By the time Kisa’s party reached Bonzmos after a two-and-a-half-day carriage journey, the western sky was dyed red with the evening sunset.
They first headed to their designated lodging.
At the Pavela Hotel, named after the nearby monastery and boasting the best facilities in the area, Kisa received a grand welcome.
Local dignitaries of Bonzmos were waiting for her there.
“Oh my, Lady Vansfelt! Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you!”
“Was your journey very tiring? We hope you get plenty of rest during your stay.”
“We heard that Duke Hillan couldn’t come due to sudden circumstances. How disappointing! Though it can’t be helped this time, we sincerely wish he would accompany you next time.”
“Indeed. Our Bonzmos may not be very developed, but it’s such a wonderful place. The Duke must miss it considerably.”
“The Duke has been doing such great things for Bonzmos lately. Though we haven’t had the opportunity to connect until now, we’d like to participate in his good work from now on.”
“By the way, you truly are as beautiful as we’ve heard! I completely understand why the Duke fell for you at first sight. Ah, the romantic tale of your courtship is quite famous in this region.”
“Oh, you must be hungry? We specifically instructed the hotel to prepare a banquet featuring local herbs, a specialty of Bonzmos.”
They spoke so rapidly, clutching at Kisa, that it made her ears ring.
It was obvious they were desperately trying to establish connections with the Duke of Hillan.
When they even expressed their desire to join Kisa for dinner, she firmly declined, saying she was tired and wanted to be alone.
She truly was exhausted, and moreover, their behavior was quite displeasing to her.
‘Now they’re trying to flatter and curry favor.’
Having heard the past stories from Seyard, Kisa knew that most nobles in Bonzmos had previously disregarded him.
Of course, from their position, it made sense to completely ignore Seyard rather than risk incurring the displeasure of the Hillan ducal family by associating with him.
She wasn’t unable to understand. Even Kisa couldn’t confidently say she would have acted differently had she been in their position.
However, that didn’t mean she wanted to help them establish connections with the Duke of Hillan.
Seyard was already contributing to Bonzmos’s revival, so what more did they want?
‘Greedy people.’
Vowing not to meet them again no matter how many times they came, Kisa entered her room.
The best suite in the hotel clearly showed efforts made to satisfy important guests.
It was cleaner and more luxurious than expected, with a soft bed.
After changing into indoor clothes with Lily’s help, dinner was delivered on a trolley.
The pork dish with herbs to remove any gamey taste was quite palatable.
She suddenly wondered if Seyard had eaten such food often when he lived here.
Thinking she should ask him later, she finished her meal, and Lily inquired about tomorrow’s schedule.
In truth, Kisa’s answer was predetermined without need for questioning.
“I’ll visit St. Pavela Monastery. I’ve already informed them that I’d be coming tomorrow.”
That was the purpose of coming to Bonzmos in the first place.
She wanted to visit there as soon as they arrived, but since a monastery’s day typically begins early in the morning and ends early in the evening, she had to wait until tomorrow.
‘Finally, it’s right in front of me.’
After Lily withdrew and night fell, Kisa lay on the unfamiliar bed and stared at the ceiling.
She only hoped that tomorrow all her doubts would be resolved and peace would return to her heart.
Only then could she face Seyard without any concerns.
Hopefully.
The next morning, Kisa entered St. Pavela Monastery.
“Welcome, Lady Vansfelt.”
The abbot, who had come to greet her at the main gate, welcomed Kisa warmly.
“We are grateful that Duke Hillan has not forgotten this place and has provided valuable assistance. Although he couldn’t come, we hope you’ll stay as long as you wish.”
The abbot, with his benevolent appearance, introduced a young monk standing beside him to Kisa.
“This is Brother Vishius. Though still a novice, he is a friend with excellent faith and diligence. He’s also quite talkative, so you won’t be bored.”
The young monk with distinctive freckles greeted her cheerfully.
“Nice to meet you, my lady! I’m Vishius. Please ask me anything you’re curious about.”
“I’m pleased to meet you too, Brother Vishius.”
After the greetings, the abbot asked Kisa to visit his office before leaving and then withdrew.
Kisa walked alongside Brother Vishius along the brick path that traversed the entire monastery, with Lily following a few steps behind.
