Geumui’s Return (6)
‘A great cause comes with sacrifice, and progress comes with a cost.’
The once shiny blonde hair suddenly became dull, and the once bright eyes became cloudy.
But the girl smiled regardless, sat down on the terrace and looked up at the clear sky.
The view of Rosstaylor’s estate from Arwen’s room located high up in the mansion is beautiful. The scenery is so peaceful that one wonders if there is paradise, it would be like this.
‘Just look ahead, father. ‘You don’t have to worry about it, I’ll do my job.’
When a dazzling brilliance covered the back of Arwen sitting on the terrace – only then did Crepin open his eyes.
“… ”
If you raise your upper body and look around, you will see the most luxurious and largest room in the Ross Taylor mansion. This is the bedroom of the matriarch Crepin Ross Taylor.
After greeting Saint Clarice, I remember trying to get some sleep before the morning schedule began. At best, she only got about thirty minutes of sleep, but Crepin got up without hesitation.
Feeling a little tired is something I live with as a daily routine. This level of fatigue is nothing.
However, I don’t feel very good.
A dream that creeps into your unconsciousness as soon as you forget it. When I thought back to that scene, an unpleasant feeling of nausea started to crawl up my throat.
There is venom in his eyes as he quietly lowers his head.
Although he is a person who does not necessarily show his emotional fluctuations with his facial expressions, there is no reason for him to wear that mask even when he is sitting alone in his private bedroom.
I feel tired and still want to rest a little more. However, it is time for the social church, which has entered its second day, to seriously increase its size. It is a time when Crepin has a lot to worry about and a lot to do.
Two days until the arrival of the Grand Alchemist Valvern, who has always been a thorn in my side. Until then, there was a need to maintain this magnificent social church.
Still, a short break might not be such a great luxury.
Crepin sat on the bed for a while, looking down at the sheets with venomous eyes.
*
Even in the Ross Taylor Church, where all kinds of powerful people gather, the presence of Saint Clarice is unique. She is a saint who always stays away from the Holy City and never comes out. The opportunity to meet face-to-face is rare, no matter how high-ranking a noble is.
Although he is not a person with great political influence, as a religious symbol he has the greatest authority on the continent. Even though this is a story based on the continent, the political influence within the Telos Church is enormous. No one can control her except El Dain, her saint.
Among all the VIPs who flock to social gatherings, she is easily one of the top three figures, so it is inevitable that all kinds of interest will be focused on her.
Therefore, interest was focused on what kind of daily routine she would spend upon arriving at the Ross Taylor mansion.
She was assigned a room as luxurious as the matriarch’s, so she would have a lot of time left before attending the dinner party.
A leisurely afternoon for all attendees. Who will Saint Clarice use that time to meet and what stories will they talk about?
It has more meaning than simply killing leisure time. This is an issue that could reorganize the power structure, depending on who Saint Clarisse gets close to and what stories with political implications she exchanges. Her support has enormous political significance.
Therefore, Selaha, who has a strong temperament of ambition, has already made connections.
“The language of the Hyangseo orchid flower is purity, innocence, and eternal friendship. There is no flower that suits the saint so well. It also implies that we hope for a smooth development of the relationship between the two.”
“As expected, you have good sense in choosing gifts, Dest.”
“That’s too much praise.”
Dest took Selaha’s compliment lightly and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Selaha accepted the beautifully decorated bouquet and smelled its scent. She didn’t really like fragrant flower scents, but she didn’t need to show it.
“I have spoken to Archbishop Samuel in advance, so I will be able to have a conversation with Saint Clarice without difficulty. “There’s no need to be overly approachable from the beginning, just try to leave a good impression.”
Not all VIPs have gathered at the Ross Taylor mansion yet.
No matter how many flying and crawling nobles there are, in the end, the only person who can match Saint Clarisse is the Frost Princess Selaha.
From Seonghwangdo’s perspective, he would also like to take this opportunity to get to know Selaha. Even if that side is the one with the highest authority in Seonghwangdo, this side is the likely next emperor.
Since everyone is in a position to respect each other, Selaha decided to be as polite as possible.
As I walked down the hallway accompanied by many attendants, I was met with gazes from the nobles around me.
Each noble has a status that would make them the center of attention when they return to their territory, but in front of Selaha, they are just passing background.
It is difficult to even speak due to the elegance that comes from authority. Only those who were confident that they were at least a little above the class would say hello or say that the weather was nice.
Selaha smiled gracefully, received all the stares, and then continued walking toward the room where Saint Clarisse was staying.
Looking at that direction, many nobles nodded. No matter what anyone says, the first person worthy of spending time with Saint Clarice is Selaha, who is the only member of the royal family among the visitors to the Rosstaylor Mansion.
“The saint is currently away.”
