Bab 268: [Chapter 268] The Heart Races
The full moon rose.
Number 52 looked up at the castle, bathed in moonlight, as bright as day. The hallways were brightly lit with candles, as if many people were working late because of the war.
"Number 52."
Number 39 spoke in a low voice. They had no names. From the earliest time they could remember, they had been raised as Princess Caymil's shadows, and they had never been given names.
Only four of them had set out from the Imperial Palace, and two had died. After discovering the Grand Duke's secret passage, they had split in two, and the group that went through the secret passage had lost contact.
Two remained. Not bad. Especially considering that the success of this mission could determine the outcome of this war.
Number 52 nodded at Number 39's gesture. They put on the tools given to them by the fearsome magician, Ulrich. A wig, a slightly crumpled travel outfit, and finally, a magical tool that allowed them to look like someone else, albeit temporarily.
This magic, used to make another prisoner look like Megara, the former mistress of the Crown Prince, on the day she was officially executed, looked awkward to those who knew her well. So it wasn't very useful in everyday life.
But with the strict security of White Swan Castle, there was no better way to pass through the gate than to disguise themselves as a man who had visited once and whose true face was known to very few, as they were always in disguise.
Princess Caymil's words were right: Diane McKinnon would definitely pass through Illopium Gorge, so if they saw anyone suspicious, they should keep an eye on them. Number 52 thought that their mission would be successful, having discovered their party and arriving just one step ahead of them.
Soon, the two began walking towards the gate of White Swan Castle.
***
The north had a greater change in the length of daylight with the seasons compared to the lands in the south. In summer, the days were very long, and in winter, they were very short. Even in the vast Maindeland, the northernmost region apparently had areas where the sun didn't rise in winter.
Nerys hoped that the soldiers would return before that winter came. So that the soldiers living in that northernmost region could find their way home without being too dark. And Cledwin...
She wanted to see him. It was an absolute feeling, before she could come up with any trivial reasons like "it's better if he comes before it gets cold."
"Lady."
Ellen spoke from outside, interrupting Nerys, who was working in her bedroom after a simple meal.
"Lady Diane McKinnon, the Earl's daughter, has arrived and just entered the gate."
"Diga?"
A welcome smile bloomed on Nerys' tired face. Dora bustled to help her up. Nerys, too lazy to mention that she wouldn't need assistance for months, left the bedroom.
"Where's Talprin?"
"He's with her."
"He's really gone above and beyond. He's the head of the Night Revelers, and he went down to the Imperial Palace himself to work, and then he brought our Diga here personally. He deserves a great reward."
The hallway was bright because everyone was working late. Ellen and Dora followed Nerys, smiling happily. They had seen how much Nerys had been waiting for Diane's arrival, wondering why there was no news.
"We'll take good care of her downstairs, Your Highness. Don't walk too fast."
"I should go see her right away, after such a long journey... Oh."
Nerys stopped suddenly on the stairs before descending to the hall on the first floor. Then, as if she had just remembered, she asked Ellen.
"Right, where is Mother? It's late, but could Ellen go see if she's awake? I've prepared a room for Diga in the West Palace. If possible, I'd like you to check the room with Mother. We should light a fire."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will."
It was a reasonable request, so Ellen turned towards the West Palace without any suspicion. Nerys, confirming Ellen's departing figure, slowed her pace and carefully descended the stairs.
And when she reached the hall on the first floor, she smiled brightly at the two people waiting for her.
"Diga."
A woman with chestnut hair in traveler's clothes and a man with wheat-colored hair, also in traveler's clothes. The man was carrying a heavy-looking bag. The woman was carrying nothing.
"I'm here, Liz."
The woman approached, smiling brightly and reaching out as if to hug her. Dora felt a sense of unease. Something was wrong. Why was there no one else around? And Diane didn't look like that...
"Get back!"
Her senses reacted before her rational mind. At the same time Dora pulled Nerys back, the woman pulled a jet-black blade from her skirt. Clank! The short tool, covered in thorns that made one shudder just looking at it, struck Dora's wrist, making a heavy metallic sound.
