55 – The Inheritance of Childhood Friends
The hunting grounds chosen for the annual Hunt Festival vary each year.
As it is an event to wish for a prosperous new year, it is a grand gathering with numerous nobles participating simultaneously. The status of the Hunt Festival is elevated, especially with the inclusion of the imperial nobility. Therefore, nobles with territories suitable for the hunting grounds placed their expectations every year.
Perhaps this year’s hunting grounds would become their own territory.
Unfortunately, their expectations were ruthlessly trampled upon. This was because the location for this year’s hunting festival had been confirmed to be Luminel Duchy.
The process was greatly influenced by the breath of Urien. Due to the 1st Prince Lufheit’s unjust actions in the mission to find spies, Urien was granted a favor in exchange for a wish. Urien used this imperial-direct wish to designate the hunting festival location.
Thus, Luminel, the most reliable supporter of Urien, became the protagonist of the hunting festival.
About two weeks were given from now.
Nobles intending to participate in the hunting festival had to arrive at Luminel Duchy beforehand to unpack their belongings.
On the morning when she first heard this news, Elysia engraved the starry sky outside the window with her ruby-like eyes. Despite wanting to sleep quickly, the unusually bright starlight kept catching her eyes. Moreover, for some reason, a restless feeling bothered her.
“Even though it’s peaceful, it’s too peaceful.”
There were many differences from before her regression.
Urien, who originally had to participate in the power struggle without the support of Arwell Palace and had to capture millions of nobles, gained an ally in the form of Luminel Duchy. Thanks to this, nobles who had to invest a long time in capturing the future Dark Horse began to bet on the appearance of a new player.
Not only that. By meeting Harte, she early on brought future connections to her side.
Glen, who was once an adversary. And Tina, who was once a partner.
One received Cardi’s teachings faithfully, while the other just lived receiving lots of cuteness.
It became a plus if you added it up, definitely not a minus.
If she couldn’t overwhelm the 1st Prince in this situation, that would be the real problem. So naturally, everything should be peaceful, but a vague feeling of unease lingered around her.
“Is it because of the conversation with the saint?”
The midnight of January 1st, celebrating the new year. It was a moment in the slightly later dawn.
Around the time when she promised to put the sleepy children to bed and wake them up at sunrise, she suddenly came and sat next to her. Even casting a barrier so that Harte, who was taking care of the children, wouldn’t hear.
Ivria unexpectedly said…
[Sigh, I liked him first.]
… and sighed at my fate.
Naturally, Elphesia had no intention of offering any consolation. So, while sulking with a heavy heart, Ibría spoke.
[Don’t commit adultery.]
[What did you say?]
[You said it yourself. Harte lives by the rule that one should not commit adultery.]
[…]
Ibría always spoke words with intentions that were hard to decipher. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Ibría let out a relieved breath.
[What can you do? Even as a saint, I may not be able to maintain discipline better than the knight escort.]
[You…]
[It’s regrettable that I sent you away without confessing, but now I have to let you go. Having grown lazy in the temple, I eventually received the punishment for my indolence.]
Quite an un-saintly laziness, isn’t it?
Ibría added with a bitter smile.
[So, did you come to acknowledge my rights as your wife?]
[Of course not. I just thought that as childhood friends and colleagues, I should properly hand over the responsibilities.]
Ibría’s bitter smile transformed into a feigned smile, as if it were a painted mockery. Elphesia quickly saw through the fact that it was a jest to make fun of her.
Though she would give up, Elphesia accepted it with a composed expression.
[Handing over the responsibilities is fine. From now on, you’ll be my husband in name only.]
[hehehe…]
The past may be long, but will the future ahead be as long?
It was a childish prank repaid with a childish prank. Euphria found it amusing and let out a chuckle.
[So, what is it that you want to say? If it’s a memory from your husband’s female friend, I’ll listen first.]
[It’s good to share memories… but there is something that I must tell you, even if it’s for the sake of the princess.]
[Something?]
Elphesia already knew a lot about Harte. Euphria had thought about passing on the information, unaware that Elphesia was a reincarnator. So, Elphesia listened silently for now. It would seem strange if she showed that she knew too much.
But the next words that came out of Euphria’s mouth were information that Elphesia had never heard before.
[There is one thing that His Holiness the Pope regrets. It’s that he burdened Harte with too much work.]
[Work?]
Elphesia asked in surprise. And then Euphria stared blankly across the pond, lost in old memories.
[… Harte’s first killing was at the age of twelve. At around the same time as those children sleeping over there, Harte killed a saint who had lived for over a hundred years as a vampire.]
