The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 123

The moment Rose saw the cloak wrapped around the man’s body, her mind went blank. Of all people, it had to be the very man her lady had just been talking about. The face revealed beneath the pushed-back hood was hidden behind a white mask.

 

Flustered, guilty, and anxious all at once, Rose flushed bright red and stammered. “A-Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

She’d thought he’d start radiating murderous intent any second now, but instead the man simply shook his head with a far more gentlemanly air than she’d expected.

 

“More importantly, are you alright, Miss?”

 

“Ah… y-yes!”

 

His low voice, like it was echoing out of a deep cave, made Rose’s ears burn on their own.

 

“I’m really sorry. I should’ve been watching where I was going.”

 

“It’s not that hot, so I’m really fine.”

 

“Sir Cay!”

 

Just then, someone hurried over and cut in. It was the same kind of mask, but this time a black one. Another of the baron’s escorts.

 

“So this is where you were. But your arm…” The guard looking over the man called Cay trailed off.

 

At the horrified note in his voice, Rose hunched her shoulders, shrinking in on herself.

 

Cay answered quietly. “We just bumped into each other for a moment. It’s not even that hot.”

 

“It doesn’t look that way. You should really let a doctor take a look—”

 

“I really am fi—”

 

“I-I know a little about treating burns.” Seeing Cay keep refusing any help for some reason, Rose swallowed dryly and mustered her courage to speak up.

 

“You do, Miss?”

 

“Yes. My father used to be an herbalist. I’m not a doctor either, but I do carry a few herbs around with me.” Rose rummaged through the bag at her waist and pulled out a small vial of medicine. “This works well on light burns. You just spread a thin layer over it. If you show me the spot, I can put it on for you.”

 

The other man frowned and stepped in front of Cay, blocking him. “And why should we trust you?”

 

“I-I…” She couldn’t exactly say she served the duke’s sister.

 

It was just as Rose’s lips opened and closed soundlessly and her shoulders drooped.

 

“I’ll be fine. Move.”

 

“But…”

 

Whatever else the man had been about to say died on his tongue when he met Cay’s steady gaze. In the end, he stepped back.

 

“How am I supposed to apply it?”

 

“Ah, just spread a thin, even layer over the burn.” Her dejection lasted only a moment. Brightening, Rose explained kindly. “I can put it on for you myself.”

 

“That won’t be necessary. Thank you.” Cay let out a low chuckle and took the vial from her.

 

Before the two men who had turned around could walk away, Rose found herself reaching out toward their backs without thinking. “Um…”

 

“I almost forgot. What’s your name, Miss?”

 

Just as she was about to speak, Cay stopped short and turned back to her. At his gentle question, Rose’s face went hot. It was strange. She didn’t even know what he really looked like, didn’t even know his proper name, and yet her heart was pounding.

 

“Rp-Rosemary! Everyone just calls me Rose.”

 

“Rose…” Cay rolled her name on his tongue, then said warmly, “If we run into each other while I’m staying here, let’s say hello now and then.”

 

Judging by how politely the other guard treated him despite them both being bodyguards, he was probably of higher rank. If that was the case, the odds of him being some shady or disreputable character were low.

 

“Of course!” Rose nodded and answered with a bright smile. “I come and go along this corridor a lot, so I’m sure we’ll see each other often.”

 

“From the way you’re headed, you must be using the stairs up to the second floor.”

 

“That’s right. There’s only a staircase going up that way.”

 

Cay’s voice dropped subtly, but it was so brief she wondered if she’d imagined it. Remembering belatedly that Shailoh was waiting for her, Rose hurriedly excused herself. “I have to go. I need to go back to the kitchen and brew more tea. Then, if you’ll excuse me.” She gave him a quick smile and turned away.

 

Her first impression of him from a distance hadn’t been very good, but maybe first impressions really weren’t everything. With light steps, Rose headed back toward the kitchen.

 

* * *

Contrary to Declen’s expectation that the baron’s party would be prowling all over the ducal castle, testing the waters, they spent their time more quietly than he’d thought, staying almost entirely in the rooms they’d been given. That didn’t mean they were simply being left alone. As envoys sent by the king, they couldn’t be neglected or ignored.

 

Out of courtesy, Declen always took dinner with the baron. But the same conversation went round and round like a wheel spinning in place.

 

“If you would simply come and confirm whether she is truly your sister, that will be enough. Once you do that, we won’t press you any further.”

 

“You keep making unreasonable demands, Baron. I told you I have no intention of leaving my lands. It would be faster for you to sketch the features of the woman who claims to be my sister, or bring her here yourself.”

 

“I was told Your Grace searched for her desperately, and yet you act like this. To be frank, I can’t understand it. Defying His Majesty’s order is not, in the long run, a wise course. Please, come with me.”

