Chapter 65
Ellen, stretching and turning her head this way and that as she prepared to start work again, felt someone’s gaze and looked over at Gloria. Gloria’s eyes were full of nostalgia as she watched Ellen.
“My child… when did you grow up enough to go to all the debutante events?”
Hearing that, Ellen felt a complex tangle of emotions. She felt like a cuckoo chick.
Cuckoos are known for pushing the eggs of other birds out of their nests and laying their own eggs in their place. The parent bird then raises the cuckoo’s egg as if it were its own.
Quickly managing her expression, Ellen changed the topic.
“Mom, the rebellion has been suppressed, so can we ask Grandpa to send Spirit Mages now?”
Gloria tapped Ellen’s nose with her finger.
“I’ve told you before. Although it’s happening at the border, this war isn’t truly by the Emperor’s command—it’s more like a territorial dispute. Spirit Mages don’t get sent for those.”
“But it’s still at the border, isn’t it? Not a civil war.”
“Well… if the border really became critical, then maybe they’d send help. But since they haven’t, that means it’s not considered that dangerous. Norman’s dragging his feet is the problem, but the situation isn’t unfavorable for us.”
After a brief pause, Gloria spoke again.
“There’s only one case in which we could get a Spirit Mage in this situation.”
“What is it?”
A way exists? Ellen’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she awaited Gloria’s answer.
“A Spirit Mage suddenly appears on Norman’s side. As far as we know, Norman doesn’t have Spirit Mages. That’s why none have appeared in this war yet. But if one suddenly appears over there, we could get support immediately too.”
So, basically, they couldn’t get help.
Ellen sighed deeply. She was truly tired of the wartime situation.
Reading Ellen’s thoughts, Gloria shared another fact.
“Mom and Dad, and even your uncle, discussed that they should push to end the war, even if it’s a bit risky. So they plan to send additional troops.”
“More troops?”
Ellen asked, surprised. Were there troops left? Then why hadn’t they been sent yet?
“I said it’s a bit risky. At this pace, it might drag on another year. If predictions are correct, we’ll eventually win, but we’ve already suffered much damage. The residents are struggling, you know. Only the minimum people needed to guard the mansion and maintain territorial security will stay, and everyone else will be sent.”
“How much would that shorten the war?”
“Maybe it’ll end within six months at the latest, though I can’t guarantee it.”
“Within six months at the latest” meant it could end even sooner. Ellen wished it would end faster, but some things couldn’t be rushed.
Still, even cutting six months was something. Thinking that, Ellen suggested another task.
“Then Mom, we should hire a new aide.”
Gloria scratched her cheek at that.
“With teleportation runes unavailable, it’ll take over two months just to visit Roanoke. If I go, you’d have to handle all this work yourself.”
“What if there’s no one suitable?”
“No one is as capable as Kali from the start.”
Kali was Gloria’s former aide. She had managed tasks efficiently and decisively, and Gloria greatly admired her. Kali had worked for the Quinter family even before Ellen was born. When Ellen was around thirteen, Kali fell ill and left the mansion.
Gloria had interviewed several candidates to replace her but never found anyone comparable. Eventually, she stopped trying altogether. Ellen found this a bit frustrating.
“Kali was exceptional. Oh, and Uncle Ret said he’s training someone capable too.”
“Oh, I saw them when I visited the Karzel family. Quite competent.”
“Even if competent, Uncle and the aide would have to train them. Mom too…”
As Ellen’s words lengthened, Gloria hurriedly interrupted.
“Alright, alright. I’ll look again. Now that you’ve grown, you even scold me…”
Grumbling, Gloria headed toward her desk. Watching her, Ellen smiled, feeling herself slowly becoming more like Gloria.
Roil lay in bed, wrapping himself in the soft blankets. How long had it been since he’d slept in a proper bed?
When leaving Quinter, he thought, “Once I get home, I’ll crash immediately.” But lying down, he couldn’t fall asleep right away.
“It’s too comfortable, it’s uncomfortable.”
