The Forgotten Field - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 34
But the door would not budge.
After pulling at the handle several times, I realized the bolt had been secured from the inside, and I gritted my teeth.
‘Damn Aila…’
The fury I had suppressed all night threatened to erupt at any moment.
I turned away from the locked door, my lips—crusted with dried blood—pressed firmly together.
Perhaps it was for the best. Had I acted impulsively without proper preparation, and failed even once, I would have been the only one to suffer a miserable death.
I needed to prepare more thoroughly before executing my plan. The road ahead was still long, so an opportunity would surely present itself soon.
I steadied my ragged breathing and hurried down the corridor. As I descended the stairs toward my chamber, I heard a clattering sound from somewhere.
I quickly concealed myself behind a pillar.
A faint shadow stretched across the corridor as dawn light began to seep in.
Hidden in the darkness, I cautiously peered out to examine the corridor. Standing before the door of the adjacent room was a slender woman.
I narrowed my eyes to study her face. She was a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair and delicate features.
After a moment, I recognized her as one of the attendants my mother had assigned to me.
The woman carefully closed the door, pulled a deep charcoal hood over her head, and slipped silently down the corridor. I watched her retreating figure intently before following her.
The woman exited the building and walked briskly along the muddy path where puddles had gathered. Her nimble movements suggested she had received espionage training.
After surveying her surroundings carefully, the woman stopped near a small garden located behind the main building.
I hid myself behind an arcade pillar and watched her. She stood before the pavilion as if waiting for someone, pacing for a while before suddenly quickening her pace upon noticing something.
Following her movement with my eyes, I spotted a priest in black monastic robes emerging slowly from the darkness, and my eyes widened.
His face looked familiar—he appeared to be one of the monks who had attended the banquet.
The monk, who appeared to be around forty, withdrew a small vial-like object from his robes and handed it to the woman. She accepted it, opened the cap to inspect the contents, then closed it again and slipped it into the inner sleeve of her robe. She then turned and began retracing her steps.
I hurried toward the residence building.
I rushed up the stairs and burst into my bedroom, my legs suddenly giving way beneath me.
Leaning my back against the door and catching my breath, I listened to the sounds from outside. After a moment, I heard the door open and close, then silence fell like death.
I swallowed hard.
I could not discern exactly what the scene I had witnessed meant.
What was that monk?
Was he an accomplice of my mother? If so, what had he given her? Could she be planning poisoning?
I forced myself to swallow past the tightness in my throat.
If it were poison, I could have obtained it without outside help. The fact that such a complicated method was necessary meant it was something that could not be brought into the Capital at all.
‘What on earth is she plotting?’
I ran through various theories in my mind, but no clear picture emerged.
‘One thing is certain—something tremendous is about to happen.’
Senevir always accomplishes whatever she sets her mind to. If she had decided to eliminate the long-standing obstacles in her way, the Crown Prince was as good as dead. If fortune smiled, Aila would disappear from this world as well.
Feeling my heart race with exhilaration, I allowed a satisfied smile to cross my lips.
* * *
Another long and tedious journey had begun.
An escort comprised of hundreds of Knights and soldiers moved steadily beneath the blazing sun. At this pace, we would cross the border of the Old Osyria Kingdom within ten days.
Edrick Lubon, studying the map and gauging the remaining distance, turned his gaze toward the carriage—silent as a coffin.
The Imperial Princess, as always, had drawn thick curtains over the window and remained secluded within.
He guided his horse alongside the carriage, carefully observing the faint silhouette cast upon the curtains. Even the horses were panting heavily in the oppressive heat. He couldn’t help but worry—what if she were found dead, steamed inside the carriage?
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be wise to air out the carriage for a moment?”
“…Get out of my sight.”
Fortunately, she still seemed to be breathing.
Edrick exhaled softly and urged his horse forward to take the lead.
At the very front, as always, sat the Crown Prince atop a golden horse from Norneksan.
Edrick carefully observed his face. Gareth, flushed crimson with heat, was grumbling irritably at Sierkan, apparently demanding to know when they could rest.
‘This journey will not be easy.’
For the next several days, they would traverse rough, barren plains and mountainous terrain. Could such a temperamental Crown Prince endure such a grueling journey?
Edrick shook his head and approached Barcas’s side.
His superior let the Crown Prince’s complaints go in one ear and out the other, his keen eyes fixed upon the road ahead. He seemed utterly unmoved by the Empire’s future ruler’s incessant demands.
Marveling anew at his superior’s composure, Edrick carefully opened his mouth.
“Lord Sierkan, the soldiers seem quite exhausted from the heat. Though it is early, would it not be prudent to find a suitable place for rest?”
Barcas, who had been riding forward in silence, turned to look at him.
Edrick instinctively tensed. He had never once seen this man raise his voice or lose his composure. Yet whenever Edrick stood before Barcas, he felt an inexplicable weight of pressure.
He swallowed dryly and continued hesitantly.
“If my suggestion was presumptuous, I beg your pardon. The rear ranks seem to be falling behind….”
“We’ll reach a lake in about half an hour. We’ll rest there.”
Barcas cut him off. Edrick, momentarily dazed, quickly bowed his head. The Crown Prince, observing this with apparent displeasure, complained loudly.
“When I speak, you pretend not to listen, yet you hear every word from this young pup?”
“Your Highness, I held my tongue because your words seemed to require no response, but I assure you I have heard every word you have spoken.”
“Who are you to decide what requires a response!”
The Crown Prince bellowed sharply. His resonant voice, befitting his large frame, made Edrick’s eardrums sting.
Edrick suppressed the urge to click his tongue and moved back toward the rear. It was somewhat amusing how the Crown Prince, notorious for his fiery temperament, became nothing more than a petulant child in Lord Sierkan’s presence.
‘…I worry about what will happen after Lord Sierkan leaves the Knight Order.’
Once Barcas Laedgo Sierkan departed for the Eastern Territories, there would be no one left to restrain his rampage. The First Princess would also accompany Barcas to the Eastern Territories, leaving only Gareth and Talia Roem Guerta in the Imperial Palace.
Contemplating the bleak future of the Knight Order, forced to endure two reckless members of the Imperial Family, Edrick felt darkness descend upon him. He sighed heavily and approached the carriage carrying Talia.
Shortly after, a whistle signaling rest echoed from the front.
Edrick halted his horse and ordered his subordinates to pitch tents in a suitable location. The Knights quickly erected simple field tents on level ground, creating shade.
He stopped the carriage nearby and gently tapped on the window.
“It is time to rest. Come out now.”
“….”
“How much longer do you intend to be stubborn? You’ve been cooped up in there all day. If you don’t relent, you’ll collapse.”
He spoke deliberately harshly, prepared to drag her out even if it meant receiving a blow, but no response came from within.
Edrick furrowed his brow.
Had she truly collapsed?
Seized by an ominous premonition, he yanked the door open rather forcefully. A wave of scalding air struck his face, carrying with it a sickeningly sweet fragrance—a mingling of honey and milk.
Frowning as he peered into the dim carriage, Edrick froze upon discovering the princess sprawled lifelessly across the floor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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