Chapter 186 - Invitation

Invitation

I couldn’t find anything to say, and my lips were twitching, and someone spoke on my behalf.

“Wow, that’s awesome.”

It was Francia. When I turned my gaze without realizing it, there was a bright smile on her face. Her expression resembles that of a benevolent saint.

“Can I curse, Sister? Huh?”

She asked brightly. Of course, it goes without saying, Ricdorian frowned.

“Grand Duke, do you like that kind of thing? Do you always seduce like that?”

“Uh….”

I don’t hate it if you ask me if I like it. I can’t say anything about the answer. Yet in this situation? Honest words seemed to come out of the tip of my throat. But Francia seemed to have noticed my expression first.

“Hng, Sister!”

Francia held my hand with both hands.

“Then. Can I seduce you like that? Will you cut me some slack?”

She lowered her voice, but to me it just looked like her young self from years ago. I lightly patted her forehead without pain.

“No, you look good in your own way.”

With my thumb, I tapped the back of Francia’s hand. She smiled brightly.

“Right, so I’m only going to focus hard on Sister like this, right? That’s right, I should have a chance too.”

Francia put her arms around me. Even I didn’t feel strange in the truly natural series of events.

“Sister, Sister, the Blue Rose has to look after all the roses.”

“Look after?”

“Yes. We were originally beings who couldn’t live without Sister.”

Now, there is still some kind of imprint towards the Blue Rose, added Francia.

“So, you shouldn’t be indifferent to me either. Well, that’s why, just love the White Rose and the Red Rose.”

In Francia’s words, she was talking about Ricdorian and her, but the nuance was strong that she put in the Red Rose in good faith. It was when Ricdorian, who looked at this with displeasure, flapped his lips.

“Your Excellency!”

A cry from far away. It was the voice of a stranger. The sound was never so small that I could hear it too.

Ricdorian, who has sensitive senses, would have heard it louder.

Then a bird flew this way. It looked like a little canary, with a long string wrapped around the ankles. And at the end of the line….

“Letter?”

A white envelope was hanging. It was an unusual envelope.

“Ah, I got a letter.”

“A letter?”

The person who explained was Jaire, who had been silent until now.

“No one can enter this place unless given permission from His Excellency. That’s why we send out birds like this when we need to make a request outside.”

“Animals are allowed?”

“Yes.”

It’s a really interesting system. While I was thinking about it, Ricdorian opened the envelope. At that moment, a faint golden light emanated from the envelope.

“Is it magic?”

Ricdorian narrowed his eyes narrowly.

Magic? The letter in Ricdorian’s hand unfolded by itself. And the expression on Ricdorian’s face, who was reading it, hardened.

“What is it about?”

Francia, unable to overcome her curiosity, gently pushed her head out, and their expressions hardened together.

What’s wrong?

“It is the emblem of the imperial family.”

Jaire quietly explained next to me. It was then that I saw a rose carved on the outside of the envelope. A rose, a crown, and a scepter. I’ve definitely seen it in Domulit. When I saw the invitation of the Imperial Palace ball.

“Very absurd.”

Francia wrinkled her nose.

“Show this to Sister too.”

“….”

Me? There is no reason for me to see such a letter…. However, Ricdorian graciously handed me the letter, and I naturally began to see the contents.

Except for the rhetoric in the middle, the point is….It was like this.

[…So, Domulit’s treasure is in your castle, right?]

Domulit’s treasure.

This was nothing but me.

[“The Domulit wants to raise an issue, what do you think? I’m putting it on hold.”]

Raise an issue. No one here would not know the meaning of this word. Just like Ricdorian who looked at it, my expression slowly hardened.

And finally, the owner of the letter asked.

[How is it? What about coming to the Imperial Palace?”]

I can guess who the owner of the letter is, but it was a question with a slightly playful nuance. When I looked up, I could feel the gazes on me. Words did not come out easily. I wasn’t surprised or embarra.s.sed.

I slowly organized my thoughts and organized them again. I rolled my eyes once.

“Did my brother want to start a war?”

I shuddered at the words that flowed out calmly. No, the only person who shook his shoulders was Jaire.

Francia looked at Ricdorian calmly.

“Didn’t you say something similar?”

Ricdorian did not answer, but his silence was close to affirmation. When our eyes met, he secretly avoided my gaze.

“It was something without much thought.”

He said with his head turned.

“ … You don’t have to worry about it.”

He quickly added it, but I could tell.

‘He did.’

Well, if it was that guy, he would be able to do that. No. Rather, if Chaser had not taken any action, I would not have believed it. In particular, looking at Ricdorian’s reaction, it seems that Chaser really did something.

“Iana, you… You can be anywhere you want.”

Ricdorian said confidently. His gaze slowly returns to me.

“Hernim can endure it well enough.”

Sometimes expressions from the unconscious represent the truth.

Endure.

It meant that no matter how much Hernim was, they could not be calm about Domulit’s attack. It didn’t mean I had to go back right away, though……. No, is it? I bit my lip softly.

‘Here it is again.’

In the corner of my head, and in the middle of my heart, there was the shouting, “I must return to Domulit.” It had nothing to do with my will.

“Sister, the temple will not watch idly. Never.”

Francia smiled brightly. She had a benevolent face, but a determined expression flashed over it.

“Like the Grand Duke said, Sister can do whatever you want to do. I will make it happen.”

She grabbed my arm.

“Be where you want to be.”

She also had a confident tone of voice. In fact, I felt grateful for these words as I was not without a sense of bewilderment at the sudden situation. I smiled a little.

“Yes, thank you.”

