CH ss - 1

Alcohol

#1.

The mansion on the cliff was well-known in the area. Not only was it because of the luxury felt from afar, but rather, there was a quiet atmosphere that seemed to calm down the nearby air.

Occasionally, outsiders who stopped by to deliver goods to the mansion slowed down their footsteps without realizing it. In a mansion without crickets or birds, quiet music always flowed from somewhere. Although there was no sign of presence, every corner was beautiful, clean, and solemn at the same time.

Jacarandas in spring, hydrangeas in summer, autumn leaves in autumn, and white snow in winter adorned the mansion.  It was like a glass greenhouse where the four seasons were repeated indefinitely.

The owner of the mansion also resembles their house. They were strangely eye-catching men and women. They used to come down to the village below and tour the market, which was sweet couple and simple lovers

Few people knew that they were Lord Legend and Lord Protector while few did not but either way, not single person talked about them

People knew instinctively. That they (Nathaniel and Kyrie) want to live quietly and that it is beneficial for them to listen to it.

At the center of such a quiet winter, Nathaniel and Kyrie dressed lightly and stepped out in the snowy garden. The two sat under the naked poplar tree and drank tea.

At that time, suddenly, the sound of a carriage coming to the mansion rang. Nathaniel, who was pouring tea into Kyrie’s cup, stopped pouring tea with a strange look.

[A noisy guest is here.]

“Who could it be?”

[It can’t be my friend, so it’s probably your friend.]

It was true. At first glance, the pattern on the door of a luxurious carriage was shaped like a wheel of a ship [1]. It’s the crest of Fort Ducane.

Soon after, Laura, wearing a hunting cap [2] and boots made of deer leather, got off the wagon. She took off her hat and shook it toward the garden where Kyrie was, and entered the mansion under the guidance of Dobbie.

“What’s going on? It hasn’t been long since we exchanged letters.”

[It’s not a good story.]

“How do you know?”

Kyrie opened her eyes widely. Nataniel did not give a reason, but he got the answer right.

“The Duke of Buchanan is dead.”

As soon as Dobbie put the teacup down, Laura said.

“I heard rumors and knew, but at the end, he said he was almost like a crazy person. But I didn’t expect him to die young.”

“Really?”

“Really? You really didn’t listen to the capital city”

“The news of the capital didn’t come this far.”

Laura shrugged both shoulders and lifted the teacup.

“Well, that’s not the only thing! I understand you’re tired of the capital. You had a hard time when you were Buchanan.”

“It’s been a while since I heard this story, so it’s fun.”

“Everything is fun afterwards.”

Laura smiled slyly and was happy. She looked at Dobbie, who was waiting from afar to be served by him, with a sentimental look.

“Dobbie has aged a lot, too. He was a cool uncle when I was young.”

“He’s still cool. He’s good at work.”

Kyrie answered softly and picked up the teacup.

Laura stared at her friend after a long time and smiled.

“We won’t be awkward, will we?”

“What if we are not tied to a debt relationship?”

“Then it won’t happen forever!”

Laura laughed out loud.

“The last day we saw each other was at your wedding, right?”

“Yes it was…..”

Kyrie made a bitter expression.

A few months ago, Kyrie and Nathaniel had a formal ceremony. Although Kyrie didn’t like it, Nathaniel was stubborn.

Nathaniel looked very disappointed when she turned down his crazy plans of a week-long ceremony and a year-long tour of the continent.  She couldn’t resist him, so she agreed to a modest ceremony.

It’s already been months. Kyrie drank tea silently. Laura smiled as if teasing.

“I really didn’t know that Lord Legend would want to have a wedding or something. I heard he did this and that other weird thing.”

“He did a lot.”

A sigh came out of the words.

He must not be a believer in superstition, but even after that, Nathaniel would always put pledges somewhere that were said to be an eternal oath in front of Kyrie.

And, it is known, Nathaniel is a man who knows how to make small things big.

For example, the cute level of myth that seeing a white pigeon on a wedding day makes you happy forever, and when it reaches Nathaniel, it becomes three hundred white topaz pigeons.

