Episode 763 Choice and Decision (6)
Rei and the others rode out of the castle gate in a carriage.
The place they arrived out of the village was at the entrance of a dark-looking forest.
“I heard you hunted here when I was young.”
How did they enjoy hunting here when all they could see were trees and bushes?
While looking around for a while.
I could see PTSD in Cerian Gaju.
When he got off the carriage, he drew his sword, and soon after passing through the bush, he pointed the sword to the ground and covered his feet, supporting it like a cane.
It didn’t look like he was relying on the sword because he was tired, so he asked why.
Then the creepy words returned.
“Goblin.”
Small monsters tend to ambush and attack the ankles of passing prey.
Ray finally realized that.
To go hunting with a big smile on purpose was to risk one’s life to fight monsters in order to protect the territory.
The old man showed various behaviors after that.
He did not go near the darkly shaded tree and refused to even drink water, saying that it was poisonous.
He hurriedly ate a meal and stood up again to be wary of his surroundings, but unlike his actions, his face was terrified.
He muttered something like ‘get your senses’ into the air, which he might be doing to someone, then cries loudly while rummaging through his pockets.
When Levia, Soyoung Nura, and some of the servants were frightened by the appearance, Ray seemed to be able to see the scenery of the day little by little, which only the old man would have felt.
The behavior of the elderly changed over time.
Sometimes he limped on one foot, and other times he let go of the sword with a rough breath.
Being in the forest as it is only makes things more difficult for the old man.
Ray reached over and held his hand.
“Come back, my lord. The hunt is over for today.”
“Turn it off.”
At those words, the impression of the family of Cerian brightened.
As if I had come, I hurriedly climbed into the carriage.
If it was a hunting day, he would have come here thinking that it was his last day.
Ray was curious about the name the old man used to say often, so he asked Levia.
“Who is the Teria the patriarch is talking about?”
“…Mother. He died when he was young, so I don’t remember him, but when I look at his portrait, he looks just like me.”
“okay.”
“I’ll definitely come back, Teria.” That’s what he meant.
Ray didn’t say anything until the carriage arrived at the mansion.
I just looked out the carriage window at the passing trees and thought, ‘There are no monsters.’
* * *
After that day, Ray’s daily life in Count Cerian’s family flowed exclusively around the old man.
Heuk-young, who returned to the mansion belatedly, and So-yeong, who was busy with work, investigated the black room, and spent the rest of the time chatting with the old man.
The subject of the conversation was so bland as to seem meaningless.
“I went hunting the other day, and there was a huge wild vegetable in front of me. There was a guy named Chae-ju, who was as big as an ogre.
“so?”
“I made it into very muddy porridge right away.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
When talking about adventures, he enjoys it more than anyone else and often smiles.
Although he lost his memory, he did not lose his emotions.
Occasionally, except for when he ran out of control calling Teria’s name, he felt sorry when his words went too far.
One day, I went out to see the flowers in the garden, and when I saw a pretty purple flower, I burst into tears.
When asked why, he said he did not know.
He said he just cried.
Soyoung, who was taking a walk nearby, said as if passing by.
“It’s cineraria. It is a rare flower that blooms in winter.”
At that, Ray looked at the flower politely.
The still young petals seem to shyly open their arms.
The flower language is ‘suffering in the heart’.
Is it purely because of my mood that it overlaps with the family name Cerian?
He wept aloud and did not leave the garden until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
* * *
The next day, Ray went to see Levia.
“please. Tell me about your mother.”
She was puzzled at first, but then asked.
“Why are you so clingy to a father who has nothing to do with you?”
Ray raised his head and answered something.
At those words, Levia’s eyelashes trembled, and then she told me what she knew about her mother.
Her mother, Teria, was the daughter of a widow who was born in a village within the Cerian Territory.
I came to play a few times with my mother who works as a servant in the mansion, and through that way I got along well with the current family head of Cerian.
Even the days when we cared for each other for a while.
Shocked by her mother’s death, she went in and out of Changgwan after receiving the consolation money from the head of the household at the time, but at that time, she already had Levia in her body.
Around that time, Levia’s father, the current head of household, gradually developed a mental illness.
He was often suspicious of people and his mild temperament turned aggressive.
He was the successor of the count family and was greatly angered by his inability to control his emotions.
A year of hell slowly wore away his feelings.
