Golden Return (2)
Ross Taylor’s territory is located on an incredibly large area in the most desirable land in the center of the empire. The location is truly exquisite.
If you want to enter the imperial capital Cloeron from the western coastal area of the continent, which is full of many bustling cities, you almost always have to pass by the Rosstaylor territory.
The situation seemed to embody the image of the Rosstaylor family protecting the Cloel imperial family, so the people of the empire used to call this Rosstaylor territory the Imperial Shield.
In fact, everyone who has passed by Rosstaylor’s territory understands why it is called the land of gold of the empire.
A meadow where warm sunlight falls languidly. The gentle road stretches straight out. The scenery that spreads out so wide that it feels refreshing is like looking at paradise.
As you lean against the wall of the carriage and look at such a peaceful road, all the worries in your head will disappear and you will be able to relax while listening to the sound of the carriage wheels rolling.
The same goes for Tanya, who has spent almost her entire life in this Los Taylor estate.
As the carriage entered the Ross Taylor estate, familiar scenes came into view. Normally, it would be a time when the peace of mind comes from being intoxicated by the peaceful scenery of Ross Taylor’s estate.
“…”
But Tanya’s complexion turned pale. Feeling the chill that only comes in winter, I was looking straight ahead as much as possible.
A carriage that can seat up to four people. It has two long seats facing each other.
Excluding the coachman, there were only four people in the group, so there was exactly as many seats as there were people.
But one seat is empty. Because Lucy Mayril is not sitting in the seat.
“Uh…”
To Tanya, a senior named Lucy Mayril seems like a person with four-dimensional tendencies that are difficult to understand in many ways.
From Tanya’s point of view, who witnessed both her drowsy appearance as usual and her angry appearance… it was difficult to know how to treat Lucy.
Normally, his older brother, Ed, was the one keeping Lucy under control, but this time the situation was slightly different from usual.
The image of Lucy sitting on Ed’s lap, exhaling vigorously like a small baby bird. Tanya can’t get used to it because the sight of her lying curled up is such a contrast to her usual appearance of being stretched out.
And Jenica, who was sitting right in front of Lucy and staring intently at her, was sitting right next to Tanya.
Seeing that it wouldn’t be strange if a ray of light burst out of her eyes at any moment, Tanya straightened her back and even took a deep breath.
As I kept my head down so as not to show the cold sweat pouring out, the memory of being scolded by Yenika once again seemed to come back to me.
“….”
All the women around Ed Rosstaylor are fearsome.
Yenika, who looks like a heavenly girl, Lucy, who looks like a fluttering feather, or Lortel, who looks like an adult… Tanya, who has seen the other side of things every now and then, shivers when she remembers those memories.
Who Ed gets involved with is a major issue that could change her family relationships, but Tanya was unable to say anything due to the accumulated trauma.
-wickedness.
Yenika slowly stood up from her seat.
In fact, Ed Rosstaylor himself is asleep, leaning against the wall of the carriage.
It was a long journey that required two nights spent outdoors. Gradually, the group became quite tired, so they started talking less and had no energy.
It’s not that strange to be asleep in a carriage. However, Lucy, who was asleep, turned her body around and talked in her sleep, and naturally climbed onto Ed’s lap and curled up in a half-asleep state.
Yenika, who was watching this, must have been unable to bear it any longer… She quickly pulled Lucy’s body out and sat her down on the chair again.
“Yes, Senior Yenika…”
“It’s dangerous to sleep like this…”
He said that and sat down again, but Lucy quickly bent over, looked around with a half-asleep look, and got on Ed’s lap again.
It doesn’t seem like he’s just talking in his sleep; it feels like he’s regaining consciousness a bit.
Jenica tried several times to pull Lucy down and sit her down on the chair, but Lucy crawled onto Ed’s lap and fell asleep. I thought it was really poisonous.
“Ugh… Ik…”
In the end, the only way to prevent Lucy from climbing onto Ed’s lap was to block the path at the source.
Jenica stamped her feet and eventually climbed onto Ed’s lap and sat down.
