TOPWL 141

They revered Yudit as the one who had pulled them out of what they thought would be lifelong imprisonment. Like chicks imprinting on the first being they saw upon hatching, these people who had gained new lives instinctively followed Yudit.

Yudit accepted them with a complicated heart.

In the meantime, the letter containing the details of the third competition arrived for the princes. It was domain administration. During the administration period, the princes would be granted autonomy over a designated domain, which they were to develop. The period ran from April to July, and rankings would be determined by the degree of development and the taxes collected in the fall.

Yudit’s domain was at the northernmost edge — just getting there would take two weeks. It was already mid-March, so he had to depart quickly.

“Hmm…”

Yudit stared at the bag in front of him. The amount of luggage had grown considerably. Many people had competed to give him handcrafted gifts. Khalid had suggested he sort through them and leave what wasn’t necessary, but Yudit couldn’t bear to do so, knowing how much effort had gone into making them. He squeezed another piece into the already full bag. It felt like waging a war. Finally pushing the last accessory in, Yudit looked pleased.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Since he had been planning to leave anyway, Yudit stood up and turned the knob.

“Huyan?”

Huyan was standing at the door. He looked at Yudit, hesitating for a moment before he spoke.

“There is something I must tell you.”

“Mm, alright. Come in.”

Lately, Yudit had noticed that Huyan seemed a little down. He wondered if this was the moment Huyan would speak of it. He hoped it was something he could help with, as he sat back down.

“Good timing. I have some delicious snacks. It’d be a shame to leave them behind, so let’s eat and pack a few to take with you.”

“Your Highness.”

“…Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

Huyan bowed his head. Yudit instinctively sensed this wasn’t a trivial matter.

“What are you sorry for?”

“In the third competition… I don’t think I’ll be able to stay by your side.”

“Oh… is that all? That’s fine. You need to stay in the capital, right?”

Huyan and Wadiram had to remain in the capital to fulfill their duties as Herut’s envoys. That Huyan wouldn’t be able to accompany him to the domain was only natural. But Huyan shook his head.

“No, I had originally intended to continue guarding Your Highness. So I requested Herut to send a replacement envoy.”

“But… you’ve changed your mind?”

Yudit asked, and Huyan hesitated. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he spoke.

“I do not wish to deceive you, so I will speak plainly. My right arm… is not well.”

Yudit’s heart dropped. He already had a strong guess as to why. He drew closer to Huyan, feeling as though all the blood was draining from his body.

“It was from the carriage accident, wasn’t it?”

“There’s no issue in daily life. But I’ve judged that I can no longer protect Your Highness should something happen. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit for not reporting this sooner.”

Huyan calmly confessed his condition instead of making excuses. Yudit’s face twisted in pain. How could I ever punish you?

“You should have told me sooner. I know an excellent physician. Don’t worry about the cost — just focus on recovery.”

“…I appreciate it, but I plan to return to Herut for treatment.”

“Adanauer’s medicine isn’t too bad, though.”

“If possible… I want to be treated by those I know and trust. That’s why I’ve decided this way.”

Huyan was a warrior. He’d held a sword since he was five. Not being able to properly use the hand he fought with was as good as a death sentence. It wasn’t that he distrusted the Empire’s doctors, but rather, he wanted to entrust his recovery to someone he could believe in. Yudit understood — and that only made it more painful.

“I see. If that’s your decision, then so be it.”

After a moment’s thought, Yudit added,

“Since your service as a guard is over… would it be alright if I treated you as a friend now?”

At those words, Huyan looked at him for a moment, then let out a faint smile.

“No. I plan to return to your side after I’ve healed. If you’ll allow it… please wait for me.”

“Of course. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”

At Yudit’s firm reply, some of the tension visibly left Huyan’s face. He pulled a slip of paper from his coat and handed it to Yudit.

“This is the address where I’ll be staying. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Thanks. I’ll send a letter as soon as I arrive at the domain. But… with how far apart we’ll be, a few letters might be all we exchange before the contest ends.”

Yudit’s destination was on the northern border, and Huyan would be at the westernmost edge. It would take over a month just to exchange a single letter, so he figured the third contest would be over by the time they got through two or three letters.

“I’ll be back before we exchange a third.”

“That’d be nice for me, but… don’t come back too soon. What matters is healing.”