His anger and sadness had subsided, and he no longer felt much excitement when Teria came in and out of the window.
How many months have passed like that?
Teria gave birth to Levia, and the two, who hadn’t seen each other before, looked at each other for the first time in a long time.
At that moment, the head of Cerian’s family felt a turbulence in his heart.
I thought it was a woman who didn’t care anymore, but when I saw her face, my calm heart suddenly became upset.
At that time, for the first time, he earnestly asked Teria.
please don’t leave me
If we’re together, I’m sure we’ll be able to get over the current situation with a smile.
The count’s heir held on to him as if he begged, but the reply that came back was ‘don’t make it difficult for me anymore’.
After giving birth to Levia, Teria left Count Cerian a few days later.
Until then, the prevailing theory was that Teria, who stole a horse and ran away, must have died because the outside of the territory was full of monsters.
However, Cerian family lord denied that fact.
Before leaving, she left a letter and a flower for Gaju and disappeared.
The flower was a cineraria in full bloom in the garden.
After hearing the whole story, Ray just sipped his tea and said nothing.
Levia seemed calmer than expected.
She took out a book from the bookshelf and flipped through it.
“My father stroked my hair whenever I tried to read. Then he told me a story of the past.”
“….”
“The story of a famous knight falling in love with an ordinary woman. A story about a sorceress confined to a small room and making disciples. The contents are all different, but the end always ended with everyone regretting it.”
She let out a small sigh before closing the book.
“The story I know ends here.” With that, the conversation ended.
* * *
Leaving Levia’s room, Ray stared at the garden.
‘That’s why.’
Cerian always bursts into tears when he sees the garden.
For him, this garden must have been modeled after the longing of that time.
Perhaps the fact that he went out to subdue monsters every day was also because of the faint hope that he might be able to find Teria.
Looking at the sun slowly setting down, Ray headed to the place where Soyoung was.
Sensing his presence, Heuk-young and So-yeong, who had been waiting, lowered their heads.
“It’s rare that you come in person. What are you doing?”
“That is what I am going to say.”
Ray looked at the two and said.
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“….”
“….”
Soyoung and Heukyoung expressed their disapproval.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t try to hide it, tell it. Are you thinking of killing the Cerian Family?”
Their words closed their mouths.
After looking at each other for a moment, Soyoung scratched the back of her head.
“How did you know?”
“If killing someone makes your future easier, you guys will still be there.”
This is the highest praise for the receptionist.
“Why? It might take some time, but there must have been a way to raise the territory without killing the family head.”
“We are the receptionist. It is natural to complete the order as soon as possible and return to the lord’s side.”
“It’s not that I don’t understand your position. Still, this has gone too far.”
Soyoung nodded.
“If the Holy Son says so, I will revise the plan. But are you okay? If you misuse your time in a place like this, the black room might wind up first.”
Maybe.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t seen it.
“I can’t kill the family head.”
“As you know, the Holy Son, the Kingdom of Celia is already in a daunting situation just receiving the cheering force of the Holy Kingdom called by the Holy Son. If you leave things open and do not fulfill your responsibilities, even if it is a holy kingdom, you can hold the holy son accountable.”
Holding saints accountable is only possible at the Seonguk Medical Association.
It was only difficult to hold it once, but if the doctor’s meeting was held as a place to ask for responsibility, it would be a burden even for Ray.
“Then you just have to work to make it powder. I will take responsibility, so don’t worry and work to your heart’s content.”
“wow.”
I never thought there would be such a trustworthy boss.
Even ten bodies were not enough, but when they were whipped to do more work here, two people died.
The Dark Spirit intervened in the conversation.
“I will completely entrust the matter of Count Serian to Soyoung.”
“What is it?”
Embarrassed Soyoung shouted.
However, Heukyoung ignored her and said.
“I have something else to tell you, my lord.”
“What?”
“I have been to the nearby bandit den before. It seems that this is the Black Room’s garrison.”
If it’s enough to be called a garrison by the Dark Spirit, it’s probably a pretty important base.
“What size?”
“There are less than a hundred of them, including the bandits.”
“Is it smaller than I thought?”
“yes. But what’s bothering me…”
Heukyoung talked about what happened that day.
From the mysterious person seeing through their stealth to the dogmatism they are creating.
Let’s talk that far, Ray’s expression also hardened unusually.