“…”
He then made eye contact with Tanya and lowered his head as if embarrassed, but he didn’t get off Ed’s lap.
When Lucy raised her eyes and looked at Yenika, Yenika straightened her back as if wondering what to do.
Compared to the diminutive Lucy, Yenika is taller. Additionally, the space in the carriage is not that generous, so I’m worried that if I move my curved body around, I’ll end up touching all over the place.
Still, Yenika gritted her teeth and defended Ed’s knee. It seemed like this was her last pride, so Tanya couldn’t do anything to stop her.
“…What.”
Immediately after that, Ed woke up and was so startled that he had to hit his head on the ceiling of the carriage.
* * *
“It will arrive sometime tomorrow.”
Although we have just entered Rosstaylor’s territory, we still have a long way to go to reach the mansion.
Lucy clinging to Ed’s back and Yenika glaring at Lucy mercilessly.
Meanwhile, Tanya was biting bacon with her teeth chattering.
Even though it was camping… it wasn’t that hard thanks to all the luxurious tents and camping equipment the coachman brought.
Between the four people sitting around the bonfire having dinner… there was a chill going around even though it was the middle of summer.
Tanya knows how powerful Jenica and Lucy are. From her perspective, the situation where the two are sparking fire like that is fear itself.
In the first place, the two girls were objects of fear to Tanya even before they fought like this. It’s like starting a fire next to a gunpowder keg that looks like it’s about to explode at any moment.
On the other hand, Ed looked embarrassed, but he managed to mediate between the two and maintain the situation.
“Oh brother…”
Tanya’s fatigue had already reached its peak. This atmosphere continued throughout the journey. All I could do was tremble between them.
“You two are very close…”
Tanya’s sharp political sense caught the eye exactly on what needed to be done right now.
You have to be good at walking the rope.
Which of the two people can survive by clinging to… We have to make sure of that. In the end, the key is who Ed has a crush on.
“….”
Ed stuffed bread into his mouth and looked at Tanya.
We talked a lot while riding in the carriage.
How did Ed get to know people like Yenika and Lucy so well? What was your life like after the excommunication? What trials did you have and how did you overcome them?
It was a journey worth admiring just by sitting still and listening, and in the process, Tanya was able to deeply understand what Jenika and Lucy meant to Ed.
Yenika is Ed’s best friend and peer competitor, and they have built up a lot of affection while living together.
In particular, I have the image of Ed as a strong supporter who has always been there to support and support me since my bare-knuckle days when I had nothing… Tanya also had many moments where she would momentarily lose her mind.
On the other hand, Lucy is a dependable helper who often provides Ed’s strength or provides a solution when he is in a difficult situation. Ed is the only person who deeply understands Lucy’s feelings and the ups and downs of her life story, and to Lucy, who is immediately searching for a reason to live, Ed’s existence means more than she thought.
Although he pretends not to, Ed also seems to depend a lot on Lucy emotionally. That’s why it was hard to imagine the two of them being apart because they meant so much to each other.
The problem is that there is one man but two women. In fact, if you look at how the school goes, there are more than just two.
Tanya swallowed her breath as it was hard to even imagine what kind of chaos would arise if Lortel got involved. Fortunately, Ed was at his best right away and these two were the only people he brought with him.
While I was immersed in the atmosphere, the coachman spoke to Tanya.
“Miss Tanya, when you return to the mansion tomorrow, I think we will start talking about seal negotiations.”
“Oh, that’s right. It’s been almost a year since the seal was transferred, so even if we pursue the purchase of the seal now, it won’t raise too much public suspicion.”
As soon as the wise man’s seal is handed over to Lortel, if he buys it back saying it’s good, the connection between the Elte Company and the Rosstaylor family will be revealed too clearly, and there is a possibility that he will be suspected.
Therefore, the Ross Taylor family was assessing the appropriate time to purchase the royal seal. Now, Elte Trading Company will begin to want to realize profits from Bonseo… so it is time to actively negotiate the purchase.
“I heard that Roland, one of the people in power at Elte Company, is participating in this social event. Let’s talk about it.”
