Chapter 66

Even after losing his mistress, Princess Via, the routine continued unchanged, and Sais performed his duties as a knight of Antole day after day, calmly and steadily.

Looking back now, he had only served her for a little over a year.

However, the traces that Princess Via left in Sais's heart were so vivid that he still could not shake off the deep sense of loss.

Thus, as the year came to an end and the bitter cold of early spring finally began to ease, Sais was suddenly summoned by Antole's deputy.

He was abruptly ordered to go to Toua, the southernmost city of Ancheze.

When he was suddenly told that the whereabouts of Princess Via had been discovered, Sais could hardly believe it at first.

"Is Her Highness well?" he asked urgently.

"To confirm that is what we want," the deputy replied.

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the king suspected that one of Princess Via's close associates was involved in her disappearance. When questioned, Lord Morgan admitted that he had done it and confessed to helping Princess Via escape to Toua.

Hearing this, Sais involuntarily let out a gasp, "Ah..." He suddenly remembered that Princess Via had been called to the Crystal Palace by Lord Morgan shortly after the death of Empress Tora. They had had a serious conversation, but he never imagined that they were discussing a way out of the palace.

"So, Princess Via is working as a governess in Toua, then?"

After receiving the explanation, Sais let out a sigh of relief. If she was a governess, she would be treated with appropriate respect and would not be subjected to unreasonable treatment.

"Yes. Her Highness is well-mannered and has a graceful demeanor. I think it is a perfect fit for her," the deputy said, brightening up. He then changed his expression and added, "Evek. The king has no intention of bringing Princess Via back. His position as the one who must welcome the empress has not changed, and forcibly bringing her back would only cause her more pain. We only want you to confirm that Princess Via is well and not in a difficult position at her place of employment. Carry out your mission without disrupting her current life."

Before leaving for Toua, Sais was introduced to Lord Morgan again to gather detailed information about the nobleman who had hired Princess Via.

The nobleman's name was Agashi, an elderly merchant woman who was raising her only grandchild, the orphan of her young deceased son and daughter-in-law. Lord Morgan had thoroughly investigated Agashi's financial situation, family, and social relations, but when he said he did not know what name Princess Via was using, Sais could hardly believe his ears.

"Why don't you know her name, even though you wrote the recommendation letter?"

Lord Morgan answered with a serious face, "Actually, the recommendation letter was written by Her Highness. The day after we finalized our plans, she sent me a self-written recommendation letter through a maid of the Purple Jade Palace, but the name on the document was different. It was a name that sounded like Via, but since we had agreed not to contact each other again, I didn't bother to remember it."

"A name that sounds like Via..." Sais tilted his head, wondering what that meant.

"More importantly, the content of the recommendation letter was outstanding. The impact of the letter was so strong that I couldn't help but be impressed. It was so well-written that any employer would have hired her immediately."

"..."

Princess Via, you are truly formidable. Sais was amazed at her talent, but upon further reflection, he realized that she had simply praised herself. There was a good chance she had enjoyed writing it.

Not knowing her exact name was a problem, but Sais decided to set out for Toua with the intention of looking for a woman named Via. If he mentioned the name of the Antole Knights, the nobleman in Toua would surely respond.

Thus, Sais set out for Toua with high spirits, a two-day journey. However, the night before he was to meet her, he was so excited and thrilled that he could hardly sleep. He tossed and turned, repeatedly, and when the night finally began to lighten, he was relieved that morning had finally come.

Would she be surprised to see my face? Or would she be angry that the arrangement was different? He imagined the scene of their reunion many times and, in a dreamlike state, visited the nobleman's house, only to be told that Princess Via had disappeared again.

Sais, who considered himself rather optimistic and resilient, was so shocked and disappointed that he almost collapsed on the spot.

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the root of all evil was a young merchant named Creas Helg, who had fallen in love with Princess Via at first sight when he visited the Agashi household for business. He had desperately tried to court her, but she rejected him, and his unrequited love eventually led him to fall ill.

His worried parents approached Agashi, the mistress of the household, and after hearing the story, she pushed Princess Via to accept the match, considering it a perfect opportunity.

Princess Via was cornered. The Helg family was one of the wealthiest merchant families in Toua, and with no blemish on the young man, there was no reason to refuse. Despite her repeated rejections, they insisted that she did not need to be modest and even started planning the wedding and the dress fitting without her consent. Faced with this four-sided siege, Princess Via decided to disappear for the second time in her life.