The moment she realized something was wrong, the magic faded. The woman, Silver Moon, tossed her chestnut wig aside, revealing her short hair. She stared intently at Dora's arm.
Dora ripped both her sleeves and threw them away. The sleeves, designed to be easily torn from the start, had metal guards wrapped inside.
"Come in. I knew you'd be here about now."
Nerys, standing behind Dora, who had also drawn a weapon from her skirt, her eyes fierce, spoke casually.
"I restricted access to the central entrance, so this was about the only chance you had to meet with me alone. So, it's true, that curse can only be used at close range."
The two shadows' stances sharpened, realizing that the Grand Duchess had guessed more than they thought. As the woman, Silver Moon, clashed swords with Dora, the man disguised as Talprin approached Nerys.
The man, Silver Moon, hadn't changed his appearance when he disguised himself as Talprin. It seemed he had been in his true form from the beginning.
Nerys sighed and stepped back slightly. One of the Night Revelers appeared and confronted the shadow. It was someone who had been hiding nearby, following Nerys' instructions to never let their guard down if anyone entered disguised as Diane.
Clank! The chilling sound of weapons clashing echoed through the hall. Nerys slowly backed away and stepped onto the stairs leading up to the second floor from the hall.
"Your Highness!"
"What's going on!"
Soldiers, sensing something amiss, rushed over. The two Silver Moons gritted their teeth.
A moment later, the White Swan Castle soldiers bound the two Silver Moons and thoroughly searched them for any hidden weapons. Once they were done, Nerys sent someone to check if her mother and Ellen had been startled by the sound of weapons. Then she entered the small interrogation room in the East Palace and began questioning them.
***
The interrogation room was a clean room with iron bars in the center, allowing for sufficient separation between the interrogator and the interrogated if necessary. The two Silver Moons, stripped of their belongings and changed into different clothes, were forced to kneel on the cold floor with gags in their mouths, and Nerys sat in a comfortable chair beyond the iron bars, looking down at them.
Before long, her mother and Ellen rushed in, pale-faced. Diane and Talprin were beside them.
"Liz!"
"Diga."
It was nice to see Diane again after so long, but it was annoying that she had come to the interrogation room. Nerys hugged Diane, who cautiously embraced her, and glared at Talprin.
Talprin pretended not to notice. Nerys' mother stepped in to defend him.
"She was so startled by the mess in the hall when she just arrived. She insisted on seeing if you were safe right away, so I brought her."
But wasn't it a bit much to bring her to the interrogation room? When did this place become the McKinnon family, where they would get the stars from the sky if Diane asked for them? Nerys was slightly dumbfounded, even as she clung tightly to Diane, unable to let go.
Diane, oblivious to Nerys' feelings, glared at the two prisoners like a bolt of lightning.
"Those are the ones? The ones who tried to hurt you?"
It probably wouldn't have ended with just hurting Nerys if they had succeeded… Nerys nodded. Diane jumped to her feet and started swinging her fists.
"Those bastards! How dare they!"
Nerys sighed. Yes… maybe this was better.
In this place, where they were together.
"Bring their belongings."
It was better to put the plan into action.
Dora quickly brought a tray with the belongings she had taken from the two Silver Moons. Talprin, as if to show how diligent he was in his duty, thoroughly examined the tray.
"Be especially careful with these."
After examining them, he used his weapon to push a few items aside. Pills, a dagger, a small bead… some were clearly suspicious, and some looked ordinary.
Nerys slowly examined the items on the tray. She was so careful, as if she knew something. And then, she slowly picked up the dagger that Talprin had warned her to be "especially careful" with.
She stared at the sun engraved on the hilt of the dagger for a long time, then placed it on her lap. She calmly spoke.
"Mother."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry for continuing to show you this side of me."
Diane, oblivious to Nerys' feelings, glared at the two prisoners like a bolt of lightning.
