Chapter 47

Translation by Watermelon and Doldrums


The Duke's Return



"Your Grace, please come on in."



Ernel didn’t even turn away from his desk, as Almondite entered the room. Half of his frame was bathing in the warm, noon sunlight.



A lopsided smile appeared on Ernel’s flushed face. Not an ounce of chastity or purity could be found on it. The middle part of his white cassock had come loose, revealing his bare chest underneath, the sight of which was strangely alluring. He had the face of a consecrated messenger of God, and yet, his decadent appearance was seduction in itself. Almondite, glossing over this dichotomy, calmly asked,



“Have you been drinking?”



"Yes."



Although priests were not forbidden to drink alcohol, it was a matter of great talk when they did.



"Did something happen, Father?"



“No, everything is fine.”



“...It is surprising to see Your Holiness in this state.”



Ernel tilted his glass, nary a smile on his face. When his mouth, which was usually so prompt to crack into a grin, stayed still as such, his face appeared exceptionally cold. Ernel asked languidly, his unconcerned, purple eyes looking at Almondite,



“What brings you here, Your Grace?”



Ernel brought the shimmering crystal glass under the sun's glare and gently shook it. The red wine caught the light, reflecting a bright, reddish glow.



“I came in need of your wisdom, Father.”



“Hmm. What is it that you wish to know?”



He gulped down the wine. Seeping out from the rim, the liquid ran down his neck, akin to streams of blood.



“Is there anything in a warlock’s dark magic repertoire that could cause a person to change?”



“Change? What kind of change are you talking about?”



“I’m talking about their mental state. To be more precise, an alteration in the way this person behaves.”



“Oh, there are plenty of ways to achieve this. For example mind manipulation, psychological breakdown, hypnosis…to only name a few.”



Ernel turned his head toward Almondite, at last, his interest picked. Almondite looked at him, his eyes pressing him to elaborate.



“What do you mean by mind manipulation?”



“Indoctrination, if you will. One ends up 'thinking' the way someone else tells them to, until it becomes their only truth, or, making someone believe that what they think is wrong, is actually right.”



“What about hypnosis?”



“Hypnosis is similar to mind manipulation. The victim will ‘act’ according to the hypnotist’s wishes.”



“...”



“But mind manipulation and hypnosis don’t last long. You have to keep instilling power to the spell in order to prevent it from breaking. Besides, the victims’ behaviors look rather unnatural to onlookers.”



Ernel considered Almondite, who was pensively stroking his chin, his eyes narrowing as he was figuring out what this was really all about.



“If you are asking about Princess Llewelyn, she was neither brainwashed nor hypnotized.”



“So you already knew?”



Ernel grinned, confirming his assumption.



“I assume you came to me after realizing something?”



“Does that mean that you’ve slept with Princess Llewelyn, Father…?”



“Who knows…I guess you could say I felt sympathetic toward her because of her…predicament?”



Almondite's icy glare settled on him, his turquoise eyes betraying how ardently he wanted to condemn the priest’s behavior. Meanwhile, Ernel was still grinning.



“But this is a secret between the Princess and I. Though it seems that you have no qualms prying into her privacy.”



“...”



“Did you really think that I would reveal every candid detail, Duke Biserk? As you can see, I'm not the most exemplary priest... or rather, not as virtuous as everyone in the Holy Land seems to think.”



His voice sounded somewhat strained and Almondite realized his own rudeness.



“Please forgive me, Your Holiness. But I do need your invaluable opinion on the dark sorcery that took hold of the Princess.”



"And why is that?"



Ernel playfully swung the wine glass, his unfocused gaze making him look surprisingly bewitching. For a priest who had vowed to live a life of abstinence, his attractiveness was definitely far too dangerous. And as this handsomeness became more and more apparent to Almondite, he couldn’t help to think about Llewelyn.



Had Llewelyn fallen for this face? Was she sensitive to his charms?



“As I told you, it’s a secret between the Princess and I”, added Ernel with a smile.



Almondite was within an ace of letting his anger show, his eyes giving the priest a menacing look .



“Duke, I don’t claim to be well acquainted with matters pertaining to House Biserk.”



“…”



“But did you know that back in the days, your father, the former Duke of Biserk, asked for help from the Holy Land?”


At those words, Almondite's eyes widened, making Ernel grin in return.



“I was twenty-one at the time.”



Ernel looked at Almondite as if he were dealing with a very young child, although Almondite didn’t seem to take offense in that. Probably because judging from Ernel's expression, he had realized where he was going with this line of thought.