(T/N: he converted white topaz to a white pigeon, so no animals were harmed in this scene, children remember, to never harm any animal/bird/plant, if you see someone hurting them, give them a smack and stop them)

Kyrie, who officially had the right to sanction Nathaniel’s actions, trembled and buried three hundred white topazes [3] at the bottom of the sea. I was worried about a currency crash because of the jewels he sprayed once in his inhalation and eight times in his exhalation.

“How is he now? Is he up there because he doesn’t want to see my face?”

“It’s not like that. He avoided his seat because he thought I wouldn’t be able to talk to you comfortably if he joined.”

“He has become a human”

Kyrie’s lips trembled at Laura’s response. After going abroad a few times, Laura has become more comprehensive and sly.

“Are you here to tell me that? My brother died?”

“I have something to do at Elseus.”

“I guess you’re going abroad again.”

“Yes! I made a deal with the empire in the northernmost part of the continent. I had a hard time because it was a closed country. But I thought I should meet the person in charge.”

“Oh my.”

“Anyway, are you going?  It’s a funeral.  The question of who the Duchy of Buchanan will pass to because the Duke dies without an heir is a matter of great interest right now.”

“Well, what should I do?”

“Do whatever you want. If you go, say hello to Maria! And stop by our Empress once.”

Laura got up from her seat and stretched. She smiled brightly with light green eyes.

“I don’t have to comfort you about the sadness of losing your family, do I?”

Kyrie stopped laughing.

***

Kyrie, who saw Laura off, went up to the study. Nathaniel was always reading at his seat. He looked gentle and elegant as if he had drawn a white wing tip collar shirt, a ball tie and ornamental shoes. Kyrie quietly intervened in the painting like man.

“You read a lot of books.”

Nathaniel didn’t blink an eye.

[It’s the most convenient way to learn the human lifestyle.]

“Hmm.”

Having such a great appearance that he does not need knowledge or wisdom, he is more familiar with books than she thought.

While sitting next to him and waiting for him to finish reading, Kyrie realized at some point that the bookshelf was no longer going over.

“Hahaha.”

She laughed softly. At the sound of tickling laughter, Nathaniel sighed quietly. He shifted his eyes as if he were embarrassed, and slightly turned to Kyrie.

Kyrie flinched and pulled back. However, Nathaniel turned his eyes down as if he were a child, persistently chasing Kyrie’s lips.

“……really.”

Kyrie closed her eyes.

His lips slightly touched and fell off.

She opened her eyes. His blue, twinkling eyes, beneath her slanted lashes, were staring at her silently.

She touched her ears shyly.

“Then, will you be too lazy to travel?”

Nathaniel blinked slowly once. The faint emotions that were young in the eyes quickly disappeared.

[When you see a chimney sweep on a honeymoon trip, they say your married life is happy.]

“Are you going to buy happiness with money?”

[That can’t be possible. It’s just a little fun with superstition.]

“People say that if you can’t buy happiness with money, it’s because you don’t have enough money…….”

[My Kyrie is still good at joking]

This is the word of a person who has been promised wealth without knowing the limits. Kyrie laughed.

“Don’t bother the chimney cleaner and just go. Gray died because he went crazy.”

Kyrie said so and looked at Nataniel gently. It was a gaze as if searching for something.

For a moment, his black pupils were pulled vertically. It seemed to be giggling.

However, Nathaniel soon answered gently with round, blue eyes.

[Pardon]

Kyrie smiled.

“Let’s leave the day after tomorrow.”

***

“See you later. Leave Lesch to him.”

Fortunately, Kyrie had a competent and friendly butler enough to be responsible for the cat Leschaux, which became bushy like a wool ball that was rough in winter.

Dobbie, who has been very tired these days, saw them off with Leschaux in his arms.

Kyrie went down with Nathaniel and the mansion, standing next to a pigeon-colored pillar and waving her hand.

“Dobbie must be having a hard time.”

[Because he is old]

“If you say so, it sounds like a joke”

[I just understand the human position]

Kyrie smiled and put a robe on her head.

“You’ve become a human.”

Nathaniel responded as if he was dissatisfied.

[Your friend always tells you words without dignity.]

They walked a few days, sometimes flew, and soon arrived at Teba. It was a small city. Nathaniel smiled very cynically when he saw the shabbiness of the intersection that would have been the busiest in Teva.

[Let’s go somewhere else. I’ll build you a castle.]

