#479
What to Do (4)
Oops.
“Hyung is writing a novel?”
For a fleeting moment, my head throbbed with a stinging sensation. I felt like I had made a mistake by telling the truth.
“Ah… Yes. He’s a martial arts writer.”
“Wow, that’s amazing! I used to read a lot of martial arts novels when I was younger.”
Ms. Gain quickly composed herself, but that kind of reaction was hard to miss.
The sentences that followed also felt awkward and stilted.
The fact that even she, with all her eloquence, couldn’t find a suitable topic and ended the conversation showed it.
‘Oh, Mother. I’ll put that in.’ Her glistening eyes avoided me slightly and turned to Isabel.
She was definitely smiling, but her expression was very different from usual. Her pink hair fluttered away from me.
It was an unfamiliar gesture.
“Daughter, I put your gloves in your inside pocket, so don’t forget them. The Crescent Moon’s summit is colder than the northern part of the Empire.”
“You know I don’t get cold hands at all.”
“No. This is a promise with your mother.”
Isabel smiled gently and held her daughter’s hands.
Even though she knew Christel’s skin could no longer be warmed, she never gave up on offering warmth.
Faced with her stubbornness, Ms. Gain eventually nodded with a bright smile.
Hugging Tete in my arms and holding a notebook in one hand, I blankly stared at the two of them.
The harp seal squirmed anxiously, as if reading my mind.
‘…My mother knew. That I’m not ‘Christel’.’
Ms. Gain had told me that story in the Salt Marsh.
‘You said this is inside a novel.’
‘I won’t say it’s fake. I sincerely hate that word, and the Marquis looks so upset. We’ve all worked so hard, so that’s just too much.’
And she had said that too. I understood her feelings.
I couldn’t dare say 100%, and shouldn’t, but I cautiously guessed how heavy Ms. Gain’s heart must be.
I would never have been able to hold on as firmly as she did.
“……”
So, she couldn’t help but feel troubled. It was only natural.
Ms. Gain had believed for a while that I was the ‘protagonist’ of this place, but what if it was her all along?
If she, who had lived her life so fiercely, turned out to be someone else’s creation.
If I, whom she considered a trusted friend, was actually the most distant outsider to her.
…And if our Hyung, of all people, was the one writing the novel.
“Your Highness.”
I would feel really uneasy too. I would probably have all sorts of thoughts.
“Your Highness?”
I had felt that way too. It’s not like I hadn’t considered ‘that possibility’.
“Duke Ye Seo?”
-Awoo.
“Ah. Sorry. What did you say?”
I shook my head from side to side to clear my mind.
Tete wiggled his whiskers, following my movements.
Sir Johann was looking down at me with his usual gentle gaze.
“Thank you for your help. I don’t have much luggage, so I finished preparing quickly.”
“Oh, no. I only pretended to help, I didn’t actually do anything…”
Goodness. While I was briefly talking to Ms. Gain and lost in thought, the quick-handed Sir Johann had already packed all his belongings.
I felt embarrassed and my heart was in turmoil, so I couldn’t find a place to rest my eyes.
He must have heard about Hyung’s profession too, but I was bothered by the fact that he didn’t say anything.
I busily moved around, glanced out the window, and checked on the troublemakers and spirits who were playing well in the icy pond.
I also mumbled to myself about the things I needed to do when I visited the shelter and prayer room later.
I should hear as many confessions as possible before leaving.
And receive Bishop Blaise’s last healing…
“Come to think of it, you probably don’t know much about the ‘Guild’ system in Fenetian.”
“Pardon?” My eyes widened at the sudden change of topic.
The baby divine beast also opened his black eyes wide, following my lead.
Ms. Gain and Isabel, who had been chatting, turned to look at Sir Johann.
“Guild?”
-Awoo?
All I knew about guilds was what I had learned in world history class when I was younger.
I don’t play games much either…
“Yes. There are many large merchants in the Empire, such as the Rambouillet Caravan and the As Merchant Guild, and some great nobles also run companies or banks, so guilds are not commonly seen. We plan to imitate the mercenary guilds of the Holy Kingdom, so it would be good to study the system in advance.”
