Episode 74
âWhatâs going on?â
A man kneeling in front of her sent a letter politely.
âItâs a very important matter for you to check right away.â
The woman opened up the letter.
After a while, there was a crumpled sound of paper in her hand.
âThis is what the baron in the Empire witnessed and hurriedly reported. The possibility is really high.â
ââ¦what if itâs just a look-alike?â
âThe age, as well as the appearance, is exactly the same.â
There was no word from the woman. The man waited silently and asked carefully first.
âShall we a spy? If youâre going to plant a man in a dukedom and find outâ¦.â
âNoâ
The woman who cut the manâs words spread her hand. The badly crumpled letter fell down.
âSomehow, I was suspicious. Yes, thatâs the reason. It was all because of this that this country suddenly ruined.â
ââ¦â¦â
âThe one who should be dead was actually living well, so of course the country has to lean toward a curse.â
The woman pulled up the corners of her mouth. Despite her expressionless face with a smile, her cold impression remained the same.
âThe maid of honour, she deceived me, this is why she left the palace as she ran away.â
ââ¦..â
âIs that woman alive?â
âAt the moment, her whereabouts are not fully verified, but sheâs probably dead.â
âThatâs funny. She saved what she had to kill, and now sheâs dead. What a stupid thing to do.â
The woman who ridiculed the dead and laughed at them ordered.
âThereâs no waste of time. Kill her right now with every possible move. So this time, bring her ârealâ head to me.â
âOkay.â
âMother!â
At that time, the door inside the corridor opened and a young woman, dressed in a bright yellow dress, jumped in.
The woman, who looked close to her early twenties, came up with a freewheeling gait and gave her a hug.
âAre you that excited to see the painting? The tea is getting cold.â
âOh, my God, have you been waiting? Iâm sorry.â
The womanâs face, which was like a piece of ice, melted softly for the first time.
The young woman, who looked just like the older woman, soon found a man, complaining.
âOh, you were here too, old man.â
âYou should call him a ball, not an old man.â
The woman spoke reproachfully, but her voice was ever so soft.
A young woman with a drooping red hair inherited from the older woman smiled brightly.
âIâll be careful in the future. Iâm sorry, ball.â
âNo, Iâm fine. Please donât mind me and call me at your convenience, princess.â
âWell, youâre like this marquis, thatâs why sheâs getting spoiled like this.â
âMother, is that why you hate me?â
The young woman stared up at the older woman, blinking her amber-coloured eyes that resembled her mother.
The woman burst into laughter at the sight as if she couldnât win.
âYou are biting while knowing the answer clearly. Oh, who do you look like.â
âIf I donât look like my mother, who would I look like with? Anyway, weâre going in now. The tea is so fragrant.â
âYes, letâs do that, Marquis, Iâll leave my seat.â
âDonât worry and go in.â
After looking at a good relationship between mother and daughter, the man raised his head for a while.
He looked at the empty corridor and thought for a moment.
âEven though they were born on the same day and at the same place, the treatment is so different.â
But the manâs appreciation did not last long. He soon mechanically moved to fulfil his duties assigned to him.
***
âLady!â
When I returned to the mansion, Bessie greeted me.
âItâs getting cold, but where do you keep going out like thatâ, I asked suddenly as I listened to her passionate nagging.
âBessie.â
âWhat?â
âAlex, what do you like about him?â
Only a few seconds later did Bessie answer screaming out the pack.
âOh, I donât like him yet! Thatâs little punk! Oh, my God!â
âYetââ¦
âItâs a step to get to know each other.â
âE, ehm. No, how did you know that?â
âAre you really asking because youâre curious?â
To be honest, the nagging a little while ago was actually something Bessie should have heard rather than me.
Itâs true that Iâve been out more often these days, but even so, itâs no match for Bessie, whoâs busy going out with Alex.
As if to reflect on her past track record, Bessie remained silent for a while and soon blushed.
âWell.â
I thought as I heard a strange cough.
âIâm right, theyâre flirty with each otherâ
Bessie really has a younger man. Regardless of whether the opponent is a new face or not.
âWhat was the old woman doing?â
On the way back from Ariâs breakup, I suddenly remembered and went back to the street.
