Chapter 17

The two princes are both blond with blue eyes and bear a striking resemblance, but their personalities are quite different.

Prince Conrad, the first prince, is twenty-five years old. He is thoughtful and gentle, and is highly regarded by his subjects. He has a consort and has been blessed with children.

Prince Cedric, the second prince, is twenty years old. He is cheerful and active. He had a betrothed from childhood, but the engagement was amicably dissolved five years ago due to the lady's poor health. Since then, he has not entered into another engagement.

Prince Cedric was confronting his elder brother.

"Brother, is it all right to leave that woman free as she is?"

"According to Geoffrey, she is probably a White. However, the reason she killed the man is unknown. I will have her monitored for Geoffrey's sake. The fact that Geoffrey has been stuck for ten years is partly my fault. It is my duty to take on the role of the disliked one. You don't need to worry."

Ten years ago, the western tribe declared that they would "reclaim our stolen holy land" and attacked the western border of the Ashberry Kingdom.

In the past, that land was a deep forest with unclear borders. Later, the borders were defined through negotiations. The land near the border was cultivated into arable land by a group of settlers sent by the Ashberry Kingdom. This settlement eventually became a base for people who utilized forest resources.

The western country probably regretted that the land had become a rich source of harvest. They decided to use the claim of the local tribe that "that forest has been our sacred land since ancient times." The Ashberry Kingdom did not back down against such a western country.

When the western tribe and their soldiers tried to invade, the Ashberry Kingdom also dispatched its royal army.

The battle was expected to be a win, so the first prince, who was making his debut, participated. Geoffrey, a member of the First Knights known as the Royal Guard, also joined to protect the prince.

At the beginning of the battle, the enemy was overwhelmed, and it seemed like a sure victory. However, there was a split in opinion about the next strategy.

One plan was to launch a night raid before the enemy could receive reinforcements and crush them all at once. The other plan was to wait for dawn and launch a full-scale attack, as the enemy was familiar with the land and it would be dangerous at night.

Both plans had their pros and cons, and the battalion commander asked the prince, who was making his debut, to make a decision.

After some thought, the first prince supported the plan to launch a night raid before the enemy could receive reinforcements. However, the squadron leader, Kaiser, opposed this decision.

"Your Highness, if the enemy anticipates a night raid, it could result in significant damage to our army. If we stumble at the beginning, it will be difficult to distinguish friend from foe, and there is a risk of friendly fire. Please reconsider."

Kaiser expressed his opinion, but Prince Conrad ultimately chose the night raid plan after some deliberation.

That night, the enemy's arrows, which were prepared for a night raid, rained down from a high place onto the moving Ashberry army, causing significant casualties.

Prince Conrad was unharmed, but Kaiser, who had covered him, was struck by several arrows in the back.

The army suffered considerable losses, but the battle ended in victory for the Ashberry side, and the settlement was protected.

Kaiser's only surviving family member was his twin sister, Catherine. Her father and mother had recently died of illness, and she had lost her entire family within a year.

However, Catherine did not lose her composure when she heard the news of Kaiser's death and remained calm, which impressed many people who commented, "She is truly a lady from a family of generations of knights."

However, the tragedy of losing her twin brother in the midst of the fatigue from caring for her parents and the grief of losing them in quick succession began to secretly erode the heart of the eighteen-year-old Catherine.

Catherine's fiancé at the time was Geoffrey Asher, a member of the First Knights, who was twenty-two years old. The bond between the twin siblings was stronger than that of parent and child, so Geoffrey had been worried about his fiancée ever since his return from the battlefield.

Geoffrey had been fighting close to the first prince and had witnessed Kaiser's last moments.

Kaiser was hit by an arrow during the movement and spat blood. Realizing he was beyond saving, he covered the prince.

Geoffrey had intended to wait until Catherine was more emotionally stable before telling her about Kaiser's heroic last moments.

However, the details of the battle were secretly leaked to her by visitors, and the information was inaccurate.

"The prince, eager for a quick victory in his first battle, insisted on a reckless night raid."

"Squadron leader Kaiser had opposed the prince's strategy from the beginning."

"He died protecting the prince by covering him."

Geoffrey was unaware of the existence of these rumors and that Catherine had taken them as the truth.

About ten days after the funeral, the first prince, Conrad, summoned Catherine and Geoffrey to the castle. The reason was that he wanted to meet Kaiser's sister in person and apologize.

Prince Conrad dismissed everyone and stood up, bowing to Catherine.

"I am sorry."

Seeing this, Geoffrey felt a complex emotion.

Kaiser's death was not the prince's fault, and even if the prince bowed, Catherine, in her position, could only say, "I forgive you," regardless of her true feelings.

(There was no need to apologize, and it would have been better to wait until her heart had healed before setting up this meeting.) Geoffrey thought. But the prince was only fifteen at the time and was naturally lacking in such considerations. He also thought that the king was probably unaware of this meeting.

Catherine quickly stood up and approached the prince, saying, "Your Highness, please raise your head." She reached out to touch him with a calm smile. Geoffrey, realizing that touching the prince would be disrespectful, tried to stop her and noticed something hidden in her hand.

He tackled his fiancée in silence, forcing her hand open, and found a small, sharp knife. The fact that she had not been searched due to the prince's invitation had led to this disaster.

The sound of cups and plates clattering as Geoffrey bumped into the table alerted the knights, who rushed in. Geoffrey quickly hid the knife and only said, "She is not feeling well," and carried Catherine to the infirmary without further ado.

Sitting on the sofa in the infirmary, Catherine neither cried nor showed anger. She sat quietly, her glassy eyes seeming to look at him but not really seeing him. Geoffrey realized that she was broken. She had not been able to accept her twin brother's death and could not forgive the prince.

Geoffrey deeply regretted believing her repeated words and brave smile, "My brother died protecting the prince, so he must have been content."

The fact that Catherine had threatened the royal family with a weapon was known only to Prince Conrad and Geoffrey, but the four knights who rushed in might have sensed something. If it became public, Catherine would certainly be executed.

Fortunately, Prince Conrad decided to keep the matter confidential, and Catherine was allowed to return home. Geoffrey instructed the household to "keep a close watch on her, as if she were under house arrest, and call a doctor," and stayed at her residence for several days.

"Kaiser's death is not the prince's fault."

He explained the truth many times, but Catherine only had a vacant expression.

The day after Geoffrey returned to work, Catherine took her own life. The despair he felt when he heard that "Catherine had committed suicide" is still vividly etched in his memory.

Her hastily written note read, "I am going to be with my family."

After Catherine's death, Geoffrey requested to resign from the knights, intending to take responsibility for not predicting her actions and being present. However, his resignation was not accepted due to the king's decision and the first prince's request. He was reassigned to the Second Knights, who mainly handled the capital's security, and has been there ever since.

The regret and self-blame for not noticing her suffering and failing to be a support for her have remained as a hard, black lump in his heart for ten years.

One day, a woman named Victoria, who never relied on anyone, appeared in Geoffrey's life, carrying Nonna on her back.