Chapter 89 – The Elf Groom (2)
Duke Albert.
At first, I thought it was the bullshit of some psychopath. The figure of the screaming man was too shabby to be an aristocrat, and he looked emaciated.
However, judging by the attitude of the other elves, he really seemed to fit Duke Anbert. What the hell happened while he was on his way to port, an unpleasant imagination consumed the accident.
“Ha. Anberttra. They’re such a nuisance here and there.”
Haru also left a brief impression about his attitude, probably having similar thoughts. He is a guy who is always buried in jokes and white noise, but at times like this, he seemed to have extraordinary insight.
“Can’t we just banish such a person. He’s already going to die of noise.”
“I agree. It’s all the more since I think that what I have to endure will become reality.”
“I’d like to spit on you, but then that person will be rewarded, right?
“…Huh.”
“Yes. Let’s go quickly and buy it.”
The arrow of conversation that came and went indifferently eventually turned to Saya. Ever since hearing Duke Anbert’s name, Saya didn’t move a single step as if she were nailed to the spot. It seems that the hatred that he will never shake for the rest of his life is holding him back.
And her hesitation eventually led her to her tragic fateful reunion. Duke Anbert’s voice, which had been screaming madly, suddenly cut off and suddenly began pouring toward us.
“Uh… Hey! Those kids must be! Hey! Can you hear me now?”
“…”
“Hey! Can you hear me! I… Damn, put this down!”
In the end, he violently shook off the hands of the elves and came towards us. Then he started asking questions in an urgent voice.
“Nice to meet you. I’m called Duke Anbert. I’m sure you’ve heard of it before… But right now, that’s not important. Apparently, you’re still a student. Which academy are you from?”
“…”
“No, that’s okay. Actually, I know at least what academy he came from. I also hear rumors. What I really want to ask is this. Have you guys heard of a girl named Roselia?”
“…”
“I’m from the same academy as you guys. So there’s no way you wouldn’t know. He’s a kid who stands out no matter where he goes. So, do you know what happened to Roselia? Are you on the same boat by any chance?”
No matter how much we turned away, he persisted in asking questions. Then he suddenly said in a meaningful voice, as if he had even read our expressions.
“Looking at his expression, he seems to know. He definitely knows something.”
“…”
“Damn it, say something. Are you kidding me right now? I’m Sir Anbert! No matter how things turn out, I…!”
“We don’t know.”
“What… What?”
“Then, get out of the way.”
Eventually I stepped in and gave him a soft warning. Even though I was in a fairly emaciated state, it was not enough to intimidate an old man like Duke Anbert.
Only then did he take a step back, perhaps feeling a little frightened. Then he suddenly spread his hands out with an awkward smile.
“That… I’m sorry. I was so mean. But I trust you’ll understand. She felt like her father hadn’t seen his daughter in a long time… She literally broke her heart. “
“Yes. I understand.”
“As expected of an academy student, you are cultured and considerate. So, can you tell me now? By any chance, how is my daughter…”
“Rogeria couldn’t come.”
I cut him off with an undeniable truth. Then I put just a handful of what I knew into it.
“After an unfortunate accident while at the academy, I left somewhere with the servants of the Anbert family. I haven’t heard of the destination. That’s all I know.”
“That’s all? What kind of accident did you get into? But. Explain a bit more.”
“It’s something I don’t want to recall. Besides, I don’t know exactly what happened.”
“I want you to tell me though. What the hell happened? My daughter…My daughter was supposed to come here.”
“I must…”
I was angry at the lies that came out like breathing. However, he soon suppressed his emotions and shook his head.
“Anyway, there’s nothing more to say. I’ve been through a lot while coming here, just like the duke. Then, let’s go.”
“No. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go until you tell me about my daughter. Never.”
“You have no right to do that.”
“Rights…Yes. No rights. That’s right.”
At my words, Duke Anbert smiled bitterly. Then he suddenly raised his head and he glared at me with cold eyes.
“But isn’t that the same for you?”
“Same thing. What do you mean?”
“You don’t have the right to come here either.”
“What the hell is that…”
“Who are you to come here instead of my daughter?”
The anger that had faded for a moment was boiling inside him again. The Duke could not control his own emotions and gradually raised his voice.
“My daughter is Rogeria Anbert. I seem to have forgotten about it because I was a classmate at the academy, but it is definitely a noble daughter of the Duke of Anbert. Who the hell is this? Could it be that he is a descendant of a noble family comparable to the Anbert family?”
“You’re being rude. Seeing that you ask me something like that in the first meeting.”
“No. I think it’s a legitimate question. I don’t understand who you are to be given the right to flee to the land of the elves. If you’re not a son of an aristocrat, are you a genius that will go down in human history? Couldn’t be. No. If it did, I would have known.”
“What a waste of time. I have to go. Get out of the way now.”
“Why. If not, would you use force? Judging by the way he speaks, it’s clear that he’s not even trained. How did he get here? And how did that blind man behind him get here?”
“…Ai-san. This bastard’s family only quarrels with me.”
In the meantime, Haru, who had been pointed out out of the blue, burst out laughing. But the Duke continued to scream, not paying attention to that attitude.
“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand it! You guys don’t deserve to come here. You have no right to sit in a seat where only two people are allowed even in the Anbert family! I mean, they can take it!”
“If you’re rude anymore, I won’t put up with it. I’m warning you, duke…”
“Well done! I can’t stand it any longer! Explain who gave you the emblem right away! Otherwise, I’ll assume you’ve stolen it from someone! These nice elves won’t put up with it any longer! Then answer right away. One… Two…!”