“I personally loathe those who act irresponsibly in the name of love.”



“...”



“Especially when they don’t reap the benefits of their actions nor take responsibility for them.”



Ernel's expression softened as he continued to speak.



“In that respect, I realize that we both, alongside Her Highness, have fallen victim to that curse.”



“…Father.”



“Pray tell, how many times do you think the Princess has been abandoned by the people in her life?”



Almondite had nothing to reply to the sensible point the priest had raised.



“There, you have it, the reason the Princess received such a bane. The tender hearted who are coddled, loved and looked after by all, only to be denied that protection and be thrown aside in the end, those are the most vulnerable.”



“...”



“And now, Princess Llewelyn is cursed. Cursed by a machiavellian fiend, who means to play with her.”



At the sight of Almondite’s dejection, Ernel bit back his snarky comment. The most regrettable thing in this deplorable tragedy was that Llewelyn had not lost her light in the midst of such despair.



And for that reason, her ill treatment had only gotten worse. How much must that person want to trample on that light, to place such a perverted curse on the Princess.



Ernel stared at Almondite in silence. The flock of people that gravitated around Llewelyn, eager to catch her attention, came to his mind. Perhaps he should count himself among them.



Ernel's heart often wavered at the thought of Llewelyn. When he had seen her fall during the Empire’s founding ceremony, he had felt like his whole heart would shatter. But when she had landed, unscathed, relief had poured all over him and he had thanked God for his magnanimity.



He had thanked God…him!



Could you believe it? Ernel the apostate priest!



He had started acting uncharacteristically after meeting Llewelyn. He felt genuinely jealous of those who approached her, the man in front of him included.



He had wondered about the reason he harbored such improper feelings.



Then he realized that it was all because of Llewelyn. He had merely started to look after her as a way to distract himself, showing her a little affection and interest...But he never imagined it would turn out that way.



‘Ernel.’



He found himself feeling elated whenever Llewelyn was smiling at him. It was like some void in his heart had been filled.



But why?



Although his mind did go to Llewelyn, she was just an ordinary person among so many others. His own mind felt foreign to him, making him confused. That’s why he was envious of the man in front of him. At least that man knew his own heart.



*



Llewelyn looked at her reflection in the mirror. Yesterday she had worn a skintight white dress, but today she was wearing a pleated one.



Llewelyn was distractingly fiddling with the gold feathers of her cape. Letting out a sigh, she draped the fabric over her dress. It was really eye-catching, making her look like a walking golden statue.



After she finished dressing up, she looked at the clock. The time at which Almondite was supposed to come had long passed. She frowned, throwing a glance at the powder room’s door.



“I should never have trusted him.”



Today's careful preparation had been in view of the founding banquet. Llewelyn had initially considered excusing herself from the ceremony because of the attempt on her life, but decided against it. She should not tarnish her reputation any further, after all, this year she had been chosen to be the Golden Raven.



Thinking about the ceremony was rather vexatious. The National Founding Banquet was sure to be full of unwelcome people.



On top of the list would be the faction of Pamela and Duke Brion, followed shortly after by people she once thought had been her friends and believed they would stand by her side, but...



Should she just tell them that she had collapsed right before attending? Just as Llewelyn was seriously considering it, she heard a knock. The door gently opened and Llewelyn, who saw the visitor through the mirror, got up from her seat.



"Brother?"



Seeing Llewelyn's surprised face, Bastian grinned.



“Did I startle you?”



“What brings you here?”



“I heard that Duke Biserk had not come,” he said. “So I'm here to escort you in his stead."



Llewellyn, abashed, asked,



“But what about Miss Maud?”



“From what I understand, she also has an older brother, so he’ll probably take care of it.”



His voice became cold. It seemed she had brought up a sensitive subject.



“Mother will be displeased”, pointed Llewelyn, hesitantly.



At those words, Bastian stopped in his tracks.



“Llewelyn, I may not hold that much power, but do you think it hasn’t crossed my mind? I don’t need you to bring it up as well."



Llewelyn did a double take. To Bastian, it might have sounded like she had slighted him, but fortunately, Bastian smiled bitterly, as if to show he hadn't been offended. Llewelyn tentatively spoke again,



“Actually, even after getting all dolled up, I am still a bit concerned. I wonder whether it is wise for me to attend the banquet. After all, someone did try to kill me.”



