Chapter 85

Isaac hesitated, sweat prickling along his skin. Kaiyan clearly disliked his avoidance of the prince’s gaze, yet holding it made Isaac painfully aware of himself, unsure what to do with his own hands or expression. He fought to hide his discomfort, and after a long, lingering stare, Kaiyan finally turned his attention to Elli.

Elli flinched. Her worried glances had darted between Isaac and the prince all evening, but when her gaze finally met Kaiyan’s, the color drained from her face. The prince’s stare pinned her in place. Like a frightened animal, she seemed frozen, incapable of looking away, before slowly and awkwardly edging behind Isaac to hide.

Sensing the heavy silence settling over the banquet, the lord hurried to revive the mood. He followed Kaiyan’s gaze and smiled broadly. “Now that I think of it, you are His Highness’s personal guard, aren’t you?”

“Yes, my lord. My name is Isaac.” For Isaac, the question was a small stroke of luck. He answered quickly, eager to divert attention from Kaiyan and shield the trembling, pale Elli from the spotlight.

“A fine, sturdy, and handsome young man indeed,” the lord chuckled. “Serving such a distinguished master must be demanding. Are you living well in Haylen?”

“Yes, I am. Everyone has treated me with great kindness. I am truly grateful.” Isaac offered the polished, proper reply expected of him.

The lord studied him with a slow, benevolent nod and a thoughtful smile. Then, without warning, he asked, “Do you have a partner? A man as handsome as you must have someone waiting back in the capital.”

“Pardon? Ah… no, not yet…” Isaac forced an awkward smile.

The lord’s face brightened, and he nodded with vigorous approval. “I see. That is excellent. Looking at you now, you and Elli seem remarkably well-suited. If my daughter moves to the capital, Elli would naturally go with her.”

Most guests would have caught the hint that the lord’s daughter might soon relocate to the capital. Isaac, however, was struck only by the immediate personal implication. His smile froze.

“You already seem to be getting along well with Elli. What do you think of such an arrangement?”

Oh no. What should I say?

A territorial lord had put the question to him directly. He could hardly admit that he disliked the idea, yet he could not bring himself to welcome it either. “She is certainly a lovely woman. Far more than someone like me deserves…” He muttered into his chest, forcing a strained smile despite the cold sweat beading on his brow.

The rest of the table treated the matter as light entertainment.

“That sounds like a promising match.”

“They do look good together, don’t they?”

Encouraging remarks drifted around the table, cheerful and oblivious. The lord then turned toward Kaiyan, fishing for a response to the subtler implication concerning his own daughter. “What do you think, Your Highness?”

Kaiyan tilted his head, his eyes sweeping toward Elli. Under that flat, unreadable stare, the girl grew even paler, her hands beginning to tremble.

“It seems the future of your daughter must be settled first.”

The prince’s reply landed like a verdict. The lord’s eyes wavered, unsure whether the words were dismissal or approval. The other guests exchanged confused glances until, suddenly, Elli crumpled to the floor.

Isaac rushed toward her instinctively. “Are you all right?”

“…Anemia. My health has always been somewhat poor. I just need to rest for a little while,” Elli whispered, looking up at her mistress.

Catching the hint, Grace noted her sorrowful, bloodless expression and spoke with genuine concern. “Elli! You look terribly ill. Go and rest at once.”

“Yes. Thank you, my lady. Then I shall excuse myself…” Bowing deeply, Elli kept her eyes downcast, avoiding all gazes, and left the hall. She never looked at Isaac as she retreated.

He watched her go with worry before straightening. She seemed fine moments ago. Was she truly suffering from some chronic ailment? The thought lingered, but he pushed it aside. Showing too much concern might only encourage the lord to pursue the marriage more seriously. Even as a jest, the topic would grow more troublesome if left unchecked.

Isaac swallowed a sigh and lifted his eyes, only to flinch. Kaiyan was watching him.

Isaac almost dropped his gaze but stopped himself, forcing his expression into calmness. Kaiyan, too perceptive to miss Isaac’s inner turmoil, seemed to ease slightly. The frost in his eyes softened, though his expression remained unreadable. His mood, at least, appeared a little lighter.

“Does the food suit Your Highness’s taste?” the lord asked, eager to shift the topic.

