Geumui’s Return (3)
“I would like to have breakfast with you, but it turns out that the Princess of Frost, Selaha, has arrived at Rosstaylor Mansion. Since the royal family personally came to visit her, she should be treated with the utmost respect as a subject.”
The location was a small reception room prepared behind the main lobby.
They say it’s small, but it’s already bigger than the living room of most houses. All of the furniture inside was of high quality, so it was not easy to keep track of all the money that went into this room.
“So, in the morning, you will be shown to your room, rest, and then have lunch together. “There are a lot of backlogged stories and a lot of rumors that need to be resolved, right?”
“Yes, thank you. father.”
This is a conversation held while wearing a mask.
It’s a conversation between a son who returns for the first time in a while and a father who welcomes him… There was no sincerity in the conversation between the two.
It was almost like a prelude to exchanging words before sizing up each other and uncovering each other’s true feelings.
“The mansion will be a mess now. A grand social church is scheduled to be held starting tomorrow evening. The employees are all busy preparing for it, so I hope you can understand even if I am somewhat negligent. Everyone will be frantic as the empire’s most distinguished guests will arrive one after another… ”
It is said that different VIPs stopped by on different days during the five-day period.
Each VIP has a different visit date, different length of stay, and different inclinations and status, so it would be hectic to take care of them all.
“I’m sorry for coming back at such a chaotic time.”
“no. Rather, it was called because it was a time like this. During this social gathering, let me announce to the world that my proud son, Ed Ross Taylor, has returned. It’s been a while since you’ve been out of the social scene, so you may need to form new connections. “I hope this social gathering will be that opportunity.”
As Crepin said that, he looked at Jenica and Lucy sipping tea on one side of the sofa.
“That one… “Are these the classmates that my son is indebted to?”
“Yes yes yes… . Yenika… It’s called a failover… ah… ”
Sweating, stuttering, blurting the words, shaking hands, shaking eyes. It’s also a talent to pick out the things you shouldn’t do because you’re nervous and do them all.
Yenika was nervous to the limit due to the fact that she was faced with a duke who commanded the empire in addition to this ridiculous scale of hospitality.
I couldn’t make eye contact while twisting my braided hair for no reason. Some people might view this appearance as a trivial charm, but it was not something worth saying or doing in front of the head of the dukedom.
“There is no need to be so nervous. “If she’s my son’s friend, she should be proud of her shoulders.”
When Crepin said this in a benevolent tone, Yenika suddenly came to her senses and nodded.
“It’s not like I’ve never heard of that name. Did you say he was an elementalist with tremendous skills, enough to handle high-ranking spirits without difficulty? And that’s what Tanya said in her letter… Is he a rare and prestigious genius wizard? ”
“Lucy Mayril.”
The words are short.
Yenika hiccuped. He was shocked to see Lucy just throwing out his name without any respect or polite manners. And that too in front of the Duke in charge of the Rosstaylor family.
Lucy sat on the backrest, motionless, staring blankly at Crepin.
Not only Yenica but also the people around her froze. Crepin Rosstaylor was famous for being a benevolent Duke, but he was also extremely harsh on those who crossed the line.
Authority is established by others, but there are certainly times when you must establish it yourself. Otherwise, discipline will become lax or subjects who look down on the monarch will arise.
Crepin, who must have known that fact well, looked at Lucy who spoke briefly and bluntly.
Despite this atmosphere, there is no change in Lucy’s behavior.
It’s one of two things. Either he is a person with no common sense at all, or… The opponent is not much of a threat to you.
Lucy Mayril was closer to the latter than the former.
Even if you do this, you have the confidence that no one can overpower you.
Even if the other person’s status is higher, the underlying thought is that absolute force can never defeat oneself.
Therefore, Lucy acts at her own pace no matter who she meets. Except for one, Ed Rosstaylor.
“You brought some interesting friends.”
Crepin finally relaxed his expression. He also read the confidence underlying Lucy’s psychology.
I am absolutely certain that this is not a bluff. He even holds the title of the greatest genius Sylvania has ever produced.
However, it was clear that his attitude of challenging Rosstaylor’s name had crossed a line, but it was more urgent for Crepin to go out to meet the Princess of Frost.