“Sir Tristan is currently investigating the matter. He’s tracking down every warlock capable of summoning magical beasts, and he seems quite driven about it."



“...”



“Besides, what good would come from you not attending the ceremony now? Sir Jayad's efforts would only be in vain."



“…Yes, you’re right."



Indeed it would seem rather ludicrous for her to cower in fear, while Tristan was putting his nose to the grindstone. Llewelyn understood that the best way to aid Tristan’s effort would be to act as she normally would.



“My uncle has returned.”



“…”



Did it mean that Duke Brion would be there as well? Was the repression of the rebellion over already? Llewelyn’s eyes widened at the thought. As if reading her mind, Bastian added,



“Mother won’t act rashly.”



Llewelyn remembered Duke Brion. He was a cold-hearted man, who looked like he wouldn’t bleed even if someone were to stab him. The relationship between Duke Brion, the son of the legal wife of the former Duke, and Pamela, the daughter of his concubine, was peculiar.



“Now please, don’t let my visit be in vain.”



Bastian offered his arm, and Llewelyn, with a nod of the head, placed her hand on top of his. Bastian carefully folded his hand over hers. Receiving Bastian's kind escort like this, Llewelyn felt a new sense of wonder.



She had thought that her relationship with Bastian was similar to that of Pamela and Duke Brion. However Bastian, quite openly held out his hand to her first, and they were now walking side by side.



“Isn’t it amazing?”



Llewelyn flinched at Bastian's words. It was as if he had read her mind.



“The fact that you and I are walking side by side like this. Having observed my own mother and uncle all these years, I never thought it could be possible.”


Was their way of thinking similar because they shared the same blood? Llewelyn, for some reason, replied gauchely,



“I feel the same way.”



“In the past, I was too distraught to even talk to you.”



“Were you?”



"Because I was an illegitimate child.”



“…”



“But then you spoke to me first.”



“…”



“I thought you would insult me, but you didn’t. That you’d probably think I was pathetic, but I know that you strangely cared for me.”



“...I see.”



A look of regret flashed across Llewelyn's face. She could vividly recall the events that happened in her past, and yet, the details surrounding them were blurry, making it hard for her to remember well. If it had appeared that way to Bastian, then so be it. She had such a busy life that she couldn't even remember how she had treated her half-brother.



Either way, their relationship had changed since then. Once an illegitimate Prince, Bastian had become the rightful heir when her mother, the Queen, had been executed, consequently making Llewelyn the daughter of a sinner. Somehow, Llewellyn felt a new sense of alienation after seeing Bastian looking happy beside her.



But if he remembered her fondly, why should her own feelings matter? And so Llewelyn smiled for his benefit.



*



Upon entering the banquet hall, Bastian and Llewelyn became the focus of everyone’s attention. Llewelyn scanned the attendance with a dull expression on her face. She once again contemplated excusing herself for the soirée, but after further consideration, came to the conclusion that no one would be coming her way anyway. She would be left in peace tonight. Llewelyn let go of Bastian’s arm and, as always, took her seat in a faraway corner.



“Golden Raven, may Your Grace shine upon Brygent.”



Before Llewelyn could even start to relax, someone had approached her and offered their greetings, startling her. This person was the daughter of Earl Sundblen, a member of one of the five honorable families of the Empire.



Llewelyn couldn't hide her embarrassment. Lady Sundblen had once been a close friend of hers.



But after losing her mother and falling into disgrace, that very same friend had quickly turned her back on her. And yet, here she was now, suddenly acting like they were on friendly terms. Llewelyn greeted her with a nod, hiding her displeasure. She had assumed that she would act like Llewelyn wasn’t there, just as she usually did…



What was she plotting by acting this way now?



Llewelyn relinquished her seat and moved to another corner.



“Golden Raven, Bless be. Long time no see, Your Highness.”



Unfortunately, by trying to escape her former acquaintance, she wound up to a place that was equally, if not more, unpleasant. Somehow, she had found herself standing next to Duke Brion, whom upon seeing Llewelyn, was now smiling brightly.



“It’s been a while, Duke.”



There always seemed to be a dark stench of blood coming from Duke Brion. One of the many reasons Llewelyn couldn’t suffer his presence. But she replied nevertheless, as he was a high-ranking aristocrat that one could not so easily ignore.



“It seems that the repression of the Kelstein rebellion has come to an end.”



"Indeed it has. I even brought back their leader’s head to offer it to His Majesty. Would you like to see it too, Princess?”

Chapter end