IYWHM Chapter 182

A heavy silence flowed between the two for a moment.

 

Seyard, letting out a faint sigh, slowly stepped down from the carriage.

 

“I never expected to see Your Highness in Octava either. What brings such a delicate person across the sea?”

 

“You think I’m delicate? Where did you hear such news?”

 

“Directly from Your Highness. To confuse the dead with the living.”

 

At those words, Arta’s lips twisted crookedly.

 

“Look at this. Look at this. It really is Vischer Hillan. This arrogant and insolent manner of speaking. Exactly the person I know.”

 

“Brothers tend to resemble each other. Especially twins.”

 

“Enough. I have no intention of bickering with you here, so please give me a ride in your carriage, Duke.”

 

“Did you walk all the way here from the port?”

 

“I ran. Why?”

 

From the looks of it, she wasn’t about to back down easily.

 

As Seyard began to feel the attention of those around them gathering, he had no choice but to step aside.

 

The unwelcome guest then climbed into his carriage as if she had been waiting for this.

 

It was an annoying sight that went beyond mere dislike, but if they continued to stay here, word might reach Kisa’s ears.

 

‘That cannot happen.’

 

Her detecting something strange and postponing her escape plan—that was currently one of the outcomes Seyard most wanted to avoid.

 

Compared to that, dealing with an immature princess was nothing, wasn’t it?

 

As he sat in the opposite seat, Arta arbitrarily changed the carriage’s destination.

 

“To Yoka Street.”

 

The moment Seyard heard that location, he immediately recalled who lived there.

 

“Gabriel Williams really has had an unfortunate life.”

 

The princess glared at him sharply.

 

“Don’t say unnecessary things and mind your own business instead. I don’t care if you’re late to wherever you were originally going.”

 

“I’ll manage. How considerate of you.”

 

Since he had planned to kill time somewhere suitable until a certain time anyway, he decided to watch the princess’s unreasonable behavior for now.

 

The possibility of her interfering with him was small, but it would be troublesome to just leave alone someone so unpredictable.

 

Besides, royalty was royalty. If he ignored her carelessly, it would likely cause trouble later.

 

As soon as the carriage started moving, the princess was quick to pick a fight with Seyard.

 

“Vischer, so what’s the reason for not only pretending to be dead but even imitating your younger brother? Is it a woman after all? Do you like Kisa Vansfelt that much?”

 

“Your Highness. Please understand that I remain silent out of respect for my dead brother’s face.”

 

“Do I look that foolish to you? I didn’t realize it then, but when I thought about it carefully later, I understood. As you know, I had quite a period of endurance because of Gabriel. Thanks to that, I had plenty of time to think about various things.”

 

“…….”

 

“For example, why the Duke was so obsessed with a woman who was sick enough to stand up her groom on their wedding day?”

 

“You must have had a lot of free time indeed.”

 

Arta’s shapely eyebrows shot up.

 

“Are you going to play dumb? No evidence, is that it?”

 

“There couldn’t be any. I am Seyard Hillan.”

 

He wasn’t careless enough to give evidence to such a person.

 

Even if she presented personal feelings as grounds, it would only damage the princess’s credibility. She probably knew that too.

 

“Well, fine. I’m not idle enough to be bothered by you either. I just wanted to confirm with my own eyes whether you really are that detestable person.”

 

“Did you confirm it well?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then that’s settled.”

 

“But make sure you understand this clearly. If you interfere with my meeting with Gabriel again this time, I won’t stand for it.”

 

Toward the princess who was glaring at him, Seyard shrugged his shoulders once.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Truly, whatever happened to Gabriel was none of his concern.

 

The reason he had helped with his escape in the first place was also to divert the attention of the princess, who kept being restless about not being able to get her hands on Kisa.

 

In the silence that came again, the carriage arrived at Yoka Street.

 

But when they reached the modest mansion where Gabriel resided, an unexpected problem arose.

 

“The master is not home right now!”

 

The gardener who had been tending to the shrubs saw the stopped carriage and waved his arms widely to inform them.

 

“He rushed out after hearing that something he had lost was found!”

 

“Let’s go there, Duke!”

 

At the princess’s urging, Seyard clicked his tongue.

 

Damn it. Couldn’t he have told them such news slowly after inviting them in and serving tea?

 

“How about just waiting here?”

 

“If he finds out I’m here, he definitely won’t come home!”

 

He momentarily considered whether to forcibly dump the princess there, but hearing the gardener’s next words, he hesitated before opening his mouth.

 

“If you go to the Royal Concert Hall, you should be able to meet him!”

 

The concert hall. Gabriel was there?

 

‘Come to think of it, that fellow was basically meddlesome and kind-hearted.’

 

The fact that he wielded considerable influence here in Matera was also worth noting.

 

In other words, if he got unluckily entangled with him, there was a possibility it could interfere with Seyard’s future plans.

 

“What are you doing? Hurry up and tell the coachman to depart!”

 

“……I see.”

