Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Until Leav came in, wearing a green cape and white robes like mine.

[tn—continuing from when there was a terrible silence in the room, last ch]

Feeling that I met my savior, I approached him and clung to him.

“Leav…..”

However, Leav did not answer for a long time.

“Leav?”

As I waved my hands in front of him and called out to him, only then did Leav open his mouth.

“….. Sister, you truly look pretty today.”

As he said that, his ears were burning red, so I burst into laughter without realizing it.

“Thank you, Leav as well looks very cute today.”

When I gently smiled and said that, Leav pouted his mouth as if he was dissatisfied.

“I asked you to say that I’m cool if you can.“

I raised my hand at his coy tone and stroked his head. It was never an easy challenge to do for the first time because Leav was a little taller than me.

“Haha, yes. You’re cool, my little brother.”

At that moment, Leav’s eyes glowed conspicuously.

“Just now, what did you….”

“.… My little brother?”

As I blurted it out, I felt a little shy, so I slightly lowered my eyes and smiled.

Because I met Esteria and came to know that they were my real family, I decided to approach them very slowly. Because there was no need to rush.

Even after a while had passed, there was no answer, I rolled my eyes and it met with Leav’s teary eyes.

“Leav?”

I was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, but then Leav hugged me. I hesitated and then patted him on the back.

* * *

From the front of the long parade, the  military band wearing black clothes with epaulettes held various instruments, the flag bearer holding a brilliant flag, priests in white vestments waiting near the carriage, knights belonging to one of the best Knights Order in the Empire, together with the colorful carriage decorated with Rosiane flowers that we’ll be riding, and a knight belonging to Zion were waiting.

Arriving near the carriage with Leav, I looked around, and the priest I saw when I woke up in the temple caught my eyes.

Even though there was quite a distance, the black eyes instantly opened wide like Go stones that could be seen at a glance, and after saying something to the priests around him, he ran towards me.

[tn— Go is a game from East Asia, and the black stone in Go is used to make the first move]

“I see the Glory of the Empire. The Grace of the Holy God Esteria.”

As the priest greeted me, I slightly lifted the end of my dress and responded with a greeting of the Imperial family.

“May the blessing of Esteria be with you, I received a great favor at that time.”

It was our first time officially talking to each other, because I was drenched with relief and sadness at the time, I couldn’t properly greet them.

“I didn’t do anything, Your Highness. It is all God Esteria’s will.”

[tn— just wanna say that they address Esteria with a –nim which is a sign of respect and formality so I added the word ‘god’ to make it seem more formal and filled w/ respect]

As he bowed his head in a polite tone, Leav looked at him in a crooked way.

[tn— crooked way: improper way, rebelliously, distorted way.]

“Sister, when did you meet the High Priest? And what did you mean by a favor.”

I hesitated, wondering if it would be okay to talk about the poisoning, but soon shut my mouth.

It was because due to his nature, he might think that the incident went out of control because he could not translate everything in the plant encyclopedia.

“You see, he treated some wounds that could not be treated by the doctor.”

Hmm, Leav tilted his head. In case things got complicated, I turned away from the high priest and steered his hand.

“Look over there, Leav.”

Dad and my older brothers were walking from the direction of the imperial palace. Leav, who followed my hand gesture, captured the sight in his eyes and slightly frowned.

Tch, he lightly clicked his tongue and approached Bernique.

“Brother, what’s with that look?”

What is it? Bernique looked very clean today. He looked like a prince in a fairy tale with his soft face, his bangs moderately pulled back, and colorful robes.

Just what was it that annoyed Leav, as I looked at him carefully, I found the sword he was wearing and ‘Ah’, I blurted out a small exclamation.

Bernique had come with the scabbard that had a passementrie attached to it, the one I gave as a birthday present. It seems that Leav didn’t want to see that appearance.

“Come to think of it, what’s that?”

Only then did Dad ask, as if he had noticed Bernique’s accessory. And added the words.

“Don’t wear such shoddy accessories.”

Leav and Eryte, who were aware of the passementrie’s identity, threw sharp looks at their dad. I approached Bernique and said, fidgeting with my flowing side hair.

“I’m sorry, Bernique. Because I shoddily made it, Dad must not like it.”

It was shoddy even for me. As I hesitated with a sullen expression, Nanuk, who quickly grasped the situation, hugged me and said.

[tn— the word used for hesitate in here is refers to like when you’re shyly hesitating abt sth only difference is Rosiane is sulky hesitating, can be similar to fidgeting or squirming]

“What are you talking about, Rosiane. I’ve been thinking that it’s a really perfect accessory ever since I first saw it.”

“Yeah, it’s very cool to the point I wanted to steal it you know!?”

“That’s right, Sister. It’s a perfect passementrie to the point of kleptomania. “

[tn— kleptomania : the recurrent inability to resist urges to steal items, Leav was probably referring to Eryte who spoke before]

“No, Rosiane! I like it better than anything I’ve ever received in my life.”

