Chapter : 36
“Which hand should I take?”
Since coming here, I sometimes felt like a doll that couldn’t move unless escorted. Today, I was even wearing pants for the first time in a while. Couldn’t I just ride normally?
And if I took one of their hands, wouldn’t the other person feel awkward? As I hesitated, Eloy walked up beside me and said,
“My, how considerate of you.”
Eloy grabbed both of their hands and climbed onto the carriage with perfect ease. Viviana followed suit, also holding both of their hands as she got in.
Noel raised his eyebrows and smiled, while Sirineu had a reluctant expression.
But I couldn’t help but admire Eloy and Viviana.
That… was clever. A genius move?
I quickly followed their lead. Thankfully, wearing riding pants meant I didn’t have to worry about holding a skirt.
Once seated in the carriage, I hugged a cushion and leaned back.
“You’ve worked hard today.”
“What does the prophet look like?”
Eloy and Viviana spoke, but I didn’t even have the energy to answer.
“Um… it was… amazing.”
“I see. So it was? Did they say anything other than about the seal?”
“Ah, well…”
Muttering answers to their chatter, I eventually dozed off.
“Miss Selene, we’ve arrived.”
I opened my eyes at the light tap on my shoulder and stared blankly at a scene I felt I’d seen before.
“Huh?”
People stood in lines before a grand, ornate building. Next to the white building was a lush garden and a fountain spraying water beautifully.
“The royal palace…?”
I got out of the carriage and, before anyone could even escort me, Eloy and Viviana grabbed my arms on either side.
“Why have we come here?”
I asked, puzzled. Noel, who had been walking ahead, looked back and said,
“We wanted to share with you what you heard.”
I tilted my head.
“But everything is written in the envelope you gave me earlier.”
Noel smiled awkwardly.
“I opened it earlier, but it’s written in a script I can’t read.”
Oh. I hadn’t considered that, and my flustered expression made Noel raise the corner of his mouth gently.
“A new patissier has joined the palace. Perhaps we can show you some of their skills.”
He deftly changed the topic so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed. How considerate. I nodded and followed him.
Next to me, Eloy spoke, as if reading my thoughts about not wearing a dress.
“It’s good we get to see the annex today. I was worried about not being properly dressed.”
“Rather, I was concerned we might inconvenience you ladies. Thankfully, that’s not the case.”
Noel replied with a smile. I marveled at how spacious and beautiful the annex was.
Looking back, I saw Sirineu trailing behind us a little ways off.
Sitting on the parlor sofa, the soft cushion spread a comforting feeling across my body, making me want to lie down completely.
“This fits my back perfectly.”
The carriage had been soft, too, but furniture made purely for comfort was in a league of its own.
“I wonder what kind of stuffing the crown prince’s sofa has…”
Lost in unnecessary thoughts, tea was brought to me.
“Chamomile, good for fatigue.”
I sipped the warm tea, feeling my exhausted body regain energy.
The tea hit my empty stomach, making it rumble, but the sound was drowned out by the clinking of teacups.
Remembering I hadn’t eaten anything since morning, my gaze naturally went to the desserts.
“As expected… the new patissier really has a different style, even in presentation…”
I couldn’t just stare in admiration. Sneaking a glance, I picked up a cookie, and Noel, holding his teacup, spoke.
“Miss Selene, could you tell us the story?”
“Ah, yes.”
I couldn’t speak with a cookie in my mouth. I set it down, opened the envelope, and read the first line aloud.
“You will not succeed alone; you must have companions.”
Instantly, the atmosphere around the table froze.
“……”
Noel covered his mouth with the teacup, Eloy pressed a handkerchief to her lips. Viviana and Sirineu stopped their actions and stared at me.
Feeling unsettled by the shift in atmosphere, I peeked at them over the paper.
“Why…?”
Looking between them, Noel’s eyes crinkled behind his teacup in a smile.
“Nothing. Shall we continue?”
Reluctantly, I returned my gaze to the paper and read on.
It detailed that the best time to seal the Demon King was during a full moon and listed the items needed.
“We need reeds that grow near the Silver Fox’s den. They must not be bent.”
“A Silver Fox’s den? That won’t be easy to find.”
Sirineu furrowed his brow slightly. Noel gestured to me to continue.
“Collect them, dry them, and burn a sacred card into ashes to make a cord. Use that to tie the box.”
It also stated that anyone going to the land where the Demon King sleeps must wear silver accessories, bathe in saltwater beforehand, and carry a sword made from a peach tree.
“It says a branch struck by lightning from a peach tree….”
“Hmm. We can’t find a place with lightning right away, so we’ll have to get it from the secret market.”
Noel responded to me, and Sirineu, who had been leaning back, slowly sat up and spoke.
“Are you sure? If you make a sword from that, it would probably break if you even swung it in the air.”
I shrugged at him.
“It’s not for use… it’s for tying to the box. The branch of the peach tree is supposed to drive away spirits….”
I swallowed the words about drama I wanted to say and cleared my throat, changing the topic.
“Old books say that peach wood wards off evil energy. I don’t think it’s wrong.”
After roughly explaining everything written, Eloy, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke.
“Leave gathering the necessary items to our family. We have ideas on where to find them.”
“If I accompany you, the journey won’t be a problem. I myself will serve as a travel permit.”
Viviana’s comment made Eloy pout.
“Well, a piece of paper is easier to carry than such a large permit, isn’t it?”
Viviana’s eyebrows raised slightly. Noel ignored their spat and turned to me.
“Could you translate what’s written into the Empire’s language?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
Noel rang the bell on the side table, and a servant entered.
As I copied the contents Daphne had written onto the paper brought by the servant, the other four continued arguing.
Listening to talk of the Erelion family’s land and peach tree production, I quietly finished copying everything and sat back, rolling my eyes.
Sliding the paper on the table, I saw that the four, lost in their discussion, didn’t even glance at me.
From listening to them, it seemed the problem was the word “companions” in the first line.
“Companions… what useless people will cling along.”
Sirineu’s remark drew sharp looks from the others.
“Useless? Who are you talking about?”
“Well, the one most aware of being useless is probably yourself, isn’t it?”
Sirineu chuckled lightly, as if the stares didn’t bother him.
Viviana put her cup down and said,
“Who decides who’s useless?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s probably not you, Viviana.”
Eloy shot back, and their eyes met in midair. Ugh, they’re at it again…
“We can’t just pick anyone as a companion.”
This time, Noel joined in, and the table quickly became noisy. I felt a bit bewildered.
“Sealing something as important as the Demon King… wouldn’t more people be better?”
The last time we visited the Prophet family, each person had a clear role, so we found everything quickly.
Lost in thought, I nodded, thinking of horror movie openings where a group rushes in and ruins everything.
Of course, someone who wants the Demon King to be resurrected might be secretly hiding. That person always shows up and ruins the seal.
“I’ve seen that cliché before.”
Even as I pondered, the four continued arguing.
And this… was exactly the situation I had wanted.
A moment where no one paid attention to me. I had been waiting for this.
I quietly slid back into the sofa, resting against the cushions.
Feeling my stiff body from the day slowly relax against the soft cushion.
Ah… I just want to close my eyes and nap.
People’s minds are so fickle. A brief rest against the backrest makes me want to lie down completely.
“Just a quick nap should be fine, right?”
As I relaxed my eyelids, suddenly all four of them turned to look at me.
