Chapter 22: Chapter 22

✿

Rumble~

The carriage pulled by two horses vigorously marched towards the destination.

Originally, high-ranking nobles usually ride a four-way carriage.

But a day like today was an exception. I looked out the window at the Imperial Palace, getting closer and closer.

The only Imperial castle on the continent was different in its splendor at a glance.

“Erita.”

“Yes?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Don’t mind the others. Okay?”

As I nodded at those words, my father held out a ring with a small jewel in front of me.

The ring I received unexpectedly fit perfectly into my small hand.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a calling ring. It’s supposed to give you a signal when something happens and you rub the jewel.”

“Ah…”

Woah! I can’t believe this small ring has that function. As expected of the fantasy world.

If I keep learning magic, will I be able to make something like this?

But wasn’t the Imperial Palace the safest place in the Empire? Why do we need something like this to go to a place like that?

“Father, wasn’t the Imperial Palace safe?”

My father paused for a moment, then answered in a friendly voice.

“Anyway, just in case. I was going to give it to you.”

If you say so, I have nothing to refute.

“…Thank you.”

The feeling of the ring wrapped around my finger was quite awkward, so I stared down at it.

Then I should be careful not to accidentally rub it by mistake.

✿

The carriage that passed through the entrance of the Imperial Palace stopped shortly thereafter.

“Let’s get off.”

“Okay. Please be careful.”

As I stood on the ground under Aaron’s escort, I saw a white building with a round roof.

The sun was carved on the outer wall of the building, so this must be the temple where the funeral will be held.

The eyes of the nobles who had arrived before us were focused.

“Aaron, please go in with Erita first.

I’ll follow soon.”

My father stroked my cheek once and walked to another place.

After looking at his back for a while, I quickly entered the temple with Aaron.

As the state religion of the empire, the temple of the sun was also elegant and splendid inside.

Maybe it’s because it’s a temple that enshrines the God of the sun, so they don’t tolerate a grain of dust.

But they’ve been paying attention to us since earlier…

“….Brother.”

“Yes, Erita.”

“Was there something on my face? Or my clothes look weird…?”

I looked down at the dark blue dress. No, my clothes are not the problem at all.

The gaze that had been glancing our way since the first time I got off the carriage continued until now when I entered the temple and sat down.

They’re not looking at me openly, but I’m simply pretending not to notice their gazes. I couldn’t be so stark.

At that burdensome interest, I slid a little closer to Aaron’s side.

“Why?”

“It seems like people keep looking at us.”

The emotions in their eyes were mainly surprise, curiosity, and fear.

‘Somehow it’s like seeing a zoo animal.’

Having only heard about it lately, they were very interested in our family’s affairs, as we visited the capital after eight years.

Along with that, my existence, which was full of rumors.

At that time, all of the uncomfortable glances disappeared in an instant.

It was at the same time when my father returned from a brief absence.

“You don’t look happy because of what happened.”

“Umm… It’s okay now.”

Everything was solved when my father came. I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.

Maybe something would happen if I told my father.

How many more minutes did you wait?

“Your Majesty the Empress and the First Prince are here!”

Finally, the original characters began to appear in earnest.

Originally, they would have to kneel when facing the royal family, but the nobles bowed their heads politely.

As I learned from Fern, I bowed my head properly.

‘These people…’

The Empress wears a black dress with an emaciated face and the first prince with an arrogant atmosphere.

It must be because of the way it was described in the novel that makes their face feel familiar even when I see them for the first time.

‘Their acting is really good.’

The image of the Empress staggering in the middle was that of a person who mourned for the Queen’s death and cried out for three days and three nights.

A face so emaciated that even those who know that the Empress and the Queen did not get along well could pity the Empress.

When I saw this aspect of politics, I felt uncomfortable.

It was just a creepy appearance for me, thinking of the Empress behind the Queen’s death.

It was the moment when the Empress, who sat on the podium on the stairs and in the seats prepared for the Imperial family, opened her pale lips.

“Your Highness, the second prince!”

Once again, the heavy temple door opened, and a shiny silver-haired boy entered.

That was the first memory I saw of Callion.

The second prince, Callion Ruin Elber, the prince who didn’t inherit the blonde hair, the symbol of the Imperial family.

However, his silver hair was shining brighter than blonde hair.

The male protagonist of the original that I liked and the child who lost his mother due to the twisted original.

And he’s the one who will kill my family in the future.

‘…Now he’s still a kid.’

He was an 11-year-old child who had yet to lose all his baby fat.

Callion walked among the nobles with their heads bowed in neat steps.

Not a single emotion could be found on the face of the eleven-year-old child.

So it felt even worse…

The step paused for a moment in front of the Queen’s coffin surrounded by white flowers.

