(115) He didn't come.
Cyrus' expression hardened.
“It’s in the Amanthal Bible?”
"Yes. Just wait.”
Isaac ran to the bookshelf and pulled out a thick tome. It was the Amanthal Bible, a book that would have been punishable by death for an ordinary person to own.
Isaac opened the Amanthal Bible, flipped through it, and pointed to a passage.
"Here."
Cyrus read the part Isaac had pointed to.
[And Amanthal said, "He who truly believes in Me will have the opportunity to move time by My power and make those who have shed your blood and eaten your flesh pay the price they deserve."]
Cyrus stared at that part without blinking.
Isaac said, oblivious to Cyrus's terrifying presence.
"Come to think of it, I learned this a while ago. Amanthal's belief in regression shares some similarities with Arphen's belief in prophecy."
Cyrus looked up from the Amanthal Bible and turned to Isaac.
“There is something in common with Arphen’s faith?”
"Yeah. The Arphen faith's foresight, prophecy, and oracles. Anyway, I think those are actually abilities possessed by those who have seen the future and returned through time. Amanthal's faith in regression is also an ability possessed by those who have seen the future and returned. So, there was once a heretic who believed that Amanthal and Arphrn were actually the same god, wasn't there?"
Cyrus was embarrassed.
It was a story he brought up lightly to escape Ariana's thoughts, but he didn't know that even Arphen would come up in Amanthal.
But Ariana's behavior earlier was clearly too strange to dismiss as nonsense.
Isaac said to Cyrus, who was lost in thought.
"You are things going wrong, and you're tempted to resort to prophecy or oracles? If that's the case, then leave it at that. Maybe such things existed long ago, but not anymore. Even among Paganus, no one believes in the return of Amanthal."
Of course, Cyrus didn't believe such nonsense either. Until just a few hours ago.
“Ah, it worked.”
At Isaac's bright voice, he looked at his shoulder and saw that his flushed skin had returned to normal.
“This only treats the skin, so it will take another month or two to develop a medicine that can treat coughs and hemoptysis.”
"Yes."
“Cyrus?”
"Huh?"
“Are you okay? Your face is pale. Was the perfume too strong?”
“No. Just.”
What kind of being is Ariana?
What abilities does she have?
Who could have granted her such power?
A myriad of questions clouded Cyrus' mind.
“Because I’m tired.”
Cyrus, on his way to his room, paused in front of Ariana's room. Lanster, who had been guarding the door, stepped forward.
Since arriving in the North, Lanster, who had been hanging out with Louis, had acquired some of the skills of stealth, and he seemed to be able to remain somewhat invisible. However, even though it wasn't perfect, Cyrus was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice his presence.
“The Princess is sleeping.”
At Lanster's words, Cyrus narrowed his eyes and passed him without saying a word, entering his room.
-“That’s one of Paganus’ doctrines.”
The conversation with Isaac tangled in his mind like a wild vine. Something deeply unpleasant clung to his heart.
He never once connected Ariana with Paganus. Even when he witnessed her strange abilities, when he was completely captivated by her, and when he saw her carrying around Shini, a Paganus, he never doubted her.
'What if all of that is Paganus's power?'
Just as Andrei was captivated by Victoria without even realizing it.
'What if I'm like that too?'
What if it all started the moment he first saw Ariana at the Duke of Bronte?
'What if the Western Lord had already found out about my visit and had allowed Ariana to intrude into my life?'
In retrospect, his actions since meeting her at the Duke Bronte's house have been remarkably bizarre. He's lent his strength to Ariana, who's still no help, and his initial plans have been disrupted by his efforts to keep watch over her.
Still, he didn't hate it. It felt like the right thing to do.
'What if even those feelings were born from Paganus's power?'
Cyrus slumped down on the sofa and closed his eyes. A sharp pain formed between his eyebrows.
People he thought were his family tried to kill Cyrus, and even after he ascended to the throne as the Northern Lord, he was constantly threatened with assassination.
The young lady of a Count who came to Cyrus to serve him, and the young lady of a Marquis who came to admire Cyrus, both carried a well-sharpened sword in their bosoms.
Knowing they couldn't subdue Cyrus by force, his enemies resorted to using beauty tricks. That's why Cyrus hated women. He knew not all women were like that, but it made him uncomfortable.
But why did he let go of his guard so quickly?
Because he thought there was nothing a girl like her, trapped and abused in the Duke of Bronte's mansion, could do?
No, that's not true. It was a long-standing habit of Cyrus's to be suspicious even if the other person was a blind man, confined to a dark place.
His head was throbbing.
Ariana.
Her innocent smile came to mind. Her clear laughter, as if it were clearing away the clouds.
