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Even as he watched with his own eyes, Jacob couldn't help but feel regret. While Jacob hesitated, gripped by panic, the vassals surrounding him grabbed hold of him and dragged him away.
"Prince! You must retreat! If we keep the front line like this, we can be annihilated!"
"Annihilated?! There's a difference in the number of soldiers, so it's easy..."
"We have already expended a lot of military power. The opponent is Sir Arno. Furthermore, as long as he, the lord, is alive and well, wouldn't they have a cause even if he brings the countess?"
"Damn it..."
Jacob gritted his teeth. No matter how hard it was to believe, what they said was true. As soon as the news of Zachary being alive spread, their morale began to decline. Jacob couldn't bear it because he had almost succeeded.
It was almost finished. If he had arrived a little later, Bianca would have been his...
"Damn it!!"
Jacob clenched his teeth. But it was just as his vassals said. Now he had no choice but to retreat.
"Withdraw! Withdraw!"
Jacob leaped onto his horse and spurred it. The white horse straightened its neck and neighed, then quickly galloped forward.
Following Jacob's steps, others began to retreat.
Jacob rode his horse and rushed out, staring fixedly at the spot where Zachary was.
The sunlight shone on Zachary, who was devastating his army. The appearance of the brilliantly shining silver armor in the sunlight was as majestic as if it had come out of a torch.
In contrast, Jacob slinked away like a defeated dog. He gained nothing. What went wrong? What the hell...?
Jacob reflected on the past over and over again to discover the cause of the defeat. But he didn't think for a moment that his erratic desire to have Bianca was the problem.
"The second prince is fleeing! Sauveur! Capture the Second Prince!"
Zachary, realizing Jacob's escape, shouted.
As soon as Zachary spoke, Sauveur smiled and rode his horse. He was a straightforward person, but he was the most relentless man in war. He chased after Jacob like a pack of dogs pursuing a rabbit.
The enemy forces that had filled the plains of Arno's estate retreated, and all that was left were the corpses, silence, the prisoners, and Arno's troops standing proudly on the ground.
Robert gathered the remaining prisoners who couldn't keep up with Jacob's footsteps. Those who were tied up with ropes bowed their heads one by one, thinking of their miserable future.
War was as important as preparation.
It was necessary to strengthen the internal structure, such as clearing the damaged terrain and raising the collapsed houses. Fortunately, the war occurred during winter, so it was fortunate that there wasn't a major disruption to next year's agriculture.
He had to judge Jacob and himself wisely, as well as the treatment of the nobles who participated in the war on Jacob's side. As the royal family was involved, it was important to handle it smoothly and flawlessly.
The main thing was to capture Jacob, but... Sauveur was a man who never failed in his target, so he believed he would do well.
There were still many issues remaining, but now it was Bianca who filled Zachary's mind. Zachary's black horse ran swiftly. He crossed the battlefield and headed toward the castle.
The drawbridge descended, and the gate, which had been tightly closed for a month and a half, swung open wide to welcome the lord.
Then someone mounted their horse through the gates and ran towards Zachary.
The hem of the green fabric fluttering in the air was exceptionally clear. Green fabrics were also highly valued among the nobility, and there was only one person dressed in green at the Arno estate. Zachary's eyes widened as he realized who the opponent was.
"Bianca!"
"Zachary!"
Bianca, unable to wait for Zachary to enter, rode the cream-colored palomino that Zachary had given her as a gift. Perhaps because she had neglected horseback riding practice since the past winter, Bianca's image running towards him was unsteady.
Zachary quickly ran towards Bianca, who was bewildered and didn't know how to stop. Upon reaching Bianca, he took hold of the reins and calmed the horse. It didn't give him much trouble because it was a gentle horse.
Zachary dismounted and approached Bianca, who was seated in the saddle. Bianca's small hand rested on Zachary, and her body, between his firm arms, fell to the ground like a feather.
Bianca's and Zachary's eyes met. It was a reunion after three long months.
The two looked at each other in silence. It had only been three months, but the pain during that time was indescribable.
