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“It’s dangerous! Get out of the way!”
Despite the knight at the head of the procession’s shout, Riel didn’t budge.
She had no intention of closing her eyes until the very end.
'If you’re going to run me over, then do it. I’m not afraid of death.'
His Grace, Duke Havel’s procession tried to stop, but it couldn’t overcome the speed at which it was traveling and skidded.
That moment felt slow to Riel.
A rather strong wind blew.
The long line of trees swayed as if dancing in the wind.
Just as the procession was about to run her over.
The arrogant Riel, without realizing it, became frightened and closed her eyes.
Bang!
Along with the screech of the carriage braking suddenly, she heard the sound of something colliding forcefully.
She didn’t feel any physical impact.
“Haa⋯⋯!”
Riel exhaled a sigh with her eyes still closed. Her hand holding the letter trembled.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Heeheeing!
The lead escort knight’s horse reared up on its hind legs in surprise.
Behind them, the horse and escort knight that had collided with the back of the carriage were lying on the ground.
In an instant, the path had turned into chaos.
“Seize her!”
Duke Havel’s escort knights rushed over, forced Riel to her knees, and pointed their swords at her.
The escort knight at the head of the procession calmed his horse, dismounted, and first checked the condition of the carriage.
Then, he walked towards Riel and shouted.
“Do you even know whose procession you dared to block?”
“⋯⋯.”
Riel didn’t answer.
The angry escort knight placed the blade of his sword against her chin and spat out the words.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill you right here!”
“⋯⋯.”
Despite the escort knight’s fierce threat, Riel remained silent.
Another escort knight beside him watched Riel’s short hair and said.
“Could she perhaps be mute or not in her right mind?”
It was then.
Bang!
The door of the carriage that Duke Havel was riding in opened roughly. Soon, a testy man’s voice was heard.
“What in the world is all this commotion?”
Riel stared at Duke Havel approaching with sharp eyes.
'So, you’ve finally shown yourself.'
Long, sharp eyes and tightly closed thin lips.
He had an impression like a cold snake.
Duke Havel brushed back his slightly disheveled gray hair and walked towards her.
The escort knights surrounding Riel all bowed their heads in unison.
The escort knight who had been at the head of the procession spoke with precision.
“It seems she is a woman not in her right mind.”
Duke Havel slowly scanned Riel’s appearance for a moment.
Perhaps unfamiliar with her short hair, his gaze lingered on Riel’s face and hair for a long time.
“Kill her.”
Just as Duke Havel gave the short command and was about to turn around.
Riel clutched the letter tightly to her chest as if she couldn’t let it be taken away and opened her mouth.
“Riel Estina.”
“Estina?”
At the word Estina, a strange light flickered in Duke Havel’s eyes.
Riel, unconcerned with the sword pointed at her neck, bowed politely.
“Riel Estina, I greet His Grace, Duke Havel.”
Red blood welled up on her white neck where the blade had cut her.
The eyes of Duke Havel, looking down, and Riel, looking up, met in a tense standoff.
A cool breeze once again shook the branches of the trees.
✦ ✦ ✦
Two days later, in front of Ervin’s Third District’s jewelry workshop.
In front of it, a long line of wagons carrying jewels to be sent to Kelkerus Kingdom was lined up.
It was the largest amount of jewels Ervin had ever traded.
Because of this, from early in the morning, Charles and the trade secretaries, as well as the jewelers, were all out in front of the jewelry workshop.
“Escort the trade wagons to the outer castle, then go straight to Rechelles’s mansion.”
The day before, Mule had come and given Iana the mission.
She had finished all the preparations to leave, and approached Annie, who was holding Ru, at the entrance of the jewelry workshop.
Ru was getting along with Annie better than expected, so she decided to leave him there.
Iana knelt down to meet Annie’s eyes and spoke to her.
“Annie, please take good care of our Ru.”
“Okay. Annie will play well with Ru.”
Rita, who was standing next to Annie, smiled and continued.
“Don’t worry and come back safely, mage.”
Just then, Charles’s voice was heard from behind.
“It seems Annie has decided to take care of Ru.”
As he approached and spoke, the people in front of the jewelry workshop all bowed their heads in unison.
Among them, some glanced sideways at Iana and Charles.
Iana, conscious of the people, stood up and greeted him politely.
Charles looked at Iana for a moment, then knelt down in front of Annie.
“Annie, Ru needs his face touched to fall asleep.”
