Chapter 136 – Obsession
#136.
Dinner time after a long time. A woman’s charming voice rang in the quiet dining table.
“Your Excellency Aang—Do it.”
“… Thank you.”
The woman with the gorgeous red hair is called Calidora Barrymore. The person who received her food from the woman and ate it was Montrio Barrymore, the head of the Earl of Barrymore.
Priscilla quietly cut her steak, ignoring the love affair between the two.
She was absolutely not hungry, but she had no choice but to force herself to eat, because if she hadn’t eaten, the already unpleasant gaze would only get worse.
Priscilla tried to get out of this uncomfortable position even if it was just a second faster.
10 minutes. 20 minutes. And finally, half an hour later, Priscilla, who had finished her steak, stood up, wiping her mouth with her napkin.
Even then, the eyes of the two of them, who had been clinging to each other and creating cold eyes, turned to her.
“The meal was enjoyable. Excuse me for not feeling well.”
“Oh! Are you leaving already? That’s too bad. I wanted to talk more. But if you’re not feeling well, there’s nothing you can do. See you next time.”
“Yes, Calidora.”
There was no regret in his eyes, but he was well aware that these were empty words. Priscilla replied briefly and looked at her count.
“…”
He said nothing. I just stare silently with my blurry eyes. There is not a single hint of her love for her or her affection for her.
Priscilla likewise left her banquet hall with her head bowed in her emotionless face.
As she stepped out into her hallway, her waitresses and Sergio followed her.
Priscilla continued walking, and when they moved a little away from her banquet hall, she opened her mouth.
“Sergio. Didn’t you forget to visit the graveyard?”
“…”
She visits the grave of her son, Milius, once a month. She just happened to have that date 5 days later, and she had to be careful this month, especially since many things overlapped.
However, Sergio did not answer her question. When she stopped and looked behind her, she saw him staring somewhere in the distance with a blurry gaze.
Priscilla frowned involuntarily.
‘Also… ?’
A few days ago, strangely, it became frequent for her to stare blankly somewhere. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but walking around while distracted is something no escort driver should do.
As Priscilla gave her tenacious gaze for a moment, Sergio flinched as if he felt her eyes and looked at her.
A feeble firearm flickered in her misty eyes.
“Ah, Miss Priscilla. Sorry. Could you say it again?”
Didn’t listen either.
The lack of concentration was a huge problem in the escort. Priscilla thought for a moment, then she said.
“Sergio. I’ll give you a vacation for the next three days. Have a good rest in the meantime.”
“Yes? All of a sudden?”
It’s a bit of a bewildered expression that I didn’t expect. It seems that he didn’t realize how much he was in a state of ignorance right now.
Priscilla softened her tone a little, thinking that it was much more serious than she thought.
“Five days from now, it’s cemetery visit day. Make sure to thoroughly prepare for that time. I won’t be going out for a while anyway. Got it? I will not forgive the act of selling one eye like now.”
Priscilla and Sergio have been together for over three years.
It was unacceptable for the escort knight, who had been faithfully by his side since then, to be thrown away for such a mistake. It was a decision made after thinking deeply in its own way, but it seemed to sound different from his point of view.
Sergio immediately fell to his knees.
“… Miss Priscilla. Please reconsider. I won’t make this mistake from now on. So one more chance…”
Priscilla sighed, feeling frustrated at her inability to understand her, and calmed him down.
“It’s not like that. You seem tired these days, so I’m just trying to give you a break before the graveyard visit. Rather, it is because I believe in you. Please keep me in the best condition. Do you understand?”
“Priscilla-sama…”
Sergio looks up at her, calling out to her as if he was moved by her. Priscilla asked as she pressed her answer again.
“Answer. I will give you a vacation for the next 3 days. Do you understand?”
“All right. Thank you for your consideration. We will definitely live up to those expectations.”
“Great. Then stand up. I want to go to my room.”
When Priscilla smiled and said, Sergio also stood up with a relieved expression. She turned right around and took her steps back to her room.
.
.
.
Thump!
After a while, Priscilla, who had been thoroughly washed and attended by her maids, laid her body on her bed.
“Whoah…”
The water that clung to her body was evaporated by the wind, taking away the heat and taking away the warmth. I sigh at her coolness and a feeling of liberation that fills her heart and stares blankly at her ceiling.
“It won’t be long before… Everything will work out.”
It’s unfortunate that the dispatch of the guardians has been delayed, but there is no doubt that additional support will arrive within a month at the latest.
