Chapter 92
I glanced at the backs of Cecily and Marie, who had left to share a personal story.
I asked how long it would take along the way, but the two said it would take a little while, and moved on to keep looking at the works on display until then.
I was just guessing from the previous situation, and I had a rough idea of what we were going to talk about, but there was no room for intervention, so I had no choice but to stay still.
If you enjoy the exhibited works, you will come back, but you can’t help but be curious.
“Umm…”
I started with three people, but after a while, I wonder if this is how it feels to be left alone. I glanced around, staring intently at where Marie and Cecily had disappeared.
Occasionally, I was left alone, but there were still many passers-by in the village. Everyone is busy watching the exhibition, and they are busy enjoying the festival.
It means that few people care about me when I am alone.
‘Let’s take a look around.’
It’s going to take a while, Cecily said, so it’s better to look around than stand still. I moved on and started to appreciate works I had not seen before, one by one.
If the statues were arranged on either side of the road like a building, the artworks were displayed throughout the village, providing a variety of enjoyment. Also, art is not the only thing in the exhibition.
“There is a noble above the people, there is a king above the nobles, and a kingdom exists only because there is a state. But it is the people who sustain the state. Count Crost, you are accusing the nation of its fundamentals simply because you are harassing it. Truly, it is the conduct of a true nobleman, isn’t it?”
“Shut up that mouth! You dare to mock me?!”
“Oolong. I was just stating the truth. I’ve heard that people get angry if they pick up the truth, but I guess that’s true.”
Some troupes perform on a central stage installed in the center of the village.
As I said before, the exhibition is not only visited by the Matrix troupe, and even if not necessarily a theater company, there are occasionally actors who are engaged in theater as a hobby.
Since the place where the concert hall is installed is the town square, you might think that your voice may not be heard well due to the people coming and going compared to other places. However, the voices of the actors came to our ears vividly, perhaps because of the special work they did.
In addition, the scale is not huge like the Matrix troupe, but the acting skills of the actors were excellent even by my standards, so I was able to immerse myself in it.
For these reasons, there were quite a few people who watched the play. Judging from the clothes placed in the front, it is assumed that most people sitting on the chairs are nobles, while those standing in the back are commoners.
‘What do the nobles think when they see this?’
The play currently being performed by the troupe at the concert hall is the beginning of Volume 8, and it is a scene that represents the power and cancer of aristocrats.
When his vested interests are threatened by Zeno, he traps him, but on the contrary, he is toured as a cider scene.
You might think that most people who watch the play are commoners, but surprisingly, a small number of nobles were also watching it. There is no sign of displeasure, and the focus is on the play itself.
To be honest, I was worried that it would be uncomfortable as the original author, but fortunately, it seems that it was Ki-woo. In fact, the nobles also said that they had a lot of thoughts after watching the scene at the beginning of volume 8, so it may be a part of that.
‘Even if there is a riot, the security guards will stop it, so there will be no problem.’
I stood at a distance to watch the play, then moved on to look elsewhere. There were too many works on display to focus only on the play.
Soon after, I found a piece of art that caught my attention.
“There are people who drew this.”
There is a very famous meme in Korea called ‘hectopascal kick’.
It is a scene in which a girl is giving a drop kick to a boy who was making a fuss, but the scene is also a scene, but the word hectopascal itself is strong, so it has been sublimated into a meme.
I described the scene in detail in Zeno’s biography. The heroine and heroine, Mary, appears dignifiedly by throwing a drop kick at the bad guys.
In this world where most of the descriptions were plain, it was an extraordinary first appearance, so it was imprinted in the minds of many readers.
‘I drew it really well.’
It must have been the Middle Ages, so the style of painting was different, but except for that, it was 100% similar to the Hectopascal Kick I knew.
Mary throws a drop kick at a thug with her purple hair fluttering, and even the look of a gangster getting hit by a drop kick with her arms crossed.
The composition, character, and expression were all perfect, a hectopascal kick itself.
‘Are there any other reincarnations besides me?’
It’s crazy to think of such an absurd thing. I looked down to see who owned this piece of art.
Like the statues I saw earlier, there was a sign with an explanation written on it.
First of all, this artist’s name is Carls Zvassa. He is from the Minerva Empire, not the Kingdom of Teres.
The reason I chose this scene out of many scenes is because it reveals Mary’s personality and identity at once.
