Free Web Novel“Breakfast!”
The bright voice woke him from shallow sleep. Ren opened his eyes blearily. Outside, which had been quiet in the blue light of dawn, was already noisy. Merchants dressed in proper clothes came and went, and servants and maids moved busily. Expensive carriages stopped one by one in front of the houses. Ren, who had been staring blankly at the scenery outside the window, faintly narrowed his eyes.
It was morning. Only then did Ren realize that sunlight was pouring over his entire face. It seemed he had fallen asleep while looking outside. When he touched his cheek, it was warm from the sunlight. Thanks to the fireplace that had burned all night, the room was still hot, and because the window had been left open, the air was fresh instead.
“Breakfast—!”
After seeming to wait for a moment, the maid shouted again. At the clear, lively voice without a trace of irritation, Ren felt as though he was gaining energy too.
“Yes, come in.”
Ren spoke first, then flinched in surprise and hurriedly pulled the blanket over his face.
The maid who had been pulling the tray inside flinched when she saw Ren’s appearance, then put on an indifferent expression. Her curious face looked as though she wanted to ask why he was doing that, but perhaps she had been scolded by her mistress yesterday, because the maid only set out the meal and quickly left.
After the door closed, Ren counted the seconds, then pulled down the blanket he had thrown over his head. He used the wash water and cotton cloth the maid had left behind to roughly wipe his face and hands.
“Doesn’t Sir Knight eat?”
He thought about suggesting that the knight try some, then stopped because that might instead get in the way.
Ren scooped up the stew and put it in his mouth. The taste spreading warmly all the way into his stomach made his mouth water.
“So I can still have an appetite at a time like this. What are humans, really?”
Ren snickered to himself and tore into a chicken leg. The tenderly boiled chicken came apart softly with just a touch of the fork. He lightly dipped the meat in salt and put it into his mouth. The hot steam fiercely attacked the roof of his mouth.
“Hot!”
Ren, who had jumped up in surprise all by himself, felt pointlessly embarrassed and quickly sat back down.
How much would the old apothecary laugh if he saw me doing this alone? Even the thought I just had would probably look childish to him. The old man will be fine even without me. Meeting him in the capital was truly a coincidence, after all. Maybe he had to return to the village, but because he met me, he couldn’t.
His thoughts continued on without end.
The advantage of being alone was that he could think as much as he wanted, but it seemed that was also the disadvantage.
Perhaps because he ate slowly while thinking, more than half the meal had disappeared.
Right on time, the maid came and took the tray away, then prepared snacks and tea for him. Ren, who had been slowly drinking tea, rummaged inside his clothes and chewed the herb raw. He had the circumstances to brew it as tea, but this way was more comfortable. The fact that there had already been slight side effects because he had not brewed it as tea had long since vanished from Ren’s mind.
A knock sounded. It was obvious it would be the knight who had guarded the front of his door.
“Come in.”
“Lady Lucia.”
The knight entered after closing the door firmly, then nagged him that he should always keep the hood beside him so he could put it on at any time. Only after hearing Ren answer that he understood twice did the knight bring up the main point.
“We will depart in thirty minutes.”
“Yes. I don’t really have anything spread out, so I’m ready to leave whenever.”
“Understood. Then.”
“Wait!”
Ren grabbed the knight without realizing it. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
“Um.”
I don’t have anything to say, so why did I do that? No, I’ve only been alone for one day. There’s no way I’m already lonely or anything, right?
When his thoughts reached that point, Ren’s face began to redden beyond his control.
“Um....”
“Do you have a fever?”
But the knight was serious. He readily bent down and placed a hand on Ren’s forehead. Then he measured his own forehead.
“My body temperature is on the high side, so it is difficult to tell. I will call a physician for you.”
“No! There’s no need. It’s only hot because the fireplace was burning too strongly! More, more importantly, there’s something I want to ask.”
Ren rolled his eyes, found a suitable question, and asked in relief.
“Can I hear news from the royal palace from time to time?”
He had resigned himself and left, but a small curiosity still rose in him. Would they know that he was gone? He knew even this little question was all lingering attachment. No, perhaps Ren did not know very well.
How should one describe the knight’s gaze as he looked at Ren now?
It was the expression of someone looking at something unwise.
“No. You cannot hear it.”
The knight spoke firmly and left the room.
“...I already knew that.”
