“Yes, I will. Of course, I will!”
“Since there are male servants in the market, there’s nothing special. You’ll just be his regular conversation partner like before. For now, he needs to finish his treatment and come to the main building, but I don’t know when that will be... Now that the Duke has passed away, he needs to recover quickly and start the succession process within the year.”
Laura sighed again, feeling sorry for Young Master who was suffering from illness. Angie's face also became heavy after a moment of joy. She was worried that his condition would get worse due to the shock of his father, his only blood relative, passing away.
“His Highness... Is he okay? He will definitely get better and be able to hold a proper succession ceremony, right?”
The mother answered, picking up her daughter's funeral attire and the brush.
“That’s right. The young master is now the only descendant of the Blackwell family. If something goes wrong...then what will we do? What will we do with this island?”
“...”
“If things don’t get better, then maybe Mrs. Dunst and Jerome will have to force you to leave the island.”
“Yes? But... we can’t go out. The island is surrounded by sharks, and even if we make it to the mainland of Trieste, there are still remnants of poison gas left behind from the war. So we might die as soon as we get there. Even if we hold out, it’s obvious that our illness will get worse.”
“You’re right, Angie. But.”
Laura suddenly became wary and quietly closed the door. Then as if someone was eavesdropping, she lowered her voice and put her index finger to her lips.
“You can’t tell anyone. Only Mom, Dad, and you should know. Promise me.”
Angie nodded, her eyes wide and frightened.
“I don’t know the details, but I heard that two or three times a year, the fog clears and the sharks move to a different place. On those nights, the moon deviates from its normal orbit and turns red, and I heard that it’s possible to sail a ship then.”
“Really? That can’t be...!”
Angie once read in an old book in the town library that life on earth is influenced by the movement of the moon, and that some animals are strongly influenced by their biological cycles and activities.
“Duke Edward knew this too, and he set sail for the mainland once, eight years ago, in search of a cure. He set out secretly with Jerome, several attendants, and experienced sailors... but he lost his attendants in a storm and returned after a week. It seems he tried several times after that, but failed.”
“Oh my...!”
“That’s why he kept his mouth shut to everyone. If he was not careful, anyone could try it, and without knowing the exact lunar cycle, an accident like Elliot’s could happen.”
Elliot's miserable appearance made her brow furrow slightly. Angie nodded as if she understood. So the Duke came back without any results. That's why he had no choice but to go back.
“Your father was also good at sailing, so he was originally supposed to join the group. But he fell off a ladder the day before and hurt his leg, so he didn’t go. You were too young to remember.”
“Yeah... I don’t remember at all.”
Although Angie didn't say it out loud, she could feel a sigh of relief. Her mother seemed to be thinking the same thing, muttering softly.
“God took care of it. I feel bad for the dead, but if Dad hadn’t hurt his leg, he would have been swept away by the waves.”
“So, when does that lunar cycle occur again?”
“I don’t know. Isn’t there a method that only the long-time servants of the Duke’s residence know? Don’t get any strange ideas, Angie. And don’t tell anyone what you just talked about with your mother. Got it?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“His Highness will definitely get better. You won’t have to go out into the dangerous world.”
Angie nodded. Laura left the room after telling her to get ready for breakfast. Her mind started to spin when she was alone for a while.
Edward's death still didn't feel real. It would become real the moment she left the house when neighbors would greet her and share the sad news.
Would you be able to come to the funeral, even for a moment?
Angie just hoped that he would recover enough to be able to do that. Most of the villagers had not yet seen his mature face. He would have to show his face to everyone when the Duke's succession ceremony is held this year.
Ah. By any chance...!
Suddenly, Martin Silva came to mind. Angie thought back to the incident her mother had just told her about eight years ago, and also to the fact that the lunar cycle changes twice a year and the route is cleared.
“Could it be... that Martin Silva was one of those caught up in the storm?”
It seemed quite possible. He had clearly escaped from the island eight years ago. If he had crash-landed somewhere at that time and survived until now, it would have been a perfectly plausible story. But the rest still didn't make sense.