“Actually, it would be quickest and clearest to talk to senior Lortel… but I don’t know what kind of rumors would spread if I met privately with the top decision-maker at Elte Chamber of Commerce while serving as student council president within the university…”
“Roughly speaking. “It would be easier to just set an estimate or conclusion and move forward with it after school starts.”
When the coachman said that, Tanya nodded.
And the moment I was about to take another sip of the herbal tea the coachman gave me――
“Yenica Palover.”
A voice was heard saying that name.
Attention was instantly drawn to Lucy, who was sitting with her arms wrapped around Ed’s back.
Lucy Mayril It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her call someone’s name directly. That guy, that kid, that man, that grandfather, that person. Wasn’t she a girl who always referred to someone using only pronouns?
The established theory was that you don’t remember other people’s names because you’re too lazy, but now was the moment when that theory was shattered.
Ed also raised his eyes in curiosity and looked at Lucy.
Then Lucy spoke straight while looking at Yenika.
“Take it in moderation. There are a lot of spirits around here too.”
At the end of this difficult standoff, a preemptive strike was finally launched.
Tanya took a deep breath and couldn’t let it out because she was so nervous.
“…What?”
“There are always spirits gathered around the camp, and whenever something happens, they run to you and report back to you.”
I think I can guess what Lucy is going to say. Yenika suddenly narrowed her shoulders and broke into a cold sweat.
“You can just see that this kid’s every move is being reported. Don’t you think it would make you feel like you’re being watched day and night…?”
At those words, Yenika took a deep breath and glanced at Ed’s expression from the corner of her eye.
From the beginning, Ed Rosstaylor was always aware of the fact that there were spirits around him.
Of course, the northern forest is not full of spirits wherever you go, but at least spirits were always coming and going near the camp.
Ed wasn’t paying much attention because he wasn’t doing anything that would be overlooked by anyone.
However, Lucy, who frequented the camp like Ed, seemed to be really concerned… She stuck behind Ed’s back and spoke straight to Yenika.
“Insidious.”
“That… that… the spirits
can do whatever they want…” “You could have prevented it, but you didn’t do it. You pretended to be innocent…”
Tanya raised her eyes and glanced at Yenika. . Yenika seemed to be feeling heavy under Tanya’s gaze, so she wiggled her fingers and quickly averted her gaze.
Ed, who was worse off, said while putting bacon and bread into his mouth.
“It’s okay. I don’t really care. Well, since I am in a position, there are safety reasons and the spirits are very talkative. It doesn’t happen for a day or two. Actually, I got a lot of help from the spirits in one way or another.”
“Look…! They say the person in question doesn’t care…!”
“But… I didn’t think it would be at the level of reporting their every move…” When
Yenika swallowed her breath again in vain, Lucy hurried away. She turned around and took a seat on Ed’s lap. Yenika narrowed her eyebrows but couldn’t help but look at Ed’s eyes.
“Are you upset… are you upset?”
“It’s not that I’m upset, but… I just didn’t know. “Don’t worry too much.”
“Ugh…”
Yenika pursed her lips and couldn’t say anything more to refute. Although
there was no order to report on Ed’s every move, that didn’t mean the spirits were talking about Ed. That’s because she didn’t
shy away from touching him. Just because it was an intentional act, Jenica had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.
“It’s dark, it’s dark, it’s dark…”
Lucy sat on Ed’s lap and looked at him like that. He was just continuing the story. As usual, he opened his blank half-moon eyes and spoke in a sleepy voice, but with a strange feeling of smiling mixed in.
Jenica found Lucy so obnoxious that she couldn’t stand it… Unfortunately, it’s all facts. It’s impossible to refute. It’s the bottom sound.
“If it were me, I’d be sorry, so I’d stay as far away as possible.”
Ed pulled on Lucy’s cheek, who was talking wildly because he thought it was the right time, and Lucy’s small cheek was dragged away.
“Just do it in moderation. You know better that Jenica didn’t have bad intentions.”
