95: Confronting the Archduke

Confronting the Archduke

Between the Archduke and his Commander, Adela had witnessed the truest form of friendship—an unwavering bond that surpassed duty and obligation. She knew she would have shared such a connection with Arkin if only she had been born a male heir for Kaiser.0

He knows... Father knows everything...

An entire platoon of knights pushed themselves to their limits as they galloped behind Adela. She clenched her teeth as her gaze fell upon her father's manor—a place that was once her peaceful home, now transformed into a haven of enigmatic secrets.

At the core of Kaiser and Gustav's friendship lay an unbreakable trust. They had weathered countless battles, celebrating victories and mourning losses together. Their camaraderie extended beyond the battlefield, permeating every aspect of their lives. They confided in one another without reservation, knowing that their secrets and vulnerabilities were safe within the sanctuary of their friendship.

What about the trust between us, father?

Dismounting her mare with a jolt of pain from the harsh impact, Adela's impatience to reach her father drove her forward.

"Lady Adelaide, your orders," Count Sirius panted, mirroring her own breathlessness.

"You are to retrieve Commander Arkin and the three knights left to guard him from the forest. Inform him that I will respect his solitude as long as he remains in a safe location. Additionally, I require a report from the head physician who treated Leopold von Conradie, as well as the laboratory report detailing the type of poison used on him. Both should be on my desk at the King's former estate by tomorrow morning," Adela commanded, her voice firm and resolute.

The count thumped his chest with his hand, followed by the rest of the platoon, all unaware of the events unfolding in the Archduchy for the past two weeks. They departed, making their way back to the forest.

Adela turned around with the intention of finding her father and demanding an audience irrespective of his state. However, she froze as her gaze fell upon the man she longed to see, standing behind her with a somber expression on his face.

A strange, hot sensation trickled down Adela's nose coinciding with the alarm on her father's face. When he reached out to wipe her upper lip, she flinched away involuntarily, recoiling from his touch.

"Your nose is bleeding," his tone was laced with hurt.

Though a rare occurrence, Adela had experienced nosebleeds in moments of overpowering anger.

Observing her reluctance to reach for her handkerchief, Kaiser retrieved his own and pressed it to the base of her nose.

"I can take it from here, thank you," she said flatly, "I have matters to discuss with Your Excellency."

Witnessing the buried secrets that he had once hoped to keep hidden resurfacing one by one, Kaiser nodded in acknowledgment, "You have arrived in this state, which implies that you have heard things... Prepare yourself, as they are likely to be true."

How she wished he could have softened the blow, even just a little. If only he could show some remorse at least.

"So it's true then, about Arkin... and Mother and Leopold von Conradie..."

Adela's words trailed off as her father raised a hand to silence her, tacitly confirming her suspicions.

"...You sent me there... No... You and the Baron sent Arkin and me, knowing full well we would uncover the truth..." she murmured to herself, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Von Conradie wished for his son to get to know him better before discovering the truth," 

Her eyes turned away from her father, the acidic sting of betrayal drilling into her insides. "Creating a Second Order of knights just to perpetuate deceit..."

"No deceit was involved. Your orders regarding that matter remain unchanged. You will soon replicate the infirmary you know like the back of your hand. In the meantime, Arkin will acclimate to his new responsibilities,"

A torrent of queasiness surged up and down her throat.

Kaiser sighed.

"Adelaide, your mother and I have been unable to be by your side for some time now, but you must understand that none of this was easy for any of us,"

As she listened to her father utter those words, there was only one person consuming her thoughts.

"...Nanny?"

"Gustav is speaking with Frieda at this very moment. She had no knowledge of any of this,"

The notion of the Baroness enduring the loss of two sons in a single day sent a shiver cascading down Adela's spine.

"Adelaide..." Kaiser's expression transformed into the coldest she had ever seen. "Pull yourself together. Those with power cannot indulge and focus solely on themselves in times like these. Think about your mother... your sister as well..."

Adela stared long and hard at her father. What about that man who writhed in agony on the forest ground? She wondered what justified hiding his son from him all those years.

A flicker of pain flashed in Kaiser's blue eyes. "I am not accustomed to receiving such looks from your eyes."

She wiped her nose one final time, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I am angry, Father."

"...You will get used to the idea,"

She shook her head, he truly did not understand her afterall.

"I am not because I discovered Arkin is my brother... How could Mother and you make such a grave mistake? How could she watch another woman raise her own son? How could the son of an Archduchess live as the son of a Baroness?"

"It is easy to pass judgment when you have no inkling of the situation. The circumstances back then were vastly different. Your mother and I can explain everything better now that there is nothing left to hide," Kaiser's voice was strained.

"...Now that there is nothing left to hide..." Adela repeated incredulously. "What about honesty being the heart of nobility, Father? What about abhorring lies and liars?" She swallowed hard, averting her gaze from his. "Weren't you the one who taught me that only those who are righteous deserve to call Lanark their homeland?"

Kaiser turned his face away, unable to meet her eyes and her judgments.

"You are my sun, Father... And now... Now there is an endless night ahead of me..."

He lifted his chin and gazed down at her with a façade of unwavering pride, yet beneath the surface, turmoil churned within him, eroding the once unshakable trust he had in the decision he made years ago.

"If you'll excuse me, Your Excellency." With a curtsy that defied the norms of a daughter's reverence for her father, Adela expressed her silent objection. She then walked past the Archduke and made her way to the manor, driven by the urgent need to find her sister.

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