Whenever such thoughts came to mind, Cyrus would feel better for a while. But not now.
Ariana's smile, her laughter, her pretty eyes and lips, all stabbed and crushed Cyrus' heart like a knife.
'What the hell are you?'
Ariana was buried in the blanket, her arms raised high, staring at her fingers at the end.
'I almost touched the Northern Lord's face.'
Cyrus' voice came to mind vividly.
-“Ariana. Do you think I’m blaming you?”
-“Then just answer like that. Why are you so scared?”
He smiled brightly even though Ariana looked obviously suspicious.
Because she can't believe that someone would trust her so much, because she feels like she can tell them the secrets she most wants to keep hidden, because she feels like they'll tell her that he's glad she was born.
Ariana's heart swelled.
His crimson eyes seemed like precious rubies. Like someone captivated by a precious gem, Ariana reached out helplessly toward him.
Her face still burns when she thinks about what she was thinking at that moment.
Ariana pulled the blanket over her face.
'What should I do?'
She tried to deny and ignore it. She thought it was a feeling that would disappear if she pretended not to know, a feeling that would dissipate into nothingness.
She resolved never to love or be loved again. She vowed to break free from a life of striving for recognition and yearning for affection.
'Foolishly.'
She's about to repeat the same mistake again.
She hated that so much that she tried to steel her resolve, but there were things in this world that just wouldn't go her way no matter how hard she tried.
'No, did you even try to do it in the first place?'
She loved spending time with Cyrus. Even though it hurt every time she felt like he was only planning to use her, she was glad she could share her future plans with him without hesitation. It was comfortable. It was fun.
The good, comfortable, and joyful feelings quietly added color to Ariana's face, without her even realizing it. A white canvas appeared in the once transparent air, turning a sweet pink before finally turning a vibrant red.
The color of his eyes.
'I have taken the Northern Lord into my heart. Without even realizing it... '
She was not so foolish as to not know that the very sweet and slightly bitter feeling she had for her husband, Viscount Ingo Alfreich, or for the Third Prince Harald, was love.
She just didn't want to realize it. She just wanted to shake off those feelings that weren't helping at all.
But the color that had already stained the drawing paper couldn't be easily erased. Left unattended, it had deepened to the point where it was impossible to ignore it any longer.
Even though she was under the covers, Ariana couldn't avoid the emotions that were washing over her, so she covered her face with both hands.
For over a week, Ariana hadn't seen Cyrus, even though she hadn't been avoiding him in particular.
Duke Hern, whom she met in the hallway, said that Cyrus was very busy.
It was a good thing, after all.
Because she hasn't decided yet how to treat him.
As she spent time without seeing each other, she thought her churning heart would settle back down. The nausea-inducing rumblings in her stomach had subsided, but the tingling sensation near jer heart remained.
The weather was nice that day, so she opened the window and went out onto the terrace, where she found Noah and Cyrus. They were with a man who was vividly etched in Ariana's memory.
'Baisen. You brought him.'
One wing of the Third Prince.
By taking the Baisen this time, she broke one of Third Prince Harold's wings. Harold won't even know his wing has been broken, since he hasn't even encountered the Baisen this time.
When Noah spoke to Baisen, Baisen politely knelt before Cyrus and bowed his head. Perhaps he had heard Cyrus's words about saving Baisen.
Now, Baisen will be loyal to Cyrus. Although Baisen was vicious and ill-tempered with women, he never betrayed the master he served.
Ariana suddenly had a thought that Cyrus might come looking for her.
It was thanks to Ariana's advice that he took the Baisen, so it was obvious he came to talk about it. It always has been.
So Ariana quickly went to her room, combed her hair, and changed clothes. She put on a dark blue ribbon-covered hair clip that complemented her light blue hair, and hesitated about whether or not to wear a bracelet. Then, realizing what she was doing, she let out a hollow laugh.
'I'm out of my mind.'
She's getting all worked up and dressed up just to look good for Cyrus. She's never done that before.
Catherine, who was also getting excited and dressing up Ariana, said.
“You look happy today, Princess. Are you going out somewhere?”
“No, it’s just that the weather is nice.”
Ariana stopped dressing, sat down on the living room sofa, and picked up her embroidery hoop. The embroidery she'd been doing occasionally since arriving in the North was nearly finished.
She picked up the needle, but she couldn't concentrate.
The Northern Lord will be here soon. Cyrus will be here soon.
With that thought in mind, she checked the time several times. Time passed slowly but steadily, and several times, he had more than enough time left to finish his conversation with Noah.
Even after the clear sky turned orange and the sun vanished, leaving darkness behind, Cyrus did not return.