He has to get off this island... Why? Wasn’t it because of that accident that he had no choice but to settle down in a foreign land?
The mystery was still unsolved. But one thing was certain. If Martin Silva really existed, then that meant there was a safe world somewhere outside the island.
April is the cruelest month.
Growing lilacs from dead land.
Mixing memories and desires.
Immature roots are awakened by spring rain.
Winter held us warmly.
Cover the earth with snow that will be forgotten.
The dried bulbs gave me some life.
―TS Elliot, "Wasteland", The Burial of the Dead
On the day of the funeral of Duke Edward Liam Blackwell, a drizzle fell from the morning. The fog was thick, making the day even more gloomy and desolate. Most of the islanders left their work that day and went to the chapel. There were so many mourners that only adults over the age of twenty were allowed to visit the funeral.
Angie looked at her father and mother with complicated eyes as they approached the embalmed coffins. Then, she looked back without thinking.
Beyond the open chapel door, a figure was visible through the raindrops. Someone was looking this way with a black umbrella. He was a man dressed neatly in a black ascot tie, jacket, trousers, and shoes.
Angie flinched. For a brief moment, she mistook the man for the master and was startled. Kai said he wouldn’t come out today. It wasn’t just because he was tall, had broad shoulders, and had a strong physique like the master. A strange feeling, similar to a sense of foreboding, came over her.
The face of the man, who seemed to be in his early twenties, was not clearly visible because of the hat that was pulled down to his eyes. Angie looked ahead at the sound of someone passing by her and then turned her head again. The man was no longer there.
The mourners, led by the minister, walked toward Blackwell Hill to bury Edward, the late Duke, in the Blackwell Cemetery on the grounds of the Duke's residence. The procession of quiet umbrellas continued in order and silence.
When they finally arrived at Hill's family graveyard, Angie, who had been following the adults, looked around again. Strangely, the man she had seen earlier was on her mind. Which seaside town had he come from?
At that moment as if it were a lie, the man came back into view. This time, he had taken off his hat. However, he was coughing slightly and was covering his mouth with a handkerchief, so only the top of his nose was visible.
Angie took a sharp breath. The rain made the sunlight barely visible, but for a moment it was blinding. Underneath the light blond hair, occasionally tinged with flax, a pair of violet-tinted eyes met Angie’s head-on.
It was the first time she saw purple eyes. The color that gave off a deep sense of alienation was more impressive than the sand-colored hair or the beautiful facial features. It seemed to be engraved in her mind. It was a different kind of beige from Kyle, but it also seemed to be a sharp contrast to him.
If Kai is black, then that guy feels like white.
The man took a handkerchief from his mouth as if his cough had stopped. His face, which was young compared to his body, looked young enough to pass for his mid-teens. Angie was surprised once more. His face, which was completely exposed, including his lips that were drawn delicately, definitely gave off a feeling similar to the master. It seemed similar, but they weren’t...
No. They definitely look alike. Could he be a distant relatives of the Duke?
No way that could happen. No matter how distant a collateral relative they were, if they were blood relatives, they would have to live in the Duke's residence.
“Angie. What are you missing so much? You need to stand up straight.”
At that moment, her friend Marisa gently tapped her shoulder and whispered in her ear. Yes, she replied and turned around again, but the man was gone again. Surely she wasn't seeing things, and the moment she doubted her eyes, the saddle began to move.
The melody of Te Deum, a song of mourning, praise, and prayer for eternal life, resonated through the room through the raindrops. Angie closed her eyes and joined in the prayer, leaving aside thoughts about the unidentified man.
God, please grant Edward rest and peace, and bless him with a holy and divine rebirth and resurrection at the end.
Kai.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her master, left alone to fight the disease. Angie tried not to cry and lifted her eyes, which were getting hotter and hotter. The raindrops, which were piercing the sky like countless needles, reflected on her hazy cornea. It seemed as if even the sky was crying.
