174 Ominous night
***Main character Oscar***
Today has been strange since daytime.
The sky was hazy, as if a light-colored cloth was put together, and as the night went on, the energy increased.
Even after the sun goes down.
Unlike the earth, neither the brightly shining stars nor the coolly shining moon were visible.
The black sky was like a hole through which the whole world fell, and in a way, it felt like the darkness was attacking with its mouth wide open.
The people of the duchy also seemed to be restless for some reason.
An atmosphere of murmur, somehow unknown, went around.
Pooh was like that too, so he cried out meaninglessly or ran looking for me, then ran again looking for Katrin, and after that, looking for me again.
Everyone is restless and excited, the air is buzzing.
Things didn’t go right, so today ended up like a half-holiday.
For the first time since I became a duke, the candles that had been lighting up the office without a break for twelve months a year went out early, and the aides mingle with each other or take their subordinates to the castle town.
It looks like I’ll be drinking until dawn today.
I turned to Catherine.
Today, I heard that she, too, is in the garden after finishing all her work and education early.
It seems that he went out to see the flowers at night with some spare time.
When autumn is deep and we enter winter, most flowers and trees lose their leaves and become desolate, but there are trees that bloom even in winter in the garden that the duke is proud of.
Even in midwinter, round and large flowers like the moon bloom between the trees full of green leaves.
It resembles the camellia of the earth.
‘Maybe it’s not the same thing.’
They’re more than twice as different in size, so they’re probably not the same kind.
The garden Katrin was in was a place where you could see flowers all year round.
Guided me, Benno said quietly.
“The great lady instructed the chef to prepare food separately. All the ladies and gentlemen of the same age are going to gather and continue viewing the flowers until late into the night. Alcohol is permitted, so there are quite a few bodyguards today.”
“It’s a girls’ meeting. But can I go?”
“As soon as I told you that the master was finishing his work early, Anne said he stopped you from running. If I made a mistake, the banquet could have ended. If the master participates, everyone will be happy.”
“…”
If it was Catherine, it would be like that.
I remembered the image of him trying to run like a child with twinkling eyes, and I burst out laughing without even realizing it.
“Besides, today’s attendance is a request from Mrs. Dae, because she is receiving training on hospitality these days.”
“Ah, am I a target for practice?”
“…”
Benno smiled silently.
Recently, Katrin seems to be learning all about what is needed when entertaining guests.
One of them is the duke’s garden guide, and I seem to have been chosen as the subject of practice.
“Originally, I was going to do it, but if you can find the time, it will probably help your wife’s motivation to study.”
That’s why the banquet was prepared so quickly.
It is not a flower viewing that opens naturally, but my rain was prepared in a hurry according to the time.
Everything in everyday life leads to education for Catherine.
“Studying under your mother seems a bit difficult.”
“Anyway, since she is the hostess of the duchy, the godfather is very concerned about her.”
When I meet Katrin, I have to praise her a lot.
When I arrived at the garden, there were lights all over the place.
What’s so interesting about it, the ladies-in-waiting are smiling brightly as if they are showing off their youth.
Laughter could be heard even before entering the garden entrance.
“…”
But the look of the women is strange.
Catherine and the maids changed into more fancy clothes than usual, and were posing in a pose that was difficult for me to understand.
Fans are fanned with their arms raised in the air in a strange way, or they are standing still with their backs bent in a strange posture, or their heads are bent strangely.
It’s like a mannequin on the verge of breaking down.
“What is that? Why is it standing there doing such a strange motion?”
“It seems to be a new game. The maid said it was similar to the pride of a military officer competing to see who was stronger. They say that the person who lasts that long will win.”
“Women play strange games. Even at my age, I don’t know a woman at all.”
“No matter how old you are, women are hard to understand.”
Benno laughs.
Katrin was standing near the flowers, in an odd pose.
As she proudly snorted and looked around, our eyes met suddenly.
As soon as he sees me, he smiles brightly like a flower blooming.
“Oscar!”
However, his face quickly turned red.
