Bab 258: [Chapter 258] The Last Word
Nellusion had thought he'd find the secret passage in no time, but here he was, still empty-handed after throwing a good chunk of change into the search.
"Still nothing?" Abelus would ask every time they crossed paths lately. But with that smug grin on his face, it was clear he wasn't really curious; he just wanted to see Nellusion squirm.
Nellusion kept his cool, though. His patience came from a mix of stubbornness, the comfort of his surroundings, and the fact that he'd been rewarded for waiting in the past.
But now, with no options left and everything he had on the line, his anxiety was creeping up as the answer remained just out of reach.
Finally, after narrowing down the possible spots for the secret passage to two, he felt a surge of excitement.
"Twelve men for the first spot, seven for the second. The Duke wouldn't have put a secret passage right on the main road. We need to search thoroughly; the locals might not even know it's there."
The fifteen men he'd managed to gather were all he could afford, having spent every last bit to get them on board. Once they set off, he'd be left with no one to help him out.
If he were still the Duke of Elandria, it wouldn't have been an issue. He could have called on the vassal lords for assistance, and things might have looked up a bit when the autumn taxes rolled in. Even then, most of it would have gone to the royal family, but at least it would have been something.
Nellusion's dad, the current Duke, now held all the perks of the dukedom, which put Nellusion in a tough spot in the battle between them.
His mom, the Duchess, was in full-on war mode against her husband, just like she promised her son. She was spinning tales to the vassal lords who owed the Wells family, claiming the Duke had nearly wiped them out, and she was spilling his secrets to his foes.
Who stood to gain from this back-and-forth? The Elandria family was done for, no chance of bouncing back.
If Nellusion wanted to make it through this mess, he had to nail this mission. His team, knowing the stakes, didn't waste time worrying about him and responded with determination.
"Got it."
"If you mess up, don't bother coming back. If you can't find your target at the first spot, check the next area over, and if it's not there, keep moving outwards. If you still come up empty, dig through the mountains if you have to!"
It was a wild request, but his crew didn't push back this time. Arguing would be pointless.
His subordinates trickled out of the mansion like the tide pulling back. Nellusion was at his desk, fiddling with the pieces on the map laid out in front of him. He moved a few pieces hesitantly, but it just wasn't clicking, so he set them back where they were.
"I just need to find the passage."
If he could send troops to ambush the vacant Maindelant from this angle, he could really change the game. If he scorched the entire north, the opportunistic Duke of Tipian would likely come to his aid, and then that beast Cledwyn would be trapped on both sides.
Nellusion wasn't a seasoned war strategist, but he understood that morale was key in the military. The Maindelant army managed to pull along troops from various territories with a small main force because they kept winning. Meanwhile, the defeated, who were slow and lacked momentum, were intimidated by the glow of their victories.
The soldiers had no choice but to follow their leader, but they would turn on him the moment they sensed he was vulnerable. Nellusion was convinced of that.
The more he searched for the hidden passage, the more he became certain. It was almost entertaining to picture Cledwyn surrounded by enemies, meeting a grim fate.
'So.'
Now he could bring Neris back. A sinister glint sparkled in Nellusion's eyes. This was the only move he needed to make. Everything would go smoothly as long as he could locate the secret passage.
That's why Nellusion was taken aback when he found out that all fifteen of his subordinates, whom he had dispatched, had gone silent.
****
Talprin pushed open the cabin door and stepped inside, announcing, "I'm here."
"Hey, come on in!"
The cabin, which had likely been dark and musty for ages, now felt bright and cozy. The stale odor was gone, replaced by the fresh scent of flowers that Diane brought in daily.
Diane, the cheerful voice that welcomed him, was the one behind this transformation. She stood at the door, grinning, with a blanket that looked more like a rag. Talprin shut the door and let out a sigh.
"What are you up to?"
His voice carried a hint of annoyance, but Diane responded with a smile, "I was fixing a hole in the blanket."
"You were 'fixing' it?"
"I know, I was 'about to' fix it."
Diane admitted it with a playful pout, and Talprin sighed again, unable to resist her cheerful demeanor.
He had gotten used to her sighs over time. After all, she seemed to have accidents every other minute.
"Come on, why did you make more holes when you were supposed to fix it?"
"I was trying to pull the thread out because I messed it up, and I ended up tearing the fabric too. It must be pretty old."
"But I just had that blanket made!"
"Yeah, but it had a hole in it, right?"
"That was from when you got a spark on it a few days ago while cooking."
It was a phrase that probably shouldn't be used for a lady of her stature, but neither Diane nor Talprin really cared. Diane was way more laid-back than Talprin realized, and Talprin was a lot more sarcastic than Diane thought.
"Oh, really?"
Diane laughed, needle in hand, while Talprin frowned and moved closer to her, snatching the needle away. He felt a bit uneasy.
"Good grief."
Up close, it wasn't just the new blanket that had seen better days and turned into a rag. Talprin clenched his jaw at the sight of Diane's bloodied finger.
"Don't mess with needles again."
"I get it. I just thought since I saw Betty do it, I could handle it too."
"It always seems simple when someone else is doing it."
He felt even more uneasy with his own complaints. Talprin walked over to the corner of the cabin and grabbed the medicine he had stashed away. He went back to Diane and carefully put the medicine on her finger.
