Chapter 34
Clatter, clatter—
Inside the rumbling carriage, Kraush was idly fiddling with his recovered arm.
At this point, everything seemed fine.
He had also managed to get his hands on a decent sword, so combat wouldn’t be a problem either.
‘She’s just a strong-headed idiot.’
While cursing Mary in his thoughts, Kraush raised his head.
Up ahead, he spotted the coachman known as “Number 15” driving the horses.
Kraush was currently riding in a carriage made entirely of bones.
“Clunk, clunk.”
Next to him, Ebelasque was sound asleep, snoring away.
The owner of this peculiar carriage was none other than her.
Kraush, annoyed by her tendency to lean on him, pushed her head away and glanced outside.
Ever since becoming a wanted person in the Empire, Ebelasque had no real choice but to head towards another kingdom.
Ultimately, after a lot of pondering, she decided to follow Kraush.
Having dragged her out, she insisted he take responsibility, which earned her a light smack on the head from Kraush. He clicked his tongue.
While it was convenient to travel by carriage, he didn’t particularly want Ebelasque by his side.
‘Such a nuisance, this girl.’
Knowing full well how quickly she’d get cocky if he gave in just a little, he pondered where to dump her.
Suddenly, the crow that had been sleeping on his lap lifted its head sharply.
When Crimson Garden was possessing another being, the crow often fell asleep like this.
It seemed Crimson Garden had returned.
“Hey there.”
“Right here.”
As Kraush answered, Crimson Garden turned its gaze towards him, looking not very pleased to be back in crow form.
“It seems something has come up.”
“Something, you say?”
“Your fiancée is in a bit of a pickle.”
A look of confusion crossed Kraush’s face.
When it came to his fiancée, there was only Bianca.
“…Explain in detail.”
“The bastard known as the Butcher Dog has infiltrated Hadenhartz.”
Kraush’s body stiffened.
The Butcher Dog, Bergman, was a madman responsible for massacres within the Empire.
He had known that Bergman was hiding in Starlon, but hearing Hadenhartz mentioned made Kraush spring up from his seat.
“Bianca is…?”
“That’s the problem. It seems the Butcher Dog entered a mountain nearby and she went missing afterward.”
“Ebelasque!”
“Huh? Huh?!”
Kraush grasped the clothing of Ebelasque next to him, pulling her awake forcefully.
Ebelasque, drooling in her sleep, looked confused as she raised her head, and Kraush shouted at her.
“Turn the carriage towards Hadenhartz immediately!”
It was a rare occasion for Kraush to raise his voice after returning to the past.
—
On the day Bianca returned to Hadenhartz to find the Snow White Herb at Kraush’s request, she received less than amiable treatment.
This treatment was something she was all too familiar with.
She was the cursed daughter.
The most worthless daughter in all of Hadenhartz.
The maids and attendants would constantly whisper behind her back, such was her existence.
Being the youngest daughter of Hadenhartz was more of a curse than a blessing for her.
‘It’s been a while.’
The situation she was now experiencing was something she had never felt during her time in Valheim’s Green Pine Hall.
Returning to this reality made Bianca realize just how comfortable she had been at Green Pine Hall.
In that place, the maid Elly and the butler Alio had never whispered behind her back.
They treated her tenderly, without any concern for her curse.
‘Well, that makes sense.’
Kraush had faced even worse treatment than she had.
In Valheim, it was not his curse but his lack of talent that had driven him to despair.
Bianca lifted her head to gaze out the window.
She would have never thought she’d find Green Pine Hall more comfortable than home.
Life truly was unpredictable.
‘I want to return quickly.’
For some reason, she found herself missing Kraush.
Clack, clack—
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached.
She was well acquainted with those footsteps.
They belonged to the person in her family who disliked her the most.
A 16-year-old woman, three years her elder.
Jenica Hadenhartz.
She was none other than Bianca’s sister.
Upon seeing Bianca, Jenica’s white eyebrows twisted in distaste.
Her expression screamed that she had just laid eyes on something repugnant.
“Why are you back?”
A venomous remark echoed through the air.
At that moment, Bianca realized why she felt a greater sense of ease around Kraush.
‘Kraush and I were alike after all.’
It was a sense of kinship.
The treatment Kraush received from his siblings mirrored Bianca’s own experiences.
To Jenica, Bianca was the child born after murdering their mother.
Despite this, the emotionless girl who knew nothing of sorrow returned Jenica’s hatred with nothing but cold indifference.
Therefore, Jenica despised her.
Unable to comprehend emotions, Bianca made Jenica doubt whether she was a child of her mother or just a curse instead.
Now that she had returned, Jenica certainly wouldn’t let her off the hook.
“Ah, I see. You got dumped by that fool from Valheim, huh? You really are quite the pitiable one, considering how unpleasant you are.”
Jenica spat her usual venomous insults.
With that, Bianca, who typically wouldn’t respond, finally turned to her.
“He’s not a fool.”
Her unexpected response took Jenica aback.
“What?”
“Kraush isn’t a fool. And he’ll be back soon.”
Jenica looked at Bianca as if trying to figure out what nonsense she was spouting.
But Bianca remained her usual, unchanging emotionless self.
This only served to infuriate Jenica even further.
“Ah, is that so? Then just leave! You have no place here!”
“I can’t go yet.”
Hearing her shout, Bianca shook her head.
“I’ll leave once I find the Snow White Herb.”
“The Snow White Herb? Why would you be looking for that?”
Jenica looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.
That mushroom, known to raise one’s body heat, was a natural ingredient that would keep one warm for a month with just one bite.
Why would she, of all people, be searching for something like that?
After a moment of contemplation, Jenica quickly caught on.
“…You need it for that fool, don’t you?”
For some reason, Bianca was trying to help the youngest one from Valheim.
