Episode 26. Switch With Me
If he hadn't taken the time to visit Bercheria this morning, he wouldn't have even known this awkward situation would arise.
Lacrahan thought he'd made his intentions clear to Kelita a few days ago, but she seemed to have taken it quite differently.
Surely she wasn't planning to sit here and offer Bercheria some insignificant advice.
The Princess, always smiling brightly, made Lacrahan feel distant.
Perhaps her personality was purely motivated by a desire to learn more about Bercheria.
Or perhaps she was hiding something else entirely.
Whatever the case, it was clear that she was a woman Lacrahan found tiring.
To end this meeting quickly, Lacrahan first attempted to speak to Laurent.
"How do you like the North?"
"I thought it would be devastated, but the people seem happier than I expected. I guess they've recovered from the war quite quickly."
Lacrahan and Laurent began to discuss politics.
Kelita raised her head and gazed at Bercheria, who sat motionless, as if sculpted from a sculptural form.
Her grip on the dress tightened involuntarily.
The woman's beautiful blonde hair glowed even more warmly in the greenhouse.
Today, for some reason, Kelita couldn't smile at all.
The voice of the old woman she'd met in the forest kept ringing in her ears.
'They'll never find out who fed this,'
The old woman had clearly told Kelita back then.
'Feed it to the person you wish to get rid of, and everything will be fine.'
"Everything will be fine,"
Kelita muttered to herself, her gaze meeting Bercheria's.
"Ah."
Instead of smiling, Kelita nodded.
The woman in front of her tilted her head slightly and laughed.
Even though she was the same woman, she couldn't tear her eyes away from that pale face.
Those beautiful eyes, like densely star-studded eyes, seemed to exist solely to captivate.
Kelita had never been intimidated by any noble before.
This was a feeling she's never felt before.
She had done nothing wrong, yet she felt like a loser.
'I can't lose the seat next to His Highness, the Grand Duke, whom I've waited for ten years in vain.'
Kelita extended her hand toward Bercheria.
"I'll warm up some tea for you."
The maid on standby tried to approach, but Kelita shook her head in agreement. She pushed aside the cup full of tea and filled a new cup next to her with hot tea.
While she moved, Bercheria looked around the greenhouse.
Here, plants from all over the empire, not just the North, grew. Each plant, each potted, each small tree, had a sturdy stem and a well-maintained appearance.
Some were even flowering.
Bercheria, who had only ever lived in the North, was captivated by the wonder of these flowers, the first she'd ever seen.
The beauty of the flowers starts with white and gradually fades to a pale purple at the tips of the petals. It was an ecstasy contained in a single, tiny petal.
"Beautiful."
Bercheria was completely captivated, as if she had seen Laurent's lizard.
It was also the aftereffect of being born into the world after living her entire life trapped in a tower of nothingness.
Seeing summer flowers in the north, where winter reigns year-round, was a truly wondrous experience.
Even without gods, humans still find ways to live, pursue beauty, and love. Perhaps gods weren't necessary to them.
They were indispensable.
Bercheria often felt like she couldn't fully fulfill her role, both in the tower and outside.
Especially now that she hadn't regained her powers.
"Drink this."
Kelita offered Bercheria a cup, already full.
Even as she spoke with Lacrahan, Laurent's eyes were fixed on the teacup before Bercheria.
Unable to refuse the favor, Bercheria accepted the cup she poured.
Drinking tea wasn't something she enjoyed, but she couldn't let it get cold again.
As Bercheria lifted her teacup, Kelita gulped.
Just as the gilded edge of the teacup was about to touch Bercheria's lips, a long finger suddenly intervened, blocking the space between the cup and her lips.
Lacrahan's arm, reaching across the table, was holding Bercheria's teacup.
Dark eyes slowly lingered over her.
“It looks too hot to drink right away.”
The tone was one of pressure, yet unyielding.
“Switch with me.”
He casually placed the cup he was holding in front of him and moved the teacup in front of him to Bercheria’s.
“The cup in front of me hasn’t cooled yet.”
Lacrahan casually switched cups and continued his conversation with Laurent, as if nothing had happened.
Beside him, Kelita’s face was turning pale by the minute.
