Chapter 62
Chapter 62
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The First Astrofel
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I just couldn't get used to this situation, which had been going on for days.
At first, I had kindly answered the Black Mambas who spoke to me and returned their greetings.
But the same pattern of conversation repeated every time, leaving me feeling very uncomfortable.
Every day, they would sidle up to me, list one of the South's merits, and then vanish.
I couldn't figure out why they were suddenly acting this way, but I couldn't shake the feeling that they were trying to get on my good side.
But they always left out the most important thing about the South, didn't they?
"Aria."
"Yes...?"
I put on a very serious expression and opened my mouth.
"Y'know. The most impowtant thing is missin'."
"Pardon? The most important thing? ...What's missing? Please tell me."
"Geez. Daddy is here! That's the bestest thing."
"..."
"You can't leave it out next time. Okay?"
Aria, who had been listening to me blankly, nodded her head.
She looked shocked, as if that thought had never crossed her mind.
"...I-I see. The South's greatest pride is, of course, the Ga-Gaju."
"Wight?"
"...Yes."
Aria's eyes showed she didn't agree in the slightest, but I was being sincere.
As long as I could be with the people I cherished, it didn't matter what kind of place the South was.
It didn't matter if the seasons were harsh or if it had nothing to boast about.
"Ah! I weally have to go now. I have to go early today."
I had wasted too much time. I waved at the still-frozen Aria and quickened my pace again.
*Hum, hum.* A little tune escaped my lips. Today was the day I had collected all the stickers Kasana had given me.
What kind of present would she give me? My heart pounded with anticipation.
Kasana always gives meaningful gifts, so I'm sure this one will be, too, right?
Arriving at my room just in time, I opened the door.
"Wosawia!"
"Lady Aileen, you're back already? You're coming back on time now without me having to fetch you."
"Uh-huh. Of couwse."
I can keep my promises about time all by myself now.
I puffed out my chest with pride, but Rosaria's gaze fell to the pockets on either side of me.
"Lady Aileen. What are those?"
"Ah, these?"
I felt my pockets, which were bulging.
They were little snacks I had received one by one while wandering around the estate.
As I poured a handful onto the table, Rosaria let out a small laugh.
"Evewyone gave me one."
"My goodness. They're all being so obvious."
Rosaria shook her head as if she couldn't believe it and put the snacks I'd received into the snack jar for me.
While she did that, I went into the bathroom and scrubbed my hands clean.
I walked around a lot today, so I should use twice as much soap.
After turning off the faucet and drying my hands, I came out to find Kasana had arrived.
I trotted over and quickly sat down in front of her.
"Kasana! I collected all the gwape stickers."
Rosaria, who was straightening the cushions beside me, smiled fondly.
"Of course, I remember. To have collected them all so soon, thank you for being so attentive during our lessons."
"What's the pwesent?"
I fluttered the sticker sheet I had taken out beforehand and held out my hand.
Kasana, who was watching me intently, briefly furrowed her brow before taking something out of her bag.
"...First, I believe I must deliver this."
"What's this?"
What Kasana took out was a thickly folded paper book.
"...Hah. I'm embarrassed to be handing you something like this."
Uncharacteristically, she blushed and couldn't meet my eyes.
What on earth was she supposed to give me that would provoke such a reaction?
I flipped through the paper book, which clearly looked like it had been hastily put together. It was a book listing a hundred reasons why the South was better than the East.
I was just about to ask what was going on if this continued tomorrow.
Why was everyone so desperate to tell me this?
As I let out a deep sigh, Kasana quickly added.
"Everyone is worried that you might have a change of heart, my lady."
"That I'll go to the East?"
"Yes."
To think that while I was worried about being sent back, everyone around me was worried I might want to leave.
Knowing the reason, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
I hugged the paper book tightly to my chest. As of today, I had a new treasure.
"Tell them I wike it here way more, too."
"I will."
"And you have to tell them I'm gonna keep this fowevew."
"I will do so. And..."
A rustling sound of wrapping paper was heard.
"This is a gift from me, as you have collected all the stickers, Lady Aileen."
My eyes sparkling, I spread my hands wide. Inside the wrapping paper was something square.
"Can I open this?"
"You may, by all means."
As I carefully unwrapped the paper, a silver frame with rounded corners revealed itself.
"A picture fwame?"
I held up the empty frame and looked at Kasana. She said,
"You have never taken a family photo before, have you, my lady?"
"No."
"The two young masters don't seem interested in family photos, but I thought it might be different for you."
A family photo.
The words felt so foreign.
Rosaria had taken pictures of me before, but I had never taken one with someone else.
"How about mentioning it to the Gaju?"
"...To Daddy?"
"Yes. You could be the one to say you want to take a family photo."
I couldn't quite imagine it.
How would it feel to have a picture of all of us together in a frame?
I swept my finger across the center of the frame.
But everyone might find this really bothersome. How do I convince them?
I want a family photo so much, though.
"I'm going to take a family photo and put it in here, no matter what."
I have to convince them somehow. I gripped the frame tightly.
"Shall we begin our lesson now?"
"Okay."
I set the frame aside so it wouldn't be in the way of our lesson.
What Kasana brought today wasn't the usual letter-study book.
It was a black-covered book with the Astrofel family crest drawn largely in the center.
"Today, we will be learning something different."
"Not letter studies? Somethin' else?"
"Yes. From now on, I will also be teaching you about the history of the Astrofel family."
"Then is this a histowy book?"
"Something like that. It is a record book containing short accounts of the first family heads and the relationships they maintained with other regions during their reigns."
As if spellbound, I opened the first page.
It was the chapter with the name of the first Gaju, who marked the beginning of the family.
Tamur Astrofel (508-623)
He was a handsome man with a unique aura.
Tamur had long black hair that fell to his waist and sharp eyes.
His blazing red eyes stared directly forward, creating the illusion that we were making eye contact.
"This is the first Gaju, Tamur Astrofel. He led the family for about thirty years."
"...Tamur Astrofel."
I repeated the name awkwardly.
He seemed to have founded the family at a very young age.
His appearance in the drawing looked similar to Kaide's now.
"Just five hundred years ago, the continent was not divided into territories. It was an era of chaos."
"Then how did evewyone live?!"
"It was an era where taking and being taken from was the norm, so no one considered it a problem."
It was shocking. To think that there were no designated territories for the Su-in.
That meant you could be driven out of your territory overnight if another Su-in took it.
It was an age where your life was always under threat.
"Therefore, weaker clans at the time preferred to live in groups. Conversely, strong clans were fine hunting alone, so they did not like living in groups."
"But isn't it better to stick togethew?"
"Within a group, a leader is always bound to be chosen. There is no need to create such a situation by forming a group."
That made sense. They all must have possessed great strength.
They wouldn't have felt the need to form a group when living alone was not inconvenient.
"The concept of a 'family' did not exist back then, either. In other regions, there were signs of families beginning to form, but there were no places called 'leading families' like there are now."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"It is because most clans that are sensitive to hierarchy formed families late. They did not want to cause friction among their own kind."
"Oh, I see."
"However, the Astrofel family is a bit peculiar. There was no internal friction, and it was one of the fastest to be established among the leading families."
"...Hmm?"
That was a completely different outcome from the explanation she had so painstakingly given me until now.