“Ah! That’s true. I was only thinking about leaving in a hurry…”
I nodded quickly, brightening up.
Isabel also said, ‘Sir Johann is so meticulous. My child will have much to learn from him in the future,’ and was pleased.
I had been feeling strangely uncomfortable with the silence in the living room, so I was relieved when Father Herit brought up a new topic.
Although it was probably unintentional kindness on his part.
-Click!
“His Highness the Crown Prince is here.”
At that moment, the living room door opened and Crown Prince Cedric and David appeared.
My head snapped around involuntarily.
He was wearing a pure white shirt again today, and he had thick guards on his chest and arms, as if he was coming from archery practice.
I ran towards him as if I was about to fly, beaming. Hey, why are you only coming now!
“Your Highness!”
“……What are you up to this time?”
You always have to say something like that!
“It’s nothing like that. Sir Johann is going to give us a crash course on guilds before we leave. We absolutely have to listen together!”
“……”
Then, the Crown Prince scrutinized me with sharp eyes like an airport customs officer, then raised his well-defined chin and quickly found his partner.
The two’s eyes briefly met and then scattered.
Ms. Gain usually never avoids his gaze first, but today she looked away about half a beat earlier.
Then, one corner of the man’s mouth slightly lifted, almost imperceptibly.
Those a few steps away might not have noticed, but I could definitely tell. That was a very satisfied expression.
What is it? Did he fall in love all over again?
“……I see.”
“Yes?”
Is it real?
“If you’re planning to give a lecture, you’ll need some refreshments to go with it.”
Then, he suddenly said something like that.
I glanced at David and then looked back up at him.
“Suddenly? I’m fine. I feel like I’ve been eating too much during the exhibition anyway…”
“You caught dozens of low-level magical beasts a little while ago, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Wow. Really?”
-Arrr!
I raised my voice in excitement, and Tete also cried out like a puppy, excited.
Since there are several divine objects here, magical beasts seemed to be gathering from the outskirts of the city.
I know it’s childish, but I took this opportunity to rattle off a list of requests.
These were all things that had been on my mind recently.
“Then, can we give a lot to Kina and Willem? They’re at an age where they need to eat meat and grow, and I’m worried they might be conscious of the adults. I’d also like to give more to Mr. Moreau and Duchess Marguerite, who are still recovering. And I hope the priests at the shelter will eat with us too, they seem to have lost weight recently. Actually, I wanted to get Elizabeth a Silkie chicken like last time, but that would be difficult, so if possible, the fattest and most delicious part…”
“David.”
“Yes, Your Highness. As you command, Your Highness. Duke Ye Seo.”
“Thank you!”
Power is good! I momentarily forgot all my worries and smiled brightly.
Ms. Gain, who met my eyes, sent me a faint smile, then aimed her eyes, burning with love and passion, at the Crown Prince.
The unsettling feeling in my heart from a little while ago seemed to be calming down a bit now.
-Arrr, arrr.
“Aww. Tete needs to eat too. Let’s fill your belly, fill it up.”
I was soothing the divine beast with a voice mixed with laughter when the notebook in my hand suddenly caught my eye.
Then, as if by magic, the tips of my fingernails turned white.
There was no way to stop the tidal wave of thoughts that came crashing down mercilessly. Swish…….
‘Jeong Ye.’
‘Why.’
‘You’re not thinking strange things, are you?’
‘Huh……?’
Hyung’s gaze that I had met that night felt particularly vivid today.
But no matter how I thought about it, that was impossible. I really couldn’t do that.
Wasn’t that a hypothesis that I had already discarded?
“……Sir Johann, should we call the other friends too?”
I gritted my teeth and scattered my distracting thoughts.
Father Herit responded with a nod of affirmation.
*
Little Duchess Eva Blanquer was a popular figure who attracted attention wherever she went in the military camp.
“There are no plans for an 11th edition of the leaflet for the time being. We have enough resources, but we need to consult with Princess Maria and Therese, and Lady Sarah Beliard first. His Majesty has not ordered anything further for now.”
