BETRAYAL OF DIGNITY
Part 36 ~ 1
Side Story 6
A majestic ship bound for Swanton, accompanied by a luxurious vessel anchored a short distance away, gently swayed in the waves. The ship, which had arrived just before the storm, exuded opulence fit for royalty.
Given that Genevoire was a vacation destination for high-ranking nobles, the presence of luxurious ships wasn't uncommon. However, the identity of this particular ship's owner remained shrouded in mystery. The gossipmongers of Genevoire speculated about the shipowner, running through the list of noblemen known to visit annually. They surmised that the reason he had not emerged from the ship was because he was a married man traveling with his mistress.
Johannes sat in the lavish bedroom of the ship, his gaze fixed on the ornament in his hand. It depicted the place where he rightfully belonged: the Swanton Palace, with its striking pointed towers. Studying the intricately detailed ornament, he turned it over and stabbed at a soft pillow.
When the resilient fabric of the pillow refused to tear, he almost felt sure that it was taunting him. He sprang up and stabbed at it with a knife, finally causing the pillow to rip and feathers to scatter. Even then, his fury did not abate. As he stood panting, a noise from outside interrupted his thoughts.
"Your Majesty."
"You may enter," Johannes commanded, quickly concealing his twisted expression and forcing a smile.
Something was placed before his eyes. "We discovered this while tracking the businessman's attendant."
Upon seeing the slender, mud-streaked cane, Johannes's eyes flickered with a strange light. The puzzle pieces were beginning to align; Damien had indeed ventured into this land.
There was no doubt that he had come to find his wife, believed to be deceased.
"Do you have a location?"
"We have discovered that she is employed as a governess by a vineyard owner."
"I am not asking about her whereabouts!" Johannes snapped, his voice contorted with anger. The fate of a pitifully disabled woman was of no consequence to him.
"M-My apologies, Your Majesty."
Johannes rubbed his temples, taking ragged breaths. It had all begun when King Arnaud, who had visited him not long ago, casually handed him an ornament. There was no doubt as to the origins of the object, brought by Arnaud thinking it might remind him of his homeland.
"A businessman visiting Genevoire brought it," Arnaud had said.
The intricate craftsmanship of the ornament suggested it was not a product that any businessman could procure.
Perplexed, Johannes had commented, "This same ornament was on display in the royal palace in Swanton."
"Then a royal family member must have secretly come here on vacation in disguise," Arnaud had joked, laughing as he took a swig of wine.
A sense of unease had washed over Johannes at that moment. The King of the Duchy of Carter, who always reminded him of an unsavory crow, had looked at him with a meaningful glint in his eye.
"Living in seclusion must be stifling. What do you say to a vacation in Genevoire?" he had proposed.
Their current relationship rested on the premise that the enemy of an enemy is a friend, their common adversary being Damien. While Arnaud had provided Johannes a secluded villa in the forest where he lived a life of comfort, it also meant his every move was under surveillance.
