Several days had passed since our return, but I still hadn’t found peace.
The Order of Shadows, whom I had entrusted with investigating the attack, had still not managed to find anything substantial.
No traces, no clues, not even a hint as to who might have dared to attack right within the imperial reserve. It was as if these people had never existed.
This in itself seed extrely strange to .
I knew how skilled Serpens was — and how flawlessly he always carried out the tasks assigned to him. He managed to find those whom no one else could find and solve problems that seed unsolvable. But now even he, with all his network of informants and connections, was powerless.
This fact haunted . It could only an one thing: those behind the attack had far more power and influence than I could have imagined.
And if even the Order of the Shadows couldn’t track them down, then perhaps this was only the beginning of sothing much more serious.
Well, in the end, all I could do was sigh heavily.
Perhaps I had thought about it too much over the last few days. No matter how I looked at it, I really couldn’t figure out who was behind the attack.
And most importantly, was I really their target?
The more I tried to make sense of what had happened, the less logic I found in it all.
For the past few years, I had led a fairly quiet life — I tried not to stand out, not to interfere in anyone’s business, and to stay away from any palace intrigues. I avoided conflicts, didn’t get into argunts, and certainly didn’t behave in a way that would make anyone hate .
So why did all this happen?
Who could I have gotten in the way of so much that soone decided to attack directly?
I also couldn’t help thinking about Grace’s past — the one whose life I had inherited along with her body and na. Did she have enemies? Or those who might have harbored a secret hatred for her? If this attack was related to her past, then perhaps now I had to pay for her mistakes.
This uncertainty gnawed at from within.
Well, it was all too confusing for to figure out on my own.
And besides...
I also couldn’t stop thinking about sothing else — Richard himself. Why was he there at that mont? How did it happen that the prince of the empire, usually surrounded by a whole squad of guards and servants, suddenly found himself alone in the middle of a dense forest, far from the main group?
Even if we assu that he simply got lost or accidentally took a wrong turn, it was still hard to believe. After all, the imperial hunt was planned down to the smallest detail, and the movents of the imperial family were carefully controlled.
So... either he deliberately left his entourage, or soone arranged it so that he would be where I was.
But why?
I tried not to give this thought too much importance, but the more I thought about it, the stranger everything around seed.
Was it a coincidence that the prince was there at the very mont I was attacked? Or was everything that happened not accidental, and soone knew from the beginning where I would be?
Maybe it really was just a ridiculous coincidence.
Or maybe... it was part of a much bigger plan that I didn’t even know about yet.
However, at so point, I caught myself thinking that my head was literally splitting from all these thoughts.
I exhaled heavily and closed my eyes, deciding to let it all go, at least for a while.
Yes, perhaps I should give myself a little break.
I ran my hand wearily over my forehead. Thoughts sward in my head like annoying bees, giving no peace. Well, if I really wanted to figure all this out, wouldn’t it be better to just ask Richard himself?
Yes, I guess so. Rumors and guesses are only a shadow of the truth. And I could only find out the truth from him.
Besides, I was going to visit him at the palace anyway, if only out of a sense of propriety. After everything that had happened, and after he had saved my life, I couldn’t just sit idly by and pretend that nothing had happened.
Even if his wound wasn’t too serious, according to the court physician, who knew what the real situation was?
And to be honest, deep down, I just wanted to make sure he was really okay.
It would probably be the right thing to do — to visit him and express my gratitude... and also to ask the question that had been bothering since the day of the attack.
Why was he there, in that very place, at that very mont?
I took a deep breath and finally got up from my chair. Yes, the decision had been made. There was no point in putting off what had to be done anyway.
Tomorrow morning, I would go to the palace.
***
The next day, I finally decided to go to the palace to visit His Highness.
I woke up earlier than usual, even though I had had a rather restless night.
When it was finally ti to leave, I was almost ready: my traveling dress, cape, gloves — everything was in its place. The carriage was also ready and waiting at the gate.
