Chapter 204 – Chapter 5: Skeleton Knight – 2
It’s Ritz Academy.
The corners of my mouth went up without me knowing.
Looking at the building with my name on it. I never thought this was a coincidence.
Nor did he smile with joy.
“… I see.”
Because my name written there was ‘in honor of’.
Just like naming a ship after the king who founded this country a long time ago.
Just like giving a newborn baby the name of a general who finally won victory in a harsh war.
Tia named my name to that academy.
He didn’t forget me.
Just as she doesn’t instantly forget the contents of the book she was reading the moment she closes the bookshelf, Tia still remembers me.
But at the same time, the fact that Tia closed the book…
It also means that our story is over.
Someday, when I suddenly feel longing.
She took it out from the bookshelf of her memories, dusted it off, opened a random page, read it, and smiled at the memory, saying, ‘That happened.’
The novel [The Story of Ritz and Tia] Has become such an old book.
Now, to Tia, it is a self-evident fact that I am nothing more than a shadow of my past self.
In front of my eyes – it remained an extremely peaceful and beautiful academy.
I became curious.
“Mr. Verdnando… What do you think about the queen?”
“What do you think?”
“I honestly can’t say that there are very few people who have a bad opinion of the Queen.”
“Ah. Certainly – some high-ranking people had a hard time accepting it.”
Avan looked out from the terrace.
He seems to have been a wealthy person from the beginning. It was the tallest and grandest among the mansions built in the city center, so when you stand on this terrace, the view of Deseo is as clear as a plain field.
The sea breeze blowing in from afar shook his fedora as if it would blow over.
“In a way, the current queen is sitting on her throne solely based on ‘her bloodline.’ At first, many people doubted her lineage, but since anyone could see that she resembled Prince Likene, such doubts gradually disappeared. Nevertheless, the fact that she is young, that she did not receive royal education, and that she is a woman who has already married a commoner man will be a flaw that will follow her for the rest of her life. That can’t be helped.”
“Especially that guy… That guy is undermining the queen and the integrity of this country.”
“If it’s him, does he mean ‘Gukseo’? Um, I understand your concerns, but you don’t have to worry too much.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
Aban stood by and defended Posao, whom everyone was swearing at.
“Have you ever heard the story of how the Queen and Gukseo, when they were commoners, relied on each other to overcome a difficult winter together? “I heard it’s being made into a play now.”
“…”
“It’s not just about singing difficult times. This means that the queen also experienced hardships that all commoners experienced at least once. ‘The king knows the suffering of his people.’ And instead, he showed Gukseo, who could easily be a flaw to himself, to the public. This is how she takes a commoner man, who is completely different from the nobles, as her husband. To make people aware that the royal family is that close to the common people.”
It was an absurd statement.
Although I have only read books in mountain pharmacies, I know that the qualities of a ‘king’ are usually not difficult.
A king must be perfect in every way.
You can only reign as a king if there are no flaws.
Even though it is called a ‘national policy’ that has no political power.
How on earth could any citizen be proud of the queen’s husband and representative of this country if they ended up like that?
Rather, isn’t his very existence an insult to the people of this country?
“So did it work? “I don’t think so at all.”
“In the current situation where there is not much support from nobles, we can survive if we receive at least the attention of the people. Also, the Queen asked her Gukseo to take charge of charity work. It meant ‘represent the common people.’ So, in a way, you too have received his grace.”
What?
I looked down.
Bedding that made for a comfortable night. The clean clothes you are wearing right now. And even the food I ate to my stomach.
They all have that bastard’s hands on them?
Goosebumps ran down my spine. I wanted to vomit out what was in my stomach. I wanted to immediately pick up what I was wearing and rip it off.
It took a lot of patience to barely resist that urge.
“There are a lot of things to say. I think the queen will win in the end.”
“… “Why?”
“I have seen the Queen’s true side firsthand. In the past, when the Queen was still a commoner, I met her as a waitress at a bar called ‘De Clatio Bar’. She felt extraordinary even though she only spoke for a moment. So I asked him why he was working in a place like this, and he answered like this. ‘He came from far away to save his friend.'”
Somewhere in the corner of my head.
I barely remembered a very blurred memory that I had almost forgotten.
De Clácio Bar.
It was shortly after Tia arrived in Deseo.
It was a bar where people worked to make money.
“When I heard that story, I felt envious of ‘that friend.’ “The queen dedicated the tenacity and tenacity that led her to cross Mess Road alone and achieve great success in Deseo to just one person.”
“…”
“Now that you have become a ‘king,’ you will use your outstanding abilities for the good of this country. If he thinks so, wouldn’t he have no choice but to be optimistic?”
I finally remembered.
Aban Berdnando.
He was a merchant who, inspired by his meeting with Tia at her bar, informed the nobles of the ‘Autumn Banquet Operation’ in order to collect 10 million gold.
