Chapter 49
Eleusis soon returned carrying a large instrument. It was a wooden string instrument called a Chard—smaller than himself but larger than a Chanellica. Its sound was deep and mellow, and among all the instruments in this room, it was Eleusis’s most cherished.
Before long, the low and gentle resonance of the strings began to fill the wide chamber. His pale, slender fingers danced back and forth across the many strings, while the long bow swept gracefully across the rectangular body of the Chard, drawing out its resonant tones.
The beautiful melody entered Chanellica’s ears and seeped deep into her heart like flowing water. A sound calm yet majestic, without excess. It was a heavenly music—something she had never heard once since awakening as a dragon.
The sound itself was beautiful, but she could not take her eyes off the performer either. With his eyes closed, Eleusis was weaving melodies as though entrusting everything of himself to the music. The noble figure seemed one with the instrument, producing music of rare elegance.
The music that gently stirred Chanellica’s heart finally came to an end. Only when the last vibration of the strings had fully faded did Eleusis open his eyes.
“How was it?”
As always, his face was serene.
“…I don’t know how to put it into words.”
The resonance still surged within her ears, and Chanellica could barely answer. She had been so captivated by the beauty of the tone that she had forgotten the seriousness of earlier. Words like good or wonderful felt far too shallow. Yet to say nothing at all to someone who had played so exquisitely would be rude.
“How should I say this… It felt like my heart was tingling, trembling. As if it was… nostalgic somehow.”
Chanellica felt embarrassed by her poor ability to express it. That was the closest she could come.
“I’m glad. That means my melody has reached your heart.”
“It was a splendid performance. What’s the name of this instrument?”
“It’s called a Chard. Sometimes referred to as the instrument of the gods. Among the instruments here, it is the most valuable. It’s thanks to the instrument that the sound is so fine.”
“That can’t be true—it’s because the performer is so skilled.”
When Chanellica spoke with a smile, Eleusis’s expression grew content.
“Now you’re smiling at last.”
At that, Chanellica tilted her head. She had certainly been dazed a few times today, but it wasn’t as if she hadn’t smiled at all. Seeing her puzzlement, Eleusis explained:
“I meant it’s the first time you’ve truly smiled.”
Eleusis rose to his feet. His movements were careful as he wiped the Chard with a dry cloth. After placing the instrument back in its original spot, he stepped closer to Chanellica. She also stood from her seat.
“Why did you bring me here?”
She asked. Her mind had been so tangled that she had simply followed without thinking. But now her clarity returned. The two of them had already spent far longer together than the allotted time.
“I’ve practiced this refined hobby alone for so long that I thought it might be nice if someone would listen.”
“Pardon? Surely there are many besides me who would gladly listen to His Majesty’s hobby.”
But Eleusis only smiled in reply, offering no answer. Chanellica cautiously asked:
“…You came here for me, didn’t you?”
“Think of it as… both. A simple flow of thought. Just as I calm my mind while playing an instrument, I wondered if you might feel a little better hearing the tones of the Chard. And, truthfully, I did want someone to listen.”
He spoke as though it were nothing, but in the end, it meant he had brought her here for her sake. A warmth spread softly in Chanellica’s heart.
“You’re not asking what’s wrong.”
“If you wanted to tell me, you would have done so without my asking.”
“…I think you know me quite well now.”
“Only a little part of you, I suspect.”
Chanellica parted her lips. It wasn’t that she couldn’t say it, but that there was no need. Still, since he had done this much for her, she felt she could open up, at least a little.
“It’s complicated. Thinking that everything I’ve believed until now might be wrong makes me uneasy. Realizing that what I thought was strong faith may not be so strong unsettles me.”
In the end, Chanellica unburdened her heart.
“I know that time will eventually solve everything. But having to carry around this tangle of feelings until then feels suffocating.”
“So, it was suffocation all along.”
“Yes. But listening to Your Majesty’s performance, that heaviness eased a little. It made me wonder if perhaps things aren’t as serious as I’ve been making them out to be. Peace of mind is what matters most, after all.”
“That is precisely the charm of the Chard. It’s why I cannot give up such a lofty pastime.”
Eleusis nodded.
“When I listen to the Chard’s melody, I find myself questioning what meaning there is in a life of endless struggle. In the end, we are but small creatures in this vast world.”
A solemn depth shone in his blue eyes.
“They call it the instrument of the gods—and it feels true. Even I, a mere human, feel chastised by it.”
At his calm words, Chanellica felt both understanding and pity.
