Golden Arrow - Chapter 9

9. Between Watching and Intervening

“What on earth are we hearing right now?”

Samuel doubted his ears. He and Eurus were listening through the open window to the faint voices of a man and woman conversing in the garden.

“……”

Eurus did not respond. He simply stared blankly out the window.

“A rebel and a love confession? This is getting interesting.”

Samuel let out a dry laugh.

From Scotlin’s perspective, they were independence fighters, but to Ingrint, such illegal armed groups were labeled rebels. These small militias appeared out of nowhere to ambush Her Majesty’s loyal forces or to bomb the buildings and squares erected by her merciful grace.

In Ingrint, their actions were regarded as treason. Rebels were criminals to be hunted, tortured, and executed without hesitation. To the Ingrint government, Scotlin rebels were like weeds that sprouted endlessly no matter how many were pulled—nuisances that could be dealt with however they pleased, without remorse.

“Should we really leave this alone? Maybe we should alert the nearest unit.”

“Why?” Eurus turned to Samuel and asked flatly.

Samuel looked puzzled as he answered, “Because they’re rebels, obviously! We need to report this!”

Psyche had referred to the man as “Lord Wallace.” Wallace. Anyone living on Brighton Island knew what that name signified. Wallace had been the war hero of Scotlin, who had won countless battles against Ingrint centuries ago. To Ingrint, he was nothing less than a demon.

There had been no recent suspicions of the Wallace family engaging in treasonous activities. In fact, they had always been known as one of Scotlin’s pro-Ingrint families. It was clear, then, that this man had joined the rebels without his family’s knowledge.

If a man named Wallace were captured as a rebel, the Ingrint government would undoubtedly make an example of him. He would serve as a perfect warning for others.

“What does it matter if he’s a rebel?” Eurus replied indifferently.

“How can you ask that? They deserve to die! They challenge Her Majesty’s authority—”

“Didn’t you just complain about Her Majesty’s absurd command for this marriage? I’ll remember your little rebellion, too.”

Samuel’s jaw dropped at Eurus’s ridiculous comparison. How could his minor complaints and those massive acts of rebellion possibly be put on the same level?

“Knowingly overlooking treason is itself treason! That’s the first thing we learn in law class!”

“We can just pretend we didn’t see anything.”

“Eurus!”

“Samuel.”

They locked eyes. Eurus, wearing a faintly irritated expression, turned his gaze away. He didn’t care whether they were independence fighters or rebels. What he hated was getting tangled up in unnecessary complications.

“Listen carefully. We are here to take Lady Psyche Stuart to Lydon so she can marry the Devonshire heir. Now, if the man proposing to her happens to be a Scotlin rebel, what do you think will happen?”

Samuel frowned as Eurus continued, “Will the young lady be safe? If knowingly ignoring treason is also treason, then she is a traitor, too.”

“So?”

“Then Deimos would be marrying a traitor.”

Samuel fell silent for a moment before raising his voice. “Exactly! If we brand her as a traitor, the Cavendish family can withdraw from this ridiculous marriage! Isn’t that the best solution for everyone?”

“For everyone?”

Eurus’s piercing blue eyes locked onto Samuel.

“Do you truly believe she’s guilty of treason?”

Samuel faltered, opening his mouth but hesitating before replying stubbornly, “Turning a blind eye is still treason.”

Eurus stared at him for a long moment before softening his tone.

“You make a good point.”

“What?”

“Go ahead, then. Send word immediately. Tell them that a rebel infiltrated Galloway Castle, that Psyche Stuart is his accomplice, and that Eurus is a bystander. Report all of it.”

“What are you talking about, Eurus?”

“Shall I say it again?”

“Why would your name be included in this?”

“Samuel, I have no interest in politics. Whether they’re independence fighters or rebels, it doesn’t concern me. That’s not my purpose here. My only task is to fulfill the great Queen’s command and safely deliver Psyche Stuart to Lydon to marry Deimos Cavendish.”

“But still…”

“So I intend to let this go. If I’m a bystander, then I, Eurus, will also be guilty of treason. What will become of the Duke of Devonshire, who has fed and clothed me? And what about your family?”

Eurus paused, lowering his voice into a quiet whisper.

“Do you really think Her Majesty orchestrated all of this for Brighton’s unity? Her target is the Duke of Devonshire. She wants to control him like a puppet on strings. And she wants to cripple Psyche Stuart, making sure she’s incapable of considering any other options.”

Samuel closed his mouth at those words, suddenly grasping the bizarre purpose behind the marriage command. Even so, one question remained.

“Then why bring yourself into this? Why say you’re a bystander?”

Eurus pressed his temples as if his head were throbbing. In truth, he didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. He was simply letting the words pour out.

“I have my reasons.”

“And what are they?”

“There’s no need for me to explain every detail to you, Samuel.”

Eurus knew he was rambling, but he couldn’t stop. He didn’t even understand why he was so desperate to convince Samuel. It was as if some long-buried emotions were resurfacing and lashing out in unexpected ways.

But one thing was certain: Psyche Stuart becoming a traitor was not okay. Eurus didn’t do things that weren’t okay.

“Focus on business. I’ve come up with a rather promising idea, in fact.”

Samuel’s ears perked up at that.