Nevertheless... sothing was wrong.
I noticed it as soon as I left the house. Edison and Nura were waiting to see off before my departure. But for so reason, I didn’t see Ruby there.
She usually always ca out to see off, regardless of whether I was going on a long trip or not. So this ti, I was surprised by her absence.
"Edison," I frowned slightly, "have you seen Ruby today?"
The old man turned to , as if he didn’t imdiately understand what I was talking about.
"Hmm?"
"I’m just a little surprised that she’s not here..."
"Ah, you an that..." The butler hesitated. "Actually, milady is not feeling well, so she was unable to see you off today."
"What? Not feeling well?" I asked imdiately, unable to hide my concern.
Could Ruby really be sick? At the thought of it, my heart skipped a beat.
Edison nodded, trying to remain calm as usual.
"Yes. Milady had a fever this morning. I’ve already called the doctor, and he should arrive this afternoon..."
I frowned, feeling a slight anxiety run through my chest.
"Why didn’t you tell about this right away?!"
"I’m sorry, ma’am," he replied cautiously. "We didn’t want to alarm you unnecessarily. Besides, it doesn’t seem to be anything serious. It’s probably just a common seasonal cold..."
I involuntarily clenched my fingers into a fist when I heard this.
In fact, Ruby rarely got sick. Even in the coldest winter, when other children usually caught colds, Ruby never did. So hearing now that she was "not feeling well" was really a bit unusual.
And yet...
"I see," I said, looking down. "In that case, I’ll go and visit her."
"What? But... You were going to the palace...!"
"That can wait," I said firmly, interrupting him. "I have to see Ruby first."
I headed back to the house, feeling my steps quicken faster than usual.
Climbing the stairs, I headed for Ruby’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open and entered cautiously.
When I saw her, she was indeed lying in bed with a wet towel on her head.
"Ruby!" I called.
"Auntie...?" She opened her eyes, and surprise flashed in them. Her voice was quiet, barely audible, as if every sound ca with effort.
I quickly approached the bed to look at her face. Her cheeks were pale, her lips dry, and her breathing heavy.
"Why didn’t you tell you were sick?!"
"I heard you were going on a trip today..." she replied weakly. "I didn’t want to bother you..."
Bother ...?
My heart ached when I heard those words.
"Silly girl..." I said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Since when did you decide you had to hide sothing like this from ?"
Ruby tried to smile, but her expression remained tired, as if the smile itself required too much effort.
"It’s not that bad, Auntie," she whispered, looking away. "I’m just a little dizzy. I must be overtired..."
I put my hand on her forehead and imdiately recoiled. It was too hot.
"A little dizzy? You have a fever, Ruby!" I said reproachfully, though my voice trembled involuntarily. "You should have told right away."
"I’m sorry," she said barely audibly, as if she felt guilty.
I just sighed.
"You’ve already taken your dicine, right?"
"Yes."
"Good..."
"But Auntie... Didn’t you have other things to do?"
I sighed heavily.
I had planned to go to the palace today to visit Richard, but it seed there was nothing I could do about it. How could I leave my niece alone when she was sick? Besides, her temperature really did seem high.
"No. I’ll stay here today and take care of you," I said firmly.
Her lips trembled in a slight, barely noticeable smile, but her eyes remained tired.
"Thank you, Auntie..." she said quietly, almost in a whisper, and closed her eyes, as if her strength was beginning to leave her again.
I nodded silently, even though she couldn’t see it, and carefully adjusted the blanket to cover her shoulders. Her breathing beca even and calm, and soon she was back asleep.
For a while, I just sat quietly beside her, watching her. I ran my hand through her hair, feeling a mixture of anxiety and tenderness rising deep inside .
All my tasks and responsibilities suddenly seed so insignificant compared to my niece’s condition. Right now, only one thing mattered: that she get better soon.
I sighed and lowered my gaze slightly.
"Don’t worry, Ruby..." I whispered almost silently. "I promise I won’t go anywhere today."
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