7

George returned to Derevnya together with a priest from the Nordburg Sanctuary. The priest, who had already treated Julia several times before, had an embarrassed look on his aged face.

“I am sorry we request money every time. But the situation in the sanctuary is so difficult that we can’t help it.”

“It’s ok. Thank you for coming all the way here to treat Julia.”

Arriving at his house, George found Id sweeping the yard.

“Hi, dad.”

“Hi. I invited the priest.”

George gave Id a paper bag with candies he had bought in the Nordburg marketplace with a bright smile. Id was so delighted since it was hard to find them in Derevnya.

“Thank you very much. It’s been so long since I have had any candy.”

Looking at Id, who was putting the small pieces of candy into his mouth, George gave a bitter smile. Most likely, he wouldn’t be able to return once he went to Kozlov's estate. It might be the last time he saw Id.

After the priest’s treatment, Julia’s complexion got much better. She opened her eyes for the first time in a while. Julia asked in a weak voice.

“Is it you, George?”

George held Julia’s hand with his thick rough hands. Julia’s eyelids trembled.

“Yes, I’m home.”

“How did you manage to pay the priest again?”

“I caught a large saber-tooth tiger. You know its fur is quite expensive.”

George hid the truth. He didn’t want Julia to worry. Looking at George, Julia shed tears.

“I’m sorry that you had to meet me.”

“Don’t say that. During my time with you, I have been the happiest I have ever been before. Don’t cry.”

George’s face, as he was soothing the sobbing Julia, was dark. Nobody knew what would happen in Kozlov's estate. However, George thought that the money he had received in advance was worth it to see Julia no longer suffering for the moment. George refrained from telling Julia anything that might worry her.

“I won’t be home for about a month. Billy found a place where several saber-tooth tigers live together. It’s quite far from here. I’m going to get a few, and then, for the time being, we won't have to worry about your treatment.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It should be alright, and there are no other ways. It’s hard to find a safe and lucrative job.”

Grinning, George stood up. He had to sleep to leave for the Kozlov's estate early on the following day. Instead of the chainmail he had already sold for Julia’s treatment, he put leather armor into his backpack and hung a crossbow on it.

He would most likely belong to an archery unit since it is not easy to find reliable archers for a feudal battle. He had also sold the short sword, which had kept him safe for a long time. He took a pike instead of it. Seeing George packing, Id approached him.

“Let me help you.”

Slightly ruffling Id’s hair, George smiled.

“I’m already done packing.”

George kneeled and looked into Id’s eyes.

“Listen carefully. While I’m absent, you have to take care of your mother and keep her safe. Got it?”

Id nodded wordlessly.

“Don’t forget you are the man of the house while I'm gone.”

George grinned, tapping Id’s shoulder a couple of times.

“All right, now, let’s make dinner. It’s been a while since we had a big meal. I have to travel pretty far tomorrow, so I want to have a big meal tonight.”

Smiling shyly, Id went to the storehouse in the backyard. Julia was watching their backs with a lean face.

*********************

The next day, George left early in the morning and never came back. Half a month after he had left, Id and Julia received only a blood-stained leather glove. Ivan handed George’s keepsake with a mixed look.

“He was unlucky. While retreating, they were cut off by the Knights of the Korolyov’s estate, and he lost his life. After a lance pierced his heart, a horse ran over him. At least, in his final moments, he didn’t even have enough time to feel any pain.”

Julia and Id were shocked when Ivan informed them of George’s death. They had thought that George had gone deep into the Forest of Evil Spirits to hunt saber-tooth tigers. Having realized that George had gone to a dangerous battlefield to earn money for her treatment Julia was speechless.

George had been killed on the battlefield and even his body hadn’t made it back. The only thing returned to Julia was a leather glove, the only trace of him left. She constantly shed tears sitting on the bed holding the glove.

“The Kozlov estate refused to pay the remaining half of his wage. The guild will file an official complaint with them, but at this point, I don’t think it will change much either way.”

The feudal war ended in an unexpected draw. Baron Kozlov conscripted almost all the men in his estate. Though many more Kozlov’s soldiers were killed during the battle, Korolyov's army was also damaged much more than expected. The viscount was a lord who valued the lives of his soldiers. After many soldiers were killed in battle, he proposed a truce. Kozlov, who was on the brink of losing the war, agreed to the ceasefire.

The feudal battle stopped. But the future of the Kozlov estate was bleak. More than half of the peasants and serfs of the estate were killed during the conflict. Most of the farmlands had been devastated, and the estate people would be impoverished sooner or later. As a result, Kozlov would lose the capacity to hire mercenaries. If the feudal battle started again, Korolyov would easily win the war without the pointless sacrifice of his soldiers. Viscount Korolyov was a wise man.

Neither the result of the feudal war nor the situation of the aristocrats’ estate was of any importance to Id and Julia at all. The question facing them was how to survive. Their situation had taken a significant turn for the worse. The most pressing matter remained that Julia could not survive unless she was treated regularly.

*********************

Julia lay in bed with a deathly pale complexion as Id sat by her side, anxiously calling out to her.

“Mom…… Mom……”

Julia took hold of Id’s hand with trembling hands as he called to her while shedding tears.

“Baby… My baby. How can I leave you behind all alone?”

“Don’t leave. Don’t leave me alone, mom.”

“I don’t want to leave you either, Id. But I no longer have the strength to stay with you. Remember Just one thing.”

Julia lifted her pale face and closely looked at Id.

“Your father is the second son of Duke Usachov. I haven't told anyone of this.”

“…………”

Julia saw an illusion of her first love. Sergei Mikhailovich Usachov was a famous young nobleman. He was a very kind person even to the red-laced maids from the families of peasants or serfs. When Julia started working after almost ten years of the educational period at court, she was only 18 years old. As soon as she met the handsome young nobleman, she fell in love, though she also knew it was just a one-sided crush to be left unanswered.

Julia accidentally spilled wine on Sergei’s clothes at a banquet. But Sergei didn’t blame her.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry. I am sad that your beautiful face is filled with worry.”

When Sergei entered the palace the next time, Julia slept with him. She bore his baby intentionally, not taking contraceptives. She just wanted to have his baby and not to think about her future troubles. In the end, the reality was stone cold.

“Is it true?”

Having heard that Julia was pregnant, the young Usachov’s face turned white.

“How could you do that…….”

His face was drained of all color.

“I’ll be completely excluded from the family’s succession scheme for defaming the family if this becomes known.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that earlier.”

“I don’t want to blame you, but if this gets known, I won’t be able to achieve all of the dreams and goals that I’ve held in my heart since I was a child.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this by myself.”

Julia decided to shut her mouth. The only thing she wanted was Sergei’s safety. Even though she was expelled from the palace, branded on her forehead due to her silence, Julia didn't hold a grudge against him. Now, she wanted to see him one last time in her final moments.

“The family of Duke Usachov?”

“Don’t blame him. It’s all my fault. If you happen to meet him someday, please convey my last words, Id.”

Looking at Julia with a tearful face, Id silently nodded. Id, of course, knew that the Usachov family would never accept him as a member as he had been educated to be an attendant of the palace for quite a long time. But he had to nod his head because he couldn’t break his mother’s heart in her last moments.

“Yes. I’ll do that, mom.”

“Thank you, Id.”

Julia, who nodded with difficulty, fell asleep and never woke up. Id, sitting on the bed closer to his mother, didn’t move at all.