Chapter Six
_ Choose Your Mode of Death
"It's time. It is time for the Prince to return to his palace.."
"I don't want to..."
_ Damian _ embraced _ Nyla _ tightly, shaking his head in refusal, but she whispered to him calmly with an encouraging smile...
"What did we agree on?!.... If the time has come, let us prepare to depart."
"..."
"Your mother will never leave you.."
_ Damian _ took a deep breath and went with _ Nyla _ to change his clothes obediently. After he finished putting on clean clothes that appeared of higher quality and comfort...
"You know, Mother..."
"What?!"
"Umm... when you told me that day... I wished it were just a story.."
"..."
"If only I weren't a _ Walter _, if only I were your only child. I wouldn't grumble like any other child and demand a father; my mother is enough for me... If my power is linked to my father.. I don't want it. I will become strong in my own way to protect my mother.."
_ Nyla _ looked at the child who was stubbornly trying to reject reality and cling to hopes. He was no different from her; she had wished she hadn't left a single trace that he was alive, but she had retreated because she knew her selfishness might harm her child... So she combed his hair with a warm smile and said:
"Let's think positively... alright?"
"It's difficult..."
"Prove to everyone that I raised a strong child.."
He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his tears and move forward, helping _ Nyla _ arrange what remained...
_ Nyla _ walked out carrying a small box with _ Damian _ behind her, walking with faltering steps like a broken machine... _ Caral _ looked at them and then bowed to _ Damian _ with genuine respect:
"Young Master.. I am happy that you are still alive."
"I wished you weren't..."
_ Damian _ frowned and muttered inaudible words, turning the other way to express his anger, but he heard a soft hum:
"Hmm?"
"Thank you... "
_ Caral _ looked at _ Damian _, who was acting like a stubborn child yet yielding to his mother's requests at a mere glance. It was a feeling found only in a family that understands one another.. _ Caral _ straightened his posture and looked at _ Nyla _, saying in an official manner:
"Regarding the Young Master's eyes..."
"He can control his power to a reasonable extent now.."
She looked at _ Damian _, who understood her intent and closed his gray eyes. When he opened them, their color had become a heart-captivating ruby red..
_ Caral _ stared intently at _ Damian _'s eyes, then his face and every detail. This child resembled no one but the Archduke. He breathed calmly after having his breath stolen and said quietly:
"Let us depart..."
_ Damian _ returned his eyes to their gray color. When _ Nyla _ saw the confusion written in _ Caral _'s eyes, she said with a friendly smile...
"The village people shouldn't have to bear the consequences of carrying these secrets.."
_ Caral _ understood; he felt almost enchanted by _ Nyla _'s strong and calm presence. He couldn't speak to her haphazardly... for a moment, he felt he was dealing with her as his master. He shook off the idle thoughts and attributed it to her great proximity to his young master and decided to move forward...
When they left the house, he saw that the village people had gathered at the bottom of the hill. In fact, there were two boys, around sixteen or seventeen, standing near the house. _ Caral _ looked at _ Damian _ and tried to speak with him, but in vain; the child was holding onto _ Nyla _, and it was impossible to separate them. It seemed best to use the same carriage. So he approached _ Nyla _ and took the box from her to place it in the carriage....
When he heard the two boys calling out to his master and _ Nyla Harvey _, _ Caral _ realized they had integrated well into this place. The sadness in his master's eyes was clear when he looked at the boys..
When _ Nyla _ helped the child board the carriage, he approached her and said quietly:
"You were scheduled to be transported in another carriage... but it's better that you stay with the Master for the time being."
_ Nyla Harvey _ nodded calmly and boarded. He was puzzled by her calmness; he had expected some resistance or a request to say goodbye to the village people, but he felt she had intentionally refused to say goodbye to them, though he didn't know the reason—until he saw the somber faces of the villagers as they left. He intentionally made the carriage and knights slow down within the village so his master could bid the village farewell, if only a little..
* * * "The carriages have moved.. Your Grace."
"Very well."
"If they cross the _ Lucca _ Gate and the _ Round _ and _ Detia _ Gates, they will arrive within a week.."
"Secure the secret arrival of the heir, and prepare his room..."
"At your command..."
_ Hans _ bowed and left with a sigh. Issuing and receiving orders was a repetitive and monotonous process before his master; no enthusiasm or any other visible emotions. There wasn't even the presence of any affection of a father waiting for his child's arrival. This was what made _ Victor Hans _ annoyed all the time—that his master was like a machine performing its work without the slightest error. The last time _ Hans _ saw his master acting like a human was when he was twenty, when he expressed his lack of desire to marry... but in the end, he yielded as usual and married _ Fiona Eldan _. It seems it was good that _ Fiona _ became pregnant in their first year of marriage and gave birth to the Young Master _ Damian _.. Then _ Hans _ remembered..
'Perhaps when he gave the Young Master the name?!... I believe so'
He almost collided with someone if he hadn't stepped back slightly without even looking... but he heard a voice rebuking him...
"Shouldn't you look if you hit someone... _ Vicky _?!"
