After Saint Nicholas’ Day, it was New Year’s Day.
Thanks to this, from the end of the year to the beginning of the year, the empire was in a festive mood throughout.
“I hated the holidays.”
[Because of St. Nipolus’s Day?]
“Nicholas, not Nipolus. Anyway, it’s because of that day, but there’s a more troublesome event on January 1st.”
Elaine put on a puzzled expression as she lifted the new clothes the maid had brought the day before.
As L’Arch said the day she went out to sweep the snow, the costume maker, who stopped by the mansion a few days later, measured Elaine’s size.
Ellie was offended by the fact that Elaine was being fitted in the same dressing room as her, but she couldn’t express her dissatisfaction in front of L’Arch.
Even Elaine, who was taking measurements in that uncomfortable atmosphere, was not at all happy about having new clothes.
‘I don’t know why L’Arch bothers people by doing things he never does.’
‘I guess that was the beginning of the weirdness.’
If she look at the fact that he even gave gifts on St. Nicholas’ Day.
Anyway, the clothes they made that day were the clothes Elaine would wear when she went to the New Year’s events.
Elaine didn’t even have the right to choose the design of the clothes, so she left it to L’Arch or the costume maker, but when she received the clothes yesterday, she wondered what she should have said then.
‘A white dress followed by a red ribbon….’
Of course, it wasn’t a very flashy design. But Elaine had never worn such white and pretty clothes before.
Except for the saint’s uniform, she always wore unobtrusive dark gray, navy blue, and brown clothes, but the clothes in front of her were decorated with delicate lace and ribbons in white fabric.
It was the kind of clothes that aristocratic girls would normally wear.
[Is this outfit for that troublesome event?]
“I have to wear this to the temple. Every January 1st, every aristocrat has to go to the temple and worship.”
[Ugh…I really don’t like that place called the Temple of Humans.]
“Me too.”
Elaine shuddered at the thought of the Temple, which was thoroughly secular.
TL: secular, denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
‘This time, the Newt family will send me to the temple, and for the time being I will have to live in the temple again, but since I have memories of my previous life, I will be less upset than I was then.’
‘I remember how bewildered and frustrated I was in my previous life when I expect It’s a place to learn God’s will and pray, so life would be much better than in Newt’s family…’
‘Well, that’s a problem for later anyway’
Elaine pushed the bitter memories aside and began to change into her new clothes.
She felt like she was borrowing someone else’s clothes when she wore a pure white dress over her shabby chemise that didn’t lose its yellowness no matter how much she washed it, so there was none of the excitement of putting on new clothes.
TL: A chemise is a classic smock type of women’s undergarment or dress.
After tidying up her clothes, Elaine tied a ribbon behind her waist, combed her hair, and tied half of her hair in a bunch.
“Do you want to go with me, Lord Rabes?”
[Did you not hear me? I hate places called temples. I hate it terribly.]
“Why do you hate it?”
[I hate to see people who don’t even know God properly pretending to be God’s representatives, but above all, the power they use is at odds with mine.]
It was only then that Elaine remembered what had happened when she was being taken as a human sacrifice.
‘Oh, right. Didn’t they say they sacrificed me and bought time to bring the holy knight?’
It was when monsters suddenly infested the provinces, and the Holy Knights who were guarding the capital moved to the provinces in large numbers.
At that time, she remembered that everyone was talking about defeating the dragon if only the Holy Knights returned.
When she mentioned it, Rabes smirked and replied.
[I deliberately drove the monsters there. To keep the Holy Knights away.]
“The power of the Holy Knights is amazing. Are you even afraid, Rabes?”
[Who is afraid!]
Rabes jumped up and denied it.
[It’s not that I’m afraid of them! There’s no way they could beat me even if a few hundred of them attacked me!]
“Then why…”
[Because their power makes me feel very dirty. Do you know those stories in the history books of this empire about the holy knights defeating dragons? They’re all lies. The dragon didn’t run away because they were scared of the holy knight, they ran away because they felt dirty…]
“If something offends you enough to make you leave your place, they can say they defeat it too.…”
[hey! I said no!]
