Book 3: Chapter 41
Book 3: Chapter 41
* Anastasia *
——She’s a cursed child. Why was such a child born in our High Elf royalty?
——Don’t shed tears. What if those tears are tainted?
She wasn’t even allowed to cry.
Even if she can’t produce a voice, she can still shed tears silently. But Anastasia’s father, mother, and siblings didn’t even allow her to cry.
(This person understood all my thoughts that I couldn’t speak out.)
“I don’t know what you’re thinking”, “To think not being able to speak would feel so creepy”, “Surely you must be cursing us in your head”ーsuch countless thoughtless comments made Anastasia shut her heart away.
A High Elf who cannot speak is of no value in the Elven Forest.
As such, her thoughts are of no value, too.
(Is this a miracle?)
For that reason, it cannot be anything less than a miracle that this boyーthis boy whom she has met only once, noticed her thoughts that she stifled.
「I’m sorry. Did I do something to hurt your feelings?」
「…………」
Before wiping her tear-streaked face, Anastasia wanted to write down her thoughts on paper.
However, she didn’t know what to write.
The boy strongly shook her heart. It all started when he brought her the bag. She was touched by the lengths the boy went to to help Lulusha.
But that was no more than just the relationship between Lulusha and the boy. She was happy that he believed and entrusted the bag to herーbut, if she had to say, she was more happy to be able to help Lulusha.
(This time, however…)
The boy thought of her.
Because of that he even took the risk.
『Why』
She started to write, but then immediately crumpled the paper.
(I can’t afford to burden this person any more than I already have.)
She put a lid on her thoughts which were about to overflow. Just as she has done time and time again.
Anastasia let her attendant, who ran up to her, to gently wipe her face. Once that was done, Anastasia calmed the ripples that formed in her heart.
『I apologize for being overcome with emotion and showing you an unsightly appearance. Thank you very much for all your help in this matter. There is not much I can do, but I would definitely like to reward you.』
She wrote. A flawless handwriting.
With this, she will be able to reward the boy. Adventurers won’t overstay in this country since it isn’t warm towards outsiders, but if she can give them a reward later, it would mean she has done everything she can.
She felt a slight pain in her chest.
(…What is this pain?)
Pain because she couldn’t do more? Wrong.
Pain because of the poor treatment of adventurers in this country? Of course not.
(This person will leave this country in the near future.)
Once again, she felt a slight pain in her chest.
Once she became aware of the identity of the pain, the desire to talk more with this person, to know more about this person, filled her head.
「…………」
The boy, Reiji, was looking intently at Anastasia.
Is there something?ーas if implying that, she slightly tilted her neck, pretending to be calm best as she could. For as long as she has lived, every man would blush without fail if she made this gesture. No exception even among the Levs. The only ones who don’t respond are old men who have grown too senile.
「Your Highness, I would like to borrow a paper.」
Yet, this boy reacted differently.
Just as he borrowed Anastasia’s paper the other day, he wrote down something on it and folded it a couple of times so that the contents couldn’t be seen.
(What is this about?)
And he gave it to the confused Anastasia.
「Can you read it when you are alone?」
He said. His behavior may have been unexpected, as even his fellow adventurer, Non, was also slightly startled.
「This time, through extraordinary luck, we were able to capture the labyrinth. We have already received too many rewards from His Majesty the Emperor, and were even able to have an audience. So I humbly decline the reward from Your Highness.」
「……」
Reiji said with a slight smile.
Surely because he doesn’t wish to trouble her. She couldn’t think of any other reason why an adventurer who lives day-to-day would decline the reward.
Anastasia was frustrated. At herself who couldn’t do anything more. Rewarding an adventurer is a simple thing, she wanted to say, but Anastasia knew it was not “simple” for her.
(I am a caged bird… A bird that can’t even chirp.)
Sadness surged up and tears were about to rush out again.
「A-Ah, Your Highness? It’s not that I don’t want itー」
Reiji tried making an excuse, but she felt miserable at herself for bothering him yet again.
「Your Highness, it’s about time for the next meeting.」
From the corridor, the butler showed his face and said.
**
She doesn’t remember much of what happened until she returned to her room. The butler was in a fit of anger when he saw traces of Anastasia’s tears, and the attendant did her best to soothe him down. She troubled him yet again, Anastasia thought.
She was thinking only about Reiji.
Is that woman who gave Reiji a lap pillow in a love relationship with him?
Or if he is in love with another party member?
How old is he?
He has a unique insight and has obviously received higher education, so where is he from?
What is his relationship with Lulusha?
(Ah……)
Half-heartedly, Anastasia slipped out of her dress and changed to her dressing gown. When the attendant left the room, she finally remembered.
Reiji’s letter, which was held in her hand.
She looked around and surveyed the room. No one was there. She quickly moved to her writing desk and unfolded the paperーcurious just what was written on it.
Perhaps, he secretly wants something? Bad-mouthing His Majesty the Emperor? That would indeed be interesting, but that surely isn’t the case. Or maybe, a love-letter to her?
Her heart thumping with excitement, Anastasia revealed the contents of the paper. She forgot to breathe as she looked through the contents.
『Under Your Highness’ scarf, the sorcery written on the bandage is a voice seal, isn’t it? From what I can gather, Your Highness seems to have a peculiar constitution in which fire magic is invoked when you speak. However, this can be controlled, not through sorcery, but through training your mana control. Should you require guidance, I can assist you.』
For a few seconds.
No, for more than ten seconds, Anastasia forgot to breathe.
「…wha…」
She tried to speak, but remembered that she can’t due to sorcery. She was reminded that even the slightest voice caused sparks of flames to appear around her bodyーreminded that she was loved by “fire”, which is deadly for a forest-dwelling elf.
Her voice was sealed off shortly after birth. Frustrated, during her early ages, she would undress the bandage and use magic – sometimes burning many big trees.
This is a top secret, however.
Known only by her direct family.
Publically, they announced that she was “cursed by a mage”. The voice seal sorcery is also hidden with multiple layers of camouflage, and can hardly be detected when she wraps a scarf around.
Needless to mention, neither Lulusha nor the Emperor knows.
(How?)
Simultaneously with that question–
(I can overcome this constitution?)
Anastasia’s heart was strongly shaken by a ray of hope, like an intense beam of miraculous light, that came from a completely unexpected place.
Her heartbeat returned. Her complexion also returned, accompanied by a mixture of complicated emotions. But the colors brought forth by those emotions were vibrant and sweet enough to enrapture Anastasia.