The moment a voice tinged with a vile sneer flowed into her ears, Grace—who had been stubbornly staring straight ahead—turned to look at the man. ‘Iron Foot’ tilted his head this way and that, scrutinizing Grace’s face.
“Both your parents had handsome faces. Your mother was probably blonde like you, right? You got your eyes from your father. But both of them were fugitives from the Imperial Army. They were thieves, weren’t they?”
Grace’s green eyes sank further into icy coldness. ‘Iron Foot’ licked his ragged lips and worked his mouth.
“Because of implication by association, if the parents are criminals, isn’t the child a criminal too? That’s why there are quite a few villages near the Wall of Death where runaway criminals hide. Because if they’re caught, even their children become criminals. In such cases, they never speak their parents’ family name.”
He clucked his tongue, then rolled his eyes back as if acting in a play.
“But what do they live on around there? Demonic beasts appear without warning, and in this damned cold, nothing sprouts no matter what you plant! Even if they’re criminals, they still need to eat something to survive, don’t they?”
‘Iron Foot’ looked around at the nobles and spoke in a suggestive tone.
“Beyond the Wall of Death, perhaps because people don’t live there, there are many herbs no one has ever heard of or seen. Most are poisonous herbs, but poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs are practically the same thing. You have to risk your life crossing the wall, but if you luckily manage to pick even one thing, the income is good.”
“So, this woman’s parents also went back and forth across the Wall of Death, is that it?”
“Yes, yes. Vicky’s parents were also among those who went back and forth across the Wall of Death. Well, in doing so, they might have interacted with those so-called ‘Unseen Ones’ or whatever that are said to live beyond the wall. Anyway, I think I heard both this child’s parents died. Right, Vicky?”
“…….”
“You ought to answer when an adult asks you, you insolent brat. Tsk, tsk! That’s all I know.”
As soon as ‘Iron Foot’s testimony ended, the Count’s faction nobles deliberately raised their voices, fanning the atmosphere.
“Then it is absolutely certain that woman’s parents colluded with the rebel band!”
“That woman may have colluded with them herself!”
The Count placed his hand on his chest with a solemn expression and spoke in a forceful tone.
“Your Grace! The maid this woman brought has vanished without a trace. Immediately after the incident, all gates of Richmond were locked and thoroughly searched, yet she could not be found in the end. Is that not proof that the maid is one of the ‘Unseen Ones’? Furthermore, this woman’s identity is also highly suspicious.”
Meanwhile, ‘Iron Foot’ circled Grace with a limping gait.
Thump, drag—thump, drag.
“Grrr, you! Just like when you were young, you really are the spitting image of your mother. Such a pretty thing, you look exactly like her.”
The Count disliked his behavior interrupting his speech. But the more despicably ‘Iron Foot’ acted, the more the Duke’s honor would be tarnished along with the woman, so he tried to continue while pretending not to notice.
“You’re wrong.”
Had it not been for the low, heavy voice from behind, he would have done just that.
Thump, drag.
‘Iron Foot’s noisy footsteps halted abruptly, and the Count too stopped midsentence and turned around.
“What?”
‘Iron Foot,’ standing tilted as he supported his weight on his good leg, furrowed his brow and looked at Grace. Contrary to her pale, bloodless face, her fierce gaze looked as though it would tear him apart at any moment.
“…….”
The moment he met eyes that seemed to hold a blade, he instinctively sensed something was wrong.
Fraud, theft, and sometimes even murder. ‘Iron Foot,’ who had done anything to survive, had lived by keeping only one ironclad rule.
‘Never directly provoke one who lives with the resolve to throw their life away.’
That was why he had not wanted to get involved in matters connected to the Duke. Because the Duke was also that sort.
But the amount of money was too enormous to give up. It had felt ominous, but since it wasn’t directly touching the Duke anyway, he had agreed to do it.
But now…….
“I said you were wrong.”
“……Yes?”
Grace spoke as if chewing and spitting out each syllable.
“My hair came from my father. My eyes came from my mother. And I resemble my father more than my mother.”
“…….”
“As my ancestors have always been.”
An incomprehensible power suffused her low voice. ‘Iron Foot’ could do nothing but blink, overpowered by a woman less than half his size.
Grace closed her eyes and slowly exhaled a long, deep sigh.
“Haah…….”
Blood as hot as molten iron from a blast furnace seemed to flow from her chest and spread throughout her entire body.
