CH 42

Greed

***

About a month had passed since the secret compromise between Kyrie Buchanan and the Royal Family.

The Royal Family, especially Julia, clearly realized how to use the new Kyrie. When the policy had to be changed, when the law had to be revised, when diplomatic problems arose… but when they wanted to manipulate something to their liking, the Royal Family had to attract Kyrie Buchanan for now.

Starting from that day, every now and then, there was the Legendary Lord accompanying her, and everything was going to be a mess if he looked like, ‘I don’t know when this boring cockney would end.’

She once said that it was okay not to accompany because he was not so outspoken. Nathaniel looked up and asked back.

[How about you?]

“Yes?”

[Are you going out again?]

“Yes, today is the day to revise three alcoholic beverages…….”

For that reason, Nathaniel, who had opened and closed the blade of the wand, became cynical.

[Orewinbridge is pretty good at pampering people.]

At this time, Kyrie felt that her heart stopped for about a second, but smiled casually.

“I do it because I want to; rather, it’s nice to be given the opportunity to participate in the policy.”

Nathaniel glanced at Kyrie, who said so, and got up with his cane.

[Let’s go.]

“Oh… are you okay? It’s strange to say this, but because of your sense of intimidation, the policy is decided in a way that benefits the Royal Family.….”

[It’s good that I’m having fun.]

He continued to accompany Kyrie by saying so. Seeing him, Kyrie realized something different.

Nathaniel said, ‘What has passed is meaningless.’ It meant that when there was a conflict between a desire to avenge Orewinbridge and a desire to take care of Kyrie, the latter won.

So, Kyrie’s choice was right as long as Orewinbridge wasn’t too greedy. She was now being treated externally as the best woman in Sel Arellano.

Everything went the way Kyrie wanted. Julia kept her promise with Kyrie and supported her in all of her foreign activities. It was the same with Emperor Ginger Orewinbridge, and it seemed to be very good for the Legendary Lord.

On the night of the ballroom in the Buchanans, Kyrie and Nathaniel set out into a deserted garden to get some fresh air. Looking at Kyrie, who was fanning her face to calm down her drinking mood, Nathaniel muttered.

[Unexpected.]

“What do you mean?”

[Orewinbridge is doing the job right unexpectedly.]

“Are you worried?”

[I thought she’d leave without knowing the subject.]

“I know. I’m glad she didn’t.”

She answered calmly, but there was a cold sweat behind her back. Kyrie smiled with her hands down. The lights and music of the fancy ballroom felt very far away. There was no sound of grasshoppers in the garden, but she was now breathless by Nathaniel’s breathtaking silence.

“I just want to be able to stay like this. Are you bored by any chance? Are you bored because you couldn’t fight?”

[I don’t know.]

On rare occasions, Nathaniel raised his bangs and drew his finger horizontally in the air. A gentle, cold wind blew along the imaginary line, cooling Kyrie’s face.

“Ah. Thank you.”

[It might be a little boring.]

“Then do you want to bury everything in snow like before?”

[It doesn’t matter though.]

“You have to let me know before you do it. We have to evacuate the citizens.”

At Kyrie’s joke, Nathaniel’s expression subtly loosened.

[You’re talking like that again. What about Orewinbridge?]

“Let her get buried and die.”

Nathaniel laughed lowly.

[Yes.]

That time was like an eternity.

Anyway, since he was Nathaniel, he had already noticed that there was ‘some kind of contract’ between Kyrie and Orewinbridge that he did not know. But the world he saw was definitely revolving around Kyrie Buchanan. Nathaniel was very pleased with the cute little ecosystem where Kyrie stood on top and commanded everywhere.

Kyrie voluntarily became an intermediary that coordinated between the Royal Family and the Legendary Lord, and performed her role brilliantly. The sovereign power of Orewinbridge could not have been higher. 

This was because Kyrie Buchanan, who was protected by the Legendary Lord and the Patriotic Lord, supported the Royal Family.

It was a peace that could have continued endlessly if someone had not been greedy.

But a man’s greed was like a river, so he eventually headed for a bigger and wider sea. Nathaniel knew that. 

Better than anyone else.

Because he had so intentionally concealed his sense of oppression, people began to reveal their greed hidden among the yearnings.

‘Honestly, even if he was the Legendary Lord, wouldn’t it be possible to stop him with just one army?

‘I haven’t even seen them fight.’

‘It is said that they fought the End, but it must have been just about the plague, famine, and tribal forces, and the victory must have been exaggeratedly glorified.’

‘It is said that he is not human, but how can he have the strength to split the sky and the ground?’

‘He can’t even use magic, right?’

‘But he’s definitely useful. Can’t we handle him more easily?’

(T/N: the above lines are the thoughts/dialogues of different people)

Greed eventually turned in one direction.

Not surprisingly, to Kyrie Buchanan.

***

Nathaniel did not accompany Kyrie that day. Since Kyrie became busy, Nathaniel had often accompanied Kyrie on her schedule, but he seemed to be fed up with it because of meeting too many people recently.

Nathaniel did not leave the room until Kyrie finished dressing up.

“Nathaniel. Are you coming in?”

Kyrie knocked on the door three times and naturally entered his room. Since Nathaniel never cared about her entering his bedroom by mistake before, she became the only person who can go back and forth between his living radius without permission.

“Nathaniel?”

Kyrie looked around the spacious room and found Nathaniel lying on the bed. He looked disheveled now that he used to show well. Hazy blue eyes turned to Kyrie.

[Kyrie.]

When he called her name, goosebumps climbed up Kyrie’s back. He was an uncontrollably sensual man from voice to nail, even though he was just lying lazily and profligately on the bed. 

Kyrie smiled in envy so as not to show what she felt.

