Free Web NovelChapter 2030: Chapter 2030: Funeral Rumors
The funeral music was still playing. People who had just walked out of the church were watching as the coffin, draped with the flag of Draleon, was slowly lowered into the dug grave by the pallbearers.
The atmosphere was solemn and dignified, mournful yet touching. However, by the King’s side at the front, Queen Diana was nowhere to be seen. Now six months pregnant, Queen Diana had been advised not to attend the ceremony. Not because of superstition, but out of consideration for the health and emotions of the pregnant queen, as a funeral could negatively impact her and the child’s well-being.
Aside from Miss Galina and His Majesty the King, other people from the Cavendish Family that Shard knew were also present. Lecia stood relatively forward, right behind Shard and Miss Galina. Angelina, on the other hand, was standing further back with her three sisters, Her Highness Alice, Her Highness Eilina, and Her Highness Anastasia.
The ladies were all wearing black veils, while the men were in black suits paired with black hats. Even though it was snowing, no one showed any signs of impatience or irritation.
"Death is the termination of life, so what meaning does the termination of the world hold for us?"
The rather bored Shard let his thoughts wander freely, then another voice sounded in his mind:
"Are you bored?"
This was the voice of Miss Galina. Shard did not turn his head to look at her, instead asking back in his mind:
"Do I appear that obvious?"
As he asked, he widened his eyes, feigning a pained expression.
The Witch beside him seemed to curl her lips slightly:
"I guessed. You probably have no interest in these events. But after all, he was my brother, so please bear with it. Or, perhaps, we could talk a bit about your birthday tomorrow."
Today was the 21st of Sunlight Moon, 1854, and tomorrow marked the one-year anniversary of the Outlander arriving in this world.
"Let’s not discuss such matters at a funeral."
Shard replied in his mind, then he thought of Lecia standing behind him.
The Day of the Red Butterfly ended last Friday, the 23rd of last month, when the next Day of the Red Butterfly should have already arrived. However, to congratulate Shard on his birthday along with Dorothy, the Princess and the Writer had forcibly postponed the precious Day of the Red Butterfly to tomorrow.
And the arrival of tomorrow, the 22nd of Sunlight Moon, also meant that Shard could use a new Time Key once again. Having lived leisurely for a month, it seemed a new adventure was about to begin.
Of course, though the funeral felt boring, it wasn’t without any interesting events happening here.
Miss Galina introduced Shard to most of her extensive family members, beyond the gentlemen and ladies bearing the surname "Cavendish," there were also the descendants resulting from the princesses married out and the maternal family’s relatives. Despite the extremely complex family relations, the Duchess could completely understand them. She even quietly informed Shard which of her cousins had an unhappy marriage, which cousin was on the verge of bankruptcy due to failing in the New World business investment, and which grandnephew almost had his face scratched by his wife for secretly keeping a lover.
When Miss Galina introduced Marchioness Josephine Mihail, her aunt, the 69-year-old lady looked at Shard with a kind gaze and told Miss Galina to get married soon. By then, the Marchioness would pass on the beautiful set of gemstone headpieces, originally given to her by her mother and then to Galina’s grandmother at her wedding, to Miss Galina:
"Galina, it was handed down generation after generation from mother, grandmother, grandmother’s mother, to grandmother’s great-grandmother. I have no daughters, only sons. This set of jewelry is definitely meant for you. You must marry soon so I can personally see you wear it. Only the loveliest Cavendish can receive it from me."
After saying this, the elderly lady, smiling kindly, asked Shard:
"Rejed’s Hamilton, don’t you agree?"
Besides his exchanges with Miss Galina, Shard also found opportunities to speak with Lecia.
To mention, this was the first time Shard saw Lecia in a black dress and veil. Though dressed similarly to how Haila Osenfort once appeared, her temperament was entirely different from that cold and serene lady. Shard did not know how to describe it, but overall, she looked stunning.
Lecia had found a chance to hug Shard briefly inside the church earlier, yet she seemed quite anxious:
"The deadline is nearing—the trouble this has caused me."
"Wait, aren’t you Miss Writer! Weren’t you still a princess just now?"
The anxious red-haired girl clutched Shard’s sleeve:
"Oh! Lecia said she stayed up last night performing a ritual to study the Arcane Technique. Because she failed once, she was mentally exhausted and couldn’t hold on any longer, so she had to go rest and asked me to stand in for her! But I need to rush my manuscript too. When will this funeral end? It’s due next Monday! Had I known, I wouldn’t have wasted my time attending Miss Biki’s reading salon on Wednesday afternoon."
