DKVM Ch 12

Chapter 12

He turned over to the next log.

March 22nd. The weather is sunny.

I went out for breakfast, and there were knights in front of the general store.

The leader was not there today.

They told me that they asked the general store if they delivered goods to the duke, what they delivered, and if they had any unusual items.

Then they would go to the smithy and ask the same thing.

Logs tracking the whereabouts of the knights and surveillance information were filled in during the week Vivian was not at the villa.

It wasn’t much help beyond recording their movements, but it did tell him one thing.

‘That child knows I am suspicious of her.’

She even knew her relationship with the emperor, something that few children her age did.

‘From the moment I met that child…I had a feeling she was shrewd and skillful.’

From Vivian Hessen.

Karlz looked at the name written at the end of the note and put it down.

“Don’t you think we’ve acquired a pretty good talent, Owen?”

A sharp arc curved around the corners of his mouth as he said that.

* * *

The day after the inspectors returned, the butler came to see me.

“Thanks to you, we successfully hosted our guests.”

“Really? That’s great! Can I go back to the villa now?”

“Okay. Tomorrow happens to be the day of the week you’re scheduled to visit, so you can come tomorrow. I’ll send the carriage at the usual time.”

And then there was more good news.

“His Grace regrets that the dinner ended the way it did, so he’s invited you to tea tomorrow.”

This was definitely a positive sign!

So today,

I arrived at the villa with butterflies in my stomach.

Of course, there’s the excitement of meeting the duke, but there’s also…

‘I wonder how Rahel is doing?’

Well, she wouldn’t have waited for me anyway.

That’s okay, though.

We’ve only just met, and now that I’ve earned the duke’s trust, we’ll get to know each other better.

‘First, she wouldn’t talk to me, and now she does.’

I stepped out of the carriage, full of hope, and followed the maid’s lead to the greenhouse.

I had just reached the back of the manor when the back door opened and Rahel came out.

Unlike usual, she was dressed in comfortable pants and a shirt.

“Princess!”

I greeted Rahel, excited to see her.

‘Huh?’

Rahel turned around and went to the backyard.

‘It looked like she was mad, right?’

The maid also seemed puzzled by Rahel’s appearance.

“That way is the direction of the training ground… Why is she going that way?”

“Oh, she said last time that she wanted to show me her swordsmanship, so she must be going to the training center.”

I lied and sent the maid back to the mansion, and immediately followed Rahel.

“Princess!”

Rahel must have heard my voice, but she didn’t turn around.

However, since she was walking, I quickly caught up to her as I ran.

Eventually, just before I caught up with her, Rahel looked back at me.

Her blue eyes were as cold as a frozen lake.

Even colder than the day we first met.

“Why did you come back? Did you come to say goodbye too?”

“What?”

“I don’t need that, so get out of here.”

What was she saying?

As I squinted my eyes, breathing heavily, I recalled Rahel’s words a beat too late and asked.

“Now, wait a minute, what do you mean, goodbye…?”

In response, Rahel snapped back.

“You’re scared of me, too.”

“….”

“You’re afraid that something will go wrong with your family if you associate with the traitor’s child.”

Rahel was self-righteously angry, but why?

She looked more hurt than I did when she said that.

I was dumbfounded.

I suddenly understood why Rahel was so angry with me.

‘That’s how her friends left her so far.’

She’s afraid of being hurt again, and that fear has closed her heart….

The moment I realized that,

I felt sorry for Rahel.

She was a villain in the novel….but underneath, she was just a child afraid of abandonment.

‘I have to tell Rahel.’

I’m not afraid of you.

I wasn’t trying to leave you.

It wasn’t for my sake, but for this child who has received so much pain.

“Princess, that’s not-”

But Rahel didn’t hear me, she turned and walked away.

As if she was afraid I would say goodbye.

I stared in disbelief at Rahel’s retreating backside, then called after her.

‘It’s okay to keep your distance.’

Because that’s how close I can get.

I just need to be there for her.

Until she trusts me.

I followed Rahel to the training grounds.

Rahel arrived first and was already practicing her swordsmanship.

‘If I interrupted now, wouldn’t the message not come across?’

I quietly walked into the training center and sat down in the corner. My plan was to wait until she was finished.

Rahel noticed my presence but didn’t even turn around. Though she didn’t chase me away.

Only the sound of her wooden sword striking a wooden dummy made of logs echoed in the silent training hall.

*thwack, thwack*

Gradually, the sounds became less spaced out and louder.

The beads of sweat on Rahel’s forehead poured down like rain.

I looked up at Rahel in concern.

‘Don’t you think you’re pushing yourself too hard? You could hurt yourself like that….’

Just as I was watching Rahel worriedly.

“Ugh…!”

Suddenly, a sharp pain started radiating from my heart.

It was a dull ache, but it would often get worse.

It was a tense moment as the pain was sudden and unexpected.

*crack*

Rahel’s wooden sword, which was striking the wooden doll, shattered with a loud crack.

The sharp splinters of wood ricocheted off and grazed Rahel’s pure white cheek.

Blood trickled from the wound.

Startled by the sight, I jumped to my feet, momentarily forgetting my own pain.

“Princess!”

I exclaimed, rushing to Rahel.

“Are you alright? You’re bleeding….”

But Rahel roughly slapped my hand away as I tried to get a good look at the wound.

“Ah….”

Rahel swatted my hand away and turned away, looking surprised, even at herself.

‘I need to clear up this misunderstanding now.’

I took a step to follow after her.

But at that moment, the pain returned. This time, it was more intense than before.

I stopped, catching my breath.

‘Not now…!’

I saw Rahel’s back as she walked away.

Just a few steps.

I knew that if I could just reach out and take her hand, this pain would be over.

But…

‘I don’t want to do that.’

Now that I know Rahel’s hurt, I don’t want to use her feelings as if they don’t matter.

Rahel’s footsteps grew farther away.

I could only listen to her footsteps as she walked away, clutching my heart that was about to burst.

Gradually, the footsteps became distant.

‘Hurry, I need to clear up Rahel’s misunderstanding so she doesn’t get hurt anymore….’

But at the same time, my vision blurred and my body went limp. A pitch-black darkness came over me.

In the darkness, I heard a faint voice.

“Vivian!”

Her voice called my name for the first time.

* * *

She reflexively swatted away Vivian’s hand as it reached out to touch her cheek.

Vivian’s eyes froze in shock.

Looking into those eyes, Rahel realized she had been harsh, but she turned away from the hurt Vivian.

‘You’ll leave me anyway.’

A moment ago, when she’d revealed herself to be the child of a traitor,

Vivian looked stunned, as if she hadn’t known that.

‘But it doesn’t matter.’

Even if she hadn’t told Vivian, she would have found out sooner or later, and she would have walked away from Rahel like all the other children have done.

If you were going to leave me anyway, I might as well cut it off now.

Before I give you my heart.

Before I get hurt by you…

With that, Rahel turned away.

But just as she was about to leave the field.

*thump*

Behind her, she heard the dull thud of something collapsing.

A sense of foreboding washed over her, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

Turning in the direction of the sound, she saw Vivian lying on the floor.

“…Vivian?”

Over Vivian’s form, Rahel saw her mother’s image, the woman who had once collapsed, coughing up blood.

Her heart sank.

Rahel’s serene eyes surged as they took in the image.

“Vivian!”