Chapter 115

Days bustling with activity passed by.

Keirsey had regained enough health to eat on her own, yet I continued to feed her.

Whenever I entered the room with a bowl of food, she would quietly watch me until I brought a chair next to her. Before I could even speak, she would demurely join her hands in front of her, close her eyes, and open her mouth.

Even though I thought of suggesting, “How about you try eating by yourself today?” as I entered, that thought would naturally dissolve upon seeing her actions.

Certainly, if I were to broach the subject, Keirsey, unlike before, wouldn’t sulk at me.

She would silently accept the bowl and eat by herself.

Knowing this made it even harder for me to speak.

It wasn’t through conversation that decisions were made; rather, it was as if all the decision-making power lay with me. Every word, every action became more cautious.

I decided to continue this a little longer, until she got a bit healthier.

There were things I had to tell the twins. Hidden truths they needed to know while they were recovering.

About Sharon Payne.

About Judy and me.

About the war.

Keirsey, who sometimes wandered the castle looking for me, might have sensed that something was going on. But since I had instructed to keep several facts secret from the twins, she probably didn’t grasp the full picture.

After taking care of Keirsey, I went to see Asena.

Asena didn’t particularly need me to feed her.

Whenever I entered with a bowl of food, she naturally took it from me.

We didn’t engage in any other conversation.

We just exchanged glances.

Asena, with her thinning arms, would spoon food into her mouth and just look at me.

I could feel a multitude of emotions in her eyes.

I knew she wasn’t just looking at me absentmindedly.

I didn’t avoid her expressive eyes, filled with various emotions, seeking to understand her thoughts even slightly. Asena, as if determined not to miss a single detail, kept her gaze fixed on mine.

It’s usually awkward to maintain eye contact for a long time without speaking, even among close acquaintances.

We felt that awkwardness too, but at the same time, there was a sense of comfort.

It was like having a long, silent conversation.

Throughout her meal, we remained like this, quietly.

Only when it came time for her last spoonful did Asena’s behavior slightly change.

She slowed down her eating. She began to look at me more deeply.

I realized she was delaying because I would leave once the meal was over.

“...Oppa has things to do.”

Only after I said this did she nod her head and finish her meal.

Thus, another day passed in this way.

.

.

.

.

The next day, we received an unexpected visitor.

She entered our courtyard with only a few guards in tow.

Helen, Thein, a multitude of servants, Judy, and I awaited the arrival of these newcomers.

From the heavy breathing of the horses, their weary eyes, and drooling mouths, it was evident how hard our guests had ridden to reach us.

The carriage, too, wasn’t a luxurious transport but rather one that seemed more suited for carrying goods or cargo... its mere appearance screamed urgency.

Before the carriage even came to a stop, she leaped out from the back.

It was a move that could have easily resulted in injury, given the number of moving horses, but she seemed unconcerned.

This frantic behavior was new to me. Clearly, the events that had befallen me were having a significant impact on those around me.

Upon seeing me, Daisy’s calm expression—which she was trying hard to maintain—crumbled.

Without a word, she ran to me and threw herself into my arms.

“...Daisy.”

“Ah...! Cayden...!”

While our household’s servants and the members of the Hexter family who had escorted Daisy might have viewed our meeting as a dramatic reunion... I could sense that Daisy’s emotions were more complex than that.

The tremble in her body conveyed her guilt, the force with which she clung to me spoke of remorse, and at the same time, there was a sense of relief that I was alive.

To unravel these complex emotions, it was right to move to a different place.

“Daisy, let’s move somewhere else for now.”

“.....”

After she stepped back from me, she closed her eyes tightly and nodded.

A single tear fell from her closed eyes.

As I took her hand and turned to lead her away, Daisy stiffened.

“.....?”

Daisy’s eyes were fixed on Judy.

For a moment, she stood frozen, then she released the hand I was holding and gracefully and politely placed her hands on her waist.

She then bowed deeply, conveying profound gratitude.

“....Thank you... I am truly grateful... for saving Cayden, thank you so much..”

Judy, led by Daisy’s gesture, joined our conversation.

She took Daisy by the shoulders, helped her stand, and said quietly.

“....Let’s go inside to talk... I have...”

Judy paused, then continued slowly.

“...I have something to tell you too.”

****

Certainly, at first, I too felt a range of emotions.

Nobody expected Sharon Payne’s attack, and all the fault lay with them.

But after hearing how quickly the news of my assault spread by the Benthrock family, I wondered where the Hexter family had been.

Why hadn’t they sent help when I was struggling to survive, just a day’s journey away? This thought came to me when I returned to the Pryster estate and was resting alone.

Of course, our relationship was tied through a political marriage, and unlike Daisy, I didn’t have a deep connection with the Hexter family.

Still, the question lingered.

The answer came quickly enough.