“Well then, let’s talk slowly during lunch.”
After saying that, Crepin stood up from his seat.
“… Oh right. I have something for you. father.”
*
“Well, if you need anything, please call me.”
– Squeak
The employee greeted me politely and carefully closed the door.
Ed Rosstaylor’s private room.
The room used by that pathetic and stupid third-rate villain before entering Sylvania Academy.
It’s just amazing that the room remains the same despite being excommunicated. In the first place, there were too many spare rooms in this Ross Taylor mansion, so this amount of wasted space could be tolerated without any hesitation.
I heard that Arwen Rothtaylor’s room was left as is rather than destroyed, but it may have some special meaning.
A private room so large that it looks like three rooms were put together. I sat on one side of the bed in that luxurious private room.
On the side table next to the bed, there is a car that the user brought to the room. I lifted the whole teacup and poured it into the flower pot by the window.
Then, I walked around the room for a while, looking for any trap devices or magic engineering supplies for surveillance. First of all, nothing caught my eye.
Afterwards, I turned on the door lock to see if it was working properly, and finished checking to see if the window was locked properly.
Check these basic safety precautions… It doesn’t mean much because Crepin can break through anything he wants. Still, I had to keep the minimum vigilance, so it was a bit too easy to omit it.
“hmm… “Is there anything else I need to check?”
All the occupants welcomed me, Crepin welcomed me warmly, and even the room I was using remained the same.
No matter who you are, you can’t help but relax as you feel like you’ve returned to your hometown, but I never let my guard down.
That was the moment when I decided to check all possible risk factors.
-Squeak
The door to my room opened. Seeing as he came in without even knocking, he wasn’t an employee.
First of all, the reason you can’t see his face at first glance is because of his small body. When he lowered his gaze, he could clearly see Lucy, with her white hair flowing beautifully, pushing through the door.
“you… “Didn’t you say you were going to the next room after all?”
Because of the unnecessary fight with Crepin, Lucy couldn’t bring herself to share a room with me.
If I had said something like that in front of my parents, everything around me would have turned upside down. Lucy shook her head and walked into the room at a steady pace, clutching the pillow in her arms.
Then I threw myself on the big bed in the corner of my room. It’s cute to see it buried in the bed cotton.
“Wake me up if anything happens.”
After saying that, he quickly begins to fall asleep.
Even if you sleep like that, you don’t have to worry too much because you can easily wake up at important moments.
Above all, didn’t you promise that you would stick by me and protect me while I was in the mansion? It seemed like he was willing to stick by my side as promised, so I felt quite grateful.
He is indifferent to everything and always acts as if he lives half-heartedly, but he never misses important things.
I left Lucy, who was sleeping with the world’s most comfortable face, and started searching the room again.
When I opened the closet, I found several luxurious outfits that looked like they had been recently washed. It seems that they prepared it in advance for you to wear it when participating in social gatherings.
The bed sheets, curtains, and even sofa covers are all clean and without a speck of dust. It looked like they had put it away neatly after hearing the news that I was coming back.
Just like that, I headed towards the private table next to the window on the other side. It seemed to be a study desk provided for use while studying or reading books.
I opened all the drawers to see if I could find anything. It contained the same miscellaneous items that Ed Ross Taylor had used.
Most of them were luxurious jewelry, and there were also neckties, formal daggers, and luxurious writing instruments that caught my eye.
– Chin, chin.
Suddenly, the last drawer I tried to check wouldn’t open.
From the looks of it, it seemed to be locked from the inside.
– ‘So I wanted to ask just in case. Could it be… the reason why your brother tried to leave the family somehow…? Is it… related to the drawer? ?’
– ‘… a drawer… ?’
– ‘always… That drawer in my brother’s room that he never let me get close to and never let me open. At some point, you even locked it with a key. Even now, when I go to the Ross Taylor mansion, it will still be there… ‘
“this… Is this the drawer Tanya was talking about? ”
Take control of your breathing.
There is something in this.
Before I was possessed, the things that Ed Rothtaylor, who was an asshole, tried to hide.
If you haven’t touched Ed Rothtaylor’s room, there’s a good chance it’s still in this drawer.
but… There is no way to open it right now. I don’t even know where the key is.
“… Should I destroy it?”
