CH 22

What does accidentally reading a long spelling of a place name have to do with liking shiny things? Was there any gold dust sprinkled on this map?

As Asha glanced at the map, Phoebe opened her eyes and answered calmly.

<Isn’t there a mine there.>

“…?”

<It’s a mine where white and transparent glitter comes out.>

White, transparent, shiny…

“What?”

Asha’s face slowly stained with distrust and astonishment.

Really? Really?

<Not necessarily transparent.>

“If it’s not just something transparent… ?”

<Pinkish.>

Pink!

Asha lost her words for a moment and looked down at the map. Several other areas have specific mine markings, but there was no such thing in Lumen Vasilice.

“…Really?”

<And if it’s not real?>

It was a voice asking what else could there be if it wasn’t real. Asha clapped her lips.

“How do you know that?”

Isn’t it natural to know what’s in the land that was built a thousand years ago?>

Phoebe said in a still languid voice. Asha only opened her mouth. Fortunately, Phoebe was smart enough to not be able to tell the difference between the things she was really proud of and the things she wasn’t.

“Are you the only one who knows among the spirits?”

<Well? If I know, they might know. Isn’t it hard not to know that it exists?>

It’s a voice that doesn’t care. Asha was excited for a moment, then pursed her lips.

<Hmph, but this is the only kind spirit that talks to her contractor like this!>

That would be the case. All the imperial people contract with spirits, but they have never heard of talking to the spirits. But this time, Asha looked down at the map with a sour look on her face.

‘But what’s the point of having a diamond mine here? Looks like it’s the land of the Noctis Elves.’

And within a few minutes, Asha withdrew her thoughts.

“What? Do you get land from elves?”

Alexei, who had returned from her conversation with the Emperor, apologized for making her wait so long, while at the same time paying attention to the map she was looking at.

Asha tried to cover it up because she had only looked at the mysterious picture on his desk in his boredom while waiting for him, but Alexei explained it to her first.

“Yes, the defeated Noctis Elves said they would give us the land as compensation for this war. I had to choose from the land they offered me, so I was deciding where to choose. …do you have any interest?”

“…!”

“Does Alyosha decide that?”’

Alexei laughed and said as if it were not much of an enormous authority he had.

“What’s good about this land?”

Asha tried to move her short arm to point to the mountainous area that read “Lumen Vasilice.” Her voice almost shook a little.

“Well, there’s… There are no particular advantages, but there are no disadvantages. I’ve heard rumors that white birds living at the top of the mountain are beautiful.”

“Are there any good things about other places?”

“There’s not really. In fact, they are all similar. That’s why the Noctis Elves must have come up with it.”

Asha’s eyes sparkled.

“Alyosha, then how about here? Lumen Vasilice here!”

“Do you like this place? why?”

“Because here’s the…”

Asha stopped talking and hurriedly closed her mouth.

Alexei realized that she was talking to the spirit, but she belatedly wondered if it would be all right to let him know that she even had these conversations.

But Alexei willingly drew a smile.

“Shall we do it here?”

“Yes?”

Asha looked at Alexei with a surprised face.

“I… Is that okay?”

“I was actually considering this place the most seriously. I think my spirit likes it, too.”

“Huh!? Alyosha, are you talking to Fafnir now?”

Alexei smiled when Asha asked in surprise.

“Of course, of course.”

“Really? What did Fafnir say to Alyosha…”

“We drank tea together yesterday. Thinking about what to wear to the victory ball together.”

“…What?”

“Fafnir said he was going to wear a suit made of red silk.”

At this point, Asha also noticed. Alexei was making fun of her.

“…Alyosha.”

“What are you going to wear Anastasia?”

“…I won’t wear it! I won’t wear anything!”

“That is difficult. The dignity of the imperial family is also important, and everyone else would make fun of you. Anastasia’s dress, I’m going to have to make it.”

Asha sighed heavily, Alexei laughed.

“You said we’d be able to talk soon. That’s why I played some jokes. Are you very angry?”

“It didn’t happen!”

“More than that, Anastasia, you have helped me decide the land, so tell me if you want anything?”

“You said you’d give me a dress.”

Alexei laughed a little more at Asha’s sulky voice.

“That’s what a brother gives his sibling.”

Asha shut her mouth for a moment and agonized.