And it was five minutes later that I was rejected.
“… what?”
Archbishop Samuel, who spoke hesitantly and with his eyes downcast, trailed off.
It would only be out of place to get angry here. However, she looked at Samuel with a bored gaze and silently asked if the story was different.
The two cathedral knights guarding the saint’s room were proudly blocking the door, and in front of them was Archbishop Samuel, flicking his glasses as if he were embarrassed.
“I tried to subtly hint several times that Princess Selaha was there, but she ignored all my remonstrations and left right away to meet someone else.”
“I can’t believe you left… “Are you saying that rather than calling the person to the saint’s residence, the saint came to see him in person?”
This is unusual.
There is no way there would be a person in this Rosstaylor mansion who could tell the saint to come. If we were to even think about the possibility, would it be the head of the family crepin who leads the social church?
“It’s hard to imagine, but… “Did Lord Crepin call the saint?”
Archbishop Samuel shook his head.
And at the name that popped out, Selaha could not help but narrow her eyebrows and doubt her ears.
*
“It’s an iron greatsword from Kaldorn. Placing something like this in the center of the room gives it a very sterile feeling… ”
The location is Arwen Rothtaylor’s room on the upper floor of the mansion.
It is truly unique that the room of a person who has already passed away for a long time is still left intact.
Well, looking at my room, which must have been excommunicated a long time ago, it still remains… I may not be able to control the space left in this magnificent mansion.
Still, wouldn’t it be a waste to leave a spacious, well-maintained room with such a nice view?
I can only guess that the room was left alone because there was a special order from Crepin.
“Saint… ”
As soon as Clarisse was assigned a room, she barged into my room, ignoring all requests from VIPs.
If you wanted to meet up, you just had to call me into the room, but he thought it was a surprise and showed up in person, holding my hand and pressing the back of my hand, but the gaze of those around me was so heavy that I almost died.
When I told her that I had planned to tour the mansion today, Clarisse declared that she would follow me.
As a result, I ended up spending the entire afternoon with Saint Clarice under the pretext of introducing her to the Ross Taylor mansion.
In the process, I had to endure the blank stares of all kinds of VIPs. Rumors will probably spread throughout the mansion before the dinner party.
“The saint’s every move is everyone’s concern. Shouldn’t you be conscious of that fact and act…? ?”
“It was like that when I was buried in the crowds of Seonghwangdo Island.”
Clarisse stopped looking around Arwen’s room and turned around to look at me.
“now… “I guess I drank too much Sylvania water.”
He said that and smiled brightly. Although he is noble, he is far from being a noble messenger of God.
“and… I’m getting a little excited. I’m so sick that I can’t stay in my room. I can’t believe I’m so excited after only a few hours… It’s such a strange thing. “During Easter, we sometimes pray for 12 hours.”
“What are you so excited about?”
“It’s senior Ed’s hometown.”
He smiles and takes both of my hands.
“It’s quite different from what it was in Sylvania… Also, it feels special to think that Ed spent his childhood in a place like this.”
“To be honest, I didn’t have a childhood worth bragging about. “On the contrary, I made more enemies.”
“That’s also something I didn’t know about. It is said that the more people know, the deeper they become. “I think Senior Ed will be surprised when he sees me leading a prayer meeting in Seonghwangdo.”
After saying that, he made the sign of the cross, put his hands together, and playfully closed one eye. The holy representative of God is nowhere to be seen, despite his prim appearance.
Rather, her words and actions remind me of her second identity in Sylvania, Kylie Ekne.
She looks sacred and elegant in front of the public, but when she’s alone, she looks like a ghost and looks like a girl her age. It’s hard for me, even after going through many hardships, to keep up with the flow.
“Honestly, I was a little worried.”
Clarice sat down on the bed that Arwen would have used and sighed.
“I was overjoyed when I heard that Ed was being reinstated, but I didn’t think he would be treated very well.”
“Well, I wasn’t a very well-regarded person to begin with, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“so… I tried to scold anyone who mistreats or makes unpleasant remarks toward senior Ed… Fortunately, I don’t think that happened.”
After saying that, Clarice looked up at the high ceiling and tapped her heel on the ground.
“This is what senior Ed was talking about… “This is the room where Arwen Rothtaylor stayed.”
“yes. “It’s amazing to see it preserved almost as is.”
“It is well-known that he was a good person.”
“He was the person I respected the most.”
At least to Ed Rosstaylor before I came in, he must have been a special person and someone he looked up to.
I have already read almost half of the letter under my desk. Her respect for him was clearly felt in their exchange.
However, what was his intention in collecting all those letters and storing them under his desk?
It seemed like I hadn’t gotten to the core content yet, so I wanted to quickly find out the truth.
