Chapter 16

Chapter 16: We Need A Variable (1)

“Ferdium’s side has failed.”

“What?”

A man with a splendidly groomed mustache frowned upon hearing the report from his subordinate. His name was Harold Desmond, the lord of Count Desmond’s territory and a man plotting the Northern overthrow under the Delfine Duke.

“You were trying to pit them against Digald’s territory in a territorial war. And that failed?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Even after winning over their knights? Did the knight commander get in the way?”

Ferdium might have been a territory without wealth or notable figures, but at least Count Ferdium and their Knight Commander, Randolph, were respectable enough.

At Harold’s question, his lieutenant hesitated awkwardly before replying.

“The knight commander had left for a military campaign with Count Ferdium. But...”

The lieutenant glanced at Harold, gauging his mood before continuing.

“Rumor has it that two of the escort knights tried to kidnap the count’s daughter and got caught. They were killed by Ferdium’s heir apparent. Frank has gone missing, and no one knows if he’s alive or dead.”

“Ferdium’s heir apparent... that bratty troublemaker? He defeated trained knights? Could Frank have fallen to him, too?”

“Ghislain doesn’t have that kind of skill. We’re assuming... the two escort knights fought each other to claim the count’s daughter, and it ended in mutual destruction.”

Harold remained silent momentarily before letting out a derisive chuckle as if the situation were utterly ridiculous.

“Is that what you’re reporting to me? ‘Assuming’? ‘Guessing’? Are you saying you can’t even figure out what’s happening in that tiny territory?”

The more he spoke, the more Harold’s body radiated an intimidating aura.

“I-I’m sorry, sir. The site was completely burned down, so it’s been difficult to get accurate information.”

Harold stared down at his trembling subordinate and spoke slowly.

“The lord and the knight commander were both away on campaign. It’s a territory with few knights or soldiers. We sent Frank there and even won over their escort knights. And yet, you couldn’t manage to kill a single girl?”

His voice rose in frustration.

“And now you’re telling me that the pathetic heir of Ferdium killed those knights? Since when did my lieutenant become so useless he can’t even gather proper information?”

The lieutenant threw himself to the ground, groveling.

“I-I’m sorry! Please, just give me one more chance, and I will surely succeed!”

“You want another chance after failing at such a simple task?”

Harold scoffed.

The odds that Ferdium’s heir could be some unexpected variable, as suggested by those ridiculous rumors, were incredibly low. If that were the case, then it was likely the lieutenant was simply incompetent... or he had conducted the mission carelessly.

Either way, Harold had no use for such subordinates.

Jingle, jingle.

Harold reached for the bell on his desk and rang it twice. Two knights entered the room.

Harold looked down at the now-pale lieutenant with an expression devoid of any emotion.

“Take care of him.”

“P-please! Spare me! Just give me one more chance! Please! I beg you! Aaahhh!”

The lieutenant screamed as he was dragged away, but Harold didn’t pay any attention and shifted his gaze back to the documents on his desk.

“I’m already burdened with keeping an eye on Raypold, and now Ferdium is becoming an annoyance.”

Right now, Harold’s greatest focus was on Amelia’s rebellion plan.

According to the information, Count Raypold had been quietly stockpiling food and increasing his forces.

‘Before he grows stronger, Amelia needs to succeed.’

That didn’t mean he could just leave Ferdium as it was.

Suddenly, Harold furrowed his brow, feeling an odd sense of unease.

“Ghislain Ferdium...”

It was particularly annoying because Ghislain had been a figure he hadn’t even cared about until now. He wouldn’t have felt so disgusted if it had been anyone else’s name.

“I’ll have to send more people.”

After much deliberation, Harold decided to deploy more spies to the Ferdium estate.

* * *

“Young Master, what on earth was that all about?”

“Oh, just a lovers’ quarrel. Looks like Amelia loves me a bit too much. Damn, I’m so popular.”

Belinda glared at Ghislain, who was wearing a smug expression.

“And why did you ask Lady Amelia for money?”

“I needed some money for something, and Amelia was the only person around with a lot of it.”

“Ah, so you squeezed money out of your rich fiancée?”

Belinda narrowed her eyes at Ghislain, looking at him like he was insane. He shook his head as if wronged.

“Hey, I’m not that kind of guy. I had a reason.”

“And what reason is that?”

“In my past life, Amelia tormented me a lot. I’m just collecting on that debt now. You could call it compensation.”

“......”

It was true, but there was no way such a story would be accepted.

But Gillian... Sure, the smell of alcohol was expected, but the atmosphere he exuded was no more imposing than that of a lowly thug from a marketplace.

Belinda scanned Gillian up and down, trying to understand Ghislain’s intentions.

