CH 7

Hello (2)

“MaryAnne”

After breakfast, Kyrie privately called MaryAnne to the room. She rushed into the room with a grin and asked,

“Shall I make tea, Young lady?”

“No need. Would you like to sit down for a minute? I want to ask you something.”

MaryAnne sat on the floor with her eyes wide open.

Kyrie repeatedly told her to sit on the chair, but she always insisted on sitting on the floor, so Kyrie gave up on persuading her.

“What you mentioned yesterday…”

“Yesterday?”

“You said something very alarming.”

She faced the other direction and rolled her eyes.

“MaryAnne doesn’t want to talk about it, Young lady.”

“…I think I saw ‘It’ yesterday.”

MaryAnne suddenly became severe.

“You saw ‘It’?!”

“Yes, I think so. At least I found out that it’s not like other people.”

She began to tremble. This made things more complicated for Kyrie.

What the hell is that kind of reaction?

“Did you talk to ‘it,’ Young lady?”

“Not really. I just felt like our eyes met.”

“Did you open the window, Young lady?”

“I have not since you instructed me not to go outside.”

She didn’t want to open it.

“By any chance, did you make any noise?”

“He saw me even though I was standing still.”

Despite all the difficult questions, Kyrie was able to answer unsuspectedly. She knows MaryAnne has no bad intentions. She’s just anxious about us.

After hearing Kyrie answer, MaryAnne opened her mouth and sighed heavily.

“You should never go outside, it’s very dangerous!”

“Speaking of which, what the hell was that thing?”

“MaryAnne doesn’t know! But it’s terrifying… I have never seen anything like that before…”

She was anxious that the conversation didn’t end well. Since she got more work to do, she told Kyrie one more thing before leaving the room…

“Never, ever leave your room!”

And because of this, Kyrie got bored.

It would be much more pleasant if the scenery were better, but this town can’t hold to her satisfaction.

Kyrie could only read books brought to her room and responded to Laura’s letter. Nothing more.

During lunchtime, the guide knocked on the door. Kyrie was delighted since she was dying from boredom.

“Come in!”

He greeted Kyrie and bowed down till his nose reached his knee.

“Young lady! I’m here to ask for your forgiveness… but I don’t think I can start right away due to the heavy snow…”

“I thought so.”

“It’ll be a hassle, can’t you just endure it for a day or two?”

“If I don’t agree, is there another solution?”

Kyrie’s words made the guide terrified. She stared at him, unbothered.

“If you know what you’re doing is imprecise, you should be punished.”

“Oh my, Young lady… I don’t have anything left. I didn’t expect it to snow and to put you in danger!”

“I won’t make you pay for the trouble you have done. Instead, you’ll have to feed my curiosity.”

When Kyrie asked the guide, he immediately took a sharp breath.

“I can’t tell you, Young lady…”

“What do you think I was about to ask you?”

He was in death throes.

Kyrie already knew he was weak-minded from the beginning.

If he had been more careful and thought through decisions, he wouldn’t have led Kyrie into this town in the first place.

“Be honest with me. What is this town, and why is everyone so afraid?”

“Young lady…”

“If you don’t tell me right away, I’ll punish you by telling my father. You know, it’s ridiculous that a so-called lowly ‘chaperon’ made the Count’s daughter stranded in the snow, right?” (T/N: Chaperon: guide)

“I’m not telling you, Young lady!”

“When did you see us? Were we that close?”

“Well, of course not…!”

“I don’t want to stay in this petrifying town. Anyone would run off if they heard about a ‘Beast.’ “

Time passed, he was still hesitant to talk, but he couldn’t bear Kyrie’s glare anymore.

He took off his hat with his trembling hand, and whispered to Kyrie under his breath as if someone could be eavesdropping.

“Even if you say that… We don’t exactly know what it is.”

The guide’s eyes were flushed with fear. His voice is trembling and getting smaller.

“Can we end this discussion… I beg of you.”

