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Chapter: 43

"I shall depart from the fortress in two days."

Eunuch Han had insisted that I could leave immediately since my schedule was more important than his. But that was just stubbornness on his part.

It was absurd to suggest that he, an elderly man with an injury, ride a horse all the way to Wolhan Fortress.

Several days had already passed. But now, time was running short. Eunuch Han\'s injury was showing signs of improvement, and he seemed to have recovered enough to travel without major issues. It was time to leave.

Even if I forced my stay, Commander Heo\'s nagging would make it impossible to relax.

Lord Naam’s eyes widened at my announcement.

* * *

Finally, the reckless prince had decided to leave Naam Fortress. It was news that should have brought him joy. He had been eagerly awaiting the prince\'s departure.

But he simply couldn\'t rejoice.

Bang!

He slammed his fist on the table, rattling the objects on its surface.

"Damn it..."

His fist trembled on the tabletop.

Two days remained until the reckless prince\'s departure. Time was tight. He had to make a decision.

He had never faced such a perplexing situation in his life. There seemed to be no way out.

"Bellflower... Of all things..."

The charge itself was a major problem.

At this point, the best possible outcome for him was to escape any involvement in the incident. Even the slightest connection would bring disaster.

To avoid suspicion, he had no choice but to obey the prince\'s orders.

He had already declared his intention to wholeheartedly follow the prince\'s commands.

Although it was the prince\'s attendant who had apprehended Jong Sangye, it was his responsibility as the lord to conclude the matter.

He had to personally imprison Jong Sangye, the liaison to Duke Woo Joong, and send him to the capital under his own men\'s escort. It was akin to signing a death sentence for his relationship with Duke Woo Joong.

One of the things Lord Naam was good at was understanding his place. He didn\'t delude himself into thinking that Duke Woo Joong cherished him more than Jong Sangye. To Duke Woo Joong, he was still merely a party to an unfinished transaction. On the other hand, the connection between Jong Sangye and the duke was far stronger than anything he had to offer.

Lord Naam thought to himself.

There was no reason why what he could offer couldn\'t be offered by someone else. There was no effort involved in how he had obtained the prophetess. She wasn\'t something he had earned through hard work, so she wasn\'t very precious to him. He believed that others could easily offer a prophetess to Duke Woo Joong, just as he had.

Therefore, his deal with him wasn\'t anything special. Duke Woo Joong would surely think so.

Moreover, if he followed the reckless prince\'s orders and sent Jong Sangye away, the news would surely reach Duke Woo Joong’s ears. The Duke wouldn\'t look kindly on him. The trust he had painstakingly built up would crumble overnight.

"Prince Ikwon."

It was all because of that reckless prince. Why did he have to show up at the fortress at this time, and why did he have to discover Jong Sangye on that dawn!

The burden and despair weighed heavily on his entire body. Those dark emotions reared their heads. The Lord of Naam Fortress helplessly lowered his head. A deep shadow fell over his face.

"Prince Ikwon..."

Prince Ikwon, Yegyeong.

The unfortunate prince who lost his mother before reaching adulthood and became alone.

The scoundrel whose vicious nature and misconduct were infamous even in this rural backwater.

The hopeless case that even his father, the king, had given up on.

The good-for-nothing that couldn\'t possibly be reformed.

The outcast of the palace, followed by no one.

"...Prince."

Nevertheless, the title of prince remained.

The blood flowing beneath his pale skin was that of the heroes of the royal lineage, and his handsome features, which belied his personality, could easily win the favor of all with just a small gesture of kindness.

The Prince Ikwon he had seen with his own eyes while serving him in his fortress was not a fool or an idiot, even if the rumors of his recklessness were not untrue.

Even if King Bonhyeon had ordered the northern expedition to exile his own son, Prince Ikwon wouldn\'t have chosen such a difficult path if he were a fool. There would surely be easier ways to get rid of a foolish son.

Cold sweat began to trickle down the wrinkled neck of Lord Naam.

There were clearly two ropes in front of him.

A brand-new, shiny gold rope, and an old, worn-out rope.

But that precious gold rope was about to disappear before his eyes.

Yet, he wanted to climb.

If not now, he might never have another chance to choose.

The Lord of Naam Fortress raised his head.

He shouted towards the door.

"Is anyone there?!"

It was a booming voice. Not only those in the hallway outside the door but the entire fortress might have heard his shout.

Sujong, who was outside the door, answered.

"Yes, Master."

Even after calling for Sujong, Lord Naam hesitated for a moment. He knew that once spoken, words couldn\'t be taken back.

He had forgotten that fact for a while.

"...Bring the second one."

"Lady Yeohwa? Yes, my lord."

He heard Sujong\'s footsteps leaving the door. After Sujong left, Lord Naam was left alone with his thoughts again.