“Since there are male servants in the market, there’s nothing special. You’ll just be his regular conversation partner like before. For now, he needs to finish his treatment and come to the main building, but I don’t know when that will be... Now that the Duke has passed away, he needs to recover quickly and start the succession process within the year.”
Laura sighed again, feeling sorry for Young Master who was suffering from illness. Angie's face also became heavy after a moment of joy. She was worried that his condition would get worse due to the shock of his father, his only blood relative, passing away.
“His Highness... Is he okay? He will definitely get better and be able to hold a proper succession ceremony, right?”
The mother answered, picking up her daughter's funeral attire and the brush.
“That’s right. The young master is now the only descendant of the Blackwell family. If something goes wrong...then what will we do? What will we do with this island?”
“...”
“If things don’t get better, then maybe Mrs. Dunst and Jerome will have to force you to leave the island.”
“Yes? But... we can’t go out. The island is surrounded by sharks, and even if we make it to the mainland of Trieste, there are still remnants of poison gas left behind from the war. So we might die as soon as we get there. Even if we hold out, it’s obvious that our illness will get worse.”
“You’re right, Angie. But.”
Laura suddenly became wary and quietly closed the door. Then as if someone was eavesdropping, she lowered her voice and put her index finger to her lips.
“You can’t tell anyone. Only Mom, Dad, and you should know. Promise me.”
Angie nodded, her eyes wide and frightened.
“I don’t know the details, but I heard that two or three times a year, the fog clears and the sharks move to a different place. On those nights, the moon deviates from its normal orbit and turns red, and I heard that it’s possible to sail a ship then.”
“Really? That can’t be...!”
Angie once read in an old book in the town library that life on earth is influenced by the movement of the moon, and that some animals are strongly influenced by their biological cycles and activities.
“Duke Edward knew this too, and he set sail for the mainland once, eight years ago, in search of a cure. He set out secretly with Jerome, several attendants, and experienced sailors... but he lost his attendants in a storm and returned after a week. It seems he tried several times after that, but failed.”
“Oh my...!”
“That’s why he kept his mouth shut to everyone. If he was not careful, anyone could try it, and without knowing the exact lunar cycle, an accident like Elliot’s could happen.”
Elliot's miserable appearance made her brow furrow slightly. Angie nodded as if she understood. So the Duke came back without any results. That's why he had no choice but to go back.
“Your father was also good at sailing, so he was originally supposed to join the group. But he fell off a ladder the day before and hurt his leg, so he didn’t go. You were too young to remember.”
“Yeah... I don’t remember at all.”
Although Angie didn't say it out loud, she could feel a sigh of relief. Her mother seemed to be thinking the same thing, muttering softly.
“God took care of it. I feel bad for the dead, but if Dad hadn’t hurt his leg, he would have been swept away by the waves.”
“So, when does that lunar cycle occur again?”
“I don’t know. Isn’t there a method that only the long-time servants of the Duke’s residence know? Don’t get any strange ideas, Angie. And don’t tell anyone what you just talked about with your mother. Got it?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“His Highness will definitely get better. You won’t have to go out into the dangerous world.”
Angie nodded. Laura left the room after telling her to get ready for breakfast. Her mind started to spin when she was alone for a while.
Edward's death still didn't feel real. It would become real the moment she left the house when neighbors would greet her and share the sad news.
Would you be able to come to the funeral, even for a moment?
Angie just hoped that he would recover enough to be able to do that. Most of the villagers had not yet seen his mature face. He would have to show his face to everyone when the Duke's succession ceremony is held this year.
Ah. By any chance...!
Suddenly, Martin Silva came to mind. Angie thought back to the incident her mother had just told her about eight years ago, and also to the fact that the lunar cycle changes twice a year and the route is cleared.
“Could it be... that Martin Silva was one of those caught up in the storm?”
It seemed quite possible. He had clearly escaped from the island eight years ago. If he had crash-landed somewhere at that time and survived until now, it would have been a perfectly plausible story. But the rest still didn't make sense.