It’s still like that after I received adult education.
Fortunately, I no longer pay attention to my lower body, but it seems that my thoughts are still going there.
Well, anyway, Catherine when she’s with me is really easy to understand.
She straightened up with a face half embarrassed and half glad.
Part of the shame must have been because he was acting strangely.
Katrin came up to me with quick steps right before running and bowed her head gracefully.
“You worked hard today too.”
“Catherine, you worked hard too. Mother always praised you for working hard.”
“Really?”
Catherine’s expression blooms again.
My mother thinks very well of Katrin, but doesn’t seem to give her compliments often.
While forcibly hiding her joy, Katrin opened her mouth.
“Today, hmm, let me show you around this garden.”
You must have studied a lot about flowers.
It’s kind of like a little bragging voice.
‘I’m sure it’s not just about explaining flowers while guiding.’
I smiled inwardly and held out my hand.
“Then, may I ask you, ma’am?”
Catherine placed her slender fingers on my hand.
This garden has been a frequent destination since I was a child.
Of course, even if you don’t know exactly what’s where, what flowers bloom when, and the names of the flowers, you know roughly.
But today’s guide was Katrin.
I already know the way, but it would be polite to pretend not to know.
Holding Katrin’s hand, I walked towards her.
Walk side by side along the night flower road with beautifully carved torch stands.
“In our duchy, flowers bloom all year round. This road is called the Red Queen of Winter. It’s because the red flowers bloom in the middle of winter…”
Of course, I know all the explanations she gives.
But today I am a practice doll for entertaining guests.
I listened to Catherine’s explanation as if it were the first time.
He probably wanted to tell you how hard he’s been studying.
The explanation continued as Katrin’s voice grew warmer.
It doesn’t end.
Catherine, then you’re literally going to be the duke’s guide. not entertainment.
I laughed out loud, and Katrin seemed to be belatedly realizing her mistake.
The shoulders drooped slightly.
“sorry.”
“No, I was rather surprised to memorize so much in such a short time. I heard you started learning about gardens recently.”
“…”
Catherine sighed lightly.
“My mother said that the most important thing is to speak as if you know what you don’t know. If you speak as if you know what you know, it will make you proud, so you should be careful.”
Certainly that is important.
But she’s been nice to me, and I’ve heard that the runaway is only in front of me.
Maybe this is a good enough range.
While having such a conversation, I went deeper into the garden path, and before I knew it, I couldn’t see anyone around me.
It seems to be quite far from where people are.
‘But it’s kind of strange that I can’t even hear the bugs.’
Somehow the air seems heavy.
The dark night sky, the darkness covering the stars and the moon, the air getting heavy.
It felt like the air was on my skin, and somehow I felt bad.
It felt like a floating swamp surrounded by darkness.
Perhaps because of that thought, the air is damp for some reason.
Katrin must have sensed something strange.
stood close to me
“I’d rather go back.”
It was just when she opened her mouth.
The air moved loudly in the darkness, and the flowers and leaves right next to it swayed.
“Hit!”
Katrin was taken aback and clung to my waist.
“It’s okay, Catherine. That’s probably it.”
As I speak, the flowers fall and Pooh’s face pops up through the leaves.
On the wall made of leaves, it seems that ornaments made of rhinoceros heads appeared.
“Puuu!”
Pooh cries loudly and moves to push the tree and enter the garden path.
“No! Stop! Stand there! Please! The gardener says! This is the pride of our ducal family! Do you know how hard it is to grow this tree?”
Katrin is embarrassed and pushes her face with both hands, but it doesn’t matter.
He pushes in as if he thought he was welcoming him.
“Oscar! Don’t just laugh, help me! This really can’t work! It’s very precious.”
Of course I know.
When I approached Pooh and fed him a chestnut on his forehead, Pooh tilted his head and stopped moving.
As the head moved sideways, several flowers fell to the ground again.
“oh my god.”
Katrin grimaces and pushes Pooh’s head with her hand.
“Back off, pooh! It’s really bad when the flowers fall any more. Come on! Back off!”