Diane, no longer a kid, kept wiggling her hand and giggling.
Talprin knew that telling her to "Stay still" was pointless. He took her hand firmly, which might have seemed a bit rude, but Diane just laughed.
Her soft hand, completely unblemished, was in stark contrast to his rough, calloused one. Talprin noticed that the spot where her hand rested seemed to glow a bit more than the surrounding area. Was it because her hand was so pale? Not really.
In truth, everywhere Diane McKinnon went felt a little brighter, like a tiny sun had landed on earth.
His stomach twisted. Talprin quickly applied the medicine and released her hand, clenching his jaw. Oblivious to his discomfort, Diane casually remarked, "We don't need to buy a new one, right? I'm okay with a torn blanket."
"You're going to have to, like it or not."
"Huh? Why's that?"
Diane and Talprin had been hiding out near the imperial capital for a few weeks now.
What started as a silly, temporary situation had slowly become their new normal. Now, when Talprin returned from missions, Diane would greet him like it was just another day, and he would automatically clean up the messes she made while exploring everything around her.
But deep down, they both knew this setup wouldn't last forever.
So, Talprin said it without much thought—at least, that's how he saw it.
"I just wrapped up a mission dealing with Nellusion Elandria's crew. His Highness mentioned that Princess Caymil is making her official return, so we need to get out of here soon."
Diane let the blanket she was holding drop.
****
Sure! Here's a different take on that text:
"Yeah, my brother is totally messing everything up. He's letting the Duke get way too close."
Caymil looked at the scene with a bored expression.
In the corner of the bedroom, a servant was tied up like an animal. He was a guy from the Prince's palace, sent by Abelus to keep an eye on the princess, who was thought to be plotting against the Emperor. Eonwol had already caught him a while back after he slipped up.
Back when the Emperor was watching Caymil, she had to be careful not to act too hastily. Eonwol was definitely better than the Emperor's shadow, but that didn't mean the shadow was clueless. At that time, Caymil still wanted to impress the Emperor, so she had to tread lightly around the Emperor's maidservant, which was super annoying.
But now, she felt free to let loose. Her patience had finally run out.
That's why she had taken care of her father.
Plus, since the war started, Abelus didn't seem to mind whether the spies he sent to watch Caymil were actually giving him real updates or if someone else was just pretending to be him.
The young guy from Eonwol's, who had given a detailed rundown of what was happening outside, responded respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness."
Caymil chuckled, her teeth clenched.
"I'll be able to step out soon. Yeah, all the nobles are finally seeing how foolish my brother is... I just need one more thing to fall into place."
Since Abelus became her watcher, she had been gathering intel from all corners of the empire, almost as if she were free to roam.
In a way, it was simpler than before. She didn't have to stress about anything else; she could just soak in reports all day. It was like playing chess where she had extra time to assess the whole board and strategize without worrying about pawns coming after her.
With that time, she had done her calculations. She figured out the best moment to make her move, which pieces she could afford to lose, and which ones she absolutely needed to secure.
Just then, another one of Eonwol's shadows murmured from outside the door.
The maid of the Empress is back, Your Highness.
With the Maindelant army drawing so near that it felt almost tangible, the Empress had been pushing Caymil to dive back into politics. It was likely the nobles were nagging her, thinking they could no longer count on Abelus.
The Empress was easily swayed by pressure, which is why she was so quick to ask Caymil to return, even with the accusations of trying to assassinate the Emperor hanging over her head. Caymil had managed to keep the nobles in check for so long that her parents had grown used to a peaceful existence.
'She wants me to be a shadow for the royal family again. You know she can't officially bring me back.'
She would eventually return, but not just yet. Caymil rolled her eyes and replied, "Let her know I'm too burdened with guilt as a criminal to even consider Her Majesty's request."
It was a line she had already used multiple times. The silence lingered outside the door. Caymil glanced down and took a sip of her tea.
A moment later, the same voice came through the door again.
"Your Highness, the young Duke of Elandria has sent a secret letter."
The young man from Eonwol, who was present in the room, figured Caymil would just brush off the letter. After all, Nellusion was one of the reasons she had been exiled in the first place. He had acted loyal to her face, but behind her back, he had been part of the scheme to frame her, hadn't he?
Caymil, surprisingly cheerful after the past few days, had a bright smile on her face.
"Let him in."
The shadow stepped forward and handed her an ivory letter. Caymil opened it, read through the contents, and burst out laughing.
Without a second thought, she burned the letter and stood up from her chair.
"Nellusion is groveling and pledging his loyalty, claiming he wants to take down Maindelant and claim the Duchess for himself. I guess he finally remembered me now that he's hit rock bottom."
Caymil had no faith in Nellusion. Their disagreements over the Duchess's location were too deep to mend. He probably just saw her as a better option than Abelus for the time being.
But that didn't mean she couldn't take advantage of him for a bit.
With the moment she'd been waiting for finally here, Caymil instructed her subordinate with a lighthearted tone.
"I need to see Her Majesty tomorrow. Get me some clothes that scream repentance. Something that'll tug at Her Majesty's heartstrings for her daughter."
With everything falling into place, there was no reason to hold back anymore.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone