CH 18

Secret of my Family

The tour continued. Kyrie and Nathaniel passed by several cities without any problems.

The servants became less afraid of Nathaniel than before.

It was because he protected the honor of the lady they served. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. 

MaryAnne went out.

“Is MaryAnne still there?”

While letting the horses rest for a moment, Kyrie asked Valdir. Valdir replied confusingly.

“Yes. The doctor said that it’s a mental problem…”

Kyrie followed him and looked at the servant carriage. In the city of Envinique, a doctor examined MaryAnne, but said that she was not sick.

‘What does MaryAnne feel about Nathaniel?’

Kyrie sighed and climbed into the carriage.

Nathaniel was in the carriage. He crossed his legs with his cane on his lap, and then glanced at her as she got on.

[Are we leaving?]

“Yes, we’re leaving soon. If you need anything, please tell me now.”

[I don’t have any.]

He answered culturally and gracefully and gave a self-conscious smile. He didn’t make any other facial expression than the smile, so it was actually his expressionless face.

“Isn’t the carriage trip tiring?”

[It’s not bad.]

“That’s a relief.”

Dry questions and answers were exchanged.

Neither showed more interest in each other than necessary. Although Gladios was caught in the middle, Kyrie and Nathaniel were thoroughly interested.

She had to keep an eye on the mysterious ‘End’ she woke up, and Nathaniel was using her for his comfortable journey.

‘If that magic was enough to cut the barrier of the mana stone, you can just go to the capital right away.’

Her goal was one. 

To go to the capital, confess about lifting the royal ban, and announce that it was not intentional to wake Nathaniel.

‘It’s a specification to be driven into treason just because I woke him up like this.’

To her, Nathaniel was that kind of existence. (T/N: for her Nathaniel is that type of existence that could ruin her life)

‘Because he’s just a man who will pass by anyway.’ 

(T/N: Seriously?)

Kyrie quietly closed her eyes.

It wasn’t long after the carriage started. With her eyes closed, she could hear the buzz of people as she was thinking. 

Kyrie looked at the winter forest through the window of the carriage. It was clear that there was a problem with the road because it wasn’t the village yet.

Then, there was a knocking sound on the door of the carriage.

As she opened the door, Valdir saluted with a red nose.

“My lady. They said that the road was blocked by an avalanche.”

“And?”

“They said that there is a lot of heavy snow across the country and that there is a shortage of hands. I think we will have to go back.”

Kyrie sighed and accepted the fur cloak from Rimo behind Valdir.

“Okay. I need to get off first and see what’s the situation.”

“Are you sure?”

She was escorted by Valdir and headed for the blocked road. A high mountain on the right, and a cliff on the left.The only road in between was blocked by snow.

Some officers and civil servants dispatched from the village were shoveling snow, but it was not enough for anyone to see.

“It won’t be over with a day or two of work.”

“I’m afraid so.”

Kyrie tapped her finger. It’s her responsibility.

“Bring a map, sir. And call the field manager.”

“Yes!”

Valdir replied vigorously and brought her a map, and Kyrie approached the person in charge. 

In the midst of an intriguing story about who is in charge and where to support, a sophisticated voice was suddenly heard behind Kyrie.

[Are you going to go back to go the other way?]

It was Nathaniel. Valdir grabbed the handle of his sword late because there was no sign of presence, but Nathaniel did not give him a glance.

[You stop often.]

“It’s strangely snowing a lot these days. It’s never been like this.”

Kyrie replied with a glance at Valdir. (T/N: she glanced him to say ‘shut your mouth don’t say anything’ coz she lied to Nathaniel)

Even so, there had already been several delays in the journey due to the snow.

Kyrie avoided Nathaniel’s gaze.

“This neighborhood is the Marquis of Vermont, but it is said that there is insufficient support for snow removal.”

[That mustache.]

“Mustache… Yes, that’s right. Mustache.”

She covered her mouth, laughed a little, and then snorted.

“Even if I send someone now, it’s a problem because it seems that it will take some time to be resolved.”

[How long?]

“It’s going to take a week? If I had known this would happen, I should have brought a wizard.”

Nathaniel looked down at Kyrie saying so.

[You are too meddlesome.]

“Why do you think so?”

[It’s not your job, but you’re thinking about cleaning up.]

She pondered and opened her mouth.

“Like in Vermont?”

[Like in Vermont.]

Nathaniel looked ahead again.

[I didn’t know you’d really come in to dry.] (T/N: he meant he didn’t knew she would really come out to help removing the snow)

Kyrie looked at the blocked road with her cloak on to keep the chill out.

“Well. Just someone who doesn’t want to be blamed.”

[Is that your father’s education?]

“On the other hand, if you could call a teacher a teacher.”

[Good. It’s very sophisticated for a way to express a family history that isn’t harmonious.]

“Thank you.”

Kyrie answered calmly. Soon after, she sent back the field manager, who said he had contacted Vermont, and looked back at Nathaniel.

“But you’re saying something unexpected. I thought you would take responsibility according to your status very seriously.”

[I hate undignified behaviors.]

His smile got a little darker.

[For example, things like Young Lady, an aristocrat who is going to catch a cold while engrossed in work that is not her responsibility.]

“But…….”

[Step back]

Nathaniel raised his hand as soon as he finished talking. At that moment, the snow that was occupying the hillside road melted in an instant. 

Looking at water vapor that was larger than the clouds, Kyrie opened her mouth in awe.

“How can this be possible when you’re not a wizard?”

[Just because you’re not a wizard does not mean you can’t do magic.]

“That means you are better at using swords than magic?”

[My magic is a little learned from Orewinbridge.]

He was a man who called the name of the royal family really easily. Nathaniel looked down strangely at Kyrie who looked around in case anyone could hear it.

[Buchanan’s blood is of a wizard’s descent, but you don’t have the blessing of mana.]

“You know the old story.”

[Because it was old times.]

Nathaniel looked to the left of the cliff. 

The endless snowy forest beneath the cliff resembled the village where he was asleep.

[There is no point in losing it.]

“No?”

[For me.]

Sometimes being too misleading looked lonely. Kyrie felt something indescribable in Nathaniel.

Instead of offering words of consolation, she took a few steps and stood beside Nathaniel.

“I know that it was only in the ancestors that Buchanan was of wizard descent. He was later demoted from a duke to a count, and it’s not clear if it had anything to do with the loss of magic.”

[Interesting.]

“That’s right. I told you the secret of my family.”

[I’ve heard something precious.]

Nathaniel laughed as he looked back at Kyrie. She didn’t answer, only smiled and then turned around.

“Please get in the carriage so it’s not too late.”

[Sure.]

Nathaniel stood alone for a long time.

Without her knowledge, people, one by one, looked at him about what he was doing.

A young man who had forgotten the sense of seasons, like a noble beast that was about to go extinct.

‘Will he get angry if I say he looks lonely?’

She looked at him from inside the carriage and turned her head.

There were parts that everyone did not want to see.

Kyrie and Nathaniel arrived at Elsus a few days later.

[You are excited.]

“Did I get caught?”

She opened the carriage window and laughed as she inhaled the smell of the sea.

“It’s my hometown. I used to stay here when I was young. When my mother was still here. “

[Since it’s not a harmonious family, it’s not a bereavement. Is it a divorce?]

(P/R: Bereavement means the loss of a person.)

“That’s right.”

It’s probably because she was in such a good mood to say unquestioned things.

(P/R: Unquestioned things mean that she brought up a topic that was not asked.)

Only after she spoke did she notice Nathaniel smiling coldly like a nobleman. The incident happened when the carriage arrived at Buchanan’s villa.

“I can’t bring in guests?”

“Yes, my lady… what should we do? That’s what happened.”

Lindner, the villa manager, was restless.

Kyrie first calmed him down by pressing his shoulder.

“Why?”

“That’s…… the Count said ‘Leave the villa empty’.”

“I haven’t heard of that.”

