Home/I confined you, but I have no ill will/ch 46

46.

Leonhardt waved his hand.

"Enough—go see your collapsed fiancée. If you stay here, you'll just be distracted all day."

"That's not true."

How dishonest. Leonhardt physically pushed Kite, who was reluctant to leave—but at least he showed his loyalty by letting himself be pushed.

"...Thank you."

"If you're grateful, just listen once in a while."

Thus, Kite was relieved by the Imperial Knights.

Armand, the current Captain of the Imperial Knights, didn't like Kite—because whenever he should be by the Emperor's side, Kite was there. Still, he was a diligent man.

Kite handed over his duties and headed to his palace.

What had his young nephew been trying to tell him? Kite thought about it slowly as he walked.

"Be good to Lady Ibelin."

Wasn't he already treating her well? He had given her expensive dresses and jewels she couldn't have otherwise, and he'd been uncharacteristically kind. Wasn't that enough?

No—Leonhardt hadn't meant material things. That meant he was pointing out something else—but Kite couldn't figure out what.

As he thought, he soon saw his palace before him. The place where he'd spent his childhood still stirred memories at times.

Though he'd been hated by the Empress—his stepmother—his childhood hadn't been all bad. Hery had been devoted, and his later relationship with Seren wasn't bad either. The cold northern battlefield had been harsh, but he'd gained things there—his swordsmanship and the support of many commanders and soldiers. That strength had brought him back to the capital.

As he thought, he arrived.

A chair sat before the palace, and Ibelin was seated in it, gazing blankly at the garden. Hery's tended garden had a charming feel—and Ibelin seemed to like it.

Neigh!

At the horse's whinny, Ibelin turned and looked at Kite.

"Welcome back?"

Rising from her chair, her greeting made his heart beat strangely. Her rounded green eyes pierced his chest, stirring waves in his usually calm heart.

"I'm back."

It was just a simple greeting—so why did he feel this way?

Dismounting, Kite approached her. She had let down her hair, which had been tied up in the palace, and wore a light white dress—and it suited her wonderfully.

"You came at just the right time."

"Just the right time?"

Her voice was pleasant to hear.

"I had something I wanted to tell you. Shall we go inside?"

Kite obediently followed Ibelin into the palace.

She led the unusually docile Kite to the reception room—she had already asked Hery's permission and made preparations. A warm, calming tea was soon set on the table.

"Then I'll leave you to talk."

Hery smiled meaningfully and turned away.

"It's almost mealtime—so I asked for tea only, no snacks."

Ibelin traced the rim of her warm cup and spoke.

"I met a man called Unknown at the banquet."

"Who's that?"

"I mentioned him before—the silver-eyed man in my dream. That's him."

Kite's brow twitched at her words.

"Where in the banquet hall did you meet him?"

Ibelin rolled her eyes and answered honestly.

"On the balcony."

"So you met a dangerous stranger alone on the balcony?"

I didn't meet him willingly! She had plenty to say, but couldn't—Kite looked genuinely angry.

He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"If that happened, you should have called me."

"Seren was nearby too—and you were busy guarding His Majesty. Besides, didn't you already suspect something?"

That was why he'd thrown his sword to the balcony, wasn't it?

At her words, Kite fell silent. In truth, he hadn't thrown the sword because he sensed the man's danger—he'd acted impulsively, his stomach churning at seeing her so close to another man.

But he didn't intend to say that—he merely nodded in agreement.

"So what did you talk about?"

"He said the ceramic wouldn't explode."

"And?"

"He said another gift was dangerous."

"Since he knew all that, he must be behind this incident."

"Yes—but something felt different."

She looked down at her full cup.

"Different how?"

Kite was now watching her with his arms crossed.

"That man—"

Ibelin took a deep breath.

"—is a seer like me."

"What?"

Two seers—and the other seemed to belong to a faction hostile to the Emperor. Kite uncrossed his arms and leaned closer.

"That feeling of meeting eyes in my dream—it was real. Unlike me, who sees uncertain futures in dreams, he seems to control his ability—even today."

"You saw him again today?"

"I took a nap."

Kite didn't like that—dreams were beyond his reach, and Ibelin had met someone who might be an enemy.

"I saw Unknown again."

"And?"

"He showed me a future."

"What future?"

"Lord Kite—"

She looked up and met his gaze.

"I saw you being attacked in the North."

"It's been years since I left the North—why there now?"

He had heard that the barbarians in the North had been acting unusually lately. They usually moved in separate tribes, but they had begun interacting—with a man called Kahn at the center.

It was about time someone appeared to unite them. They couldn't keep scattering and dying—Kahn seemed to be exploiting that and gathering forces.

"Among the attackers was a man called Kahn."

At her words, Kite was certain.

"The current commander in the North is capable."

He'd served with Kite before—a talented soldier and knight. He didn't think he'd easily be overrun. If he was, it meant Kahn was formidable.

The barbarians—cursed ones who lived on the cold northern land. They had earned the wrath of great dragons in the age of magic and been cursed to never leave the North. The curse made them quick to rage and act like beasts.

That's why the Empire had civilized and absorbed everyone else—but couldn't do the same with them. How could you persuade those who craved blood to live together?

"It's a pity."

Baron Frillie—Ibelin's grandfather—had often said that.

"Though the age of magic has ended, it sometimes seems unfair that some are still bound."

At the time, Kite hadn't thought deeply about his words—but now he understood. Ibelin was among those bound by that unfairness. That was probably why the Baron worried for his bloodline.

"You'll go to the North, Lord Kite."

"If that's what fate decrees."

"So—"

She took a deep breath.

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