Chapter 1-26 : The Girl Learns About The Royal Family
After hearing about the men in bird masks from Elle, the nobleman took out a piece of paper from his bag and spread it.
Elle looked at it and realized that it was a map. It looked cleaner and newer than the old map she saw in Moritz’s library.
「An island about three days away from here… So… Is it this one…?」(nobleman)
The man murmured to himself while looking at the map.
「Are you looking for the island on the map?」(Elle)
「Yes, there are so many islands. I’m not sure which one.」(nobleman)
「It’s this island, and the village where those men were spotted was around this area.」(Elle)
Elle was a bit excited when she saw the map. She couldn’t help but point her index finger, showing the man where the village was on the map.
The nobleman was surprised. He looked at Elle with eyes wide open.
「Little Missy, you can read a map?」(nobleman)
「Uhh, yes.」(Elle)
「That’s surprising… Normally, commoner’s children don’t even know what a map is, let alone read it.」(nobleman)
「Is that so?」(Elle)
「Yeah. Nonetheless, thank you for the precious information. Now I know where exactly I should send my men.」(nobleman)
The nobleman smiled at Elle and put back the map in his bag. He then let out a long sigh.
「I still can’t believe those men in bird masks did that behind us… This country has surely changed a lot since the previous king passed away.」(nobleman)
「Umm… Do you mind telling me the story?」(Elle)
Elle didn’t know much about the country, the king, and the queen. She was interested in learning more about them.
Since she planned to travel around the country, she thought the knowledge might be useful in the future.
「Sure. It’s not a story that most children want to hear, but you’re more mature than most children. As I said, this country has changed since the previous king died.」(nobleman)
The nobleman took a deep breath and made a somewhat bitter expression before he continued.
「The previous king was an extremely strict man, especially toward his son. Because of that, his son, the current king, hated him so much. After he died, the current king replaced the previous king’s most trusted man, which was the head of the court magician, with a young and beautiful witch. It has been more than a decade since that woman became the head of the court magician, but her beauty hasn’t faded at all.」(nobleman)
「That’s strange. She is a witch, right? Did she use some kind of magic to gain eternal youth?」(Elle)
「No one knows, but there are rumors that she did a forbidden ritual such as drinking the blood of young girls to maintain her beauty.」(nobleman)
「That’s creepy…」(Elle)
「Still, there are just rumors. In any case, after that woman became the head of the court magician and gained power in this country, she started using the country’s budget as she pleased. She secretly kept using the country’s fund for personal gain for years until it came to light several years ago.」(nobleman)
「How could she do that behind the king’s back?」(Elle)
「Well, that witch is a sneaky woman. The king planned to marry her and make her the queen, but then he changed his mind after she betrayed his trust. Because of that, he looked for another woman to be the candidate for his wife. And… he came to me…」(nobleman)
The man suddenly stopped for some reason. He folded his hands and closed his eyes.
Elle noticed that his lips were shaking a little.
「Sir, are you alright?」(Elle)
Hearing the girl’s voice, the man slowly opened his eyes and showed her a bitter smile.
「I’m alright. It’s just… I did something unforgivable back then… The most sinful thing I’ve done in my life… I married my daughter to the king.」(nobleman)
「…Eh? P, please wait a minute… So… The queen who died of black spot disease was… your daughter…?」(Elle)
「…Yes.」(nobleman)
「I… see… Umm, I’m deeply sorry to hear about your loss…」(Elle)
Elle was surprised. The queen the man was talking about appeared to be his daughter.
She knew the feeling of losing someone you cared about.
The man replied to Elle with a smile when she offered him her condolences.
He then continued talking.
「My daughter had a fiancée back then. It was her childhood friend. He was a knight and a good young man. He and my daughter had always been very close. They promised to live happily together until they died, but… It was I who had torn the happy couple apart…」(nobleman)
「…..」(Elle)
Elle silently listened to the man.
Now she understood why he trembled when he talked about the queen’s death minutes ago. He seemed to be blaming himself for his daughter’s misfortune.
「I was blinded by the fame and the position the king offered me. I broke off my daughter’s engagement with her childhood friend and presented her to the king… I’m still regretting my foolish decision until now…」(nobleman)
「…..」(Elle)
「But… That’s not my only sin. I’ve committed another sin… I let the king lead this country toward ruin. That’s why I went on a journey to look for my friend. I need his help to rebuild this country when the time comes.」(nobleman)
「Rebuild this country…? What will happen to the king?」(Elle)
「The king has a daughter. The princess. Before she was born, the Spirit King saw a prophecy through his vision. He said that she would become the saint who would save the country in the future.」(nobleman)
「That means…」(Elle)
「She will replace the king and become the queen who will lead this country… At least that’s what I’m wishing for. Saving this country is the least I can do to atone for my sins, though I know that what I’ve done was unforgivable…」(nobleman)
Unable to bear the sadness any longer, the nobleman shed a tear.
He then quickly wiped it with the back of his hand. He looked somewhat embarrassed.
「Ahh… I’m sorry, Little Missy. I got carried away and ended up confessing my sins to you even though you’re not a priest. It’s just… You remind me of my daughter when she was still a child. You look a bit like her.」(nobleman)
「Umm… It’s alright…」(Elle)
Elle didn’t know how to react at a time like this.
She scratched her cheek with her index finger and looked away.
「Dear passengers, we will soon arrive at Porcelain Blue. I hope you’re not falling asleep.」(coachman)
The coachman’s voice was suddenly heard, breaking the silent and awkward atmosphere inside the stagecoach.
「Oh, it seems like we’re almost there. Time sure passes really quickly when you enjoy talking with someone.」(nobleman)
「Agreed.」(Elle)
Elle replied to the nobleman and looked out through the window.
Beyond the trees, she could see a huge city surrounded by walls with the royal castle jutting out in the middle.
It was the royal capital, the capital city of the country, Porcelain Blue.
「Speaking of which, Little Missy, do you have adults who will take care of you in the city?」(nobleman)
「No…」(Elle)
「In that case, why don’t you come with me? Of course, your little fluffy friend can come too.」(nobleman)
「Come with you…?」(Elle)
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Hm the mention of Elle looking like this noblemans daughter when she was a child has me suspect the childhood friend and his daughter might not have stopped seeing each other and Elle is his biological granddaugther
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