However, the tent that had been temporarily set up during the festival, had disappeared.
âOh, come to think of it, my lady. The one I saw on the market street before.â
âHuh? Oh, yeah.â
âDo you remember? The fortune-teller told me Iâd have a good relationship. He, um, heâs younger than meâ¦..â
âI did remember.â
I was a little late in answering the question because I was trying to hide my surprise. But Bessie didnât seem to mind.
âIâm just saying since the lady knew about everything, but I realized that what I heard back then was right.â
Bessie added with a bit of a flustering, perhaps ashamed of what she said.
âNo, well, that doesnât mean Iâm doing something with Alex right now! Anyway, the atmosphere isnât bad. Well. Itâs like you said itâs a step toward getting to know.â
âGood thing. Congratulations.â
âThank you. Oh, anyway, what chance did the fortune teller say there would be for my lady?â
ââ¦.â¦.â
âIsnât there something you want? How about you, my lady? Do you really think you have a chance to achieve what you want?â
I couldnât answer Bessieâs question with a good answer right away and dragged on a little.
After a moment a word managed to flow out.
ââ¦I donât know.â
âWhat?â
âNo, letâs go in.â
âLady, just nowâ
âOh, itâs cold outside. Maybe itâs because Iâm outside, but Iâm suddenly reminded of your warm honey water.â
âOh, then you should have told me earlier! Please wait a little longer.â
Bessie quickly forgot the existing topic and disappeared straight into the kitchen. Then she walked away happily without any intention to hide it.
âShe really likes honey water.â
At any time, Bessieâs belief in honey water was not understandable.
âWhoa.â
I swallowed a subtle sigh and came up to the room.
ââ¦â¦Iâll have to pack up again.â
I spent my time in a dazed mood, and then I thought about it in the evening.
Yeah, I need luggage to run away.
The bag that I had packed in advance had been dismantled after being caught by Bessie last time.
Come to think of it, it was luck that Bessie only found the luggage bag and didnât look at the contents in detail.
I disguised it as if I were going to the territory, so if she had seen the contents in person, it would have been difficult not to be suspicious.
âShould I have just been caught then?â
At least I could have died without knowing my feelings.
I had such a crazy idea and soon jumped up and left the room. I felt like I couldnât even think straight because I was so sick.
Of course, this sense of urgency may not necessarily be felt indoors, but after all, I moved out of the mansion to an open garden.
It was cool and dark outside.
As the weather got colder, the day fell down quickly. The darkened garden was showing its scenic beauty, relying only on the lanterns hung in the middle of the trail.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Perhaps because of my mood, the moonlight seemed particularly faint today. I was looking for any bench and sat down.
The wind that brushed the flesh out of the clothes was a little cold, but I didnât care much.
ââ¦why am I doing this?â
I consulted silently, looking at the dim landscape of the garden.
âIâve wanted to run away.â
Iâve wanted to run away. It was an opportunity that Iâve been waiting for.
I tried to escape from the terrible future and run away to somewhere far away from where Ash wouldnât have to follow.
Thatâs why I tried to save Ari in the beginning.
In fact, I gave up for a while after the harvest festival. Because I thought there was no way.
But the opportunity came.
It was a miracle, fate or coincidence. The possibilities have come back, and I can set my hopes back.
âBut whyâ¦.â
I should be happy.
Now that I can achieve what Iâve been looking forward to for years, Iâm sure itâs not enough to jump and like right now.
ââ¦â¦Iâm out of my mind, really.â
A voice mingled with laughter dispersed into the air.
I know. I know why. Whatâs wrong with me? Why Iâm not happy, why I canât just like it?
âBecause thereâs something I desired more.â
Even if I run away and can survive safely, I canât achieve what I really want.
So I couldnât laugh.
Thatâs why I canât feel happy, even though Iâve been able to run away.
I breathed out. The breath made a moment of air and disappeared without leaving a trace.
I blinked at the useless sight.
âI wish my feelings could disappear like that.â
I shouldnât have known.
I wish I had. If I hadnât realized, if I hadnât known what I wanted, what I really desired, or something like that,
âNoonim.â
I was stunned momentarily.
âEh.â
I looked back. Even in the dark, like a lie, the opponentâs appearance filled the view clearly.