It was already dark when she woke up from a nap.

It’s already midnight.

“Crap… how long have I been sleeping?”

Kyrie later moved the table, then lifted her upper body with an uproar.

Her neck and shoulders became so sore.

When I was about to fall asleep, she remembered a strange story the chaperon told her from the other day.

‘The end of the world.’

It made her laugh so hard when she recalled the story, knowing she was scared of believing such a cunning tale.

There must be such a story as a national myth.

Five hundred forty years ago, the earth was challenging to live on, owing to its being full of catastrophe.

That’s when the great Archmage, Vallabriga, appeared at Orwinbridge. 

It is said that he divided the sea with a single sword together with the other two transcendentalists of immortality (T/N: they are two knights, in the raws it’s literally written that Vallabriga is a wizard but I would prefer Archmage the reason is they are more powerful than witches and wizards ).

Vallabriga claimed victory and defeated his enemies after a long strenuous war, then founded Trevereum (Empire) and became the first King and progenitor of the current Royal Family. 

(T/N: Owrenbridge is a kingdom and Trevereum is the name of the whole empire and Owrenbridge’s are the current rulers of the Empire)

And it is said that the two people who fought the war along Vallabriga and helped with the founding of the country were given the status of ‘The Legendary Knight.’- The Lengendary Lord (Legend) and ‘The Patriotic Knight.’- The Patriotic Lord (Protector) respectively. (T/N: These two are not an ordinary Knights, they were much, much powerful than any Knight that’s why they were given names like this)

The Legendary Knight was said to suddenly die afterward, but the Patriotic Knight was certainly still alive.

And when historians ask the Patriotic Knight what happened to the Legendary Knight and what does ‘The End’ really mean, he would only answer with silence.

However, his silence was interpreted by historians as plague, famine and political opposition as ‘The End’, and the Patriotic Knight did not deny it.

Is it the end now?

“Nonsense.”

Kyrie rose from her seat, brushing away her thoughts.

“Speaking of which, why didn’t MaryAnne wake me up?”

She got up, turned her back, and naturally grasped the doorknob.

However, she stood still when she thought about it.

“…Can I leave this room?”

It’s already dead of night, and MaryAnne didn’t come to wake her… so were the others and Valdir.

It was clearly intentional.

Somehow she felt like she shouldn’t open it.

Kyrie went close to the window, since it was the only part of the house she could approach. She suddenly felt uneasy.

“…..!”

Kyrie became fully awake as soon as she glanced out the window.

He was there.

That.

That’s.

He was closer than she thought he should be. 

And he was undoubtedly looking at the inn.

She began to quiver.

“I wasn’t mistaken when our eyes met.”

There was one more unexpected surprise.

There was another person in the rainy snow.

It was MaryAnne. 

“…Don’t do it!”

She shouted while stretching her arms to block the inn’s door. However, MaryAnne was barely heard due to the blizzard.

“…Alright! …Mister! It’s M-Mary-”

The man stopped approaching.

Then, slowly picked up his cane.

That instant, MaryAnne flew like she was hit by something strong and slammed against the door.

“MaryAnne!”

Kyrie thoughtlessly opened the window, shouting MaryAnne’s name.

“No, Young lady!”

AnneMarie screamed out loud, but it was too late.

MaryAnne screamed, but it was too late.

Maybe he planned this all along.

The blizzard immediately burst into the room.

“Uh…”

She couldn’t handle the blizzard, which made her body weak. Kyrie covered her face and stepped back.

The window finally closed itself, leaving large mess.  

Kyrie slowly uncovered her face. Due to the cold air, she could see how her breath was coming in and out of the lungs. 

It became very difficult to breathe again. It was the same feeling as last night.

“…..”

She slowly turned back. The man was right in front of her.

Jet black hair like the starry night sky and frosty eyes like the gleaming blue stars.

His face is comparable to that of the king of winter. The bewitching man, smiled coldly and arrogantly to Kyrie.

[Hello.]