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Chapter 98




* * *
“Let me down.”
He desperately tried to find some emotion in Juliet’s expression, but he found nothing.
As the silence stretched, others walking a short distance away with torches also stopped.
“…Alright. Let’s go back.”
In the end, he was the first to relent.
He didn’t let Juliet down, but he gave up on his plan to take her to the North.
Only after he turned his gaze towards the distant lights of the palace did Juliet lean on him.
“Your Highness, why are you here?”
‘Asking so soon,’ Lennox thought to himself.
“Who would lose their horse…”
Lennox glanced at the butterflies emitting a faint glow.
“All thanks to you wandering fearlessly.”
“It seems you got my letter.”
Juliet’s voice was calm.
But contrary to her composed response, he felt choked up.
Lennox gripped the reins tighter with his other hand. He could feel the regular motion every time Juliet, leaning on his head, breathed.
Yet, she seemed somewhat absent.
The relief he felt when he checked the Soulstone was truly momentary.
[The butterflies are gone.]
After checking the short note, he left the North.
He opened the gate and, after confirming Juliet’s whereabouts, managed to arrive just in time.
By just in time, he had only found Juliet, who had fainted deep in the hunting grounds, but next to her was dazed Lycanthrope and fluttering butterflies.
“Your eyes?”
“Who’s worrying about whom now?”
“Are you better?”
“…No.”
As he answered, Lennox tightened his grip on the hand that wrapped around her waist. Juliet briefly looked suspicious, but he protested his innocence.
The physician had said that, although the recovery rate was faster than expected, pushing too hard might result in permanent blindness.
Apart from a woman who keeps crying in his bothersome dream.
“…I’m getting better.”
“That’s good.”
Juliet exhaled a small sigh, her face looking as if she’d shed some weight.
Because of her reaction, Lennox felt even more ambiguous.
He didn’t want her pity or her taking care of him out of sympathy.
But was it just guilt she felt?
Moreover, Juliet didn’t seem too surprised to see him. She’s always been calm, but this seemed different.
Lennox was concerned about the expression that flashed across Juliet’s face the moment she opened her eyes.
It looked like she was scared and about to cry.
Yet now, her attitude seemed indifferent, and this made him anxious.
His throat felt tight.
Despite the late hour, torches lit up everywhere, making the palace look like daylight. People were outside the buildings.
“Oh, my God…!”
“Empress!”
When they saw the returning party, the Empress nearly collapsed.
The attendants quickly supported her.
“I’m fine.”
Juliet, having dismounted, insisted she wasn’t hurt, but no one seemed to pay heed.
“Juliet!”
Elsa ran towards her in a hurry.
“A doctor! We need a doctor first!”
“No, what happened?”
“What on earth happened in the forest…”
“I just want to wash up and change my clothes.”
Juliet seemed a bit sharp.
Only then did the people come to their senses.
“Th-This way, please!”
The palace headmaid chased everyone away with a stern face.
“Even you, Duke! Step back!”
When the maid blocked the way, oddly enough, Lennox didn’t want to let go of Juliet.
“Let her down.”
Reluctantly, Lennox let Juliet down and stepped back.
Juliet glanced back at him just once. The next moment, she was led inside by the palace headmaid. Lennox, with his gaze fixed on her retreating figure, slowly removed his gloves.
“Your Majesty.”
“Why, why is that, Duke?”
“The palace security is inadequate.”
“That, is it so?”
The Emperor, trying to gauge the direction of the conversation, felt a bit puzzled.
The fox hunt had become a mess because suddenly, an unexpected species had intruded.
“Yes. In my duty as a loyal subject, I can’t stand by and just watch.”
But Lennox didn’t ask for accountability, he even smiled warmly.
The Emperor wanted to ask since when he had been loyal, but he held back.
The smooth words of Duke Carlyle didn’t end there.
“So, I hope you grant me and my subordinates permission to stay in the palace for a while. You will grant it, right?”
“O-of course you have my permission.”
The Emperor realized that the calm demeanor of Duke Carlyle was many times more intimidating than when he was emotionless.
* * *
“Juliet! Are you okay?”
“Elsa.”
Elsa looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“I’m sorry. I… Roy told me to take good care of you.”
Juliet, in a soft whisper while holding onto Elsa who was supporting her, said:
“Help me.”
“Okay!”
Elsa wasn’t particularly skilled, but she was definitely helpful in getting Juliet out of her messed-up dress.
The palace maids were startled, but as Juliet had said, once she removed her dirtied clothes and brushed off her tangled hair, there weren’t any noticeable injuries. There were just minor bruises here and there from rolling in the forest.
The maids left momentarily to fetch necessary items and outerwear.
“Please sit down carefully.”
As instructed, Juliet stepped into the bathtub. The hot water calmed her down.
“Elsa.”
Juliet, making sure no one else could see, discreetly called Elsa over.
Elsa, carefully looking around, approached the bathtub.
“What is it, Juliet?”
Juliet showed Elsa a silver key she was holding. But Elsa, unlike Graham, just looked at it blankly.
Well, Roy, as well as Elsa and Nathan, had seen the key many times, but they never told a strange story like the wolf did.
“Why?”
“I met a wolf in the forest who said he was Roy’s brother.”
Elsa’s face turned pale with shock.
“He said his name was Graham.”
“Graham? Graham came here? How…”
Juliet grabbed Elsa’s arm, who was in shock.
“And Graham called this ‘Snowdrop’.”
“…Snowdrop?”
Elsa’s eyes widened.
“Do you know what that is?”
“Yes, I know.”
Elsa glanced between Juliet and the silver key, then with an unprecedented serious expression, she said:
“It’s the name of a flower.”
“…Yes, it is.”
Juliet gave a small laugh.
“I knew that too.”
The bathtub was steadily filling with hot water. But Elsa wasn’t done speaking.
“Our grandmother said it’s a very, very old and dangerous thing.”
She continued with a serious face.
“They were so malicious that they were banished from the forest and must never be allowed back in.”
But that was all Elsa could tell. Her words were vague, like an old tale.
(…….)
But Juliet was more bothered by something else than Elsa’s vague words.
The butterflies, which were previously loud enough to give her a headache, had gone silent since they mentioned that word.
It was strange.
This artifact was as old as the Empire’s history, being around for three hundred years.
Passed down in Juliet’s family since the establishment of the County Monad.
But why did a Lycanthrope know the name of this key? Especially a name that not even the people of the Monad family knew?
Artifact.
To Juliet’s knowledge, artifacts didn’t have names.
Even the term ‘artifact’ was a word created for convenience to denote treasures with indescribable powers.
Well, famous jewels often have grand names like ‘Tears of the Sun’, but it was the first time she heard of an artifact having a name.
This silver key, passed down in the Monad House, looked like an ordinary silver toy at first glance. Artifacts seemed like not-so-precious antiques.
“…Is this your name?”
(…….)
But the butterflies remained silent.