 

Seyard decided to willingly follow the anxious princess’s wishes.

 

‘Perhaps this troublesome fellow might be of help.’

 

Gabriel would likely try to run away immediately upon seeing his former lover, like a mouse before a cat.

 

“To the Royal Concert Hall.”

 

Thus the carriage began moving again and soon was racing along the coastal road following the deep blue sea.

 

But before they could even reach the concert hall, the carriage stopped by the roadside at Seyard’s signal.

 

“What? Why are we stopping here?”

 

“I have some business to attend to briefly.”

 

After answering shortly, he opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

 

Incidentally, one of the people he was looking for had arrived beforehand and was waiting for his master.

 

“How did it go?”

 

At that question, Hillan’s loyal subordinate reported the detailed situation in a low voice.

 

“As you ordered, we moved the officials to prevent the ship from departing. Everyone was panicking and in chaos. They’re lodging strong protests with the port authorities, but it will be difficult to depart today.”

 

Seyard nodded briefly, then asked in a much heavier voice.

 

“Was there any?”

 

“Well, we mobilized all our manpower to search, but…….”

 

“So there wasn’t any.”

 

“I apologize.”

 

“Most likely it’s somewhere else. If not at the port, it would be one of two places.”

 

Just then, someone came galloping toward them on horseback, raising dust.

 

This person was also one of Hillan’s subordinates, particularly known in the family for being skilled with horses.

 

Without even dismounting, he urgently delivered breaking news to his master.

 

“She disappeared just as you said she would!”

 

There was no need to ask who the subject was.

 

“She said she wanted to stop by a shop before going to the restaurant, so we headed to the shopping district, but there was a minor collision on the way. Then suddenly she said her stomach hurt and jumped out of the carriage, and at that moment the door of the other party’s carriage opened and…….”

 

Seyard’s woman had taken that other carriage and vanished in the blink of an eye.

 

Obviously, the culprit who caused the accident must be that fellow Gale.

 

‘She really left.’

 

Mixed feelings arose that were difficult to describe, but the only emotional expression he could manage was laughter. A hollow laugh tinged with emptiness.

 

However, in the next moment, Seyard hardened his expression frighteningly and instructed his two subordinates to follow behind him from now on.

 

The next destination was truly the Royal Concert Hall this time.

 

Near there, his other subordinates would have arrived early and were waiting for their master.

 

But what greeted Seyard even earlier than them was the irritated voice of the princess in the carriage.

 

“What are you dawdling about! What if Gabriel and I miss each other in the meantime!”

 

He sat down without responding.

 

‘She’s not in her right mind.’

 

Well, this was someone who should have been busy preparing for marriage back in her home country but had suddenly appeared here. And without bringing a single attendant along.

 

Though he didn’t ask out of lack of curiosity, he could roughly guess.

 

Having heard news of Gabriel, the princess, who couldn’t see anything else, had somehow succeeded in coming to this city by any means necessary.

 

But even so, for her—who was about to marry the heir of Lowens—to meet a musician famous for scandals was dangerous behavior, and the court officials would obviously have tried to dissuade the princess.

 

‘Though it would have been insufficient.’

 

Whether this scoundrel carried out a desperate escape or not was none of Seyard’s business, but why did he have to encounter her of all people?

 

He swallowed his complaints and glanced at his companion who had been muttering something continuously.

 

“Gabriel, wait. I’m coming……. This time I’ll definitely get you. I won’t let you escape anywhere again. You ungrateful bastard…….”

 

Somehow her condition seemed to worsen as they got physically closer to the concert hall.

 

Seyard felt something resembling a very slight sympathy for Gabriel.

 

If he succumbed to lingering attachment or residual feelings and was dragged away by the princess, his future would be nothing but falling to become a mere lover of a noble lady.

 

‘Looking at her current state, she seems capable of threatening him with her own life, so I wonder if that soft-hearted fellow can endure it.’

 

It was while Seyard was imagining Gabriel’s future as if it were someone else’s business.

 

“Why, do you find me despicable?”

 

The princess’s question burst out just as the carriage slowed down.

 

They had finally arrived at the concert hall.

 

Arta got out of the carriage hurriedly, without even having the leisure to request an escort from the gentleman.

 

Then, walking quickly toward the building’s entrance, she suddenly turned around to look back at Seyard.

 

“Do you think you’re any different from me?”

 

A provocative tone mixed with mockery.

 

“Get a grip. We’re no different.”

 

One corner of the princess’s mouth shot up.

 

“Kisa would be quite pleased if she knew your real face, given her personality. The truth wasn’t that you were sick, but that you ran away, right? And then you chased her all the way here?”

 

When he answered with silence, the princess giggled and laughed convulsively.

 

“Right. That must be it. So let’s get along well with each other from now on. We’re two of a kind, aren’t we.”

 

Two of a kind?

 

Watching the retreating figure as she continued on her way after finishing her words, Seyard narrowed both eyes.

 

Who and who?