The Poisonous Princess Who Successfully Infiltrated the Enemy as an Employee - Chapter 45
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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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Episode 45.
***
On the map, Desitod was not far from the Lacrion Mountain Range.
But the terrain was treacherous, and the path twisted back on itself so many times that we rode Nox for quite a while before drawing close.
The trail kept disappearing and reappearing, and jagged rocks jutting up through the frozen earth posed a real threat.
I realized Roan hadn’t exaggerated when he said a cart couldn’t make it through here.
‘This isn’t just a place for carts—ordinary horses couldn’t manage it either.’
Roan had said it was only possible because of Nox.
“Nox is no ordinary horse. You could rightly call him a Divine Beast. He bounds over treacherous ground as if at play, and he’s strong enough to pull three carts alone without strain.”
And indeed, his words rang true.
With the two of us on his back and heavy baggage strapped to either side of the saddle, Nox skimmed across the icy stone path with ease.
Even scaling steep hillsides, his breathing never quickened.
The problem was me.
‘My back is going to break.’
Trapped between Varkan’s arms, I was barely managing to keep my body from pitching off the saddle.
Perhaps noticing my distress, Varkan stopped whenever a cave came into view, and we’d take brief rest.
After cycling through riding, resting, and riding again, the ridge of the Lacrion Mountain Range finally began to appear in the distance.
By then, the sun was already sinking beyond the mountains.
‘He mentioned there are no villages on the way to the Lacrion, so camping wasn’t a choice—it was a necessity.’
Before long, Varkan spotted a cave and brought Nox to a halt.
“We’ll rest here for the night.”
“Yes, that’s what I was hoping for.”
Wandering through dark woods without knowing the lay of the land would be suicide.
We made camp in a cave not far from the foot of the range.
It was wider than the cave we’d sheltered in to escape the blizzard in the Pedrika Mountain Range before, but there was no sign of maintenance.
The floor was uneven, and dried leaves mixed with broken twigs lay frozen near the entrance.
With practiced efficiency, Varkan gathered kindling and got a fire going, and I settled quietly beside it.
Crack, crack.
As the flames danced cheerfully before me, my frozen body finally began to thaw, growing pleasantly drowsy.
Without Selin wrapping me in layer after layer of clothing, I might well be shivering harder now.
That was when it happened.
Growl.
I instinctively clutched my stomach.
We’d barely managed meals on the journey with dried meat and stale bread, so hunger had reached its limit.
“…….”
“…….”
Varkan stared at me for a moment in silence, then stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To find something for dinner.”
“Please don’t—not because of me!”
“Tomorrow we’ll need considerable stamina. It’s best to eat while we can.”
“…….”
With that, he grabbed a Short Sword and disappeared outside.
Left alone with Nox, I felt suddenly awkward and rose to my feet.
Nox stood near the cave entrance, gazing out into the darkness like a knight standing watch.
“You’ve had a hard time of it yourself.”
I pulled the Water Pouch from the Baggage and poured some for Nox to drink, then stroked his sturdy neck.
“Since we’re staying here tonight, let me take the Baggage down. You need to rest easy too.”
I began undoing the knots that held the Baggage securely on either side of Nox’s saddle.
“Ugh! What on earth is in here—it’s so heavy!”
It felt like stones packed inside.
I couldn’t bear the weight of the Baggage and staggered. Finally, I let it drop to the ground.
I grunted and strained to lift it several times, but it wouldn’t budge.
Then Nox, who had been looking down at me quietly, ambled closer.
With his great muzzle, he nudged my shoulder aside, caught the end of the fallen Baggage in his teeth, and carried it effortlessly to a corner of the cave.
“…….”
I stared blankly at Nox, and he glanced back at me with a short snort that rumbled from his nostrils.
“Nox, you just looked at me like I was pathetic, didn’t you?”
A long snort escaped him, as if in reply.
Whether it meant yes or no, I couldn’t say.
But Nox seemed pleased enough to carefully arrange the remaining baggage in a neat pile.
‘Incredible. He’s more reliable than most people.’
As I stood marveling at this, Varkan reappeared from the cave entrance.
He carried a wide, flat stone plate over one shoulder along with split firewood, and in his other hand held two snow-white rabbits.
He set the firewood beside the fire, placed the stone plate over the flames, then turned back toward the cave entrance.
“I’ll clean them first.”
“I’m coming with you!”