It doesn’t look very sturdy.
However, destroying the desk as soon as you arrive is a very noticeable act. If the employee reports it, it may arouse Crepin’s suspicion.
Even if it doesn’t raise suspicion, it can’t cause much of a shock if you don’t know what’s inside.
It may contain paper that is easily damaged, or engineering supplies that use a lot of sensitive parts.
“Hmm… Can’t you just break the lock a little more delicately? It still seems a little too much for my magical ability… ”
– Crispy.
At that moment, a small impact was applied to the drawer’s lock. Although little change is visible externally, it feels as if only the link connecting the internal locking device was selected and broken.
When I actually pulled the drawer, it opened more smoothly than I expected.
“… what?”
When I turned around, Lucy, who was lying on the bed, adjusted her body position.
It seemed like he was lying down and sleeping without thinking, but on one hand, he was conscious of me.
It’s definitely reliable. Once she went around with Lucy, she would never have to leave suddenly.
After saying thank you, I pulled the drawer all the way and opened it.
Inside… There was a huge pile of letters piled up.
I wondered what it was all about, so I took out a bundle and put it on the desk. These are all letters handwritten by Ed.
“This… how… ”
It seemed like it would take time to read them all one by one. Still, there was a need to at least figure out what the letters contained.
I took out a letter from the top and quickly read its contents from the top. Of all the letters in this bundle, it seemed to be the most recent.
– ‘To Arwen, whom I am close to and respect.’
I held my breath and scanned my chin. It’s inevitable to be embarrassed.
This… I had no idea about the person Ed Rosstaylor… It is completely uncharted territory.
A third-rate villain who exits in Act 1, Scene 1. He behaves in an outrageous manner, indulges in vain vanity, and plots against the main character, Tailley McLaure, and ends up being excommunicated and miserable… This is the story of that stupid idiot.
– ‘If I continue like this, I will die soon.’
– ‘What meaning is there in a life that is destined to die anyway?’
– ‘What value can you give to a life that only awaits the promised death?’
– ‘The life I lived intoxicated with the glory of Ross Taylor was short, but now I am planning to put an end to it all.’
– ‘You won’t be able to reply to this letter anymore. If so, I will find my own way out.’
– ‘I can’t make choices like you.’
– ‘My journey as a member of the Rosstaylor family ends here, but my life does not end.’
As I was reading through the fragmentary contents… First, I quietly held my breath and put the letter down.
Then, I flipped through the bundle of letters that had been placed on one side and looked at them again.
These are the letters exchanged between Arwen and Ed during their lifetime. This amount would have been exchanged for several years.
As I was unfolding the documents, a feather fell out and landed on the desk.
“This… The quill… Nope. “Is it just a feather?”
After picking up the feather, I grabbed its tail and twirled it around. It was a feather with a mysterious red pattern on it.
I don’t know its purpose right now. I put the feather down next to the desk, looked at the pile of documents, and took a deep breath.
First of all, it seems like I have something to do whenever I have time.
I had to cram all of these massive letters into my head.
*What Crepin Rosstaylor was holding in his hand was a letter with Princess Fenia’s seal engraved on it.
When she saw that the letter had not been sealed, Selaha, the Princess of Frost, swallowed dry saliva.
Does this mean that Crepin Rosstaylor, a powerful figure in the imperial family, has already joined Princess Fenia’s side?
Otherwise, there is no way you could receive a letter without a seal. That letter literally symbolizes complete trust.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”
A sumptuous breakfast in the early morning.
Selaha, who visited Ross Taylor’s estate, was receiving the utmost hospitality.
She made light conversation with Crepin, but her gaze did not leave the letter in Crepin’s hand.
The keen Crepin seemed to have guessed exactly what Selaha was thinking.
“A letter without a seal does not symbolize trust in the recipient… “Isn’t this a symbol of trust in the person delivering this letter?”
That’s right. For someone like Selaha, I had a rare and foolish misunderstanding.
Crepin grinned and put the letter he was reading back into his arms.
“I think Princess Selaha might be wondering who delivered this letter.”
Before celebrities from all over flocked to the Duchy of Rosstaylor… A strange current, like the calm before a storm, was flowing.
There was only one day left for the massive social gathering that only took place once a year.
