I Won’t Lose to the Fate of the Oracle
Even the next day, Walter could not go to Ricardo. He experimented to see if he had lost his ability, but there was no problem with his power at all. Because of this, he assumed that Ricardo must currently be inside the labyrinth.
The labyrinth was the domain of the gods and an unknown world that only those who possessed its map could enter.
Three more days passed, and then Duke Rochester came directly to the Chaplin estate.
As soon as Gerald entered the empire, he heard the devastating news that his wife was being detained at the imperial palace and that his daughter-in-law was receiving treatment at the Chaplin estate.
After Lienne, who had taken an arrow in his place, disappeared along with Young Duke Chaplin, his state of mind was beyond what any words could express.
‘Just stay alive. Just stay alive.’ Gerald repeated those words like a mantra aboard the ship sailing through rough seas.
“Welcome.”
Young Duke Chaplin came out directly to the main building’s entrance to greet Gerald.
“Please come inside.”
“No, before that I’d like to hear about Lienne’s condition first.”
Walter hesitated for a moment, unable to say anything.
“I’m sorry, but Young Duchess Rochester has not yet awakened.”
Gerald patted the shoulder of Walter, who looked much more haggard than when he had last seen him. He was grateful for the young man’s heart that apologized despite having done nothing wrong.
“How could that be your fault? Don’t say such things.”
Despite his consolation, Walter shook his head and murmured another apology.
“You have nothing to apologize for. If it weren’t for you, I probably would have lost Lienne right there on the spot.”
“Please come inside for now.”
Soon the two men sat facing each other in the reception room of the quarters where Lienne was staying. After Walter explained Lienne’s current condition in detail, he carefully asked about what happened that day.
“As you know, I lose my memory when I exercise my family’s power. So all I remember is that Young Duchess Rochester was in the family physician’s room with me, having been struck by an arrow.”
“I too only know that you and Lienne suddenly appeared on the ship. Lienne must have learned that Ricardo wasn’t there. And then she came to save me. Fearlessly.”
Walter and Gerald were silent for a moment. Breaking that silence, Gerald let out a deep sigh.
“However, there’s one thing I’m curious about. Lienne moved as if she knew an arrow would fly toward me. It was impossible to explain otherwise.”
The Rochesters had been a family that maintained their prestige through military prowess for generations. Gerald was someone not born with the Rochester power, and because of that, he made even more painstaking efforts. To prevent Rochester from falling during his generation, he trained every day.
From his perspective, Lienne’s movements seemed like those of someone who had seen in advance where the arrow would come from and where it would strike.
“Actually…”
Walter hesitated for a moment but judged this was not something to hide.
“What you saw is correct, Your Grace. This is also what I heard from His Highness the Crown Prince, but at that same time, I met His Highness the Crown Prince alone. And I was completely soaked.”
Gerald couldn’t help but gasp. It was unbelievable, but he couldn’t deny it either. The fact that at the same time, a rain-soaked Walter had met the Crown Prince meant that the Crown Prince had turned back time.
“There was a number written in blood on my shoulder.”
Gerald could immediately tell who had written that number without asking. In the end, Lienne had turned back time to save him and had thrown herself directly into the path of the flying arrow.
[Father, I absolutely, absolutely cannot watch Ricardo lose to the fate of the oracle.]
Even after hearing the entire situation, there was still something he didn’t understand. Even if time had been turned back, she wouldn’t remember the previous time, so how could she know in advance that an arrow would fly?
Then Walter’s calm voice was heard.
“I know what you’re thinking right now. I’ve been curious about that very thing all this time too.”
“…”
“I saw His Highness the Crown Prince yesterday, but he was just as mystified. He said that no one except His Highness the Crown Prince could remember the time that was turned back.”
In the end, all these questions could only be answered when Lienne opened her eyes.
Gerald recalled his daughter-in-law bleeding on the ship, drenched in rain. Why Lienne had made such a choice was all too clear. In that recklessly brave act was her love for Ricardo.
In the end, it was Lienne who had properly fought against the fate of the oracle. Unlike Gerald, who had surrendered to that fate and was waiting for the day he would die for his son.
Gerald slowly rose from his seat.
“I have so much to thank you for that I don’t know where to begin. Once all my family’s affairs are settled, I’ll come to formally express my gratitude.”