The most pitiful person was Princess Via, who had lost both her home and her job, but Sais, who had traveled to Toua in anticipation of their reunion, was also a victim. He was furious with Helg, who had caused this ridiculous proposal scandal, and felt a level of anger toward someone else that he had never felt before and probably never would again.

He thought about tracking down Princess Via's whereabouts, but since she had disappeared over two months ago, he doubted that any inquiries now would lead to finding her. He decided that he should report the situation to the king as soon as possible.

Upon hearing Sais's report, the three close aides looked up to the sky and said, "Perhaps her beauty backfired..." but King Alek had a complex expression. He was happy that Princess Via still thought of him sincerely, but he was also troubled that she had disappeared again.

Not long after, Sais left the room, but as he walked down the corridor, he was stopped by Prince Celtes.

The tie clip you are wearing has an interesting motif. Is it an acacia flower?"

In fact, Sais had brought the acacia tie clip given to him by Princess Via to Toua, hoping that it would be seen when they met. He had taken it out from his chest pocket to tidy up his appearance before meeting the emperor.

"Yes, it was made by Princess Via."

Sais also mentioned that the four maids who attended Princess Via had been given similar tie clips with acacia flowers. Prince Celtes smiled and said, "That sounds like my sister."

"Mother liked acacia flowers, so Princess Via often made handkerchiefs with acacia embroidery. I have a few, and I'm sure my sister does too."

Prince Celtes then softened his gaze and looked at Sais. "Did you hear from my sister why Mother liked acacia flowers?"

"No."

"Acacia was a special flower for Empress Titti. When her husband proposed to her, it was May, and acacia flowers were blooming everywhere. He whispered his love to the woman who would become his wife under the blooming acacia trees."

"That's..."

It was a beautiful love story, but Sais found it difficult to say it was a lovely anecdote, given that it involved Empress Titti and her former husband. Seeing Sais's gaze wander, Prince Celtes smiled wryly.

"You don't need to worry about my feelings. Mother loved her first husband, and she didn't hide that from me. But she showed me even more love to ensure that I didn't feel lonely or anxious. My sister felt the same way. She loved her late husband, but she also loved me deeply."

"I am well aware that Princess Via cherished you deeply, Your Highness."

Princess Via had become King Alek's consort to protect her younger brother. When she learned that his life was in danger, she shielded him with her own body. She was his only family and worried about him until the end.

"May I ask one more question?"

Prince Celtes nodded, and Sais gathered his courage to ask, "Earlier, Your Highness said that the guards, acting on the orders of Emperor Palesis, killed Princess Via's father in front of her and her mother. Is that really...?"

The words that Princess Via had spoken on the night of the coup came back to Sais.

She said that the guards had killed someone in front of her and had even tried to kill her when she was three years old, which was why Empress Titti had gone to Emperor Palesis. At the time, Sais had found it tragic, but he never imagined that the person killed was her real father.

"Emperor Palesis was a truly despicable man," Prince Celtes answered in a dry voice, his lips twisting into a thin smile.

"He lusted after Titti, who was already married, and killed her husband in front of her and her children before taking her to his bed. I've heard that my sister, who was only a child, was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a while."

"Such a..."

The story was so horrific that Sais involuntarily bit his lip.

"The thought that half of my blood comes from that man is repulsive. But there's nothing I can do about it. I and the king will never forget that fact."

Hearing this, Sais realized that King Alek was also the son of the man who had killed Princess Via's real father.

From today's conversation, it seemed that King Alek was already aware of this fact. Knowing that the man who had killed the woman he loved the most was his own father, how much pain must the king have endured? No amount of apologies could atone for such a sin, and he could only move forward while hating the blood that flowed through his veins.

Prince Celtes glanced at Sais, who was lost in thought, and then turned and left. As Sais watched his retreating figure, he thought of Princess Via, who was far away under a distant sky.

He hoped she was smiling.

Prince Celtes had said that she was surely living a strong life, determined to be happy, and Sais felt the same way. He couldn't imagine Princess Via with a gloomy face, complaining about her situation.

But... Sais thought. Given the circumstances, Princess Via must have left Toua with only a few personal items and a small amount of money. Without a proper recommendation letter, it would be difficult for her to find a decent job, and he was worried about her financial situation.

If only he could see her and know that she was well, even for a moment... Sais prayed to the gods for that alone. Even a second-hand report would be enough to bring him peace if he knew she was safe.

As if his desperate prayers had reached the gods, one day, Sais was unexpectedly given a chance to meet her again. It was a late May afternoon, after a long period of unseasonable rain, when the sun finally peeked through the clouds. It happened in the streets of Midas, where the humid air after the rain gently swayed the trees along the road.