161. Time to let go (1)
“Your Highness is currently resting by the lakeside.”
I found and asked the courtier who served Arya that I had seen before, and this answer came back.
After receiving the answer, I wondered if I could go straight there.
Although he is still the grandson of the emperor, is it okay to suddenly visit the successor of the emperor of the empire?
It’s not like the other side called me first.
‘I don’t know.’
In the first place, I wondered if Aria would be okay since Aria isn’t someone who cares too much about formality.
Besides, if I go now, I’ll be able to talk with Aria alone.
A little sensitive story may come out, but it was better that no one besides Aria heard it.
There is no guarantee that even among those who serve Arya, there will be no Sejak.
“Emilia. Will you wait here?”
“Yes, Mr. Heinkel.”
I found Arya.
A single red chair was placed in front of the vast lake.
Arya was sitting alone in a chair that didn’t match her background at all.
I walked slowly on the grass and stood next to Arya.
“Huh. After setting the ball, you’re very rude. Do you dare to stand next to Jim?”
“Would you like to stand facing each other?”
“No. It blocks your view. Just stay like this.”
“·······.”
Hwang Tae-son’s mood was different from usual.
I have to say he’s slightly sunken.
It was a somber atmosphere.
“I came to ask you something.”
From noble mtl dot com.
“Please? What is that?”
“I have a problem with the place I was staying at, so can I stay at the imperial palace for a day or two?”
“Schlus Heinkel… Do you know what kind of inn the imperial palace is?”
“There is no safer inn than the imperial palace. Right now, I feel threatened for my safety and am asking Your Highness for protection.”
“Huh…”
Hwang Tae-son only then looked interested.
“Good. There is a guest room in the annex. Please use it.”
“Can I use the attendant as well?”
“No. There are a lot of courtiers, so if you’re an attendant, ask them-“
“Then I’ll leave too.”
“What, what?!”
Arya looked up at me, startled.
“They said they wouldn’t use the room unless they could stay with the attendant.”
“Kuh······· It’s okay to bring in an attendant. Just leave within three days.”
“I understand. Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Are you so precious to be a commoner attendant?”
“It’s precious.”
“If you know the nature of that year, you will change your mind…”
“·······.”
After muttering something, Arya turned her head towards her lake, feeling uncomfortable.
She was an empty lake, with no fish that popped up and croaked occasionally, nor birds that floated about.
We stared blankly for a while at that empty, calm lake without a wave.
“Doesn’t the matter still remain?”
“No. Your Highness was just looking at this view for a while, wondering what was so interesting about looking into it.”
“It’s not fun.”
“Then you must have good memories.”
“Yes, you bastard…”
Arya growled and looked up at me.
She made a mistake.
I hit too hard.
At this point, I don’t think I have anything to say even if I suspect that she has mind reading.
“It’s a good feeling.”
“Was that correct?”
“Yes. It is a place where I have memories with my father. When I ran out because I hated studying, my father would always sit on this lawn and stare at the lake. I didn’t know what that meant, so I sat down and looked at it…. . I still don’t know.”
Aria laughed dejectedly.
For Arya, the crown prince must have been an infinitely warm and caring father.
In her, the image of the prince was hardened like that.
In fact, it would be obvious how much the Crown Prince is just sitting by the lakeside and spending time with nothing to do…
She must have remembered her father well enough for Arya to reject even such basic reasoning.
“It’s a very quiet lake.”
“Yes. It’s a wonderful scenery to look at for a while. It’s like a picture. But looking at it over and over again… I feel like it’s meaningless, like looking at a still image endlessly. I see. Is it because Jim has a short knowledge of art, this?”
“I’m not very well versed in the arts either, but I agree with you.”
“Huh. So you’re saying my father did meaningless things all along?”
“It’s difficult to connect like that.”
“Ha ha ha! It was a joke.”
Arya laughed as she thumped her head against my arm.
She speaks herself and laughs herself ······.
He didn’t seem to be in a good mood today.
“Let’s think together. The meaning of looking into this quiet lake.”
“It’s useless. How can you count my father’s thoughts that I couldn’t count?”
“Couldn’t you give it a try?”
“Is that so… Do whatever you want.”
I already knew the answer.
I knew why the crown prince liked looking at this lake so much.
