Chapter 17

***

After Yuri’s speechless wedding where no one blessed her, she packed some clothes and a bag of books.

“Is it too heavy?”

“Oh no….”

“If it’s too heavy…It’s okay to leave out a few things.”

The servant carrying her luggage shook his head in bewilderment. The load was not heavy. Rather, it was too light. As if nothing had happened, Yuri moved to the place where the carriage was prepared to leave for the North.

“The master is busy, so… he couldn’t come out.”

It was Slevard’s old butler, Kasen. He seemed to have come to see Yuri off instead of Aslan. Yuri bowed her head to greet him.

“…Ah, thank you for your consideration.”

Yuri climbed into the carriage. It reminded her of an ordinary wedding. She thought of herself in her imagination. She had envisioned a future where her family saw her off, and she cried and said that she would live happily ever after.

‘Everyone won’t even talk about me.’

Aslan Slevard expressed all his intentions by not being here.

Erentail of the North had insulted Slevard. However, it must have been because of the intervention of the emperor that he had tolerated it and passed on it. Most of the aristocrats had already long gone to the reception.

“Miss. I don’t think His Excellency meant it…”

“…”

“It’s just because he’s so tired these days…”

“Mr. Kasen.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“… …Oh, thank you.”

Yuri bowed his head and said thank you. Kasen stopped Yuri, saying that the young lady was not the one who would do that.

Before getting into the carriage, Yuri spoke.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Yes?”

“One thing… … … … Can I ask you one more thing?”

“… … Give me any orders, my lady.”

Kasen used the word order. He was considerate of Yuri. There was bitter pity in his eyes. It was tragic to be treated like this. With a smile, Yuri pulled out a small handkerchief from her pocket.

“…this… Please give it to my father.”

It was a handkerchief that she couldn’t personally give to Aslan. It was a handkerchief with a very sacred and beautiful embroidery that had the family crest embroidered on it.

“… …… Yes. I’ll tell him.”

Yuri bowed her head slightly to say thank you.

“It is very cold in the north. Always be healthy.”

“Thank you. I’ll be healthy.”

The horseman closed the door of the carriage. There were a few maids who followed her, and there were few escorts to protect her. Those knights would not risk their lives to protect Yuri.

Rather than being killed by the Count of the North, it would be quicker to die from being attacked by thieves.

Yuri laughed. It might have been better that way.

***

Fortunately, the North wasn’t too far away. If they went using the fastest road in the east and the portal installed in the middle, it would be more than enough to arrive in a full moon.

‘It was a shorter distance than I thought.’

Fortunately, Herian had reserved all the portals. Every time Yuri used the portal, she felt nauseous, but she was able to reach the northern part without any major problems.

‘I wasn’t meant to die right away.”

Fortunately, there were no bandits.

Well, no matter what, Yuri was a Lady of the duke family and also a Countess. If she died immediately, it was clear that trade would be suspended according to the old tradition.

Before heading to Count Erentail’s residence, which was a bit far from here, Yuri stopped for a moment in a large village.

“Miss. It will take some time as the carriage breaks down.”

The maid next to her spoke quietly. She was a maid under Herian.

‘They attached their own people up to here.’

They would return to the duke’s residence as soon as Yuri arrived. Larkshid Erentail, the Count, did not allow any of Slevard’s persons to come to the Count’s residence.

Neither the guards nor the maids could accompany Yuri inside the Count’s residence.

But Aslan accepted the condition. That meant Aslan had no interest in Yuri’s life. Yuri laughed.

“I, I… it’s okay.”

Outside the window, a completely different landscape from the East came into view.

‘Everyone looks rough, but it feels friendly.’

In front of the temple, people were crowded.

“It’s a northern temple. It’s also famous in the Empire.”

It was indeed the most famous temple in the north. Instead of bringing a simple statue of the Goddess found in any temple, the entire cliff was carved with the goddess and her apostles.

What surprised Yuri the most was that the temple was open to all commoners. Many commoners knelt down in front of the statue and prayed. It seemed that there was no separate space for the nobles and commoners.

“This place…..”

“It is said that there is no status in the northern temple.”

“Oh, that’s right… … … … .”

Yuri closed her eyes. On the day that Yuri turned 18, Yuri ate without finishing her prayers. It was just a few slices of bread and a few cookies.

‘Is that why the curse came to me? Because I didn’t pray to the Goddess?’

Yuri looked at the Goddess statue. The Goddess looked at her followers with a benevolent face.

Even if she stretched out her hand, it didn’t seem like it would reach the Goddess.

Goddess was far away, misfortune was near.

‘If this is the Goddess, I don’t want to believe it anymore.’

Yuri turned her eyes away. Perhaps the rearrangement of the carriage was over, it soon started running toward the Count’s residence.

