Chapter 104: Keeper of Promise (2)

 

“.....Pryster, explain now.”

 

Judy, dropping the polite tone she usually used, pressed Asena who lay sprawled on the ground. Seeing the already defeated Asena, Judy began to feel the weight of all her prior worries. Yet, she clung to a sliver of hope and continued to inquire.

 

A few days ago, she received a letter. It was from the Benthrock family. It mentioned that since she had taken Cayden’s kiss at the Academy, they assumed she must be close to him and therefore reached out.

 

The letter bore the news of Cayden’s death.

 

Judy felt as though the ground beneath her had given way. He had promised her, clear as day, that they would meet again. He had asked her to believe he would return.

 

She still held onto those words like an anchor. If even the person who loved him didn’t believe him, then who else would?

 

But... there was also a nagging sense of unease. The information came from the Benthrocks, after all. They weren’t infallible, but they were often accurate.

 

Closing her eyes, she could vividly recall the moment she received the letter.

 

Unable to sit still, Judy planned to head to Pryster’s domain. To do so, she visited her father, bringing with her the letter she had received.

 

It was rare for her to seek him out. Upon returning to the estate, Judy had mostly kept to herself, hunched over as before. She wanted to avoid the gaze of her older sister, Nera Ice, which would bring nothing good.

 

But she couldn’t remain inactive now. Cayden, whom she considered her sole confidant… Cayden, her first and closest friend… The man she loved... She couldn’t stand still hearing a baseless rumor of his death.

 

When she went to hand over the letter to her father, he was with his other children. Judy felt as though she had disrupted a harmonious moment.

 

That familiar feeling of being an outsider washed over her. She felt like a different species from them. Even though they shared the same blood, albeit only half, she felt an insurmountable distance.

 

They seemed to be of a different species. Naturally, they had their own clique, much like a pack of wolves, sticking together.

 

At the Academy, Judy felt she had found someone of her own kind for the first time. Cayden was so much like her. Being by his side brought comfort, and the loneliness faded away.

 

Regardless, Judy had intruded into her father’s group, disrupting their jovial moment. Yet, she feigned confidence. Such boldness was necessary to secure permission to leave.

 

She then relayed the news about Cayden to her father. He widened his eyes in surprise and said, “It hasn’t been long since he was banished from the family, and now such a tragedy.”

 

Judy was aware of his exile. Maybe that’s why this news felt even more unsettling. The rumor seemed to gain credibility from this fact.

 

As Lord Ice was about to nod in agreement to grant her permission to leave, a woman interrupted, “Good riddance. He was nothing but a parasite to our family anyway.”

 

It was Nera Ice. Her insult was directed not just at Cayden but also at Judy, targeting her by bringing up Cayden, an adopted child, thereby demeaning Judy, of a rival faction.

 

Under normal circumstances, Judy would have swallowed any insult aimed at her.

 

Locked in her room, time would eventually numb the sting of those words and they would be forgotten.

 

However, when Nera insulted Cayden, it became unbearable.

 

Judy felt she understood why, in the past, Cayden had been angry on her behalf.

 

He too would usually ignore insults directed at him.

 

He’d confide in her about the twins gossiping behind his back but took no action against them.

 

But the first time Cayden ever clashed with his siblings was when Asena had threatened Judy.

 

It was the day Cayden saved Daisy from a hornet. The verbal altercation between Cayden and the twins escalated until Asena even dared Judy to kneel before her.

 

That was when Cayden exploded. He continued to stand up for Judy against his siblings for a long time.

 

While he might have seen his own actions as trivial, for Judy, that moment was profoundly touching.

 

To think he, a noble from a rival house, would confront his siblings, including a duchess, for her sake was incredible. If it were her... she doubted she could have done the same.

 

Judy wondered where he had mustered such courage.

 

But now, she understood. What he had drawn upon that day was not bravery. It was raw fury.

 

Strength surged through Judy’s arm.

 

Without a second thought about her plan, she swung with all her might towards Nera.

 

-Smack!

 

Nera, who had been sheltered like a greenhouse flower, couldn’t withstand Judy’s powerful strike.

 

Caught off guard, Nera toppled off her chair and fell to the ground. Blood immediately spilled from her lips.

 

Nera, in her shock, held her cheek and looked up at Judy. Whether subdued by the moment or from pain, she couldn’t open her mouth.

 

Judy felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Surprisingly, contrary to the guilt she thought she’d feel after punching, it felt as if she had shed a heavy weight.

 

It felt like she had finally escaped Nera’s influence. Even if it meant being banished from the Ice family, as Cayden had been... that seemed acceptable.

 

Because, surely, if that happened, he’d be truly alive… No, she’d be beside the very-much-alive Cayden, living as commoners.

 

Everyone was in shock. The only thing left for Judy to say was that she would leave.

 

She no longer needed her father’s permission. She would just leave and later find out what punishment awaited her. If they let it slide, good. If banished... she would see when the time comes.

 

Afterwards, Judy rode Goldie.

 

She quickly pushed aside thoughts of Nera.

 

She could really feel she was riding a fine horse. Goldie was faster and more enduring than other horses. She was able to reach the territory of Prysters faster than any other means.

 

During her journey, numerous thoughts engulfed her. Perhaps the solitude of travel was the reason.

 

Although she feigned confidence, deep inside, she was anxious. The reason she didn’t believe Cayden was dead was because, by doing so, she felt her belief would keep him alive. But without realizing it, a tear streamed down her cheek.

