Bureti.
Itâs a small kingdom in the North, and was often called the âThe Northern Witchâs Kingdom.â Their symbol is an opal with antlers, their guardian spirit was a black panther, and it used to be the most powerful kingdom before the rise of S-Hertogenbosch. Their kingdomâs throne was passed down through matriarchal lineage. Even now, princesses were prioritized over princes there. They were also the descendants of witches. As such, their eye color would change if they touched someone with stigmata, almost like a sign of repulsion.
I always thought books contained all the worldâs knowledge, but now that I was looking through them, I realized that there wasnât much written here.
When I went to the library, every maid in the palace became so curious why I was suddenly browsing the library. It did feel a bit odd to learn about my motherâs home country all of a sudden.
As I always said, I didnât have an ardent feeling of love for my mother. I didnât, but what should I say?
Itâs a bit subtle. I often thought that itâs okay since I had Serira. But still. There seemed to be something that couldnât be entirely satisfied lurking within me, even with Serira, and it had been bothering me.
I did often wonder why she gave birth to meâ¦
I wondered what this âcurseâ was that dad and I apparently possessed.
Everything related to my mother was a mystery. I sometimes thought that if my mother hadnât passed away while giving birth to me, I wondered what sort of life she would have now. Would we have died together? I doubted Caitel would have let us live.
I imagined what I didnât have. Well, such thoughts were pointless now.
âThe difference between the three countriesâ¦â
It was a little uncomfortable to face Serira for no reason.
So I just smiled at her.
Thatâs right. My motherâs right in front of me, why was I getting so distracted? I guessed this was why they said one shouldnât let others get too close too quickly. I had to try not to become that way.
âThe food in the north is mild, and the food in the south is salty.â
Northern cuisine had a mild taste, and southern meals were salty. I wrote those things in small letters on the notepad and looked up at Serira again. Anything else, Mom?
âArenât you going to ask Elyne?â
âNo, thanks. Sheâs probably busy preparing for her wedding.â
She even took time off for it. Elyne would be back tomorrow after her three-day vacationâ¦but I was not exactly thrilled about already missing her like this. Haa⦠did she really have to get married? She couldnât call it off now, thoughâ¦
Serira looked down at me with a smile. Her gaze made me feel awkward, and I coughed for no apparent reason.
âYou should definitely ask Your Majesty. Iâm sure he knows much better than I do.â
Asisi taught me that the northerners tend to value efficiency, so they move less but with more power. They were noticeably more calculating with every move they made. On the other hand, southerners tend to fight with wider, bigger swings that almost hypnotize their opponents.
Should I really ask dad?
Serira said that he did not know more. Well, I guessed I had to go see my dad.