Chapter 6
As expected, Woodpecker had everything.
Along with a name that signified power, he inherited land and wealth at a young age. He had good food, excellent education, loyal servants, and solitude by his side. Though he lost his parents to an assassin in his boyhood, many people looked after him, allowing him to protect his assets as he grew.
No, he only failed to grow physically.
Woodpecker was cursed at the age of thirteen, the same year his parents were murdered.
It’s said that a witch’s curse flows through royal bloodlines. People wondered why the curse affected Duke Woodpecker’s family rather than the current king or crown prince. After all, while he was a member of the royal family, he already had his own position.
However, the Council of Elders used this as a reason to claim that the true royal bloodline resided in Woodpecker, and sought to enthrone him. It was a futile effort.
In truth, Julius Woodpecker didn’t believe in such things as a “witch’s curse.”
But he did believe in “curses” themselves.
“Is that man the subject of another rumor?” Yuls asked.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
At the servant’s words, Yuls recalled the young man he had just seen, whose gaze was slightly above his own. The man, with a face closer to that of a woman than a youth, had looked down at him with a strange expression.
Adi Grimaldi. This man, who had reportedly received his knighthood from the Crown Prince in writing, was the legitimate son of the Grimaldi Count family, both most trusted and most discriminated against in the court.
There should have been one more, but they say the other died long ago. If they were twins, the girl must have been quite a sight too. Since he didn’t resemble Count Grimaldi’s face, he must take after his mother, though whether the mother was such a beauty is uncertain. Regardless…
“How impudent.”
Yuls couldn’t forget those eyes that had looked at him with surprise. It was as if he was unaware of the rumors. If not for that face, Yuls might have considered cutting him down right there.
“If he displeases you, I can request a change,” the servant offered.
“Leave it,” Yuls said.
“They’re all the same anyway.”
Yuls didn’t trust the escort knights of Palesa Palace. They were all loyal to the king. Although they might not be as capable as the Royal Knights at Ionad Palace, they were still undeniably the king’s dogs.
Among them, Adi Grimaldi was…
‘With a face like that, to be Palesa Palace’s dog.’
Usually, being called a dog implied something negative, but judging by his appearance, he didn’t seem dog-like at all. Could it be that he’s called a dog because he wags his tail at anyone? Yuls wondered.
* * *
Escorting Duke Woodpecker wasn’t difficult.
As the servant had said, the Duke rarely went out. There was no one in Palesa Palace who could threaten the Duke, and he made no demands of his escort knight.
Occasionally, a curious gaze would pierce him, but compared to his time in the Third Knight Division, there was little to do. Contrary to the rumors, Duke Woodpecker lived quite a regular life.
It was undoubtedly easier to escort the Duke than to guard those unpredictable individuals who might wake up at noon one day and midnight the next, or decide to lie down in a field one day and sail on a lake the next.
Adi checked the time. The morning was Bert’s escort shift.
Though she didn’t know exactly when the Duke woke up, Bert would be on duty until 9 AM. On days when Adi arrived early, he had seen the Duke in meetings with his servants, presumably discussing matters related to his territory. Adi had no interest in such matters and didn’t intend to learn about them, so she would wait outside until her shift began.
Having time in the morning, Adi had the luxury to train his body at dawn, eat breakfast, and bathe leisurely. It was much more relaxed than her time in the Third Knight Division.
By the time Adi arrived, the Duke was always reading the newspaper. Occasionally, the Duke’s gaze would fall on her, though Adi couldn’t discern its meaning.
At 11 AM, nobles would visit. The Duke’s schedule during her stay at Palesa had apparently been arranged the previous year.
So many different nobles visited each day that one might wonder if Palesa really had this many aristocrats. Sometimes, the Duke would meet the same person multiple times. They almost always dined together. During meals, the castle’s servants, ladies-in-waiting, and knights would attend to them.
Afterward, the Duke would go to the library. Although a new library had been built when the capital moved to Ionad, many worthy books remained in Palesa Palace’s library, save for the rarest volumes that couldn’t be replaced.
Perhaps because not all books could be moved, even the king and royal family would periodically visit Palesa if they needed certain books. It seemed there was a well-established network between the royal libraries.