Lacrahan clicked his tongue internally.
How could it be so predictable?
While Laurent observed Bercheria, Lacrahan was watching Kelita.
Her anxious hands, her trembling eyes, and the awkwardness she had shown when pouring tea for Bercheria.
At that moment, Lacrahan couldn’t help but recall that Gerard had poisoned his father and brothers to take his current position.
“Prince Laurent. Do you happen to know what is growing in the flowerpot on that shelf?”
Laurent, who had been staring at Bercheria, seemed entranced by Lacrahan's question, then returned his gaze.
Laurent glanced at the flowers Lacrahan pointed to and nodded.
"Poisonous plants."
Kelita shook her head.
When Lacrahan turned, her gaze fell.
"Ah, I understand."
That was the end of the conversation between the two men.
In the Der'Ansis Empire, where he lived, only the royal family was given immunity to poison.
From childhood, they ingested small amounts of poison to build up their immunity.
Slowly, over a lifetime.
It was to protect their lives from the risk of poisoning.
Lacrahan's had built a greenhouse in the north to grow poisonous plants for the same reason.
And he had just changed his teacup.
Having seen Gerard up close, Laurent couldn't help but be prejudiced against Kelita.
"Shouldn't fragrant things always be kept in check, Grand Duke Lakrahan?"
"Of course, Prince Laurent."
Lacrahan drank the tea he'd traded with Bercheria.
Tatiana hummed as she walked down the hallway.
In one hand, she held a large paper bag of sweet cookies, and in the other, a single, individually wrapped cookie.
"I have to take this to my sister."
Tatiana and the children shared one wish: to eat as many cookies as they could.
Mrs. Morgan had baked and shared cookies with the children from time to time, but it was always a shame.
Even though the drought in the North had lifted, food hadn't yet become plentiful, so she couldn't afford to give the children as much as they wanted.
But today, it seemed like Lady Luck had come.
Cookies poured out of Mrs. Morgan as if by magic.
"Sister—pretty blonde sister—"
Tatiana was so excited that she even sang a song as she walked to Bercheria's room.
After dividing the cookies among the children, the most beautifully baked one remained.
And fortunately, it had gold decorations, just like her sister's.
The moment she saw it, Tatiana's face flashed before her eyes.
Arriving in front of Barcheria's room, she knocked on the door with her small hands.
"Sister! It's Tatiana!"
The door opened, revealing a beautiful face that made her feel good just by looking at it.
"Want to come in?"
Tatiana shook her head, clutching the bag of cookies tightly in her hand.
"The kids are waiting. I have to go quickly."
"Really?"
A smile spread across Tatiana's face as she sat down at eye level with her.
"I'll give this to you, Sister."
Tatiana held out the bag, the opening crumpled from clutching it tightly in her small hand.
"What's this?"
"Chocolate cookies!"
At her energetic reply, a laugh as loud as water bubbles burst from between Tatiana's lips.
"Did you bring this for me?"
"Yes!"
When Tatiana held out her open palm, she took the cookies out of the bag and placed them on top.
The cookies, which looked delicious at first glance, were even smothered in chocolate, making her mouth water.
"Hurry up and try them."
Tatiana's face looked like it was about to start drooling.
"Hmm. Then, should we split it in half?"
"No?"
Tatiana shook her head, her short hair sticking to her cheek, and held out the envelope in her other hand.
“I eat with the kids.”
“Yeah, yes.”
Bercheria took a big bite of the sweet cookie. As the sweet taste spread through her mouth, her excitement grew so great that her eyes widened.
“How is it? Is it good?”
Bercheria laughed out loud.
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
“Thank goodness!”
Tatiana clapped her hands excitedly, then retraced her steps, waving her hands wildly.
“Be careful. You might fall.”
Bercheria waited until the little girl was out of sight, then stuffed the remaining cookie into her mouth and stood up.
Gulp.
Bercheria swallowed the cookie, cheerfully entered her room, and closed the door, only to collapse on the spot.
She felt the world crumble before her eyes and all the energy drain from her body in an instant.
“...”
The image of Tatiana running away, humming along with a handful of cookies, flashed before her eyes, then vanished like a candle flame.
