The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 140

Chapter 140: The News of Misfortune and a Knight’s Wish

The clouds had cleared during the night, leaving a bright blue sky shining under the morning sun.

After breakfast, I went to see the two men off as they prepared for their departure. While Cedric affectionately stroked his horse, August grumbled discontentedly, clearly unwilling to go.

“We just got to Enkar, and you’re making us turn around after just one night? Why don’t you just go back to Soarasonne alone? I don’t need to accompany you.”

“In that case, I would have to report your conduct at the lord’s mansion in detail to His Lordship.”

“That’s a cowardly tactic! You can’t stand up to me, either as a knight or as a man!”

“To hear that from you…”

Despite his cold demeanor, their banter was easy and comfortable, and Cedric looked somewhat relaxed.

They might seem like oil and water personality-wise, and Cedric seems exasperated sometimes, but this seems to be a surprisingly good relationship.

“Cedric, August has worked hard for Enkar, too. Cut him some slack.”

“Lady Melfina, pampering him will lead to nothing good. We must treat him strictly. It’s best to be even stricter, just for good measure.”

“You’re such a…”

I was laughing at August’s grimace when they finished loading the luggage onto the horses. They were fully prepared for their departure.

Even though it was only for ten days, this was the first time I would be apart from Cedric for so long since he arrived in Enkar. I felt a little sad.

In the beginning, things were difficult, but now I’ve come to rely on this bodyguard completely.

“It’s a beautiful day, thank goodness. You both, please be careful on the road…”

My words were interrupted by the sound of commotion near the gate. I turned my gaze, and a horse was running into the grounds, the guard at the gate shouting in protest.

Cedric and August immediately moved in front of Melfina and Marie, their hands reaching for their swords.

“Both of you, inside the mansion!”

“Messenger! Messenger! Urgent summons from the Duke’s household! I apologize for the intrusion!”

A man riding horseback shouted, interrupting Cedric, and then he threw off the cloak he was wearing.

The man was dressed in the same Duke’s knight’s uniform as Cedric and August.

“What happened!?”

August, whose playful demeanor was gone, asked sharply. The knight dismounted and slumped to the ground. The horse, likely pushed to its limit, was still agitated even after being released. It was tossing its head, shaking its mane, and stamping its hooves impatiently.

The knight, helped to his feet by August, bowed with a soaked face and spoke in a hoarse voice, but his words were clear.

“Lord George, head of the Carlisle household, his son Philip, and Lord Melchior have all passed away unexpectedly. Knight Cedric von Carlisle is to immediately report to the royal palace!”

The sky was clear, and a pleasant early summer breeze blew.

It should have been a day worthy of a departure, but suddenly, like a hammer hitting a nail, an ominous silence fell over everyone, unable to utter a word.

It took about fifteen minutes after the commotion for the knight, who had been riding hard and couldn’t even speak for a while after drinking two cups of water, to finally tell the full story.

According to him, Cedric’s older brother Philip, who was stationed three days’ journey from the capital, had died three weeks ago from a head injury sustained in a fall from his horse.

When Cedric’s father, the Earl of Carlisle, was informed of the death of his eldest son, the heir, he took his second son to his post. While en route, the cliff they were passing collapsed due to heavy rains making the ground unstable, and the carriage tumbled down the cliff.

Only the wreckage of the carriage and the bodies, mauled by beasts, remained. A knight’s sword was found at the scene, indicating that both men, including the attendant, had perished.

The knight, who had ridden from the capital to Soarasonne in two weeks by carriage, then galloped from there to Enkar, changing horses along the way, had reached his limit after delivering the royal decree and recounting the story. He was running a high fever, so I had him rest in a guest room.

The horse had calmed down and was put in the stables, where it received plenty of water, fodder, apples, and a lump of sugar from me.

Finally, after grasping the situation, a heavy air filled the gathering room.

The news was so sudden that I didn’t know what to say to Cedric.

Silence reigned for a while, but August was the first to break it.

“…Since the head of the Earl’s household, the eldest son, and the second son have all passed away, you’re the only one left to inherit. There’s a royal decree, so you can’t disobey.”

“I understand.”

Cedric’s voice was surprisingly the same as always. He finally released his hands clasped on his lap, looked up, and met my gaze.

“Lady Melfina, may I request permission to go to Melto Village?”

“What…?”

“The messenger will be useless for a while. I should leave as soon as possible, but I also need to go to Oldrand to return my knighthood. Before that, I need to take care of something here.”

I gasped at the words “return my knighthood.”

He would be released from the Oldrand household and, most likely, head directly to the capital.

The Carlisle family is responsible for martial affairs at the court. They can’t leave the head of the house vacant for long. He will go to the royal palace, receive a new appointment from the king, and likely become the captain of the Royal Guard.

Just like in the game, that’s how Cedric’s status was.

“Alright, do as you wish, Cedric.”

Julius is in Melto Village. He probably wants to see him.

“——Uh, Cedric…”

I can’t find the right words to say. Not to be downcast, to offer my condolences… It’s impossible to console him after just learning about the deaths of three members of his family.

Cedric smiled softly at me.

“It’s alright. My father and brothers were knights. We knew that something could happen at any time. We were prepared.”

His voice, calm and almost comforting, made me bite my lip hard.

Even if you work in a dangerous profession, even if you’re prepared for something like this, it doesn’t make the loss of family any easier.

He must be shaken, and it must be painful. Yet, even in his grief, he’s still able to care for others. I can’t speak.

“Then, I shall be absent for a while.”

He bowed and left the room.

“Returning his knighthood will be done quickly. It’s unfortunate, but the Duke’s household is prepared for this.”

August’s soft whisper reached my ears as I stood there, staring at the closed door. I turned to him awkwardly, and August met my gaze, his face heavy with exhaustion.

“I’m sure he won’t say it, but he actually asked His Lordship to allow him to resign as a knight of Oldrand. This leave was for that purpose.”

“Why would he do that?”

It’s unheard of for a knight to resign after swearing an oath of loyalty without a compelling reason. And it was completely unthinkable that Cedric, so serious and a pillar of standards, would do such a thing.

August chuckled awkwardly.

“He’s currently in the position of a knight dispatched from the Oldrand household. He wanted to return the sword, armor, and horse he received during his appointment, throw away his honor as a knight of the Oldrand family, and become Melfina’s knight. Even though it can’t happen now, he must have been prepared for a lot. Please understand.”

He sounded a little lighthearted, as if his usual self was trying to come back, but the weight of his words forced me to sink into the sofa.

I thought I had come to understand Cedric’s personality in the past year and a few months.

He’s a knight’s knight, a model of righteousness, always serious and devoted to his duty, never slacking on his training.

That such a man would try to renounce the oath he once made… I was speechless, told that he had made this decision to serve Melfina.

“——That, that’s…”

“I think I’m the one who was too late. Although, a year and a half ago, I would never have imagined that such a rigid man would break his word. Not in a million years.”

I covered my mouth with both hands and looked down.

How much had Cedric prepared himself for this decision?

And as August said, that wish will never come true.

After returning from Melto Village, Cedric will immediately leave for Soarasonne.

He will never return to Enkar.

Just like in the game, he will become the disciplined, rule-bound captain of the Knights Order, the Baron of Carlisle, and meet Maria.

Feeling the gears of fate in motion, I clenched my teeth, overcome by the helplessness of not being able to do anything for him, despite the depth of his feelings for me.