“…Yes.”

Even after their conversation ended, Huyan lingered a bit.

“…Your Highness.”

“Mm?”

“There’s one more thing I’d like to say.”

“Go ahead. What is it?”

Even with Yudit’s permission, Huyan struggled to open his mouth. He glanced between Yudit and his own hands before eventually shaking his head.

“No, it’s nothing. I just wanted to tell you to take care of yourself.”

“All right. You be careful too, Huyan. Let’s meet again in good health.”

Yudit extended his hand toward Huyan, intending to shake hands. But instead, Huyan brought Yudit’s hand to his lips and kissed it. The sensation of his lips was unfamiliar.

“Please stay well.”

Without the slightest sign of hesitation, Huyan let go of Yudit’s hand, bowed, and left the room. Yudit stared blankly at the closed door for a long while.

***

Time passed quickly, and the day of Yudit’s departure arrived. He had thought it would be a small and simple journey, but more people ended up accompanying him than expected — the ones who had been freed from prison, Yasin, Selena, Khalid, and Khalid’s knights as well.

Looking down from the second floor, Yudit saw Selena waving at him. He smiled and waved back.

There was no longer anyone to torment Yasin, and the village still needed him, so it would’ve been fine for him to stay — but Yasin chose to stay by Yudit’s side. He said it was because he wanted to be of help, even just a little.

Selena had also chosen to remain by Yudit’s side. In the end, Yudit officially appointed her as his aide.

He looked around his room one last time. Now that the luggage had been cleared out, it already felt slightly unfamiliar. It wasn’t at all like leaving the imperial palace — this time, it felt like leaving his own home. Yudit took a quiet look around.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered, bidding a final farewell to the room before closing the door and stepping outside.

As soon as he descended the stairs, fireworks burst. Yudit flinched in surprise. The first floor of the inn was filled with people — all familiar faces.

“What’s all this?”

“We came to see you off, Your Highness.”

Children stood on each step of the staircase, handing him a flower one by one as he walked down. By the time Yudit reached the ground, he had a full bouquet in his arms.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you so much for coming to our village!”

The weapon shop owner, the innkeeper and his wife, Hess and Kennan, the village chief, the chief’s brother, the morning vendors, those who had just returned from selling goods late into the night, and all the village children had gathered to bid him farewell.

And that wasn’t the end of it. The children who had descended the stairs surrounded Yudit in a circle. Just as he wondered what was happening, the innkeeper began playing the violin. The village chief and his brother joined in with accordion and flute. The children began to sing with clear, cheerful voices:

Holding a pink wildflower

We wave goodbye with a smile

We’ll remember the warmth of your smile

Like sunlight shining bright

We’ll always be here for you

So go begin your journey

We’ll pray for flowers on your path

And joy to walk with you

If you grow weary and tired

It’s okay to rest beneath a tree

I’ll become shade and breeze

To cool the sweat upon your brow

When the children finished the song, they looked at Yudit, slightly nervous. Yudit smiled through tear-filled eyes.

“That was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. Thank you.”

Only then did the children break into cheers and laughter. When had they prepared all this? It was far too grand a send-off for someone as lacking as he was.

Then Hess and Kennan approached Yudit. Kennan held a necklace made of spring flowers, while Hess carried a lunchbox. As Yudit bent down slightly, Kennan rose on his tiptoes to place the necklace around his neck. Hess’s eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

“We didn’t know what to do, so we prepared something with your favorite foods. We figured something familiar would be comforting in a strange place…”

“Thank you for always cooking such delicious meals, Hess. I’m really going to miss the taste.”

At that, Hess finally burst into tears. Yudit, who had grown attached to her over time, also found himself choking up.

“I’ll come back. I promise.”

“It’s a promise.”

Yudit greeted each person one by one before mounting his horse to their heartfelt farewells. Though a carriage was also prepared, he had chosen a horse to become more accustomed to riding.

He placed his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over. The gentle horse didn’t react much. He had been nervous after so long, but thankfully, he hadn’t made a fool of himself.

Yudit smiled brightly and waved at the crowd.

“Well then, I’ll be back!”

He gave the horse a gentle nudge with his heel. The horse neighed softly and began to walk. The wind seemed to push lightly at Yudit’s back as he rode forward.