If he hadn't taken the time to visit Bercheria this morning, he wouldn't have even known this awkward situation would arise.
Lacrahan thought he'd made his intentions clear to Kelita a few days ago, but she seemed to have taken it quite differently.
Surely she wasn't planning to sit here and offer Bercheria some insignificant advice.
The Princess, always smiling brightly, made Lacrahan feel distant.
Perhaps her personality was purely motivated by a desire to learn more about Bercheria.
Or perhaps she was hiding something else entirely.
Whatever the case, it was clear that she was a woman Lacrahan found tiring.
To end this meeting quickly, Lacrahan first attempted to speak to Laurent.
"How do you like the North?"
"I thought it would be devastated, but the people seem happier than I expected. I guess they've recovered from the war quite quickly."
Lacrahan and Laurent began to discuss politics.
Kelita raised her head and gazed at Bercheria, who sat motionless, as if sculpted from a sculptural form.
Her grip on the dress tightened involuntarily.
The woman's beautiful blonde hair glowed even more warmly in the greenhouse.
Today, for some reason, Kelita couldn't smile at all.
The voice of the old woman she'd met in the forest kept ringing in her ears.
'They'll never find out who fed this,'
The old woman had clearly told Kelita back then.
'Feed it to the person you wish to get rid of, and everything will be fine.'
"Everything will be fine,"
Kelita muttered to herself, her gaze meeting Bercheria's.
"Ah."
Instead of smiling, Kelita nodded.
The woman in front of her tilted her head slightly and laughed.
Even though she was the same woman, she couldn't tear her eyes away from that pale face.
Those beautiful eyes, like densely star-studded eyes, seemed to exist solely to captivate.
Kelita had never been intimidated by any noble before.
This was a feeling she's never felt before.
She had done nothing wrong, yet she felt like a loser.
'I can't lose the seat next to His Highness, the Grand Duke, whom I've waited for ten years in vain.'
Kelita extended her hand toward Bercheria.
"I'll warm up some tea for you."
The maid on standby tried to approach, but Kelita shook her head in agreement. She pushed aside the cup full of tea and filled a new cup next to her with hot tea.
While she moved, Bercheria looked around the greenhouse.
Here, plants from all over the empire, not just the North, grew. Each plant, each potted, each small tree, had a sturdy stem and a well-maintained appearance.
Some were even flowering.
Bercheria, who had only ever lived in the North, was captivated by the wonder of these flowers, the first she'd ever seen.
The beauty of the flowers starts with white and gradually fades to a pale purple at the tips of the petals. It was an ecstasy contained in a single, tiny petal.
"Beautiful."
Bercheria was completely captivated, as if she had seen Laurent's lizard.
It was also the aftereffect of being born into the world after living her entire life trapped in a tower of nothingness.
Seeing summer flowers in the north, where winter reigns year-round, was a truly wondrous experience.
Even without gods, humans still find ways to live, pursue beauty, and love. Perhaps gods weren't necessary to them.
They were indispensable.
Bercheria often felt like she couldn't fully fulfill her role, both in the tower and outside.
Especially now that she hadn't regained her powers.
"Drink this."
Kelita offered Bercheria a cup, already full.
Even as she spoke with Lacrahan, Laurent's eyes were fixed on the teacup before Bercheria.
Unable to refuse the favor, Bercheria accepted the cup she poured.
Drinking tea wasn't something she enjoyed, but she couldn't let it get cold again.
As Bercheria lifted her teacup, Kelita gulped.
Just as the gilded edge of the teacup was about to touch Bercheria's lips, a long finger suddenly intervened, blocking the space between the cup and her lips.
Lacrahan's arm, reaching across the table, was holding Bercheria's teacup.
Dark eyes slowly lingered over her.
“It looks too hot to drink right away.”
The tone was one of pressure, yet unyielding.
“Switch with me.”
He casually placed the cup he was holding in front of him and moved the teacup in front of him to Bercheria’s.
“The cup in front of me hasn’t cooled yet.”
Lacrahan casually switched cups and continued his conversation with Laurent, as if nothing had happened.
Beside him, Kelita’s face was turning pale by the minute.
