[Side Story] Wind Flower (3)
I must have lived a pretty intense life when I was young. This was the first impression of Glems, the chief of Toren Village.
The long gray-brown hair, along with the graying beard and eyebrows, give the appearance of a man who has already reached the end of his prime and is entering his twilight years.
However, the look in his eyes is still bright and lively, and although I don’t know how old he is, it seems to be saying that he has no intention of dying within the next ten years.
There are people who naturally exude dignity even without trying to show off or show off.
Glems, who represents the village, was that kind of person. He is a great elder in the village who is respected by everyone for being moderately heavy and moderately generous.
“Thank you for your hard work in coming all the way. “I have prepared a small lodging near the village hall, but since it is a small village on the border of a pastoral area, I am sorry that it will not be a place to sleep that is worthy of your authority.”
From the perspective of Toren Village, it would have been a major incident just for a duke to come to such a remote area.
As soon as the carriage riding alongside Yenika entered the village, people were gathered together to watch.
Most of them were old people, and although there were occasional children or young people, they all seemed to be busy working on the ranch.
Still, when I heard that a master from a noble family would appear, I couldn’t resist my curiosity, so I left what I was doing and sat here and there in the square to watch…
“Thank you.”
I answered briefly and glanced at the view of the village.
There is a shopping street centered around a small square. However, its scale is so small that it is embarrassing to even call it a shopping street.
In rural villages like this, one person tends to do multiple jobs.
There is a general store that sells all kinds of goods under the name of a ‘general store’, there is a place that sells groceries and also serves as a restaurant, but it seems that all outsiders can sleep in this village hall, and most of the rest are filled with ranches and farmhouses.
The scenery is beautiful. No matter where you look, it is a work of art. It reminds me of the pastoral land that stretches along the ridges of the Alps or Andes.
The clear sky contrasts well with the greenery, so just sitting anywhere and looking at it blankly makes me feel like all the old congestion in my mind is being swept away.
“Ed, are you staying here? “I think I’ll probably go to my parents’ house and unpack first.”
“Probably so. “There’s nothing urgent, so take your time.”
Yenica packed her belongings and came down from the carriage. At the same time, they sat huddled together in various places and looked at the villagers out of the corner of their eyes.
“Grandpa Glems. How have you been? “Are you okay with your back pain?”
When Yenika greeted the village chief warmly, Chief Glems hesitated to answer for a moment as if he was in trouble.
Yenika was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the village chief not greeting her as warmly as usual.
Considering the situation, I felt like I needed to say something here.
“You can do it as usual.”
Chief Glems seems to have a tendency to be very picky about etiquette… He took a quick look at me.
Yenika, although she wears the title of baron, it doesn’t seem like she demands strict respect even in her hometown. On the contrary, the villagers seem to be well aware of the fact that Jenika will have a harder time if she behaves that way.
However, it is a different matter in front of me, who has the far-off ducal title.
It is not proper manners to casually talk to a person with the title of Baron in front of someone who has a different level of status.
On the contrary, it feels like the genealogy is getting twisted because Yenika is showing respect to Glems. This is because Yenica treats me comfortably.
So, in the end, I, the highest-ranking person, had to say something to make things easier.
As this happens, the people of this village finally become aware of what kind of existence Yenika is.
“It’s not a public place, and we don’t go all the way to the border and check every detail of etiquette.”
“Master Ed is merciful. “This is the first time in my life that I have been treated with respect by a master from a noble family.”
Glems bowed slightly and then spoke to Yenika.
“Thank you for your concern, Jenica.”
Then he speaks with an expression that says nothing is wrong.
“But is it okay if we don’t share the same room? “It’s been a long time coming.”
*When I entered the room, I saw that everything was prepared for two people.
To begin with, the room itself is a double room. There are two beds and two simple daily necessities.
[I think I know why Jenica became so shy…]
Merilda was giggling as she sat on the other side of the bed and waved her feet in the air.
I unpacked my luggage and put it away, then took off the cloaks and coats that were getting in my way and put them away.
[I just walked around the carriage and listened to some whispering, but even though I heard it with my own ears, I couldn’t put it into words. ]
At the village chief’s words, Yenika waved her arms and blushed, and quickly ran back to her home.
It seems that the village people naturally thought that Jenica and I would sleep together in the same room.
[I got dumped by Yenika. ]
Merilda said this with a giggling laugh.
He looks at me subtly with a mischievous expression, but then he quickly turns his head away as if he’s not having fun and buries himself in the empty bed.
People say he was dumped by Jenica or something, but Merilda probably knows better than anyone else.
“…”
[ … ]
Merilda, who was lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling for a moment, let out a sigh.
[He probably can’t live without you. ]
“I know.”