He used to sleep comfortably, yet somehow the plushness of this bed felt awkward—he’d grown used to the rough barracks beds.
Tossing and turning, Roil felt the dagger under his pillow. A habit from wartime.
If he hadn’t kept a dagger there, as Ret advised, he might have died one night when an assassin entered the barracks. Exhausted, he had slept through the sentries’ warnings. Only sheer luck woke him as the assassin approached.
Recalling that night, his scarred left arm throbbed. He hadn’t grabbed the dagger immediately, instead snatching a nearby candlestick to defend himself, cutting his arm in the process.
The memory made him shiver.
“Seen it in movies, never thought it’d happen to me…”
Roil rubbed the scar, muttering aloud. Trying to forget, he shifted his thoughts.
First, he thought of Ellen’s white neck, golden hair flowing over a lemon-colored dress.
Shaking his head, he muttered, “I’m not a pervert. Think of something else…”
“She’s actually short.”
Strictly speaking, Ellen wasn’t short, even taller than Hyeso. It was just that Roil’s perspective had risen.
When he first met Ellen, he thought, “Was she always this small?”
“She said she grew in her letters… so I made this tiny girl practice dagger techniques all this time?”
He felt slightly guilty recalling how hard it must have been. He remembered once yelling, “What about my short arms!”
“In a few days, I’ll have to train her dagger skills again. She hasn’t forgotten everything in two years, right? Maybe practice on the way to Roanoke… hmm… or not, hands need care.”
He recalled Ellen being scared of Ret and Erica scolding her about hand care. It made him smile. She was still proper and delicate, as always.
Thinking of Ellen made him realize she was truly back. More relaxing than the uncomfortably soft bed.
Just as he felt drowsy, Roil realized what had been bothering him.
‘Ah… Ellen called me “Roil.”’
‘Ellen?’
‘Roil, where are you going now?’
Ellen had called him by name.
“…Is it awkward because she’s pretending not to know me? Or is she keeping her distance?”
Roil’s face grew serious, his drowsiness gone.
“Does she really feel distant? We spent twenty years together… two years apart shouldn’t matter.”
At lunch, Ellen had been silent, occasionally glancing at him but avoiding eye contact, speaking only with Gloria.
“Is it true? That’s why? But in the parlor, we were friendly again. Am I imagining it? Or did I do something to upset her? Though we barely saw each other…”
Scratching his head, Roil realized sleep would not come easily.
Three days before leaving for Roanoke, Ellen and Roil met in front of Quinter’s blacksmith.
“Here?”
“Yes. Let’s go in.”
Clanging metal sounds drifted outside the forge.
“What are you dawdling for! Put it in quickly!”
On one side, red sparks flew; on the other, steam hissed as hot metal met cold water.
Ellen, covering one ear, looked around.
“Miss, have you arrived?”
The blacksmith, Huck, appeared from the rear entrance.
“Huck.”
As Ellen and Roil turned, Huck bowed deeply.
“The items you requested are over there. Inside the forge is dangerous and noisy; let’s go over there.”
Gesturing toward a bench outside, Huck led them.
“Ah, it’s dirty. I didn’t have time to clean, sorry.”
Seeing dust on the bench, Huck hurriedly wiped it with his sleeve, then disappeared briefly into the back.
Ellen, noticing the dust, decided not to sit directly.
“Here.”
Seeing Huck gone, Roil laid a handkerchief on the bench for her.
“You?”
“I don’t mind.”
Roil sat where Huck had wiped; Ellen carefully sat on the handkerchief, making sure her clothes didn’t touch the bench.
“I’ll bring mostly dark-colored clothes.”
“It doesn’t matter—they’ll be stored in the warehouse anyway.”
“Oh, your luggage?”
“Almost packed everything.”
“Quite a lot?”
“I minimized it, but still some. Travel takes a month.”
Ellen pondered. “There were two pockets left at home… need registration to use them, need Dad’s blood…”
Just then, Huck brought a large basket covered with white cloth.
In front of Ellen and Roil, Huck placed it. Lifting the cloth revealed daggers, arrows, and throwing stars.
