Chapter 98: Chapter 6. Revelations by the Campfire

The night enveloped the forest with its dark cover, and only twinkling stars illuminated the path along which we had to make our way. Eventually, we managed to find a small clearing where we built a campfire. Its warm light created a cozy atmosphere, contrasting with the chill of the autumn night. The flames crackled, and smoke rose high into the sky.

Sitting on the ground and trying to keep warm, Yufil and I did not talk to each other, and at that moment we both experienced similar feelings, full of fatigue and anxiety. The duke’s heir, with his tousled wet hair and tired face, looked gloomy now.

After all that we’d been through in just one night, I wasn’t even sure where I should start the conversation first. Obviously, I have a lot of questions.

So I decided to start with the most important topic for us at the moment:

— Are you going to tell me exactly how you made the deal with the Empress?

Yufil, looking at the fire, was gloomy and did not even look in my direction:

— What difference does it make now?

I exclaimed in surprise.

— Anyway, it’s already over. Sooner or later, they’ll find us anyway, and then... — at that moment, the guy couldn’t stand it and spat furiously: — Damn! Anyway, it’s all your fault!

— I’m sorry...?

— You... How can you be so ungrateful?! — Yufil abruptly got up from the log on which he was sitting and angrily pointed at me with his finger: — All these years, my father and I have endured your antics while you were a member of our family. But in the end, for all the benefits that the de Walt family gave you, you repaid with a vile betrayal!

When I was suddenly overwhelmed by this endless stream of accusations, I was stunned.

— Betrayal? — I asked again, — What are you talking about?

The ducal heir continued to stare at me with undisguised hatred.

— If you hadn’t brought that damn woman into our house, our family... she... She would still be alive.

— ...

At that moment, silence reigned in the forest for a short time.

I was speechless for a moment, too.

To be honest, there was some truth in his words. If I hadn’t made that fatal mistake back then, things might have turned out very differently now. But... From the guy’s mouth, it sounded like I had deliberately planned everything from the very beginning! But in fact, it wasn’t like that at all.

So should I tell him that it wasn’t really on purpose on my part...? In fact, I was the person who was most shocked by everything that happened.

— I didn’t mean for this to happen... — in the end, that was all I could get out of myself.

— You didn’t want to? — Yufil smiled bitterly, — It doesn’t matter what you wanted there. Anyway, because of you, my father died and our family fell. And now there’s no way to get any of it back.

«.....»

Well, I really had nothing to say to that.

— I was trying... — after some silence, the guy looked down, — I was trying to do something to restore the name of our family. But eventually... I couldn’t do anything.

— «Restore the name»? What do you mean?

Was it really about that notorious deal with the Empress?

— After all this happened, I had to go on the run. I was desperate, and at that moment, only the Empress’s man found me and offered to help.

I was somewhat skeptical of my older brother’s words.

— And what did they promise you? — I decided to ask.

— Her Majesty said she would help me restore the de Walt family, — he said, — in exchange for helping me bring you to her.

Oh, so that’s how it is.

In other words, did this guy really mean that he just sold me to the Empress?

— Did you even think about this offer a little bit after you received it...?

— no.

The Duke’s heir’s response was surprisingly sincere and straightforward. However, that didn’t stop me from mentally cursing him again.

That son of a bitch!

I took a deep breath.

— Meanwhile, you’re not the only one who has the right to complain! — I decided to put in at least something in my defense, — Do you think that you were the only one who had a hard life? Do you know how I’ve been suffering all this time?

— ...

— Every day in this place was a living hell for me. And you can still make me look like the only one to blame in this situation?

«Hell?»

Hearing something like this from his younger sister, Yufil de Walt was incredibly surprised. Hell? In what place did it even look like hell...?!

Having entered the Heilos residence under the cover of one of the recruits of the Dark Army, the guy could see with his own eyes how his sister was being treated in this place. And to be honest, even he was shocked by it.

His younger sister was served by a whole guard of maids and knights, and the guy even strongly doubted that even the emperor himself could have such an escort in this country. The girl lived in some of the most luxurious rooms in the castle, she had the best food and clothes, not to mention that her every whim was fulfilled with half a word.

The abundance of luxury and prosperity that surrounded her all this time seemed simply unimaginable. No matter how you look at it, despite the fact that the girl vied with each other to claim that it was a kidnapping, but in that case, how could the conditions of her detention be higher than a five-star hotel? And despite that... Did this girl still dare to say something like that? To be honest, it was more like bullying.

Compared to all this, the person who had truly suffered all this time was him!

Yufil felt like he was about to lose his patience and start shouting again.

— I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you, eating several portions of marbled beef every day and wearing clothes that even our father couldn’t afford, — the guy hissed, not hiding his inner anger behind his tone.

But Camilla, not feeling the hidden subtext under his caustic words, answered quite sincerely:

— It’s true that I had to endure and choke on all this, but only because the Crown Princess forced me! Isn’t it obvious that she was just bullying me?!

— .....

Yufil de Walt opened and closed his mouth soundlessly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read