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Sponsored by Marlien. Thank you đ (½)
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Knock. Knock.
With a light tap on the door, Asrell entered the room.
Roselyn, who was wearing riding gloves, smiled at Asrell as she walked into the room.
âThe hairpiece suits you well, Asrell.
Asrell smiled at Roselynâs compliment.
âThank you. Perhaps itâs because itâs so nice, itâs beautiful no matter how you put it.â
The sun rose early in the morning, so even though it was early, it was bright outside.
Thanks to this, Asrell could see Roselyn clearly in her outdoor pants and shirt.
The day of her departure was dawning.
It was close to dawn, so the mansion was still quiet, but with the upcoming farewell, the mansion was shaking quietly.
âAre you coming back?â
Roselyn didnât answer, but only smiled when the twins asked her last night with a look that said they believed she was coming back.
The twins told her that she must come back, and that they would write a masterpiece with this fountain pen in time for her return, and even then they pleaded without pity to receive their book.
And now Asrell was about to load her luggage with a swollen face, as if she had cried all night.
âAsha, Iâll tie up your hair so you can move around easier.â
âYes, please.â
Asrell stood behind Roselyn at the dressing table. She carefully combed her silver hair with a clumpy hand.
There was no special skill involved, but the hair that was entrusted to her felt very cool.
Asrell, who had been carefully combing her hair for a long time, tied Roselynâs silver hair into a single knot and said.
âI hear itâs quite a long journey.â
âMaybe or maybe not.â
âI hear itâs not a trading month and you canât take a boat, so you have to travel only on horseback?â
âHmm, we have to move fast or else we may not make it in time. We may have to ride the horses all month long.â
âIt will be hard. Itâs going to take a lot of hands.â
âWeâre taking the least amount of luggage to reduce the traffic flow and speed up the process.â
âI see. Then thereâs not much I need to prepare.â
With those last words, Roselyn stared at Asrell through the mirror.
Asrell laughed as she faced Roselynâs clear purple eyes as if asking what she meant.
âThe loyalty of the Athesians is insistent. Until the sun burns them a hundred times and the ice melts a hundred times.â
âButâŚâŚâŚâŚ.â
âI heard there needs to be at least one person like me. I donât feel comfortable sending Asha like this. Please allow me to go with you.â
âAsrell.â
Panicked, Roselyn called her again in a low voice.
However, Asrellâs resolve seemed firm.
Asrell kissed the tips of Roselynâs hair carefully.
âIf Iâm not too much of a burden, please.â
She looked strong, politely persuading with a friendly smile.
Perhaps if Roselyn said ânoâ, it wouldnât bother her.***
[No matter what happens, I will find the golden cup and flute and bring them to you before the July Festival.]
[Iâll polish my eyes clean, and you must surely show me his downfall!]
Tamon smiled as he read Theoâs message from the royal palace.
On that day, the three assigned their respective roles in the face-to-face meeting.
Asha was to persuade Helio to revolt and ensure that Gillotti would be suffocated.
Tamon would protect her and be at the forefront in case of a clash with Gertium.
And even more important than the two of them was Theoransha.
âVery well. Then I will give you a fighting chance.â (Theo)
There was not much time for Roselyn and Tamon to finish everything before the founding festival in July as the prophet said.
Theo was willing to devote her time and effort to this rhetoric.
To overthrow Tanatos! She decided that it was well worth it.
âIâll get the other two holy relics for you. You go to Tanatos and proceed as planned.â (Theo)
She made a game of it.
Theo promised to bring in both holy relics herself.
Of course, she wouldnât have been able to make such a decision so easily if one of the two holy relics didnât belong to the royal family of Amos, who owed her a great deal.
Amos owed her a debt that needed to be paid.
She was going to ask her to pay it off this time.
âYou have never been to Tanatos.â
âI didnât go there because it was dirty, not because I was afraid. But for the downfall of that imperial family, Iâm obligated to enjoy it the most.â (Theo)
Having said that, Theo packed up her things really quickly and left for Amos.
