Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Sketches of the Lamenting Saintess
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He was leaning back against the bed, peering into a book.
"Your Highness."
Juliet gazed at him with eyes devoid of emotion.
It made her sad sometimes.
Usually, his attention came with a price, and even after she gave him what he wanted, she was left parched.
Juliet stared at the man for a moment with a feverless gaze before asking,
"What about the hunt?"
"...Are you actually curious about that?"
His tone was incredulous.
"I canceled it."
He closed the book with a snap and propped himself up against the bedhead.
Juliet sometimes wondered how those red eyes of his could look so cold.
"I bought a ship instead."
"...Suddenly?"
His smooth forehead creased at Juliet's reaction.
"Didn't you say you wanted one?"
Juliet fell silent and turned her head to avoid his gaze.
"Juliet."
An irritated hand followed, tilting up her chin.
Only then did Juliet notice her small travel bag sitting primly on the armchair in one corner of the bedroom.
There were no signs it had been opened or unpacked. It was exactly as she'd had it when she collapsed.
She wondered if he knew what that bag meant, but she soon realized the answer.
Of course not. One of the countless servants in the duke's mansion must have neatly placed it there in the bedroom.
He surely hadn't given a second thought to what the bag was or why she'd collapsed on the landing outside instead of in her room.
Dizziness washed over her, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Nothing would change.
Nothing.
Swallowing her tears, Juliet barely managed to plead,
"Next time... next time. I just want to rest right now."
**
Kanavel Village was a small rural settlement, so Magda and Deina, along with the other children, decided to accompany them all the way to Carcasson, where there was a proper hospital for treatment.
Deina and Lizbel, Zachary's daughter and the same age, quickly became fast friends and flitted about, running around happily together.
"Sis!"
Deina spotted Juliet eating porridge by the tent and hurried over to the carriage, unfurling something to show her.
"It's a picture of my mom!"
"Wow."
It was Magda's sketchbook. Juliet's eyes widened.
"All of these are by Mom?"
"Yeah! My mom's drawings are pretty, right?"
True to a five-year-old, Deina seemed eager to brag about her mother.
"?"
"Where, where?"
Even passersby stopped in their tracks to peer at the sketchbook together.
"Magda's sketches?"
"Yeah, Magda's a famous sculptor."
"Oh, so these must be sketches of the Lamenting Saintess."
"Lamenting Saintess? What's that?"
Everyone crowded around, chiming in with comments.
Thanks to them, Deina's shoulders rose higher and higher.
"Deina! Don't bother your sister!"
Until Magda chased after her and scolded her, that is.
"It's fine. Sorry for peeking without asking."
"It's nothing."
Juliet handed the sketchbook back to Magda.
It depicted a winged beauty— no, an angel-like figure—in flowing garments, illustrated across several pages.
In one hand she held a sharp sword, in the other a pair of scales.
Juliet slowly examined the drawings in admiration.
'Wow, sculptors have to be good at drawing too, huh.'
Every one of them was an inhumanly beautiful woman.
"May I take a look as well?"
"Of course."
Esselrid, who had seemed very interested in the Lamenting Saintess statue from before, sat right next to Juliet and began flipping through the sketchbook.
"You said the statue isn't finished yet?"
"Yes, just the finishing touches left... but I still don't know what face to give her."
Any of these faces would make a fine statue, but Magda had her own troubles.
"At this rate, it might end up as a faceless saintess."
Magda laughed as she said it.
Juliet peered over Esselrid's shoulder at the sketches and marveled.
"But is the Lamenting Saintess always depicted crying so prettily like this?"
"Huh?"
"If it were me, I wouldn't cry. She's a judge, after all. Wouldn't that look stronger?"
"Uh...."
Esselrid, who had been listening quietly, cut in with an incredulous tone.
"Why does the Lamenting Saintess need to look strong?"
"She's the final saintess who descends on Judgment Day to pass sentence, right? Of course she'd be the strongest one!"
"...That's a matter of interpretation!"
"Then the expression is a matter of interpretation too!
Why does she always have to cry so prettily? She's the one doling out punishment!"
"Well...."
"....Right?"
As Esselrid unusually faltered for words, Juliet grinned.
