(132) To the Empire (2)
Isaac stuck out his tongue as he admired Cyrus's galloping form from behind. Andrei, who was riding beside Isaac, grinned.
“Don’t you think even a man would fall for him now?”
“Yeah. He seems a little too cool.”
“At that rate, our Princess Consort will fall in love with His Excellency once again?”
“Well, that’s it.”
Three years had passed since Ariana left the North. And in all that time, Cyrus hadn't mentioned Ariana's name even once.
Even when Ariana was treated as a saint due to the perfume incident, and even when the Eastern Lord's reputation was magnified by the relief work she undoubtedly carried out, Cyrus ignored her as if he didn't know her.
Isaac often exchanged letters with Ariana, but Ariana never mentioned Cyrus. Even when he deliberately sent her updates about Cyrus, Ariana's replies were filled with other stories.
“I don’t know what those two are thinking anymore.”
Andrei laughed at Isaac's words, which sounded like a sigh.
“I understand.”
“Really? You know what’s inside him?”
"Yes."
Andrei gazed at Cyrus's picturesque back. His silver hair, fluttering in the wind, dazzled his eyes. Even men were astonished by his ever-increasing majesty, and women would be even more so.
But he didn't know if it would work on Ariana.
Ariana appeared to be a sweet and delicate woman on the outside, but inside, a cold lake of unfathomable depths lurked.
Sometimes when she was with Cyrus, she would flash a bright smile, but now that Cyrus had pushed her away, it was uncertain whether she would ever do so again.
“There will not be a single moment when His Excellency does not think of her.”
"No way. His Excellency been so busy. He found the previous Black Knights and learned what happened in the war. He wouldn't have had time to think about Princess Consort."
"Things like that happened, so he'll remember them even more. The harder things get for people, the more they want to lean on someone."
"Well, even so, it's too late now. I don't think we can call her Princess Consort anymore."
Andrei frowned at Isaac's words.
“What does that mean?”
“There is a man who has been appearing frequently in the Princess Consort’s letters for about a year now.”
“...Who is that?”
“Little Lord Geor.”
“Ha. The Eastern Little Lord and Princess Consort are siblings.”
“But they’re not real blood relatives.”
"But... Hey, no way. The Little Lord was adopted by the Eastern Lord a long time ago, and he even holds the status of Little Lord. If he were to have such a relationship with the Princess, it would become a scandal that would shake up the entire Eastern region, and he would lose the Eastern Lord's trust and even his family... But that won't happen, right?"
Then Louis intervened.
"I don't know. Have you forgotten the great scandal that occurred in the Empire last year? The scandal of the Duke of Rowenta."
Last year, while the northeast was raging with war, a major scandal erupted in the empire. The Duke of Rowenta, a noble family, fell in love with a dancer and ran away, giving everything to his wife.
People whispered that Juliana had found them and killed them, but the truth was never known.
"When you're madly in love, you make such foolish choices. Eastern Little Lord might be one of those people, too."
At Louis's words, Andrei's face darkened.
“Eastern Little Lord was not better than our King.”
"Since his arms are bent inward, my lord is naturally superior in my eyes. However, Eastern Little Lord is a charming and strong man, possessing many qualities that my lord lacks. Furthermore, the bond they share cannot be ignored."
Louis, with her keen eye for people, gave him a good review, which meant Geor was a pretty decent guy. Andrei had also met Geor a few times and had gotten a pretty good impression.
“Then what should we do? Our Princess is still only our Princess Consort.”
"Our responsibility is grave. We've heard that Princess Consort will be coming during this social season, so we must find a way."
Cyrus rode his horse without paying attention to what was being said behind him.
This trip to the empire was not very pleasant.
After the difficult recapture of the former Black Knights, Cyrus learned of the final moments of his parents, something he had longed to know. Learning of their tragic deaths, Cyrus's resentment and hatred for the Western Lord and the Emperor swelled to uncontrollable proportions.
Meanwhile, the Emperor sent a letter to him, praising his contributions in the last war and inviting him to come to the Empire. Unable to ignore a letter from the Emperor himself, Cyrus headed to the Empire, but he worried about whether he would be able to control his expression when he met him.
'I guess I can do it in front of the Emperor. I'm not sure how I'll do it in front of the Western Lord.'
The trigger pulled by Ariana shook the entire continent.
The Clan Lords haven't fallen, but they have lost some of the Emperor's trust. Any further shakeup of the Emperor will lead to the Clan's downfall.
For that, he had to maintain his relationship with the Emperor.
At a fork in the road, Cyrus paused. He absentmindedly reached into his jacket pocket. Inside was a handkerchief emblazoned with a soaring eagle. It was the handkerchief Ariana had given him three years ago when she left the North.