Yuri leaned against the carriage. At this point, she should already be used to the carriage, but she was still not used to it. Yuri remembered the first time she rode a carriage.

‘Then…I went to the temple with other hopes…’

Those days felt so distant. At that time, the feeling of Aslan hugging Yuri was vivid. Yuri closed her eyes. It was then.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop. An ordinary person would feel fine, but Yuri felt a twisting pain in her stomach.

“Hey. What’s going on?”

“Lady, are you okay?”

“No, well, there’s a child in front of the carriage..… ”

Yuri looked out of the carriage. A child, smaller than Yuri, was sitting in front of the carriage. 

“Hurry up and get it moving.”

“…… Come on, wait a minute.”

“Lady, it’s dangerous.”

Yuri got out of the carriage. She looked at the boy in front of her. Looking at his limbs, he looked like a child who had not been eating properly.

“The child…”

The child had long since lost consciousness. Yuri said to the maid.

“Hey, this kid… let’s take him to get treatment.”

“Lady, we don’t have time for that….”

“Ah, he’s in the North. It is known that we, who are from the East, injured this child, Slevard will be in trouble.”

The maid soon nodded her head. As she beckoned, the following escorts grabbed the child.

‘I’m a fool. I should just ask the doctor or the temple to take the child.’

Yuri laughed. However, the child in front of her was like Yuri. She saw herself in that child.

“Hey, you’re the sinner of that temple?”

“They said you would do anything if you have something to eat?”

“Do you see this apple? If you turn three times and bark, I’ll give it to you.”

It was a memory Yuri didn’t want to remember. For the young noble boys who followed their parents, Yuri, who was working with a slave armband, was a perfect opponent for bullying.

At that time, Yuri couldn’t stand being hungry and was immature. The food provided by the temple was not that lacking, but she always wanted to fill her stomach with something.

She was a child who loved selling everything, including her pride and honor, for an apple that someone had left behind.

‘… I don’t want this child to be like that.’

She didn’t want him to sell what he had for a single piece of leftover bread. She just wanted to know what happiness was.

***

The carriage with Yuri and the child was heading towards a nearby hotel.

“….did he open his eyes?”

“Ummm……”

After that, she took care of the boy with utmost sincerity until he woke up. It was fortunate that it wasn’t bad for a hotel they got on short notice.

Yuri put the child to sleep in her own bed and called a doctor to thoroughly treat his wounds. Perhaps it was thanks to such sincerity, it did not take long for the child to open his eyes.

“…… Where am I?”

“This hotel is located on Marten Street. Our lady brought you here and got you treated. Say thank you.”

“Uh, no…there’s no need for that.”

Yuri responded quickly, but the boy did not dispel his doubts. His face was a mixture of doubts, and a sense of relief that he had lived. He pondered for a long time, and said to Yuri. 

“….thank you.”

Yuri hurriedly held out a plate of bread in front of the boy. The maid had a dissatisfied face, but she did not stop Yuri’s actions.

“….What, can I eat it?”

“Aren’t you hungry? Mmm, eat and then go home.”

“…”

“I’ll give you something to take home, so don’t worry too much.”

“….”

Soon, the boy hurriedly picked up the bread and began to eat it. Yuri was looking at him with a warm face. In case the boy was thirsty, Yuri held out a cup of milk to him. 

“…ah, thank you.”

How many slices did the boy eat? Doubt disappeared from the boy’s face. Soon, instead of doubt, gratitude bloomed on his face.

‘Yeah, a slice of bread is really big for a starving person.’

People didn’t know how grateful Yuri was to those who threw her even a slice of bread when she was a kid.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“…Rabin.”

“ Rabin.”

Yuri looked at Rabin. Yuri was impressed with his brown hair and violet eyes. She spoke to Rabin in a friendly voice and held out a small pouch to him.

“This.. this has some gold coins…. Take it home with you.”

Rabin didn’t raise his hand. Yuri tilted her head and put the pouch in Rabin’s hand.

“It’s dangerous for a child to have a lot of money, but considering the security here, I think this much is okay.”

But it was good to be certain of this.

“……This must not be shown to others. You have to keep it without anyone knowing.”

“…”

“Hide well. Take it home with you.”

“…”

Rabin’s expression began to darken. Did she say something wrong, or did she say something that shouldn’t be said? Yuri’s face, who was talking to him kindly, also darkened. After a while, Rabin spoke hesitantly.

“… I, I don’t have a home.”

“…”

Yuri looked at Rabin. She saw her own childhood in Rabin. A starving child. She couldn’t shake the thought of him being like herself when she was very young.

“Rabin, then…… .”

“….”

“With me…Will you go?”

Every child has the right to be happy. And adults have a duty to help. Yuri thought so.

‘Even if I had not grown up like that…I would do the same thing.’

Even though she couldn’t help herself, Yuri wanted to let this child grow up without being hungry.