Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: A Brief Parting
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There was once a room that was simply quiet, simply lonely, and simply desolate. It was no longer like that.
The empty room now boasted splendid furniture, and a chandelier emitting radiant light hung from the ceiling. It might have been better to simply choose a new room and move rather than remodeling this small one so extensively, but Ardein had grown fond of this shabby space. She had no desire to leave it now.
Of course, that was because she had shaken off her illness and regained a status even higher than before. Memories of hardship become cherished reminiscences when looked back upon after success, but if you fail and recall them, they are nothing but painful scars from the past.
"You've truly returned to us, Your Highness."
Carnell, the lady knight of the imperial mausoleum, had requested an audience upon hearing rumors that her fallen lord had made a triumphant return. However, upon facing Ardein, she realized she had little to say to her.
After offering congratulations and expressions of awe, there was nothing left to say. Ardein felt the same. What was there to say to this lady knight now? It had been years since they had exchanged even a single letter, so it would have been more surprising if they had anything to discuss beyond inquiries about well-being and old tales.
'Did you rush here bowing your head in fear that I might seek revenge?'
In truth, no particular thoughts arose. There was no resentment, no gratitude. Their relationship was exactly that—nothing more.
Carnell was neither an exceptional loyalist nor a profound traitor. As the proverb goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; she was merely one bird that had fled when the tree called Ardein began to tilt.
Still, the fact that she hadn't fawned over the woodcutters after fleeing was somewhat forgivable. That was the extent of what Ardein found acceptable.
So now, even if she whispered desires to nest here again, Ardein had no intention of embracing her with open arms. Of course, she didn't lash out and drive away this former subordinate either.
It wasn't worth that level of reaction, and in any case, she was someone who needed to rebuild her faction. There was no need to mishandle a betrayer who could be somewhat excused, thereby creating malicious rumors.
"For now, fulfill your current duties faithfully. Good fortune will come soon enough."
If no good fortune came, would she come complaining? If she knew her place, she wouldn't dare, so Ardein dismissed the lady knight with vague words.
Though it was an empty promise, Carnell repeatedly expressed her gratitude as she withdrew.
Ardein's gaze upon her was not kind, but the lady knight departed without ever realizing it, her heart filled with emotion.
"Your Highness, you've had many visitors seeking you out lately."
Maien, the former maid who was now a lady-in-waiting with brown hair, hesitated before speaking. The first thing Ardein had done upon her return was to elevate the two maids who had stayed with her to the end into ladies-in-waiting.
They had gone from mere servants handling odd jobs to positions akin to advisors overnight. It took only one night to feel the change.
Tasks like cleaning and laundry had been handed off to other palace maids, and the head maid, who once made them bow in greeting every time they met, now smiled kindly and inquired after their well-being whenever she saw them.
The two maids, who had always lived with heads bowed, found this change unfamiliar. Above all, they were astonished to realize they had become nobles.
—It's merely a knight's barony. No need to be so grateful. I'm only sorry I couldn't grant higher titles.
Of course, it was impossible for commoner maids with no notable merits to suddenly receive baronies. With the emergence of the Citadel Republic, the shifting times, and the presence of Master-level powerhouses, the empire was not a nation where noble power held absolute sway. It had always been that way, and even more so now.
The gap between commoners and nobles was not as vast as one might think. For those who cultivated mana and ascended to higher realms, it was even less so.
Precisely because of this, nobles clung fiercely to their noble status. They sought to emphasize their exceptional nature in any way possible. They recoiled at and rejected commoners crossing their thresholds. And it posed no problem because commoners had little reason to cross those thresholds either.
Had Rayman coveted a title? Had Geher desired nobility?
Prominent figures from commoner backgrounds wielded sufficient influence and authority without titles. Nobles respected and honored them regardless, so there was no need to clash with them just to obtain a title. Thus, even Ardein could not grant baronies to her maids.
She could force it, but longstanding noble houses would never acknowledge these two new barons. Those who had lost real power inevitably clung to their sense of identity.
It was far more likely to invite only sneers and contempt as "rootless upstarts," so after consideration, she compromised with knight's baronies. A knight's barony made one a noble, yet not quite a noble. It was a title sold for money—more akin to an office than a true rank, with no real authority and no heritability.
Still, its symbolic meaning was immense. Legally nobles nonetheless, it gave Meabil and Maien sufficient qualification to serve as Ardein's ladies-in-waiting.
"It's only natural. When a tree grows large, people flock to its shade."
