After My Dead Ending

30.

“Are you that bored? Still, going outside is not an option. It’s what Lord Nicolas has commanded. The return of the Lord Diazi has caused quite a commotion in the city.”

Von, sensing a hint of nostalgia in Norma’s expression, spoke cautiously, feeling as if he had committed a fault for no reason.

“I understand. I will do as Nicolas wishes.”

“Yes, since things have turned out this way, I think I might as well get some rest.”

“Yeah, no matter how much I think about it…”

“Oh, really! Stop teasing me!”

Having held back his words with Norma for a while, Von finally blurted out just like he used to in his childhood. He realized that he wasn’t much different from his younger self, who had once declared, “I’ll tell my dad on you!” during their childhood days.

Whether it was the virtue of a Diazi knight or whatever, Von had always possessed a temperament slightly different from other Diazi knights. Even among his peers, he had been nicknamed “the odd one out,” and he had often practiced the art of suppressing the temperament that fueled the ambition to become a Diazi knight.

The reason Noma remembered Von was also found here. This spirited little boy, with a temperament completely opposite to what was commonly called an “Easterner,” could not help but leave a lasting impression in Norma’s memory.

Von had an even greater presence due to being the son of “Kelly Bains,” a textbook example of an Eastern nobleman. His deep ash-gray eyes, uncommon for an Easterner, were also memorable.

Noma gave Von a harmless expression, shrugging his shoulders as if trying to play down his annoyance. It was a gesture meant to ease the tension.

“Anyway, those who say Norma Diazi is well-behaved don’t really know him. Nobody will believe me, right? It’s unfair!”

Seeing Von’s angry face, Norma, quite satisfied, slowly turned his head to once again take in the view outside the window. It had been a week since he had only looked out of the window like this.

Each day at Diazi’s core was strict. Not only Nicolas but even Norma’s father, Milan Diazi, who had given up the position of the family head to Nicolas and retreated to a provincial fief, had returned to the core. This was because they wrapped Norma excessively in protection, to block out any potential threats. The betrayal of Igor, whom they regarded as family, had left them with a deep shock and wounds.

Both Nicolas and Milan did not want to lose Norma again. They wanted to thoroughly shield Norma from the outside and eliminate any elements that could pose a threat, even until they had dealt with Nyx and his henchmen, and further, until they had completely grasped any potential dangers.

Norma’s physical health and strength didn’t matter. To the two of them, Norma was nothing but the older brother and son who had come back from the dead.

Norma naturally understood their extreme worry and anxiety. As a result, Norma’s range of activities had been minimized, and he had practically been confined to his room for a week now. Of course, it was called a room, but where he stayed was, in itself, a small mansion, almost like a separate palace.

Due to the uncertainty of who might pose a threat, Norma couldn’t even freely roam the garden right in front of his nose. Thanks to this, since his return to Diazi’s core, he had only encountered a few servants and a couple of knights.

There was no shortage, but to say he wasn’t frustrated would be a lie. Right after Norma’s return, Diazi had firmly closed the doors of its core. They had raised the drawbridge and prohibited all passage.

Of course, Nicolas had to head back to Baghdad once again due to Nyx’s actions, so they reopened the gates not long after, but the inspections were unusually harsh, and there were significant restrictions on passage.

Because of this, Diazi’s core was quieter than ever. Today had to be no exception.

“…”

But today, strangely, it wasn’t the whole castle that was in turmoil, was it? Noma had been subtly listening to the outside, which seemed restless since earlier.

Diazi’s core was renowned for being beautiful and tranquil, but it was even more famous for its size, comparable to a palace.

From Norma’s residence, which was somewhat separate from the main building, there was nothing to be seen. However, it was definitely different from the usual.

“Bains. Is there a guest in Diazi today?”

“A guest, you say? Perhaps… Oh, it might be Lord McFoy’s Romdak.”

While wearing a face that seemed to say, “Why are you asking that?” Von replied dutifully. He didn’t forget to remain vigilant, wondering if Norma was teasing him again.

“…McFoy. You mean Romdak.”

Noma responded slightly slower than usual. Von, who still didn’t know much about “Noma Diazi,” unfortunately didn’t catch onto his subtle change.

“Yes, it should be Romdak…”

Phew, it was just a question, on thought, and his guard gradually lowered. However, he couldn’t finish his sentence. Norma, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly jumped up and stretched his body out of the window.

“Oh!”

It didn’t end with just stretching out. Norma leaped out of the window. Von couldn’t fathom Norma’s sudden action at all.

“No! Lord Norma, why?”

Von, a step behind, belatedly grabbed the window frame and exclaimed.

* * *

‘Crazy, is he using Chukji (a magic method of contracting space) that is said to be used on a faraway continent!’

Von swallowed his curses and chased after Norma as if his life depended on it. It was too awkward to engage in a full-fledged race with a Diazi knight as they approached late summer. Sweat poured down, but it was more of a cold sweat due to shock rather than heat.

Even though he had been asleep for over ten years, Norma Diazi’s physical abilities remained unchanged, as if time had stood still.

At first, Von had subconsciously thought that Norma had become significantly weaker due to the nervousness he sensed from Nicolas and Milan fretting over him. However, he quickly withdrew his hasty judgment.

He couldn’t decide whether to rejoice in the soundness of his idol or lament the imminent failure of his first solo mission.

Finally, when Von seriously considered seeking help, Norma, who had been running with the intention of leaving the castle, suddenly came to a halt.

To Von, he was just the famous Norma Diazi, and Von was by no means a knight who could just let him go. He caught up with Norma without missing the opportunity.