But I decided to keep it shut.
I decided to just stand next to Arya.
Aria An’s image of her father never changes.
There must have been no problems so far.
There is no contradiction in the tragic story of the good prince being assassinated.
But what if there is a probability error in the story?
What would happen if the father in memory and the father in reality caused a gap?
I was thinking of using this.
***
My life in the imperial palace ended quickly.
As soon as I heard the news that I was staying at the imperial palace, the school did everything they could to finish the construction of the mansion.
When I asked the construction company, they said it would take three days, but I didn’t expect it to be completed in one day.
How much did the alternative school side peck out…?
I entrusted the design of the new barrier to Erika.
Ludwig offered to make it, but I refused.
No matter how much I think about it, I think it would be more reliable to entrust it to Erika, even if the quality is a bit low.
If Alexia had been there, she wouldn’t have bothered, but since she wasn’t here, Erica was her second best choice.
While I asked Erica to make her barrier, I arranged a meeting with Yulia.
I was asked to give at least three days’ notice.
And today was the day.
“Are you nervous?”
“Oh no? Not at all?”
A carriage headed for the Lichtenburg Mansion.
Erica, who sat across from me, couldn’t quite keep her fingers still.
It’s because the aristocrat is so rude.
“Chulus, because you believe… But, by the way. How are you going to cure Yulia’s nightmare-“
“·······.”
“Oh, okay. I won’t ask.”
“Erika.”
“Huh?”
“I told you to trust me more.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right. I believe you, Erica. Because I believe you… You can be a bit more open about it.”
Erica decided to trust me after clearing up all her delusions and misunderstandings.
But if I don’t trust Erica, she’s betraying her trust.
Faith had to be a mutual relationship.
I had to show that I believed in Erica, just as Erica believed in me.
“Details are classified, but I’ll just say that there are things that work wonders.”
“An item that causes miracles…?”
“It is a miracle to call the dead.”
“What…! There’s no way there’s such a thing!”
“It’s not about reviving, it’s just about calling. Anyway, the item came into my hands and I called the person I’d been dreaming of for a long time without hesitation. But an accident happened. The soul that was supposed to appear before me… “
“No way. You said you went to Yulia?”
“You understand quickly.”
“·······.”
Erica’s mouth opened and she didn’t know how to close it.
She made a lot of omissions, but at least she didn’t lie.
I think I’ve said everything within the scope of what I can convey.
“Well then…!”
“Yes. It was possible to fix it at any time. I could send the soul back to the underworld at any time if I wanted to.”
“Did you lie until now…? You said you wanted to see Yulia because you wanted to meet the summoned spirit?”
“That’ll work.”
“You…!”
It was time to pay the price for honesty.
Erika jumped at me and grabbed me by the collar.
She was now waiting to see if she would get slapped on the cheek, but Erica hung her head and wouldn’t lift it.
Then she trembled and then tears began to drip down my shirt.
“You… If it was something like that, tell me sooner… Why did you hide it until now?”
“That’s because you planted someone else’s soul at will in your sister’s body.”
“That was an accident! Or is that a lie too?”
“No.”
“Then you haven’t done anything wrong! Then speak up proudly! If you had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have been so nervous because I was afraid of some kind of illness! A little earlier… I would…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It will only make you more miserable. It seems like I’ve prevented you from meeting the person you’ve been longing for, so I’m dying of pain…”
You have a pretty heart······.
I just thought of it.
Even though she found out about my lie, Erica was still angry about why she told me now.
She was blaming herself for not doing anything wrong.
Feeling sympathy before betrayal, she must have been kind from birth.
I had to hold on to my collar for a long time and catch all the tears with my shirt.
“Why are you so calm? Aren’t you on your way to let that person go? I’m so sad just thinking about how you feel… Why do you look like nothing’s wrong?”
“Because I’ve already made a decision.”
“You Mr. Lee······. It’s annoying. I’m really annoyed to death. I keep these things tightly hidden and don’t say a word, only to say it right before I get caught.”
“I am reflecting.”
“Yes… Reflect on it. Tell me more. Trust me more. Rely on me more…”
After I was taken prisoner, Erica buried her face in my chest.
I kept sobbing in that state.
My hand went up on its own and started stroking Erica’s hair.
After a while, the sobs stopped.