I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

7 – A Place I Want to Leave (3)

The siblings excitedly yet feigning indifference walked toward the carriage.

Although we’d seen each other in all sorts of terrible conditions, they seemed to want to maintain their dignity in front of others.

Hena and I followed the two, pretending not to know their feelings.

Just now, Sirien’s face had a bright smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen that expression. For the long 17 days, the siblings’ faces had been overshadowed by something.

‘I hope that shadow doesn’t return to their faces.’

The carriage finally came to a stop within the snowy field.

The person who got off was indeed Count Roxanne. The number of knights accompanying him had not changed much. It meant that only a few knights had been brought secretly into the kingdom.

What concerned me, however, was the unfamiliar faces among them.

It was strange. I thought I knew most of the ducal knights. Were there people I didn’t know?

Their armor was hidden under heavy robes, but their vigilant behavior made it clear they were trained individuals.

If there were people from the duchy I didn’t know, could they be the ones guarding the border? It was a possibility. Considering the urgent situation, forces would have been gathered from all around.

What was the Count of Rocksen like in the original work?

I tried to recall, but there was never any mention of him. Everything I knew about Count Rocksen came from what I had seen and heard in the world of nobles. This meant that there was a high possibility that he would be dead 10 years later.

In the original work, his position and those of his vassals had been taken over by other characters. Most of the vassals of Elenzia had been punished by Celine who had turned on her villainous switch, but the descendants of Count Rocksen were not mentioned in that list of deaths.

‘Did Celine not hate Count Rocksen after 10 years?’

In any case, seeing Count Rocksen again, it seemed as though he hadn’t been having a very pleasant time.

First of all, his face was withered with fatigue. Dark circles hung below his eyes, and his skin seemed more rough than before.

He looked like an office worker exhausted by working late. Somewhere in my heart, I felt sympathy for him.

“Uncle!”

“I’m sorry. I have been very late.”

Celine approached Count Rocksen and hugged him. He held her tightly, patting her on the back.

The count’s expression did not seem very comfortable.

“You two must have gone through a lot of trouble. You kids shouldn’t have been in such a place…. It’s all my fault. I apologize.”

“Please don’t say such things, Uncle.”

“I’m just glad to see you both looking healthy. Rajen, Hena. It must be thanks to your efforts. I should express my gratitude to you too.”

“Ah, I only did my duty!”

“I did nothing more than fulfill my responsibilities.”

Count Rocksen said with a sigh. But as they say, it’s more important what comes after you start a conversation than the beginning.

“So, Uncle, are we going back now?”

“What’s going on outside?”

“I understand that you must be curious about what’s happening outside. Listen carefully and don’t be too surprised.”

Count Rocksen said with a heavy tone.

“A rebellion has occurred within our family.”

* * *

The Elenzia family was one of the founding members who had established the empire.

The empire had a long history because it was not an empire from the beginning. This meant that the Elenzia family also had a long and storied past.

Sometimes they defended the border from humans, other times from the demon king. Thus, they possessed rights and powers that were extraordinary for a single family.

So, the word ‘rebellion’ was not too strange.

Elenzia was the greatest shield of the empire. Therefore, it was the most annoying wall for the enemies.

If only they could bring down Elenzia, the enemies of the empire were ready to give any rewards.

“We have identified some suspects… But we’re still investigating the exact mastermind. What’s certain is that several vassal families have joined the Elygos side.”

“Is that so!”

“And what about your mother and father? Are they both safe?”

“Lady has been evacuated to a safe place, and His Majesty is personally leading the family’s troops and confronting Elegos.”

The news assured the siblings that both their parents were safe, and they sighed in relief.

At that moment, Count Loksen’s eyes turned to me.

“Not everyone was unharmed.”

“What?”

“Lazen. Unfortunately, Count Bertus has fallen in battle. He stayed behind alone to face the enemies. He was the epitome of a knight.”

The first piece of tragic news Count Loksen brought was the death of my father.

