Please Answer Me - Chapter 97

The atmosphere in the castle had been unsettled ever since the messenger from the north arrived two days ago. Since then, Rashid had been nowhere to be seen. When Rosetta woke up in the mornings, there was no sign that he had been in bed beside her, indicating he hadn’t returned to their bedroom at all during the night.

“It’s because of the Katan tribe. Just when things seemed calm, they start up again. Ugh, it’s tiresome.”

Rosetta was in her room with Benny, winding dyed threads. Throughout the task, Benny had been cursing the Katan tribe. As Rosetta gained most of her knowledge about the area from Benny or Thelma, she took the opportunity to ask questions.

“Who are the Katan tribe?”

“Oh, since the Basque tribe is in the south, you might not know much about the Katan tribe, Rigaina.”

Benny paused in thought before continuing. “As you know, the Katan tribe lives north of the Quat territory. It’s a cold and barren land, right? So they often come down here to steal food and livestock. In the past, we were constantly raided, but since Riga started paying attention to that area, things have improved a lot.”

According to Benny, the Katan tribe is spread across the northern Quat territory and the entire Kranach Peninsula. Because they border the Quat territory by land, they have frequently invaded the territory.

“When we gained independence from Lysa, they joined forces with us. But lately, we’ve been fighting more often. They hold a grudge after losing badly to Riga last time.”

Benny explained various conflicts with the Katan tribe, including a major battle five years ago when they brought Sika, and another skirmish about three months ago where Rashid nearly killed the Katan leader.

“It seems some Katan tribesmen came down to the villages again and caused havoc. The messenger brought that news.”

“So, does Rashid have to go fight the Katan tribe again?”

“Most likely. He always goes personally when there’s a conflict with them. If he doesn’t go and scare them, they keep coming back.”

“…How long does it take for him to go and come back?”

“It depends. If they see Riga and run away, he could be back in a few days. When he fought the Katan leader last time, it took about a week. Five years ago, it took about a month because he wiped out an entire Katan village.”

“So, we won’t know how long it will take until he goes?”

“Exactly.”

Rosetta sighed. The thought of him going to a dangerous place was worrisome, but the possibility of him being gone for a month was even more troubling.

Seeing Rosetta’s face darken, Benny smirked. “If you’re so curious, why don’t you ask Riga directly? He’d know better than I do.”

“Rashid hasn’t even been coming back to our room at night.”

“Do you have to wait for him in your room? Why don’t you go find him?”

“Find him? Where?”

“The study. He’s probably there now.”

Benny’s expression said she was tired of talking. Rosetta wondered if it was really okay to go to his study.

In Lysa, she had never been to her father’s study. It was as restricted as the temple. It was a place for the kingdom’s most secretive conversations and important documents. Rosetta, who had little to do in the kingdom, had no reason to go there.

Could a princess of Lysa just walk into such a place? What would Rashid think if she came looking for him just because she hadn’t seen him for two days?

“Well, go now!” Suddenly, Benny stood up. She grabbed the thread from Rosetta’s hands and set it down, then pushed her towards the door.

“I’ll finish winding the thread, so you go and ask him everything you’re curious about. Got it?”

The door slammed shut behind her. Rosetta found herself expelled from her room.

Eventually, she arrived in front of the study, looking around nervously. Unlike the Lysa palace, there was no guard outside the study. She hesitated at the door, unsure whether to knock, when passing maids noticed her and greeted her cheerfully.

[Did you come to see Riga?]

[You must have come to see Riga!]

They passed by with knowing smiles. Rosetta felt as if she could understand exactly what they were saying, and she feared that word of her visiting Rashid’s study would spread throughout the castle. She quickly knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

A moment later, a voice called out for her to enter. She noticed how different Rashid’s voice was when addressing others compared to when he spoke to her. It was cold and emotionless just now, making her hesitate.

So Rosetta cracked the door open and peeked inside. Rashid, who had been reading something at his desk, looked up. His blue eyes widened slightly.

“…Rosetta?”

“Can I come in?”

Worried that she might be disturbing him, she anxiously waited as Rashid stood from his chair. He walked over, took hold of the door she was holding, and pulled it open wider.

“Of course. Come in.”

His voice warmed immediately, and a gentle smile appeared on his face. Rosetta suddenly felt playful.

“Letting an enemy princess into your study so easily. Riga should be more careful.”

Rashid chuckled, then leaned in close, his eyes glinting. Blocking the doorway with his arm, he whispered in a low voice, “Does the princess know what might happen to her if she enters such a place carelessly?”

Rosetta’s eyes widened briefly, realizing she had almost fallen for his teasing. There was nothing dangerous about merely entering the study.

She smirked. “Did you think I’d be scared if you acted like a villain?”

She ducked under his arm and walked inside. Behind her, Rashid quietly closed the door.

Rosetta looked around the study. It was similar to his room—only essential furniture and no ornate decorations. However, one side of the room had a long sofa that his room didn’t.

“Have you been sleeping there for the past two days?”

“Yes.”

Rashid hugged her from behind, rubbing his face against her ear like a cat expressing affection.

“Are you eating properly?”

“I’m eating well. Sleeping well too. The only thing missing is holding you.”

“Thanks to that, I’ve been sleeping well. After struggling with sleep deprivation because of someone… Ow!”

Rashid playfully nipped at her ear in retaliation. Laughing, Rosetta gently pushed him away, and he stepped back willingly.

Rosetta approached the desk. Papers and maps were scattered everywhere. Small notes meant for carrier pigeons were also visible. She could guess what he had been doing—gathering information to assess the situation, its dangers, and whether he needed to go there himself.

“I heard a messenger arrived with news about the Katan tribe. Is the situation serious?”

“If you’re curious, you can read it.”

“Can I?”

He nodded. Rosetta carefully picked up a paper, then looked at Rashid with narrowed eyes. “How did you manage without teasing me for so long?”

Most of the documents were written in Levantine script. Rosetta could only read simple words, so she couldn’t understand the content.

She put the papers down with a pout. Rashid, still smiling, lifted her onto the desk. Standing beside her, he picked up the papers she had put down and began to read.

“The damage report is as follows: twenty houses were burned down by the Katan tribe, and five people lost their lives. There are currently nine injured. Thirty sacks of wheat and twenty sacks of potatoes were stolen from the village storage, along with various livestock…”

He continued reading another note, “There has been no significant movement from Basa. It seems he did not come to Traka.”

“Basa? Who is Basa?”

“The leader of the Katan tribe. Traka is the village that was raided. It means he didn’t personally get involved.”

As he began to read another note, Rosetta hurriedly stopped him. “Wait a moment. Is it okay to tell me all this?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well…”

I don’t tell you everything.

Rosetta swallowed the words. Rashid seemed to read her thoughts and chuckled lightly.

“Just because you can’t tell me everything doesn’t mean I have to keep things from you. It’s not like you’ll do anything bad with this information. Besides, this isn’t particularly sensitive. There’s more important information you need to know.”

“Information I need to know?”

“About the envoy. You’ve been curious, right?”

Rosetta’s eyes wavered. She had indeed been curious about what had happened to the envoy. It had been a while since Rashid mentioned summoning them back, but there had been no news since then.

Yet, she had been hesitant to ask, unsure how she would handle meeting Allen and the others again. Perhaps she had been secretly hoping that time would stand still, allowing her to avoid seeing or hearing anything.