When was the last time she saw the King? Frances was a girl who grew up near Siena. Her father was a minor nobleman who held a small position in the court. He was not very wealthy, but he had enough money to buy a mansion near Siena and hire maids. Frances, who grew up in such a house, made her debut at a court ball at the age of nineteen and met her husband the following year, and came down to Idun.
'Was that year, nineteen, the last?'
Frances was rewinding the year when she had last greeted the King, even before the King's arrival. She had been a beautiful young woman, and the King must have been a small boy.
“Gerjon sees the supreme glory of Travasta.”
Her husband, Edgar, knelt before the King, who was holding his unconscious niece. Frances and her two sons also knelt naturally and welcomed the King. The two young sons were shaking like aspen leaves at the mention of the King.
“Get up.”
The smooth bass resonated through the high ceiling. If she had known this would happen, she would not have postponed the ceiling repair. The castle was so old that even though the exterior walls looked quite sturdy, the interior was old and shabby. It was a rather elegant and elegant castle, but Frances, who had been living in the court in Siena for a while, had also burst into tears at the shabbiness of this castle for the first time.
But now, she is living proudly, believing that there is no castle like this one. Thinking of the imposing castle that has served as a fortress against the vast nature of Idun and the enemies outside, she felt that the ruined and rusted joints of this castle were rather magnificent. And...
“Your Majesty. My niece, whom you have embraced...”
“She didn’t lose consciousness.”
“What is your condition then?”
“She fell asleep in my arms, Sir Edgar.”
“I will call a servant.”
“There is no need for that.”
The husband's face darkened suddenly. He looked as if he had been insulted by the fact that his slender niece was in the King's arms. It was only natural. Roate had disappeared like that. Roate had been treated with contempt by the royal family and the royal nobility all his life.
Even though he had earned his military distinction, Eoate was still a lowly knight because of his low status. If he were a lower-class noble, his status would have been the same, but Roate was treated like livestock brought into a person’s home. Such a family was eventually destroyed by the King. How dare their daughter be considered precious and valuable? It was a moment when Edgar’s disgust was understood.
“...Your daughter is my wife.”
Edgar's thin lips curled slightly. The King's gaze fell on the husband's dark face. He remained calm even after seeing her husband's wrinkled face. At that moment, Frances dug between them.
“Your Majesty, I will show you to the bedroom.”
The King moved his steps. Francrs led him and the knights to the bedroom where Else had stayed. The room she had given Else was the room her mother had used when she was a young girl. In fact, Rosaline had used the room when she had just returned to her parents’ house after losing her husband, but when they heard that she was coming to Gerjon, she gave it to her. After showing the King to the bedroom, Frances returned and stared at the woman standing on the railing on the second floor.
'Rosaline.'
A woman with long flowing blond hair, sunken eyes, and a sallow face turned around. Frances sighed. It had been years since the quiet countryside had become so bustling.
"Your Majesty."
It was a low, heavy call. Sibyl turned around and stared at the knight. A man in a servant's uniform, not befitting him, bowed his head toward him. Beside him, two maids were waiting for him, their hands clasped together.
They were the maids who had been sent down a while ago to check on Else. Sibyl had told them to write down Else's health and life in detail and report back. Count Loper and Duanen said it didn't seem like a good thing, but he couldn't live without it.
It was hard for him to just push such a sick woman out of his sight. If only Else had been healthy enough to take care of herself. Else had been a woman who had been damaged by his harm for a long time. Even killing Sybil was nothing more than destroying herself. In the end, it was not enough because of the result of self-loathing. And yet this woman...
'I'm glad you're feeling better.'
It felt like his heart was being ripped apart. Sibyl looked down at the woman whose breathing was faint, and his eyes were distorted. Unaware of the gazes behind him, he carefully crouched down next to her. And then he hugged her slender body. A woman he was afraid would break. A woman he couldn’t hold because he was afraid of being worn out. A glass doll that he had broken with his own hands.
'What should I do with you?'
It was entirely his decision to send Else away from Siena. Whether he lived or died... He couldn’t leave Else in Siena. But why? Why did she break down like this, even when he wasn’t there? Sibyl was troubled by the maid’s report for a long time. When he heard that she was losing consciousness often, he couldn’t do anything, and when he heard that she was hallucinating even in broad daylight, her recovery was slow.
What finally got him up was the fact that she was sleepwalking. She couldn't keep her wits about him when she started mumbling nonsense, hallucinating, and then waking up in the middle of the night to walk through the dark hallways looking for him.
Eventually, Sibyl got up and went to Idun as soon as he recovered. The poison Else used was lethal enough to threaten his life, but it was far less than the recommended amount, so only his internal organs were slightly damaged. Fortunately, the royal family of Travasta took drugs that built up immunity to poison from a young age, so they were less responsive to poison than other people.
Thanks to that, he was able to recover quickly. However, the biggest reason for his recovery was his will to look after Else. The woman who cried even when she wanted to kill him. The woman who couldn't recover even after leaving him. What should he do with this woman? How can he make her comfortable?
“Don’t go. Don’t go...”
Else, who was hot and sweaty, whispered in a wet voice. Seeing her eyes closed and her lips moving, it seemed like she was having another nightmare. Sybil was afraid that she would wake up again and wander the hallway. What if it really was an incurable disease? What if she couldn't return to her original state?
“Sibyl, Sibyl...”
The corners of his eyes became hot because of the woman who was searching with a voice full of fever. His fists clenched under his eyes, which were trembling without mercy. Sibyl gently stroked her pale face and whispered softly.
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
If you want me to stay here, I'll stay here. If you don't leave, I'll never leave. No matter what you do, I'm fine with it. Please...
'Was that year, nineteen, the last?'
Frances was rewinding the year when she had last greeted the King, even before the King's arrival. She had been a beautiful young woman, and the King must have been a small boy.
“Gerjon sees the supreme glory of Travasta.”
Her husband, Edgar, knelt before the King, who was holding his unconscious niece. Frances and her two sons also knelt naturally and welcomed the King. The two young sons were shaking like aspen leaves at the mention of the King.
“Get up.”
The smooth bass resonated through the high ceiling. If she had known this would happen, she would not have postponed the ceiling repair. The castle was so old that even though the exterior walls looked quite sturdy, the interior was old and shabby. It was a rather elegant and elegant castle, but Frances, who had been living in the court in Siena for a while, had also burst into tears at the shabbiness of this castle for the first time.
But now, she is living proudly, believing that there is no castle like this one. Thinking of the imposing castle that has served as a fortress against the vast nature of Idun and the enemies outside, she felt that the ruined and rusted joints of this castle were rather magnificent. And...
“Your Majesty. My niece, whom you have embraced...”
“She didn’t lose consciousness.”
“What is your condition then?”
“She fell asleep in my arms, Sir Edgar.”
“I will call a servant.”
“There is no need for that.”
The husband's face darkened suddenly. He looked as if he had been insulted by the fact that his slender niece was in the King's arms. It was only natural. Roate had disappeared like that. Roate had been treated with contempt by the royal family and the royal nobility all his life.
Even though he had earned his military distinction, Eoate was still a lowly knight because of his low status. If he were a lower-class noble, his status would have been the same, but Roate was treated like livestock brought into a person’s home. Such a family was eventually destroyed by the King. How dare their daughter be considered precious and valuable? It was a moment when Edgar’s disgust was understood.
“...Your daughter is my wife.”
Edgar's thin lips curled slightly. The King's gaze fell on the husband's dark face. He remained calm even after seeing her husband's wrinkled face. At that moment, Frances dug between them.
“Your Majesty, I will show you to the bedroom.”
The King moved his steps. Francrs led him and the knights to the bedroom where Else had stayed. The room she had given Else was the room her mother had used when she was a young girl. In fact, Rosaline had used the room when she had just returned to her parents’ house after losing her husband, but when they heard that she was coming to Gerjon, she gave it to her. After showing the King to the bedroom, Frances returned and stared at the woman standing on the railing on the second floor.
'Rosaline.'
A woman with long flowing blond hair, sunken eyes, and a sallow face turned around. Frances sighed. It had been years since the quiet countryside had become so bustling.
***
"Your Majesty."
It was a low, heavy call. Sibyl turned around and stared at the knight. A man in a servant's uniform, not befitting him, bowed his head toward him. Beside him, two maids were waiting for him, their hands clasped together.
They were the maids who had been sent down a while ago to check on Else. Sibyl had told them to write down Else's health and life in detail and report back. Count Loper and Duanen said it didn't seem like a good thing, but he couldn't live without it.
It was hard for him to just push such a sick woman out of his sight. If only Else had been healthy enough to take care of herself. Else had been a woman who had been damaged by his harm for a long time. Even killing Sybil was nothing more than destroying herself. In the end, it was not enough because of the result of self-loathing. And yet this woman...
'I'm glad you're feeling better.'
It felt like his heart was being ripped apart. Sibyl looked down at the woman whose breathing was faint, and his eyes were distorted. Unaware of the gazes behind him, he carefully crouched down next to her. And then he hugged her slender body. A woman he was afraid would break. A woman he couldn’t hold because he was afraid of being worn out. A glass doll that he had broken with his own hands.
'What should I do with you?'
It was entirely his decision to send Else away from Siena. Whether he lived or died... He couldn’t leave Else in Siena. But why? Why did she break down like this, even when he wasn’t there? Sibyl was troubled by the maid’s report for a long time. When he heard that she was losing consciousness often, he couldn’t do anything, and when he heard that she was hallucinating even in broad daylight, her recovery was slow.