“Puuu?”
Pooh tilts his head again.
The wind knocked the flowers down again.
Watching Katrin cry, I suddenly raised my head.
For some reason, it seems that the air around me has become lighter.
I heard Katrin give a small sigh and say to Pooh.
“Puuu! Are you going to make trouble like this? Your ancestors are said to have been really great beasts, but why are you doing this!
Goddess’ words?
‘no way….’
From nob le mt l dot com
Did the air suddenly clear because Pooh came?
‘No way.’
However, monsters that do not harm people are rare.
Considering that rhinos have a calm disposition that does not attack people even when they see them, Katrin’s words may be true.
“…”
But it must be true that this guy Pooh is an idiot.
I smiled slightly as I saw Poo tilting his head with a bright face and Katrin struggling to push him.
‘But what the hell is this about to happen?’
The heavy air and darkness that presses the air are somehow unusual.
***[Gérard, fortune teller]***
Oh, damn, damn, damn. How did you end up in this situation?
Gerard walked diligently, cursing inwardly.
Covered from head to toe with a thick cloth, they roam the desolate land.
A bag of beef jerky and a bucket of water hung from his waist, and a bag slung across his shoulder contained heavy crystals.
My shoulders are heavy like real bones will break, and the soles of my feet are covered with blisters from walking so much.
I had been walking like this for several days already.
But even if I wanted to stop walking, I couldn’t stop.
The sky is filled with a hazy energy like dark clouds, and it seems as if they are glaring at you.
The air was filled with a fearful energy that seemed to attack him if he stopped walking.
No, it really stings.
Gerard knew that.
This cursed god is glaring at it, attracting all its energy in this world.
Gerard himself.
‘Damn it.’
This land is full of curses.
Ordinary people do not feel it, but Gerard’s wrinkled body and the energy of God filled in it were sensitively sensing each other as if they were facing each other.
well, i can’t figure it out
It’s because the two energies pierce through the skin to the point where it hurts.
I’m really scared that I’m going to tear my skin.
And it kept pushing and pushing and pushing Gerard.
[Go, go, go, go…]
I don’t know why, where to go, or what to do.
He only knew that this was a case similar to the one before he met Renée.
God told him to go and meet someone.
But why is this a place like this?
This desolate meadow, where are you going?
If you were told to do something, did you say something so that I could understand it?
‘I really can’t anymore. I’ll die before I find anything.’
It’s real.
I can’t stand it any longer.
It doesn’t matter whether they all suck up their vitality or die painfully, now it’s really impossible, really impossible.
That was when I stumbled thinking about it.
The air around him tingled with a flash of light, and a terrifying pressure pressed against his body.
“Wow!”
I feel like a slow wind is pushing me.
No, it was simply a feeling of pain from feeling that way, but Gerard staggered forward a few steps, pushed by it anyway.
Bill, uh, eat, to.
I really can’t stand it.
“I’m really going to die now! Please let me go! Kill or not, do whatever you want…”
The moment he shouted to the sky, something glimmered in his eyes.
In the distance, on the yellow ground, a person was lying down.
“ah!”
that’s the person
I finally found it.
All God wants is to find that person.
Gérard forced out the last of his strength and stumbled on.
I found it anyway, so don’t kill it.
I’ve come this far, but if I kill you, you’ll be tormented by the gods again.
“Hey! Hey! Are you alive?”
Gerard’s body stiffened in an instant as he shouted and looked closely at the person.
‘Uh… Maybe this person…’
The fallen man was wearing clothes that looked very good, though dirty.
The sword lying near the man also looked very good.
But most of all, what caught Gerard’s attention was the sentence on the man’s clothes.
“Sir, no way… is that a lie?”
Gerard is a commoner.
I don’t know anything about aristocratic crests.
But even he knew only the coat of arms of the royal family.
The coat of arms of this man was studded with the coat of arms of the royal family, which even the ignorant Gerard knew.
From nob le mt l dot com
Damn God, what the hell do you want me to do?