They found a body presumed to be mine. They thought I was dead, so they didn’t send troops.

They believed I was dead, and with the Hexter family dealing with an epidemic and famine, they had no resources to spare. I could understand that.

What I needed, having survived, was a plausible and understandable explanation.

So that I could nod, thinking, ‘Yeah, it’s okay if that’s the case.’

I needed something that I could accept as reasonable.

Moreover, today, witnessing Daisy’s extremely remorseful expression as she disembarked from the carriage, it was clear without having to hear it: she had wanted to help me.

Based on what I had read in the original novel of this world, I knew the epidemic plaguing the Hexter family was no trivial matter. Knowing Daisy was not one to betray someone, the knot in my heart unraveled quickly.

So, the issue was not with me.

It was with Grandmother.

She had not spoken much about this subject, but I could easily discern her dissatisfaction from her darkening expression and sealed lips whenever the Hexter family was mentioned.

Her absence today, upon hearing of Daisy’s arrival, said it all.

When I suggested we go out to greet them, she declined with a tone suggesting it was obvious, asking, ‘Why should we?’

Therefore, it seemed best to postpone the meeting with Grandmother and just have a conversation among ourselves.

In the meeting room, with a small round table, snacks and tea were prepared.

Judy, having mentioned she had something to say, followed us in and took her seat.

Daisy’s expression grew increasingly somber. Once everyone was seated and had caught their breath, she asked,

“....It seems everyone already despises me..”

It wasn’t hard to infer who ‘everyone’ referred to.

Grandmother, Asena, and Keirsey.

Considering they were nowhere to be seen despite our entry into the Pryster estate, Daisy must have felt an indescribable pressure.

“......”

I hesitated for a moment. The twins’ health was a topic for a slower discussion, and Grandmother’s anger was not unjustified.

Daisy swallowed her breath and suppressed her tears, knowing that it was time for a conversation. In doing so, she forcefully held back her tears.

Even here, I could briefly see her resilience. Indeed, she was not one to be easily shaken.

“Cayden, this might sound like an excuse, but... I really tried to help... I truly did.”

“...I believe you. Take your time and explain.”

“....My father... he was vehemently opposed... He said we couldn’t help because of the situation in our domain...and when a body was found, he told us to give up...”

She clutched my hand tightly and brought it to her chest, looking into my eyes to convey her feelings.

“Even when I yelled... and got angry, my father insisted we couldn’t do it.... I even tried hiring mercenaries, but they all refused...”

“.......”

“I’m sorry... so sorry... I really wanted to help you... I never doubted you were alive... You said you would come back, didn’t you?”

I gripped her hand firmly, reassuring her again.

There was no anger left in me, the apology marked the end of it.

Hearing the whole story from her dispelled any negative feelings I might have had.

I could understand.

“....It’s okay, Daisy. Look, I’m alive. I understand everything. You wanted to help me after all.”

But her expression didn’t ease.

“...I really messed up... I’m sorry for not being able to be of help... I’m ashamed...”

“....Just have some tea for now. I’m really fine, so don’t worry too much.”

Her eyes, which had been on me, slowly drifted to the ground.

The depth of her worries only seemed to deepen.

With her head bowed, she clung to my hand for a long while, then whispered,

“..........What happens to us now?”

“.......”

I realized why her expression hadn’t brightened.

Unlike her, I believed our engagement wouldn’t be so easily dissolved, feeling quite different from her.

The sight of Daisy, fearing the end of our engagement, brought a smile to my face. This situation, in fact, made her feelings even clearer to me.

Currently, she doesn’t know that I’m acting as the head of the Pryster family. She probably thinks I’ve been expelled from the Pryster family.

Could the decision of Lord Hexter not to send support to me have been influenced by this aspect as well?

Regardless, even though I received help from the Pryster family, the fact that I was considered an outcast hadn’t changed. Daisy fearing the breakage of our engagement was, in a way, a pleasing fact for me.

So, to reassure her, I began to speak.

“Don’t worry. Everything will turn out-”

“-But before that..!”

At that moment, another voice interjected.

It was Judy.

“...Dai...Daisy, before I saved Cayden’s life, I was promised something...”

Unlike Daisy, Judy’s voice lacked confidence. She might put on a brave front outside, but like during our first meeting and even now, she became timid in formal settings.

Tall and skilled with the sword, yet she was still fearful in situations like these.

Daisy, surprised by the voice of a presence she had forgotten, lifted her head to face Judy.

Immediately after, she bowed her head again to express her gratitude.

“Ah, Judy. Once again, thank you-”

“-If I brought back Cayden, I was promised, pr...promised an engagement with him...!”

Their voices overlapped in the middle.

But it was clear they heard each other, as Daisy’s body stiffened immediately after.

After a long pause, Daisy whispered back in disbelief.

“.......What?”

---  End Of The Chapter ---

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