“Then it is a hobby Your Majesty truly needs. You may be a small creature, yes—but you are also the one who carries the lives of many upon your shoulders. I suppose the Chard has lightened your burden greatly all this time. You should reward it.”
Chanellica gazed at the instrument, now resting in its place, with fondness.
“That’s why I introduced it to you today.”
“I’m honored. Thanks to it, I feel much lighter.”
Her small smile filled Eleusis’s heart with light.
“From now on, whenever you wish, a recital will always be ready for you.”
“You need someone to listen, right? Very well—I’ll listen anytime.”
She said it lightly, but Chanellica knew. The gentle king had gone to such effort just to ease her heart.
He really is a good man.
Warm in spirit, graceful in manner, considerate without making it obvious. Even without his fine looks or the status of a king, he was admirable in himself.
Chanellica truly came to like Eleusis as a person. And thanks to this change of mood, she now knew what she had to do.
What must wait for time, she would let time resolve. But what she could learn now, she would seek out now. That was the conclusion she had reached while listening to the Chard.
As darkness began to fall, the knights of the Kaisel Order stirred uneasily. The reason was the appearance of someone who had long stopped coming their way: Chanellica. Each time her eyes met theirs, she greeted them with ease. Watching her, the knights all shared the same thought.
Has our commander been dumped?
For several days after her engagement had become known, the Kaisel Order had been like a funeral hall. The woman they had all thought would be their future commander’s wife turned out to be the former commander’s fiancée instead. What did that make of their current commander, who had followed her around so openly, blind to that fact?
What made it sadder was that even after Chanellica had moved her office to the royal archives, the commander had not given up, continuing to visit her. Why he acted that way only before Chanellica, none of the members could understand. It had reached the point where any mention of him in conversation left them unable to lift their heads.
And now, Chanellica had come on her own. At night, no less—long after working hours.
What business could she have with him at this hour?
Their hearts stirred with excitement.
“Lady Chanel.”
“It’s been a while, Sir Bain.”
“What brings you to the Order?”
“I’ve come to see the commander.”
“At this late hour?”
Meeting her in the corridor, Bain tilted his head.
“Yes. He’s here, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but… did you make an appointment?”
“The commander never makes an appointment when he comes to see me.”
Without hesitation, Chanellica boldly made her way to the commander’s office. Since the day she had asked Derwin about his past, Stern had not come to see her. She knew he would show up again eventually, but as the saying went—when thirsty, one digs the well.
Knock, knock.
“Commander, it’s Chanel. I’m coming in.”
After knocking on the familiar wooden door, Chanellica entered without waiting for an answer.
“Well, well. Chanel! What a surprise, you coming to me for once?”
Stern stood by the window, greeting her with a delighted look.
“Forgive me. You must have had someone with you. I opened the door without waiting for a reply.”
In her haste, she had acted rudely. As she pushed open the door, she had even felt as though someone had hurriedly slipped out. It had been so quick that she hadn’t seen who.
“Oh, just a servant. I sent him on an errand. Don’t mind it.”
With an easy smile, Stern guided her to the sofa.
The two soon sat facing each other. Today, Stern was dressed not in his commander’s uniform but in casual attire—not the kind for going out, like when they had met at Laila’s tavern, but a refined shirt and vest in subtle shades of gray that made him look the very image of a dashing young noble.
“So, why did Chanel come to me first today? My guess was right, wasn’t it?”
Chanellica found Stern’s playful grin unbearably irritating.
“How did you know? That His Grace wouldn’t tell me about his past.”
“So you failed, huh? I told you—if you found out, you’d have to tell me too.”
“I’m not curious about his past itself. What I don’t understand is why he tries so hard to hide it.”
Her mint-colored eyes bore straight into him. Stern glanced away, avoiding that unwavering gaze.
“Good question. I’m curious about that too.”
“Tell me.”
At this, Stern looked genuinely baffled.
“Me? How would I know? That’s something you need to hear from Derwin himself.”
“You do know. You already knew, yet you kept testing me about it.”
“When did I—?”
Feigning innocence, Stern shrugged. But Chanellica’s eyes didn’t waver. The determination in them only grew sharper—she would get the truth.
“All right, all right. Just ease up with those terrifying eyes.”
At last, Stern surrendered.
“I can’t tell you everything, but I’ll give you this: Chanel, from the very beginning, you’ve been buttoning things wrong.”
She had asked why Derwin refused to speak of his past, yet he spoke in riddles instead. Chanellica frowned. Then Stern dropped his bombshell.
“The ‘being’ you’re thinking of—it isn’t Derwin.”