Unlike Bianca's wide-open eyes that seemed on the verge of tears, Zachary's eyes looking at Bianca were extremely dry. No. The eyes he thought were dry were actually burning like the scorching sun in the distant desert. The heat that seemed to have engulfed even his own emotions, as it couldn't burn everything, fell upon Bianca.
Zachary looked at Bianca as if he could see through even a single strand of her skin. But the more he looked, the more his heart crumbled.
Her hair, which had always been meticulously arranged, was tangled, her pale cheeks were covered in dust, and her soft lips were cracked.
It was as if she hadn't stayed still in her room.
Zachary, who had never dreamed of having Bianca on the frontlines, even though the war had erupted, was at a loss for words.
Why would someone who is more valuable than anyone else be like this?
Zachary asked, contemplating.
"What is this? Were you perhaps directly in the war?"
"That doesn't matter. How...? I heard you were dead."
"It was a trick to distract the enemy."
Zachary responded with a pained groan. The anguish that his own choice had caused Bianca to suffer, and the feeling of shame for not being able to protect Bianca in the moment she needed it the most tormented him. As he looked at Bianca, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
At the same time, he was moved by Bianca's desperate efforts to protect the territory. As the lord's representative, she had done an excellent job of protecting her territory.
"To pull off such a trick... You should have informed me in advance! Y-you... really...!"
The end of Bianca's voice trembled and was swallowed by her sobbing. The tears that had been flowing since before rose, crawling and running down her cheeks.
Bianca, who had been resentful towards Zachary, pushed away from his chest. But Zachary, towering like a mountain over Bianca's slender forearm, didn't move. If it had been the Zachary of the past, he would have backed away from her following her hand gestures, but now he held on to Bianca tightly.
Bianca also grumbled and didn't push him further. In Zachary's arms, she cried and sobbed.
"I thought you were really dead..."
"I'm sorry. I have nothing to say."
Zachary apologized over and over again. Bianca lifted her head and looked at Zachary. Bianca fought in the war for a month and a half, but Zachary spent three months wandering the battlefield.
Rough cheeks, disheveled hair, tired eyes. Bianca reached out and caressed Zachary's cheek. The soft sensation on her fingertips didn't satisfy her.
"You and I went through a hard time. But we overcame it, and here we are..."
She was so desperate. When it was all over, she felt empty. Bianca murmured in a monotonous voice, as if nothing had happened.
"I was going to die."
"What?"
Zachary's face hardened in an instant. He thought he must have misheard. Bianca dead... He must have been on the battlefield for so long that he got used to the word "die." That's why he heard these kinds of hallucinations...
But Bianca finished, as if to confirm it.
"Because you died... I was going to die too."
"Don't do that."
Zachary said firmly. The thought of Bianca committing suicide was terrifying. He convinced Bianca with a desperate look.
"Don't ever think about it again. Do you understand? If you think that way, I..."
His low voice seemed choked up. He pleaded again as if he could only relax when he received a definitive answer that Bianca wouldn't do it. That's how desperate he was.
Unlike Zachary's nervousness, Bianca was relaxed. She hid her embarrassment with a soft smile and whispered.
"But you didn't let me die."
"?"
"I'm pregnant."
Bianca's face blossomed brightly. Somewhere in her smiling face, like a flower in full bloom, there was even a sense of victory that she had finally achieved it.
On the other hand, Zachary was stunned by the unexpected words. It was too sudden and shocking for him. He never thought...
As Zachary still struggled to grasp the reality, Bianca went over the situation in more detail, as if to help him understand.
--------------------
"That day, I got pregnant."
"Pregnant..."
Zachary still had difficulty recognizing the reality. That day, it was clear which day she was referring to. Because it was the only night they didn't use contraceptives.
Bianca had wanted to get pregnant so badly in the first place, so he thought of making her feel better... When she found out she was pregnant, an indescribable feeling overwhelmed her. Bianca was still small and young... Regret for making a hasty decision shook him a moment later.