Cyrus' expression hardened.
“It’s in the Amanthal Bible?”
"Yes. Just wait.”
Isaac ran to the bookshelf and pulled out a thick tome. It was the Amanthal Bible, a book that would have been punishable by death for an ordinary person to own.
Isaac opened the Amanthal Bible, flipped through it, and pointed to a passage.
"Here."
Cyrus read the part Isaac had pointed to.
[And Amanthal said, "He who truly believes in Me will have the opportunity to move time by My power and make those who have shed your blood and eaten your flesh pay the price they deserve."]
Cyrus stared at that part without blinking.
Isaac said, oblivious to Cyrus's terrifying presence.
"Come to think of it, I learned this a while ago. Amanthal's belief in regression shares some similarities with Arphen's belief in prophecy."
Cyrus looked up from the Amanthal Bible and turned to Isaac.
“There is something in common with Arphen’s faith?”
"Yeah. The Arphen faith's foresight, prophecy, and oracles. Anyway, I think those are actually abilities possessed by those who have seen the future and returned through time. Amanthal's faith in regression is also an ability possessed by those who have seen the future and returned. So, there was once a heretic who believed that Amanthal and Arphrn were actually the same god, wasn't there?"
Cyrus was embarrassed.
It was a story he brought up lightly to escape Ariana's thoughts, but he didn't know that even Arphen would come up in Amanthal.
But Ariana's behavior earlier was clearly too strange to dismiss as nonsense.
Isaac said to Cyrus, who was lost in thought.
"You are things going wrong, and you're tempted to resort to prophecy or oracles? If that's the case, then leave it at that. Maybe such things existed long ago, but not anymore. Even among Paganus, no one believes in the return of Amanthal."
Of course, Cyrus didn't believe such nonsense either. Until just a few hours ago.
“Ah, it worked.”
At Isaac's bright voice, he looked at his shoulder and saw that his flushed skin had returned to normal.
“This only treats the skin, so it will take another month or two to develop a medicine that can treat coughs and hemoptysis.”
"Yes."
“Cyrus?”
"Huh?"
“Are you okay? Your face is pale. Was the perfume too strong?”
“No. Just.”
What kind of being is Ariana?
What abilities does she have?
Who could have granted her such power?
A myriad of questions clouded Cyrus' mind.
“Because I’m tired.”
***
Cyrus, on his way to his room, paused in front of Ariana's room. Lanster, who had been guarding the door, stepped forward.
Since arriving in the North, Lanster, who had been hanging out with Louis, had acquired some of the skills of stealth, and he seemed to be able to remain somewhat invisible. However, even though it wasn't perfect, Cyrus was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice his presence.
“The Princess is sleeping.”
At Lanster's words, Cyrus narrowed his eyes and passed him without saying a word, entering his room.
-“That’s one of Paganus’ doctrines.”
The conversation with Isaac tangled in his mind like a wild vine. Something deeply unpleasant clung to his heart.
He never once connected Ariana with Paganus. Even when he witnessed her strange abilities, when he was completely captivated by her, and when he saw her carrying around Shini, a Paganus, he never doubted her.
'What if all of that is Paganus's power?'
Just as Andrei was captivated by Victoria without even realizing it.
'What if I'm like that too?'
What if it all started the moment he first saw Ariana at the Duke of Bronte?
'What if the Western Lord had already found out about my visit and had allowed Ariana to intrude into my life?'
In retrospect, his actions since meeting her at the Duke Bronte's house have been remarkably bizarre. He's lent his strength to Ariana, who's still no help, and his initial plans have been disrupted by his efforts to keep watch over her.
Still, he didn't hate it. It felt like the right thing to do.
'What if even those feelings were born from Paganus's power?'
Cyrus slumped down on the sofa and closed his eyes. A sharp pain formed between his eyebrows.
People he thought were his family tried to kill Cyrus, and even after he ascended to the throne as the Northern Lord, he was constantly threatened with assassination.
The young lady of a Count who came to Cyrus to serve him, and the young lady of a Marquis who came to admire Cyrus, both carried a well-sharpened sword in their bosoms.
Knowing they couldn't subdue Cyrus by force, his enemies resorted to using beauty tricks. That's why Cyrus hated women. He knew not all women were like that, but it made him uncomfortable.
But why did he let go of his guard so quickly?
Because he thought there was nothing a girl like her, trapped and abused in the Duke of Bronte's mansion, could do?
No, that's not true. It was a long-standing habit of Cyrus's to be suspicious even if the other person was a blind man, confined to a dark place.
His head was throbbing.
Ariana.
Her innocent smile came to mind. Her clear laughter, as if it were clearing away the clouds.