Also, unlike other artists, it is said that it is to bring laughter to those who see the work by drawing it in a funny way.
‘Carls Zvassa… I have to remember this person too.’
I took out my notebook and pen, saving Carls’ work that I drew in line with the hectopascal kick in my head. Just in case you ever forget your name.
Later, after the exhibition, I have to mention the names of some artists so that people will know that I have attended, so it is essential.
“Whoa~”
“Hey?!”
As I was writing my name in my notebook, someone blew wind into my ear. I couldn’t help but let out a bizarre scream at the feeling of goosebumps because it was not tickled.
I turned my head to see who did this, digging through my tickling ear canals.
As soon as I saw the criminal’s face, I couldn’t help but be shocked.
“…Sister Adele?”
“Haha. Are you meeting here?”
It was Adelia, who had left the mansion to see the exhibition before me. I greeted her with her characteristic cheerful smile, and she gave me a puzzled look.
Usually, Adelia wears simple clothes even on weekends, but today was a festival, so it seemed like she gave strength to her clothes.
The brown short hair that was raised to the neck and the beauty without a single make-up were the same, but the clothes were wings, and the brown vest over the white shirt and the leather pants revealing the legs fully express the unique characteristics of the person.
The only difference in her outfit from when she saw her at the academy was that her cheerful and lively charm did not fade at all.
“Where are the other kids going, and you’re the only one looking around?”
Adelia put her hand on her waist and asked me in her characteristic husky voice.
I answered bluntly as I poked my fingers through the still tickling earholes.
“I’ve got some work to do. What about Adele noona like that? Weren’t you with my older sister?”
“Originally it was. But in the blink of an eye, Nicole disappeared.”
“…are you lost?”
“It’s not. I’m not lost, I just missed Nicole.”
They say they saw it and got lost. I laughed out loud as I looked at Adele, who went beyond the arrogance and shameless.
Although the exhibition was held, our estate is rather narrow, and I had no idea what it would have been like at the academy because I got lost.
Adele smirked and scratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed by my laughter. She seems to have thought that what she had said made no sense.
“The… Anyway, will you accompany me for a while until I meet Nicole? I’m so treacherous that I can’t even go back to the mansion.”
“It doesn’t matter as long as we accompany you. But isn’t it a bit harsh to say that you can’t even go back to the mansion?”
“There were times when I couldn’t find a place to stay even at the Academy and wandered around all day. Isn’t it great?”
“That’s nothing to brag about. Are you enjoying the exhibition anyway?”
“I’m enjoying myself, but…”
Adelia hesitated a bit at my question, then smiled brightly. I felt an incomprehensible sense of incongruity in that smile.
Did I have a strong feeling that I was being forced to build? Just seeing her real smile just made me even stronger.
“Yeah. I’m enjoying it without any problems. Don’t worry too much.”
“Hmm… I see.”
“How’s your cutie? It’s an exhibition held on your estate. Don’t you feel good?”
Her question hastily turned to the topic. Thanks to her, she got a sneak peek that she had something to do with it, but she decided to pretend she didn’t know.
Still, I’m curious. I continued the topic in order to understand the details in more detail.
“Of course it’s good. It’s the first time in the history of our territory that it’s as lively as it is today. I’m particularly proud of enjoying the festival regardless of race.”
“Ah. Come to think of it, not only Beasts but also demons sometimes appear. I was really surprised. Asmodians are usually in a hurry to hide their identities.”
“It’s all thanks to Zenon’s biography. What did your sister think of the demons before Zenon’s biography came out?”
“I didn’t think much of it? I’m a demon, I’m a Nabal, and I’ve been busy living on my own, so I can’t afford to take care of others.”
I spoke like a flow, but I could never hear it flow. Because it was a content that could be guessed even in a fragmentary way about Adelia’s past.
It seemed that she had a more complicated past than expected. She heard that people who laugh a lot have a lot of internal wounds, she said.
Maybe Adelia is like that too. I glanced at Adelia, who smiled softly, and then quietly opened her mouth once.
“By the way, where is your hometown? I heard from my sister that she lives in a very remote place.”
“Uh… There is such a place. It’s a town without a local name, so it’s hard to tell. I was fortunate enough to join the academy in the first place.”
Adelia answered my question by clasping the back of her head. It’s enough to tell that she’s lying to her by the way her gaze is turned to the right.