Of course, Bianca's stubbornness was strong, so even if he went back to that moment, Zachary couldn't have prevented it...
On the other hand, Bianca and her own child, his heart beat strongly. Will it be a boy or a girl? He wished they would resemble Bianca...
He eagerly awaited it, but at the same time, he worried about Bianca's condition. Amidst all the confusion, Zachary spotted a cream-colored horse resting calmly behind Bianca.
At the same time, the anxious appearance of Bianca on horseback came to his mind one after another. Zachary's face turned pale, and he shouted in panic.
"No, are you pregnant and riding a horse? What should I do if something happens?"
"It's a child who endured the war. This is nothing."
Bianca seemed calm. Zachary's face flushed as he looked at Bianca's face, straightened his neck, and responded as if he truly believed everything was fine.
At that moment, he saw Vincent and Gaspard running from the distance a second later. He intended to console them for their hard work, but they just returned in the midst of the situation unfolding before them. Zachary shouted so loudly that the veins on his neck bulged.
"I'm not okay. Vincent, Vincent!! Why did you let the lady ride a horse?"
In response to Zachary's scolding, Vincent's innocent face twisted strangely, as if he was crying and laughing. It was because Bianca quickly grabbed the reins and escaped before he could stop her.
Usually, you bring a horse, saddle it, and proceed calmly like any normal person, but in Bianca's case, as soon as you blinked, she had already disappeared.
After gasping for a while, Zachary looked at Bianca and said straightforwardly.
"Thank you."
Contrary to his stiff tone, his touch and gaze towards Bianca were very gentle.
Zachary carefully stroked Bianca's hair, flowing back and forth. His fingers caressed Bianca's cheek. As if he was stroking the fur of a kitten with the palm of his hand, every gesture he made was extremely cautious.
"For not dying. For waiting for me."
"Thank you very much."
Bianca wrapped her arms around Zachary's waist. His tightly cinched waist, dressed in armor, was thick enough that Bianca's arms couldn't fully wrap around it.
The black cloak over Zachary's surcoat enveloped Bianca's body. As if it carried all the winds and waves of the world. Bianca rested her head on Zachary's chest and whispered.
"For not dying. For coming back to me."
Dark clouds dispersed behind them, and the sun shone on the plain. The snow gradually melted, and buds sprouted against the exposed ground. After a long winter, spring had finally arrived.
It was the end of an exceptionally long and difficult winter.
---------------------------
One, two. The vassals fell, but Jacob kept running. He couldn't afford to look back.
He gritted his teeth in embarrassment. When has he been pursued like this?
He was always the one lurking. Without a throne and without Bianca... He, who had rushed to obtain it, was thrown to the ground in an instant and fled like a loser, so it was very frustrating.
But that didn't last long either.
The army of Arno, which had switched sides to Jacob, blocked his path. Jacob immediately tried to change direction, but that side was already blocked.
They slowly closed in on Jacob, surrounding him.
"Ugh!"
"The escape is over, Prince."
It was Sauveur, one of Zachary's three commanders, who appeared among the soldiers.
A man of plebeian origin and unremarkable skills. He didn't have a prominent role in the tournament either. Jacob didn't expect to be chased by a bastard like him. It was so humiliating.
Jacob rolled his eyes in search of an escape route, but Arno's forces blocked him firmly.
Sauveur smiled gently and approached him.
"Although the Prince claims to have been in war a few times, I have been on the battlefield half of my life. Chasing a fleeing soldier is nothing. Just because he's a prince doesn't mean he runs in a very creative way."
"...I am of royal blood. Even if you take me here, Count Arno has no choice but to let me go. If that happens, I will never forget this shame. On the other hand, if you let me go, I will repay you later. I will grant you titles and territory."
Jacob lifted his head again with stiffness and made a pretentious threat. Contrary to his shameless face, a cold sweat ran down his back. Jacob was also very nervous.
Will it work or not? It was the last card Jacob could play.
"I don't know... Maybe because I'm of plebeian origin, but I'm not very intelligent. I don't know what you're talking about."