“Ed…!” When
Jenica nodded with a voice full of emotion, Lucy puffed out her cheeks and swiped Ed’s tie. He pulled her. His face was full of dissatisfaction, but he couldn’t use force against Ed, so he was protesting in his own way.
Ed pressed Lucy’s head and continued the story.
“Anyway, after arriving at the mansion, we had a quick lunch and then immediately. You will meet your father. We could even have lunch together.”
Now that we were getting closer to the Ross Taylor mansion, we had to talk in advance about how we would move starting tomorrow.
“After we introduce you and have a chat, we will talk about the social church… each of you. You will be assigned a room. I think it would be better for Lucy to be assigned the room closest to me.”
“Eh… Why?”
Yenika asked in surprise.
“Yenika needs to get a room a little further away. Use the spirits as secretly as possible to check the overall structure of the mansion.”
“I know the structure of the mansion well, brother.”
“Hearing it in words and actually checking it are very different. And check the flow of magical power carefully and look for any unnatural or suspicious areas.” While
gently stroking Lucy’s head, Ed said firmly to the group.
“We will be able to expose Crepin Rosstaylor’s true intentions. I came here to find some evidence. Let’s not forget that fact. If we, as insiders, find evidence that can be shown in addition to the testimony, Crepin’s position will be shaken in its own way.” ”
….”
Jenica and Lucy do not react much to those words, but Tanya’s expression is especially dark. Tanya
is a girl who has admired Crepin all her life and has lived for the glory of Ross Taylor.
In the past few months, her perception may have changed a lot as she heard the truth behind it and even had the experience of directly being accused of murder. But… Still, as the daughter of the Ross-Taylor family, her feelings will inevitably become complicated in a situation where Crepin is taken down. A
person’s mind is not so easily sorted out. Ed said that Tanya will at least be in the Ross-Taylor family for as long as she is in the family. I hoped that she would make up her mind.
At that time, Lucy opened her mouth.
“There is no need to go to the next room. I have to keep an eye on you all the time.”
The Ross Taylor mansion is virtually empty.
That’s why it seemed like Lucy was always trying to protect me.
Lucy hugged her knees and spoke in a dazed voice.
“Let’s just share the same room. You can just ask me to do that.”
There was silence again.
Tanya got goosebumps and couldn’t bear to look at Yenika’s expression.
“What are you talking about…?”
“You have to know the inside of the mansion secretly. “I have a mission to do, but my job is to keep him safe.”
“Eh Ed… such a stupid thing…”
Yenika couldn’t finish her sentence. Ed was thinking seriously with his chin resting on his head. It was because he could see it.
No matter what anyone said, Ed himself was risking his life right now. The stakes were too high to take numerous risks for one reason or another. When
Jenica saw that, she lost her mind.
* * *
The outer wall surrounding the Ross Taylor mansion was visible from a long distance.
Its scale was surprising, so it looked more like a village than a mansion. There was a
small hill nearby, and a clock tower with a huge family crest rose up. There are
five or six buildings that are immediately visible, from the shabby buildings used by the residents of the main building of the mansion to warehouse buildings to buildings used to maintain the garden.
This is the hometown where Ed and Tanya Rothtaylor were born and raised. It is the same as the headquarters of the Ross Taylor family, which rules the continent. It is
a mansion of a size suitable for its grandeur. It is much larger than the Ofilis Hall, where the bachelor’s VIPs live.
In fact, it is natural. The mansion of the most powerful family is the bachelor’s residence. If it is smaller than that, there is no prestige.
The mercenaries guarding the main gate of the mansion greeted politely and opened the gate, and a beautiful road decorated with roses and street trees stretched into the mansion. As the coachman led the horse and
entered the mansion, Young Ji-min, who had stopped by on business, entered the mansion. All the subjects and vassals politely bowed their heads to the carriage.
Here, the members of the Rosstaylor family are both emperor and god. The power of Duke Rosstaylor, who commands the territory right before his eyes, is greater than that of Emperor Cloel, who is seated far away in the ecliptic. This is where it works even more strongly.
As I rode the carriage for a while, I saw numerous maids and servants lined up at the entrance to the mansion.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
As the coachman politely opened the carriage door, the entrance to the huge mansion came into view.
