Chapter 54
“Damian!” Emily glared at him, though her tone held no real reproach. “How can you speak like that? Deborah is only trying to help you.”
“Since that’s the case, I’ll take my leave,” Damian said.
Deborah stood up, not wanting to spare him another glance. His temper was bad enough–better not to provoke him.
She bowed to Emily and turned to leave without a second look back.
Once she was gone, the smile faded from Emily’s face. With a sharp crack, she threw her coffee cup to the floor near Damian’s feet.
Damian’s gaze lingered on the door for a moment before he turned his attention back to Emily. “What is this about, Mother?”
“You risk your life for her, but do you still remember me, your mother?” Emily’s voice was tinged with barely restrained anger.
She had heard everything about what had happened at the hunting grounds. Damian, the one she had raised with such care, had jumped off a cliff to save a woman. She wondered, ‘Has he lost his mind?‘
“I was saving Simon’s wife,” Damian said, his tone indifferent.
Emily’s hands trembled with rage. “I gave birth to you, raised you, and you think you can deceive everyone, but you can’t deceive me!”
Damian didn’t respond, his lips pressed into a thin line.
What made Emily the angriest was his silence. When he didn’t want to speak, no matter what you did, even holding a knife to his throat, he wouldn’t say a word.
“You better remember, she is Simon’s wife!”
With that, she flung her sleeves and turned to leave. “Grieton is causing trouble again. Your father is considering sending someone to deal with it, but it looks like the responsibility will fall on you.
“Before you head out, make sure you choose a suitable princess for yourself.”
*****
After that day, Deborah didn’t see Damian again.
She heard that Grieton had been causing chaos again, and the people of Ploria were in a state of panic. The news soon reached the capital.
Although the capital wasn’t close to Ploria, the unrest and constant warfare across the continent had made the entire region unstable. Everyone felt
uneasy.
“Ultimately, it seems that the burden will fall on Prince Damian,” Zyla said as she tidied up. “Thanks to Prince Damian, Suensonland has been relatively peaceful. Compared to other areas, we’re much safer here.
“Look at the other countries–constant warfare, and the people are suffering. It’s truly pitiful.”
Deborah, absorbed in her book, suddenly had a thought. “My brother seems to be in Ploria, doesn’t he?”
“Your elder brother…” Zyla paused, then her eyes widened in realization. “Yes, he’s in Ploria right now. With all the chaos there, I wonder if he’s sent any letters.”
Thinking about it, Zyla became a little upset. “Technically, after your marriage, Prince Simon should have accompanied you back to the general’s
estate.”
But it seemed as though Simon had vanished after the wedding. He had only appeared for a few hours that night and then disappeared again.
They hadn’t even had a chance to visit Henry. Even though she had married a prince, and couldn’t demand it, it still felt wrong.
“Zyla, go to the general’s estate and find out what’s going on with my brother.”
Deborah set her book down, a sense of unease settling in her chest.
Grieton was said to be skilled in witchcraft. Her brother Ramiro Sandford, being so honest and straightforward, she couldn’t help but worry. Would he be able to handle such people?‘
Though she had only been Deborah of the general’s estate for a year, Ramiro had treated her like family. Both the original Deborah and the current
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Chapter 54
one had always been close to Ramiro.
“Okay.”
That day, Zyla hurried back to the general’s estate.
She returned quickly, but her expression was filled with anxiety. “Ramiro is missing! Now, people are accusing him of deserting his post, and it’s already been reported to the court. The general’s estate is in turmoil. What should we do, my lady?”
Deborah felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
Ramiro, who was loyal and patriotic, would never desert his troops in a time of danger. She thought, ‘It couldn’t be true! There has to be some misunderstanding!‘
“My lady, you should go ask the prince for help!” Zyla said, sweat beading on her forehead, as she had already considered countless possibilities. “Prince Simon is often hard to find, but I’m talking about… Prince Damian!”
And so, that evening, Deborah made her way to Damian’s residence at Moonview Manor.
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