Lacrahan clicked his tongue internally.
How could it be so predictable?
While Laurent observed Bercheria, Lacrahan was watching Kelita.
Her anxious hands, her trembling eyes, and the awkwardness she had shown when pouring tea for Bercheria.
At that moment, Lacrahan couldn’t help but recall that Gerard had poisoned his father and brothers to take his current position.
“Prince Laurent. Do you happen to know what is growing in the flowerpot on that shelf?”
Laurent, who had been staring at Bercheria, seemed entranced by Lacrahan's question, then returned his gaze.
Laurent glanced at the flowers Lacrahan pointed to and nodded.
"Poisonous plants."
Kelita shook her head.
When Lacrahan turned, her gaze fell.
"Ah, I understand."
That was the end of the conversation between the two men.
In the Der'Ansis Empire, where he lived, only the royal family was given immunity to poison.
From childhood, they ingested small amounts of poison to build up their immunity.
Slowly, over a lifetime.
It was to protect their lives from the risk of poisoning.
Lacrahan's had built a greenhouse in the north to grow poisonous plants for the same reason.
And he had just changed his teacup.
Having seen Gerard up close, Laurent couldn't help but be prejudiced against Kelita.
"Shouldn't fragrant things always be kept in check, Grand Duke Lakrahan?"
"Of course, Prince Laurent."
Lacrahan drank the tea he'd traded with Bercheria.
***
Tatiana hummed as she walked down the hallway.
In one hand, she held a large paper bag of sweet cookies, and in the other, a single, individually wrapped cookie.
"I have to take this to my sister."
Tatiana and the children shared one wish: to eat as many cookies as they could.
Mrs. Morgan had baked and shared cookies with the children from time to time, but it was always a shame.
Even though the drought in the North had lifted, food hadn't yet become plentiful, so she couldn't afford to give the children as much as they wanted.
But today, it seemed like Lady Luck had come.
Cookies poured out of Mrs. Morgan as if by magic.
"Sister—pretty blonde sister—"
Tatiana was so excited that she even sang a song as she walked to Bercheria's room.
After dividing the cookies among the children, the most beautifully baked one remained.
And fortunately, it had gold decorations, just like her sister's.
The moment she saw it, Tatiana's face flashed before her eyes.
Arriving in front of Barcheria's room, she knocked on the door with her small hands.
"Sister! It's Tatiana!"
The door opened, revealing a beautiful face that made her feel good just by looking at it.
"Want to come in?"
Tatiana shook her head, clutching the bag of cookies tightly in her hand.
"The kids are waiting. I have to go quickly."
"Really?"
A smile spread across Tatiana's face as she sat down at eye level with her.
"I'll give this to you, Sister."
Tatiana held out the bag, the opening crumpled from clutching it tightly in her small hand.
"What's this?"
"Chocolate cookies!"
At her energetic reply, a laugh as loud as water bubbles burst from between Tatiana's lips.
"Did you bring this for me?"
"Yes!"
When Tatiana held out her open palm, she took the cookies out of the bag and placed them on top.
The cookies, which looked delicious at first glance, were even smothered in chocolate, making her mouth water.
"Hurry up and try them."
Tatiana's face looked like it was about to start drooling.
"Hmm. Then, should we split it in half?"
"No?"
Tatiana shook her head, her short hair sticking to her cheek, and held out the envelope in her other hand.
“I eat with the kids.”
“Yeah, yes.”
Bercheria took a big bite of the sweet cookie. As the sweet taste spread through her mouth, her excitement grew so great that her eyes widened.
“How is it? Is it good?”
Bercheria laughed out loud.
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
“Thank goodness!”
Tatiana clapped her hands excitedly, then retraced her steps, waving her hands wildly.
“Be careful. You might fall.”
Bercheria waited until the little girl was out of sight, then stuffed the remaining cookie into her mouth and stood up.
Gulp.
Bercheria swallowed the cookie, cheerfully entered her room, and closed the door, only to collapse on the spot.
She felt the world crumble before her eyes and all the energy drain from her body in an instant.
“...”
The image of Tatiana running away, humming along with a handful of cookies, flashed before her eyes, then vanished like a candle flame.
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