Chapter 24
They thought they would die. In fact, they nearly did.
Not just Yuls, but all the servants and soldiers who entered the bedroom thought Adi was going to attack the Duke. But Adi’s target was the painting. The painting that now bled.
An assassin.
“…Is he dead?”
Yuls spoke first. Blood from drawing the dagger had spattered onto Adi’s uniform as they stood right beside him. There was no response from inside. Adi shook their head, still uncertain.
The servants’ startled murmuring made it hard to hear clearly. Despite being stabbed, the person hadn’t screamed. They might have cut out his tongue. But even so, they couldn’t stop breathing. Besides, though Adi had felt the blade connect, it hadn’t seemed deep. The person hadn’t fallen either.
They’re alive.
Just as that thought formed, there was a creaking sound as the frame shifted.
Adi left the dagger embedded in the frame to prevent it from opening. Then they drew their sword and brought it down across the painting.
Though no sound came from within, they felt the blade connect. Adi pulled the sword back and this time thrust it into the painting, slicing downward.
As the painting tore lengthwise, a dark figure became visible through the gap. Adi felt the sword tip catch on someone. The resistance of muscle. Applying more force, it hit bone. Pulling the sword back again, Adi swung horizontally.
The blade met the resistance of muscle, internal organs, and bone again. But this wound would surely be fatal.
Adi pulled out the dagger securing the frame to the wall and opened it like a door. Inside, a masked figure lay dying.
Without hesitation, Adi approached the man. He was too injured to pose a threat. As Adi moved closer to remove the weapon from his hand, they hesitated for a moment. The man, still breathing, smiled and thrust something at Adi as if delivering a final strike.
Not a sword. Something thin as a needle.
“Ugh!”
Adi stepped back. Being just a needle, it shouldn’t be fatal, but there was a stinging sensation. Could it be poison?
“Seems he’s completely dead now.”
Yuls spoke from behind Adi. When Adi nodded, he clicked his tongue and said, “I heard they had closed off this passage.” He stood by the bedhead, looking at the dead man in the small space behind the open frame. He seemed familiar with such situations.
The servants who rushed in put a robe on the Duke and dragged out the corpse. Some began changing the bedding. Everything moved with practiced efficiency. As if routine.
“Your Grace, perhaps…”
Adi asked.
“Have you always suffered such things?”
Yuls Woodpecker gave a slight smile.
“Such things? What do you mean?”
The back of the framed painting was a mess of blood from the man. A cold gaze pierced downward.
“Assassins?”
Adi didn’t answer. Yuls closed the frame with an unbothered expression. He seemed unconcerned despite the smell of blood.
“I don’t suffer from them.”
Yuls said. Then this must be a rare occurrence. Who could have sent an assassin after the Duke? Just as Adi began pursuing this budding suspicion, they stopped at Yuls’s words: “I just pretend to.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I’m in my territory, I never see such people. Because I eliminate them all.”
“…”
“I need them to occasionally show themselves so I know who my enemies are.”
Yuls’s gaze turned to Adi. Though looking up from slightly below, his eyes somehow seemed to look down on them.
“If only you hadn’t killed him…”
Adi wondered if they had made a mistake. The Duke must have noticed the assassin’s presence. That was clear from his hand under the pillow and his calling for the servant the moment Adi climbed onto the bed to strike.
Thinking they might have acted unnecessarily, Adi said, “I apologize.”
The Duke looked up at Adi. His nightclothes beneath the robe were soaked with blood from being close to the assassin. Adi’s uniform and face were also bloodied. A servant approached, saying they had brought fresh nightclothes. The bed had already been cleanly changed.
“I’ll sleep in a different bedroom tonight.”
Yuls said while removing his robe.
“You should change clothes and clean off the blood too. A servant will guide you.”
* * *
Returning to the quarters, Adi met Bert in the lounge. He watched Adi with a stern expression.