[ …Wow, it looks like absolute trash… ]
“…”
It’s a disdainful word thrown out, so it doesn’t feel sincere. To begin with, due to Merilda’s sly personality, she never speaks straight.
To change clothes, I quickly took off my shirt and threw it on the bag. Her body full of wounds was revealed, but Merilda lowered her gaze while lying on the bed and then turned around and lay down as if nothing was wrong.
[Yenika would know. Your sister is actively using the vacant position of your partner for political purposes. ]
Just like that, I sat down on my bed.
Merilda sighed from the bed across from her and quickly raised her upper body.
[Yenika is not a fool either. Just by listening to the information coming from the Baron’s residence, you can see how much influence your position has on the current political landscape of the Cloel Empire. ]
“…”
[ He still wants to be by your side. ]
I know what Merilda wants to say.
Even though they were aware of the rumors circulating in Toren Village, they did not provide any active explanation.
It made me think that the fact that Jenica apologized with a deathly expression on her face was actually a disservice to the Rosstaylor family, who were using the fact that my companion’s position was vacant for political purposes.
However, Yenika did not bother to explain in detail. The reason is obvious.
[It must be scary to check. I think in the end, Ed, you will push out Yenika because of the difference in position and status. That’s probably why I can’t take the last step. ]
The lively swishing of his feet also stopped. There were times when Merilda lost her playful expression and became quite serious.
[You know his personality. Just by being in this position, I am a blessed person. It’s okay to just stay next to him. I’ll just think like that and live satisfied with the present. As it has been until now. But I wish not. ]
“Suddenly saying something like this… is it related to Tyr’kalax’s death…? “I meant to tell you not to look into Tyrkalax.”
Merylda let out a whooshing sound as if she had hit the nail on the head.
The remains of Tyr’kalax, the highest-ranking wind spirit.
At one point, Merilda said that she would tell me the location herself and that she would wait for the right time.
At the time, he seemed to have been very cooperative, but recently, he seemed to have a disapproving look on his face.
[ Finding remains is not a task. However, I was asking you not to study in detail how the spirit called Tyrkalax ended its life and was returned to nature. In fact, as long as you have the remains of a spirit, it is easy to practice spirit magic. ]
“My position then and my position now are completely different. I am a member of the undergraduate department who came here to handle research work. now.”
[That’s why I hesitated. ]
The high-ranking wind spirit who was smirking finally erased his smile and spoke in a low voice.
[Tirkalax loved humans. ]
Perhaps because the travel time was too long, the sun outside the window was already setting.
Merilda continued her story while lying down amidst the long shadows against the red sky.
[I also loved this Poulan farm girl who had nothing. ]
“Looking at your expression, I guess it didn’t end well.”
[ huh. Well, it’s an obvious story, but two beings living in different time zones interacting more than necessary is… a very dangerous thing. ]
I remember seeing Merilda walking on the lake in the North Forest one day, looking up blankly at the night sky.
If you look at the starry sky in your eyes, you will understand why this wind spirit always looks up at the sky.
The only things that don’t change are the stars and the moon high in the sky.
Everything on earth collapses and rises again with time.
[I fell in love when I shouldn’t. And after the girl passed away, he couldn’t stand the loneliness and ended his own life. ]
“…”
[ That is Tyr’kalax’s death. ]
I had a love that I shouldn’t have.
For beings who live close to eternal life, loneliness is a disease that can lead to death.
High-ranking spirits who had endured for a long time had to come up with their own ways to deal with the fatal disease.
The same would have been true of Tyrkalax, the highest-ranking spirit.
What were the circumstances that made even the highest-ranking spirit, who had gone through all the hardships, have to break his heart?
[Just because we appear in human form, you should not mistake us for being the same as humans. ]
“I know that much. “It’s nothing more than a mimicry created by imitating the person who was most special to you in the first place.”
[ huh. There are more relationships in the world that cannot be established than you might think. In fairy tales, there are many touching stories of overcoming the forbidden wall and falling in love with each other… but now Yenika knows it well. ]
There is no Romeo and Juliet in the world.
[ Reality is harsher than you think and you are not like the main character in a fairy tale. Yenika herself probably knows it well. ]
Merilda had a pensive expression for no reason.
This wind spirit wishes for Yenika’s happiness more than anyone else. However, it doesn’t mean that I can’t understand my position as well… I’m probably struggling between the two.
[Tirkalax eventually met a tragic death. Because I loved something that wasn’t allowed. ]
“…”
[ I was a bit worried about what Yenika would think after confirming the truth. ]
I am finally revealing my true feelings.
The reason Merilda was a little uncooperative was ultimately because she was worried about Yenica’s feelings.
[Well, Ed, I won’t make any unreasonable demands on you. The Ross Taylor family’s prestige has risen a lot, but it’s not surprising that it’s overturned at any time, because it’s a struggle for power among noble families. I understand that much. But… if things continue like this, I feel so sorry for Yenika. [… ]
Ultimately, it is something you have to face. What do I think of Yenica Failover?