At Charles’s words, Annie’s face suddenly turned gloomy.
“Annie’s daddy also touched Annie’s face before Annie went to sleep. But now Annie doesn’t have a daddy.”
Iana and Rita, as well as the people around them, were taken aback and looked at Annie.
As people’s attention focused on her, Annie pouted her small mouth, about to burst into tears.
Then Charles glanced at Rita once, then casually threw out a friendly remark.
“I don’t have a mom either.”
“⋯⋯!”
Iana and the people around her looked at Charles as if wondering why he would say such a thing.
But Annie, who looked like she was about to burst into tears any second, opened her eyes wide and asked.
“Really?”
Charles stroked Annie’s face and gently comforted her.
“So, let’s not cry together.”
“Okay!”
“Annie, you shouldn’t speak impolitely to Your Highness.”
When Rita said that, Annie immediately changed her words.
“Yes!”
The child wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled brightly.
The sight was so cute that people burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Iana, conscious of the people’s eyes, quietly moved towards the wagons.
Charles followed her again and asked.
“Iana mage, are you departing now?”
Iana turned around and answered politely.
“Yes, Your Highness. I think we should leave now.”
Charles leaned his upper body and spoke in a small voice.
“Why do you keep running away? I’m deliberately approaching you to say even one more word.”
“That’s⋯⋯.”
“Isn’t it so that the villagers won’t spread rumors that you were kicked out of the Ducal Palace?”
At Charles’s mention of rumors, Rita’s words from a few days ago suddenly came to mind.
“You heard the women at the jewelry workshop gossiping about the mage, didn’t you?”
“Did you perhaps eavesdrop on the conversation I had with Lady Rita at that time?”
“I didn’t eavesdrop, I just heard it.”
Iana looked at him with a puzzled expression.
'I don’t think I directly said that people were saying I was kicked out of the Ducal Palace at that time⋯⋯.'
Charles read her thoughts and brought up a question she hadn’t even asked.
“I asked Lady Rita directly. What kind of gossip you had heard.”
"Pardon?"
Iana’s voice cracked in surprise.
People’s attention was fixed on the two of them.
“You asked directly? When?”
“I met Lady Rita briefly on the way back to the Ducal Palace that day.”
Iana pondered, rolling her eyes back and forth, and asked.
“So, that’s why you remembered Annie’s name too?”
“That’s right. It’s not like a lord can remember the names of all the children in their territory.”
Charles smiled after finishing his words.
“Even so⋯⋯.”
“It’s getting late. Now, let’s depart quickly.”
At his words, the escort knights, trade secretaries, and jewelers who would be going to the outer castle all boarded the wagons.
Iana stood at the head of the procession for the first time.
It was customary for the person with the highest rank among the escort knights or mages to stand at the head of the procession.
She composed her trembling voice and shouted loudly.
“We’re departing.”
At Iana’s shout, the long procession began to move.
Charles ran out right behind her with The First Order of Knights.
Iana looked around with a tense face. But contrary to her worries, not even a single goblin appeared.
After running for about two hours, the group stopped in front of the lake near the outer castle.
It was the place she had stayed because of her burned hand when she first came to Ervin.
It was the moment Iana got off her horse and looked towards the lake.
Pure white petals fluttered in the wind. As if it were snowing.
It was an unrealistically beautiful sight.
People watched the scene in a daze.
Iana was also amazed and reached out her hand.
Thud-.
A dainty white petal fell onto her palm.
Charles came up beside her and said.
“It’s summer snow.”
“Snow?”
Iana tilted her head.
“It’s called summer snow because the petals fall like snow in the summer.”
'Summer snow?'
Iana was sure it was a flower name she had never heard before.
But somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Before she knew it, the sky was completely covered with white petals. It was so beautiful that it seemed sublime.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen so much summer snow fluttering.”
Charles thought for a moment and asked the elderly jeweler standing in front of him.
“Has there ever been so much summer snow fluttering before?”
“I’ve lived here for over 50 years, and it’s the first time I’ve seen so much summer snow, Your Highness.”
The jeweler answered respectfully.
'What was it?'
Iana couldn’t quite recall something that seemed like it was about to come to mind.
Charles approached and looked at the summer snow in her palm, muttering.
“Things that are excessively beautiful are sometimes dangerous.”
It was at that moment.
Words Iana had heard in her past life suddenly echoed in her ears.
“The summer snow was an ominous sign. Announcing that terrible event⋯⋯.”
