DYBAR - Chapter 54 < Stolen Momento, Lowell's Treasure >

DYBAR - Chapter 54 < Stolen Momento, Lowell's Treasure >

Do Your Best And Regret It

I smiled, rubbing the edges of the document for no reason. I always received only from Edwin. First dance, first vows, the Place I can return to. And even people I can trust and love. In terms of dresses and jewelry, I received too much to count. 

The longer I stayed in the Grand Siege, the more I wanted to give Edwin a gift. I felt like it would be a good time to give Edwin a surprise gift at a time when I couldn't even see Edwin's face because I was busy meeting people for the maintenance of Jeniv Street. 

With the help of a vassal in charge of finances, I registered my White Crystal Mine as common property, and the moment preparations for the maintenance of Jeniv Street were completed, I wanted to tell him a surprise. 

I felt like I could talk about it after that much time had passed. I like Edwin a lot... 

The corners of my mouth gently turned up as I thought of something I was still embarrassed to say out loud. It was then. 

Suddenly, I felt a slight heat rising around my neck. I absentmindedly played with the gemstone on my necklace with my hand. The magic stone that always keeps my body warm suddenly starts to heat up like this. When I looked at the magic stone in a strange mood, the magic stone, like a transparent white crystal, sparkled green at first glance. In the same situation as last time, I tilted my head and was about to ask Bethany about the magic stone.

"Bethany!"

I was shocked and called Bethany. Bethany's face, which had been laughing playfully with me just a moment ago, had gone blank. Her light blue eyes, which always looked at me warmly, dilated their pupils as if they had seen something shocking. 

Surprised to see Bethany so quiet as if she had stopped breathing, I rushed to Bethany's side.

"Bethany! What's wrong? Take a breath!"

Holding Bethany's shaking hand, I patted Bethany's back. Bethany's always calm and friendly appearance came as a shock to me.

"Is there anyone outside?"

I shouted to the outside in urgency. I hoped someone would come quickly and call a doctor. But unless I pulled the strings I used when calling my maid, there was no way the sound would escape outside the well-insulated door. 

What if Bethany collapses like this? 

Bethany was already a precious person to me who could not be replaced by anyone. My heart sank. I said i was trying to pretend she was okay.

"Sleep, wait a minute. Bethany. I'll call the doctor. Just wait a moment. I'll be back real quick." 

I was so flustered that I couldn't even clearly understand the meaning of what I was saying. Although my legs were weak, I hurried to make my way outside. 

"Miss."

At that time, Bethany called out to me with heavy breathing. I was about to hug Bethany with a rush of relief.

"You have to tell him right now. Master, really... Really...."

"..."

"Really, he's been waiting. For this day."

As soon as the words, which had been so difficult to break, ended, tears welled up in Bethany's eyes. The Master. She was obviously referring to Edwin. 

It was difficult to understand Bethany's strange reaction after looking at the White Crystal Mine document. What on earth does this White Crystal mine say to Edwin? 

But, I wasn't stupid enough to waste any more time looking at the heavy emotions contained in Bethany's silently crying tears. I hastily pulled on my leash. I soon heard a knock on the door from outside. 

The maid came in just before my permission was given, bowed politely, and raised her head. I gave a short and concise command to the maid, who looked momentarily taken aback when she spotted Bethany.

"Tell Edwin to come to my room. Right Now."

*** 

Late at night, after receiving a call, Edwin headed to Olivia's room. The servants who had been bowing their heads to His Highness the Grand Duke walking from afar retreated to both walls as if they were accustomed to living under heavy pressure. 

Howard, who was following behind, kept calling out to Edwin, but even that didn't reach Edwin's ears. The deep red eyes shone brightly.

"The Lady is urgently looking for His Highness the Grand Duke."

The moment Edwin heard the words of the maid who knocked on his office door a little while ago, he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

"This late at night? My Lady said she was looking for me?"

"Be careful, Your Highness. What should I do if the corners of your mouth split from smiling like that?"