This foundation, ‘Saint Lucretia’, was also a charity created out of great inspiration for Tia. That’s why ‘Tia’ is added at the end of the name.
Avan may not have intended it, but… He was also the person who helped Posao.
Because they made Tia and Posao a couple to attend the nobles’ banquet.
Of course, they were a fake couple, but as Tia played the role of Posao’s wife, their relationship inevitably became closer. It was around that time that Tia stopped distrusting the pig and began to show affection for him.
Since he provided an opportunity for Tia and Posao to become closer to each other, from my point of view, Avan is an extremely unpleasant person.
However, if you asked me if there was any other way to collect 1,000 gold in that short time, I had nothing to say.
Maybe it’s because of Avan’s help that I’m alive and well.
Looking at Avan’s hopeful face, I thought for a moment about what to do with him.
After weighing this and that, I decided to leave it as is.
At least there was no malice towards Avan. He didn’t want to relax unnecessarily.
“Mr. Verdnando, how much is the ferry ticket from here to Taildon?”
“Taildon? Umm… It’ll probably cost about 40 gold per piece. Why suddenly?”
“Then can you give me 80 gold?”
Avan looked at me blankly.
I’m not asking you to lend me something. So that he can leave this Deseo forever.
He looked quite embarrassed when asked to give him 80 gold without conditions.
“Is it urgent?”
“Yes. “I want to leave right away tomorrow.”
“There’s nothing you can’t do, but can I hear why? “I haven’t heard anything from you yet.”
“I want to go back to my hometown. That’s all.”
“… Okay? If that’s the case, I guess I can’t stop it.”
Avan reached into his clothes, searched his pockets, and took out two platinum coins.
“Now, here’s 100 gold. You don’t have to give the money back. Just go back carefully.”
“Thank you.”
After taking the money, I turned around and walked.
After a while, he asked my back.
“Hey, can you at least tell me your name?”
He told me simply.
“You will find out soon anyway.”
I left the terrace, leaving Avan standing there with an incomprehensible expression.
* * *
I went down to the garden and called Marie.
He said goodbye to his first friends and came straight to my side.
“Was it fun?”
“Yes. It was fun.”
“They are good kids.”
Meeting Avan was a coincidence.
Thanks to receiving the money, I was able to handle the ‘post-processing’ that was expected to take some time faster than expected.
As soon as I left the mansion, I found a random restaurant and sat down.
And I let Marie eat as much food as she wanted.
Since I chose a menu that wasn’t very expensive, I told him to try something nice if possible.
“Ritz, don’t you eat?”
“I’m not starving. “You eat a lot.”
“I’m the only one who eats a little, but…”
“Eat a lot while you have it.”
The food was fancy, but the atmosphere was not. Marie couldn’t eat properly and was gnawing because she was watching me.
It was a personal greed. It’s a pity that I can only do this for Mari, who has worked hard with me up to this point. Still, I thought that if I fed them like this, I would feel at least a little bit at ease.
After an awkward meal, Marie put down the spoon.
“I ate it all.”
“Was it delicious?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then take this.”
I finished paying and handed all the remaining money to Marie.
It was about 90 gold.
Marie was surprised.
“This money… ?”
“That person at the foundation helped.”
“Ah…”
“Number of animals. “There is something you must do from now on.”
“Yes?”
There is no way Marie could make a mistake.
Still, she spoke in a serious voice.
“First, go to the royal castle and report that Uncle Joseph has been kidnapped by rebels. There is no need to tell me the location. Just hand this guide to any soldier, and you can get out.”
“… Yes.”
I gave Marie a map showing the route from the underground waterway to the rebels’ hideout.
“And she went straight to the eastern port in her carriage and caught a ship bound for Taildon. Likewise, if you ask any person, they will tell you where the boat is docked. Let’s leave at night. “Get two boarding passes and wait until the sun sets.”
“… I understand.”
Although her eyes were a little nervous, Marie nodded her head firmly.
“That’s enough. Now then, let’s move separately.”
“I… “Oppa.”
Just as she was about to get up from her seat, Marie asked in a hurry.
“Your brother too… “You’re returning to the port, right?”
She tried hard not to make eye contact with her. Before I knew it, I was looking at Marie’s face.
His blue eyes… It was deep.
It’s so deep, like a sea with no end in sight.
I thought she was a blunt child. Was he even able to make an expression like this? Well, if you’re with the boring Rouye Franc, you won’t know how to use her face. Marie must have been influenced by that too.
Still, it was amazing to see it for the first time.
Marie… With the face of a pensive girl, she was holding onto my sleeve.
“Okay. “I will come back.”
“Are you sure?”
She was thinking it would be hard to fake it. Also… Marie is Marie.
It seemed like he had already noticed.
Finally, our journey has reached its end.