"Those are the ones? The ones who tried to hurt you?"
It probably wouldn't have ended with just hurting Nerys if they had succeeded… Nerys nodded. Diane jumped to her feet and started swinging her fists.
"Those bastards! How dare they!"
Nerys sighed. Yes… maybe this was better.
In this place, where they were together.
"Bring their belongings."
It was better to put the plan into action.
Dora quickly brought a tray with the belongings she had taken from the two Silver Moons. Talprin, as if to show how diligent he was in his duty, thoroughly examined the tray.
"Be especially careful with these."
After examining them, he used his weapon to push a few items aside. Pills, a dagger, a small bead… some were clearly suspicious, and some looked ordinary.
Nerys slowly examined the items on the tray. She was so careful, as if she knew something. And then, she slowly picked up the dagger that Talprin had warned her to be "especially careful" with.
She stared at the sun engraved on the hilt of the dagger for a long time, then placed it on her lap. She calmly spoke.
"Mother."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry for continuing to show you this side of me."
Her mother, realizing that her daughter's apology was about the "assassination attempt," was about to say it wasn't her fault, but her eyes widened.
At the sight of Nerys calmly piercing her fingertip with the dagger.
Liz! Baby! Lady! All sorts of names, all referring to her, were thrown at her. The two Silver Moons, having finally completed their mission, were slowly turning black, as if melting.
"Hmph…!"
Nerys rolled her eyes and gasped. Fragments of the past flooded back.
She knew this feeling. The same feeling she had when she collapsed in the old mansion in the Imperial Palace, the blurring of the line between past and present.
Her mother approached the trembling Nerys. Nerys felt a sense of unease as she looked at her mother. How could her mother be alive? Or had she been revived? But she had heard that…
Ah, yes. That's right… Nerys briefly recalled the thoughts she had been having. The reason she had decided to subject herself to the sealing curse.
'This is right.'
The Eye of Palos must be released. But Cledwin had confirmed last time that it couldn't be released by striking the seal of the secret chamber from the outside.
Fortunately, all the seals Caymil used were connected. When Nerys fell asleep, the Eye of Palos awoke, and it seemed to have affected the dragon lair.
'Then I have to create a gap from the inside.'
After all, if you want to open the mouth of a beast, you have no choice but to bring it food.
'Unless you can escape forever.'
She realized it even more today. She had stopped it this time. But how much longer could she stop it perfectly? She didn't even know that her opponent could use magic to mimic others, like today.
"Can't you just pull out the eyes of someone who has a jewel? It's not like they're the target of the seal."
So Nerys decided to choose. She learned from the dragon that the target of the seal wouldn't die but would simply fall asleep. Before she was attacked in a way that might harm the child, she would rather...
Protect herself and become the key to destroying the Imperial Family at the same time.
'It won't swallow me and close its mouth right away. If distance is the condition, as I think…'
She had already considered all the circumstances.
Caymil herself had just proven that the magic's 'activation' doesn't require a distance condition. By sending Silver Moon. That means that a long distance is an obstacle to the magic's 'completion'.
So this plan would succeed. Nerys smiled, receiving the attention of those around her.
Because she knew this wasn't the end.
"Don't… worry, Mother. He can handle it."
When the Eye of Palos is released… what is the Eye of Palos? She realized that she didn't have much time left to think.
"Mother. If you tell him this… it'll just make him nervous during the war. Keep it a secret until he returns victorious…"
"Liz!"
Diane sobbed. Nerys smiled at her too.
"Diga… I'm fine…"
But before she could say anything more…
Her vision went black.
***
"…My heart is racing."
Cledwin, gathered in the tent with the commanders for a strategy meeting, suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest and tilted his head. He had never felt so bad in his life. It was as if his entire existence was crumbling…
But he couldn't figure out why, so he decided to focus on conducting the meeting. After all, he had to end the war quickly so he could go back.
"We've laid enough bait, so we'll start the attack tomorrow."
If he was with Nerys, he would forget about this pain in an instant.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone