Lhasa was an old man with a dark face and many wrinkles.
She looked to be over 90 years old, but strangely enough, she had thick, jet-black hair like a 19-year-old.
Even though her back was bent, she was very tall, as expected of a Ronheimer, so when I saw her from afar, I thought she was a girl waiting for us.
Lhasa welcomed us warmly.
She didn't seem to know that I was the princess of Arrental, but unlike Bihar, she welcomed me with an attitude that didn't seem to care at all.
The Uttar chieftain and the tribesmen, having seen the hospitality of Lhasa, were finally able to relax and come out to greet each other.
“God sent me to you.”
Lhasa spoke politely to Callius.
Callius seemed to know what that meant.
“What was God trying to tell me?”
“Come in and talk.”
It was a secretive tone.
Callius looked back at me.
“Please stay at the chieftain’s house with the others. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Yes, I will.”
Brentian approached me with a perceptive eye and led me to the chief's house.
The portable dwellings of the Uttar people, called kers, looked like round cakes when viewed from the hilltop.
The house, made by placing animal skins on a wooden frame and tying them together with ropes, was wider and warmer than expected.
Even after all of the group of nearly twenty people entered, there was still room, so the Uttar tribesmen came in and sat in a circle around the central hearth.
“To invite Her Highness the Princess to such a shabby place.”
Vanessa grumbled from the side.
It seemed like she was saying this out of dissatisfaction rather than out of concern for me.
Vanessa was uncomfortable sitting on the floor without a chair, and she hunched her shoulders to minimize the contact between her body and the furniture stacked against the wall.
The Uttar chieftain was embarrassed by Vanessa's attitude.
"I'm sorry to have to invite you to such a shabby place. I hope you understand that I wish to treat you with the utmost respect."
I tried to imitate his gentle smile, imagining what Callius would do.
"Nothing is out of the question. I'm simply grateful for your hospitality, even during my sudden visit."
The Uttar tribesmen were muttering something in a nomadic language that I could not understand.
Judging by the way he glanced at me, it seemed like he was curious about what I was saying.
The chief smiled brightly at my words of thanks and offered us warm milk tea made with butter and goat milk, which he said was made from goat milk.
It was a unique milk tea with a rich, salty and savory buttery flavor, as if it had been salted.
“What is this?”
Vanessa frowned at the unfamiliar food as she sniffed its scent.
Brentian couldn't stand it any longer and whispered.
"Salt is more precious than gold to nomads. They treat us with the utmost respect, so don't be so harsh."
My face really felt hot.
I was filled with anger at Vanessa's shameful attitude.
'I can no longer tolerate the maids' reckless behavior while keeping an eye on Kavala.'
I knew they were Kavala maids, but others would think they were my maids.
Like it or not, the four maids, including Vanessa and Lamia, were just like me.
I scolded Vanessa for her rudeness.
"Vanessa, you embarrass me. Even animals know gratitude, so why do you only complain?"
Vanessa looked dumbfounded at my accusation that she was worse than an animal.
“No, what did I do...”
But when she saw that not only I but also others were glaring at her, she quickly fell silent. It seemed she realized that no one here would take her side.
I took a sip of the steaming milk tea.
“...!”
A great flavor spread through my mouth.
As I drank some warm tea, my frozen body instantly became warm.
“I feel clearer! I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy since earlier.”
Lamia whispered next to me.
She quickly finished her glass, as if the tea was to her liking, and asked the Uttar man next to her for a new glass.
“That’s true.”
As Lamia said, drinking tea greatly improved my symptoms of altitude sickness, including chest tightness and headache.
“Does it suit your taste?”
At the chief's question, I smiled brightly and nodded.
“This is so delicious! Can I have another glass?”
“As much as you want.”
Only when the Uttar people saw that I liked something did they relax and laugh.
The other maids, who saw me and Lamia enjoying the milk tea, also took a look and sipped their tea secretly.
"Delicious...!"
"Good night."
Vanessa sat there sullenly in response to the maids' reaction and then stormed out.
People who saw her burst into laughter.
I laughed along with them with an embarrassed face and swallowed a sigh.
'Maids need urgent training.'
While Callius was talking to Lhasa, I was treated with great hospitality by the Uttar tribe and had a great time.
I was in an unfamiliar place, among unfamiliar people, but I couldn't figure out why it felt like home.
At that moment, Callius was sitting across from Lhasa, with a blazing fire in the middle.
“Your Majesty, the precious thing you have been searching for for so long is near at hand.”
Her voice was shaky and worn, but her conviction was clearly conveyed.
Callius raised an eyebrow.
“What if it’s something precious that I’ve been looking for for a long time?”
Lhasa smiled brightly.
"God won't tell me everything. He alone knows everything. But since you are the one who is part of this prophecy, you will be able to understand for yourself what God is saying."
Callius was puzzled, even thinking that what Lhasa was talking about might be a lost relic.
The holy relic that his mother protected must be in Kavala.
“Are you sure it’s nearby?”
“I am only conveying the voice of God.”
"That's right. I didn't doubt you. I was just curious because it wasn't what I expected."
“Life is full of surprising things that surpass expectations and plans.”
Lhasa continued speaking with a gentle smile, perhaps not knowing that Callius' mind was in turmoil.
Her subsequent words deepened Callius's worries.
"Be vigilant, Your Majesty. Be suspicious, and doubt again. As your treasure draws near, so too does your enemy."
“I see.”
"Your enemy has already drawn his sword before your eyes. You must know how to distinguish between your enemy and your noble one."
Lhasa's prophecy was not intuitive and therefore not easy to understand.
Lhasa gently comforted the troubled Callius.
“There is no need to be anxious. As long as you do not abandon God, everything will become clear in due time.”
She covered the fire with sand and got up.
"Shall we return to our group? The chief has prepared a feast."
“I always feel indebted to you.”
Lhasa looked up at Callius, who had risen with her, with her dark eyes that seemed wise.
"You are the one who was born as our King. No matter how the world turns, we are your people. That expression is not right, it is not right."
She spoke firmly and left Ker with a slow pace, leaning on her cane.
Callius and Lhasa returned not long after their absence.
Lhasa, who entered the chieftain's ker, looked at each of our group with deep eyes.
Then, all of a sudden, she hit Brentian on the shoulder with the staff she was holding.
“Why are you like that, Lhasa?”
Brentian, who had been sitting and then suddenly got hit, looked up at the old woman as if he felt wronged.
Lhasa clicked her tongue.
"You think too much. When you think too much, even with sufficient wisdom, you tend to overlook the right answer and chase the wrong one. Think less and spend that time running one more errand for your master."
Brentian, Callius's closest confidant, was a nobleman of considerable influence in Ronheim, but Lhasa was unyielding.
It seemed like the only one she was polite to was Callius.
Brentian grumbled, as if he was used to Lhasa's attitude.
“Lhasa is always nagging me. You're especially harsh on me.”
“I said that because I feel sorry for your talents.”
The sight of them looking so familiar, like a country grandmother and her grandson from a fairy tale, made me laugh without realizing it.
Lhasa, who had passed Brentian with a cool head, noticed me and approached me with a smile.
But then she suddenly stopped abruptly, about a foot away from me. Her expression was one of surprise.
“...?”
Lhasa slowly approached me, who was looking puzzled, and whispered in a small voice.
“You are a being who has been given a second chance by God.”
She looked to be over 90 years old, but strangely enough, she had thick, jet-black hair like a 19-year-old.
Even though her back was bent, she was very tall, as expected of a Ronheimer, so when I saw her from afar, I thought she was a girl waiting for us.
Lhasa welcomed us warmly.
She didn't seem to know that I was the princess of Arrental, but unlike Bihar, she welcomed me with an attitude that didn't seem to care at all.
The Uttar chieftain and the tribesmen, having seen the hospitality of Lhasa, were finally able to relax and come out to greet each other.
“God sent me to you.”
Lhasa spoke politely to Callius.
Callius seemed to know what that meant.
“What was God trying to tell me?”
“Come in and talk.”
It was a secretive tone.
Callius looked back at me.
“Please stay at the chieftain’s house with the others. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Yes, I will.”
Brentian approached me with a perceptive eye and led me to the chief's house.
The portable dwellings of the Uttar people, called kers, looked like round cakes when viewed from the hilltop.
The house, made by placing animal skins on a wooden frame and tying them together with ropes, was wider and warmer than expected.
Even after all of the group of nearly twenty people entered, there was still room, so the Uttar tribesmen came in and sat in a circle around the central hearth.
“To invite Her Highness the Princess to such a shabby place.”
Vanessa grumbled from the side.
It seemed like she was saying this out of dissatisfaction rather than out of concern for me.
Vanessa was uncomfortable sitting on the floor without a chair, and she hunched her shoulders to minimize the contact between her body and the furniture stacked against the wall.
The Uttar chieftain was embarrassed by Vanessa's attitude.
"I'm sorry to have to invite you to such a shabby place. I hope you understand that I wish to treat you with the utmost respect."
I tried to imitate his gentle smile, imagining what Callius would do.
"Nothing is out of the question. I'm simply grateful for your hospitality, even during my sudden visit."
The Uttar tribesmen were muttering something in a nomadic language that I could not understand.
Judging by the way he glanced at me, it seemed like he was curious about what I was saying.
The chief smiled brightly at my words of thanks and offered us warm milk tea made with butter and goat milk, which he said was made from goat milk.
It was a unique milk tea with a rich, salty and savory buttery flavor, as if it had been salted.
“What is this?”
Vanessa frowned at the unfamiliar food as she sniffed its scent.
Brentian couldn't stand it any longer and whispered.
"Salt is more precious than gold to nomads. They treat us with the utmost respect, so don't be so harsh."