Though Jenica didn’t know why she wanted that Snow White Herb, everything Bianca did only irritated her.
“Ha, good luck with that.”
With that, Jenica snickered and turned her back.
That malicious smile lingering on her lips was something Bianca couldn’t quite grasp.
Thus, Bianca began her search for the Snow White Herb that Kraush had requested.
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find a single one.
The reason was simple.
Firstly, the Snow White Herb was incredibly rare, and not many had harvested it.
Secondly, it was due to Jenica’s interference.
Unlike Bianca, Jenica was set to lead Hadenhartz alongside their older brother.
Her influence in Hadenhartz was considerable.
That’s why she told the merchants not to sell the Snow White Herb to Bianca.
What a truly malicious act.
“I’m sorry, Lady Bianca, but there’s no remaining stock of the Snow White Herb.”
So, after being unsuccessful at the last shop, Bianca blinked in disbelief.
The two attendants who had followed her looked worried, silently gauging the situation.
These two attendants were well aware of Jenica’s antics.
After all, they were the ones Jenica had assigned to keep tabs on Bianca’s activities.
“Is there none here either?”
Bianca felt just as trapped.
She had promised Kraush she’d bring the Snow White Herb, but at this rate, she’d be empty-handed.
Eventually, she returned to the mansion deep in thought.
‘It seems Jenica is obstructing me.’
It had been a mistake to mention the Snow White Herb to her.
Thinking Jenica would help her leave, it turned out she hated her even more than she had anticipated.
‘In that case…’
Bianca began searching through the books in Hadenhartz.
After taking several books regarding the Snow White Herb, she nodded to herself.
Hadenhartz was the oldest family in the North.
This meant they had detailed information regarding the distribution of the Snow White Herb as well.
Perhaps the reason the merchants wouldn’t disclose its location was to maintain its price.
‘Finding it might be easier than I thought.’
With that in mind, Bianca quickly gathered her clothes and belongings.
If no one would help her, she’d do it herself.
Her initiative resembled that of a child.
Regardless of her emotionally stunted nature, she was just 13 years old.
Her way of thinking leaned too easily towards simplicity.
‘I can find it quickly and return.’
Without an ounce of fear, she embarked on her solo mountain expedition.
Watching her goes off, Jenica wore an expression of disbelief.
“Is she an idiot? Is she underestimating the mountains of Hadenhartz?”
Jenica was flabbergasted.
While it was true she had been born and raised in Hadenhartz, the mountains and snow were not things a 13-year-old could wander into lightly.
Especially the location where the Snow White Herb grew—in the deep parts of the mountains.
That wasn’t a place a child could navigate alone.
If she went off like this, there was a high chance she would get lost.
“Hah.”
Jenica let out a long sigh.
She had no idea why this girl, who had always been absorbed in her books, was putting in so much effort now.
Yet even if she hated her, if Bianca were to die in the mountains, it would be a bother for Jenica as well.
After all, she was engaged to the one from Valheim.
If she died, then the ties between Valheim and Hadenhartz would be severed.
This wasn’t a good situation for Jenica.
“Fine, I’m going to get her. Attach a few knights to me.”
“Yes, understood.”
Ultimately, she stood up to fetch Bianca, viewing her annoyance as just another duty.
—
The Hadenhartz mountain range, the Lokal Mountains.
Bianca was walking atop the snow-covered hills.
‘This is fine.’
She nodded at her own boots.
Since they were artifacts that made walking on snow easier, she could traverse comfortably.
Adjusting her tightly packed bag, Bianca resumed her trek deeper into the mountains.
She intended to find the Snow White Herb before dusk.
“Hey!”
Just then, she heard a sharp shout.
When Bianca turned, she saw Jenica along with two knights standing there.
She breathed heavily, as if she had been running hard to catch up.
It seemed she was indeed following closely.
“You idiot! You’re seriously going to the mountains to look for the Snow White Herb since it wasn’t available?!”
She scolded Bianca with annoyance.
But the ridiculousness was on Bianca’s side.
“Didn’t you prevent me from buying it?”
The reason she had ventured so far into the mountains was simply because Jenica had blocked the distribution of the Snow White Herb.
With its rarity already having low availability, Jenica’s interference meant there was nowhere else for her to get it.
Now, why was she complaining?
“Hah, who do you think I am? I’m not just interested in bringing you back because I like you. If you die in the mountains, the relationship between Valheim and Hadenhartz would go to hell!”
Listening to those words made Bianca realize.
Indeed, she was somewhat of an essential figure within Hadenhartz.
She was the contract symbol between the two houses.
That was something Bianca hadn’t considered.
“Follow me. I’ll get you what you need and send you back quickly.”
Once those words were spoken, Bianca turned around.
If she could receive the Snow White Herb, she’d take the risk.
But she had one question.
“Jenica, why did you come personally?”
“What?”
Jenica looked at her with a baffled expression.
With her ragged breath and clothes ruined from climbing, it was clear she had rushed.
She could have sent knights who were more familiar with the mountains to look for Bianca instead.
There was no reason for her to climb the mountain directly.
“I told you, I came to find you because of the family.”
“You’re not one to be concerned about family matters. You could have just sent a search party.”
Bianca, being second in the hierarchy, was much lower than Jenica.
While the eldest son could handle family matters, Jenica, the second child, often acted uninterested.
So if her elder brother had come looking for her, Bianca wouldn’t have batted an eye.
But Jenica, who loathed her so much, coming in person raised quite the suspicion.
With Bianca’s emotionless nature, she probed that aspect.
As she hit the nail on the head, Jenica pursed her lips in irritation.
But soon, her expression twisted into one of annoyance.
“What of it? That’s my business.”
However, despite her annoyance, something deep within Jenica’s heart felt pricked slightly.