“I do not know you. Nor do you know me.”
Only one person in this place knows her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Ares watching from afar. Perhaps because she was exhausted, while everything in the world seemed to fade into black and white, the man seated upon the dais alone was vivid, as if he were the only one with color.
Grace walked toward him. Then she stopped before the curved stairs leading to the dais and politely bent her knee in greeting.
It was a flawless, impeccable greeting, as if one were witnessing the very essence of Dekan noble etiquette.
“That… you can’t do that after just learning it for a few days…….”
When a deliberately hushed voice was heard from somewhere, the Countess glared toward the gathered nobles, her eyes blazing with fury. With a foreboding premonition creeping over him, ‘Iron Foot’ obsessively picked at the hangnail on his thumb and repeatedly wet his lips.
Then, Grace straightened her posture, looked up at Ares, and opened her mouth.
“Your Grace, I am not ‘Vicky,’ as that man called ‘Iron Foot’ claims. My name is indeed Grace.”
“What falsehood do you intend to spout now to cloud His Grace’s insight! Cease your wicked tongue and begone!”
“Countess Rinko.”
Ares called to the Countess without hiding his look of exasperation.
“I said the point of this council is to confirm Grace’s identity. I have heard your opinions; should I not now hear the other side’s opinion as well?”
The Countess bit down hard on her lips as if angry, but having no words to refute him, she closed her mouth. When she fell silent, Grace opened her mouth again in a calm tone.
“There is someone in Richmond Ducal Castle who knows me. Please summon that person and have them confirm my identity.”
“Who is that person?”
The Countess inwardly sneered at Grace and the Duke. Who would come forward to testify after staying silent all this time? She hadn’t seen Joseph Rexton for days; no doubt he had urgently found some worthless servant in need of money.
But the name that came from Grace’s mouth was not some worthless servant.
“Edward Rinko.”
The Countess’s confidence, which she had believed as solid as an ice castle, began to melt at the name she cherished most in the world.
“…What?”
My son?
At the mention of their son’s name, which they had never expected, the Count and Countess could only blink blankly. Not only them, but the Count’s faction nobles as well, unable to judge whether they had heard correctly or what this meant, simply stared at one another’s faces.
Hiding her seering disdain, Grace demanded boldly toward Ares.
“Please summon Viscount Edward Rinko. He will confirm my identity.”
* * *
The Duke’s summons was delivered to Edward Rinko just as he had entered the main garden of the citadel.
“Is that so? I was planning to pay my respects after the Grand Council ended, so this is good. Hmm…….”
As Edward checked his attire, a servant asked.
“Shall I bring a new cloak?”
“No, the cloak is fine as it is. Just polish my boots.”
Edward pointed at the boots dirtied from his long journey, and the servant quickly knelt and polished them. Soon after the boots regained their proper color, Edward moved his steps toward the Blue Eagle Hall.
Autumn was in full swing at Richmond Ducal Castle.
When autumn came, the great oak tree standing in the center of the inner courtyard bore clusters of thumb-sized acorns, and its leaves—serrated like gears along the edges—were dyed red. Standing in the corridor surrounding the inner courtyard, one could feel the wind passing through the tree caress and flow past him.
And the rear garden library was truly beautiful at this time as well. Indeed, could there be any place in this ancient castle that was not beautiful? He loved this castle.
Edward glanced at the oak tree as he passed along the corridor. This year too, it had borne clusters of acorns without fail. His lips briefly curved upward, but the moment he entered the hallway, his light brown eyes sank deeply.
In the distance, he saw soldiers who had spotted him pulling the firmly closed doors of the hall open. The closer he drew to the door, the more he steadied his breath.
Beneath the great fabric banner of the first Duke, his father had once spoken these words:
“Eddie, you know. This place feels like home, yet it doesn’t. When I’m here, I always feel like I’m floating in the clouds. I think it’s because I like it, but sometimes it feels uncomfortably hollow beneath my feet.”
“…….”
“I wish for this place to become my home. What about you?”
Edward had not answered.
At that time, his gaze had been fixed on the great eagle banner hanging behind his father. Though young, he had understood that his father was saying he wished to become the master of that banner.
But perhaps because the banner was so much larger than his father, his wish had felt like a vague dream.
From that time on, whenever Edward looked at the first Duke’s banner, he would suddenly think:
Could there be someone greater than that? Someone who could make it look like mere background?
…No, I hope not.