He turned with embarrassment and a feeling of annoyance:
"Aunt _ Amanda _, I didn't see you. But please, stop calling me by that name."
_ Amanda _ sighed, approached him, and pulled his ear with difficulty, saying with feigned anger:
"Then don't ignore your aunt again.."
"Fine.."
"Any news?! You look burdened.."
_ Victor _ sighed tiredly and then said with a faint smile:
"Ah... prepare the Young Master's room..."
"The Young Master?! His room?!"
"He will arrive within a week. Everything must be suitable when he comes... I'm thinking of contacting a tailor to prepare clothes for the Young Master, but the Archduke emphasized the secrecy of the matter... Shall we wait until he comes first?!"
_ Amanda _ was in a state of shock; she hadn't even absorbed any word other than "He will arrive this week"... she looked at _ Victor _ and said in an attempt to confirm his words:
"The Young Master... is alive?!"
"Yes.."
"But.. the corpse and..."
"I know nothing currently... but it seems it was a fake, and there is something being managed in the shadows... and no one will answer us about that but that girl."
" _ Nyla Harvey _!!"
"Yes..."
_ Amanda _'s face paled, and she left _ Victor _ without speaking another word. She was walking through the corridors with an exhausted soul. _ Nyla Harvey _; the name forbidden to be mentioned here in _ Walter _. What was her connection to all this?
'What is truly going on here?!'
* * *
More than half a day had passed since the journey began. Night had fallen and the weather grew cold, but the journey stopped for an hour to feed the horses and because they were nearing the first magic gate..
_ Damian _ looked outside when he felt the carriage finally stop, then returned to sit beside _ Nyla _ with boredom..
Knock Knock Knock!!!
_ Caral _ knocked politely, and when _ Damian _ opened the window, _ Caral _ spoke:
"Young Master, you haven't eaten any food since the morning. Is there a specific food you want us to prepare for you?!..."
"I don't want anything. I feel nauseous..."
_ Damian _ looked at _ Caral _ and sighed with boredom as he spoke. _ Caral _'s face paled, and he said with genuine worry...
"Shall I call a doctor?!"
"Mother!!"
_ Damian _ grumbled and looked at _ Nyla _ with annoyance. _ Nyla _ smiled kindly and patted _ Damian _'s hair, then looked at _ Caral _ with calmness and poise..
"It's called motion sickness, and it's logical for people who don't travel much.."
"Motion sickness?!"
"Furthermore, _ Damian _ doesn't eat much when traveling by carriage; he eats light and sweet foods..."
"We didn't bring any sweet food. Shall I go to any nearby store to buy.."
_ Nyla _ interrupted him with a friendly smile when _ Caral _'s worry appeared very serious:
"I've prepared a suitable amount for him to eat... tomorrow he can eat light food when he has slept well..."
"Mother!!"
_ Damian _ frowned with a sort of grumble, but she smiled at him warmly and pinched his cheeks gently..
"You won't live the whole journey on biscuits... food must be eaten in moderation.. rest assured, the carriage won't move until you feel better..."
_ Damian _ looked with puppy eyes at his mother, then instinctively gave the same look to _ Caral _ and said:
"Is that possible?!"
"Certainly, the Young Master's comfort is one of our highest priorities..."
_ Caral _ was flustered by the sight of the cute child; it was the first time since they met that he looked at him that way. _ Damian _ smiled with a bright face and said:
"Fine, tomorrow I'll eat... but I don't want cooked food.."
"There's no problem with my little one living like a caterpillar, eating leaves the whole journey..."
_ Nyla _ spoke with a laugh and spontaneity, and _ Damian _, who had been sad all day, laughed with pleasure when his mother spoke to him comfortably and with her usual laugh. Color returned to his face...
All this was before the eyes of _ Caral _, who had truly become accustomed to _ Damian _'s interaction with _ Nyla _. He thought about how they would be separated; no one would be hurt but these two: _ Nyla Harvey _ and his young master. He sighed and said:
"In a little while, the carriage will move, as we are only an hour away from the _ Lucca _ Gate... after leaving the gate, if you want the carriage to stop for rest, please inform me.."
"If everyone is fine, there's no problem with moving.."
_ Damian _ spoke with boredom and went to place his head on his mother's lap because he felt sleepy. _ Caral _ left, closing the window behind him. _ Nyla _ covered _ Damian _, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes calmly. _ Damian _ spoke sleepily:
"Mother.. I don't want the journey to end."
"But you ordered them to move..."
"I didn't order them; would they even give my words importance?!"
_ Nyla _ was trying to provoke him to make him accept the situation faster:
"On the contrary, you are their master; your orders will be executed to the letter... except for what conflicts with their master of higher rank than you..."
"I don't care about that... didn't Mother say we must consider others? That's why I told him, to give the others a chance to rest..."
"My sweet child..."
She combed his hair with her fingers gently, trying to appear as usual, for inside her, she also wished the journey wouldn't end...
"Mother!!... I'll also do everything I can to stay by Mother's side."