Are you looking at her rationally? Are you thinking of taking her as your companion and starting a family together?
“Don’t you fully understand why I’m being so vague?”
[…]
Just because you say everything you want to say doesn’t mean it will work. I tried to speak so confidently.
In fact, if Jenica wants, it doesn’t really matter if she gives up the political benefits that come from leaving my companion position vacant.
Yenica Palover is a good person. Not only is there nothing lacking to make me a companion, but he will live devotedly for me until he dies. I absolutely cannot deny the fact that I also feel a great attraction for Yenika, rationally.
However, Yenika also fully understands how far-off the political practicality of having to give up the entire Rothtaylor family in order to have one person as a companion is.
Yenica Palover is a girl who once collapsed under the burden of other people’s favor and love.
If she pushes ahead like this, ignoring all background circumstances, she will live with that sense of debt for the rest of her life.
A person named Yenica Palover is like that. She never considers anything that someone has given or sacrificed for her to be in vain.
She will have to live under that pressure for the rest of her life to see if the relationship established on that sense of debt is really meaningful, and she will even have to go to the bloody political front as the daughter of Duke Ross Taylor. This is Jenica Palover, a simple girl who has lived in the countryside all her life.
Will it make her life happy or rather unhappy?
[I knew you would say that. ]
Merilda was lost in thought for a moment, and then suddenly smiled angrily again, as if asking when she had ever been serious.
[Kahaha. In the end, you’re just worried about Yenika, right? Rather, I feel at ease. ]
“Isn’t this a situation where we should be more worried? “I don’t think Jenika’s life will be that smooth when she gets involved with someone like me.”
[I think it’s actually good. You know, Ed. The way I see it, it seems like you just have to make up your mind. If all else fails, you just have to make up your mind and make a sacrifice, right? ]
“Resolution? What are you prepared for? “What is sacrifice?”
Merilda laughed and spoke in a playful voice.
[ Prepare to become trash. ]
“…”
I was about to ask what that meant again.
This was because I could guess to some extent what it meant from the way Merilda smiled, raising the corners of her mouth as if she was interested.
I was looking at her with half-moon eyes open, but Merilda was just giggling and wondering what was so good about it.
*“Um… hi Ed.”
It was about an hour later when Yenika came to the room with a lot of luggage.
Yenika, who had said she would go to her parents’ house and unpack her luggage, somehow came to my lodging with all her luggage.
“I got kicked out of my house…”
“…What?”
When I saw Yenika’s timid face through the open door, I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
As of now, it was already getting late in the night with the moon high in the sky.
I wondered if it made sense to kick a young woman out of the house at a time like this, but…
“Why did you prepare a room for two, but she said she wanted to sleep at home, so my mom… kicked her out…”
“…”
Seila Failover… I can’t help but admire the determination of that strong woman.
“You are doing too much… I closed the door and took all the sheets off the bed… I told you not to think about it here today…” “…
”
“So I thought I would take care of it at an acquaintance’s house or a friend’s house. … Even so, there are rumors… It’s a bit strange to go to someone else’s house and be indebted to them…”
Even so, Yenica Palover is a rare genius spiritist and the mistress of Baron Palover.
I wiped the corners of my eyes as I saw that he was so intimidated that his status was insignificant.
“Okay, come on in… Let’s sleep together tonight…” Since
I couldn’t just shut the door here, I let Jenica into the room.
As soon as Jenica entered the room, she put down her overloaded bag in the corner.
I took advantage of that opportunity to organize the books on elemental science that were spread out on the small table and sat down on the bed.
Yenika came in hesitantly and sat down on the bed across from me, lowering her head and blushing.
“That…”
“…”
“The situation… has become like this…”
It was late in the night when only the sound of insects could be heard outside the window.
In this room, where the only source of light was a lamp, shadows were dancing together, drawn by the softly swaying candlelight.
“I’m sorry I’m bothering you so much… Ed… you’ve been going through a lot of trouble because of me lately…”
“You don’t need to worry so much. I always say this, but there are a lot of things I am indebted to, so you don’t have to feel too much pressure. First of all, you must have been sweating a little while walking around all day…”
Well, it didn’t have that much meaning, but I said it as naturally as possible.
“Wash it first.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Did I say something strange?”
“no! no! at all! “What the hell!”
Yenika quickly raised her head and said that she understood. She quickly packed her things and headed toward the bathroom.
After Yenika left, I sat on the bed alone, sighed, and wiped the corners of my mouth.
And then… I slowly lowered my head and fell into deep thought.
What Merilda said lingers in my mind.
Prepare to become trash.
Ready to become trash………………………….
