The place they arrived at was not a castle. It looked more like a village than a castle.
However, it was absolutely not the size of a normal village.
"So, this is what Silva is like.”
"Wow. That's amazing."
Rosenta understood their reaction.
When he had first seen it, he had shown an even stronger reaction than them.
He used to imagine that if the species known as "Elves" actually existed, they would live in such a place.
"That’s a special type of house that can only be seen in our Silva.”
The soldier puffed out her chest with a proud look.
She seemed to like Theodore and Enoch's reactions, so she began to proudly introduce things to them here and there.
"This is a river that never dries up. This is where we get the water we need."
There was a very large river.
Several ferryboats floated upon it, and men could be seen doing laundry.
This time she pointed at the trees one by one.
"Isn't it beautiful? There are people who build houses on top of trees, but there are others who use them as houses themselves."
They were certainly using the tops and insides of trees as homes. It was different.
While looking around at the surrounding houses, the soldier who had been explaining things for a long time suddenly bowed her head.
"Duchess Cardia."
Rosenta turned in the direction of the soldier's greeting.
He saw a woman come out of the door of the largest and lushest tree.
It was Nike Cardia.
"You’ve come with an unexpected guest."
Nike strode forward. Then she bowed to Theodore with a slight bend in her knee.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty."
"I wanted to visit Silva with Duke Estella. Please simply treat me as his companion."
"How could I do such a thing? I'll take you inside first."
Nike gestured.
Then the men that had been waiting behind her sprang forward.
“Let me take you to your room."
Each began to guide Enoch and Theodore in different directions.
However, Enoch glanced at Rosenta, as if he was unwilling to follow them.
It didn't make sense for him to leave his master behind as a butler.
"Follow me."
But when you come to Rome, you follow the laws of Rome.
It was the word of Nike who ruled this place, so it was right to do as she said.
Rosenta watched the two of them go into a huge tree.
It was because there was no one who guided me, whether it was Nike's request.
"Hmm. I never thought you would bring His Majesty like this.”
Rosenta felt bad.
Although he’d said he came as Rosenta’s companion, Theodore was still the emperor. It could feel like Silva was being inspected.
If Nike were to complain to him, Rosenta would be willing to apologize.
Instead, Nike asked a random question that Rosenta would have never expected.
"Which one of them is it?"
NEXT BOOK CHAPTER
‘What do you mean, ‘Which of them is it?’’
Rosenta missed his timing to answer such an out-of-the-blue question. He just looked at Nike with his eyes quizzically narrowed.
Nike put a smile on her lips.
It was an insidious smile, as if she knew something.
Then she lightly pushed his shoulder. As if telling him to go inside.
"Let me show you to Duke Estella's room."
“……Yes."
A strange feeling remained.
However, without mentioning anything, he quietly followed Nike's footsteps.
As he entered the huge tree, a vast interior unfolded.
Nike asked him, "There hasn't been much change, has there?"”
"Yes, it still looks like what I remember."
Everything was made of wood, but he didn't see a single piece of rot.
The hall on the first floor was open up to the top floor.
It was probably possible to look down and see it from the upper floors.
"Let's go up."
He followed Nike up the stairs.
He grabbed the upper part of the stair railing. The grain was incredibly smooth. It was hard to believe it was wood.
"What did you use to treat this wood?"
Nike answered his question calmly as they continued to climb.
"There is a plant here called Rabidus. If you apply its juice to the wood, it becomes glossy and acts as a preservative."
"Rabidus, I've never heard of it."
"Because it's a secret. We sell it as a 'coating agent' under a different name.”
There was only one thing that came to mind when he heard this.
There were so many countries that used coating agents, the Helios Empire being the exception.
‘Can you tell me such a secret?’
Contrary to his concern, Nike was unconcerned.
On the contrary, she spoke to him calmly.
"Of course, a duke would keep a secret. He knows the importance of secrecy better than anyone else."
Again. She’d said something so meaningful to him.
From the first time he met her, she’d looked at him as if she knew something.
However, he couldn't think of it recklessly.
If he said the wrong thing, he could end up confessing something dangerous with his own mouth.
"We're here."
Nike stopped walking.
She pointed to a room in a remote part of the hallway on the third floor.
"You can stay here. It might be uncomfortable for you, so I won't place anyone else near you. Now, relieve your travel fatigue first."
Nike spoke without giving him time to respond.
Then she left without hesitation.
***
It was time to quickly wash up in the bathroom inside and relieve the rest of his travel fatigue.
It was noisy outside for some reason. It sounded like a little girl and a man.
"Oh, let go of this!"
"I said no. Mother and sister will scold me."
"Hm. I'm not scared of big sister Aitachi!" When I grow up a little, I will defeat my sister and become the successor!"
"Arancia!"
"Hey, stupid! Why are you screaming?"
She seemed to be a girl less than 10 years old, judging by the way she spoke.
Strangely, however, the one she called her older brother could not get his younger sister to budge.
It was a different feeling than Vivian and her brothers. In their case, Vivian simply does whatever she wants.
“Hmph! My father says that when a man screams, the roof collapses!”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
It was clear in this situation that the older brother was definitely lower in rank than the younger sister.
Curiosity arose.
Rosenta went a little closer to the door and opened it just enough that they wouldn’t notice.
“Are you going to keep screaming?”
“Oh, I won’t.”
It was a funny sight.