‘Does he just want to use him as a porter? If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better just to hire a slave or a servant?’

While Gillian’s build and muscles seemed somewhat usable, his exhausted expression and drooping shoulders made her doubt whether he could even carry loads.

As the others wore expressions of doubt and disappointment, only Ghislain smiled.

“Gillian, I’ve come to meet you.”

“What business do you have with me?”

Gillian, despite Ghislain appearing young, treated him respectfully and courteously. The boy’s attire differed from that of commoners, and with knights and maids accompanying him, it was clear that he was a noble at a glance.

“This must be quite a difficult situation, right? I can solve your problem for you.”

At Ghislain’s words, Gillian let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“It seems the young nobleman is bored. You can flaunt your pretensions elsewhere.”

His words dripped with sarcasm and irritation. His sharp change in attitude from just a single sentence caused Belinda and the accompanying knights to frown. However, Ghislain didn’t seem to mind.

“I can help you,” he repeated.

“Just leave. My life is already tiring enough, and I have no energy left to play along with a young noble’s whims.”

With that, Gillian turned away. It was an act of rudeness that a commoner should never show to a noble.

One of the knights gripped his sword and stepped forward.

“This man is incredibly disrespectful.”

Gillian briefly glanced back at the knight’s sword, then chuckled and pointed to his chest.

“If you want to kill me, go ahead. Do you have the guts for it? My heart is right here—stab it properly.”

“You bastard!”

The knight gritted his teeth and stepped forward again, but he couldn’t bring himself to swing his sword. Instead, Gillian’s defiance—his invitation to kill him—unsettled him.

Smiling as if to calm things down, Ghislain motioned for the knights to step back.

“Come on, it’s our first meeting. Let’s not be so hostile. Gillian, I really can solve your problem.”

Gillian, with hollow eyes, looked back at Ghislain. His bright expression seemed almost cheerful, and in his eyes shone unwavering confidence.

‘What a strange nobleman.’

He didn’t seem to care about the authority or dignity typical of nobles, which reminded Gillian of old acquaintances. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and spoke.

“...Come inside.”

Following Gillian inside, the group immediately covered their noses. Belinda clicked her tongue as she surveyed the house.

‘Hah, this is a complete dump.’

The house was a mess, with thick layers of dust everywhere from the lack of cleaning, and mold had even formed in the darker corners. However, the variety of weapons strewn about the house stood out more than the filth.

‘Is he a blacksmith?’

Given his large build and the weapons lying around, it seemed a plausible guess. But Belinda couldn’t understand why Ghislain had gone out of his way to find a blacksmith in such a situation.

‘Why doesn’t he just explain things? Why do I have to guess?’

She pouted, frustrated by Ghislain’s lack of explanation.

“This way,” Gillian said.

They followed him into a small bedroom. Inside, a young girl about the same age as Elena lay with a gaunt face, fast asleep.

“She’s my daughter.”

Belinda and the knights stepped back, startled by the sight of Gillian’s daughter. Her once brown hair had faded and become so brittle it seemed like it would crumble at a touch. Her lips were cracked and split, making her look almost like a corpse. The bloodstains on the bed and her missing fingernails hinted at how much pain she was enduring.

But the most alarming thing was the red spots that covered her face and body.

Belinda grabbed Ghislain’s arm without thinking and shouted, “My lord!”

Ghislain gently took Belinda’s hand off his arm and nodded.

“Yes, I know.”

“My lord, you need to step back. This isn’t something you can help with.”

Now, they could understand why Gillian had been acting that way. His daughter, suffering from an incurable disease, and the disdainful or fearful looks of those around them—any hope had already vanished. As his daughter slowly inched toward death, so too did he.

Seeing Belinda’s reaction, Gillian let out a bitter laugh.

“So, you came here claiming to help without even knowing what disease my daughter has?”

“No, I know.”

“Then you should understand. My daughter is suffering from an untreatable disease.”

“I know there’s no known cure,” Ghislain replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

Gillian’s face twisted in a grimace, his voice filled with a growl. “Yet you still said you could help me? What is your real intention, coming here—”

Belinda interrupted, standing in front of Ghislain. “Lord Ghislain, please step back!”

Her voice was loud, and the fact that she had called him “Lord” was proof of how angry she was. But Ghislain didn’t retreat at all.

“It’s fine. It’s not contagious. It was already revealed to be a false rumor, remember?”

“Even so, step back! There’s no harm in being cautious!”

“I’m telling you, it’s not contagious.”

Belinda frowned. She couldn’t understand what made Ghislain so confident. What he said next left her even more astonished.

“I know the cure for this disease. To be exact, I’m the only one in the world who knows how to treat it.”