CH 131

I heard Betty talking behind me, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to Betty.

I hurriedly brought Arsene into the room and locked the door.

Click.

There was a metallic sound of the door locking. Arsene was standing there, staring at me.

I looked up at Arsene.

“Did you really not hear anything?”

I glanced at Kendrick’s expression when the beastman attacked the carriage. 

However, 

‘It certainly wasn’t a surprised expression.’

It would be surprising if a beastman who had lost his mind attacked the carriage out of nowhere. 

Kendrick’s expression was not surprised, but rather tired and exhausted for some reason.

As if he expected this to happen.

Arsene made a rather unfair expression and shook his head.

“Well, because there isn’t. If you’re curious about it, you can ask father later after he returns.” 

“Phew, you fool. It’s because father never tells me that.”

“Do you think he does it to me?”

“But you know, Arsene….” 

I stiffened my face and looked straight into Arsene’s face.

“Did they say that the beastmen who lost their mind because they were poisoned by Giles flowers couldn’t get their mind back?”

“Eung. That’s right.”

“If I don’t treat it… they’ll have to live with that condition for the rest of their life. Because I’m the only one who can cure a beastmen poisoned by Giles flowers.’

“Eung.”

“Then…”

I looked Arsene in the eye. And,

Gulp.

After swallowing my saliva, I continued.

“Then, what will happen to the beastman earlier?”

They say that if I don’t treat them, they’ll have to live with a loss of reason for the rest of their life. 

A beastman who has lost his mind is no different from a wild beast.

The beastman who lost his mind before…  I’ve even heard of killing in the worst case.

But, 

Kendrick flatly refused to allow me to heal the beastman.

“….” 

“….?” 

We stared blankly at each other.

No way, could it be killing it? 

If the beastmen poisoned by Giles flowers get out of control, wouldn’t they have killed them all? 

When I thought Kendrick might have killed the beastman who crashed into the carriage today, my face turned white.

My mind was white.

As if Arsene was the same, his complexion turned slightly white. 

At that time,

Knock knock.

A calm knocking sound broke the silence in the room. I looked back in surprise.

“My Lady, you should change your clothes and have dinner.” 

“Yes, I’ll be right out!”

“Let’s go out for now, it’s not something that’s going to be solved just by us doing this.”

Arsene said calmly. I nodded.

“Yes, for now….” 

***

I changed my clothes and went down to the dining room for dinner.

After sitting down and waiting for a while, Arsene came down to the dining room after changing his clothes.

Then the mansion became noisy.

“Is father here?”

“I guess so.”

Arsene put down the knife he was holding and stood up.

I also got up with Arsene.

But we didn’t have to go out of the dining room.

As we were about to leave, Kendrick stepped his foot into the dining room.

“You were eating.”

“Are you here? But father…” 

I was startled when I saw Kendrick’s clothes.

Kendrick’s black jacket caught his eye, splattered with dark red blood.

I could have guessed whose blood it was without asking.

“Yes, I’ve done well today, so don’t worry…” 

“Is it okay if I don’t treat you? I need to treat it…!” 

“Yeah. It’s okay if you don’t treat me.”

Kendrick sternly cut me off.

Thanks to that, my plan to ask Kendrick something more was ruined.

“And Linsy, I have a favor to ask you.”

Kendrick closed his eyes for a moment, as if his head was pounding, then slowly opened them and asked the maids around him to leave. 

Then, using his power, he created a thin sound barrier using his shadow. 

“Can you pick some more flowers next time you visit the land of Tamar?”

“A flower?”

“Yes, plenty.”

I nodded.

Ever since I first set foot on Tamar’s land, I’ve sometimes picked Tamar’s grass and flowers for Kendrick.

Sometimes there were days when I picked up the leaves of the big tree.

It was something I wondered if it would help Mr. Hern for his study about Tamar. 

Mr. Kendrick and Mr. Hern were very happy, so I would often pick flowers, leaves, and grass ever since. 

It was for the same reason that I often planted flowers.

