DYBAR - Chapter114 < Priest Noble Wearing White Clothes >
Do Your Best And Regret
The sun was setting beyond the half-open window of the carriage.
As the carriage departed, I leaned against it, clutching Edwin's letter tightly.
The letter from the 'unknown knight' was at the bottom of my luggage. It is not too late to check whether the handwriting used in Edwin's letter and the letter from the 'unknown knight' is really the same upon arrival in Vikander Territory.
My heart beat faster due to the strange tension. But I consoled myself and looked at Bethany.
"Where should I start...? Oh, you said you were going to tell me about your pretty green eyes first, right?"
Now it was time to listen to Lowell's story.
A lump in her throat appeared as she looked into my aloof green eyes as if I was ready. Bethany cleared her throat and laughed cheerfully.
"Have you heard that green eyes are characteristic of Lowell's royalty and high-ranking nobles?"
"Yes. To Edwin..... Would I really be of royal or high-ranking noble blood?"
"To be precise, you are probably born with the blood of a high-ranking noble priest."
"A priest?"
I chewed the words in my mouth for a long time, as if it were my first time hearing them. Looking at that, Bethany recalled a long time ago, when Lowell began to fall apart.
"Yes. It is a word used to refer to the nobles who served the royal family and led Lowell, which began to disintegrate about 100 years ago until it completely disappeared into the back of history 50 years ago."
"..."
"Half of the priest nobles were dressed extravagantly, and the other half always wore white clothes and covered their faces with veils."
Bethany shook her hand lightly. The light shining along her fingertips showed a scene like a play.
"Like this."
Is this the Lowell that Bethany saw?
The green-eyed King, solemnly and simply crowned, stood with those in white robes and veils covering their face. A couple of other nobles were also standing there as if protecting the white-robed nobles.
"I was too young to remember much, but the King of Lowell held ceremonies periodically. I think I heard it was a rehearsal for something."
Perhaps it was Bethany's absence of memory, but they just stood still, to the point where it would be a shame to call it a ritual.
Then, when Bethany waved her hand again, the ceremony became increasingly extravagant.
"But this solemn ritual gradually changed. As the number of nobles addicted to pleasure gradually increased, the proportion of priestly nobles began to change significantly."
Before we knew it, those who had been protecting the white-robed nobles had changed their appearance into extravagant attire.
While the number of nobles wearing white clothes gradually decreased, the number of nobles wearing colorful clothes gradually increased.
Were they my roots?
I, who had been unconsciously concentrating on Bethany's magic, blinked my eyes.
"Bethany. The nobles in those fancy clothes have light green eyes?"
"Yes. Most people in Lowell had light green or light blue eyes."
Bethany answered as if it were obvious, but it wasn't until she saw my surprised face that she realized what was missing from her illusion.
As the index finger slowly drew a circle, a very small child jumped out among the tall nobles watching the ceremony.
"I was a very young kid at the time, so I had to look up at everyone."
In the magic picture, a child with light blue eyes looked up at the adults. The moment when a cool breeze blew through the magic.
"Every time the veil of the nobles dressed in white swayed, I saw vivid green eyes in the hidden faces."
Under the shaking veil, green eyes were clear. Bethany lightly waved her hand, ending her spell.
And she declared, squinting one of her eyes at me.
"I dare to assure you that your roots are in this white-robed priest aristocracy."
"I don't know what the difference is between the priests in fancy clothes and the priests in white clothes, or what rituals the royal family and priestly nobles performed."
Bethany sighed in regret.
"I was very young. If I had known that, I would have known what was hidden in the White Crystal Mine. It would be nice if I could use my magic to defy the past."
But when she looked regretfully, I saw that she was just a wizard losing her power.
However, compared to the wizards of Lowell who may have already lost their powers due to the long time they kept the magic stone necklace, she is still able to use magic.
"Oh, we should also talk about that magic stone necklace. In fact, the Princess, or rather, the previous Grand Duchess, when she gave me the necklace, the first thing she asked me to do was, 'Be sure to pass it on to the person with green eyes."
As if imitating the previous Grand Duchess, Bethany lowered her voice. She couldn't believe that she could tell someone the story of Lowell that she had always told only to the silent Princess in the portrait.
"But you retracted what she said right before you left for the system, right? 'Please tell me, when the person you truly love comes."
Her face was excited, as if recalling a distant memory.
"So, do you know how surprised I was when you first came to the castle? I had heard of green eyes, but I never dreamed they would be so vivid. Thanks to you, I was able to maintain Her Highness the previous Grand Duchess so well."
Bethany, who was talking excitedly, suddenly stopped speaking. Then she blinked and shrugged her shoulders with a puzzled look on her face
"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I talking too loudly? It's been so long since I talked about this."
I, who had been quietly listening to her story and fiddling with my necklace, hurriedly waved my hand away.
"No, just... I thought Bethany really loved Lowell."
"Sure. It's gone now, but it was my country."
Longing floated over her softly smiling face. She looked like she knew she could never go back.
I looked out the window for a moment.
Through the open window, I could see Dean riding close by as an escort, and below that, I could see my own reflection in the darkness.
"Why, since when have green-colored eyes been stigmatized as lowly dancers?"
"The rumor that they were lowly started around the time of the fall of Lowell, but I remember that they were branded a dancer right after the Grand Duchess visited the Vikander territory when the current Emperor was the Crown Prince."
When the current Emperor was the Crown Prince... As a guess, it was 25 years ago.