Despite the knight at the head of the procession’s shout, Riel didn’t budge.
She had no intention of closing her eyes until the very end.
'If you’re going to run me over, then do it. I’m not afraid of death.'
His Grace, Duke Havel’s procession tried to stop, but it couldn’t overcome the speed at which it was traveling and skidded.
That moment felt slow to Riel.
A rather strong wind blew.
The long line of trees swayed as if dancing in the wind.
Just as the procession was about to run her over.
The arrogant Riel, without realizing it, became frightened and closed her eyes.
Bang!
Along with the screech of the carriage braking suddenly, she heard the sound of something colliding forcefully.
She didn’t feel any physical impact.
“Haa⋯⋯!”
Riel exhaled a sigh with her eyes still closed. Her hand holding the letter trembled.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Heeheeing!
The lead escort knight’s horse reared up on its hind legs in surprise.
Behind them, the horse and escort knight that had collided with the back of the carriage were lying on the ground.
In an instant, the path had turned into chaos.
“Seize her!”
Duke Havel’s escort knights rushed over, forced Riel to her knees, and pointed their swords at her.
The escort knight at the head of the procession calmed his horse, dismounted, and first checked the condition of the carriage.
Then, he walked towards Riel and shouted.
“Do you even know whose procession you dared to block?”
“⋯⋯.”
Riel didn’t answer.
The angry escort knight placed the blade of his sword against her chin and spat out the words.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill you right here!”
“⋯⋯.”
Despite the escort knight’s fierce threat, Riel remained silent.
Another escort knight beside him watched Riel’s short hair and said.
“Could she perhaps be mute or not in her right mind?”
It was then.
Bang!
The door of the carriage that Duke Havel was riding in opened roughly. Soon, a testy man’s voice was heard.
“What in the world is all this commotion?”
Riel stared at Duke Havel approaching with sharp eyes.
'So, you’ve finally shown yourself.'
Long, sharp eyes and tightly closed thin lips.
He had an impression like a cold snake.
Duke Havel brushed back his slightly disheveled gray hair and walked towards her.
The escort knights surrounding Riel all bowed their heads in unison.
The escort knight who had been at the head of the procession spoke with precision.
“It seems she is a woman not in her right mind.”
Duke Havel slowly scanned Riel’s appearance for a moment.
Perhaps unfamiliar with her short hair, his gaze lingered on Riel’s face and hair for a long time.
“Kill her.”
Just as Duke Havel gave the short command and was about to turn around.
Riel clutched the letter tightly to her chest as if she couldn’t let it be taken away and opened her mouth.
“Riel Estina.”
“Estina?”
At the word Estina, a strange light flickered in Duke Havel’s eyes.
Riel, unconcerned with the sword pointed at her neck, bowed politely.
“Riel Estina, I greet His Grace, Duke Havel.”
Red blood welled up on her white neck where the blade had cut her.
The eyes of Duke Havel, looking down, and Riel, looking up, met in a tense standoff.
A cool breeze once again shook the branches of the trees.
✦ ✦ ✦
Two days later, in front of Ervin’s Third District’s jewelry workshop.
In front of it, a long line of wagons carrying jewels to be sent to Kelkerus Kingdom was lined up.
It was the largest amount of jewels Ervin had ever traded.
Because of this, from early in the morning, Charles and the trade secretaries, as well as the jewelers, were all out in front of the jewelry workshop.
“Escort the trade wagons to the outer castle, then go straight to Rechelles’s mansion.”
The day before, Mule had come and given Iana the mission.
She had finished all the preparations to leave, and approached Annie, who was holding Ru, at the entrance of the jewelry workshop.
Ru was getting along with Annie better than expected, so she decided to leave him there.
Iana knelt down to meet Annie’s eyes and spoke to her.
“Annie, please take good care of our Ru.”
“Okay. Annie will play well with Ru.”
Rita, who was standing next to Annie, smiled and continued.
“Don’t worry and come back safely, mage.”
Just then, Charles’s voice was heard from behind.
“It seems Annie has decided to take care of Ru.”
As he approached and spoke, the people in front of the jewelry workshop all bowed their heads in unison.
Among them, some glanced sideways at Iana and Charles.
Iana, conscious of the people, stood up and greeted him politely.
Charles looked at Iana for a moment, then knelt down in front of Annie.
“Annie, Ru needs his face touched to fall asleep.”
