Chapter 12

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***

“Adres.”

“Brother.”

Adres looked at Herian who had come to see him. It was a strange feeling to see a face similar to his father looking at him.

“I heard you went to see the girl.”

“I don’t want to hear your nagging right now.”

Nothing was gained.  Had he even heard an apology from that girl, his head might have been a little clearer. He ruffled his silver hair roughly.

“Why are you so angry?”

“I don’t know.”

Adres was annoyed. He roughly grabbed objects near him and threw them. Herian picked up the paper he had thrown away and began to organize it slowly.

“I saw the letter in father’s room.”

“In father’s room?”

“Yes. Do you know why father brought her here?”

Adres nodded. Thinking about it, he started to get a bit annoyed again. Aslan had only one reason to bring Yuri here. It was to sell Yuri to the northern Count.

“It’s the letter from father.”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t really like her, but…”

“So do I.”

“But you thought of her as quite special.”

“Gibberish.”

Even with that said, Adres couldn’t deny that fact. He didn’t hate Yuri. More precisely, he used to like her.

Young Yuri was particularly fond of him, and he particularly cared for his younger sister.

He saw Yuri, who had just begun to cry when she came to the table. She said everything was fine.

‘It can’t be okay.’

The northern Count was brutal. If he put the dead at his hands, it would probably be enough to wind up his estate once and for all. There was no way such a person could keep Yuri alive. 

“She probably won’t refuse father’s order.”

“…I guess so.”

Ever since she was little, Yuri was a kid who believed in everything her father said. Adres swallowed the back words.

“If you convince her, if she says she doesn’t want to get married……”

“If?”

“I will help convince father.”

“Why brother…”

“… well. I don’t like that kid, it’s terrible, but…”

Herian’s voice slowly got wet. At the sound of a voice reminiscent of the past, Adres couldn’t say anything.

“….brother.”

“It would be a pity. In any case, that girl is also a Slevard.”

Saying that, Herian handed out the letter to Adres. There was also the unspoken threat to make Yuri somehow refuse to get married. Adres nodded his head.

***

It was that evening that Adres came to see Yuri. In the middle of the night, Yuri was writing a letter. She will be leaving this estate soon. It was a letter to her grandfather and Mrs. Herette, who had taken care of her.

“Hey.”

“Ah, Young Master.”

“Put that aside, look at this.”

He pushed the letter Yuri was writing to one side and handed a paper to her.

‘It’s just like a note.’

It was a blank note. Seeing how it was rolled up in a small parchment, it was clear that the letter had come from the carrier birds.

‘The teacher said that nobles also send letters through birds…’

She remembered Vanessa’s words. If there was something unusual, the seal of the imperial family was stamped on the outside of the parchment. Adres soon threw the letter to Yuri indifferently, as if to read the letter.

[Aslan. I’ve heard your story.

You want to send your daughter to the north as soon as possible?

Wasn’t he the one who tried to assassinate your daughter?

I know you don’t like your daughter, but that’s going to cause problems with my reputation.

Wasn’t it me who arranged the marriage?

Come to my palace for a moment. It will be about a week.

Send your reply to my hawk.]

Behind it, there was a reply letter. It was Aslan’s elegant handwriting. Judging by the break in the middle, it was clearly a letter that Aslan had written and discarded.

[I’m going to give it some more time.

Because she had a difficult time for a long time.

Externally, it’s the recovery period of her body. I have a favor to ask of Your Majesty, so please consider it. I will enter the palace soon.]

It was just a short letter, but the situation was fully understandable. Her father wanted to send Yuri to the North in a hurry, which was evident.

‘Isn’t this a fact that everyone already knew?’

When Yuri showed a serious reaction, Adres’ expression became anxious.

“…I see.”

“What’s that reaction?”

“…..What?”

“You are going to be sold.”

“Hey, a few days ago, didn’t you already tell me?”

“Your Excellency has deceived you all this time.”

Adres soon couldn’t win and threw the letter. In the impact, the ink bottle that had been neatly placed on the desk fell, spreading black stain.

“Or say you want to run away, or say you don’t want to get married.”

“…What?”

The words that came out of Andres’ mouth were words that Yuri had never thought of.

“Ah, Master, what do you mean… .”