“Shall we talk about it?”’

There was one thing she needed. Alexei nodded again after noticing her signs of agonizing.

“Then I… want to go home.”

“…home?”

Asha carefully continued, examining Alexei’s expression. She thought, let’s get along well here, get used to it, save money, and do business with baking powder.

But if she had a chance to go back to her mom and dad’s house…

“Well, it’s nice to stay at the Imperial Palace, but… I mean… It’s nice, but she left something at home.”

Although she realized that she was talking nonsense from the middle, Asha decided to trust her ability. Would Alexei take her word for it again?

“What did you leave behind?”

At first, Alexei had a stiff face, but now he seemed to hold back his laughter. Asha mumbled her words. She would have thought of something if she had something good in her house…

“That’s…”

“Did you leave a doll that you hug when you sleep?”

“What?”

It was difficult for her to say that there was no such thing as a doll in an impoverished house. Although she pretended there was a doll with a wad of cotton-stuffed fabric that Yuriev had sewn and made.

“Rabbit doll or bear doll?”

“U… Unicorn?”

She missed the chance to say it wasn’t a doll. Alexei smiled with his chin at Asha’s awkward answer.

“It’s impossible to go home. If you don’t allow it.”

“Well, yes…”

Asha tried to divert her words by saying that she just talked about it just in case, but Alexei seemed to find her topic of dolls interesting.

“That’s impossible, but if it’s a unicorn doll, I’ll get it.”

“Oh, no. It’s all right! It’s really okay…”

“But I’m giving it to you as an apology for not being able to fulfill your wish, so if there’s anything else you want, tell me.”

There was a look in his eyes that he would not accept any further objections to the unicorn doll.

‘It was really just a coincidence yesterday.’

The beak of the chick in her sleeve embroidery moved slightly at Asha’s lament.

<It’s stupid to only hope for luck without thinking of honing your ability, stupid!>

‘Be quiet, silly Phoebe. I’m trying to get you a house now.’

<…This kind of threat for me…>

That’s what she said, but Phoebe’s angry voice soon died down.

“Then I want a cage.”

Actually, she wanted to have a kitchen, but she thought it was a little too much.

“Cage? You’re going to raise a bird? Then from Lumen Basilice to the bird…”

“Oh, no, just the cage… All I need is a cage!”

It occurred to me that if there was another bird, this petty spirit might react. Alexei nodded at Asha’s fierce handshake.

The servant brought out new tea, and in the meantime Alexei cut the scones in half and spread jam and butter.

‘Ha, scones are delicious.’

When the butter was cold, it was a scone that had a unique fluffy texture by quickly finishing the dough and baking it. Through the fluffy texture, dried berries added chewiness and sourness, and the taste of nuts spreads savory thanks to the addition of chopped toasted almonds.

Alexei slowly opened his mouth while he was chewing.

“By the way… Do you know why grandfather called me urgently today?”

“Huh? No…?”

Asha took a bigger bite of the scone, meaning she didn’t know or want to know. She thought if she was eating something, he wouldn’t ask anymore.

“The former leader of the Knights of Tingnes has applied for reinstatement.”

“What?”

Asha deliberately mumbled the scone loudly and looked at Alexei, who continued with a smile as if the figure were cute.

“It’s been 10 years since he retired, but the deputy commander is still leading the knights.”

“Wow.”

“So grandfather called me to talk about what to do with him.”

Asha only nodded. She felt a little choked up because she took a full bite of scones. She didn’t really like the scent of cinnamon, but when she needed to drink something then she would have some tea…

“Anastasia, who is the former leader of Tingnes… Do you know?”

“…?”

Asha tilted her head. Knights of Tingnes? She thought she heard it somewhere, but she couldn’t think of it well.

‘Did I see it in the original? But seeing as I can’t remember this much, it doesn’t seem to have had much importance?’

“The name Sir Tarjei Nellin? Have you ever heard of it?”

She shook her head.

As Asha shook her head, Alexei lowered his eyes and picked up a teacup. The movement was very elegant.

‘Should I learn that?’

Then will she be able to tilt her tea cup in a more elegant way?

Asha fiddled with the handle of the teacup and thought. And when she heard the next words, Asha burst out her cough.

“He’s your maternal grandfather.”

“Kuluk!”