_ Damian _ looked at his mother's face with a sweet and encouraging smile. The feeling of constriction eased slightly; she must remain strong for the sake of this beautiful child... she sighed, then planted a kiss on _ Damian _'s eyes and forehead and said:
"I trust you, so sleep to become stronger.."
* * *
The week finally passed, despite the journey being delayed by an extra day due to rest hours after meals for _ Damian _'s sake.... But the carriage finally entered the majestic _ di Walter _ Castle, which was over three hundred years old, almost the size of the Imperial Castle, with its dark gray and solid stones...
When the carriage stopped in front of the main entrance, the servants, led by the Head Maid _ Amanda Roberto _ and the Archduke's special assistant _ Victor Hans _, were waiting for their young master to finally descend..
But their little master was late in descending from the carriage. When _ Victor _ approached the carriage, _ Caral _ knocked on the window. When he heard a small grumbling sound coming from inside, he almost understood the situation... he sighed and knocked again, and finally, the door opened. But the one who descended first was not his young master, but _ Nyla _, which left the servants in total shock. Not only that, but the child held her hand to descend. If they weren't certain that the one who just descended clinging to _ Nyla Harvey _ was their master—because of the color of his eyes, his hair, and his intense resemblance to the Archduke—they would have thought _ Caral _ had made a mistake and this child belonged to _ Nyla Harvey _...
"We welcome the young Prince..."
The first to recover from the shock was _ Victor Hans _. He bowed to _ Damian _, who was stubbornly clinging to his mother. He wouldn't have acted quickly if _ Nyla _ hadn't looked at him encouragingly; she had always taught him not to belittle others' efforts exerted for him. So he sighed and stepped forward a little, although still holding _ Nyla _'s hand, and spoke in the most polite way at that moment:
"I thank you for your effort..."
_ Nyla _ patted _ Damian _'s hand with her free hand. He looked at her as if to say, "Did I do well?!".. she nodded to him encouragingly...
As for _ Hans _ and the rest, they remained watching in silence. _ Amanda _ spoke kindly to _ Damian _:
"Young Master, shall I take you to your room to rest?"
"Thank you... I'll stay with Mother.."
_ Victor _ showed no reaction, as reports were reaching him periodically about the little master's situation during the journey from _ Caral _; they were more like chats than reports...
"Then, Young Master, we shall move toward the Master's office..."
"Very well.."
This time it was _ Nyla _ who spoke and nodded to _ Damian _. They moved quietly amid this castle teeming with curious people...
* * *
In this vast office—a luxurious and expensive office—no matter how many years passed, one would not stop feeling admiration and awe at being inside it...
He sat quietly as if he didn't exist. This was the tenth time since he looked at the clock. He tried to work on the annoying documents before him, but his eyes and mind were still anticipating the hour..
Knock Knock Knock!!!!
"Enter..."
_ Hans _ entered quietly and looked at his cold master, then said with a smile—faint as it was, one couldn't deny the enthusiasm within it:
"Your Grace, the little Master and _ Nyla Harvey _ have arrived..."
"I remember my orders were to transport the child to his room and bring _ Nyla _ to the office.."
"But the little Master refused to leave _ Nyla Harvey _.."
_ Elion _ ran his hands through the strands of his hair with force and said coldly:
"Allow them to enter.."
As soon as _ Damian _ and _ Nyla _ entered, _ Elion _'s eyes fell upon them. He first scrutinized the child, who was holding _ Nyla _'s hand tightly with trembling hands and shaking red eyes, but his gaze was stubborn. This child truly resembled him, but that stubborn gaze made _ Elion _'s heart flinch for the first time in a long time...
Then he finally looked at _ Nyla _; a beautiful girl with dark indigo hair and smoke-gray eyes. She appeared like a calm girl who had nothing to do with the world, but she hadn't just manipulated him, but also the people who sent her. He had known Baron _ Logan Harvey _ at his start as Archduke; he was an honest, upright, and clear man, and his acquaintance with him was during the previous Archduke's illness and his taking over the Grand Duchy. That incident and the death of the secret-bearers had occurred; it was a year crowded with events from the previous Archduke's death until Baron _ Harvey _'s execution...
" _ Nyla Harvey _ greets His Grace Archduke _ Elion di Walter _.."
" _ Hans _, take the child out..."
"I don't want to.."
_ Damian _ embraced his mother even more forcefully, making _ Victor Hans _ hesitant. He looked at his master, who looked at the child with intensity and said:
"Children must leave... when adults speak."
_ Damian _ swallowed his saliva; it was the first time in his life he was afraid of someone. He looked at his mother, who patted his back gently and whispered with tenderness and a warm smile:
"Everything will be alright.."
_ Damian _ nodded his head and left the office, holding onto _ Victor _, while _ Nyla _ watched his back, feeling as if her soul were being pulled away with her child's exit...
_ Nyla _ looked at the Archduke and sighed quietly, waiting until he finally opened his mouth:
" _ Nyla Harvey _, choose a mode for your death."
...... To be continued ......