My voice trembled a little.
"Was Her Royal Highness the former Grand Duchess in Vikander Territory at that time?"
"Yes. The Vikander Territory was where the Lowell people finally settled down after moving around various territories. I have lived in Vikander for 27 years."
I blinked my eyes.
In terms of that, it is plausible to assume that the Emperor branded people with green eyes as dancers after seeing the previous Grand Duchess.
I muttered in confusion for a moment at my unexpected harvest.
"Edwin didn't know when the rumor about her being a dancer began to spread."
"I didn't tell His Majesty the Grand Duke this."
"Why?"
I asked right back and was startled. Bethany rolled up the window all the way without saying a word. Bethany's face filled with hatred appeared above the window reflecting in the darkness.
"...I could never tell him, the Master. If I tell him that the Emperor spread rumors after meeting the Princess..."
"..."
"It is obvious that the Prince, who was your fiancee at the time, would quickly guess what kind of proposal he made to the Princess and was rejected."
***
Late at night. A room at an inn.
"Then, sleep well."
As soon as Bethany, who had taken me to bed, left, I pulled myself up.
I lit a candle. I could feel the presence of an escort knight outside the door.
In this safe room, I sat at the desk with the lights on. All I had was a pen and paper, which wasn't very good quality, but it was enough to organize my newly acquired information.
Lowell, which was falling apart 100 years ago, completely disappeared into history 50 years ago.
In addition to the royal family, the white-robed priests and nobles who accompanied the ceremony had green eyes.
It is said that they were branded a dancer after the current Emperor visited Vikander territory when he was the Crown Prince.
As I looked at the information written in elegant handwriting, I wrote one more line underneath it.
I was even kept by the previous Grand Duchess who tried to give me a magic stone necklace for my green eyes.
Then, there is one thing that is not resolved here.
Why, after all, a dancer? What was the Emperor wary of?
My heart was pounding. After engraving all those words in my head, I burned the paper in the flame of a lantern.
The flames consumed the paper and spit out pitch-black ash. After all the ashes were gone, I blew out the candle and went back to bed.
A room filled with darkness.
Each time I blinked my bright green eyes became increasingly cold. It was a sleepless night.
Meanwhile, outside the inn.
A small light flickered between the curtains, Bethany and Dean, who saw the light, said something to each other.
"I knew she would do that. For some reason, she pretended to be asleep to get me out like that."
"Me too. So why do you say that to me right before you go to bed?"
"I guess you heard me well too."
Dean looked at Bethany. They all heard voices murmuring through the carriage window.
Dean's eyes shook after hearing what she overheard.
Bethany shrugged her shoulders and took off in her stride,
"....How was it? I'm about to regret opening the window for no reason."
Only then did Dean read Bethany's complicated expression.
It was intentional.
Dean walked behind Bethany. When silence subsided between the two, Dean carefully spoke.
Honestly, Dean doesn't know about Lowell and all.
"Is it because you knew from the time you came to Vikander that the previous Grand Duchess was the Princess of Lowell?"
He had never thought of finding his roots.
Ever since Dean came to the Vikander territory after being noticed by His Highness the Grand Duke, he has always been a Vikander person.
"I think the hostility towards the Emperor that I originally had will only grow more."
"..."
"I don't know anything else, but why on earth..."
"I wonder if that was the case."
Even though he couldn't hear the words he couldn't say, they were clear.
Bethany shrugged her shoulders and patted Dean's back.
***
A noble meeting where all the nobles are present.
"Therefore, we decided to conclude this post-war agreement with Heferti by signing a peace agreement without separate compensation."
As soon as Conrad finished talking about the first item in an emotionless voice, protests erupted from all over the table.
"This is ridiculous! I lost my son in the war with Heferti."
"I also sent my daughter. Do you think my daughter is back safely? Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, you are helping the recovery of Heferti, a war criminal. No, that's not true."
It was a disgusting sound. Jade knew better than anyone else that the beloved children whom the nobles now spoke of were illegitimate children who were worthy of being abandoned
".... Still, if this war is won, you can go home, right?"
A hopeful voice came to mind, and Jade lowered his head, unable to hide his expression.
Meanwhile, the nobles' eyes were bloodshot.
Although only the negotiation team participated in the negotiations, the compensation was clearly their responsibility.
The nobles raised their voices towards the Emperor.
But even from the Emperor who kept his mouth shut, they said.
"Uh-huh. What rude words to your Majesty the Emperor!"
There was nothing to be gained from the threatening Duke of Elkin or the silent Duke of Madeleine.
In the end, the gaze of the nobles was directed to the Grand Duke, the protagonist of the war. A high-ranking noble who should clearly be more interested in compensation than anyone else.
"Your Highness the Grand Duke, please speak. We have sent our children to help the Grand Duke for the glory and honor of the Empire!"
Among the Emperor's faction, Count Comode spoke between sobs.
As the head of a close-knit family of two sons and two daughters, he found an illegitimate son who had been begging while doing odd jobs at a ferry port, registered him as collateral, and sent him to the battlefield.
"When our son came back dead, our sorrow was beyond words."
As the Count was talking, he felt really sad. The problem was that this resentment was not due to his dead son, but to the compensation payment that was moving away from his eyes.
"Your Majesty, please say anything..."
"Count Comode."
A languid voice called the Count. That's right. The Count quickly answered and lowered his body towards the Grand Duke.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"What was the Count doing when your son was found dead?"
"... Yes?"
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