TOPWL 90

“…Shane?”

“It may be difficult to protect Your Highness alone in a place like that, unlike the capital.”

Shane leaned closer and whispered to Yudit.

“We won’t be able to stop them either way. It would be wiser to keep them close under the pretense of hiring them as escorts, so we can watch them directly.”

Shane had a point. It wasn’t a place they couldn’t go if they truly wanted to. It made more sense to keep them nearby, especially since neither of them would go monster hunting on a whim, not when Yudit himself didn’t even know how to wield a sword. Besides, Yudit always felt guilty relying solely on Shane for protection and putting such a burden on him.

After some thought, Yudit finally spoke.

“Fine. I’ll hire the two of you as escorts. But since I can’t officially employ a delegate of Herut, we’ll draft the contract using a false name.”

“There’s no need for a contract, really.”

“No, there is. I’m already uneasy about having you use a false name—I can’t leave the contract out of it. But I have somewhere to go now, so we’ll handle the paperwork once we arrive at the village.”

“Where are you going?”

“To see Yasin…”

“To Yasin? I want to come too.”

Wadiram, who had gotten familiar with Yasin, jumped in immediately. But Yudit shook his head.

“There are things I want to quietly look into. And I’ll have a lot to handle and pack as well. I’ll send a carriage for you both in the morning—come then.”

“Alright.”

Wadiram didn’t press any further, seeming satisfied enough with the arrangement. As they stepped outside, the biting wind lashed across their faces. Yudit climbed into the waiting carriage and set off for Yasin’s house.

***

Arriving in front of Yasin’s house, Yudit hesitated just as he raised his hand to knock. Should I really knock on this door? What if doing so only provoked his husband’s anger? He stood there wavering when suddenly, the sound of something shattering rang out from inside.

Startled by the sharp noise, Yudit raised his head. While he debated what to do, Shane, who had been surveying the house, gestured toward him. Yudit turned and approached where Shane stood. Through the window, a silhouette became visible. Yudit narrowed his eyes to get a clearer look inside. Just then, the curtain fluttered, and the scene within revealed itself.

Yasin was crouched down, picking up shards of broken glass. It looked like he had dropped something by accident.

“It looks like he’s alone, doesn’t it?”

“So it seems. He’s cleaning up by himself—there don’t appear to be any servants either.”

If his husband wasn’t home, this was the perfect opportunity. Yudit moved to the front door and knocked. The rustling sounds inside stopped immediately, as if someone were pretending the house was empty.

“Yasin, it’s me. Yudit.”

“…Your Highness?”

A faint voice called from inside. Several locks clicked open, and the door swung wide.

But the brief moment of joy was snuffed out the instant Yudit laid eyes on him.

“Yasin…”

Yasin flinched and raised his hands to cover his face under Yudit’s horrified gaze. His cheekbones were bruised a deep blue, and there were various cuts across his face and neck. One eye was swollen, a bandage wrapped around one ear and arm, and he was limping.

“I… I’m sorry, Your Highness. I meant to reach out, I just…”

Seeing him so flustered, Yudit pulled him into an embrace. His already-thin body had grown even more fragile—he could feel his bones beneath the layers of clothing. Over his shoulder, the inside of the house lay in shambles.

“Your husband did this, didn’t he?”

Yudit’s voice was low. At his words, Yasin flinched.

“It… it’s my fault. I did something wrong. That’s why…”

“What did you do wrong?”

“I-I stay at home, freeloading, and I don’t do housework, and I talk back to him…”

Yudit shut his eyes tightly. Yasin was saying exactly the kind of things a victim of abuse would say. His gaze swept the room—broken furniture, shattered items. He couldn’t leave him here.

“Yasin, divorce him.”

“…What?”

“You have to get away from someone who hits you like this.”

“He’s… he’s not always like this. He can be kind, usually. It’s just that… he was in a bad mood because of me. It’s because I’m lacking…”

“Is it normal to hit someone just because they’re ‘lacking’?”

“….”

Yasin fell silent, unable to respond.

“Why did you leave Selena’s house? You would’ve been safe there.”

