As we stepped outside the carriage, a strong scent of grass accompanied the fierce wind.
I tucked my fluttering hair behind my ears as I stepped onto the dirt path.
“Be careful, Rohiriel.”
Julion held my hand and scanned the surroundings.
Within the dim forest, there was a narrow stone path.
“As you can see, the road is like this, so I don’t think the carriage can proceed.” Ares said, his foot clicking against the stones in the path.
Julion nodded with furrowed brows.
“How much longer?”
“I’ve never been here, so I don’t know exactly, probably about…”
“We should only have to walk for about thirty minutes.”
I replied, interrupting Ares’ attempt to estimate the time.
A lot of time had passed, and it was a dark night, so I didn’t recognize it immediately, but this was a path I knew well.
It was the entrance to a mountain range that I had roamed around countless times as a child to gather herbs.
“Thirty minutes……. Can you walk that far?”
Julion asked, looking at me with concern.
“I lived here before, you know.”
“But aren’t then and now different? Your physical condition…”
“Do you think I’m that frail?”
Stunned, I shrugged off Julion’s words and started walking ahead.
Behind me, Julion quickened his stride and was beside me in an instant.
“No matter how familiar you are with the place, mountain paths at night are extremely dangerous.”
Julion took my hand again and walked slightly ahead of me.
Even though it was a rough stone path, Julion supported me securely, making it effortless for me to walk.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Once again, the wind ruffled our robes.
It was a summer night, but being in the mountains made the wind chilly.
I adjusted my robe to shield against the wind.
Silence.
Amidst the rhythmic sound of footsteps, Julion’s voice echoed.
“How old were you when you lived here?”
“Eleven. That’s when my mother passed away.”
Somewhere in the distance, the sound of cicadas loudly resonated.
The buzzing sound cleared my mind.
Julion spoke again.
“I’ve been around here before.”
“Mount Hale?”
“Yes. It was the middle of winter, during a heavy snowstorm…….”
Just as he said that,
The strong wind blew so fiercely that the ribbon tying my hair came loose and flew away.
As my loosely bound curls swirled in the wind, I instinctively looked up and chased after the ribbon.
“Wow…….”
Beautiful.
Mysterious.
Pretty.
An indescribably marvelous scene filled my sight, as if someone had sprinkled diamond dust on a canvas of deep navy blue.
‘Come to think of it, despite living here for so long, I’ve never thought about looking at the sky.’
Every day, I bowed my head deeply, searching the mountain paths for herbs, trying to find any that could help cure my mother.
“It’ll be the full moon soon.”
Julion, too, looked up at the sky, following my gaze.
He talked about the moon hanging in a corner of the mountain rather than stars.
It was a slightly incomplete, round moon in the sky.
“Yeah, around this time, a village in Hale holds a festival.”
“What kind of festival?”
“Um, I don’t know; I’ve never been to one.”
I laughed a little as I said it. I’ve lived here for years but I’ve never been to the festival.
But with my mother being unwell, I couldn’t imagine joyfully participating in the festivities.
Julion also seemed to recall the situation, as he didn’t ask further and tightened his grip on my hand.
“I see. Anyway, it’s better to be cautious with such strong winds. If you want, I can carry you.”
“No, I’ll pass on that offer.”
There were several knights, including Ares, following behind us, so to be carried by Julion would be too embarrassing.
“We’re almost there anyway. Look, there. Can you see the roof?”
I pointed towards the protruding roof of the old mansion through the trees.
Julion spotted it too, so he didn’t say anything more about carrying me.
As we got closer, memories from the past resurfaced vividly.
After my mother passed away and I was preoccupied with my own emotions, I had never visited this place.
‘Hardly anything has changed.’
Everything remained as it was.
If anything has changed, it is that everything has aged.
“It might be dangerous, so check the inside first, then come back.”
When we were almost there, Julion ordered Ares and the knights to go inside first.
Even though it seemed unnecessary, I patiently waited beside Julion.
After the lights were turned on inside, Ares soon walked out.
“It looks like everything is fine; come in!”
I smirked at the nuances of being the owner of this villa.
