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A dull pain lanced through the back of his head, accompanied by aches everywhere. On his back, his hips, and all his joints.
Riddhe groaned in his sleep from the discomfort plaguing his body until he heard the clank of metal. Opening his eyes, his vision cleared slowly, and he jumped as he recognized the two people standing before him.
“Lady Cro— Oww?!”
“Oh dear! Please remain still, Lord Riddhe. Charlotte, tend to him quickly! This won’t do. No sudden movements when you are injured, please.”
“No worries, this is nothi— Oww!!”
Charlotte crouched down to examine his wounds.
“I knew it. It’s swollen back here, and there’s a small cut on the forehead too… It’s all right; I’ll take care of it right away,” she assured as she clasped her hands together and nodded.
Swiftly, she cleaned the area with a cloth and applied some medicine, then wrapped a bandage around Riddhe’s head before he could speak another word of protest.
“Done,” she declared. “Now, it’s best if you don’t move your head too much… Yes, just lean back and sit down. Don’t move around!”
“Y-Yes. Thanks… But, Lady Crowne, why are you here?”
Riddhe’s voice trembled slightly with worry, but relief flooded through him as Beatrix gave a soft smile.
“I’m here to protect you, of course. Didn’t I swear on my royal blood to remain a friend of Heilland, Lord Riddhe?”
“Great…! That means Al—I mean Albert—got to your mansion safely and informed you of that night’s events?”
Beatrix’s expression grew troubled at the mention of Albert’s name.
“To tell the truth, I haven’t been able to see Mister Albert myself. Security at the mansion is tight, so it’s almost impossible for anyone to break in… But don’t worry. I’ve asked someone trustworthy to ensure his safety. Besides, I have to let him know about the trial. Either way, I’ll make arrangements for him to join us soon.”
Beatrix updated Riddhe on her talk with the crown prince and chancellor as he listened quietly. However, when the issue of Charlotte being his caretaker was mentioned, he couldn’t help but sit up.
“Miss Charlotte?! But—”
“No, Lord Riddhe! Please lean back!” Charlotte scolded immediately.
“S-Sorry,” Riddhe apologized as he hurried to comply and leaned back again. Lady Crowne laughed and shook her head at the exchange.
“Don’t worry about Charlotte. She is here of her own free will and determination.”
“But…”
Riddhe stared at Charlotte. He’d told Lady Crowne that Yggdrasil could be the mastermind he was looking for, and Charlotte here was the man’s daughter. All things considered, the girl wasn’t someone they should be trusting as an ally.
“I’m sorry!” As if sensing Riddhe’s doubt, Charlotte bowed before the shocked man. “I know that perhaps… No, I know for sure that Father and His Highness Fritz were the ones who framed you, Lord Riddhe.”
“…May I ask why you think that?”
Charlotte shrank back and trembled slightly at Riddhe’s question, then confessed it all. About her special relationship with Crown Prince Fritz, his strange behavior recently, and how he spent most of his time with her father these days.
“I just thought it strange when I heard that Her Majesty had collapsed and Lord Riddhe was arrested,” she concluded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought it must be some kind of mistake… That something bad was happening.”
Troubled, she’d gone to see the crown prince, advising him not to label Riddhe as a criminal as it could lead to war. But the prince had shook his head and told her not to worry and that all their problems would soon be gone.
That alone had been enough to turn Charlotte’s suspicion into certainty.
“His Highness has always had a strong desire to surpass Her Majesty Empress Elizabeth. But this way of doing it is wrong! Framing someone for a crime and inciting a needless war is just…”
She had to stop the crown prince. With that thought, she hurried to her father but was faced with the same response. Her usually rational and kind father had agreed with Fritz’s decision, which told Charlotte the two men were working together, and her father was the one pulling the strings behind the entire plot.
“I’m not smart. I may not understand the greatness of His Highness’s dream or why Father is doing all this, but…but if things continue, so many people will get hurt. That’s why I…”
“I see,” Riddhe whispered, seeing the strong light shining in Charlotte’s eyes. The most important people in her life were about to go down the wrong path, and she wished to stop them. His heart burned with the same emotion as he remembered what happened six years ago. “I understand your determination… Please, Lady Crowne, tell me. I know that the mastermind, Chancellor Yggdrasil, will surely try to prove my guilt. What is our best course of action from now?”
Beatrix nodded. “I have an idea, but it will be a gamble for Erdal…”
As various intentions crossed paths, the gears of history started to move.
Scattered pieces gathered once again, putting together a new picture.
On a hill under a sky full of stars, a boy spun the wooden cylinder in his hand. Peering inside, he smiled.
The path leading to a new future was just around the corner.