“Ah……”
As soon as the words were spoken, the knights surrounding her drooped their shoulders.
From the back of the group, sounds of regret and sighs erupted.
The busy hands often stood on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the celebrity.
The girl was recently the most popular successor of a great noble family in the Imperial capital’s high society.
The fact that it was a battlefield was no reason for interest to wane.
“I see. It’s a pity that I don’t have a leaflet in my possession.”
“The Little Duchess is doing a great job. By the way, I heard that all the supplies that came in last week were sent by nobles who politically support the Young Lady, is that true?”
“Ahem. You should be careful with your words.”
“It’s okay, it’s true.”
When the girl answered clearly, even the soldiers who were listening quietly from afar stirred greatly.
The knights already seemed eager to ask about marriage stories.
The Little Duchess would be eighteen next year, so it wasn’t awkward to talk about marriage proposals.
Blanquer was undeniably one of the best noble families in Liester.
Especially last year, when Sarnese, the most prestigious of the four great families, self-destructed, and the Blanquer’s succession structure was reorganized, all the attention of the world was focused on them.
When Eva began to actively work in the Imperial capital, leaving the east, a veritable typhoon blew through high society.
In the meantime, the vacancies of Sarnese were competitively filled by the Boutier, Diop, Mendy, Capuchon, Girardine, Rambouillet, and Cisse families.
Here, the role of Serenite Marquis—the Juliet Duke of the time—who received the exclusive favor of the Imperial family, was significant.
The consensus in the current Liester political world was that being close to him meant that you could get even one toe into the central power.
Although he had no interest in politics or society at all.
“Um, I heard rumors that tickets to the Salon de Victoire are being traded illegally. Is that also true?”
“Yes. We are also aware of the problem, and there will be strong measures soon. The Salon is an open space for everyone, so we cannot condone the right to enter being sold indiscriminately.”
“Hmm, indeed……”
“Little Duchess. Do you have any plans to expand the Salon?”
“Everyone seems to be free.”
At that time, a solemn voice pierced everyone’s ears.
Shock and fear instantly consumed the hallway.
The knights and soldiers moved their necks creakily like rotten wooden dolls.
“L, L, Duke.”
“Duke Blanquer!”
A person as fearsome as the messenger of the Main God was glaring at them as if scolding them.
The crowd bowed deeply.
Eva also turned pale when she found her mother!
“M, Mother.”
“While His Majesty is engrossed in the eastern advance and the northern operation and is busy all day, you are fortunate enough to have no work to do.”
“How, how could that be! Duke!”
“Then shouldn’t you be preparing to advance east quickly? Or are you planning to stay here with me?”
“Huuuk, no! Absolutely not!”
“I, we are now, under the orders of Marchioness Caroline—”
“That’s even stranger. You should know her personality.”
At the chilling warning, the knights with their lips sealed began to leave the hallway like a receding tide.
Some even ran away as if their lives depended on it.
The ordinary soldiers had already run away like a herd of herbivores and were nowhere to be seen.
The last remaining knight glanced at the Little Duchess for a moment, then bowed with a face as white as flour and hurriedly disappeared beyond the hallway.
-Whoooo……
Before long, only Cecil and Eva were left in the corridor.
“……I, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere with the knights’ official duties.”
‘Mother.’ The added title was as small as a bird’s song.
The frightened girl dropped her head and clasped her hands tightly.
Even though she was scared, she wanted to be brave.
Duke Ye Seo had said several times that she was so proud of me, so I didn’t want to be discouraged.
Of course, it was a situation where anyone would be scolded.
“Okay. Let’s talk for a while.”
“Yes. Yes?!”
The large dark brown eyes flashed up.
Not here, but will I be called separately and scolded?
“……There’s no need to be so surprised. I’m going to discuss the management of the Magic Tower.”
“……”
‘Tap, tap, tap.’ Cecil, who immediately turned around, began to lead the way slowly.
Eva was stunned for a moment—
“Yes, yes! Mother!”
Soon, she burst into a bright smile and followed her.
As a ‘successor.’