Warm blood took time to dry. Though the knight’s uniform would be laundered at the palace, it would be better to soak out the blood first. As Adi thought about soaking it while bathing, Bert asked,
“Where is His Grace?”
“I heard he moved to another bedroom.”
“How are you planning to get there?”
“A servant said they would come.”
“Then let’s go together.”
“Yes.”
Adi answered with a bow. As they headed to the bathroom, Bert called out, “Wait.”
“You mentioned strengthening the guard before.”
“…”
“Did you know something?”
Of course they did. Spencer Grimaldi had said an assassin would come and to stop them. Though told to stop the assassin, Adi hadn’t thought they could actually do it. Not knowing when they would come. No, even knowing it would be at night, they had tried to hint at it to Bert, who had the night shift. But now this has happened.
“Have I aroused suspicion?”
“Normally, in this case, one would trust you.”
Normally. But they were different, weren’t they? Bert’s eyes were sharp. More than before. Then, though he might not have trusted them, they had seemed someone acceptable to work with, but now distrust was blooming.
“But there are those who earn trust initially only to betray it later.”
“Then you should strengthen the guard even more going forward.”
Adi said. Whether you trust me or not doesn’t matter. They weren’t someone who would be together long anyway. People who would return home once the job was done. And Adi would stay here until their father called.
Whatever happened, the North and South didn’t even trade with each other. They had no desire to try earning trust or favor from such people. Besides, such things weren’t earned through effort alone.
“I’ll go wash up.”
Adi said, entering the bathroom. Bert didn’t stop them.
The mirror showed their blood-soaked reflection. More blood had splattered than expected. Their light blonde hair looked almost red. Seeing this, Adi wondered if the Duke even realized whether there was blood in their hair or not.
They soaked their uniform in water and washed the blood from their face and hair. With blood on their neck, wrists, and various other places, it seemed impossible to clean properly without undressing completely.
But it was already nearly 3 AM, and they would return in five hours anyway. With the servant waiting, they would have to be satisfied with just washing their upper body.
They wiped the blood from the leather armor with their uniform. The chemise was also heavily bloodstained. Adi removed it and soaked it to draw out the blood while wiping more blood from their skin, then wrung out the somewhat cleaner chemise and put it back on before donning the leather armor again.
Though they wanted to leave as is, that would surely reveal they were a woman.
They didn’t even have a comb to put up their wet hair. Though they irritably pushed up the falling strands, they just fell again. Adi left the bathroom. Bert, waiting outside, stared at their appearance. They looked more pitiful than a drenched mouse.
“You’re going like that?”
“No.”
Adi answered. At his look that seemed to ask if they would really go in such a state, Bert fell silent.
“I’ll be right out.”
Adi said, entering their room. The curtains were open. Quickly closing them, they stripped off the armor and chemise in one go, then took fresh clothes from the wardrobe and dressed.
Though the dampness made the clothes cling, it would dry quickly, and the uniform over it would hide it anyway. They put on the leather armor again, then the uniform over it.
They wanted to put up their hair but there wasn’t time. Worried that it would look feminine when it dried curly and fluffy, they still had no choice. Time was short.
After changing their bloodied shoes, Adi suddenly felt a stinging sensation. They had forgotten about being stuck with the needle. Being rather insensitive to wounds and pain, this always happened even when trying to remember them.
Recognizing their own stupidity at the renewed pain, but thinking it probably wasn’t poison since they could still move, Adi decided to visit the infirmary after their shift if the pain persisted.
When Adi opened the door, Bert stood up from where he had been sitting.
“Your hair is wet, Sir.”
“There isn’t time to dry it. I’ve wiped off the water, but should I take more time to fix it?”
“No, let’s go. They’ve been waiting for a while.”
Saying this, Bert pointed to the servant visible through the open door.
Seeing their preparations were complete, the servant opened the door. Bert and Adi’s gazes fixed on them.
“Now that you’re ready, I’ll guide you to the bedroom.”
—
