Chapter 404. Sovieshu’s Despair (1) // The next one is the last one with this same t.i.tle
Translator: Aura / Editor: HB168
Viscountess Verdi’s eyes were full of love as she watched the baby in a deep sleep. She held Glorym in her arms to keep her warm.
Though it hadn’t been easy, escaping had been smoother than she expected. The knights’ inspections at the checkpoints were not strict, and the people with whom they crossed paths were friendly. At this rate, it looked like they could be over the border in a few more hours.
‘It’s fortunate that Lord Koshar drove out the Eternal Thousand bandits from this area.’
The Eternal Thousand bandits used to roam in this area frequently, but when Koshar was exiled to the area by Duke Troby, he made a hobby of fighting against them. Thanks to Koshar, Viscountess Verdi believed, there were currently no traces of the Eternal Thousand bandits. She had even heard that they were now terrorizing people in the Western Empire.
When they finally arrived at Palme, Viscountess Verdi got out of the carriage with the baby in her arms and went to the bathroom. She could manage to sleep and eat in the carriage, but she had no choice but to leave the safety of the carriage to use the bathroom.
She went to a nearby inn and ordered food. While she waited, she heard people whispering.
“A woman with a baby?”
“Yes. The knights seem to be in a hurry to find her.”
“Is she a criminal?”
“I don’t know. There is such a rush to find her, so she must be in serious trouble.”
They were travelers who had come a long way and encountered stricter checkpoints than they were used to.
Viscountess Verdi hurried back to the carriage without waiting for the food.
“Let’s go, quickly!”
The Viscountess urged the coachman. Although she wasn’t sure that the woman with a baby mentioned by the travelers was herself and Glorym, it would be best to avoid any possible risk.
Duke Elgy had arranged for this coachman and informed him of the situation, so he started the carriage without asking any questions, and they left Palme just before the inspection at the checkpoints was reinforced by the knights.
The Viscountess’ heart pounded and she hugged the baby tightly.
‘In fact, the checkpoints have seemed more flexible than usual, until now. Did Emperor Sovieshu let us escape? Is it because he still has a little love left for the baby?’
Sovieshu had sent the palace doctor when Glorym was sick and kept her protected within the Imperial Palace as the scandal unfolded, so Viscountess Verdi had believed that he still had some love for Glorym.
‘But if that’s the case, why is he trying to catch us now?’
After hearing the people at the inn, Viscountess Verdi had doubts.
Fortunately, both the carriage and the horses were excellent, and the coachman was very competent, so the carriage sped away upon the Viscountess’ request to hurry.
— The baby looks so much like Rashta that it worries me.
Duke Elgy’s words came to her mind and increased her nervousness.
Suddenly, the coachman lost control of the horses, and the carriage began to spin.
“Aaaahh!”
Viscountess Verdi s.h.i.+elded the baby with her arms. The carriage, which had spun around several times, came to a stop when it collided with a huge rock and overturned.
The Viscountess suffered a heavy blow, but she didn’t release the baby, even when she felt she was about to lose consciousness. She could not hear very well, but she was aware that the baby was crying inconsolably.
Someone opened the carriage door abruptly. The noises didn’t stop and rough hands s.n.a.t.c.hed the princess away from her.
“No!”
With a huge effort, Viscountess Verdi crawled towards the door, holding out her hands toward the baby.
A tall, ruthless-looking man was holding the baby with one hand, looking down at the frail Viscountess without pity.
“My Lord, what do you want to do?”
“Get rid of anything useless.”
After hearing those words, Viscountess Verdi finally lost consciousness.
The man who took Glorym was Kelderek, the Celestial Lord of the Eternal Thousand bandits. He held the baby as if she were a bag while he instructed his subordinates.
“Search the carriage! There must be a lot of money and jewelry! It looks like it belongs to a n.o.ble escaping in a hurry, so we should find many valuable goods!
His subordinates laughed and began to search the carriage. As their leader had deduced, they found many jewels and money inside.
Kelderek laughed good-naturedly. It had been a while since they had last achieved such great results, so his subordinates praised him.
“We’ve been so lucky on our first day back here. Our luck will continue to improve from now on.”
“Our Celestial Lord was right about that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Koshar!”
“Yes, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d was able to ditch his bad reputation when he left the Eastern Empire.”
They had left for the Western Empire to escape Koshar, but ran into Koshar again as soon as they arrived. Then, they learned that Koshar’s sister had become the Empress of the Western Empire.
The bandits did not believe it was a simple coincidence. They felt that the siblings of that family had some kind of grudge against them, since wherever they went, Koshar faced them and his sister became the Empress.
They had to move elsewhere, so Kelderek racked his brains and decided to return to the Eastern Empire.
The result was already paying off.
“I’m a genius! Koshar, you’re a b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.d. May we never meet again!”
Kelderek laughed and handed the baby to the subordinate next to him.
“Leave the girl anywhere. Let’s go.”
However, before the bandits left, a man named Bucheon suddenly approached the baby, took her in his arms and murmured,
“Doesn’t… doesn’t this baby look like she’s my daughter?”
At these words, Kelderek trembled and shouted in anger.
“What are you talking about, a.s.shole?! How can you compare your ugly face to a baby like this one? Apologize to the baby for the offense!”
Bucheon quickly changed his words.
“She looks like my wife! That’s what I meant.”
“Do you ever think before you speak?!”
Kelderek trembled again, but Bucheon ignored him and made a request.
“My Lord, didn’t you order to leave this girl anywhere? Please, let’s leave her at my house.”
“What?! Why?”
“I have been married to my wife for ten years, but we have not been able to have children. This girl is identical to my wife, so she must be my daughter.”
“a.s.shole… you don’t have a bit of intelligence.”
“Huh? She has two eyes, a nose and a mouth just like my wife, doesn’t she?”
“You a.s.shole. Do what you want.”
Kelderek insulted him one last time, but Bucheon was thrilled. He held the baby tenderly and whispered to her.
“My daughter, my daughter.”