In the situation where each of them were anxious because they couldn’t soothe me, my father was the only one standing stiff like a stone statue.

His eyes shook aimlessly like a sailboat that had met a strong wind and waves. He said, gently extending his hand to me.

“It, it’s not like that Rosi…..”

“Your Majesty, it’s time.”

Before I knew it, it was time for the march, and my dad’s hands couldn’t reach me.

I climbed into the carriage in Nanuk’s arms. Sir Boyd joined the knights of Zion and rode the white horse behind the carriage.

The gate was opened together with the sound of the huge bell signalling the time, and the marching ceremony began. As soon as we left the door, a thunderous roar hit my ear.

I diligently imitated Nanuk’s soft smile and waving. My dad couldn’t concentrate on the marching ceremony and stood next to me, behaving fussily like a puppy that needed to go.

He touched my well rolled up hair, gently smoothed out my crumpled cape, and tapped the small earring on my ear with his finger.

Finally, he opened his mouth for an excuse as if determined.

“Ro, rosia…”

“Your Majesty, please smile. The people of the Empire are watching.”

As Leav spoke coldly with a smile on his face, Dad grinded his teeth. But from the outside, they were smiling softly, like a really harmonious family.

How incredible, everyone.

I secretly relaxed my trembling lips by chewing.

“Uh Rosiane. What dad said about being shoddy, ‘It’s an enchanting object that emits a brilliance without any fault that you can’t grab it even if you want to hold it and can’t have it even if you want it’ That was what I meant. Don’t you think the others would feel relatively deprived if only Bernique wore a beautiful accessory?”

“Pfft.”

Eryte couldn’t hold back at Dad’s long ridiculous excuse and burst into laughter.

Somehow, I felt like I was also going to burst into laughter, so I closed my mouth tightly and managed my facial expression, and then opened my arms towards my dad. Then I smiled and said.

“Please hold me. Dad.”

With a face that was deeply moved, dad quickly accepted me. Nanuk strengthened his hold for a moment, to not to let go of, but it was useless in front of my dad’s strength.

Tsk, he briefly clicked his tongue.

* * *

The march ended safely. The same is true for the banquet that followed.

I spent my time joking with Sir Boyd, leaving behind my father, who was busy greeting the envoys from all over the world and talking about the state of affairs with them.

“Sir Boyd, what is an apple that laughs?

“I’m not sure. What is it this time.”

Sir Boyd, who gradually began to speak in a cheeky tone, asked in a crooked way.

“A green apple.”

[tn— 풋사과 = the first part 풋 is the sound of laughter in Korean (Pfft.) and 사과 means apple. Put the two together and its 풋사과 meaning an unripe apple or green apple.]

“..… Indeed..….”

“Mr. Deus.”

As I was about to say a word, at his severely frowning face, a man appeared from the air and whispered in his ear.

Both of them had grave expressions, so I drank a drink and quietly looked. Soon after, Sir Boyd led me to the Princess’ Palace.

“They haven’t even announced the end of the banquet yet, can I go back?”

“Yes. You must be tired so please take a rest now.”

It was also a firm voice.

* * *

“Mr. Deus.”

[tn— Deus is being addressed with —nim so you may see it translated as ‘Mr. Deus’ sometimes.]

The elite of Zion, who had left to find the supplier of Nadan, had returned. This was a signal.

Deus straightly went back to the palace with the princess.

[tn— sorry it seems that I forgot to add it to the translation in a chapter ago or so, but the ones who were chasing after the traces of the poisoning incident were elite troops/group of Zion]

The atmosphere of Erdos, who had confirmed that Rosiane left the banquet hall, changed. The bloodlust that was hidden darkly scattered down in the banquet hall.

Erdos was sitting on the throne in a relaxed way, his chin propped on his hand, but at that cold energy, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Erdos.

Suddenly, even the sound of the band’s performance was cut off.

“Kneel.”

It was a voice full of strength, unlike a languid tone. In the blink of an eye, members of Zion who appeared from various places, tied up the ambassadors of the Principality of Karkun and pressed them down on the cold floor.

While everyone watched the unexpected commotion with a very pale face, an envoy of the Rottenham Empire, whose national power is similar to that of Esteria, spoke.

“What the hell is this? The celebration of the founding festival of the Esteria Empire…..”

“Ahh, how noisy.”

At Erdos’ light gesture as if chasing away a bug, the envoy immediately shut up. Because the force that pressed down onto him was so strong that he couldn’t even stand.

“The banquet shall continue in another hall after finishing something that needs to be done.”

“… Something that needs to be done…?”

“As of this time, our Empire of Esteria declares war on the Principality of Karkun.”

Erdos looked around the banquet hall, which had become as quiet as a dead mouse, and let out a low laugh.

The crowd swallowed their breath at the obvious hidden displeasure in the voice.