The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 144: Standing In Again
After seeing Catherine off, Henwell takes a bath and lies quietly on his bed. He's done everything he can. Now, it's all up to luck.
Returning to the embassy's residence, Henwell hands over the news from the duchy and the Grand Duke's letter to Arius. No one notices anything unusual about Henwell.
Time passes, and everything remains calm. A month later, the capital is bustling with preparations for the princess's wedding. The entire city is gearing up for the grand event, with flower-adorned carriages parading through the streets, receiving blessings from the people. It all seems so beautiful.
But only Henwell sees the rivers of blood beneath the celebration. Since their last meeting, Catherine has not contacted Henwell again. After that final trade with the merchant convoy, both sides sever all ties.
Henwell's merchant bases throughout the Kingdom of Billie begin withdrawing back to the duchy. The members of Pi have also mostly retreated. During this time, no one notices the changes in Henwell's convoys, as everyone's attention is focused on the royal wedding.
Five days before the wedding, a secret letter arrives from the duchy, addressed to Arius from the Grand Duke. After reading it, Arius stays in his room for a long time before calling Henwell in.
Handing the letter to Henwell, Arius watches as Henwell's hand begins to tremble slightly after reading a few lines. The message is simple: Grand Duke Amir instructs Arius to keep quiet and find a way for Henwell to impersonate him for two days. Arius and Taitlant, the Knight Commander, are to secretly leave the capital, travel swiftly without stopping, and head directly to the duchy.
As Henwell looks at the letter, a mix of emotions churns within him. It turns out his suspicions were right all along!
Moments later, the key members of the delegation gather in the room: Knight Commander Taitlant, the two knight captains Anthony and Chabri, the ceremonial officer Cronin, the butler Samuel, and Robin. Everyone except Robin has already received the secret letter, including Henwell.
Arius speaks up, "What's your take on this?"
Taitlant remains silent, but Anthony voices his opinion, "Your Highness Arius, it's time for you to leave!"
Chabri adds, "Knight Commander Taitlant and Captain Anthony will escort you back to the duchy. There's not much time left!"
Arius looks at them, "What about the rest of you?"
Chabri smiles, "I knew it a month ago. For the duchy, we're prepared to make sacrifices!"
Cronin, the ceremonial officer, says, "For the transformation of the duchy, four generations have worked tirelessly. Now the opportunity has arrived! To lay down our lives for our country, to sacrifice for this great cause, is our honor!"
Arius gestures towards the outside, "What about the others in the delegation? Do they also see this as an honor?"
Cronin replies calmly, "They should feel that way. Besides, the Grand Duke won't neglect their families."
Arius scoffs, "Families, huh... Do they even have families? Robin, do you have a family?"
"No, but Your Highness, to sacrifice for you is my—"
"Shut up!"
Arius cuts Robin off abruptly, turning to Henwell, "Henwell! Do you have family?"
Henwell shrugs, "No. But I'm part of the Phoenix now, and officially your cousin. I imagine the royal family and the Phoenix clan will be well-compensated, which is some consolation for my family."
Everyone can sense Henwell's dissatisfaction, and rightly so. Henwell has every reason to be discontented with the situation.
Arius bursts out angrily, "So much people want to use this opportunity to transform the duchy, and use me as a pawn to mislead the Kingdom of Billie? Why not be straightforward? Everyone can sacrifice, but I can't? What am I going back for? To be a lifelong joke? Coming to marry their daughter only to take advantage of the situation and attack them! Fleeing home in disgrace, having my brother stand in for me, losing my bride-to-be. Is this the arrangement my dear father has for me? As if being an unacknowledged prince isn't humiliating enough, now I have to endure this?"
Cronin, the ceremonial officer, responds sternly, "You are a member of the royal family, and that can't be changed, not even by your own denial! As royalty, you must bear the responsibilities that come with it. This is your duty—to sacrifice everything for the country and the royal family!"
Arius mocks, "Responsibility? Duty? Sacrifice? Did anyone ask if I'm willing? Did anyone ask the people in the delegation outside if they're willing? Did anyone ask Henwell if he's willing?"
Henwell shrugs, "Whether I'm willing or not doesn't change anything. What's done is done, Arius. Stop struggling. We're all part of this historical tide, powerless to change it—us, the Grand Duke, all of us. Discussing it here is pointless. There's no time to waste; you should leave this afternoon. If fate smiles upon us, perhaps we'll meet again."
Arius, eyes red, looks at Henwell, "I'm not a fool! Once we part, you'll die here!"
Henwell gazes out the window, "Years ago, Lord Jansen took me away and changed my destiny. Now, I've come full circle. Perhaps this truly is meant to be my final resting place."
With that, Henwell stands and leaves. "I'll go prepare and figure out how to disguise myself. It's been a while since I last impersonated Arius."
Taitlant asks, "Henwell, do you have any last wishes? Anything you want?"
Henwell doesn't respond or turn back.
As he moves forward, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword, he thinks: Yes, I do. But I'll claim it myself!
Is Henwell angry? Of course he is! But he doesn't show it as much as others might expect. No one does anything for free. Everything given to you will eventually demand a price.
Now Henwell understands who the three legions north of Peace Haven are targeting—himself. Grand Duke Amir is forcing him to stand in as Arius once again. If he refuses, everything he has will be taken back by the Grand Duke, and rightly so. If he agrees, it's a gamble with his life. Should Henwell perish, Peace Haven will ultimately fall into the hands of the Grand Duke's beloved son. What a strategy! What a calculation! They've truly cornered him.
Yet, Henwell still decides to impersonate Arius. The greater the risk, the higher the reward. If he survives and returns, he aims for much more than just Peace Haven.
That afternoon, as Arius bids farewell to Henwell, he quietly asks, "Do you have a plan to escape?"
Arius knows Henwell well enough to be aware of some arrangements he has in Billie.
Henwell grins, "Not much! But it's not a guaranteed death!"
"Can you take Karitan with you?"
Henwell shoots him a glare, "Are you out of your mind? She's a princess; she won't die! Taking her along would be dangerous!"
Hearing Henwell's blunt response, Arius chuckles sheepishly. At the same time, he feels reassured, knowing Henwell has a decent chance of escaping.
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Note：That's why, as mentioned in Chapter 141, Marcus did not help Henwell. Both the Nobles' Alliance and Grand Duke Amir need to transform the Duchy of Vorry into the Kingdom of Vorry to expand the interests of their respective factions.
Therefore, both factions require the Duchy of Vorry to attack the Kingdom of Billie and need Henwell to act as a stand-in for Arius to deceive the Kingdom of Billie, causing their defense forces to relax. Driven by the common interests of both factions, Henwell's role as Arius's stand-in in this event is inevitable, leaving Marcus unable to assist Henwell.
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Chapter 144: Standing In Again
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