CHAPTER 110: BEHIND REGRET

0% The world is unpredictable. Sometimes, opportunity finds you when you least expect it.

Carnail, the knight once assigned to the Imperial Mausoleum and long forgotten by history, had resigned from her post with a light heart. There wasn’t much to pass on to her successor. The job itself was essentially one where you waited day after day to finally be released from duty.

Finally, I’m free. I can finally do real knightly work.

Whether one was forced out under pressure or stormed out in disgust, it made little difference in the end. Who in their right mind would take the time to prepare a proper handover for this post?

In reality, most people spent that time writing their resignation letters or trying to curry favor with the occasional high-ranking official who came to pay respects at the mausoleum. Nobody cared about the poor soul who’d be sent here next.

Of course, if something went wrong at the mausoleum and it was traced back to her successor, the blame might still land on her shoulders. So she had no plans to completely wash her hands of it,just enough to dodge responsibility. She had no intention of explaining everything, just like her predecessor hadn’t explained anything to her.

Not a chance. No way. Absolutely not.

Her unlucky successor would already know what kind of job this was. The mausoleum knight position had always been about grit and sheer willpower. But that was no longer her concern.

Her Highness Ardein hasn’t forgotten me...

When she received a handwritten letter from Ardein, followed the very next day by an official summons from the Imperial Court, Carnail was genuinely moved. She had forgotten her lord, but her lord had not forgotten her.

A lord abandoning their subordinate and a subordinate abandoning their lord,both were acts of betrayal, but if asked which was worse, everyone would answer the latter.

No matter how kindly she tried to phrase it, Carnail knew she had committed betrayal. Even as she made her way to see Ardein, she had been plagued with anxiety, wondering whether her presence would only reignite anger.

Still, she went anyway because, deep down, she had the misguided belief that someone like her still deserved to be given an important role.

It’s not like I fully betrayed her, and look how much I’ve suffered for it...

She hadn’t stabbed Ardein in the back. She hadn’t climbed to power over betrayal. Didn’t that count as loyalty in its way? At least, that’s what she had told herself,right up until the moment she stood before the princess and realized she had nothing to say.

When she saw Her Highness again after all those years, Carnail found herself completely speechless. After sharing a few nostalgic memories, she had absolutely nothing left to talk about.

Even if she had been busy surviving, who was it that cut off contact entirely, ignoring every message from her liege? The moment she remembered that, Carnail finally came to terms with what she had done. A few years had passed, and that was longer than she thought. In that time, Ardein had changed a great deal.

Not being at her side, Carnail didn’t know the first thing about who Ardein had become. So then, what exactly had she come back hoping for? The shame made her want to crawl into a hole.

For now, do your duty. Soon, good things will come.

Ardein’s words had overwhelmed her. The truth was, even not being kicked out had felt like a blessing.

Whether or not those “good things” ever came didn’t really matter. She was already thankful that something worse hadn’t happened. But then, the unexpected happened,those good things really did come.

Ardein had called her back to serve as a member of her personal guard. In terms of rank, it was even higher than the position she’d held before being exiled to the mausoleum.

Ardein had brought back a traitor and placed her in an even greater position of trust.

“Your Highness. This time, I will devote my entire life to you. I, Carnail, will throw myself into fire if that is your command!”

When she saw Ardein again, she fell to her knees and pledged her loyalty through tears,not crocodile tears, but the real thing.

Ardein simply watched her with a complicated expression. Her reason for forgiving this traitor was simple. She didn’t feel she had the right not to forgive.

Carnail had served her, yes, but she hadn’t owed her life. She was just a knight, once sworn to her name. And for that, Ardein had ground her teeth in bitterness.

But she, who owed her own life and her father’s to another, had done nothing when that person walked into the fire for her.

So what judgment could she possibly pass on someone else? Grinding her teeth wouldn’t be enough. And yet that kind person had left her with nothing but a blessing.

Her cheeks burned just thinking about it.

In the end, Ardein had written Carnail a letter herself. She had done worse than this woman, yet still tried to scold her.

Maybe the one without shame wasn’t Carnail at all, but herself.

“Lady Carnail, the carriage from the palace has arrived. We’re here to escort you to the capital.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

Buoyed by the thrill of promotion, Carnail gave a firm nod. The imperial palace was one of the most generous employers in the land, and as a personal guard to royalty, she would now have access to carriages and coachmen like they were her own. This was a meaningful luxury for someone like Carnail,born a commoner with no wealth.

She lived on the capital’s outskirts and normally walked to the mausoleum on foot. It would’ve been nice to at least own a horse, but the mausoleum knights had no access to the cavalry’s mounts.