The princess nodded and fell into thought. There were many visitors coming to her, and many she needed to visit. These days, she was endlessly busy. Of course, no matter how busy, she had to make time when someone came seeking her.
Lady-in-waiting Meabil applied a perfume called Dragon Blood to Ardein's face with a mischievous smile. It was a gift from the Alchemists' Guild—naturally not actual dragon blood, but merely a cosmetic bearing the name.
"I've never seen Your Highness use something like this before. Who on earth are you dressing up for?"
Ardein gave a wry smile in response. Indeed, who?
She didn't even know why she bothered with this effort when no one who would appreciate the makeup was around. To appear as beautiful as possible to her benefactor? Even she found that excuse feeble.
The two ladies-in-waiting's eyes sparkled. Nothing in the world was more entertaining than tales of romance between men and women.
Even the palace maids, burdened with menial tasks, gathered to soothe their fatigue with such gossip.
All sorts of scandals swirled through the palace anyway. Most were false, but some rumors turned out true in time.
Occasionally, the subjects were truly exalted figures. They had the power to turn truth into falsehood, so the truth was shared only through maids' whispers.
For instance, who would dare openly discuss rumors that Third Prince Edmund had an intimate relationship with his ever-present lady knight? Everyone simply speculated why he remained unmarried.
Rumor even had it they had a child together, but it remained just rumor—no one dared uncover the truth. The whispers alone proliferated.
"Could it be... a lover you've set your heart on?"
"N-No, nonsense! It's not like that... It's just..."
"Just?"
Seeing Ardein flustered in a rare display, the two ladies-in-waiting smiled.
Of course, imperial blood was the most noble lineage. But precisely for that reason, wasn't a love story from such blood even more intriguing? Nearly like sisters to Ardein, the two seized the chance, eyes gleaming as they watched their mistress.
"It's merely a desire to express my gratitude. Don't entertain strange notions."
The more one says not to, the more one wants to—human psychology at work. As Ardein waved it off in denial, smiles bloomed on the ladies-in-waiting's faces too. Their mistress had been a woman distant from love even before contracting leprosy.
She had received many proposals and marriage offers, but she had no interest in such matters. The woman called Ardein craved only two things: power and authority, with the latter even more so. To her, power was a tool for authority.
Those who truly pursued power did not covet authority. If they did, they used it solely as a means to amass more power. Authority figures viewed such people as blades they could wield at will, but it was precisely among them that ultimate beings occasionally emerged.
Grimudo of the far north. Master Heron from five hundred years ago. Moon Maiden Theresia, called Grand Master in the era before Heron. And now Rayman and Geher.
Only those who did not devote their energies to authority could reach such heights.
Ardein was not of that sort. Roca was far closer to it.
For such a woman to...
Blush like a maiden in love—it was astonishing. The ladies-in-waiting sincerely hoped their mistress's affections would bear fruit. Frankly, their lady was well past marriageable age.
If she could swiftly find a good match, it was nothing they desired more.
"So that's the one."
"Indeed..."
The two women murmured upon seeing the guest who had arrived. Even as a princess in name, to see her go out personally on foot to greet him—they could now be nearly certain.
He wore black attire that hid stains and dirt well, not flashy like the noble young masters who had once courted Ardein long ago. He adorned himself neither with gold nor silver, and his neat clothing was somewhat distant from formality.
Yet as this man, lost in his own thoughts, approached, a warm gentleness spread—even reaching the two ladies-in-waiting who kept their distance. Like people drawn to sunlight, they unwittingly stepped forward.
He was a man who emanated an inexplicable warmth that thawed the heart. Their mistress must have melted into it unawares.
In truth, Ardein's gaze upon the priest named Kyle remained consistently warm throughout. The two ladies-in-waiting whispered to each other that spring had finally come to their mistress, smiling contentedly.
"Princess. I have urgent words for you."
Such a man spoke with grave seriousness, in a solemn tone. The two ladies-in-waiting exchanged glances and covered their mouths. From any third-rate romance novel sold in the markets, they could easily guess what came next.
A woman weary from Citadel Republic affairs and other great matters.
When the man she secretly harbored feelings for visited at such a time, what else could he have to say? A confession. It had to be. They barely restrained the urge to jump for joy. And they were right to do so.
"Please, speak freely, Saint. Whatever words you have for me..."
"I must go to the Citadel Republic."
It was no confession—but rather, in a way, a declaration of parting.
"I am grateful for everything until now, but I can no longer remain by your side."
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