The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 129

Chapter 129: The One Without

After asking Marie to take command of the soldiers and telling Anna to contact me as soon as Ed returned, I went back to my office. But the sun was steadily sinking, and I couldn’t focus on work.

Even though spring was transitioning into summer, the days weren’t long yet. Soon, it would start to get dark.

The nights in this world were incomparably dangerous compared to my previous life.

It wasn’t the season for the monsters of the north, but dangerous wild animals like bears and wolves lurked nearby, and in the darkness of night, humans were no match for them.

In a world without streetlights, the night was too dark for human eyes, making accidents a possibility even on familiar paths. Nobles and commoners alike only went about their day during the time the sun was shining in the sky. They returned home before dusk, had dinner, and went to sleep as soon as the sun set—it was a natural habit.

Eventually, even as the sun began to set on the western ridge, I still didn’t have any news of Ed. I was lost in my thoughts, unable to focus on my work, when word came that the church carriage had returned.

“Cedric.”

“I shall accompany you.”

As I rose from my chair, Cedric nodded as if it were something he already knew. With my heart pounding, I went down the stairs, passed through the gate, and just as I did, my eyes met Emil’s as he stepped off the carriage. A light drizzle was falling, and he had pulled the hood of his robe over his head to avoid getting wet.

“Priest! You must be weary!”

“Duchess. Did you come out to greet me? Ah, you’ll get soaked, let me come over to you.”

Emil, with a gentle smile, moved to the cover of the gatehouse roof. As a noble woman, I bowed politely, then quickly looked up. Emil must have noticed something was off about Melfina, for he looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Duchess, what troubles you?”

” … Priest, I apologize for the impertinence, but did anything unusual happen during today’s blessing? One of our servants who went for the blessing hasn’t returned yet.”

Emil tilted his head, confused, and turned towards August, who stood behind him. August, dressed in a robe emblazoned with the Oldrand Knights’ insignia, also seemed clueless, shaking his head from side to side.

“The servant who received the blessing was the kitchen boy, right? I stayed close to the tent area for security, but I didn’t notice anything unusual.”

“I bestowed the blessing on all eighteen boys on the list. There were a few with interesting talents, but there weren’t any major problems.”

Hearing their confirmation, Melfina slumped her shoulders.

“Is that so? … I apologize for detaining you while you are weary. Thank you for today. I’ll send you a gift of gratitude later.”

“No, it will be nightfall in a moment. Your household must be worried. Please don’t worry about us. If you wouldn’t mind, could you also accompany Carlisle, Duchess?”

“No, I’m here to guard Emil, so that’s impossible.”

“I have an escort from the church, and I don’t think there will be any trouble in this land… No, I was presumptuous. I apologize.”

August bowed politely at that response.

Emil, after all, was only a priest who came to bless the land ruled by the Duchess at the request of the Oldrand family. It wouldn’t be appropriate to use August, who was his bodyguard, for Melfina’s personal matters.

“Thank you for your concern, Priest.”

With a friendly smile, Emil bowed, said goodbye, and headed back to the annex in the drizzle.

I tightened my grip on my fists, pressing them against my stomach, and looked up at the sky. The rain continued to fall softly, and the thick clouds overhead made everything feel heavier and darker.

It was definitely abnormal for him not to be back by this time.

“Send out a search party before nightfall. Any knight who can ride a horse should search the surrounding area.”

My grip tightened, a bad feeling settling in. I tried to be strong, but my voice trembled.

“I’ll arrange it immediately. We’ll also request that Enkar Village carefully search around their homes.”

“Yes, we have to find him before nightfall…”

My concern was no longer about him being late; I was just worried about his safety. If he returned safely, I’d just laugh it off later as being an overprotective and anxious lord.

Then, Anna, who had been silently watching the situation unfold, suddenly spoke up.

“Ah, Ed!”

Following her voice, I turned my head towards the gate. There, accompanied by soldiers, a small figure was walking towards us. He was bent over, so I couldn’t see his face, but his hair color and the clothes he wore were unmistakable—they were Ed’s.

“Oh, I’m so relieved. You’re back.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I noticed the soldiers’ confused expressions and Ed’s refusal to raise his head. As I tried to step forward, Cedric stopped me, took Ed from the soldiers, and led him towards us, placing a hand on his back.

“Ed, I was worried. Where were you all this time? … What happened?”

He was drenched, and water was dripping from his hair. Ed still wouldn’t lift his head, and as Melfina knelt down to look at him from below, she realized that it wasn’t just raindrops falling from his face.

Ed’s eyes were red and swollen, and his lips were tightly pressed together, as if to stifle sobs. I couldn’t tell how long it had been, but blood was seeping from his lips.

“Ed, what happened?”

There was a light pattering of footsteps as Anna brought a towel, which Cedric took and placed over Ed’s head. Even though it was the time between spring and summer, the rain in the north was still cold. When I touched my clenched fist, it felt icy cold.

“Lady Melfina… I’m sorry, I, I’m sorry…”

“What happened? Did someone do something violent to you!?”

It was the first time I saw this boy, who always had a carefree smile and was the life of the party in a different way than Anna, crying like this.

He didn’t seem injured. His clothes were clinging to his body, maybe because of the rain, but there was no sign of him being forced to undress.

All I could sense was that he was deeply crushed and suffering.

“Let’s go inside for now. Change your clothes, and I’ll make you some warm tea. You’ll catch a cold if you stay like this.”

Even when urged, Ed just shook his head no. Tears continued to flow, and he choked every time he tried to speak.

“Lady Melfina, I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for, Ed?”

“I, I don’t, have, any, talents, I mean…”

I was surprised by his words, relieved, and then immediately I rebuked myself for my relief.

For Ed, it wasn’t “just that”.

He was so miserable that he had spent hours alone in the cold rain and almost couldn’t make it back here.

“Ed, it’s alright. That’s nothing to apologize for.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Melfina, I’m sorry.”

“Ed, please, don’t apologize. … I’m so glad you came back safely.”

I took his hand and urged him to come inside, and he finally, without further resistance, moved his heavy feet towards the manor.

I could feel Ed’s coldness, his heart hardening.

It shouldn’t be like this, but he seemed to believe that he shouldn’t be at the manor.

And it was incredibly painful.