Sauveur shrugged with his usual frivolous attitude. The sarcasm was so outrageous that Jacob gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, Sauveur remained vigilant and immediately winked at the soldiers.
Isn't it the role of a hunting dog to properly bite the rabbit that was hit by the owner's arrow? Instead of listening to the plea of a viper disguised as a rabbit.
Just as a hawk does not release the food it grasps with its claws, Sauveur thoroughly captured Jacob.
-------------
Jacob was taken to a platform built in a spacious vacant lot in the middle of Arno's castle. Without his armor and firmly bound with ropes, he looked like a prisoner of war.
Still, he shook his head with stiffness.
As a member of royalty, he was determined not to yield in a place like this, but when two soldiers forced him to kneel, there was no way to resist.
His disheveled golden hair fell over his face. The blue eyes that had not yet given up shone like pebbles in a gleaming lake. Despite his hardships during the war, he had a beauty that couldn't be hidden, but for the people of Arno's Territory, he was nothing more than a shameless and dishonorable prince.
Everyone in the gathered crowd pointed at Jacob, cursing him. In the midst of the angry crowd, Jacob was nothing more than a spectacle.
Everyone looked at each other and hesitated, then suddenly someone threw a stone at Jacob. The stone hit Jacob's head, and bright red blood ran through his blonde hair. It became easy after someone broke the barrier. Everyone threw whatever they had in their hands at Jacob.
Meanwhile, Jacob sat silently. He had no idea what he was thinking. Once again, he was so calm that it sent shivers down their spines. The people started murmuring, and unknowingly, they lowered the stones they were about to throw at Jacob.
Meanwhile, the crowd parted. It was Zachary and Bianca who appeared.
The sight of Zachary walking alongside Bianca, escorting her, seemed like a follower adoring a goddess.
Bianca and Zachary stood in front of Jacob. In that moment, an emotion appeared in Jacob's eyes. Jacob looked at Bianca and Zachary with eyes filled with humiliation, longing, and anger. He sneered as if being sarcastic.
"You can't kill me. Have you forgotten your oath of loyalty to the royal family of Sevran?"
"How many vassals will remain loyal to a king who brings a sword to a vassal's castle?"
Zachary asked coldly. Until now, he had been given unreasonable respect solely for being a member of the royal family, but now there was no more respect to give. Zachary's black eyes burned like hot coals.
"And I am well aware that he is part of the royal family, so he cannot be punished within the territory of a noble, and my lovely wife knows it too."
Without understanding why Bianca had suddenly come into the picture, Jacob frowned. Zachary continued speaking calmly.
"I don't think you believe that even though you invaded the territory, my wife made no arrangements for the moment of victory."
Zachary, as if boasting of Bianca's foresight, opened an envelope and read it. It was a letter from Princess Odelli.
Beside Zachary, Bianca internally sighed in relief. She had been waiting for the princess's messenger, but in the end, she encountered Zachary on the way home.
Fortunately, she was able to arrive in time.
Zachary raised his voice and read the contents of the letter.
"Jacob of Sevran. For the crime of invading Arno's property, forgetting your honor as a prince, with the intention of taking the married Countess of Arno, and obstructing her path as a saint."
Jacob's face distorted slightly. To that extent, it seemed like he still thought there was a way out. However, the contents of the letter didn't end there.
"For the crime of murdering Prince Gautier, who was the heir to the throne and the elder brother, and the crime of instigating the murder of his nephew, Crown Prince Albert."
The murmuring of the people in the territory grew louder. It had been rumored that Jacob was the mastermind behind the death of Prince Gautier...
The matter of succession within a mere noble family was also a cause for conflict. And considering that the battle for the throne was fierce, it was not strange for Jacob to make such a move. However, it was quite surprising that there was actually such strife within the royal family.
Zachary's voice was neither loud nor low. He calmly continued reading the treaty.
"For the crime of colluding with Aragon, selling key information of Sevran and aiding in their invasion."
Tags:
TWB (Novel)