“He just contacted me by magic yesterday. It seems that a distinguished guest has decided to stay at the villa.”

Lindner bowed his head like a guilty man.

Kyrie contemplated, narrowing her eyebrows.

‘If my father was coming, he wouldn’t have used the word ‘distinguished guest’. Then who is it?’

The most likely one would be the Crown Prince, but Eden, who was in love with Rubinia Cassner, cannot stay at Buchanan’s villa anymore.

‘I’m in trouble.’

Whatever it may be, they can’t keep Nathaniel standing like this. 

Kyrie sighed.

“Okay, Lindner. I’ll stay at the inn with my guest, so give the villa to my father’s guest. Take care of the management.”

“I will.”

She left the villa and told Nathaniel the story in the carriage.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ll be able to stay at the villa because of family circumstances. Could you bear with the inn while I search for another villa?”

[It doesn’t matter to me.]

Nathaniel said.

[Wasn’t this your hometown?]

Kyrie smiled bitterly. She shouldn’t have said such sentimental stories.

“There is no meaning in what has passed.”

The carriage of the two arrived at the inn shortly after. It was the inn where Kyrie often stayed as a child.

Cesar Buchanan was as stupid as he was ambitious. It was the same with her mother, but once they became parents, someone had to raise Kyrie.

(P/R: Her father’s high ambition level is as high as his stupidity, meaning he is very stupid and has high ambitions.)

She saw her mother, who had been left alone with the burden of parenting, being ruined here.

It was a place she never wanted to come back to, but she didn’t want to appear like she was running away.

Kyrie entered the front door confidently. And she was surprised by the strange sensation and looked around.

People were blatantly glancing at her.

‘What is it?’

Their gaze shifted to Nathaniel when he appeared, but he seemed to feel the same thing.

[What a radical welcome.]

Kyrie realized the reason for this fierce gaze the next moment.

The reason was written on the front page of the newspaper in the lobby of the inn.

「Crown Prince and Buchanan, breakup!」

「Let’s get to know Rubinia Cassner, the girl chosen by the Crown Prince!」

「What is the cause of the rift with the Kyrie Buchanan?」

Kyrie bit her lips.

‘The official announcement of the breakup was today.’

Tactful servants cleared them out of Kyrie’s eyes, but only one copy flew in the air and stopped in front of Nathaniel.

Holding his cane, he read the entire page of the newspaper in no time.

[The reason for self-reflection.]

“…..”

She felt as if her insides were twisted. She deliberately raised her chin higher and spoke more calmly.

“If you want to laugh, do it now.”

She had enough of baseless slanders and ‘it’s worth knowing’ gazes over the past year.

But her determination was overshadowed, and Nathaniel tilted her chin.

[Do you think I would be interested in such a story?]

“……no.”

[Okay.]

“But…….”

The end of her words was blurred. She couldn’t figure out why she was embarrassed.

“That’s… But it’s not usually like that, is it? Normally, if you say you broke off your engagement, haa.”

As if she was throwing up, her mouth finally stopped talking with a sigh.

Her purple eyes were blurred with embarrassment.

‘What the hell are you doing, Kyrie.’

She couldn’t believe she had only met one person who kept neutrality.

It was shameful.

Nathaniel silently stared at her biting her lips. Then he struck the floor with his cane once.

[Buchanan.]

Kyrie raised her head.

‘You’re going to criticize me, aren’t you? I’m not aristocratic.’

Waiting with her head down, Kyrie heard something unexpected.

[You don’t have to be so eager to explain that the Crown Prince of this country doesn’t have a good eye for people.]

Kyrie’s eyes were wide open.

Leaving her who didn’t know how to answer, Nathaniel blinked his clear eyes.

[I want to postpone laughing at the prince’s eyes until later, and now I want to rest.]

It was such a transparent gaze.

He was different from those who looked down on her after hearing the rumors.

‘They were the words I didn’t even hear from my father.’

Kyrie unconsciously smiled with a strange expression.

“You really don’t know.”

Why did the unknown person’s words sound so kind?