Sitting alone by the warm fire felt awkward somehow, so I hurried after him.
Varkan broke through the ice of a frozen stream near the cave, then used the flowing water beneath to begin cleaning the rabbits.
Thunk, thunk, crack—
The way he peeled the skin clean in one motion and separated flesh from bone was nothing short of artistry.
“You’re remarkably skilled at this.”
Varkan answered without shifting his gaze, his tone matter-of-fact.
“Since childhood, I’ve hunted beasts in the mountains to fill my belly.”
“You did that yourself?”
“I did.”
“And you cooked for yourself as well?”
“One cannot eat raw meat.”
Fair point.
I nodded obediently.
Not long after, Varkan finished cleaning and headed back into the cave carrying the meat.
The stone plate over the fire had grown hot, radiating heat.
Varkan drew a leather pouch from his baggage.
I couldn’t contain my curiosity and stepped close behind him, craning my neck to peer over his shoulder.
“What’s that?”
“Salt and spices.”
“Ah……”
Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.
Varkan scattered the salt and spices evenly over the cleaned meat.
“Even from wild beasts, this will reduce the gamey flavor and make it easier for you to eat.”
“……”
Was he saying he’d brought spices along with the intention of making the meal more palatable for me?
Varkan?
Startled by his unexpected thoughtfulness, I bit back a laugh that threatened to escape.
‘When you see him like this, he’s actually quite a decent person.’
Managing fire, dressing meat.
Watching him move without hesitation in this survival situation, finding tasks and completing them with quiet efficiency, filled my chest with an unexpected sense of security.
‘With him around, at least I won’t starve to death.’
For others, this snow-covered mountain range was a place of death—but for Varkan, it was little different from a vast pantry.
As I watched his solid form with quiet satisfaction, he set the meat on the heated stone plate.
Sizzle—!
The aroma of roasting meat filled the cave.
The outer surface of the meat cooked quickly over the hot stone.
“You grill meat well too.”
“I hear that often enough.”
“Often?”
After particularly grueling training sessions, I sometimes grill meat in the Training Ground.”
“You do that with all the knights?”
“Yes.”
“You grill the meat yourself?”
“It’s an occasion to ease the knights’ fatigue. I can hardly ask them to cook as well.”
“……”
Was he serious or joking?
A grand duke grilling meat in the Training Ground to feed his knights—I couldn’t quite imagine it, and yet somehow it suited him perfectly.
Shortly after, Varkan set the well-cooked meat on a wooden plate and offered it to me.
“Please, eat.”
“I’m grateful for this meal.”
I carefully bit into the meat.
Hot juices flooded my mouth. The outside was crispy, the inside tender. Just as he’d said, the Salt and Spices brought out the deep flavor of the meat and eliminated any gaminess entirely.
“Wow…….”
A gasp of admiration escaped me.
“This is incredibly delicious.”
Varkan picked up his portion of meat without any particular expression.
I tore into the meat hungrily, muttering as I ate.
“If I’m going to crave this taste, I suppose we’ll have to camp in the mountains together often, won’t we?”
“”
My flippant joke met with Varkan’s usual, perfectly clean dismissal.
It was a familiar response.
Not that I’d really expected a warm reply—so I turned my full attention back to the meal.
After filling my belly, I burrowed into my Sleeping Bag early, steeling myself for tomorrow’s grueling journey.
Varkan volunteered to keep the campfire watch himself, making sure the flames didn’t die out.
Eyes closed, I lay still, but the tension of being on the threshold of entering the Lacrion Mountain Range kept sleep firmly at bay.
Perhaps this is what a knight feels before a final battle.
I peered out from my Sleeping Bag at Varkan’s broad back as he silently poked at the campfire with a stick, stoking the flames.
That’s when he spoke.
“You can’t sleep.”
Varkan asked quietly, his back still turned.
I nodded slightly and murmured in response.
“That’s probably it—sleeping all week locked in my bedroom, I suppose.”
It was a barb I’d meant to sting him with.
But Varkan actually laughed—quietly. It was a short, faint sound.
He lowered his gaze back to the campfire and lightly split a thick log with the tips of his fingers. It cracked cleanly with a soft snap, and the hefty piece of wood tumbled into the flames.
A silence stretched between us.
Then Varkan spoke.
“It is a Curse passed down through successive heads of the Eskar Grand Ducal House.”
“”
“They commonly call it the Madness Curse.”
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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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