Up to this point, Elphesia knew the story. She had heard about Harte condemning the saint who caused chaos in Basquill in the future.
[But isn’t that strange? I am also a saint with a baptismal name… why would I need a bodyguard? I’m not incompetent like the vampire saint.]
[That…]
It was definitely strange. Elphesia could only guess that she would need protection because she held the high position of a saint. But that guess was wrong.
Then Euphria quietly revealed the truth.
[A saint, or a saintess, is a vessel for the next god – the next Pope. In other words, if His Holiness is done using the current vessel, the next vessel the god will inhabit is me. Harte’s role was to protect me until that moment. So, in a way, Harte became the one who killed the high priest of the vampire spirits.]
[I see… I understand.]
[She must have earned a lot of resentment. And in the process of condemning the saint, many vampires died, so from the perspective of the vampires, she is already an eternal enemy. His Holiness the Pope is worried that this burden will return to Harte.]
Elphesia had a hunch that there was a connection to Harte’s ultimate fate. The information was limited, so she couldn’t be sure, but the feeling was strong.
[Quiet…]
As Elphesia listened, a curiosity that she couldn’t fully unravel suddenly crossed her mind.
[But what exactly is Harte? You, as the Pope of the Chadae, have immense power… What is Harte that he is strong enough to guard the Pope of Chadae?]
[Oh, that…]
Ibria gently scratched her nose as if nonchalant.
[I don’t know either. I can only see it as being born that way…]
[Huh…]
[So, that’s why Harte’s standards are strange. Since he can survive even if his neck is cut, owners of baptismal names are all like that. It doesn’t make sense logically, but that’s how it is.]
In the end, Elphesia’s questions remained in the realm of the unknown. Just when disappointment was engulfing her, Ibria’s remark, impossible to overlook, reached her ears.
[Perhaps His Holiness sealed Harte’s baptismal name.]
[What? What did you just…]
[Please take good care of Harte’s humanity from now on. So that he doesn’t revert to being a little child around twelve years old.]
The conversation concluded there.
Elphesia tried to detain Ibria further, but Ibria’s barrier had already dissipated. No matter how softly she spoke, it was within Harte’s defensive range.
Ibria naturally distanced herself, waking up the children as if nothing had happened.
The sunrise was imminent.
[…]
She gazed at the light revealing its figure beyond the horizon.
It was at the moment when it was difficult to conceal the disturbance in the final plea.
Harte quietly approached, holding Elphesia’s hand and sharing warmth.
[Did you have a good conversation?]
[It was alright. By the way, your childhood friend is really pretty.]
[Eve is undeniably beautiful.]
Elphysia was the one who played unnecessary tricks, but she was also the one who made people feel strange. When she was trying to suppress her sadness deep down, Harte spoke.
[My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world without a doubt.]
[Ha.]
She took a deep breath to hide her jealousy. It was clear that she had never really experienced love. How could she not understand this feeling? That’s why it made her even more desirable.
[The kind of joke that wouldn’t even be funny to your father’s generation…]
[Hmm, I guess so.]
[Yes. There’s no room for doubt. Fool.]
She really was a fool. A fool.
She desperately controlled the corners of her mouth at the compliment that wouldn’t even be appreciated by her father’s generation.
It was all because they were holding hands.
Elphysia’s hand was cold, but Harte’s hand was as warm as the sunlight pouring over the horizon. As she enjoyed that warmth, her restlessness disappeared and the warmth spread throughout her body, making her heart pound.
Surely, it was just because her temperature rose for a moment that her thinking became strange.
Surely, by tomorrow, she would forget about such a joke.
◇
To be honest, I couldn’t forget.
The dawn that beautifully colored Harte’s cheek remained vividly in my memory, tormenting me.
It seemed like it had already reached a point where I couldn’t control it anymore.
I want to protect the memories of that time, the current scenery, and the future him. I want to repay the trust I last placed in the endlessly vile woman.
“… This time, I’ll protect you. Definitely.”
Making the commitment, she wriggles around, seeping into his embrace.
So that he can thoroughly indulge in the tenderness of his wife’s skin, and thus, be conflicted in turmoil, she presses on firmly.
Not wanting to part again, she tightly grasped the hem of his clothes.
Was his broad, trembling chest always this comfortable? Even though it feels so firm, why is it so reassuring…
Now, it seems like she can finally fall into a deep sleep.
The dawn, similar to the one they welcomed at the New Year’s gathering, was gradually narrowing the intervals.