Fearing that he would be evaluated as weaker than a mere human, holy knight, Rabes got angry.
[If you hadn’t made a wish not to destroy the empire, I would have burned this damn country down! Even if all the holy knights came running.]
“Mmm, I see.”
[Really?]
“Yeah.”
[You don’t believe me right now…!]
“Oh, I must go now. Well then, see you later, Lord Rabes!”
Elaine went outside, leaving Rabes, who was about to jump.
Rabes, who missed the opportunity to explain, patted his chest and burst into anger.
‘Lord Rabes is really cute too. He looks like a boy the size of Martin or Damon.’
It was a dragon that lived 500 years more after hatching, but she didn’t know why it was so cute.
Is it because he is still a kid at 500 years old based on dragons?’
Elaine smiled as she imagined Rabes, who was going round and round on the table, deflating his anger.
And then it was.
“What’s so good about it that you smile?”
Martin, who seemed to have an evil on his face, was staring at Elaine and smirking as if it was the source of trouble that he had just briefly remembered.
‘Ever since they gave me chocolates for St. Nicholas’ Day, Martin, Damon, and Ellie seemed to be up to something again.’
And judging by that oddly triumphant look on their faces, there was a very good chance it was going to happen today.
“I can smile or not.”
watched Elaine, who didn’t avert her gaze but gave him a ‘you’re nothing’ look and said everything nonchalantly. Martin became angry.
“This Is the end of the day that you could be so arrogant! Wait and see!”
Elaine shook her head, looking at Martin’s back as he shouted and walked away.
‘Go around spreading rumors that you’re up to something.’
It was somewhat understandable that L’Arch had always disliked his younger siblings, especially Martin.
Having such an idiot younger brother, it’s worth worrying about as the next head of household.
‘Hmm, what happened in the past life…?’
‘I searched through my vague memories to recall the day of this New Year’s event, but nothing special seemed to have happened.’
Damon kicked her in the carriage and left footprints on her skirt, Ellie said she was embarrassed to go into the temple with her and used a separate entrance for the commoners, fell twice because there were so many people running around and she have to walk to the home because people left her behind.
Well, that was about it.
‘This time I won’t get lost in the temple. After ten years in the temple, I knew the internal temple like the back of my hand.’
At least she wouldn’t get swept around and miss the return carriage and have to walk all those miles.
‘Would the same thing happen in the carriage?’
At that time, she was wearing a dark gray dress, so she couldn’t see the footprints, but it would be too noticeable if the footprints were in a white dress.
Thinking about how to avoid Damon who is trying to kick her, she went down to ride the carriage, but she felt a slightly different atmosphere from that day in her previous life.
“Ellie, you take the carriage with our parents.”
“why? I want to ride with my brothers…”
“I thought this carriage would have to have at least one person to protect it.
If I don’t, I don’t know what kind of jokes you guys will play with each other.”
L’Arch had sent Ellie to the count’s carriage and was saying that he would ride the second carriage.
In the previous life, the count couple and L’Arch rode in one carriage, and the rest of the children rode in the second carriage.
‘What’s going on?’
Elaine hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and approached the carriage.
Martin and Damon were planning to harass Elaine, but everything was ruined by L’Arch, so they glared at Elaine.
However, L’Arch looked so calmly at Elaine’s figure up and down and said in a satisfied voice.
“You look good, Elaine.”
“Is that so…? I’m not sure.”
“What looks good on her? A pearl necklace around a pig’s neck.”
Perhaps because he missed the opportunity to harass Elaine, Martin boldly rambled in front of L’Arch.
“Martin.”
Of course, that defiance was quelled by L’Arch calling his name once and sending him a cold glance.
“Hurry up and get in the carriage. We will be leaving soon.”
L’Arch skillfully commanded his younger siblings as if he were really a guardian.
Martin and Damon looked dissatisfied as if they didn’t like that L’Arch sided with Elaine, but they obediently obeyed L’Arch’s words.
And when Elaine was waiting for L’Arch to get on first, L’Arch suddenly held out his hand.
* * *
ewww, he is so gross!