“I simply wish for Young Duchess’s recovery.”
“Yes, of course. Now I must take my daughter-in-law home.”
Chaplin nodded. Currently, Duchess Rochester was not at the estate, and since Lienne had not regained consciousness, he had been hesitant to return her to her family.
But now that the head of the family had returned, it was time for everything to fall back into place.
“I’ll have them prepare.”
“I’m grateful for that too.”
Gerald walked toward the door, then stopped and slowly turned toward Walter.
“Your heart… is it alright?”
Gerald didn’t fully understand Walter’s inner feelings, but he wasn’t ignorant of what his heart must have felt when he tried to protect Lienne even against the imperial family. When Walter had come to Rochester saying he would become engaged to Lienne, there had been an undeniable longing in his eyes as he looked at her.
At the sudden question, Walter clenched his fists. Having lost his father at a young age, he had admired Duke Rochester at some point. Vaguely imagining that if his father had been alive, he would have been like Duke Rochester.
“When someone as cautious as you reveals their heart, I’m not unaware of how deep those feelings must be.”
At the Duke’s firm voice, Walter felt emotions welling up without realizing it. While Lienne hovered on the brink of death unable to open her eyes, his fear was his own problem that he couldn’t share with anyone.
And Duke Rochester was comforting him. Without blaming or reproaching him for coveting a woman of his family.
Walter bowed deeply to the Duke in respect.
“No. I’m alright. I’ve learned much from going through this incident.”
The Duke, who had been watching Walter silently for a moment, strode forward with long steps and embraced him.
With gestures that consoled or perhaps encouraged like a son, Walter recalled his father who remained faintly in his memories.
“Time… will resolve many things.”
In his embrace, Walter desperately hoped that would truly be the case. He wished for the day when time would dull everything.
Not long after that, Duke Rochester and Lienne left the Chaplin estate. Unable to face seeing her still-unconscious face, Walter stood at a distance from the carriage being prepared for departure.
Even after the carriage disappeared from view, he stood there for a while, gazing at its afterimage.
Staring at the empty space Lienne had left behind, Walter recalled a conversation he’d had with the Crown Prince not long ago.
At that time, Walter had been filled with the thought that he must not let Lienne be taken by Harriot, even if it meant a false engagement with her.
When he had gone to find Stuart, who had been pushed out of the Crown Prince’s position, and abruptly asked him to stamp his seal on an engagement document, Stuart had spoken to him with the face of a close friend.
That Lienne was not his destiny.
The emotion that had surged through Walter at that moment was indignation. He had thought that if only he had met Lienne first, the one who would have been told she wasn’t his destiny would surely have been Ricardo, not himself.
[But you know, Walter. Could you walk into a fire where your lover is burning to death?]
At the out-of-the-blue remark, Walter had just tilted his head in puzzlement. But now was the time to acknowledge that truth he had been avoiding in his heart.
Thinking of how Lienne had unhesitatingly thrown herself into the path of the flying arrow, it was easy to hypothesize that Ricardo would have walked through flames for her.
[I tell you plainly, Lienne Rowe Fennel is not your destiny. She can never be your one and only.]
Having acknowledged everything, he could smile with a calm expression. Once the feeling of indignation disappeared, the uncomfortable emotions that had been weighing down his heart instantly flew away.
It was true that he had kept her deep in his heart, but that was just a poignant feeling he harbored alone.
In the face of a love that would risk death as if they were the only two even when turning back time, he could not call his own feelings destiny.
Walter realized he had changed much over the past several months.
The arrogant young man who had looked down on the world had packaged himself while receiving the title of a gentleman sent from heaven from people.
But that wasn’t his true self.
Walter, who had been born with everything, had never tried to become a better person. He had thought that even his coming to feel disgust toward women was not his own fault.
He had never thought to cure the terrible affliction that had come to him. Although fear arose that his family line might end with his generation, he had deliberately ignored it. However, he now realized it was time for him to change.
The teal eyes of the man who had learned that the person he would love enough not to fear flames, enough not to fear flying arrows, would never appear unless he approached first, shone more beautifully than ever.
Looking at the beautiful autumn evening sky, broadly covered by the sunset, Walter had a premonition that he would be able to sleep properly for the first time in days.