“If you don’t want to do it, say no. What do you think will be solved if you have a chewing look on your face?”

He soon kicked Yuri’s desk. Yuri flinched, but it had been a long time since she had gotten used to the tyranny of the second master. Ink ran down the desk and dripped to the floor. 

“No. Ha, but…,”

“Oh!”

“I, I can’t do that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ha, I have to obey the Duke.”

“……What?”

“I, I… I know my responsibility.”

“This is really…”

“That, so……ah, I won’t refuse.”

It was a fairly strong voice, unlike Yuri. What Yuri said was true.

If the Duke had told her all the facts from the beginning, she would obey without hesitation.

It seemed that the Duke was intent on convincing Yuri to believe in him.

“I, I’m really fine.”

“What….”

“Oh, His Excellency didn’t deceive me.”

“… … Then what?”

“He was kind.”

“What?”

At those words, Adres’ breath stopped for a moment. Even Adres didn’t notice it, but his body didn’t move as if it had hardened after hearing her words.

“He, he was considerate of me.”

Saying so, Yuri smiled softly. That smile was a kind face like the goddess statue in the temple. Adres was annoyed by it.

“You really… … … … . It’s ridiculous, I can’t even speak. The Duke sold you. He’s trying to get you to marry someone who wants to kill you.”

“…master.”

“What?”

“I, I had a wish.”

Yuri’s eyes turned warm.

“Yuri. It’s a cute name.”

‘Yes. I think so too.’

“Don’t be too sad. The family who gave you such a cute name must come to pick you up.”

When she was a child, on very lonely nights, someone sweetly talked to her. Yuri knew that it was an illusion she had created.

Up until now, it was with her every night. When dusk fell around her, it hugged her tightly and whispered softly.

“Me, I met my whole family, and… … . This is because I wanted to be recognized.”

“….”

“Oh, I know! Me, it’s too much for me.”

Yuri’s voice, denying the truth, grew louder, wondering if he might misinterpret this statement.

“Oh, father… … … … He made my wish come true.”

“…”

Yuri, like her childhood days, spoke calmly as if she was comforting herself. Yuri looked at Adres who had no answer for a long time.

‘Why, why is he making that face?’

Adres’ expression darkened. It was different from before. It was the most desperate expression of all. A look of misery appeared on his face.

‘Why does he look like that?’

Yuir wanted to ask as soon as she saw that expression. Questions that could not be asked lingered in Yuri’s mouth.  But she couldn’t open her mouth.

A terrible silence continued. How much silence has passed? Adres quietly opened his mouth.

“I thought you remembered it.”

The words he spoke out were of a time that Yuri could no longer remember.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

Yuri bowed her head and apologized. But she really didn’t remember. Even if she tried to recall all the memories of that time, there were no memories left for her. As if someone had blocked the memory, only the white wall came to mind.

“You called her.”

“What….?”

“You called and took my sister who was playing with me.”

“…”

“You, you laughed and took my sister away!”

Adres’ hand clasped Yuri’s shoulder. He raised his nails and pressed Yuri’s shoulder firmly.

“You have to remember.”

“I, I,…”

“You must remember.”

It sounded like he was overly angry.

“I thought you would remember my sister.”

“…”

“Because you’re the only one who saw my sister last.”

“…”

“Why are you so comfortable?”

The shoulder he was holding felt like it was going to fall off. But Yuri couldn’t say that. She was curious.

‘Did I call her?’

It was the first time Yuri had ever heard of such a thing. Now things were sorted out. Yuri may have been an accomplice indeed.

“I, I…”

“Shut up. Shut up and listen to me.”

The tremendous force applied to the shoulder felt like it was going to be bruised. Yuri tried several times to get away from him, but it seemed impossible to loosen the strength of his grasp.

“Why didn’t I stop my sister then?”

“…”

“Why, why did I trust you and send my sister to you?”

“…”

Tears seemed to flow from his eyes.

“Why couldn’t I stop that!”

“…”

“I’ve been struggling with just thinking about it until now.”

How does it feel to see an enemy who killed his family? Even if Yuri lived for the rest of her life, she wouldn’t be able to even imagine the feeling.

“I couldn’t forgive myself, so I lived in agony all my life…. .”

His breathing was too harsh.

“But why, why do you appear in front of me like this?”