In fact, I never thought that I should be protected, or that I was worthy of being so cherished by anyone.

That doesn’t mean I’m ugly, but it’s just that, I’m mundane like most people, I thought of myself as normal. That is why, at this moment, I feel as if I am detached and looking at someone else’s story.

– Human, that’s just relaxing, Nyang.

‘Is it?’

But, there are so many people who say they will protect me, and they are more fussy than me, so my side could be more relaxed.

While smiling, the black shadow seemed to flicker forward. This feeling was an illusion, but somehow I couldn’t shake the feeling that this place was like Domulit’s mansion and that Chaser would appear in front of me.

‘Is four years too long?’

Maybe it’s because I’m not completely familiar with this place, where I can’t see the face I see every day. Reluctantly, the thoughts of Domulit and the man’s face would flash past me. Like a reflex.

“Iana, I’ll be back for a moment.”

Meanwhile, Ricdorian talked to Francia and said he would be away for a while. Jaire wants to talk to the person who is waiting outside the garden for a moment. Francia also said that she would go with Ricdorian. After Jaire left, I was quickly left alone.

‘This is the safest place in Hernim Castle.’

Jair said that no one is coming here, and it will be safe. That would be true. I blinked my eyes. Being alone, I seemed to have lost my thoughts.

In front of me, I felt like I was getting drunk by the scent of the red roses.

“The Imperial Palace…….”

As everyone disappeared, the direction of my thought returned to the previous topic. No one spoke clearly, but the owner of the letter would have been the ‘Empress’. Needless to say, the only person in this country who could speak relaxedly to Ricdorian, Grand Duke Hernim was the Empress.

Naturally, my stream of thoughts came to the Empress.

Empress of this country.

‘What was the name….?’

I think I heard the long full name from the little warlock, my common sense teacher, but I can’t remember. This was the name that came to mind after a long time.

Scarlett Scheherazade.

As the name suggests, she was a female Empress.

‘Originally, she should appear in the story at least once.’

And as the owner of the Empress’s tiara, she was originally a person who gave the main plot material in the original story.

This was quite important.

Because of this tiara, Francia, Ricdorian, and Chaser entered into an uncontrollable love triangle.

It was only now that I couldn’t easily know where the future was going to go. I knew where this tiara was. I may have something to think about. Anyway, according to the little warlock’s lecture, it was like this.

The current Empress is under a very stable rule.

Hernim and Domulit. As the Empress who did not lose her voice and power even when a huge family called to its full power, it could be said that her skill was well proven.

In addition, the Empress chose a balanced power composition between the two families instead of favoring one…… In fact, she actually preferred Hernim who was highly loyal.

Moreover, the Empress had no husband or children. Usually, in such a situation, men from large families would naturally connect with the Empress. In fact, it was said that neither the Empress nor the families wanted it. Such an Empress advised Hernim to bring me.

The name might be an invitation, but the Empress’s words cannot be an invitation.

“Hmm, what should I do…….”

However, Ricdorian would not be able to stubbornly reject this.

Behind the Empress’s words, there must also be a meaning that if Ricdorian does not listen, she will grant Domulit a favor. Perhaps Chaser thought this far and told the Empress. He was a man who looked out for a lot of things. I felt a slow pressure on my wrist as I thought. It didn’t hurt.

Maybe this is what happens when someone grabs my wrist?

– Human, your wrist!

“Yes, I know.”

I slowly lifted my wrist. Why, even though I did not press it? A black rose pattern was slowly being engraved. From the petals drawn one by one, a black rose is completed.

“…… Chaser.”

The moment I unconsciously called his name, the flowers bloomed. Black energy flowed out like a wave. The energy gathered in a circle shape and moved slowly, then drew a solid figure.

It was a bird with spread wings. little bird. And it was a familiar bird.

“…… Aquala?”

Aquala spread its beak wide. It seemed to want to cry, but there was no sound from Aquala. As if someone blocked it. Not surprisingly, sharp thorns sprouted from Aquala’s body. It wasn’t from the body.

Biiiikkk!

The red roses nearby were stretching out vines and tightening Aquala’s shape.

“Are you okay?”

Chaser was Chaser. This guardian deity was special to me. I owed my life and had my own affection. But Aquala wiggled its beak a few times as if it didn’t mind the pain and then rubbed itself on my hand.

“…… Yes. Right. How are you?”

As if answering me, Aquala bites my finger without pain and then releases it. It spread its wings and stroked my fingers. It was the greatest expression of affection a bird could have. A small envelope was placed over the spot where Aquala opened its beak.

The moment I saw this, I stopped rubbing Aquala’s head.

“…… A letter from Chaser?”

I took it out of the beak, but I already know the answer. Who would be the one to send this? As if to give me an answer, the envelope opened by itself, and the letter inside came to view.

Gradually, letters are engraved on the unengraved paper.

[“h.e.l.lo, my dear sister.”]

I’m no longer his sister. The greeting was too mischievous.

Looking at the neat handwriting, I remembered the feeling of exchanging letters with an unknown brother in the prison a long time ago.

[“I want to go by myself, but I can’t move. It’s sad.”]

I looked around. A rose thorn vine that tied Aquala tightly.

It was as if Chaser couldn’t come, just like no one could come in here.

Soon after, Chaser’s main idea was written there.

[“My Iana.”]

I opened my mouth slowly. No, I had to open it up.

“What is this…….”

[“Aren’t you curious about the guardian deity of the Blue Rose?”]

Probably because Chaser’s next words were talking about something I hadn’t thought of at all.

[“I was waiting for the day I would return it to you.”]