“I don’t like ice castle because it is cold.”

Standing in front of the store, which also serves as an inn and a bar, Kyrie whispered with a blush cheek.

“In addition, I wanted to try something like this. Alcohol, pub, beer, mercenary…….”

[Let’s go in.]

Kyrie laughed. Her ‘want to’ was almost an all-around word. Kyrie entered the store first.

“Welcome!”

After hearing the owner’s cheerful greeting, Nathaniel also entered the store.

There were several people in the store even though it was daytime. Nathaniel looked around and smiled strangely. It was a smile that came out when he thought something was very pathetic.

Kyrie poked him in the side.

“It’s all like this.”

[Yes. They’re all dirty and smelly]

A voice that always sounded like hitting others’ ears rang clearly in the store. Some people flinched.

As they began to give mean eyes, Kyrie quickly led Nataniel to the store owner.

“Two Beers…”

[A drink]

“Two glasses.”

The owner stopped wiping the glass and turned around to take out the glass. Kyrie whispered secretly to Nathaniel.

“It’s polite to order as many people as you want.”

The face that spoke like that opened up. Regardless of what happens, Kyrie’s foundation is a good lady. Looking down at her lips as if he were a little nervous, Nathaniel sat silently. And quietly summoned out the cane.

“Why do you take it out?”

[Just in case]

“I know how to use magic now. I can stop more than one person.”

[Of course. Think of it as chivalry.]

It was gentle, but the attitude was firm. Kyrie, who glanced at the drunk people looking at this side with uneven eyes, sighed.

“Let’s stay quiet and go.”

Nathaniel only blinked once and did not answer.

The beer that came out at the same time was a cold fermented soup.

“Well…”

Kyrie frowned at the unfamiliar taste of alcohol. Nathaniel, who had not even touched the glass, smiled faintly next to her.

[How do you feel?]

It’s a mean question. Curie rolled her eyes.

“You’re so mean”

[But handsome]

“It doesn’t really matter to me.”

[That’s why I’m making this gesture to make you think it’s important]

Kyrie laughed at the playful words. Not that it wasn’t, but Nathaniel bowed his head a little and even smiled so that the outstanding face could be seen better.

“For that…….”

It was the moment Kyrie opened his mouth to respond to the joke. An unfamiliar energy was caught by Kyrie’s nerves.

Kyrie’s head sensed it. The same was true of Nathaniel.

It was a faint and strange energy as if it were very far away. The air spreading around her fluctuated slightly.

[Ah]

Nathaniel squinted and uttered such exclamations. Nataniel’s “Ah” generally means “that’s right,” but this time it was a little different.

“What’s this?”

[Something rare happened.]

Nathaniel must have known more than Kyrie felt. He seemed to squint and look far away, and soon got up from his seat.

[Stay here for a second. I need to go and take a look.]

“Let’s take a look”.

[It won’t take long. It’s not about this continent]

“Even though it’s not your job, is it enough for you to go and check?”

[I’m going to check that out]

Isn’t it a pretty serious problem if it’s enough for Nathaniel to leave her alone?

Kyrie hardened her face and nodded. Nathaniel smiled faintly.

He quickly disappeared into a black fog.

It took quite a while for Nathaniel, who seemed to be back soon, to return. Kyrie sat at the bar table and sipped beer. The nape of her neck was slowly turning red, but she didn’t feel bad.

‘Should I order one more drink?’

It was the moment when Kyrie tried to call the store owner with her eyes shining like a child.

Someone pulled Kyrie’s hat from behind.

“Ah!”

Kyrie, whose hat was pulled out, exclaimed and looked back.

Several bullies giggled and looked surprised when they saw Kyrie’s face. They began to murmur with each other, exchanging insidious gazes.

“Wow, this looks so pretty!”

“I didn’t expect this at all. How can this be a big catch!”

Kyrie laughed in absurdity.

‘How did you draw a fight like this?’

Rather than a full-fledged evil, it was closer to a bad quality scoundrel in any village. But there’s no reason to let it slide.

Kyrie glanced at the door. Fortunately, the walking apocalypse is not yet visible. She sighed dazedly from drunkenness.

“Do you have anything to do?”

***

[1] Wheel of a ship:

[2] Hunting cap:

[3] White topaz:

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