Kaiyan nodded indifferently. “The wine is acceptable.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed the lord’s face that the prince had singled out only the wine from his carefully prepared banquet, but he masked it quickly with another smile. “It is an excellent vintage. So many years have passed since its making that even a fortune could hardly buy a bottle now.”

“Ha ha. Then the wine is much like Haylen itself—old, rare, and excellent,” a middle-aged man across the table chimed in.

The lord waved a hand in modest deflection but visibly swelled with pride. “Haylen may be remote, quiet, and peaceful, and not widely renowned, but I take great pride in my family and this land. Very few cities have preserved their ancient character as faithfully.”

“Indeed. Haylen itself is an ancient inheritance.”

Similar remarks echoed around the table. Then Kaiyan, silent until now, spoke. “They say witches still live in Haylen.”

The guests exchanged uneasy glances, unsure where the conversation was headed. Believing he had made a dry joke, they burst into laughter.

“Haylen is so ancient that many folktales linger. Such creatures were supposedly common a century ago.”

“With rivers, mountains, and air as clear as ours, it wouldn’t be surprising if some still hid in the forests.”

“If I captured a witch and presented her to the court, I’d be handsomely rewarded. Perhaps I should search the forest’s edge tonight.”

“You? Don’t be ridiculous! If you met a witch, she’d devour you.”

What an uncomfortable topic. Isaac tightened his hold on the three cats. Their tails lashed his thighs as if they, too, disliked the conversation.

“With Lord Kaiyan here, any monsters nearby must surely be in hiding.”

“Indeed. What witch would dare appear before him?”

The talk flowed on, oblivious to the undercurrents. Grace noticed the prince’s cup was empty and quickly refilled it.

Kaiyan took a sip before he spoke. “At the very least, no witch will be allowed to touch a human while I am here.” His gaze was locked on Isaac.

Isaac stiffened, his heart plummeting. The warning was almost certainly meant for Elli. First came an unfair sting; he had never intended harm. Then came the bitter weight of knowing Kaiyan still saw him as a cursed witch. He had always known it, but feeling it confirmed again drained the strength from his limbs. So long as witch blood ran through him, the prince’s trust would remain out of reach. Isaac sighed silently, resigned to what he could not change.

Meanwhile, the lord, pleasantly intoxicated, gazed between his daughter and the prince with satisfaction and laughed heartily. “A fine day. Truly, a fine day. It is the greatest honor to host such a distinguished guest. Although this is a humble home, I implore Your Highness to stay here tonight. It may not compare to the detached palace, but we will dedicate ourselves to your comfort.”

A thought occurred to him, and he turned to his daughter. “Ah, yes. My dear, after dinner, show His Highness the rear garden.” He looked at Kaiyan. “I am certain you will enjoy it. Our grounds extend to the forest and lake, perfect for a quiet walk. Fireflies dance through Haylen’s nights even into early winter. I have never found a promenade more beautiful than our rear gardens. My daughter knows the paths well. Let her guide you.”

The lord smiled with warm generosity, the kind that suggested tacit approval for whatever might unfold in the secluded forest. Perhaps the mention of the garden and woods piqued Kaiyan’s interest, for he gave the faintest nod.

The lord nodded repeatedly, satisfied, and threw his daughter a meaningful glance.

Isaac watched from the sidelines, thinking that the lord was truly determined to see this through. The lord’s resolve to make his daughter the princess consort was evident in every word and gesture. Isaac glanced at Grace, who wore a shy and expectant smile, and then his gaze drifted to the empty space. He recalled all the young women who had approached Kaiyan with similar hopes, only to eventually flee. None had managed to withstand both the prince’s temperament and his physical presence. Isaac doubted Grace’s chances as well, though he kept his thoughts to himself. He simply hoped that this situation would conclude without causing harm to either her heart or her body.

At the same time, Isaac found himself pondering, Why am I becoming depressed again? He scratched his head and tilted it, envisioning Kaiyan and Grace strolling side by side by the lake.

It seemed that today was simply a day for inexplicable melancholy. With a sigh, he adjusted the three cats as they began to slip from his arms. They had eaten so much wherever they went that they felt extraordinarily heavy, and his arms were starting to ache.

Those creatures need to go on a diet, he thought. As if sensing his thoughts, the uncanny beasts slapped their tails against his thighs.

***