 

Startled by her own tears, Judy quickly wiped them away and spurred the horse on.

 

She went over the promise she made with Cayden hundreds of times.

 

She finally murmured,

 

“...You promised, Cayden.”

 

In the distance, the Pryster mansion appeared as a tiny speck.

 

“...You promised to meet again.”

 

Again, tears flowed.

 

****

 

As she looked at Asena, Judy was increasingly taken aback. When escorting her, she had never seen Asena, always so proud and confident, so broken, sprawled on the ground with a shattered expression.

 

The fact that Asena could crumble to such a state was a big shock. No, she was shocked that any person could break down this much.

 

Of course, Judy’s heart ached to the point of being almost unbearable, but perhaps she hadn’t lost hope entirely due to her unwavering belief that he was still alive. She wasn’t as inconsolable as Asena.

 

In an unexpected and undesired way, Judy recognized the depth of Asena’s love for Cayden. The talk of the twins loving him was evidently not a lie.

 

Asena, lying before her, was so devastated that it was heart-wrenching to see, and she continued to break down. But she somewhat understood; if Judy, who had known Cayden for just half a year, felt her heart tearing apart, then those who had known him for over a decade would undoubtedly feel it even more.

 

Judy couldn’t pinpoint why she found Asena’s state so pitiable.

 

However, such emotions weren’t the priority now. From the murmuring Asena, sprawled before her, Judy got all the answers to her questions.

 

And the more she heard, the more Judy tried to be certain: Cayden hadn’t died due to some accidental slip or sudden illness.

 

He was said to have died in a swordfight.

 

Judy forcibly believed that he wouldn’t die in such a manner. This was Cayden, who had survived countless brawls in dark alleys against numerous thugs.

 

The Cayden who had practiced and honed his skills alongside her, sweating blood. Having witnessed his efforts and felt his prowess, Judy believed he wouldn’t have been bested by mere thieves.

 

“...Where did it happen?” Judy asked coldly.

 

“...Naita Forest.”

 

As expected, Asena answered like a puppet. Sharing all she knew felt like a desperate plea for salvation, a cry for help.

 

When Judy nodded, Asena asked, “....Will you go?”

 

To that, Judy resolutely nodded.

 

Asena then slowly called out for Helen.

 

“...Helen.”

 

“...Yes, Duchess?”

 

“Give Judy the mark of the Pryster. In the forest... Lawrence will be there.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Soon after disappearing briefly, Helen returned with a coin imprinted with the snake symbol of the Pryster.

 

It was explained that showing this coin to the soldiers in the forest would ensure she faced no harm.

 

Asena appeared completely drained of her usual fierceness. Perhaps, it seemed she lacked the strength or even the audacity to lift her head.

 

Judy didn’t understand why she felt this way, but the deflated sight of Asena was strangely unsettling and pitiable. She thought it might be better if Asena were more malevolent, as she was used to.

 

Regardless, they shared the pain of losing Cayden, and perhaps Judy empathized with the depths of her sorrow. In her eyes, the devastated Asena wasn’t just a younger sibling grieving the loss of her brother, but a woman mourning the love of her life.

 

“...I’ll just borrow a horse. Please take care of mine... He’s tired from the journey.”

 

Feeling a weird pang in her heart, Judy started to prepare for her departure.

 

Slowly, Asena rose from her place, slumped onto the bed, and gave a faint nod.

 

Judy turned to leave.

 

Then, pausing in her tracks, she tilted her head slightly.

 

“...Cayden is surely alive,” she said.

 

At those words, Asena’s head lifted, a faint glimmer of hope evident in her eyes.

 

“...I’m not saying this for your sake. Cayden is alive... and I will bring him back.”

 

With that, she completely turned around and faced Asena.

 

Whether it was due to the news about Cayden or the incident when she slapped Nera Ice, Judy had become unyielding in her actions. This change had been inadvertently influenced by the “fake” news of Cayden’s death.

 

“If I bring him... grant me one request.”

 

Judy spoke. There was only one thing she wanted. But by phrasing it this way, she felt Asena wouldn’t be able to refuse her proposition.

 

Asena tried to envision Cayden returning alive. She had truly believed it was a complete farewell with him by now. She had contemplated throwing herself out of the window because of it. But whether in death or life, she believed she wouldn’t meet him again. After all, three days had passed since Lawrence began searching the Naita Forest. There was no news from him.

 

If Cayden were alive... it shouldn’t have taken this long.

 

So, if Judy really brought him back...

 

A spark ignited in Asena’s eyes.

 

“...Anything,” She conveyed clearly. “...I’ll grant you whatever you wish if only you bring my Oppa back.”

 

“...What I desire is marriage to Cayden.”

 

Judy felt a pang of guilt for using his life as leverage for such a proposal, but there wasn’t a better opportunity.

 

“......”

 

Asena’s lips trembled. Her long-standing obsession with him meant even at this moment, words didn’t come easily.

 

But she reconsidered. Truly, if he returned, there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do.

 

“...It’s not my place to decide… if-”

 

Asena began to murmur, a last effort to resist.

 

“...If Cayden agrees, will you allow the marriage?”

 

Ultimately, Asena paused... slowly nodding.

 

“...Just bring my Oppa back.”

 

Judy didn’t respond. Having heard what she wanted, she turned away.

---  End Of The Chapter ---

 

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