"You could possib..."
Then Miss Writer cautioned him with the Princess’s eyes, as tomorrow is Shard’s birthday, and it was agreed to be the Day of the Red Butterfly, which absolutely cannot be used for writing manuscripts.
In short, amid Shard’s various ramblings, the latter part of the funeral continued. After the coffin was lowered into the grave, the current Little Duke Roderick expressed gratitude to the guests, followed by King Larus III leading everyone in the final farewell.
Once the process was over, the group returned to the Peace Chapel’s specially prepared prayer hall for the Duke’s funeral in what’s considered to be the most crucial part of the funeral by some.
That is, the reading of the will.
The contents of this will were known to very few people in advance, so most people displayed curiosity about it. Duke Verne of Roder had a son to inherit the title, but those who understood the Old Duke’s character knew that while he granted the title to his son, he certainly wouldn’t leave the majority of his wealth to Little Duke Roderick... Their father-son relationship is notoriously poor, which is no secret in Draleon.
The attendees took their seats in the prayer hall, with Miss Galina, as a direct relative, sitting in the first row, and Shard sitting in the first row as well.
The lawyer appointed by the Duke before his passing and Galina’s uncle, the most senior and esteemed member of the Cavendish Family, together read the will.
Even Shard, who had nothing to do with the matter, could sense a noticeable change in the atmosphere. Everyone except the lawyer reading the will held their breath, and Shard believed that as soon as the lawyer shut his mouth, a pin drop could be heard in the room.
The lands associated with the dukedom couldn’t be disposed of by the Old Duke, but he "generously" left approximately a quarter of his private wealth and fixed assets to his son. The generosity here is not sarcastic, as Shard had heard Miss Galina mention she thought the Old Duke would leave at most a tenth to his son.
The Duke’s wealth was substantial, with a quarter left for his son, another quarter donated to the Peace Church, and the remaining half detailed in items, distributed among his friends and family.
Among them, Miss Galina received three vacation estates, along with a large collection of personal antiques and books, as the Old Duke had a good relationship with his younger sister.
The Old Duke also bequeathed his nephew, the King’s private collection of books and all his wine cellars, and left some shares in the Draleon National Steam Railroad Company to Lecia. Even Angelina, who was born too late to have spoken much with him, received two sets of jewelry collected by the Duke’s wife.
It was evident that except for Little Duke Roderick, everyone else was satisfied with the will. The priest from the Peace Church even stated they would keep a portrait of the Old Duke in the local church to thank him for his generous donation.
At the end of the will reading, Shard, who was mentally wandering off while considering reporting to Miss Danester regarding clues obtained from Laplace Howard’s book collection, unexpectedly heard his own name mentioned:
"Lastly, I wish to give some of my collected medals to Shard S. Hamilton. The names and origins of the medals are attached in the appendix. Although I do not know Rejed’s Hamilton, I have seen his news in the newspapers and read about his stories in books. This was my greatest pleasure in the latter stages of life. May Hamilton the Knight always walk with honor, and may the God of War and Peace bless him."
Never expecting to receive a bequest, Shard was momentarily at a loss for words.
Following the reading, the funeral concluded, and as Shard left the chapel with Miss Galina to board the carriage, he remarked:
"I am completely unfamiliar with the Old Duke, yet he left something for me... I feel guilty for zoning out during the funeral."
"Don’t feel guilty; you are already quite earnest in attending the funeral."
She took Shard’s hand as they boarded the carriage, her view directed to the other side, where Little Duke Roderick returned to the Yordle Palace with King Larus III:
"This will surely stir up more controversy. That up-and-coming Duke won’t be content to let the family’s wealth be lost this way."
"But it’s his father’s will, could he possibly overturn the Old Duke’s will? Oh, Tifa, good morning."
Shard greeted Miss Maid in the carriage, who slightly nodded without any expression on her face.
Miss Galina, after sitting down, looked out the window, observing people at the church steps conversing after the funeral:
"There are legal maneuvers that can be done, depending largely on whether that young man can really have the audacity to proceed... A funeral is meant to bid farewell to the departed, yet it invariably brings trouble to the living. May my brother rest in peace and not be disturbed by these debacles after death."
Having removed the veil, her incredibly beautiful face came into Shard’s view again. Seeing Shard staring at her, the Witch turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him:
"Thank you for coming with me to the funeral. Now, in the afternoon, do you still have to attend your group’s meeting? Tomorrow is your birthday, can’t you take a break?"