At Charles’s words, Annie’s face suddenly turned gloomy.
“Annie’s daddy also touched Annie’s face before Annie went to sleep. But now Annie doesn’t have a daddy.”
Iana and Rita, as well as the people around them, were taken aback and looked at Annie.
As people’s attention focused on her, Annie pouted her small mouth, about to burst into tears.
Then Charles glanced at Rita once, then casually threw out a friendly remark.
“I don’t have a mom either.”
“⋯⋯!”
Iana and the people around her looked at Charles as if wondering why he would say such a thing.
But Annie, who looked like she was about to burst into tears any second, opened her eyes wide and asked.
“Really?”
Charles stroked Annie’s face and gently comforted her.
“So, let’s not cry together.”
“Okay!”
“Annie, you shouldn’t speak impolitely to Your Highness.”
When Rita said that, Annie immediately changed her words.
“Yes!”
The child wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled brightly.
The sight was so cute that people burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Iana, conscious of the people’s eyes, quietly moved towards the wagons.
Charles followed her again and asked.
“Iana mage, are you departing now?”
Iana turned around and answered politely.
“Yes, Your Highness. I think we should leave now.”
Charles leaned his upper body and spoke in a small voice.
“Why do you keep running away? I’m deliberately approaching you to say even one more word.”
“That’s⋯⋯.”
“Isn’t it so that the villagers won’t spread rumors that you were kicked out of the Ducal Palace?”
At Charles’s mention of rumors, Rita’s words from a few days ago suddenly came to mind.
“You heard the women at the jewelry workshop gossiping about the mage, didn’t you?”
“Did you perhaps eavesdrop on the conversation I had with Lady Rita at that time?”
“I didn’t eavesdrop, I just heard it.”
Iana looked at him with a puzzled expression.
'I don’t think I directly said that people were saying I was kicked out of the Ducal Palace at that time⋯⋯.'
Charles read her thoughts and brought up a question she hadn’t even asked.
“I asked Lady Rita directly. What kind of gossip you had heard.”
"Pardon?"
Iana’s voice cracked in surprise.
People’s attention was fixed on the two of them.
“You asked directly? When?”
“I met Lady Rita briefly on the way back to the Ducal Palace that day.”
Iana pondered, rolling her eyes back and forth, and asked.
“So, that’s why you remembered Annie’s name too?”
“That’s right. It’s not like a lord can remember the names of all the children in their territory.”
Charles smiled after finishing his words.
“Even so⋯⋯.”
“It’s getting late. Now, let’s depart quickly.”
At his words, the escort knights, trade secretaries, and jewelers who would be going to the outer castle all boarded the wagons.
Iana stood at the head of the procession for the first time.
It was customary for the person with the highest rank among the escort knights or mages to stand at the head of the procession.
She composed her trembling voice and shouted loudly.
“We’re departing.”
At Iana’s shout, the long procession began to move.
Charles ran out right behind her with The First Order of Knights.
Iana looked around with a tense face. But contrary to her worries, not even a single goblin appeared.
After running for about two hours, the group stopped in front of the lake near the outer castle.
It was the place she had stayed because of her burned hand when she first came to Ervin.
It was the moment Iana got off her horse and looked towards the lake.
Pure white petals fluttered in the wind. As if it were snowing.
It was an unrealistically beautiful sight.
People watched the scene in a daze.
Iana was also amazed and reached out her hand.
Thud-.
A dainty white petal fell onto her palm.
Charles came up beside her and said.
“It’s summer snow.”
“Snow?”
Iana tilted her head.
“It’s called summer snow because the petals fall like snow in the summer.”
'Summer snow?'
Iana was sure it was a flower name she had never heard before.
But somehow, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Before she knew it, the sky was completely covered with white petals. It was so beautiful that it seemed sublime.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen so much summer snow fluttering.”
Charles thought for a moment and asked the elderly jeweler standing in front of him.
“Has there ever been so much summer snow fluttering before?”
“I’ve lived here for over 50 years, and it’s the first time I’ve seen so much summer snow, Your Highness.”
The jeweler answered respectfully.
'What was it?'
Iana couldn’t quite recall something that seemed like it was about to come to mind.
Charles approached and looked at the summer snow in her palm, muttering.
“Things that are excessively beautiful are sometimes dangerous.”
It was at that moment.
Words Iana had heard in her past life suddenly echoed in her ears.
“The summer snow was an ominous sign. Announcing that terrible event⋯⋯.”
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