The day he left for the battlefield, he took out a handkerchief that he thought he would never use.
Cyrus opened the drawer in a daze, took out the handkerchief, fiddled with it, and put it in his pocket, not even knowing what he was doing.
From that day on, Cyrus always carried the handkerchief with him, like a talisman.
Cyrus sighed, realizing he was fiddling with his handkerchief again. A gust of wind blew past, ruffling his silver hair.
At the fork in the road before him, choosing the left would lead to the East, while choosing the right would take him to the Empire. Obviously, he should have chosen the right path, but he couldn't understand why he hesitated.
'It's been three years.'
It's been three years since he last saw Ariana.
Many things had happened, and many changes had occurred, but Cyrus's heart remained frozen in time. Feelings he didn't know the reason for and didn't want to understand filled his chest just as they had then. No, they had become even more intense.
He couldn't understand it at all.
If I can't see her, my heart should grow distant, but why does her appearance only become clearer?
He barely suppressed the urge to take the left path and run towards the East, and turned onto the right. He could hear Isaac and Andrei lamenting behind him, but he ignored them.
Victoria was scheduled to hold her debutante ceremony last year, but when war broke out, she quietly returned to the West. This year, she will hold her debutante ceremony at a grand gala. Cyrus also heard that Ariana will be visiting the Empire during this social season.
Did Ariana anticipate last year's war? Did she anticipate Victoria's decision to return without performing her debutante?
It wasn't an important issue at the time.
Since he'll be returning to the Weet right after meeting the Emperor and having a brief conversation anyway, he won't be running into Ariana.
In the city of Sterion, the capital of the Cameria Empire, there was a street lined with mansions that nobles would rent when visiting. Located close to both the downtown area and the imperial palace, the mansions on this street were incredibly expensive to rent for a day, making them unaffordable for anyone but the wealthiest nobles.
The closer a mansion was to the palace, the higher its price. The mansion rented by the White family of the West was the closest and largest.
Before Ariana could even unpack or explore the mansion, she wrote a letter on the stationery she'd prepared in the East. She sealed the envelope with wax, stamped it with the family seal, and summoned Shini, telling her to deliver it to the palace.
“Are you very busy?”
As soon as Geor arrived at the mansion, he came to find Ariana, who was locked in her room.
"Now that the urgent matters are over, how's the mansion?"
"I took a quick look around, and there's nothing particularly dangerous. There's no hole to sneak through. As expected, a mansion that costs 10 gold per night is different. Should I offer a prayer of thanks to the gods who gave you such wealth? No. I guess I've been blessed by God for having a wealthy younger sibling."
Ariana laughed softly at Geor's nonsensical remark.
Geor watched Ariana laugh with a slightly dizzy feeling before saying.
"Lancer's got a good look around, so he'll find anything I haven't. Don't worry about the mansion."
“Yeah. Has the baker I mentioned arrived?”
"He left a message for the mansion's butler, saying he arrived yesterday. Should I bring him over?"
“Um... I think we can do that tomorrow. I’m thinking of going out to the downtown area today.”
“How about taking a break?”
“I had a lot of rest in the East.”
Among the clothes the maids were sorting, Ariana found a simple dress and a wig she had prepared to wear on her outings. It was a wig to hide her striking light blue hair, and she had learned how to wear it from Shini, who had learned it from Louis.
“Geor.”
"Yes?"
“I’m going to change my clothes. Can you please come out?”
“Oh, right. Excuse me.”
Geor nodded slightly and left Ariana's room, leaning against the door.
It's been three years since he told Ariana that foolish thing, "You're my family." It's been two years since Ariana showed Geor mercy and quietly covered up the Duke of Obelius's problems.
Even though so much time had passed since they became a family, Geor still felt a pang in his heart whenever he saw Ariana.
Especially when Ariana smiles like she did earlier.
Ariana now smiled brightly at Geor, as bright as sunlight. The thrill he felt the moment he first saw that smile still lingered even after all this time.
It's new and exciting every time he sees it. That shouldn't be the case.
Geor swallowed a sigh and stared at the door.
'What is Ariana trying to do?'
He knew Ariana had a deeper meaning. When he asked her casually one day, she laughed and said she just wanted revenge on the Bronte family.
But is that really all?
If she were simply seeking revenge on the Bronte family, she would have done it by now. Ariana had the wealth, fame, and talent to do so.
'If you tell me, I will do my best to help you.'
It was a shame that Ariana still hadn't shown her all her heart.
'They say human greed is endless.'
He had hoped to see the same smile she gave to her other family members, and now, seeing it, he wanted her whole heart. He was dumbfounded by his endless greed, and he smiled bitterly when Ariana's door opened, and a handsome boy appeared.