Since we often pick a basket full of flowers, we need to plant them often to give Kendrick more.

But it was the first time Kendrick had asked to bring it to me first, so I nodded blankly.

“Yes, I’ll bring you plenty next time.”

“Yeah, get some rest after you finish eating. Leon and Cain are coming to the mansion tomorrow, right?”

Kendrick said, walking on the soundproof wall and loosening his tie.

“Yes, they are supposed to come over tomorrow.”

Now, Leona and Cain coming to play was a daily routine for the servants of the mansion.

Sometimes Kendrick worried about what would happen if my only friends were Leona, Cain, and Ansia. 

‘This is good enough.’

It didn’t matter because those three people were playing the role of more than 10 or 100 people.

“Yeah, maybe we can meet and talk about the festival together.”

“A festival?”

“This year… it seems to be going to be held. It seems that His Holiness the Pope’s condition has improved a bit.”

Kendrick replied slowly.

For the past nine years, the festival has never been held.

So, the heads of the beastmen clans were concerned about the safety of each clan’s holy relic.

I heard they worry about what if someone lost or misused the holy relic for 9 years. 

The reason why the festival didn’t take place.

‘I heard it was because of His Holiness’ health.’

The Pope’s poor health was a story that I’ve been hearing since I was very young,

Nine years ago, the temple canceled all events led by the Pope, as if the Pope’s condition had become more serious.

And the Pope hid himself in the temple and didn’t appear.

It’s already been nine years since he has lived like that—.

There’s a festival?

I opened my eyes wide, looked at Kendrick, and asked.

“Then will there be a bird clan coming?”

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard of the bird clan, so that’s what interests me the most. 

I heard that Arthur Raniero fell,

‘I’ve only heard that far.’

I wonder if Arthur has woken up since then, and if he does, why hasn’t he been looking for me yet?

I wondered if Gale succeeded as planned if he didn’t wake up. 

It wasn’t just one or two questions.

‘Because if they come to the festival, the head of the clan will have to show up.’

If Raniero attends the festival, I may learn why Raniero has been so quiet over the past nine years and cut off communication with the rest of the clan. 

Thinking about it made me feel like the days in Raniero were so far away.

“I don’t know yet. Because the festival has not been finalized either.”

“Aah…”

“It might be canceled again. Like nine years ago.”

Kendrick said calmly. Nine years ago, the Pope’s health improved, and the festival was said to be held, but it was canceled.

At that time, Leona was very much looking forward to it, 

I heard that the servants of the Lion mansion had a hard time appeasing the disappointed child. 

“Still, I thought it would really open it this time. It seems that they can’t put off looking after the safety of the sanctuary any longer.”

“Go and finish your meal. I have no appetite, so I will leave.”

“Yes, please go in.”

Arsene and I sat across from each other at the table again.

Arsene said, holding a knife and slicing the meat.

“It’s a festival, I used to go there when I was young, but I ‘ve never go there anymore.” 

“By the way, now, if you take over as the head of the clan, you will have to do what your father used to do. What to do if you haven’t been there much? I hope it opens this time.”

“Yes, by the way… It’s your birthday soon, right?”

“Huh? Eung.”

I used a fork to poke a cherry tomato and nodded as I put it in my mouth.

When I talked about the coming-of-age ceremony earlier, he made a surprised expression as if he had heard it for the first time. 

What’s the point of casually bringing up birthdays?

I sent a curious glance, but Arsene avoided my gaze and replied.

“Is there anything you want?”

“No, father bought them all a long time ago.”

“But there must be at least one.”

After hearing my answer, Arsene wrinkled his brow and said,

I paused my mouth for a moment to ponder over Arsene’s words.

“Uhm…” 

What do I want? I really don’t have one.

After much contemplation, I opened my mouth when I remembered that I might have to leave the mansion after this coming-of-age ceremony.

“I want… a house?” 

“….?” 

Arsene’s expression hardened in an instant.

I quickly finished my story and put the meat on Arsene’s plate.

“No, just eat it. I’ll think about it slowly.”

As expected, was it too much for a house?