The marble stairs decorated with flowers are magnificent. A procession of workers lined up on both sides with their heads bowed. Jenica, a commoner, took her breath away when she saw that sight.
Of course, Lucy doesn’t seem to care at all.
“Thank you for your hard work on the long journey.”
When the coachman said hello and moved out of the way, Tanya was the first to nod. Naturally, I was escorted out of the carriage and handed my luggage to the attendant.
After that, Lucy and Yenika, who were sitting in the seats outside, got off.
Lucy jumped down without a care in the world, and Yenika was struggling as if she felt burdened by the attention around her.
He looks embarrassed because he has never been treated like this in his life. I was walking away while fiddling with my fingers, but when the employee politely asked me to hand over my luggage, I was startled and took a step back.
Anyway, a nobleman is a bad person.
Next, I got off and naturally handed my personal luggage to the employee.
―Kwakang! Kang!
At that moment, the small wooden bag containing my luggage rolled across the floor. It seems that I relaxed my hand too early when I handed it over.
For a moment, the noise spread through the front door, creating tension among the occupants. Tension spread among everyone, as if a great disaster had arrived.
“I’m sorry…! Master Ed…!”
Suddenly, the worker who was taking my luggage fell with his head on the floor.
“Oh, I was nervous to see you after such a long time…! I was so dazzled by the sight of your golden return that I made a mistake…!”
He apologizes with all his might and begs as if he still has some trauma.
You can get a sense of what Ed Rothtaylor’s words and actions were like on a regular basis.
Without trying to say anything, I just picked up the wooden bag myself. Then the servant trembled and took a defensive stance. He probably thought I was going to swing the wooden bag and hit him.
When I looked around, I saw that the workers lined up were not moving at all. However, if you look closely, you can see him pouting and sweating.
“It’s okay. I’ll carry it myself.”
After saying that, I picked up the wooden bag and followed him to the front door.
The strange silence continued to be maintained among the people with their heads down. Since I felt like I knew the identity of that strange feeling of discomfort… I didn’t really make a fuss.
* * *
The first thing I saw upon entering the front door was a huge portrait.
Behind the eagle statue that symbolizes Ross Taylor’s glory, there is an enormous portrait occupying the huge wall.
This is usually a place to hang a photo of the family’s progenitor or current head of the family.
This is to clearly inform people who visit this mansion about the origin of this family.
However, the portrait hanging in the lobby of the Ross-Taylor family is of a young woman.
Her wide-open eyes are lively and her flowing blonde hair is as rich as her benevolent heart.
The gentle smile was also so old-fashioned that I felt warm when I saw it.
The name was written politely beneath the portrait.
“Arwen Rothtaylor.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve seen Arwen’s portrait. Brother. When you were at the mansion… you strangely hated this portrait.”
After talking to that point, Tanya took a deep breath again. He was worried that he might have made a mistake.
I shook my head and just looked up at the large portrait again.
I am a person who no longer exists in the world.
I’m not even in a position to talk about it in detail.
I was just curious about Crepin’s intention in hanging Arwen’s portrait so large.
Is it longing for the daughter who left first? Or is it to pay homage to her exemplary life as the daughter of the Ross Taylor family?
Unless you are involved, you probably don’t know.
“Are you here?”
At that time, the large wooden door at the top of the lobby stairs opened and a man appeared, leading about four or five people.
“You had a hard time coming this far.”
He was wearing extravagant clothes made with all kinds of expensive fabrics and a thick cape.
The reason why you look younger than your age is not that complicated. Because he is a wealthy man.
I looked up at Crepin, who was standing right on the railing, and spoke slowly.
“It’s been a while, father.”
What will you say to that?
In the midst of silence… Crepin finally spoke.
“Yes, I was really worried about you. I missed you, Ed, my son.”
The sight of Crepin relaxing and smiling brightly.
No one in the group felt a sense of family solidarity even when looking at those affectionate faces.
This is because I know very well that everything that is draped over that face, layer after layer, is a mask.
