Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 42

Inside the Carriage (Michelle’s Perspective)

We had decided to head toward the Demon Forest, and our carriage was now en route.

Lax and Shifa were both asleep.

Claire, who had tried to slack off despite agreeing to take turns driving, was now tied to the coachman’s seat.

I turned my gaze toward Lax.

He was my foster brother, but in truth, he was also the descendant of an old royal family from a neighboring kingdom.

To clarify—this wasn’t a case of the current ruling family usurping the throne.

It was a peaceful abdication.

Because of that, the former royal family was still treated with a certain level of respect in their homeland.

They were a lineage of gifted magic users.

Their devotion to magic research had become their top priority, and they continued their work not as kings, but as grand dukes.

The reason for their obsession stemmed from an ancient demon—one that had once destroyed a great nation in this region.

A demon that devastated kingdoms and slaughtered countless people.

Many warriors fought against it, and many perished.

Though they somehow managed to seal it away, the former royal family believed it would one day return.

Thus, they continued studying magic, preparing for the inevitable battle.

It was a mission driven by fear—by grim determination.

So much so that they even abandoned their claim to the throne.

The current ruling family was originally a branch of the old royal line.

They inherited the throne after the main royal family shifted its focus entirely to magic research.

Lax himself was an exceptional mage, even by their standards.

But he left his home.

Not because of any quarrel.

Not because he was exiled.

He was sent away to prevent a succession crisis.

At the time, the current king had been frail since childhood.

Most other legitimate heirs were elderly or had perished due to wars and internal conspiracies.

Some factions saw Lax as a viable candidate for the throne, despite the Grand Duke’s opposition.

But Lax never wanted the throne.

In fact, he admired the current king—

A man who, despite his illness, had always put the kingdom first.

That’s why Lax turned to forbidden magic.

His talent with magic was unparalleled in his family’s long history.

One day, during our studies, we found something.

An ancient tome—one of the oldest books in the Grand Duke’s archives.

I still remember how Lax’s face went pale when he opened it.

Because I was right there with him.

Lax understood forbidden magic.

Not just how to read it—he could unravel its structure and master it completely.

Naturally, I tried to stop him.

A spell labeled as forbidden always comes with a terrible cost.

But Lax refused to listen.

No matter how much I asked, he never told me the price.

He had already decided.

He was going to use forbidden magic—alone.

Lax cast the spell in secret, and as a result, the king recovered.

And Lax took the blame.

The king wept and begged for forgiveness, but Lax simply said:

“I broke a taboo. I will leave.”

Then he vanished, slipping into exile before anyone could stop him.

No one chased after him.

But I went with him.

Because I refused to let him be alone.

Something about that spell had changed him.

I didn’t know what he lost…

But when he told me to stay behind, I clung to him.

Even when he pushed me away, I refused to leave.

By the time we crossed the border, he had given up on trying to stop me.

Together, we entered this kingdom.

Together, we traveled toward the city with the dungeon.

On the way, we wiped out a bandit gang and freed a man named Jekyll, who had been forced to work for them.

That’s how we ended up in Riofendarl.

We never expected to arrive in the middle of a stampede.

But by the time it was over, we had saved the viscount’s family, helped countless citizens, and secured a place for ourselves in the city.

Lax had abandoned his noble title—his royal lineage—

But seeing him acknowledged and respected in this city had put my heart at ease.

That’s why, when he got engaged to Eranda,

I thought he had found a place where he truly belonged.

Even so, I worried.

Eranda never truly saw him for who he was.

When she betrayed him, I regretted not warning him earlier.

But time doesn’t go backward.

Jekyll and Eranda had tried to frame him—

Driven by jealousy and self-interest.

But Lax crushed their schemes on his own.

Trying to outmaneuver Lax was foolish.

But they never understood that.

Even so, I hadn’t expected Eranda to survive after entering the Demon Forest.

And now she had forced Lax and Shifa out of the city.

The viscount was still bedridden.

She was acting without his consent, but no one dared oppose her because of Duke Horneld’s backing.

The royal family had likely tried to intervene, but since Eranda had framed this as an internal family conflict, they had no justification to act.

She had played her cards well.

But we were about to change that.

Should I Contact the Grand Duke’s House?

Lax wasn’t thinking about it right now, but I was debating whether or not to reach out to the Grand Duke’s family in the neighboring kingdom.

It had been several years since we left.

From what I’d heard, His Majesty was ruling stably.

Even though Lax had used forbidden magic, I doubted they would harm him now.

If anything—

They might even protect him.

“Michelle. Thanks for coming with me.”

“!? ”

I had been lost in thought when Lax suddenly spoke, catching me off guard.

“You’re awake?”

“Yeah… I got plenty of rest.

But when I woke up, I noticed you were still up.

Shouldn’t you be worried about Claire not sleeping instead?”

“That woman… seriously.

Well, it’s you, so I’m sure you’ll be fine—

But still, get some rest when you can.

You need to protect Shifa, after all.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I truly blessed their union.

Lax was the type who found joy in caring for others more than being cared for himself.

Shifa, despite appearing delicate like a doll, had an unyielding spirit.

They suited each other perfectly.

They wouldn’t become codependent.

Their love would grow strong and healthy.

That was my hope.

What would I do after they got married?

At first, I planned to work in their household using my status as both family and foster sibling.

But…

Maybe traveling for a while wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

I gently adjusted the blankets over Lax and Shifa as they slept once more.

I also shifted them slightly to make sure they were more comfortable—

They’d have to forgive me for touching them in their sleep.

“…Such a coward.”

“…?”

I thought I heard something, so I turned toward the coachman’s seat.

Claire was peeking through the small window.

And then—

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

A scream rang out—

The cry of a shameless woman.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.

Just punishing an idiot for sleeping where she shouldn’t be.”

And so—

The carriage continued its journey toward the Demon Forest.