Her beauty, which one could never think of as a commoner, was definitely related to aristocrats.
I glanced at her lying once, then continued speaking in a sullen voice.
“I’m sorry.”
“what?”
“It’s because the area is far away, so you can’t enjoy the festival with your family.”
“It’s a family…”
Adelia, who muttered meaningfully, giggled and replied softly with vagueness.
The husky voice was combined to make the vagueness stronger.
“Yeah. As you said, you should enjoy this kind of festival with your family.”
“… …”
“It’s going to be so much fun. We chat and have fun with the younger brothers, and we eat delicious food together with our parents…”
It’s a completely different atmosphere and voice from Adelia, who usually scolded her. As her usual husky voice was lowered, she exuded subtlety, but even the sadness that was suppressed in her heart was felt.
Have you ever had any experiences of losing your family in the past? Otherwise, it would be impossible to make such an expression.
I too have lost my entire family in a previous life, so I know what that person looks like. He looks up at the sky just like Adelia and recalls the memories.
In the old days, it was nothing more than everyday life, but looking back, I was happier than ever. Families who were the most reliable ally.
I waited quietly for Adelia while she was immersed in her memories. I plan to avoid forcibly pulling it out of memories.
“Well…”
But why are you looking at me all of a sudden? Adelia, who was looking up at the sky with her dim eyes, moved her gaze and looked at me as if she had escaped from her thoughts.
When I had doubts about Adelia, who was staring at me with her sky blue eyes, she grinned and opened her mouth softly.
“It would be great if I had a younger sibling like you. I think he’ll be cute every day.”
“Someone who is fussy like my older sister…”
“A. Don’t be too pushy. You say you’re nice to your younger sisters too? And if you have a cute little brother like you, you want to protect him? I think I understand why Nicole cares for you.”
“Uh-huh. Put your hands away. That body has a girlfriend.”
“Not now. Let’s touch it a little bit. Huh?”
“No.”
I resisted Adelia, who was clinging to her like a pervert, and stubbornly refused. Adelia was also pushed back helplessly by my restraint, perhaps as a joke.
Still, it seems that he was sincere in saying that he would like to have a younger brother like me, but when I decided to reject it, it was quite a pity.
“Chit. Is this between us? Too much.”
“What’s with us?”
“Are you friends between your friend’s brother and sister?”
“That’s what they call someone else.”
“Isn’t that too vulgar?”
“I don’t think that’s what the person who threw the ball from the first meeting would say.”
“…I’m really sorry about that.”
While chatting with Adelia, we went to the exhibition and bought street food in between. Of course, I paid all the prices.
Originally, Adelia was going to pay the money instead, but as the lord’s son, he wanted to decline that much.
Because of this, Adelia said thank you and secretly tried to touch my cheeks, but when I let go of the threat, she regretted and backed away.
“By the way, when will your girlfriend and the Demon Princess return?”
“Well. You said it would take a while… huh?”
It was a leisurely walk around eating chicken skewers. It aroused my curiosity by discovering that people were gathering in a poisonous place.
Adelia also muttered in a curious voice while fixing her gaze in the same direction as if she was similar to me.
“Am I on any spectacle?”
“It’s very likely. Shall we go?”
“Then. I was bored at the time, but it went well. Ha-am.”
Adelia took all the meat left on the skewers at once and threw it back. She didn’t dump it anywhere, but there was a trash can behind her, so she put it there.
For a moment, I made a strange expression for Adelia’s technique of throwing a skewer in the trash without looking back, and then I moved to the place where the crowd had gathered.
Subsequently, the closer they got, the more they heard the stories they were sharing.
“The royals came from the Teres Kingdom?”
“Yeah. A prince and two princesses?”
“It’s no big deal. The royal family of Terus is coming to our empire.”
By analogy with the story that comes to my ears, it seems that the nobles, and even the royals, came from the Kingdom of Teres.
I kept sticking my head out curiously about what he looked like, but it was difficult to see his face because there were so many people.
In the end, after a while, I thought I should watch it when I got a chance, and when I gave up, I realized later that Adelia’s reaction was unusual.
“These guys… came here…?”
“Sister Adele?”
Did you get any big shock? Adelia’s complexion quickly turned pale, and her sky-blue eyes began to flutter aimlessly.