Isaac stuck out his tongue as he admired Cyrus's galloping form from behind. Andrei, who was riding beside Isaac, grinned.
“Don’t you think even a man would fall for him now?”
“Yeah. He seems a little too cool.”
“At that rate, our Princess Consort will fall in love with His Excellency once again?”
“Well, that’s it.”
Three years had passed since Ariana left the North. And in all that time, Cyrus hadn't mentioned Ariana's name even once.
Even when Ariana was treated as a saint due to the perfume incident, and even when the Eastern Lord's reputation was magnified by the relief work she undoubtedly carried out, Cyrus ignored her as if he didn't know her.
Isaac often exchanged letters with Ariana, but Ariana never mentioned Cyrus. Even when he deliberately sent her updates about Cyrus, Ariana's replies were filled with other stories.
“I don’t know what those two are thinking anymore.”
Andrei laughed at Isaac's words, which sounded like a sigh.
“I understand.”
“Really? You know what’s inside him?”
"Yes."
Andrei gazed at Cyrus's picturesque back. His silver hair, fluttering in the wind, dazzled his eyes. Even men were astonished by his ever-increasing majesty, and women would be even more so.
But he didn't know if it would work on Ariana.
Ariana appeared to be a sweet and delicate woman on the outside, but inside, a cold lake of unfathomable depths lurked.
Sometimes when she was with Cyrus, she would flash a bright smile, but now that Cyrus had pushed her away, it was uncertain whether she would ever do so again.
“There will not be a single moment when His Excellency does not think of her.”
"No way. His Excellency been so busy. He found the previous Black Knights and learned what happened in the war. He wouldn't have had time to think about Princess Consort."
"Things like that happened, so he'll remember them even more. The harder things get for people, the more they want to lean on someone."
"Well, even so, it's too late now. I don't think we can call her Princess Consort anymore."
Andrei frowned at Isaac's words.
“What does that mean?”
“There is a man who has been appearing frequently in the Princess Consort’s letters for about a year now.”
“...Who is that?”
“Little Lord Geor.”
“Ha. The Eastern Little Lord and Princess Consort are siblings.”
“But they’re not real blood relatives.”
"But... Hey, no way. The Little Lord was adopted by the Eastern Lord a long time ago, and he even holds the status of Little Lord. If he were to have such a relationship with the Princess, it would become a scandal that would shake up the entire Eastern region, and he would lose the Eastern Lord's trust and even his family... But that won't happen, right?"
Then Louis intervened.
"I don't know. Have you forgotten the great scandal that occurred in the Empire last year? The scandal of the Duke of Rowenta."
Last year, while the northeast was raging with war, a major scandal erupted in the empire. The Duke of Rowenta, a noble family, fell in love with a dancer and ran away, giving everything to his wife.
Duchess Juliana Rowenta ascended to the ducal position to lead her family, while Duke Rowenta vanished without a trace after being last seen with his lover near the Southern Ridge.
"When you're madly in love, you make such foolish choices. Eastern Little Lord might be one of those people, too."
At Louis's words, Andrei's face darkened.
“Eastern Little Lord was not better than our King.”
"Since his arms are bent inward, my lord is naturally superior in my eyes. However, Eastern Little Lord is a charming and strong man, possessing many qualities that my lord lacks. Furthermore, the bond they share cannot be ignored."
Louis, with her keen eye for people, gave him a good review, which meant Geor was a pretty decent guy. Andrei had also met Geor a few times and had gotten a pretty good impression.
“Then what should we do? Our Princess is still only our Princess Consort.”
"Our responsibility is grave. We've heard that Princess Consort will be coming during this social season, so we must find a way."
Cyrus rode his horse without paying attention to what was being said behind him.
This trip to the empire was not very pleasant.
After the difficult recapture of the former Black Knights, Cyrus learned of the final moments of his parents, something he had longed to know. Learning of their tragic deaths, Cyrus's resentment and hatred for the Western Lord and the Emperor swelled to uncontrollable proportions.
Meanwhile, the Emperor sent a letter to him, praising his contributions in the last war and inviting him to come to the Empire. Unable to ignore a letter from the Emperor himself, Cyrus headed to the Empire, but he worried about whether he would be able to control his expression when he met him.
'I guess I can do it in front of the Emperor. I'm not sure how I'll do it in front of the Western Lord.'
The trigger pulled by Ariana shook the entire continent.
The Clan Lords haven't fallen, but they have lost some of the Emperor's trust. Any further shakeup of the Emperor will lead to the Clan's downfall.
For that, he had to maintain his relationship with the Emperor.
At a fork in the road, Cyrus paused. He absentmindedly reached into his jacket pocket. Inside was a handkerchief emblazoned with a soaring eagle. It was the handkerchief Ariana had given him three years ago when she left the North.