"For that matter, why is the Lamenting Saintess supposed to be the most beautiful one?"
"Who knows. Because she's the last to descend? And protagonists usually show up last, so maybe that's why?"
The most important character gets an upgraded appearance.
"Sis!"
Just then, Lizbel—who had been playing with paper and drawing tools—came running over to Juliet.
She clutched a flapping sheet of paper in her hand.
"Big brother Theo drew it!"
Theo drew too?
Juliet and Esselrid unfolded the paper with dubious expressions.
"A mouse?"
"Can't you tell? It's a bear, a bear."
"Isn't it a pig?"
"Does it even have four legs?"
As everyone added their two cents, Theo strode over with a scowl.
"Give it here."
Theo clamped his mouth shut and snatched the drawing back.
"What the hell did you even draw?"
The answer came from Lizbel.
"A bunny! Big brother drew a bunny!"
Lizbel bounced around shouting.
As Juliet looked at Theo with rare pity in her eyes, Magda—who had been lost in thought—called out to her.
"Um, then, Spirit Master—no, Juliet—what expression would you draw?"
"Um, I can't draw."
Juliet made a troubled face.
Her drawings were only a smidge better than Theo's.
"It's okay. It's for sculpture, not drawing!"
Drawing or sculpting, seemed the same to her...
"I'm not sure, but if it were me...."
Juliet gave an awkward smile before answering.
"I wouldn't cry so prettily and piteously for the sake of sinners, at least."
Esselrid, who had been resting her chin in her hand listening to the exchange, remarked cynically.
"What a ruthless saintess."
Juliet shrugged.
* * *
"You're going to Lucerne?"
"Yes."
Magda, who had been sketching right up until departure, closed her sketchbook.
She had been deep in thought ever since they set out, absorbed in something.
It was as if she'd had an epiphany and was entranced by it.
Whatever it was, Juliet hoped it worked out well for her.
When Magda heard that Juliet's group was passing through Carcasson on their way to Lucerne for the beast-rearing festival, she seemed unusually delighted.
"The sculpture I finished is going to be unveiled at the Lucerne sanctuary."
Juliet's eyes widened.
Right, she vaguely remembered Esselrid mentioning something like that during their conversation.
'That's seriously impressive.'
Juliet looked at Magda with renewed admiration.
"Please, Juliet, you have to see the finished Lamenting Saintess. You absolutely have to."
"Yeah, I will."
Juliet smiled and bid farewell to Magda and Deina.
* * *
What followed was a luxurious journey.
It was just a slight ankle sprain, but Helene treated it like a major crisis and wouldn't let Juliet set foot outside the carriage.
Riding a horse was, of course, strictly forbidden, making their already slow pace even more glacial.
"But...."
"No. Lie down quietly."
She might get spoiled at this rate.
The carriage pulled by four horses was exceedingly opulent, but Juliet grew bored quickly. If only she could ride a horse, it'd be so much better—but even that was banned.
Only then did Juliet realize her aunt had deliberately coaxed her into wearing a skirt that morning with flattery about how pretty it was.
'No wonder she praised me nonstop.'
It was all part of Helene's grand plan to keep Juliet meekly seated in the carriage.
Theo, who would pop out whenever she seemed bored to tease her snidely, looked quite pleased to see her suffering—until he snarked, "Just ride sidesaddle, you idiot," and got his ear grabbed by Helene, dragged to the front.
Juliet didn't see Theo again until they reached their destination.
"Roy!"
Juliet, leaning on the window sill with a face like death from boredom, startled and cried out at Roy's sudden appearance.
Roy grinned and held something out.
Wood strawberries wrapped in leaves.
'Wood strawberries....'
Seeing the appetizing wood strawberries stirred a memory.
"She smells like wood strawberries!"
Elza, one of Roy's companions, had said that.
Roy's group, including Elza and Nathan, had been traveling with the merchant caravan since that day, appearing and disappearing sporadically.
At first Juliet had wondered where they went, but once she realized they came and went as they pleased, she stopped paying much attention.
Elza wasn't around today, so Juliet mentioned it to Roy.
"Elza said that. That you smell like wood strawberries."
"......Elza did?"
Roy's expression turned subtly strange for a moment.