He has to get off this island... Why? Wasn’t it because of that accident that he had no choice but to settle down in a foreign land?
The mystery was still unsolved. But one thing was certain. If Martin Silva really existed, then that meant there was a safe world somewhere outside the island.
***
April is the cruelest month.
Growing lilacs from dead land.
Mixing memories and desires.
Immature roots are awakened by spring rain.
Winter held us warmly.
Cover the earth with snow that will be forgotten.
The dried bulbs gave me some life.
―TS Elliot, "Wasteland", The Burial of the Dead
On the day of the funeral of Duke Edward Liam Blackwell, a drizzle fell from the morning. The fog was thick, making the day even more gloomy and desolate. Most of the islanders left their work that day and went to the chapel. There were so many mourners that only adults over the age of twenty were allowed to visit the funeral.
Angie looked at her father and mother with complicated eyes as they approached the embalmed coffins. Then, she looked back without thinking.
Beyond the open chapel door, a figure was visible through the raindrops. Someone was looking this way with a black umbrella. He was a man dressed neatly in a black ascot tie, jacket, trousers, and shoes.
Angie flinched. For a brief moment, she mistook the man for the master and was startled. Kai said he wouldn’t come out today. It wasn’t just because he was tall, had broad shoulders, and had a strong physique like the master. A strange feeling, similar to a sense of foreboding, came over her.
The face of the man, who seemed to be in his early twenties, was not clearly visible because of the hat that was pulled down to his eyes. Angie looked ahead at the sound of someone passing by her and then turned her head again. The man was no longer there.
The mourners, led by the minister, walked toward Blackwell Hill to bury Edward, the late Duke, in the Blackwell Cemetery on the grounds of the Duke's residence. The procession of quiet umbrellas continued in order and silence.
When they finally arrived at Hill's family graveyard, Angie, who had been following the adults, looked around again. Strangely, the man she had seen earlier was on her mind. Which seaside town had he come from?
At that moment as if it were a lie, the man came back into view. This time, he had taken off his hat. However, he was coughing slightly and was covering his mouth with a handkerchief, so only the top of his nose was visible.
Angie took a sharp breath. The rain made the sunlight barely visible, but for a moment it was blinding. Underneath the light blond hair, occasionally tinged with flax, a pair of violet-tinted eyes met Angie’s head-on.
It was the first time she saw purple eyes. The color that gave off a deep sense of alienation was more impressive than the sand-colored hair or the beautiful facial features. It seemed to be engraved in her mind. It was a different kind of beige from Kyle, but it also seemed to be a sharp contrast to him.
If Kai is black, then that guy feels like white.
The man took a handkerchief from his mouth as if his cough had stopped. His face, which was young compared to his body, looked young enough to pass for his mid-teens. Angie was surprised once more. His face, which was completely exposed, including his lips that were drawn delicately, definitely gave off a feeling similar to the master. It seemed similar, but they weren’t...
No. They definitely look alike. Could he be a distant relatives of the Duke?
No way that could happen. No matter how distant a collateral relative they were, if they were blood relatives, they would have to live in the Duke's residence.
“Angie. What are you missing so much? You need to stand up straight.”
At that moment, her friend Marisa gently tapped her shoulder and whispered in her ear. Yes, she replied and turned around again, but the man was gone again. Surely she wasn't seeing things, and the moment she doubted her eyes, the saddle began to move.
The melody of Te Deum, a song of mourning, praise, and prayer for eternal life, resonated through the room through the raindrops. Angie closed her eyes and joined in the prayer, leaving aside thoughts about the unidentified man.
God, please grant Edward rest and peace, and bless him with a holy and divine rebirth and resurrection at the end.
Kai.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her master, left alone to fight the disease. Angie tried not to cry and lifted her eyes, which were getting hotter and hotter. The raindrops, which were piercing the sky like countless needles, reflected on her hazy cornea. It seemed as if even the sky was crying.
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