And they weren’t the sort you could just sneak home and raise yourself, either. Even if you managed to “borrow” one, the feed costs alone would ruin your finances.

These horses couldn’t survive on grass by the roadside. They couldn’t even maintain basic health that way. That was the downside of specialized breeding,without careful management, they were weaker than ordinary horses.

But to buy even a simple riding horse out of pocket, when your job could vanish any day? That felt like a waste of money. So she’d always walked. Now that she was commuting by carriage, a laugh slipped out without her meaning to. Her mood was practically floating.

She even started enjoying the game of pretending to speak formally and act dignified. Just when she was starting to really settle into the part, the smoothly gliding carriage came to a sudden stop.

She had been about to say something but stopped herself, propped her chin on one hand like a noblewoman, and pretended to enjoy the unexpected delay with grace. Nobles were supposed to be unhurried and composed, no matter the situation.

Ugh. This is getting annoying.

How long did she hold that pose? Carnail, who had been pretending not to mind the delay at all, lasted less than ten minutes before she called out to the coachman. He scratched his head and gave a reluctant report.

“Well, the road up ahead is completely blocked. There’s too many people, we can’t get through.”

“What... I mean, what? What’s going on?”

“The gate that had been working fine just stopped all of a sudden. The protesters are in chaos and pushing forward to see what happened, and... the people from the Republic think the Empire’s up to something and started shouting too... It’s a mess.”

“Protesters?”

The coachman nodded and started explaining. People in transport often had sharp ears for news.

“The Imperials are angry, saying the Republic immigrants are stealing their jobs and food, throwing stones at them. The people from the Republic are furious too, saying they didn’t come here by choice, that they’re here because of debt.”

Tension between natives and newcomers was common and always simmering. On its own, it wasn’t enough to cause this kind of chaos.

The problem was that the gate had suddenly stopped. That was why the whole area was now in turmoil. People from the Cidatel Republic exploded in anger when their families and loved ones were prevented from entering. And the Imperials weren’t at fault either, so they had plenty to say in return.

The gate stopped? And there’s a protest? Great. My first day as a royal guard, and I’m already late. I can’t let that happen. How am I supposed to face Her Highness Ardein if I’m late?

Wizards might have been shocked to hear the gate had stopped, but Carnail, not being a mage, felt neither surprise nor interest. Cidatel–Imperial conflict? Not her business. She was barely keeping herself afloat.

“Just take the carriage back to my place!”

In a panic, Carnail leapt from the carriage and took off on foot. When the roads were blocked and overflowing with people like this, running was the fastest way to move.

By the time she reached Ardein’s room, the knight looked like she needed a guard herself, not like someone assigned to protect royalty.

Seeing Carnail arrive, pale and winded, Ardein blinked in surprise. The woman looked like she’d collapse at any moment from exhaustion.

“What happened? Why did you run here in such a hurry?”

Even if Carnail had been appointed as a personal guard, how often would a Master like Ardein actually need protection?

If something was threatening enough that she required a bodyguard, would someone like Carnail even be of help?

So whether she was late or not, Ardein hadn’t really cared. Still, seeing her rush in like this, she couldn’t help but feel just a bit moved.

“Huff... huff... well, the thing is... huff...”

“Catch your breath first. Maien, bring some water.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maid brought a clear glass of cold water. Once Carnail drank it down, ice cubes still clinking inside, she finally managed to slow her breathing enough to speak.

Being a knight, she had good stamina. With just a little rest, she recovered quickly.

“I apologize, Your Highness. The gate suddenly stopped working, and people swarmed the area. I almost failed in my duty to protect you. But I, Carnail, who have dedicated everything to Your Highness, pressed on with my two legs even where the carriage could not pass!”

“Ah, I see. So the gate... wait. The gate stopped?!”

Ardein had been absentmindedly echoing her words, but suddenly froze and shouted. She grabbed Carnail by the shoulders and shook her.

“What are you talking about? Tell me everything! As detailed as you can! The gate stopped all of a sudden, what do you mean? Are you saying the gate was destroyed?!”

Having run straight here without asking a single question along the way, Carnail had no answers to give.

Each time Ardein asked something, all she could say was that she didn’t know. Her head drooped lower and lower until she finally slumped in shame. On her very first day, she had been no help at all.

“This has to be the Temple’s doing!”

With no proof and no inspection of the scene, Ardein made her conclusion immediately. She didn’t even spare another glance at Carnail as she rushed outside.

The gate, she had to see it with her own eyes. There had to be nothing wrong. Surely, nothing had happened.

Surely, it would turn out to be nothing. Just a minor disruption.

That’s all she could hope for. Please, let that be the case.