 

“Defying his order, is it? Do you think the reason I’m not stripping the masks off the guards standing behind you is because I’m blind?”

 

At that sharp retort, the baron clenched his teeth instead of answering.

 

A duke opposing the king. Under normal circumstances, such a thing should never happen and could never be allowed. But the current situation was unavoidable.

 

The prince who had ascended to the throne after winning the people to his side, using that support as a weapon, joining forces with the rebel army, and overturning the balance of power, was still in the early days of his reign. He lacked enough loyal vassals to serve as an unshakable foundation. Of course, with his outstanding abilities, he would soon consolidate the royal authority and reign like the sun. But time was needed before his capabilities became widely recognized throughout the kingdom and before he could enjoy a stable rule.

 

What that rule needed was precisely the man before him, Duke Yesiol. A duke who had long governed the North, whose people’s loyalty to him was all but sky‑high. As one of the Three Dukes of Oath, he had never once challenged royal authority or raised a banner against the king throughout history. Nevertheless, to the king he was someone to be checked and, at the same time, someone who had to be won over.

 

The baron found it hard to grasp why the king would risk clashing with such an important figure just to find a single woman. As the tense standoff dragged on without either side yielding an inch, the baron finally raised the white flag.

 

“I’ve eaten my fill, so I’ll take my leave for today. Please forgive me.”

 

“Not at all. I’ll make sure you can dine in peace from now on.”

 

In other words, Declen intended to eliminate even this once-a-day meeting.

 

The baron shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I couldn’t impose on you like that. I’d also like to speak with Your Grace a little more. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

 

Before Declen, his brow furrowing, could answer, the baron bowed with impeccable politeness and left the dining hall with his guards.

 

Once the door had closed and the sound of their footsteps had faded, Declen muttered a curse under his breath and pressed his fingers to his forehead. Kianan, who had been standing at a distance by order, came over to him.

 

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

 

“That crafty old fox is constantly looking for an opportunity to get his hands on my sister.”

 

“Please endure it. It’s already been a week.”

 

“Kianan.”

 

“They can’t remain here in the North forever. Before long, they’ll run out of patience and leave on their own.” Speaking in a calm, soothing tone, Kianan shifted the subject. “By the way, how is the young lady? She hasn’t been able to leave her room.”

 

“She must be feeling stifled.” Declen nodded, answering with a look of regret. “At least those people don’t seem to wander around much, day or night. So I’ve allowed her to walk around the inner courtyard late at night.”

 

“Won’t that be dangerous? They’re still staying in this castle.”

 

“I’ve assigned Rose to her and stationed guards nearby out of sight, so it’s fine. Even if she’s discovered, I told them to cover it with a story about her identity.”

 

“I see…” Kianan agreed, but his expression was uneasy. A chilly premonition brushed across his chest, making him frown.

 

No matter how comfortable the room, anyone shut up in a large chamber for an entire week would feel penned in. Letting her at least walk in the inner courtyard late at night, when everyone else was asleep, was meant to give her a little room to breathe. But something about it didn’t sit right. His hunches had never once been wrong.

 

“Kianan?” At his continued silence and the faintly troubled look on his face, Declen quietly called to him.

 

Lost in thought, Kianan hesitated for a moment, then spoke. “May I accompany her as well?”

 

At the unexpected request, Declen raised an eyebrow. “You?”

 

“Yes. Just in case. Something about this bothers me.”

 

What nagged at Kianan wasn’t the baron, but the three guards. Even if it was supposedly a rule, the fact they had never once shown their faces left him with an ominous feeling.

 

“What is it that bothers you?”

      

“It’s just my intuition.”

 

But Kianan dodged Declen’s question and didn’t put it into words. His lord already had a mountain of things to worry about besides his sister. There were plenty of matters that could not be delayed any longer.

 

“Well… if you go with her, I’ll feel more at ease.” Perhaps thinking the hunch was nothing serious because of his light answer, Declen granted Kianan’s request.

 

Kianan’s hunch proved right that very evening. The trouble started because he kept a little distance and only watched Shailoh instead of going right up to her and speaking. If the duke’s right‑hand man stuck to her side, anyone who saw would obviously find it suspicious.

 

Shailoh, peacefully enjoying a walk with her maid, sat down on a bench. But almost at once she spotted something there. Her face went deathly pale, and her hands began to shake. At that very moment, Kianan, sensing that something was wrong even in the dim light, drew the sword at his hip and swept his gaze warily around them.

 

“…Ugh!”

 

“So the little rat was watching.”

 

A cold blade reached his throat one step faster than he could react. Every hair on his body stood on end.