“I’m going out now. I have a business with the everlasting romance WeTrust today. Princess Julia is not coming. It is a meeting with young aristocrats. Buchanan’s front yard.”

Nathaniel glanced at Kyrie without answer. She tilted her head and moved closer.

“I don’t think so, but are you sick?”

[No.]

“You don’t look good.”

[You’re too self-projective.]

“And quick-witted. I know you would say no.”

Nathaniel laughed lowly. He touched his scattered black hair on his smooth forehead and looked meaninglessly at some point on the ceiling.

“What’s the matter?”

[Nothing.]

“Can I sit next to you?”

Nathaniel glanced at the bed covered with blankets for a moment, then moved his gaze back into the air. Kyrie walked lightly and sat down on his bed.

“You look like a sick person.”

[You’re deluded.]

“How can I get better? Can a lark sing a song?”

[My lark is busy these days.]

Kyrie grinned.

“Should I not go?”

Nathaniel looked up at her as if he were a little dumbfounded.

[Do you think it’s because you’re not here?]

“It’s not?”

He clicked his tongue.

[It’s boring.]

But he did not deny it.

Holding back her laughter, Kyrie looked at the side profile of Nathaniel, who suddenly turned his head.  Winter sunlight, thinly coming through the window, was striking his face. Inside the blue eyes that didn’t even blink, waves followed the flickering light.

Beautiful.

Kyrie gently opened her mouth, admiring the sway in Nathaniel’s eyes.

“If I were a mermaid, I would want to swim in your eyes.”

Nathaniel looked back at her slowly. The round eyes under the black and smooth eyelashes deepened.

[Nonsense.]

“They’re beautiful eyes.”

[Kyrie Buchanan. You seem to be sick.]

“Oh, really? I shouldn’t catch a cold, so I should come early today. Well, I don’t want to catch a cold, so I’d like to drink honey lemon tea and play chess with someone.”

At the words whispering play, Nathaniel glanced at Kyrie. He didn’t speak for a while, and Kyrie wondered if he would say [Nonsense.] again.

But Nathaniel avoided her gaze and laughed with a low, tickling voice like a man drunk in the air.

[Alright.]

It may sound strange, but at that moment Kyrie felt dizzy.

The straightforwardness of offering a raw, fluttering heart that was urgent for others to hide. The realization that that was the essence of this strong and beautiful existence crossed Kyrie’s mind.

Somehow she felt like she saw something she shouldn’t have seen. Kyrie jumped up from her seat.

“……I have to go. We’ll play chess when I get back.”

[You lose every day.]

“Surprisingly, you went easy.”

Nathaniel smiled quietly.

[See you later.]

Only then was the usual Nathaniel. Kyrie left the bedroom after last seeing him like a snowman under the spring sun.

***

Every moment since morning and after lunch was a strange day. It was simply bizarrely smooth and easy. The rising aristocrats of the WeTrust looked up to Kyrie. Kyrie became a spokesperson for the Royal Family before them and gave them a boastful sermon.

When she was left alone for a while, she was tired and tried to rub her eyelids, but she held back because she thought her makeup would be removed.

‘You didn’t have to call me for this.’

She was confident that she would act as a tool to promote the Royal Family, but it had been too much these days. Julia was especially clever. She focused on pre-work to bring Eden down, pointing out the meetings that Kyrie would attend. It was a clever way.

‘You deserve the crown. It’s a little mean.’

Kyrie sighed again. At that time, MarryAnne, who briefly went out and returned, held out two small cherry fruits.

“Put it on your eyes, Miss! It would be refreshing!”

“Are you giving it to me? Thank you. I really only have MarryAnne.”

MarryAnne, who would have laughed normally, had a worried face.

“Miss is too busy. What should I do if I’m troubled that My Lady is so busy……?”

“It’s okay. I’m constantly training my physical strength.”

“But these days, that lady has been too mean! Mean!”

“Hush, Anne.”

When Kyrie put up her index finger, MarryAnne closed her mouth with a dejected face.

“Miss, you should rest…….”

“I’m gonna take a break. I’ll be relieved if I do this for about a year, so it’ll be better after that.”

“But it’s not an agreement…….”

Kyrie smiled bitterly at MarryAnne’s words.

“That’s….. right, maybe a year is not enough because it’s not an agreement…….”

(P/R: she’s saying that it may go over a year because they didn’t agree or have a contract to have Kyrie work for a year)

Kyrie closed her eyes, putting the cherries on top of her eyelids. It was true that she needed a break. She was getting tired enough to feel for herself. But the Royal Family, and Julia, was still anxious. They seemed to think that Kyrie might change her attitude and attack Orewinbridge right away.

‘No, I don’t know how much more I have to show for you to understand.’

She intentionally blinked her dry eyes out of tears.

Still, the effect was good, Orewinbridge seemed to be satisfied, and Nathaniel was also quiet. It would be perfect if he stayed like a stuffed beast like this.

“As long as it doesn’t snow … right, Anne?”

“But I don’t like how hard it is for you to keep it from snowing…”

“I’ve been told for a year that I can’t keep a single fiance, but it’s only that much.”

“Rather, I’d rather use him…….”

“MarryAnne.”

Kyrie cut off MarryAnne’s words.

“Do you really think so?”

“…….”

MarryAnne’s black eyes shook. The little maid couldn’t say yes. MarryAnne also knew this. She didn’t know how it would come back if she begged him for something.

Kyrie put the cherries down and carefully hugged MarryAnne’s little shoulders.

“Don’t worry. Everything will work out just fine. I’ll make it happen. For my daily life with my precious people.”

She patted MarryAnne’s head in her arms. And she repeated it as if she were talking to herself. 

Everything was going well. 

Everything would be fine.

That day, Kyrie Buchanan went missing in her carriage.

***