When that happens, she will finally be able to avenge Milius’s enemies. It can prove that the hard work she did over the course of her year wasn’t in vain.
It’s all thanks to Gaon.
“The thankful person…”
Black hair and black eyes. Although he has the same characteristics as the Count of Montrio whom we met at the banquet just before, he is an incomparably good and upright person.
These days, he often comes to mind. In particular, when I look at the night sky before going to sleep, his face would shimmer for no reason, but she couldn’t figure out the cause.
He would feel a part of his heart warming just by thinking about it. Her warmth gives the illusion of comforting her.
Even if it’s just an illusion.
“Repay… You should.”
Priscilla, who was staring at her ceiling, murmured and got off the bed and headed for the drawer. When she opened the second compartment, a ring with a purple jewel was placed there.
As he held it, the jewel’s brilliance reflected in the soft moonlight and shone.
This ring is her wedding ring that she received after marrying into her count’s family. Priscilla, who was short of money for her request because her family’s support was cut off, thought of replacing that amount with this ring.
But…
“This is not enough.”
The grace she received is not at a level that can be repaid to this extent. Had she not been alone, hadn’t she suggested a solution to her that would have been impossible to find even in her lifetime?
As the ring was provided by the count’s family, it must have been quite expensive, but it could not be ruled out that it was missing somewhere.
Priscilla looked at the jewelry for a moment, put it back in the drawer, and moved to the window.
She looked up at the blue moon and counted the stars around her. It wasn’t that it meant anything, it was just something I did without knowing it.
How many minutes has passed
As I was gradually drowsy, a signal was transmitted from the communication magic tool placed on the table next to the bed.
“… What is it?”
In the case of this communication magic tool, it is used only for contact with Gaon. Of course, it was clear who had been in touch.
Priscilla tilted her head, but quickly approached her and took her telecommunications tool.
“Hello? Gaonkyung?”
– Oh, you got it. Sorry for the late hour.
“No. No. But what is it?”
-I just heard the news, and the Heretic Inquisitor arrived this evening. He said he wants to meet Priscilla-sama to find out more about the situation. Do you have any time tomorrow?
Priscilla was silent for a moment in surprise.
I wondered if the church didn’t take the situation too seriously because it delayed the dispatch of guardians, but unexpectedly, the case of the Inquisitor came quickly.
It’s not like his arrival will solve the problem, but it was a little relieved to see that the church was definitely willing to subdue the doppelganger anyway.
Even though Priscilla couldn’t be seen, she happily nodded her head and expressed her opinion.
“Sure! Let’s meet right away tomorrow morning. Can I go to the church?”
-No. I plan to meet you at the pre-new guild. We don’t want to find out that the church has intervened yet. I’m going to pick you up.
“Is it Gaonkyung?”
-Yes. Because you never know what might happen.
It took less than 10 minutes by car to travel from the Count’s Mansion to the Pre-New Guild. I wondered if it was necessary to pick him up, but I didn’t feel bad.
Priscilla, who let out a bright smile for no reason at the thought that something of her was being treated with great care, answered.
“Then please do so. See you tomorrow. Gaonkyung.”
-Yes. I’ll just hang up. Please have a comfortable night.
“Sleep well, too.”
After saying hello, about 5 seconds passed and the call was cut off.
Priscilla gently looked down at her cylindrical telecommunications tool, then placed it on her table and climbed into bed.
She covers herself with the covers and puts her head on her pillow, and her drowsiness sets in. She looked at Gaon’s face dimly carved on her ceiling, then closed her eyes and went to sleep.
… It was a comfortable night that day.
***
And the next morning.
Priscilla quickly got ready and headed for the gate of her mansion. As she walked across her garden with a fairly busy pace, she could see Gaon coming to meet her.
Spring has arrived, and the scent of flowers and cool breezes have blown.
Priscilla approached her, feeling her mood lifted for the first time in a while, and opened her mouth.
“Did you wait long?”
“No. I just came.”
“Really? It’s hard to believe.”
“Only five minutes have passed.”
“If you say that, I will believe you. Then let’s go. I look forward to seeing what kind of person it will be.”
“Yes. Then go up.”
Gaon opened the carriage door and politely held out his hand.
Priscilla, who was momentarily amazed at her modest yet elegant posture, smiled and held her hand.
“Thank you.”
“It was nothing.”
As Priscilla climbed into the carriage, Gaon followed and sat across from her.
The two of them met eyes, exchanged friendly smiles, and then turned their eyes toward the window.
At the same time, the carriage moved.