“Really? Suddenly?”

“I’ll let you know when it’s finalized. Don’t get excited just yet.”

Eurus’s instinct for chasing money was like a god-given ability. His ambitions were vast, and he had accomplished them brilliantly. Samuel, having spent a long time by his side, had repeatedly been impressed and moved. If Eurus said something would happen, then it would.

Strangely, Eurus’s words carried weight. Upon reflection, doubts might creep in, but face-to-face, as they spoke, one would be seen through and convinced. All’s well that ends well; as long as you followed Eurus’s lead, the outcome was always favorable.

Therefore, Samuel decided to willingly side with Eurus. He set aside his fear of rebellion. Apologies to Her Majesty, but for now, nothing has happened yet.

Meanwhile, as Samuel fixated on the word “rebel” from Psyche and Malcolm’s conversation, Eurus was more focused on the “love confession.” Their conversation had naturally drifted apart for that reason.

“Oh? What’s that now?”

Samuel muttered, still glued to the window. Eurus followed his gaze.

The man knelt on one knee before the woman, who stood there awkwardly. Finally, the man held a small box out in front of her. Samuel pieced together the scene from every play and melodrama he’d ever seen: this was undoubtedly a proposal.

“A love confession and now a proposal…”

Samuel had never seen such a thrilling spectacle in his life. He was already weaving a grand, romantic story in his mind.

“He’s really going all out.”

Eurus’s indifferent remark instantly wiped away the smirk twitching at the corner of Samuel’s mouth.

“A life in a rebel camp? How harsh for a woman he’s proposing to. What lady would want to start her married life in a dirty, miserable barrack? Utterly ridiculous.”

At Eurus’s harsh critique, Samuel unconsciously began rooting for the rebel’s love.

To Samuel, Eurus was a strange man who completely wasted his handsome face. It was no wonder someone like him had such dry, parched emotions. If Samuel had been born with Eurus’s handsome face, he would have already completed dozens of grand epics with countless beautiful women.

“It’s romantic! A hero from independence fighters rushing on horseback to kneel and propose to a heroine caught in the schemes of the scheming Ingrint Queen. This could be turned into a play! What do you think? Don’t you think it would be a hit?”

Just moments earlier, Samuel had called them rebels; now, he referred to them as “independence fighters.” How typical of him. Eurus let out a small laugh.

“The moment the curtain rises on that play, the scheming Ingrint Queen will have your head first.”

“Fine, fine. But what does it matter if they live in a barrack as long as they’re happy?”

“Samuel, does that woman look happy to you?”

“Well, how would I know? She doesn’t look entirely unhappy. It’s not like they’re strangers, is it?”

“Look closely. She’s clearly uncomfortable. That means she doesn’t want this.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“……”

Exactly. Eurus didn’t know why he was so certain. But she had to be uncomfortable. If Psyche accepted this proposal now, everything would become tangled. Troublesome matters were out of the question. Therefore, Psyche Stuart absolutely had to reject that man’s proposal.

“She’s probably just being coy. Women always pretend to resist at first. It’s sudden, so she’s playing hard to get.”

Samuel, now fully invested, was cheering for the rebels’ love story. Eurus clicked his tongue. Samuel didn’t understand women, which was why he was like this.

“…She’s being dragged away, Samuel.”

At Eurus’s words, Samuel snapped out of his daydream and turned his attention back to the scene outside. The man was dragging Psyche by the arm, pulling her into a secluded corner of the garden. She was resisting with all her might, but the man’s strength overpowered her. In the midst of the struggle, her glove slipped off and fell to the ground. The man seemed utterly indifferent to her protest. Eurus was right. She wasn’t playing coy. She genuinely despised what was happening.

“This is… a problem. Should we go down there?”

Leaving a lady in distress was against the code of a gentleman. Samuel’s tone grew urgent. The man was large, but with two of them against him, they might stand a chance. And if things turned ugly, they could summon the castle’s servants to help.

Samuel quickly assessed the situation and turned to Eurus—only to find that he was no longer standing where he had been. Samuel noticed him instead heading toward the bags neatly stacked in the corner of the room.

“Eurus, what are you doing? This is urgent!”

When Eurus returned to the window, he was holding a bow and arrows. Samuel was horrified.

“Eurus, what on earth are you thinking? Why do you have that? Are you planning to shoot them? Have you lost your mind?”

Eurus said nothing. Without hesitation, he notched an arrow onto the bowstring and pulled it taut. His narrowed gaze calculated the distance with chilling precision.

“You’re not actually planning to kill him, right? Just scare him, that’s all! I know you’re an incredible shot, but it’s dark out there. If you’re going to shoot, aim somewhere far away! Don’t kill him. Please. Damn it, I can’t believe I might witness someone die here. Just don’t kill him, okay?”

Samuel babbled in sheer panic, unable to stop himself. As he spoke, Eurus muttered coldly under his breath, “Didn’t you just say earlier that rebels deserve to die?”

In the garden below, the man’s body pressed closer to the woman’s, pulling her waist toward him as his face moved downward.

It was at that moment that Eurus loosed the arrow. It whistled past the two figures, narrowly missing them, before embedding itself with a sharp thud into the tree trunk beside them.

***