As a result, the royal palace was filled with the screams of her aides and attendants who had to take care of all her business, but there was no way to stop the king in action.
âWhat makes you look and laugh like that?â
Ronasso, who had come out to see him off, asked grimly as he saw Tamon chuckling to himself.
Unfortunately, Ronasso was unable to go with him on this outing.
The time between the King and Tamon being out of their seats at the same time was too great, and even the First Knight Commander had to keep his seat.
Ronasso, complained loudly that he couldnât go this time, was very disappointed and rushed early in the morning to see Tamon off.
âDonât set up too much because I canât go.â (Ronasso)
âIâll have a very quiet trip without you.â (Tamon)
âI heard you said that you would be very lonely without me.â (Ronasso)
âWell, why donât you rinse your ears? It seems to have lost its original function.â (Tamon)
âHey!â
Ronasso punched Tamonâs stony arm with his fist.
Unfortunately, Tamon didnât budge.
Ronasso clenched his fists and said.
âIâm going to join you when the King heads to Tanatos, so donât be disappointed.â (Ronasso)
âIâm not upset about anything. Why do you keep telling me not to be upset?â (Tamon)
âYouâre really mean. Do you know that?â (Ronasso)
Tamon chuckled and didnât deny it.
At this moment, Ronasso envied Theo for having beat up Tamon so greatly at least once.
If only he had the chance, he too would have liked to beat Tamon up just once, without any real great desire.âDonât look at me with such lustful eyes. Itâs too hot and itâs a burden.â (Tamon)
âOkay. Get out of here.â
âThe one Iâm waiting for still hasnât come yetâŚ.oh, there she is.â
Asrell and a simply dressed Asha came out.
Behind them the twins were sobbing with red swollen eyes.
The carriages and horses were all set up.
If the departing people got on their horses, they would be off.
âArsene, Hannah, and Asrell will go to the Orkins region with the Platanus Knights. Asha and I will stop by the Calif and meet up with you in Orkins.â
They had to retrieve the dagger from a Nyrux merchant who was said to be stationed in the Calif waters.
Hannah urged the two to hurry.
âI wish you all good luck. I will see you safely in Orkins.â
âHave a safe trip, Master.â
Satin greeted politely, pressing the corners of his eyes with the handkerchief Roselyn had given him.
âYou too, Asha.â
Roselyn should have felt odd to see herself included at the end of the greeting. It was strange to see Satin looking at her as if he was sure she would come back.
To her, who had almost no family or friends left, and they were all waiting for her hereâŚ
It was almost as if they were protecting the place she was coming back to.
Roselyn couldnât reply to Satin easily.
Still, she felt strangely emotional.
âPlease come back!â
âIâll be waiting, Asha!â
The twins hung on Roselynâs shoes as she mounted her horse.
When it came to the moment of departure, the twins did not shed a tear.
They squeezed Roselynâs hands together, straining their red, swollen eyes.
The girlsâ eyes blazed, and they were ready to give Roselyn trouble if she didnât come back.
Roselyn couldnât help but laugh at the sight of them.
She didnât answer this time either.
Instead, she took the twinsâ hands in hers and whispered as she kissed the back of each hand.
âLersha, Lersha.â
God, take care of them.
She blessed the twins in a whispered, light but never forgotten voice. The hands of the twins with calluses trembled.
Ashaâs voice pierced their heart, and the twins whispered together, still holding Roselynâs hand.
âLersha, Lersha!â
âLersha, Lersha!â
They tried to hold back, but finally the tears spilled over.
They knew this was not going to be an eternal farewell, but they just couldnât bear to part with her.
Maybe it was because they had a hunch that the future of this beautiful lady they had chosen to serve was not going to be smooth.
At the sound, Hana, who was sitting in the carriage, stuck her head out and looked at them.
Roselyn patted the twins on the head and then turned to Tamon.
âItâs time to leave.â
Tamon, who had been waiting silently, gently kissed the back of her hand.
His lips were not, exactly the same as when his lips had first touched hers.
âLetâs go.â
With her words, the horses set off in force.
At last, the road to Tanatos had begun.