“He… he kept coming around. I was afraid I’d cause trouble for Selena if I stayed…”

Yudit bit his lip. He could only imagine how heavy his heart must have been, feeling like a burden already and not wanting to cause further harm.

“And besides… I’m from Herut. I’m not good at anything… If I leave him, I’ll be alone here in Adanauer. It’s too late to go back to Herut…”

“What do you mean you’re not good at anything? That banquet’s success was entirely your doing. I owe you more than I can ever repay for that. And with all of us here, how could you possibly be alone?”

“My… my husband said so…”

Yasin looked confused at Yudit’s words—clearly, he’d been thoroughly manipulated. He mumbled something rapidly in Herutian under his breath. Watching him in that state only strengthened Yudit’s resolve: he couldn’t leave him here another day.

“Where did your husband go?”

“He went to the guild to handle something for a while. He should be back in two days.”

“That’s good. Yasin, I’m going to the 3rd District of Bern now. You should come with me.”

“B-but I need to clean up before he comes back…”

“Did you do all this yourself?”

Yudit looked around at the messy house. Yasin blushed and shook his head.

“N-no, I only broke a cup. I lost my balance…”

The cup had already been cleaned up by Yasin. Yudit patted Yasin’s back and spoke gently.

“It’s fine. The one who makes the mess cleans it up. Don’t worry about it.”

“But if I don’t clean it up… my husband will scold me.”

“Then I’ll call someone to clean for you. Yasin, you need to get treatment now. You didn’t see a doctor, did you?”

Seeing the messy treatment on his body, Yudit asked. Yasin nodded gloomily.

“You’ll get an infection if you don’t treat it now. Your eye and ankle—they could end up permanently damaged. At least get treatment.”

Yasin flinched at the mention of permanent damage. He had already been hearing that he was useless over and over, so the thought that he might be left with a disability seemed to scare him. Yudit took the opportunity to press him further.

“I’ll just get treated…”

“That’s good. Think it through. Pack only what’s necessary, just your clothes and a few essentials.”

“But… if I’m just getting treated, do I need to bring luggage…?”

“You never know how long it’ll take to recover. I’ll explain things to your husband, so don’t worry.”

Yudit took some paper from his bag and began writing. After placing a letter on the table, he began packing with Yasin. Yasin hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain, but Yudit was prepared to carry him off if needed, so it was a small resistance to him.

The carriage waiting outside Yasin’s house began to move with the three of them. It wasn’t long before Yasin, having taken some painkillers and possibly feeling more relaxed, fell into a deep sleep. Yudit brushed Yasin’s sweaty hair away as he groaned in his sleep, looking troubled by bad dreams. His face finally relaxed after that, and Yudit looked at his pale, fragile complexion with sympathy.

“What did you write?”

Shane asked. Yudit leaned back in the carriage and replied.

“I told him that since I’m taking Yasin with me, if he has the courage to face his actions, he should come and find him.”

“If he comes to find him, will you give him back?”

“Not a chance.”

Yudit said it casually, but he had no intention of returning Yasin. Having already manipulated Yasin into guilt and brought him to this state, sending him back would be akin to condoning murder.

Yudit stroked Yasin’s rough hand and looked out the window. The city lights that had been illuminating the streets faded away as the carriage melted into the darkness. The coachman knocked on the curtain and opened it.

“We’ll take a new route. It’s a bit darker, but it’s smoother and faster.”

“A new route?”

“The one the prince had created… isn’t that so?”

The coachman looked at Yudit with a puzzled expression. They had started construction to open the road between the capital and the 3rd District of Bern, but he had expected it to take a few more weeks. Was the construction really progressing that quickly? Yudit nodded, though still a bit confused.

“Alright.”

“Yeah.”

The curtain closed, and the carriage began to turn left. Yudit glanced outside, but the dark night made it hard to see.

“There might be monsters. It’s best to close the window.”

“Ah, I’ll do that.”

Yudit obediently closed the window and pulled the curtain. Once the thick curtain blocked the wind, the interior of the carriage became much warmer.

“Why don’t you rest for a bit? You have a lot to do.”

“…Alright. Thank you.”

Yudit quietly closed his eyes. The carriage slid smoothly over the newly paved road. After what felt like a short nap, Yudit awoke to the light filtering through the curtain.