“Oh, gasp, Sir, what if you suddenly jump out of the window like that!”

The thought “Is he really crazy?” remained unsaid, fortunately.

“…”

Norma didn’t offer any response. He simply stood in the white marble corridor where Lord McFoy’s procession had just passed, watching them grow more distant.

“No, if you were this frustrated, you should have said something. I’m your only escort, and if you jump out of the window like that…”

“Did Lord McFoy come here in person? Ah, she probably wouldn’t come in person.”

Norma, still unable to tear his gaze away from the procession moving farther away, muttered incoherently.

“Lord McFoy? Well, she must be quite busy too.”

“Has Diazi been trading with McFoy?”

“Lately, the Empire is looking for places where Lord McFoy’s influence doesn’t reach. But Diazi’s core doesn’t trade with McFoy. The relationship between the two lords… it’s not like that.”

Von remembered his father Kelly Bains’s stern warning to always be careful with his words, even if he were to become a knight, but he didn’t stop Von from becoming one.

“Anyway, didn’t Lord Diazi help the McFoy family? Today’s Romdak visit is a gesture of gratitude from Lord McFoy.”

“Help.”

“Well… By the way, Lord McFoy seems quite impressive. I’ve never seen such a long and grand procession before.”

Von unintentionally let out an amazed sound at the sight of the numerous majestic dark purple flags fluttering in unison. As he sought empathy, he instinctively turned towards Norma.

“…?”

It finally dawned on Von that Norma’s expression as he watched Romdak move farther away was similar to the one he had occasionally seen him make while looking out of the window throughout the past week.

“Uh, Lord Diazi, was the reason you suddenly jumped out of the window because you had business with Romdak?”

Von cautiously asked the question, not imagining for a moment that Norma would have business with Lord McFoy, who had a notorious reputation as a witch from the west.

“No, it’s not that. I didn’t intend to meet Romdak.”

Norma’s words trailed off. Truth be told, Norma was also bewildered. As soon as he heard that McFoy, Romdak, had arrived, he couldn’t control an impulse. Nicolas’s request to stay in the annex until all the dangerous elements were eliminated, no matter how frustrated he might be, didn’t even cross his mind at that moment.

“Well… I wonder what I expected.”

Norma muttered absentmindedly. His gaze was still fixed on procession. Von felt like he was being treated as if he didn’t exist.

Finally, as the end of the procession disappeared completely around the corner of the colonnade, Norma still couldn’t tear his gaze away. As the deep purple procession vanished entirely from sight, everything became clear.

‘I…’

Surprisingly, he could answer simply. It was so simple that it was almost relieving.

‘I wanted to see Aisa McFoy.’

Just then, a breeze rustled from somewhere. When the cool wind touched his flushed cheek, his senses became even more acute.

‘Why are you suddenly blushing? Are you really going crazy?’

As Norma was overwhelmed by this profound realization, Von watched him with an anxious expression, utterly motionless.

Having spent the entire week on close protection duty, Von had witnessed Norma gazing blankly into the air a few times.

It was different from when he had a dim expression while looking out of the window. Occasionally, Norma Diazi would stare into thin air as if he had seen a ghost, just for a brief moment, but it was distinct. Since Norma didn’t say anything, Von could only speculate that it might be a side effect of the seal.

Von’s master was Lord Nicolas, the lord of the castle. Reporting such things to Nicolas was also part of Von’s duties.

‘The reports have increased. You stayed in Katam with the Romdak upper echelons, what happened with them? Eh, maybe it’s because you’ve recently awakened and you’re acting like this… You’re not really going crazy, right?’

Von felt anxious. If this continued, Norma might suddenly disappear somewhere.

“Lord Diazi, it’s time to return to your residence. No matter how much they’ve been inspected, Romdak is an outsider.”

‘It can’t continue like this! I’ll even become the head of the knights!’

Von did his best to avoid encountering people by taking a detour through the garden that led to the annex. He didn’t want to escalate the situation. Norma seemed to be walking slowly, lost in thought, but surprisingly, he was keeping up well.

However, Norma, who had been following Von closely, suddenly came to a halt when they were moving along an artificial waterway. Von had not expected to be caught while crossing through the artificial pond and waterways; it was a clear breach of cover.

The waterway was surrounded by a variety of colorful flowers and lush vegetation. It was a Diazi-style arrangement that aimed for a more natural landscape.

It might have been natural for Norma to notice the small violet flower blooming at the very bottom amidst the colorful flowers and grasses that lined his chest. He had just become the kind of person who could blush just by looking at purple. Purple was the color that looked best on him.

That had to be terasa. Without hesitation, he stretched his leg toward the water’s edge.

When Von heard the splash approaching his nape, he had a scary thought. When he turned around, he saw Norma with one leg dipped in the water.

“Ah! Lord Diazi!”

“They say this flower is rare in the east.”

Whether Von jumped or not, Norma casually petted the flower petals with a serene expression as he muttered.

“Terasa, you’re right. It’s indeed a rare flower in the east, so it’s fascinating to find it here in Diazi Castle.”

“Can I take it to my room?”

“Well, that’s okay, but terasa usually doesn’t last more than a day.”

“A flower that doesn’t last even a day?”

Norma widened his eyes and asked in surprise. It was the first flower he had given her, and he had no idea it was such a delicate one.

“Yes, it’s an extremely fragile flower, and there’s a saying that terasa brings luck when it lasts a week.”

Norma, who had been feeling perplexed, suddenly sparkled at these words.

Brings luck when it lasts a week.

Norma was quite lucky.

Before long, Norma fashioned a neat knot with the flower. Von couldn’t help but feel uneasy about that smile.

 

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