When I called her name, even when I grabbed her arm and waved her, Adelia just stood still, nailed to her place.
“sister.”
“… …”
“Sister. Calm down.”
“Ahhh.”
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Eventually, he pulled the ball and forced him to come to his senses. Adelia pinched her cheek and she was startled, then blinked a couple of times in her sky-blue eyes.
Then he looked at me with a blank expression somewhere, took a long breath and smiled broadly. It felt like a forced smile, and it was a really awkward smile with screws missing.
“I’m sorry, I must have been bruised for a while.”
“Isn’t there a problem?”
“Not at all. Except for my health, I’m a corpse.”
If you’re talking nonsense, there’s definitely a problem. I remembered the royal family of Terce beyond the huddled crowd.
Maybe Adelia has something to do with them. As soon as she heard people say that the royal family had come from the Kingdom of Teres, she reacted with her soul out, so it is highly likely.
‘There seems to be more complicated circumstances than I thought.’
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Escape from this place in a hurry would be good for me and, above all, for Adelia.
I grabbed Adelia’s hand, still confused. I felt Adelia tremble as I grabbed her hand.
“…cutie?”
“Don’t stay here, let’s go somewhere else. Because there are so many people, it must be difficult to get in.”
“That… can’t I stay here for a minute?”
“why?”
“Wow, there’s something I want to check. It’s my personal business, so you go alone.”
Adelia asks me in a trembling voice. And still pale complexion, trembling eyes, and cold sweat starting to trickle down her cheeks.
It was impossible to ignore the fact that a cold sweat began to flow in that short time, but Adelia’s lips were trembling. She’s over nervous and she’s showing signs of anxiety.
If this goes on like this, I don’t know what will happen to Adelia. A person cannot remain sane when placed in a state of extreme anxiety.
It was for her sake, and I firmly refused because I could get involved in complicated things for nothing.
“No. Do you know how your sister is now? I don’t know what’s going on with you over there, but I think it’s best to rest for now.”
“No, absolutely not. It’s a very personal matter, so get your hands on it. Wait, can I just check it for a second?”
Adelia slapped her hand to let it go, whether it was urgent or not, but I did not care and pulled her away. It seems that the anxiety symptoms have gotten worse, so he can’t properly give him strength.
How anxious would it be that she, who is a teaching assistant at the academy, would become so weak. If she had been a stranger she would have ignored her, but she was Nicole’s dear friend, and she couldn’t stand still.
“First, take a deep breath and calm yourself down. You can feel your pulse beating while holding your hand.”
“Yeah, right? Is it that bad?”
“Why don’t you put your hand on your chest and think?”
At my suggestion, Adelia put her hand on her chest. And she took a deep breath in her breath, albeit belatedly, that she had grasped her condition, and then she exhaled long.
It was the moment when Adelia was about to let go.
“Sister Adele?”
A roaring yet youthful voice pierced her ears. At the young voice, I and Adelia also turned their heads in the direction the sound was heard.
The first thing that caught my eye was light blue eyes like Adelia. Not a dark blue like Marie and Lina, but a light color like aquamarine.
Then there are the two men and women next to the girl. She is a beautiful woman with light blue hair and eyes, and exudes a unique personality.
The color contrasted sharply with me, who had red hair, so it was even more mysterious.
“It’s Adele’s sister!”
In a situation where time seemed to have stopped for a moment, the cute doll-like girl blinked her eyes and shouted Adele’s name out loud. At the same time, Adelia trembled at her body and staggered behind her.
Before long, just before the girl took steps to approach Adelia, someone grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her.
The owner of the hand holding the shoulder was a woman with a hard expression standing next to her, and she was not dressed in a dress, but in a uniform like a knight would wear. She blends in with her ponytail style, spreading her mature charm among her subtleties.
“no.”
“Huh? Hiriya sister?”
The girl in uniform looked at her with a questioning expression as the woman in uniform stopped her with a low-pitched, blunt tone of voice. Despite her girl’s question, the gaze of the woman called Hirya was fixed in one place.
Other than that, it was never a favorable view. In fact, it is a level that is close to contempt.
I slowly turned my head towards the place my gaze was headed.
“… …”
Adelia’s sky-blue eyes, the same as those in the front, flickered aimlessly.
thump- thump- thump
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Even though she was holding her hand, she could clearly feel her heart beating violently.