My mother had passed away giving birth to me, and I had no close relatives or siblings. There was now no one left in this world with my blood.

Yet, I wasn’t particularly sad.

Count Bertus, my father, was an ethereal person, often unbothered when speaking of his own death.

He wasn’t particularly devoted to his family either. He was blunt and clumsy at expressing emotions. Still, thinking about how he paved the way for my future, he couldn’t have been entirely devoid of parental love.

Being a knight meant having a job where one never knew when or where they might die. So, he used to say if you die one day, remember not the death itself, but the kind of death you faced.

“Was it honorable?”

“More so than anyone I’ve seen.”

“Then it’s sufficient. It’s like my father. Thank you for delivering the news.”

“Yes. When you return, you will become Count Bertus. I express my condolences once again.”

I bowed my head in gratitude to Count Loksen.

And calmly, I decided to wait for the next piece of tragic news.

“As I said earlier, the situation remains unclear, even the mastermind hasn’t been revealed. We don’t know who else might be involved in the rebellion. His Majesty is treading on thin ice with caution.”

He had said, “When you return,” I would become Count Bertus. An unnecessary modifier if I could just return immediately.

I looked back at Count Loksen’s carriage.

The carriage seemed heavy. I could tell from the deep wheel tracks left on the road it had passed.

Indeed, there was never any space for us in that carriage from the beginning.

“I’m really sorry, but… I can’t take you with me in a situation like this. It took a long time for us to just come back secretly and lay low. I couldn’t even keep the promise of ten days because of this.”

“So, do we have to stay here?”

“Yes. It’s going to be really difficult, but please bear with it a little longer. I am working to get you both out of here as soon as possible when the situation is resolved.”

“Ugh… Alright, alright.”

As soon as the conversation ended, Count Loksen signaled to his knights.

The knights took several boxes out of the carriage and entered the hut. It seemed that they were supplying food and necessary supplies as the time in this hut would be prolonged.

Siren looked at the knights resentfully but swallowed her words. At the end of her teary eyes, there I was.

Even though she knew the knights were not to blame, she couldn’t help feeling resentful.

Because it seemed like they were the cause of having to stay in this hut even longer.

But as she had in the past, Siren never threw a tantrum. She didn’t engage in behavior that would only trouble others.

She swallowed the shadows she had to face alone, all by herself.

Her pale hand trembled. Seeing her like this, I held her hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine… What about you? Are you okay?”

“What could be wrong with me? Oh, are you talking about what happened to my father?”

“Yes.”

“I figured he’d end up this way eventually. He has always been one to push his body too hard. I thought he would collapse one day.”

It was hard to tell who was comforting whom.

Even though she was greatly unhappy with the situation herself, Siren took care of me first.

Her small hands wrapped around mine.

It seemed that the wind outside was quite chilly after all. Siren’s hand felt particularly warm today. Her soft, gentle heat enveloped my hand.

It felt like all the warmth in the world was concentrated in Siren’s hands. Aside from the heat I felt there, nothing else seemed to have an effect.

Though her touch was almost scorching, it wasn’t painful.

Terion asked.

“I understand your situation. It would have been nice if we had been informed earlier, but there’s nothing we can do about that now.”

“Ah, the news… Alright, I’ll find a way to keep you updated.”

“Do we have an estimated timeline? Surely you don’t expect us to stay here indefinitely.”

Terion’s question was rational and sharp. Fitting for a noble.

He casually chastised the issue while setting up the grounds for his next request. He created an atmosphere where the person he was speaking with would naturally agree and find it difficult to offer alternatives.

It was the way of speaking used by those who had been dealing with people since birth. Had he grown even here?

Count Roksen fell silent for a moment.

He seemed to be thinking about how much longer they would have to stay.

“Three months. I promise, on my name, that I will get you out of here within three months at the latest. I will also promise to send you news every week.”

It was a longer period than expected, but since he had promised on his name, we didn’t argue further.

And so, our life in the hut was extended.