Whenever such thoughts came to mind, Cyrus would feel better for a while. But not now.
Ariana's smile, her laughter, her pretty eyes and lips, all stabbed and crushed Cyrus' heart like a knife.
'What the hell are you?'
***
Ariana was buried in the blanket, her arms raised high, staring at her fingers at the end.
'I almost touched the Northern Lord's face.'
Cyrus' voice came to mind vividly.
-“Ariana. Do you think I’m blaming you?”
-“Then just answer like that. Why are you so scared?”
He smiled brightly even though Ariana looked obviously suspicious.
Because she can't believe that someone would trust her so much, because she feels like she can tell them the secrets she most wants to keep hidden, because she feels like they'll tell her that he's glad she was born.
Ariana's heart swelled.
His crimson eyes seemed like precious rubies. Like someone captivated by a precious gem, Ariana reached out helplessly toward him.
Her face still burns when she thinks about what she was thinking at that moment.
Ariana pulled the blanket over her face.
'What should I do?'
She tried to deny and ignore it. She thought it was a feeling that would disappear if she pretended not to know, a feeling that would dissipate into nothingness.
She resolved never to love or be loved again. She vowed to break free from a life of striving for recognition and yearning for affection.
'Foolishly.'
She's about to repeat the same mistake again.
She hated that so much that she tried to steel her resolve, but there were things in this world that just wouldn't go her way no matter how hard she tried.
'No, did you even try to do it in the first place?'
She loved spending time with Cyrus. Even though it hurt every time she felt like he was only planning to use her, she was glad she could share her future plans with him without hesitation. It was comfortable. It was fun.
The good, comfortable, and joyful feelings quietly added color to Ariana's face, without her even realizing it. A white canvas appeared in the once transparent air, turning a sweet pink before finally turning a vibrant red.
The color of his eyes.
'I have taken the Northern Lord into my heart. Without even realizing it... '
She was not so foolish as to not know that the very sweet and slightly bitter feeling she had for her husband, Viscount Ingo Alfreich, or for the Third Prince Harald, was love.
She just didn't want to realize it. She just wanted to shake off those feelings that weren't helping at all.
But the color that had already stained the drawing paper couldn't be easily erased. Left unattended, it had deepened to the point where it was impossible to ignore it any longer.
Even though she was under the covers, Ariana couldn't avoid the emotions that were washing over her, so she covered her face with both hands.
***
For over a week, Ariana hadn't seen Cyrus, even though she hadn't been avoiding him in particular.
Duke Hern, whom she met in the hallway, said that Cyrus was very busy.
It was a good thing, after all.
Because she hasn't decided yet how to treat him.
As she spent time without seeing each other, she thought her churning heart would settle back down. The nausea-inducing rumblings in her stomach had subsided, but the tingling sensation near jer heart remained.
The weather was nice that day, so she opened the window and went out onto the terrace, where she found Noah and Cyrus. They were with a man who was vividly etched in Ariana's memory.
'Baisen. You brought him.'
One wing of the Third Prince.
By taking the Baisen this time, she broke one of Third Prince Harold's wings. Harold won't even know his wing has been broken, since he hasn't even encountered the Baisen this time.
When Noah spoke to Baisen, Baisen politely knelt before Cyrus and bowed his head. Perhaps he had heard Cyrus's words about saving Baisen.
Now, Baisen will be loyal to Cyrus. Although Baisen was vicious and ill-tempered with women, he never betrayed the master he served.
Ariana suddenly had a thought that Cyrus might come looking for her.
It was thanks to Ariana's advice that he took the Baisen, so it was obvious he came to talk about it. It always has been.
So Ariana quickly went to her room, combed her hair, and changed clothes. She put on a dark blue ribbon-covered hair clip that complemented her light blue hair, and hesitated about whether or not to wear a bracelet. Then, realizing what she was doing, she let out a hollow laugh.
'I'm out of my mind.'
She's getting all worked up and dressed up just to look good for Cyrus. She's never done that before.
Catherine, who was also getting excited and dressing up Ariana, said.
“You look happy today, Princess. Are you going out somewhere?”
“No, it’s just that the weather is nice.”
Ariana stopped dressing, sat down on the living room sofa, and picked up her embroidery hoop. The embroidery she'd been doing occasionally since arriving in the North was nearly finished.
She picked up the needle, but she couldn't concentrate.
The Northern Lord will be here soon. Cyrus will be here soon.
With that thought in mind, she checked the time several times. Time passed slowly but steadily, and several times, he had more than enough time left to finish his conversation with Noah.
Even after the clear sky turned orange and the sun vanished, leaving darkness behind, Cyrus did not return.
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