When the Duke went to the library, Adi could follow him inside, but to be honest…
‘It’s boring.’
Adi wasn’t fond of books.
SHe couldn’t understand Duke Woodpecker, who explored every corner of the library with the face of a treasure hunter.
The Duke, who would spend hours reading something in the library, would close his book as the sun set and return to his residence. If there were no appointments, he would have a simple dinner at his residence, and today seemed to be such a day.
On days when the Duke dined alone, the servants would prepare the meal. Regardless, Adi always ate in the knights’ dining hall, and Bert always joined HER for dinner. Having been accustomed to eating alone both at home and in Palesa Palace, Adi found dining with Bert unfamiliar.
Bert complained that the food at Palesa wasn’t good. Adi thought it was quite decent. After all, the food at Grimaldi’s was truly terrible.
“Is this how it always is?” Adi asked.
Bert, who had been chewing on a piece of bread, swallowed his food after several chews and asked, “What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about His Grace the Duke. It doesn’t seem like he needs an escort at all.”
Although it might be premature to judge based on just a week’s observations, given the Duke’s range of activities, it seemed unlikely that anything could happen. Bert smiled at Adi’s words.
“You’ll see if you stick around.”
Adi doubted she would see anything different even if she stayed longer. It wasn’t a life where variables could easily occur. And if this was what escorting entailed…
‘The Second Knight Division has it made.’
Wouldn’t everyone want to join the Second Knight Division?
In truth, Adi hadn’t expected much from escort duty and had anticipated that dealing with high-ranking nobles or royalty wouldn’t be easy. But regardless of such expectations, the job was simple. Compared to the patrols she had been assigned to in the Third Knight Division, escorting criminals, or breaking up fights, this was far too comfortable.
Moreover, there was even an escort allowance. Even for Adi, who wasn’t short on money, the income was quite substantial.
“Could this be because of my looks?” Adi wondered.
Is it easier for good-looking people to make money?
“What are you talking about? You think it’s because of your face?” Bert asked.
“With this level of work, couldn’t it be attributed to looks?”
Bert fell silent at Adi’s words. While the appearance of the Second Knight Division of Palesa Palace was as famous as the Royal Guard of Ionad Palace, few would say so themselves. They might think so, but…
“Well, let’s set aside the matter of looks for now. An escort is necessary,” Bert said.
At this rate, Bert alone would be more than enough. Even if that wasn’t the case, couldn’t the Duke bring two of his own escort knights? Why specifically request an escort from Palesa Palace? If it was for security, his own retainers would be far more trustworthy.
Could it be intentional?
“May I ask one question?” Adi inquired.
“Ask a dozen if you like.”
“How many years has the Duke been coming here?”
“…You don’t know?”
“I don’t. I’ve only been at Palesa for three years to begin with.”
“Even so, you must have heard something.”
“I’m not interested in others.”
Looking at Adi speaking in such a matter-of-fact tone, Bert thought that seemed likely. He stroked his rough beard.
“He’s been coming every year since he was thirteen.”
That meant half his life, thirteen years of annual visits to Palesa.
“Why?” Adi asked again.
All Adi Grimaldi knew about the Duke was that he was the king’s nephew with a claim to the throne, that he owned territory beneath the southern oak forest—though Adi didn’t know how vast it was—and that he was cursed.
“It’s a secret,” Bert replied.
If he was aiming for the throne, wouldn’t he have gone to Ionad instead of Palesa? Or could there be something remaining here, since this was a very old royal capital? Something the Duke wanted? What could it be? What would the current Duke want? If Adi were the Duke…
…Could there be an answer to breaking the curse?
But hadn’t he failed to find it for thirteen years?
“Any other questions?” Bert asked.
“No.”
“That won’t do.”
“Why not?”
“We’re going to be together for a long time, aren’t we?”
“Aren’t we just going to be together for one season?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because he comes every year but requests a different escort each time.”
Adi said. Bert narrowed his eyes, as if impressed that Adi had noticed. But his words contradicted his expression.
“We’d prefer to stay with one person too. It’s troublesome to adjust to someone new.”
It was easy to tell that this was a lie.