A small girl with her hands on her waist was scolding her older brother, who looked three times her size.
The older brother, with his orange-haired head bowed, was stunned.
“Okay. Good. Arancia will forgive you. Then let’s go see him.”
“What?”
“I’ve going to visit my mother’s guests. I heard from the attendants earlier, they said they are very, very pretty!”
“Yeah, but…”
“Sigh!”
Only his back was visible, but the brother looked like he was in his late teens.
However, it was funny and cute to see him being scolded by his younger sister who was much younger than him.
‘Perhaps ‘mother’s guest’ refers to me.’
And those kids must be two of Nike Cardia’s children.
Since they’d shown him such an interesting spectacle, he opened the door and went out in gratitude.
“Huh? A guest!”
“Arancia came to him with her light purple hair flowing. Then she grabbed the end of his overcoat."
Her orange eyes, resembling Nike’s, looked up at Rosenta with interest.
Then she shouted at him.
“……Do you want to be my husband?"
"What?"
"Since you’re pretty, I'll make you my first husband.”
‘I have no desire to be behind prison bars.’
But it was the funniest and cutest proposal Rosenta had ever heard.
He was trying to answer her wholeheartedly, but suddenly Arancia's brother popped out in front of her.
He let out a grotesque scream, "Argh!"
Then he hurriedly disappeared, with Arancia hanging from his side like a piece of luggage.
*
The castle where the emperor resided way was very quiet.
Even if Marquis Otis Marigold worked hard, he could not fill Theodore's vacancy.
As a result, the castle where the emperor lived was guarded by soldiers night and day.
The only person permitted to visit the castle was Marquis Marigold.
Of course, they had to give a proper excuse and said it was because the emperor was not in good health.
In the meantime, there were people who tried to visit the place every day.
They were Yura and Conitel.
When Yura saw Marquis Marigold, who was about to enter the palace, Yura called to him loudly.
"Marquis!"
Otis looked around at the sound of someone calling him.
Then, when he saw them approaching him, his expression gradually became dim.
I had a positive impression of the saint, but his dislike for her was stronger.
He was well aware of the shame his daughter experienced at the banquet.
Otis greeted the two with a bitter look.
"What brings you two?"
As though Otis' expression is not visible, Yura spoke to him in a friendly tone.
"If you don't mind, Marquis, can I go in with you?”
"Ah…… I don't...….”
When he met Yura's eyes, Otis almost said, 'I don't care.'
As his daughter's face came to mind, guilt and displeasure with the saint began to coexist.
He quickly closed his mouth and shook his head vigorously.
"Now’s not a good time. I'll pass the word on to His Majesty. Then I have work to do, so bye."
Then he turned away coldly without making eye contact.
Yura stared blankly at Otis's back.
Then she raised her eyebrows and chewed her lip. She didn't even think to hide her irritation.
"Why should I be treated like this? When I first fell here, you talked as if you were going to give me everything."
It was quiet.
Normally, Conitel sided with Yura every time she said these things.
But now, there was no sound.
Yura stopped talking.
She glanced at Conitel, wondering why it was so quiet.
"CONITEL?"
Conitel was staring at the sky. As if there was something up there.
Yura also raised her head at the sight.
A bird was flying leisurely in the clear sky.
It was a very beautiful bird with golden feathers. Every time it flapped its wings, its long tail fluttered.
"What? What kind of bird is that?"
"The Emperor's Bird."
Conitel, who was staring up, shook his head. Looking at Yura again, he smiled softly.
"Flying in the sky like that means it’s keeping guard of a place where its owner is not present."
Every once in a while, Conitel would say something mysterious.
"I wonder where he went?" I heard that the duke was also away at the same time…….”
"What?"
In times like this even if asked again, Conitel did not give Yura an answer. He just wore a strange smile.
The same was true this time.
He didn't say anything to Yura, who was watching him as if she was curious.
He just asked for her understanding.
"I need a moment to send a letter. Do you mind if I go in first?"
"Yes. Then please go ahead."
Yura nodded.
‘I can't even enter that castle anyway, and Theodore doesn't even seem to think about coming out.’
Since there was no more business, Yura also turned to head to the western castle where she stayed.
Conitel turned around only when he saw Yura heading to the west castle.
His destination was outside the palace.
A fountain in the town square to be exact. Sitting in a nearby cafe, he borrowed a piece of paper and a pen for a fair price.
In the noisy square, Conitel sat alone and wrote quietly, as if he were in another world.
The Emperor and the Duke are away together. Presently the Estella castle is assumed to be empty.
Conitel folded it over and over again, cautious in case anyone would see the contents.
Then he quickly put it in his pocket.
Perhaps planning to go back to the palace, Conitel rose from his seat in the cafe.
Then he stopped somewhere.
Near the cafe, in an alleyway.
There was an old man in shabby clothes begging for money in a hunched over position.
Priest Conitel, as if he couldn't pass by the poor old man, rummaged in his pocket and took out a coin.
Then, he put a large amount into the can without hesitation.
"Oh, thank you! Your Grace!"
The old man, who saw it, was surprised, and kept bowing down toward Conitel.
Conitel just smiled kindly and said nothing. He left right away as if he had finished his work.
The old man, who was lying on his stomach, tapped his back and raised himself up.
"Hahaha. You made good money today."
The old man took out a silver coin from the can.
Along with a sheet of paper folded several times.