The day he left for the battlefield, he took out a handkerchief that he thought he would never use.
Cyrus opened the drawer in a daze, took out the handkerchief, fiddled with it, and put it in his pocket, not even knowing what he was doing.
From that day on, Cyrus always carried the handkerchief with him, like a talisman.
Cyrus sighed, realizing he was fiddling with his handkerchief again. A gust of wind blew past, ruffling his silver hair.
At the fork in the road before him, choosing the left would lead to the East, while choosing the right would take him to the Empire. Obviously, he should have chosen the right path, but he couldn't understand why he hesitated.
'It's been three years.'
It's been three years since he last saw Ariana.
Many things had happened, and many changes had occurred, but Cyrus's heart remained frozen in time. Feelings he didn't know the reason for and didn't want to understand filled his chest just as they had then. No, they had become even more intense.
He couldn't understand it at all.
If I can't see her, my heart should grow distant, but why does her appearance only become clearer?
He barely suppressed the urge to take the left path and run towards the East, and turned onto the right. He could hear Isaac and Andrei lamenting behind him, but he ignored them.
Victoria was scheduled to hold her debutante ceremony last year, but when war broke out, she quietly returned to the West. This year, she will hold her debutante ceremony at a grand gala. Cyrus also heard that Ariana will be visiting the Empire during this social season.
Did Ariana anticipate last year's war? Did she anticipate Victoria's decision to return without performing her debutante?
It wasn't an important issue at the time.
Since he'll be returning to the Weet right after meeting the Emperor and having a brief conversation anyway, he won't be running into Ariana.
***
In the city of Sterion, the capital of the Cameria Empire, there was a street lined with mansions that nobles would rent when visiting. Located close to both the downtown area and the imperial palace, the mansions on this street were incredibly expensive to rent for a day, making them unaffordable for anyone but the wealthiest nobles.
The closer a mansion was to the palace, the higher its price. The mansion rented by the White family of the West was the closest and largest.
Before Ariana could even unpack or explore the mansion, she wrote a letter on the stationery she'd prepared in the East. She sealed the envelope with wax, stamped it with the family seal, and summoned Shini, telling her to deliver it to the palace.
“Are you very busy?”
As soon as Geor arrived at the mansion, he came to find Ariana, who was locked in her room.
"Now that the urgent matters are over, how's the mansion?"
"I took a quick look around, and there's nothing particularly dangerous. There's no hole to sneak through. As expected, a mansion that costs 10 gold per night is different. Should I offer a prayer of thanks to the gods who gave you such wealth? No. I guess I've been blessed by God for having a wealthy younger sibling."
Ariana laughed softly at Geor's nonsensical remark.
Geor watched Ariana laugh with a slightly dizzy feeling before saying.
"Lancer's got a good look around, so he'll find anything I haven't. Don't worry about the mansion."
“Yeah. Has the baker I mentioned arrived?”
"He left a message for the mansion's butler, saying he arrived yesterday. Should I bring him over?"
“Um... I think we can do that tomorrow. I’m thinking of going out to the downtown area today.”
“How about taking a break?”
“I had a lot of rest in the East.”
Among the clothes the maids were sorting, Ariana found a simple dress and a wig she had prepared to wear on her outings. It was a wig to hide her striking light blue hair, and she had learned how to wear it from Shini, who had learned it from Louis.
“Geor.”
"Yes?"
“I’m going to change my clothes. Can you please come out?”
“Oh, right. Excuse me.”
Geor nodded slightly and left Ariana's room, leaning against the door.
It's been three years since he told Ariana that foolish thing, "You're my family." It's been two years since Ariana showed Geor mercy and quietly covered up the Duke of Obelius's problems.
Even though so much time had passed since they became a family, Geor still felt a pang in his heart whenever he saw Ariana.
Especially when Ariana smiles like she did earlier.
Ariana now smiled brightly at Geor, as bright as sunlight. The thrill he felt the moment he first saw that smile still lingered even after all this time.
It's new and exciting every time he sees it. That shouldn't be the case.
Geor swallowed a sigh and stared at the door.
'What is Ariana trying to do?'
He knew Ariana had a deeper meaning. When he asked her casually one day, she laughed and said she just wanted revenge on the Bronte family.
But is that really all?
If she were simply seeking revenge on the Bronte family, she would have done it by now. Ariana had the wealth, fame, and talent to do so.
'If you tell me, I will do my best to help you.'
It was a shame that Ariana still hadn't shown her all her heart.
'They say human greed is endless.'
He had hoped to see the same smile she gave to her other family members, and now, seeing it, he wanted her whole heart. He was dumbfounded by his endless greed, and he smiled bitterly when Ariana's door opened, and a handsome boy appeared.
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