What finally got him up was the fact that she was sleepwalking. She couldn't keep her wits about him when she started mumbling nonsense, hallucinating, and then waking up in the middle of the night to walk through the dark hallways looking for him.
Eventually, Sibyl got up and went to Idun as soon as he recovered. The poison Else used was lethal enough to threaten his life, but it was far less than the recommended amount, so only his internal organs were slightly damaged. Fortunately, the royal family of Travasta took drugs that built up immunity to poison from a young age, so they were less responsive to poison than other people.
Thanks to that, he was able to recover quickly. However, the biggest reason for his recovery was his will to look after Else. The woman who cried even when she wanted to kill him. The woman who couldn't recover even after leaving him. What should he do with this woman? How can he make her comfortable?
“Don’t go. Don’t go...”
Else, who was hot and sweaty, whispered in a wet voice. Seeing her eyes closed and her lips moving, it seemed like she was having another nightmare. Sybil was afraid that she would wake up again and wander the hallway. What if it really was an incurable disease? What if she couldn't return to her original state?
“Sibyl, Sibyl...”
The corners of his eyes became hot because of the woman who was searching with a voice full of fever. His fists clenched under his eyes, which were trembling without mercy. Sibyl gently stroked her pale face and whispered softly.
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
If you want me to stay here, I'll stay here. If you don't leave, I'll never leave. No matter what you do, I'm fine with it. Please...
He grabbed her dry wrist like mistletoe and pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
Else opened her eyes at the soft touch. Sybil looked at her with wet eyes. Else stared at him blankly and reached out her finger. Sybil lowered his head, put his face in her hand, and rubbed his cheek against her palm like a puppy. Else smiled faintly. Her hazy smile, like a moon, was incredibly bright and profound.
Else opened her eyes at the soft touch. Sybil looked at her with wet eyes. Else stared at him blankly and reached out her finger. Sybil lowered his head, put his face in her hand, and rubbed his cheek against her palm like a puppy. Else smiled faintly. Her hazy smile, like a moon, was incredibly bright and profound.
The two looked at each other like that without saying anything.
It was a week later that Else's return to Siena was decided. While Sibyl was there, Else did not have any hallucinations or sleepwalking. She did not skip meals or eat far below her normal rations, and she did not look at her son with a gloomy face. During his stay, Sibyl was accommodated in the same bedroom as Else by Baroness Gerjon, while the rest of the knights used the empty rooms in the castle. It was shabby, but there was no shortage of rooms, so although his life was a little uncomfortable, he did not have to share a room with the servants.
However, they could not stay long. Not only was the accommodation of the knights a problem, but Siena could not be left empty for long. It was a rule of Travasta that even the King could not be released from his duties except during the official summer vacation period.
And one morning, a week later. Unlike other days, Sibyl opened his eyes at dawn. Else opened her eyes at the sound of him tossing and turning in bed. Sibyl, who was roughly dressed in a dress shirt and pants, looked back at her when she was done getting ready. Else got up from the bed and picked up the cravat on the table. Sibyl willingly offered his neck.
Else looked at him after neatly tying his cravat. Where would he go so early? However, she couldn’t ask easily. A large hand grabbed her slender waist. Else was led by his hand and held in his arms without any enthusiasm. She buried her face in his wide, thick chest and inhaled his scent. Sibyl raised his hand and gently brushed Else’s hair down, then pressed his lips to her round forehead.
“Sleep more.”
“...”
“I’ll be back soon.”
***
It was a week later that Else's return to Siena was decided. While Sibyl was there, Else did not have any hallucinations or sleepwalking. She did not skip meals or eat far below her normal rations, and she did not look at her son with a gloomy face. During his stay, Sibyl was accommodated in the same bedroom as Else by Baroness Gerjon, while the rest of the knights used the empty rooms in the castle. It was shabby, but there was no shortage of rooms, so although his life was a little uncomfortable, he did not have to share a room with the servants.
However, they could not stay long. Not only was the accommodation of the knights a problem, but Siena could not be left empty for long. It was a rule of Travasta that even the King could not be released from his duties except during the official summer vacation period.
And one morning, a week later. Unlike other days, Sibyl opened his eyes at dawn. Else opened her eyes at the sound of him tossing and turning in bed. Sibyl, who was roughly dressed in a dress shirt and pants, looked back at her when she was done getting ready. Else got up from the bed and picked up the cravat on the table. Sibyl willingly offered his neck.
Else looked at him after neatly tying his cravat. Where would he go so early? However, she couldn’t ask easily. A large hand grabbed her slender waist. Else was led by his hand and held in his arms without any enthusiasm. She buried her face in his wide, thick chest and inhaled his scent. Sibyl raised his hand and gently brushed Else’s hair down, then pressed his lips to her round forehead.
“Sleep more.”
“...”
“I’ll be back soon.”
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