Was this the right thing to do?

No matter how much he thought about it, his judgment that Prince Ikwon was a rotten rope didn\'t change. But what if... Unexpected things always happened. Wasn\'t that why he couldn\'t be sure of the future even though he had Gae Yeohwa in his hands?

Just as he hadn\'t foreseen the misfortune he would experience after meeting the reckless prince, he didn\'t know what kind of person the reckless prince would become.

"No, I think I know..."

No matter how generously he evaluated him, the public\'s perception wouldn\'t change easily. He was just a mere Lord of Naam Fortress. How much difference could he make by trying to change the rumors about the reckless prince from such a position? He wouldn\'t achieve any meaningful results.

Moreover, Prince Ikwon had no power base. Who would want to follow a reckless prince? Who would want to look up to and follow a loser with no future?

If limited to the throne, Prince Ikwon was in competition with his half-brother, Prince Jaean.

But could that truly be called a competition? Prince Ikwon and Prince Jaean. To each other, they weren\'t even in the same league from the start.

Seize the throne? That was laughable. Lord Naam scoffed without even realizing it. Prince Ikwon had no weapons, while Prince Jaean had countless ones. Furthermore, he was surrounded by prominent figures.

Even if the deceased Queen So were alive, it would have been a fight with slim chances of victory. In the midst of all this, even General So, the only blood relative, had turned his back on the reckless prince.

How many people in the world could entrust their lives to such a situation without fear? Unfortunately, Lord Naam’s courage wasn\'t big enough to easily handle such risks. His desires were great, but his boldness was not.

While racking his brain for a long time, the Lord of Naam Fortress heard footsteps approaching. And a moment later, a familiar voice spoke.

"Father, it\'s Gae Yeohwa."

It was a clear and calm voice, as always. That voice sounded as sweet as rain in a drought.

"Oh, yes."

Lord Naam got up from his chair and hurriedly walked to the door. He even opened the door himself. It was something he would never normally do. It was evidence of how desperate he was.

"Come in quickly."

Gae Yeohwa was a bit suspicious of Lord Naam’s excessive hospitality, but she didn\'t show it and stepped through the door.

"So, how is your health?"

Gae Yeohwa smiled faintly.

"Thanks for your concern, Father, I am well."

"Is that so?"

She could see her adoptive father\'s anxiety. They hadn\'t known each other for just a day or two.

She was both the Lord of Naam Fortress’s strength and weakness. She had long realized that he relied heavily on her.

The frequent violence and daily verbal abuse were unpleasant, but it didn\'t mean she was worthless.

"Yes, Father."

That\'s why she rarely had the chance to see Lord Naam’s true self.

Someone he could treat however he wanted and inflict pain upon without consequence, a clear subordinate. He was in a position to seek advice, yet he believed the advisor had no desire to betray him and seek freedom.

A thoroughly useful tool. That\'s how he saw Gae Yeohwa, and that\'s why he only revealed his true nature in front of her.

One of Lord Naam’s mistakes was that Gae Yeohwa had witnessed that side of him.

Someone who hated him.

Gae Yeohwa smiled faintly, gazing at the anxiety clouding Lord Naam’s eyes.

It would be a lie to say she didn\'t feel a sense of sadistic pleasure.

Lord Naam asked, trembling with anxiety.

"Can you foresee what will happen to me?"

Gae Yeohwa remained silent.

Inside, she was cheering.

She had been waiting for this day, this very day. She had only dreamed of the chance to leave this damned fortress. She had lived, desperately hoping for it. She hadn\'t even dared to dream about it. Because she had been disheartened, believing that such an opportunity would never come in reality. She was confident that no one knew the gap between dreams and reality better than her.

But this wasn\'t a dream.

The Lord of Naam Fortress urged her.

"Why aren\'t you answering? Can you see it or not? Didn\'t I ask you?"

"I can see it, Father."

Lord Naam\'s expression brightened a little. Gae Yeohwa closed her eyes.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the lord\'s anxiety. She didn\'t know exactly what he was preparing, but she knew he wanted to climb higher. She knew how painful it was to have one\'s lifelong goal shattered. If she couldn\'t escape Naam Fortress forever, she would experience the same level of pain.

But Gae Yeohwa didn\'t foresee anything. She just kept her eyes closed. Lord Naam wouldn\'t know what she was doing anyway. And yet, he didn\'t doubt for a second that she would lie. It was ridiculous.

After a while, Gae Yeohwa opened her eyes.

The Lord of Naam Fortress immediately pressed her.

"What did you see?"

She lied.

It was the first lie she had uttered since setting foot in Naam Fortress. She felt an inexplicable sense of liberation.

"I saw you collapsing in despair, Father."

With those words, Lord Naam made up his mind.

And two days later, the reckless prince finally left Naam Fortress.