However, if you stay in a corner of your room and just read the letter, you get suspicious. It is necessary to shake off Crepin’s suspicions while doing the minimum amount of activity.
Well, it’s good news that Clarice is involved in the process. At least the rumor must have definitely spread.
“… okay. You must be confused, Senior Ed. “I couldn’t understand the atmosphere.”
“No, you don’t have to. “It has already happened.”
Having said that, I looked around Arwen Rothtaylor’s room a few times. I couldn’t see anything that could be informative.
Among the luxurious furniture, girlish items such as combs, hairpins, and makeup mirrors come into view.
On one side of the wall, there is a large glass door leading to a terrace, and if you look beyond it, a mysterious corner of Ross Taylor’s estate comes into view.
I am amazed. It would be no exaggeration to say that this is the room with the best view in the mansion.
Clarisse also got up from the bed and went out to the terrace. He stood next to me, his eyes wide and amazed at the sight.
“It’s a nice place. “If you grow up in a place like this, you will definitely become a kind-hearted and wonderful person.”
“… ”
“Princess Arwen must have been that kind of person, too.”
Clarisse spoke quietly and suddenly grabbed both of my hands again.
“Saint?”
“Senior Ed. Are you out of your mind since winning the lottery? Although he didn’t say it out loud due to his personality, he must have felt a lot of strangely disparaging looks on him. The disgrace caused by the excommunication must have been so great. “There are still people who look at you like a fool.”
“What should I do? “It’s something we have to deal with.”
“Don’t try to handle it alone.”
Clarisse placed both of her hands on her chest and spoke in a whisper.
“We can handle it together.”
“… “What do you mean?”
As I looked quite embarrassed, Clarice’s composure seemed a little shaken… He continued speaking, feeling strangely flustered.
“Um, so… I mean, use my authority. If you stay by my side at the dinner party tonight, no one will look down on Senior Ed or be wary of him… ”
“If you boldly ask someone to use you, the person who willingly accepts it turns out to be a strange person… ”
“Oh, no… That’s not what I meant. What is good is good. If possible, it would be better to move in a direction that will benefit senior Ed, right? In the meantime, I also… hmm… ”
Clarisse sighed without trying to say anything more.
“Ugh… I’m trying to uselessly add justification for this and that, so I end up getting confused. Okay, I won’t give detailed reasons.”
“… ”
“I need a partner tonight. Would you like to dance a song at the dinner party?”
Clarice spoke quickly and made eye contact… Suddenly, I lower my gaze.
“Because showing off our relationship like that would be good for Ed’s status, and what… There may be some good points from my perspective too… ? It may not be true, but it seems likely that there are more good things anyway… ?”
“Didn’t you say that you don’t apply strange justifications…? ?”
“There is no need to be sharp in these areas, Senior Ed.”
Then, he let go of his hand, grabbed both of my shoulders, and lifted me up on tiptoe. And then he speaks as if whispering in my ear.
“Anyway, I’m going to turn down all dance requests at the dinner party tonight, no matter who comes.”
Don’t forget to add with a smile.
“Except one person.”
Terrace in the middle of the day. A thrilling sense that someone might be watching. Right now, cathedral knights are guarding the area in front of Arwen’s visit.
Rather, perhaps enjoying this subtle sense of crisis, Clarisse laughed and took a step back.
“I’ll just go. I have to meet other VIPs as well. “Some people may be offended just because I ran to meet senior Ed first.”
“I don’t think it would be a very good thing.”
“It’s not that bad of a thing.”
After speaking so calmly, Clarisse turned around.
─I suddenly looked towards the entrance to the terrace, and saw Tanya standing there, her face dyed bright blue.
“… ”
“… ”
“Ahhh, hello. Stand up, saint. The tailcoat your brother will wear at dinner later… I asked you to check… I came with you to look at my clothes… . that… I heard she was here… No, I didn’t mean to see it.”
Normally, Clarisse would have been more surprised and made a fuss.
However, Clarice took a deep breath and smiled awkwardly.
Eventually, even a sense of comfort seeps into that smile.
“Oh, there you are. “Miss Tanya.”
“Now that I think about it, you remembered my name. Okay, thank you… ”
“sure. “We talk a lot at dinner parties.”
Clarice already has a lot of inner intimacy with Tanya.
Of course, Tanya, who doesn’t know the situation, just bows her head in disapproval. She’ll be the first to shudder when she finds out she’s the same Kylie Ekne who is dying at her Tanya’s words.
After responding so lightly, Clarisse quickly left the room.
“… Brother… !”
What I saw at Sylvania Academy, what I saw on the carriage on the way here, and what I just saw on the terrace.
All I could see was Tanya shaking, but the reasons for her shaking were different.