Then I saw, contrary to his dull expression, he clenched his fists so hard that it turned white.

This was because the higher the title, the closer it was to the crown of the Queen because of the seat placed in front of it.

Callion, who was glancing at the Queen, who was not much different from her lifetime, soon reached the ready position. Where the Empress and the first Prince were seated.

“Your Majesty.”

Callion bowed slightly toward the Empress.

“…Prince, your face looks badly damaged. Are you okay?”

The Empress worried with Callion’s greeting without any emotion and a voice full of regret.

Does Callion know?

That the death of the Queen wasn’t a natural cause?

We don’t know the cause of her death. But it will never be natural.

The Emperor then entered, but immersed in other thoughts, I mechanically nodded and sat down.

“…Let’s get started.”

The Emperor’s voice announced the start of the funeral.

It was after the funeral began that I came to my senses.

The funeral, which was directly supervised by the High Priest, was quiet and solemn.

The High Priest, who placed his hand on the Queen’s coffin, muttered something incomprehensible. Words that are not of human language.

A soft light that started from the high priest’s hand wrapped around the coffin.

A prayer of rest to pray for the well-being of the dead and to bless their souls so that they can safely go to the side of God.

Callion was staring at him silently.

Wouldn’t the speed be as bad as the outward expression?

‘…It can’t be.’

The only one in the Imperial Palace that lost the Queen over there was okay.

In the future, the Queen will no longer be with Callion on the road to growth.

I slowly raised my gaze and glanced at the Emperor. The blonde, the symbol of the royal family, and the middle-aged man on the wall.

He was looking down at the coffin of the Queen with an unknown expression.

Various thoughts ran through my head, and the funeral was left with only the last order left.

The last greeting of those who were close to the deceased during their lifetime.

The Queen, who closed her eyes with a calm expression as if she were asleep, looked the same as when she was alive.

Skinny, but still beautiful.

“…You know.”

The Emperor still called the Queen’s name with an indifferent expression.

The voice seemed indifferent or somehow desperate.

Suddenly, such a question came to my mind.

‘Did the Emperor love the Queen?’

It’s a sloppy original work. What were the feelings of the supporting characters except for the main characters in it?

Those who live and breathe with me now were no longer just characters in letters.

It was a person who lived with their own feelings.

A short period of less than a minute. The Emperor, who had only looked down at the Queen without a word, turned around.

After that, it was the Empress who approached the Queen.

The Queen wearing a white dress with silver hair with low saturation contrasted with the Empress wearing a black dress with red hair.

Like the Emperor, the Empress just looked at the Queen.

The Empress, who said nothing, soon turned around.

‘…Callion.’

Callion paused for a while as he passed by the Empress, but it was only a minute to think it was strange.

Callion’s expression when he arrived in front of the coffin was not as indifferent as before.

I could see the sadness that he couldn’t hide from his hard clenched fist and weakly trembling eyelids.

He couldn’t express his sadness to his heart’s content. Just looking at it broke my heart.

Only then did I fully understand the meaning of the Queen’s death.

It was only possible to express that the original work had changed when they were still considered characters in the book.

It was never meant to be expressed simply like that. Because there are people who mourn her death.

Callion slowly tried to bring his fingertips over the finely stacked hands of the Queen, but soon took them off with a little distance.

It looked as if he didn’t have the courage to touch the hand that had lost its warmth.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt my heart pounding as I thought about it.

If I were really the reason the original work was twisted.

I bit my lips at just the thought.

‘…What if Callion lost the only person on his side because of me?’

Even if it wasn’t intentional, it was half certain that the butterfly effect started at my existence.

At the same time, guilt and responsibility came rushing in.

There’s nothing I could do for Callion right now.

Even if I unravel that the Queen’s death wasn’t normal…

Well I can’t even be his strength. Right now.

“I’m going to help.”

But it will be possible to help him in the future.

With that determination, I clenched my fists so hard that my fingertips turned white.

“Erita, are you okay?”

Aslan murmured asking as if he felt I was thinking differently. I tried to smile faintly and nodded.

“…It’s okay.”

“Just be patient and it’ll be over soon.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

After answering that, I looked ahead, brushing away the thoughts that kept flooding into my head.

When I saw Callion walking behind his dead mother, I teared up with an unknown feeling.

‘…I’m sorry, Callion.’

Anyway, he’s just a victim.

Fortunately for me, it wasn’t long before everything was done.

Before leaving the temple door, I turned my head and looked at the front of the pure white space.

At the same time as the funeral was held, there was a Queen’s coffin covered with a lid.

The image of Callion crying in front of the coffin was just an illusion created by my thoughts.

“…I’ll help you.”

I mumbled something at the last figure that caught my eyes.