My face really felt hot.
I was filled with anger at Vanessa's shameful attitude.
'I can no longer tolerate the maids' reckless behavior while keeping an eye on Kavala.'
I knew they were Kavala maids, but others would think they were my maids.
Like it or not, the four maids, including Vanessa and Lamia, were just like me.
I scolded Vanessa for her rudeness.
"Vanessa, you embarrass me. Even animals know gratitude, so why do you only complain?"
Vanessa looked dumbfounded at my accusation that she was worse than an animal.
“No, what did I do...”
But when she saw that not only I but also others were glaring at her, she quickly fell silent. It seemed she realized that no one here would take her side.
I took a sip of the steaming milk tea.
“...!”
A great flavor spread through my mouth.
As I drank some warm tea, my frozen body instantly became warm.
“I feel clearer! I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy since earlier.”
Lamia whispered next to me.
She quickly finished her glass, as if the tea was to her liking, and asked the Uttar man next to her for a new glass.
“That’s true.”
As Lamia said, drinking tea greatly improved my symptoms of altitude sickness, including chest tightness and headache.
“Does it suit your taste?”
At the chief's question, I smiled brightly and nodded.
“This is so delicious! Can I have another glass?”
“As much as you want.”
Only when the Uttar people saw that I liked something did they relax and laugh.
The other maids, who saw me and Lamia enjoying the milk tea, also took a look and sipped their tea secretly.
"Delicious...!"
"Good night."
Vanessa sat there sullenly in response to the maids' reaction and then stormed out.
People who saw her burst into laughter.
I laughed along with them with an embarrassed face and swallowed a sigh.
'Maids need urgent training.'
While Callius was talking to Lhasa, I was treated with great hospitality by the Uttar tribe and had a great time.
I was in an unfamiliar place, among unfamiliar people, but I couldn't figure out why it felt like home.
***
At that moment, Callius was sitting across from Lhasa, with a blazing fire in the middle.
“Your Majesty, the precious thing you have been searching for for so long is near at hand.”
Her voice was shaky and worn, but her conviction was clearly conveyed.
Callius raised an eyebrow.
“What if it’s something precious that I’ve been looking for for a long time?”
Lhasa smiled brightly.
"God won't tell me everything. He alone knows everything. But since you are the one who is part of this prophecy, you will be able to understand for yourself what God is saying."
Callius was puzzled, even thinking that what Lhasa was talking about might be a lost relic.
The holy relic that his mother protected must be in Kavala.
“Are you sure it’s nearby?”
“I am only conveying the voice of God.”
"That's right. I didn't doubt you. I was just curious because it wasn't what I expected."
“Life is full of surprising things that surpass expectations and plans.”
Lhasa continued speaking with a gentle smile, perhaps not knowing that Callius' mind was in turmoil.
Her subsequent words deepened Callius's worries.
"Be vigilant, Your Majesty. Be suspicious, and doubt again. As your treasure draws near, so too does your enemy."
“I see.”
"Your enemy has already drawn his sword before your eyes. You must know how to distinguish between your enemy and your noble one."
Lhasa's prophecy was not intuitive and therefore not easy to understand.
Lhasa gently comforted the troubled Callius.
“There is no need to be anxious. As long as you do not abandon God, everything will become clear in due time.”
She covered the fire with sand and got up.
"Shall we return to our group? The chief has prepared a feast."
“I always feel indebted to you.”
Lhasa looked up at Callius, who had risen with her, with her dark eyes that seemed wise.
"You are the one who was born as our King. No matter how the world turns, we are your people. That expression is not right, it is not right."
She spoke firmly and left Ker with a slow pace, leaning on her cane.
***
Callius and Lhasa returned not long after their absence.
Lhasa, who entered the chieftain's ker, looked at each of our group with deep eyes.
Then, all of a sudden, she hit Brentian on the shoulder with the staff she was holding.
“Why are you like that, Lhasa?”
Brentian, who had been sitting and then suddenly got hit, looked up at the old woman as if he felt wronged.
Lhasa clicked her tongue.
"You think too much. When you think too much, even with sufficient wisdom, you tend to overlook the right answer and chase the wrong one. Think less and spend that time running one more errand for your master."
Brentian, Callius's closest confidant, was a nobleman of considerable influence in Ronheim, but Lhasa was unyielding.
It seemed like the only one she was polite to was Callius.
Brentian grumbled, as if he was used to Lhasa's attitude.
“Lhasa is always nagging me. You're especially harsh on me.”
“I said that because I feel sorry for your talents.”
The sight of them looking so familiar, like a country grandmother and her grandson from a fairy tale, made me laugh without realizing it.
Lhasa, who had passed Brentian with a cool head, noticed me and approached me with a smile.
But then she suddenly stopped abruptly, about a foot away from me. Her expression was one of surprise.
“...?”
Lhasa slowly approached me, who was looking puzzled, and whispered in a small voice.
“You are a being who has been given a second chance by God.”
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