Built with red brick, St. Pavela Monastery was a place that exuded a pastoral charm.
Brother Vishius, perhaps to ease Kisa’s awkwardness, mentioned Seyard.
“Actually, I was quite close with Brother Hillan, or rather, Duke Hillan. I suppose young people tend to get along well.”
Brother Hillan. Though she knew his nominal identity at the monastery had been that of a monk, hearing such a title gave her a fresh feeling.
Suddenly, related curiosity arose.
“Brother Vishius, did the Duke wear monastic robes like other monks when he was here?”
“Yes, of course. Though he changed when going out to town, saying it drew unnecessary attention.”
I see. So Seyard also wore this black, plain robe with a white waistband.
To be honest, she didn’t think it was a stylish outfit at all, but for some reason, imagining him wearing it made her think he might look handsome.
‘Perhaps the ascetic atmosphere of the monastic robes might strangely suit Seyard?’
Wondering if it was an irreverent thought, Kisa asked Brother Vishius another question.
“Did the Duke pray like other monks?”
“That too, of course. Although he did miss quite a few times, he generally attended the liturgies reasonably well.”
Kisa tried to picture him in monk’s robes, absorbed in prayer, but stopped midway. It still felt irreverent.
Brother Vishius guided Kisa through various places within the monastery.
They toured places like the main building and assembly hall, as well as the vegetable garden, stable, and smithy, listening to Brother Vishius’s humorous yet surprisingly informative explanations.
Of course, when they might disturb people using those places, they only briefly observed the exterior before moving on.
Since it was her first time entering a monastery, Kisa continued her tour with considerable interest.
However, she hadn’t forgotten the original purpose of her visit.
Kisa periodically asked questions about Seyard in relation to the monastery’s facilities, and Brother Vishius answered earnestly without suspicion.
He probably thought her questions stemmed from sweet curiosity about her lover, and perhaps he also felt obligated to provide information in Seyard’s absence.
“What kind of person was Duke Hillan?”
The young monk answered without hesitation.
“He was a good person, of course. He had a cheerful and straightforward personality, and he knew so much about outside news that it was enjoyable to talk with him. And this is a secret, but I also learned to play cards from him. Sometimes we young ones would gather secretly and play a round.”
The talkative young monk was an excellent source of information.
“Once, we were caught by the strict Brother Besano, but only I got severely scolded. He grabbed my wrist like this, checking if I was lying about betting money or not. I was so scared that my heart beat too fast, making him suspect I was lying. We had only wagered alcohol, not money.”
Listening to his story, a memory suddenly came to mind.
Several months ago, in the garden of the Vansfelt mansion, Seyard had told her an anecdote about someone similar to the Brother Besano that Vishius mentioned.
[One of the monks I knew would often discern lies from people this way. Whether he could really tell if someone was lying by their heartbeat or if he had some other method, he was someone who could see through human hearts. Once, a young monk who had recently joined the monastery harbored resentment after being scolded by him and…]
“Ah,” Kisa exclaimed, looking at Brother Vishius. “Are you perhaps the young monk who, resenting being scolded by Brother Besano, hid all his shoes?”
Brother Vishius affirmed Kisa’s question by turning his face as red as a radish.
“What, did Brother Hillan tell you that too? That’s really too much! It was already unfair enough that he escaped when we got caught playing cards together!”
“Haha, let’s just say I happened to hear about it.”
Concerned she might have said something inappropriate, Kisa scratched her cheek.
Brother Vishius grumbled for a moment but quickly cheered up and cheerfully recounted memories of when Seyard lived there.
Listening to him, warmth gradually spread through Kisa’s heart.
The Seyard in these stories was, contrary to Daniel’s suspicions, simply a good person.
Meanwhile, Kisa recalled part of a conversation she had with him about the monastery.
[On days when I didn’t feel like drinking or thought it inappropriate to drink during the day, after following Cobi for the first time, I would spend time at the gambling house.]
Curious about who this Cobi was, whom Seyard had frequented gambling houses with, Kisa asked Brother Vishius if she could meet him.
“Ah, Cobi.”
But the young monk gave an unexpected answer.
“That would be difficult. He is currently missing.”