He couldn't even hear Howard's expressionless joke. Edwin wonders if his secret disappointment in not being able to see Olivia's face these days because of Jeniv Street worked. Or did Olivia really have the intention to surprise him? 

It didn't matter anything. Just seeing her face at this late hour made his heart beat happily. It was then,

"By the way, it looks like Bethany was crying."

At the words of the maid who was fidgeting because she felt like she had to tell him, the feeling that had been high suddenly fell to the floor.

"No, Bethany, why...?"

Howard's question became distant. The maid answered, but it could not reach Edwin's ear. 

The last time Edwin saw Bethany cry was when he was ten years old, the night before his mother was taken to the imperial palace with the notice that his father had died. The sight of Bethany biting her lip and crying without making a sound for him awakened the helpless 10-year-old boy.

"Your Highness, you should only shed tears of joy. I will help you do that."

Since the day his mother was taken to the Imperial palace, Bethany has treated him as a Grand Duke, even though he could not even hold a proper succession ceremony. 

Bethany, his mother's maid, filled in for her governess in her absence. Bethany, the mage of the North, who could have gone to a better place with that honor alone, served him and Vikander with more sincerity than anyone else. And Bethany kept her word. 

Bethany hasn't cried since that night. Even if this Vikander's honor falls to the ground, even if the perception of green eyes becomes irreversibly worse, even if his mother's death flies by on notice. 

Eventually, when Edwin approached Olivia's room, the door was slightly open. Unlike a little while ago, when his vision was bright white, Edwin was gradually regaining his composure. He had to behave as usual. He was just thinking about knocking on the door and going in. Olivia's voice was heard through the slightly open door.

"Why are you like this, Bethany!"

Edwin, who was so embarrassed and didn't know what to do, pushed the door open without even thinking about it. And at that moment, Edwin could not believe his eyes. 

Bethany, who had never knelt before anyone but his own mother, not even to him, knelt before Olivia and bowed with her forehead to the floor, was doing it.

"Edwin, help me. Bethany, wake up, please."

Olivia, who was in front of her, didn't know what to do and was struggling to grab Bethany's arm and lift her up.

I felt familiar, so I turned around and saw Edwin standing there. I urgently asked for help. No matter how much Bethany groaned and tried to get up, she didn't even show any signs of getting up. 

Bethany, who was shedding tears to the point of exhaustion, suddenly got the strength from somewhere knelt down towards me, and placed her forehead on the floor. I, who was staring blankly at the sight of her for the first time in my life, tried to stop Bethany, but it was no use.

"Thank you so, so much."

The faint sound of crying words was the only way to let us know that Bethany had not fainted.

"Olivia, what is this?" 

"I don't know either. When Bethany saw this, she suddenly cried and said I had to tell Edwin right away... First, help Bethany up."

I was so out of my wits that I didn't even know what I was saying. Edwin, who had been in a daze, must have finally come to his senses and came over with a stride and lifted Bethany up. 

Bethany, who wouldn't budge no matter how hard she tried, was lifted at once.

"Let me borrow a bed."

"As much as you want.

I hurriedly pulled up the bed covers. Bethany, who had been hanging around helplessly, struggled again.

"No, Master. How could I get into your bed..."

Edwin paused at the word Master. Since Bethany started treating him like a Prince, she has never once called him Master. But Olivia, who was very surprised by this situation, said with a firm expression on her face.

"Lie back, Bethany. Otherwise, I'll be so sad that I won't see Bethany tomorrow."

Only then did Bethany stop talking. Edwin carefully laid Bethany on the bed. Bethany shed tears constantly. Still, I sighed as I looked at her who seemed to have calmed down a little.

"What's going on, Olivia?"

Oops. 

Edwin was probably more embarrassed than me. I hurriedly looked around my room to find my documents. I think I put it somewhere the moment I saw Bethany's face turn white. Fortunately, I didn't have to look around. I said cautiously as I held out the document which was properly placed on the desk.

"Bethenny said I should show this to Edwin now."