Tanya ran up to the terrace at a quick pace, grabbed the end of the collar of my dress, dragged it, and stamped her feet, making her complexion turn even more blue.
“Tanya… ”
“Uh, what are you trying to do… ! Senior Yenika and Senior Lucy… In the end, if even Saint Clarisse becomes like this… How should I treat these three people? !”
Did he use all kinds of imagination as a younger sibling? It seems like I’ve drawn up a variety of futures, taking into account all kinds of scenarios… There wasn’t much I could say from my perspective.
“just… So it happened… ”
Tanya suddenly felt dizzy, so she put her head down and took a step back.
*
A blush appeared on Clarice’s face as she walked quickly out of the hallway.
He lowered his head in fear that the guards would see his expression as his composure had collapsed. I wasn’t sure if that would have much meaning.
‘Uh, anyway… First of all, I have the highest authority in this Ross Taylor mansion… !’
Clarice repeated that. Of course, there were a few people who could rival the saint’s authority, but it was clear that everyone would respect the saint based on their immediate ranking.
So, if you want, you can monopolize Ed Rothtaylor.
I heard that Lucy Mayril and Yenica Palover are also at the Rosstaylor mansion… There are many people who see it this way, but we cannot ignore the authority of the saint and take unexpected action.
This is not Sylvania Academy, where the virtue of learning takes precedence over everything. Grades are just numbers.
‘At least for tonight’s dinner party… There is no one who can keep me in check… !’
*
“You don’t have to get in the carriage.”
This is where almost all supplies destined for the ecliptic Cloeron stop by. Commercial city Oldeck.
In a city of merchants whose business runs solely on the logic of money, a middle-aged man with silver hair was standing in front of a carriage.
“what?”
The carriage had a large sign of Elte Company attached to it. Even in the commercial streets of Old Deck, where many large merchants are lined up, it was one of the three major merchants with a high reputation.
“Are you Roland Bellatrax, an investor from the central branch of the Elte Chamber of Commerce?”
The coachman confirmed the man’s identity once more.
My closest associate who has only worked at Elte Trading Company since his youth and has personally managed most of the funds.
He was a high-ranking person who could represent most of the decision-making authority held by the owner of the company.
“My boss has canceled my business trip order. “You can go back to the main office and refocus on bookkeeping.”
“what? What type of business trip can be approved for cancellation in just one day? How important is this? “Isn’t there some misunderstanding?”
“Please check the disposition. “Here it is.”
It was an awkward situation for Roland.
Roland was planning to meet Princess Selaha at the Rosstaylor residence and talk about the distribution of various interests. He is the only person in the Elte Chamber of Commerce who is attached to Selaha’s side.
Roland received the disposition form from the coachman and checked the contents thoroughly. The content was exactly what the coachman said.
Anyone who has the authority to summarily dispose of such an important decision… The number is small enough to be specific at all.
Finally, the moment he saw the representative’s seal stamped at the bottom of the document, Roland took his breath away.
“This person is going in person? You probably haven’t been able to see much of the main office work since you’re on Aken Island during the semester… ”
“He’s a busy man. “I know, but what can we say about your decision?”
“I guess we should meet and talk in person. “I feel uncomfortable if I don’t check.”
“Then let’s talk now.”
“what?”
The driver shook his head and pointed toward the carriage. It was said that he was currently riding a carriage.
Roland lifted his head and looked inside the carriage.
Inside a luxurious carriage, there is a girl sitting alone wearing a robe.
It’s hard to see his face, but he’s sitting with his arms crossed and his legs crossed, as if he’s uncomfortable. Her outstretched legs were tapping the end of the simple desk.
The acting chairman of the Elte Company, whom Roland cannot easily speak to.
There is a huge book, the Sage’s Seal, spread out on the simple desk… The girl doesn’t seem to be reading a book at all.
“… “I don’t need to talk about it.”
As soon as Roland saw the figure, he immediately lowered his tail. His coachman nodded.
From Roland’s point of view, even if he had to talk to him, it was just scratchy.
Things seem to be going awry. Roland had that intuition, but he had no way of doing anything right away.
It’s something that only those who know know… The situation at Ross Taylor Mansion was quite dire.
High-ranking nobles or heads of famous families. Or celebrities from influential families. Even the first princess of the imperial family.
There are also high-ranking spiritists and rare genius magicians, and in the end, a saint from the Church of Telos has arrived. Add to that the acting chairman of Elte Trading Company, and what kind of evil will unfold… It was a situation that was difficult to imagine.
From Ed Rosstaylor’s point of view, it may be just a war of nerves with Crepin, a social club that is just a war of exploration…
Whether he liked it or not, it was obvious that he would end up in a situation that was completely different from his intentions.
They say it is chaos.
Unfortunately, it was all Crepin Rosstaylor’s responsibility to bear.