“Let’s go in, Julion.”
As we stepped inside, an overwhelming sense of nostalgia engulfed me, much stronger than what I felt from outside.
My nose tingled from the chill. I released Julion’s hand and headed straight for the stairs.
“Make yourself comfortable, Zenid, and serve Julion some tea.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Avoiding Julion’s questioning gaze about where I was going, I pointed upstairs.
“The apothecary room my mother used to use.”
“Then I’m coming with you…….”
“No, it’s cluttered and messy. You stay here. Feel free to explore any part of the villa.”
Perhaps my tone was too firm, as Julion nodded reluctantly.
As I saw Zenid bringing tea, I moved towards the apothecary room.
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“Milord, it is said that the Emperor has fully recovered and returned to state affairs, and the news about the poisonous beetles has been announced.”
Duke Cassian stopped his hand that was about to pick up a pawn after Bvel’s report.
Then he picked up a knight from the chessboard.
“What about the losses?”
The Duke looked at the chessboard, pondered, and then hit the bishop with the knight.
The bishop tumbled in a semicircle and fell, while the knight stood firm on the board.
Bvel picked up the fallen bishop and placed it on the board.
“Considerable. Almost all of them have been apprehended and confined to underground prisons.”
“What about the shadows?”
“Yes. I have not heard from them.”
The Duke picked up the rook in the corner.
Tap, tap. The rhythmic sound of the rook hitting the table echoed in the room.
“Fascinating.”
The intricate chessboard reflected in the duke’s silver eyes.
His silver hair swayed as the breeze entered through the open window.
“I never thought it would come this far.”
Resting his chin on his hand, the duke lowered his gaze, a habit he often exhibited when feeling uneasy.
After a moment, he spoke with an ominous tone, “We can’t delay any longer. Proceed with the execution.”
At the low-spoken command, Bvel swallowed dryly.
What came from the duke’s mouth was an order that would overturn everything.
Bvel drew a deep breath and spoke with all his heart.
“Understood. Milord.”
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“Your Highness, I apologize for the lack of a proper tea, as the villa was barely maintained.”
Zenid brought the tray of tea over to Julion, who was observing the wall.
Fortunately, there were a few well-preserved teas with a long shelf life.
The aroma of dried tea leaves, similar to our rooibos, filled the air with sweetness.
“I’ve never seen this tea before.”
“Lady Shahadna personally blended these tea leaves.”
“You mean Rohiriel’s mother?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Julion took a sip of the tea. It wasn’t overly sweet, but it had a subtle and warm flavor.
He had never met Shahadna face-to-face, but somehow he had a feeling she was similar to this tea.
“Where was Rohiriel’s room back then?”
The place where young Rohiriel spent her time. He was curious about how she decorated her room and what surrounded her during her growth.
Zenid, reading the look in Julion’s eyes, curled a soft smile.
“Let me show you.”
Rohiriel’s room was on the second floor.
Upon entering, the first thing that caught his eye were the medical books.
“From a young age, she must have shown exceptional passion for studying.”
Thinking of young Rohiriel with a pen in her hand brought a smile to Julion’s face.
As he looked around the room, Julion’s gaze was mesmerized by a painting on the wall at the head of the bed.
It was a portrait of a mother and daughter sitting on a couch, looking affectionate.
The woman’s striking features were reminiscent of the color of water, and…
“Could this be…?”
Julion’s footsteps involuntarily moved towards the portrait.
The closer he got, the clearer he could see the face in the portrait.
A child smiling broadly in her mother’s arms. Julion couldn’t take his eyes off the child’s face.
Or, more precisely, the child’s hair.
Blue hair, strikingly similar to her mother’s. It resembled the color of water, at times akin to a vast sky—a distinct hue.
“Miss… No, it’s Her Highness and Lady Shahadna. I’m sorry, Your Highness; I unintentionally called her highness “miss” after looking at her childhood photo…”
Zenid explained from the side, but it fell on deaf ears.
A fragment of the past flashed through his mind at the sight of the child in the portrait.
Thank you for the chapter!❤️🔥❤️🔥