and palace entry permit?”
“Here.”
“Yes… confirmed… Ah! Are you from the Hilton family?”
The soldier’s eyes, which had been half-closed as if bored while processing the work, suddenly lit up like his torch when he received the invitation Killian handed over.
Then, without any further inspection, he quickly removed the wooden barrier blocking the passage leading to a certain corridor.
“Please enter this way.”
The passage the soldier opened was none other than the exclusive passage reserved for people affiliated with the Empress Dowager.
However, just before the horse carrying Killian and Letricia entered the passage, another soldier appeared, presumably coming for a shift change.
“Huh? Why are you coming out again? It hasn’t been long since your shift change.”
“Haven’t you received the notice yet?”
“What notice?”
“The order to prevent the Grand Duke from attending the banquet.”
“What? Come on, how could lowly soldiers like us stop someone like him?”
Perhaps because they believed Killian to be Winston Hilton, the two soldiers started whispering carelessly.
“That’s just a manner of speaking. They said if the Grand Duke appears, guide him to the western palace and stall for time somehow. So he can’t attend the banquet on time.”
“Well, that much… I understand.”
“Here. Take this portrait too.”
The soldier’s eyes narrowed when he received Killian’s portrait from his colleague.
The handed portrait was not of an adult man but of a young prince. And he appeared to be only about six or seven years old.
“Are you joking with me? How am I supposed to recognize him with this? You should give me a portrait of his current appearance.”
“How could there be such a thing? The Grand Duke never removes his helmet even on the battlefield. Besides the northerners, who would know his face?”
Still, since there was only one person in the empire with silver hair and wall-colored eyes – the Grand Duke – it shouldn’t be too difficult to recognize him, he added before quickly running off to deliver the same message to others.
Not even dreaming that the very Grand Duke he was spreading word about was right behind him.
“Hmm.”
Killian’s eyes narrowed as he observed the entire situation with an expressionless face.
Just when was that portrait drawn? Was it from right before he was driven out of the palace?
Killian’s alluring lips twisted as he recalled the old memories.
He felt nauseated seeing how innocent his younger self looked in the picture.
‘I’ll have to get rid of that portrait first thing after today’s business is done.’
After withdrawing his piercing gaze from the portrait, Killian glanced down.
He saw Letricia’s round crown of head nestled in his arms.
After confirming that her small face with pink eyes wasn’t looking at him, he slightly turned his head.
And without letting Letricia notice, he gave a slight nod towards Mark who was behind them, and Mark could be seen reaching for the robe he was wearing after catching the signal.
Soon after, the soldiers could be heard moving about noisily after spotting Mark’s appearance.
Everything was going smoothly according to plan.
‘This might end faster than expected.’
Killian, who had been observing the situation, leisurely rode his horse away from the noisy palace entrance.
But that composure didn’t last long.
“Huh…?”
Along with Letricia’s blank voice that soon followed, Killian had no choice but to stiffen his jaw.
Plop.
With the sound of water dropping, a red drop of blood fell onto the back of his hand.