Edwin, who had been looking at Bethany, turned his head and looked at the document I held out. And the moment he read the top of the document, Edwin's mind went completely white.

Even after restoring the honor of his fallen family, he imagined it hundreds of times. 

What would it be like to visit the White Crystal Mine that is tied to the Emperor? 

Will he be as happy as he is now that he has rebuilt his family, or will he be happier? 

Whenever Edwin felt an unfulfilled sense of emptiness while traveling around the battlefield, he always thought of the White Crystal Mine.

"Even if it is now taken away by the Emperor. Edwin Lowell Vikander, remember. You must come to visit. This is yours. It's Vikander's and it's Lowell's!"

The night before she was taken to the imperial palace, while everyone was crying, his mother spoke to him with dignity. This was when news came that his father, the commander-in-chief of the war, had been killed. 

Instead of consoling them, the Emperor held them accountable for the defeat. Everyone unanimously refuted that it was a losing battle anyway, but it was no use. The Emperor requested the Vikander Territory's richest gem mine and the Lowell Kingdom's treasured sword Airaruten and White Crystal Mine. 

Everyone knew that what was inside was an insidious desire to devour the Grand Duchess and the entire Grand Duchy of Vikander. And everyone thought that the Emperor's will would be done. 

His mother, who was a Grand Duchess, was more beautiful than anyone else, but she was also weak. The Emperor guessed that, like Lowell, the fallen country, Vikander would also stand in the shadow of history. 

However, his mother, who was a Grand Duchess, did not shed a single tear. Upon hearing the news of his father's death, his mother became stronger than anyone else. 

The last Princess of Lowell. She was a mother who was strong enough to take on the responsibility that came with that honor.

After negotiations with the Emperor, his mother, who protected the people of the Vikander territory, chose to be taken to the imperial palace herself. 

Every time he recalled the words spoken by her stern face that did not shed a single tear, Edwin always remembered the meaning of his name. 

Edwin Lowell Vikander. A name that simultaneously embraces a collapsed grand duchy and a lost kingdom. The family head of Vikander and the last lineage of the Kingdom of Lowell, which has disappeared into history. 

Edwin looked at himself as if he was somehow empty and always thought it was because 'Lowell' was not there. Like the treasured sword Airaruten, the White Crystal Mine was a treasure of Lowell. 

Edwin thought that if the mine, which was his mother's last relic, became his own, he could fill this unfulfilled void. But the reality was that his hands were shaking so foolishly.

"How can this..."

Edwin could not bear to speak. And he squeezed the corners of his eyes. His vision blurred beyond his elegant, long fingers. The sound of Olivia's voice, clearly heard through the sound as if he had been submerged in water, pulled Edwin back to reality.

"This is my dowry received from Her Highness the Princess. I received it the day we went to the imperial palace together."

This is what Olivia brought with her after meeting the Princess. At the Pink Diamond Mine, his self-indulgent expectations came true. 

Edwin felt the floor beneath his feet. The texture of the document held in his hand was vivid. Edwin gritted his teeth at the vividness of reality rushing towards him. Olivia asked cautiously.

"Is this important to Edwin?"

"Olivia doesn't know what she's done right now, right?"

"... Yes."

"Olivia did what I couldn't do even after dozens of years of fighting on the battlefield."

"What is that...?"

"My mother's belongings, Lowell's treasures that were stolen. You found it for me."

A keepsake and a treasure. I had no idea this was such an enormous thing. I blinked my eyes, not knowing how to react. 

Meanwhile, Edwin walked towards me, holding the document tightly. And he buried his face in my small shoulder.

"Thank you so, so much. Olivia."

The sound of Edwin's heart beating was clear as he got closer. I, who froze for a moment, slowly raised my hand and patted Edwin's back. His warm breath touched the nape of my neck under my gentle touch, but I didn't say anything. 

His tears falling on my shoulders were hot. 

*** 

On a night when the moon was high, a carriage escaped from the strong siege. 

The destination was White Crystal Mine.

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