“Duke Anbert, you…!”
“I gave it to you.”
Even I was about to get emotional, but in the end, Saya stepped forward. She met Duke Anbert’s eyes with a calmer expression than ever before.
“I gave it to you, Duke Anbert. Did that explain it?”
“Saya. Let’s just ignore it and go. We don’t have to deal with it…”
“No. Stay still. I’ll take care of it.”
“…Ohh. You finally come out like this.”
Despite Saya’s appearance, the Duke pushed the corner of her mouth up without hesitation. Then she looked at the elves crowding around her with a triumphant expression.
“I didn’t think so. You were also in the company of these two. But what are you saying? Do you want to say that you gave these two a pattern?”
“Yes. I gave it to you. What’s wrong with that?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a personal freedom to whom you transfer it to. But what I want to point out is the number.”
He suddenly pointed to the back of Saya’s hand. There was still a fresh blue pattern that hadn’t been erased there.
“Looks like you came to this land with a pattern. You look like an elf on the outside, but in fact you were in the same position as us. Are you the half-elf rumored to be you?”
“…”
“No, actually, that’s not so important. The important thing is that you’ve been handed over three patterns. Even the Anbert family has only received two privileges, three each. Didn’t they?”
“Yes that’s right.”
“Ha! That’s right. It was like this after all. It was like this after all!”
The Duke burst into hysterical laughter. Then he began to resent the elves who gathered around him.
“I pretended to be noble and fair, but in the end, everything was just hypocrisy. What? Picking out the talents needed for the rest of humanity? You didn’t favor one side and distributed the patterns fairly? I’m sorry, but here’s a counterexample. Right here!”
“Stop it Sir Anbert. They’re only children, and you’re talking too much.”
“They’re just children, so they’re getting so angry! If they were going to handle things like this, they should have left everything to the imperial family in the first place! Even if they were half-elves, what? Three? That’s why this kid has two of his own friends who don’t care much. I could have brought you!”
“Sir Anbert…”
“But I could only save one! Of all the children born to my heart, I could only choose one! Can you imagine the pain? Can you imagine!”
The Duke finally couldn’t contain his rage and stomped on the ground to his feet, screaming. If Saya finds out that there are four patterns he received, he might even bite his tongue out of resentment.
However, it was also true that he had some doubts after hearing the story. No matter how half-elves they were, how did they buy four patterns that even the famous Duke of Anbert had only received two of?
At the center of such a question, Saya slowly cast her gaze toward somewhere. Then, in a calm voice, she opened her mouth.
“Are you curious how I got the emblem?”
“Of course. I…”
“Then let’s ask my father.”
“What?”
At the firm tone, the duke involuntarily shut his mouth. Then, belatedly, I followed Yasaya’s gaze and looked back at him.
Then, he opened his mouth blankly as he saw a group of elves coming towards him.
At first, I thought it was because of their graceful appearance. Unlike the other elves, they were wearing sky-light clothes like flower petals and walking around as if they were floating in the air.
However, when I looked around, even the other elves on the scene were witnessing their march with reverence. It was an attitude towards a superior in an absolute position, so even I, who did not know the circumstances, had no choice but to clasp my hands.
On the other hand, Saya, unlike the others, did not show any respect. He just waited for their arrival with a firm expression.
And it instilled a subtle sense of insecurity in me. For some reason, I felt like I knew the future to come.
“Oh my god…”
In the meantime, the approaching elves came right before Duke Anbert’s eyes. The elf in the middle of the group slowly walked out to him as he panicked, not knowing what to do.
Even without prior knowledge, it was easy to see that the laurel crown on his head was an unmistakable symbol of dignity. He looked at the duke indifferently and spat out a word.
“Duke.”
“Cho…Chief…I…”
“Move aside.”
He ignoring the duke who lowered his head urgently and came straight towards us. Then, with a nonchalant attitude, he met eyes with Saya.
A subtle tension passed for a moment. The moment I couldn’t stand it and turned away, the future I expected unfolded.
“Buy.”
“Yes. Father.”
“…”
Unknowingly, I closed my eyes tightly. Haru also expressed sympathy with me in a low voice.
“Omg.”
“…Quiet day.”
I had nothing to say, so I habitually criticized him. Meanwhile, the two were staring at each other without speaking.
But there was never a positive feeling in it. Seeing her father’s surprisingly cold eyes, Saya lowered her head and finally turned away. In the end, it was her father’s side who broke the long silence.
“Buy.”
“…Yes.”
“What about Helen?”
Perhaps it was a moment of thrilling reunion, but instead of asking after her daughter, he brought up someone else’s name. Besides, even his tone was adamant, as if he had no interest in anything else. However, Saya responded calmly without showing any sign of regret.
“Mom couldn’t come.”
“I must have sent four patterns.”
“Yes. But… My mother passed away before we even met.”
“Helen is dead.”
“Yes.”
It was a cool conversation that made the listener feel uneasy. Of course, it was the Duke who was most anxious. He watched the conversation between the two, trembling like a criminal.
“Helen is dead.”
In the meantime, Saya’s father chewed on that one word again. Then he opened his mouth in a heavy voice.
“Was it because of the dragons?”
“No.”
“Then what about illness?”
“No. Not even that.”
“Then why?”
Emotion began to creep into his voice. And Saya too slowly lifted her head and met her father’s eyes. Her lips were quivering with anger.
“I was murdered.”
It was an accusation that I had endured for a long time. Saya pointed her unwavering finger at the Duke of Anbert, putting an end to the long ill-fated relationship.
“By that person.”