It was something he had already confirmed when speaking with Giselle. And yet the question had slipped out anyway.
“I’m an idiot.”
Maybe it was because I’m an idiot.
Ren grabbed his own head and let out a sigh.
Just around the time Ren’s day began moving along leisurely yet busily, Jepeto was pacing in front of Ren’s room early in the morning.
“Ren! Ren, are you inside?”
Because it was early morning, Jepeto could not bring himself to knock loudly on the door, and paced anxiously in front of it instead.
“Has he still not come back?”
Jepeto trailed off. It could happen. He had gone to Lady Coco’s estate, so it was not unreasonable for him to sleep there for one night and return. And yet Jepeto could do nothing but keep walking back and forth in front of the door like a puppy needing to relieve itself.
“Ah!”
Jepeto suddenly shouted. Come to think of it, hadn’t he gone together with Priest Kirky?
“I worried for nothing. There’s no way that would happen.”
If Ren had gone somewhere in the middle, Priest Kirky would have told him. Overlooking the fact that there was no particular reason Kirky had to do that, and that if Kirky decided to deceive him, he would not know, Jepeto muttered comfortably to himself. He pushed aside the subtle feeling and turned his steps toward his own room, intending to catch up on the sleep he had tossed and turned through all night.
***
The royal palace garden that had welcomed spring had many things to see.
Servants busily carried tables and chairs, and maids held parasols larger than their own bodies.
Luxurious cloth was spread over a long oval table, and snacks were neatly placed on top. Depending on the guests’ tastes, the teacups, tea, and cookies were all different.
Around the time the servants finished preparations, tall men entered the garden.
“What is it you have to say that you called us to the garden? I’m still a patient.”
The one grumbling was Luman. Even as he complained, he looked at the flowers in full bloom and smiled faintly.
“If you are a patient, you should be lying down. So what you told the physician about being fine was a lie.”
When Geloman responded with a serious expression, Luman shook his head as though disgusted.
“Geloman. Sometimes when I look at you, you’re even stranger than Temar.”
“......”
Temar only glanced at Luman and Geloman, and Geloman, who received that gaze, merely shrugged.
“What about Verdi?”
“They say he still has to rest. Apparently it could fester if he moves.”
Luman said it as though it were nothing. Luman and Verdi had been staying together in Giselle’s room. The room imbued with Giselle’s authority had the power to speed up recovery. Around the time Luman finished changing his bandages and came out, the familiar physician had stopped Verdi when he tried to leave.
After hearing the story, Giselle’s eyebrows rose faintly.
“So, why did you gather all of us here?”
Luman put a piece of biscuit in his mouth. The crunching sound echoed through the quiet garden. The garden was so quiet that even the rustling of grass could be heard. Giselle seemed to keep silent like that for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“I was wondering when I should tell you.”
“Wondering? You?”
Luman’s golden eyes opened wide. He put down the biscuit he had been eating and uncrossed his legs. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
“...What is it?”
Temar asked a beat late. Geloman told him to sit first, seated Temar in a chair, and sat down himself as well. Sapphire-blue eyes stared straight at Giselle.
“Is it related to His Majesty?”
At the words that came from those thick lips, silence descended again.
“Yes. It is related to Ragniel.”
“Is it serious?”
Luman asked while hoping it was not, but most bad feelings tended to be right. Was this the reason for the unease he had felt over the past few days, even before leaving the royal palace? Luman, who had worried only over Ren’s safety without even keeping Ragniel in mind, felt a stabbing ache inside.
“Giselle. Would it kill you to reassure us a little? My stomach is going to cramp at this rate.”
Luman groaned.
“A problem has occurred with Ragniel.”
***
Ragniel’s office was sealed off.
Three old magicians of the royal palace stood before Ragniel’s office, muttering as they chanted spells. Servants looked at the office with frightened faces.
Faint light blocked every gap between the doors and slowly drew a formation.
At the sound of small footsteps coming from the other side, the servants who turned to look hurriedly bent at the waist.
“Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty.”
When Ragniel gestured, they withdrew their bows. The magicians were still focused on their chanting.
“Your Majesty, may I ask what kind of magic is being cast on the office?”
A servant asked, wetting his dry lips. The servant beside him was startled and tried to stop him, but the words had already been spoken.
“What would be difficult about telling you?”
Fortunately, Ragniel did not get angry. In the same gentle tone as always, he began to speak.
“It is to trap something wicked.”
