– Screeeeech!

– Squeeeeee!

The excited red pandas ran around near the field of flowers.

Percy must have gone somewhere to play as I couldn’t see him while Tithé was not in Juliette Palace because Pierre had taken him to the seawater pool.

I warned the little troublemakers with a stern look on my face.

“You can’t bother him when he works. Be good.”

– Cruuu.

Demy rolled on the ground like a panda and fooled around.

It meant that he was going to do whatever he wanted. Gerrit dangled on my arm and chuckled.

I couldn’t help but sigh and smile at the same time.

The garden at Juliette Palace was beautiful in the fall.

The gardeners were hard at work, taking care of the trees and newly grown plants.

I was terrible with flower names but Benjamin was different.

Gerrit and I were able to be energized by his explanations to learn about a lot of new plants.

The magenta flower over there is an anemone, these over here are a pretty bundle of Sweet Williams. In the back are some coneflowers.

This outdoor tea time with butterflies and dragonflies joining us was wonderful.

The weather was great, the sky was clear and having a guest for the first time in a long while made me very happy.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it? Should I ask them for more?”

I asked Gerrit. The little boy, who had been chewing on his snack, curled his eyes and nodded his head.

This tarte flambée, which had lardon, emmental cheese and mushrooms to suit my tastes, was closer to a pizza than a tart.

Seeing as how this little kid enjoyed it as well, Chef Laurence truly had a way of cooking that just drew you into her food.

“Ganael, three plates of this and fouace please. For the fouace, make them the ones with the orange confit inside. Gerrit likes them.”

“Yes, your highness!”

Ganael, who was attending to us, looked extremely happy as he walked away.

Gerrit looked at me in shock. He seemed to be trying to say that he could not eat that much.

I wiped the sauce off the child’s chin and gently smiled.

“Don’t worry. Uncle will help you.”

Gerrit looked relieved after hearing that.

Now that I thought about it, I ate quite well when we all went out together last time. His first impression of me must have been quite memorable.

I confirmed that he was drinking some warm milk before turning to the side.

Benjamin was carefully pouring some tea at the next table.

He must have sensed my gaze as he stopped what he was doing and handed over Gerrit’s bag. ‘He’s so observant.’

“Thank you very much. Gerrit, can I open it?”

Nod nod. Little Geens’ white hair, which looked exactly the same as his father’s, fluttered in the wind.

Sir Johann had brought Gerrit to the entrance and then entered into Romero Palace.

Maybe he was looking at his son out a window the whole time.

The bag Gerrit brought with him was so large that it covered his whole back and it was very full.

I cautiously opened the bag. I naturally started smiling once I saw what was inside.

“It is full of letters. I guess you are a mailman, Gerrit.”

The child chuckled with joy.

Gerrit’s medicine and a book for him to read were inside as well, but the rest were letters from my friends.

I pulled out the colorful cards and letters and made eye contact with the little boy.

“Thank you so much. I was curious about how my friends were doing. Wasn’t it heavy to carry?”

Shake shake.

“That’s a relief.”

I emptied the bag and slowly reached over to fix Gerrit’s hair.

The boy smiled as if it felt nice.

Benjamin was nice and took the sun halo weed from Gerrit and started brewing the tea for him.

I heard that the medicine was quite bitter but the little boy dangled his legs and waited for it without the slightest look of detest.

He was so good and pure that I couldn’t help but pity his situation.

“Let’s see.”

It was quite peaceful after that.

I enjoyed reading the letters from Christelle, Vice Captain Élisabeth, Eva, Marquis Duhem, Sand, Agnes and my other companions.

There was even one from Chantal, the Chief of Staff of the Sérénité Lord’s Castle.

It was even more entertaining as I felt like I could hear the voices of the writers as I read them.

Gerrit watched me read with interest.

‘……His Royal Highness keeps crossing the line, your highness. Yesterday, I almost requested a duel with him because I really couldn’t get through to him. I am at least extremely relieved to hear that you woke up safely, your highness. I was so shocked after hearing that you coughed up blood that I destroyed my bed. My mother heard the noise and ran over bare feet.’

Christelle’s handwriting was full of anger and energy.

Eva, who was apparently in the Imperial Capital, wrote down a detailed account of what she has been doing these days. I was relieved to see that she did not seem to have any difficulties or issues.

Vice Captain Élisabeth explained the situation outside the Imperial Palace in a calm demeanor.

‘Both the Imperial Capital and the entire Empire is quite rowdy about it, your highness. I’m sure you read about it in the < Biweekly Riester > but the reaction is actually much hotter than that. The alert status for the soldiers was removed after a week but the citizens on the streets are still talking about the sky and the golem’s movements. There are people who say ominous things but also a lot of people who consider it to be a blessing of the Almighty God.’

I thought about the young Countess’s explanation.

The golem’s movements themselves had been extremely dangerous, but there were also records of the Empire having bountiful harvests following the appearance of golems every couple centuries.

It was not surprising to hear that there were mixed reactions.

Vice Captain Élisabeth’s parents, Margrave Caroline Moutet and her husband, had also sent a card asking about my well-being.

The message from Sir Michel was especially long.

‘Your highness, the flowers and trees in our greenhouse are growing extremely healthy thanks to the magic stone sprinkler you gifted us last summer. I pray that you also work hard for your recovery as well.

(Omit)

I also heard that you requested to her Majesty to allow for the growth of sun halo weed in the Imperial Palace. That was truly a wise decision, your highness. The sun halo weed’s phenomenal detoxification abilities and its endless regenerative power is an extremely curious research subject for a botanist and doctor like myself. Our benevolent Majesty has called me to the Imperial Palace to personally observe the roots and leaves and has allowed me to dry the flowers and store them. I am currently investigating things related to Sir Geens’ son, Gerrit’s condition……’

I stopped reading Sir Michel’s message and looked at Gerrit.

The child who had received the cup from Benjamin was maturely drinking the medicinal tea.

I heard that he has been using the same medicine since he was a baby but the bitter taste must be hard to get used to as he frowned every so often.

I stabbed a piece of Membrillo with my fork and silently waited.

‘I’ll feed it to him once he finishes it.’

It was at that moment.

“Hmm?”

Gerrit’s large eyes blinked a few times before he extended his teacup toward me.

There were about two sips left. I tilted my head.

“Are you done drinking it?”

The child shook his head at my question. He then pushed the cup even closer to me.

I became a bit anxious.

“Are you trying to give it to me?”

His small head moved up and down.

Ganael, who had brought over the requested bread and a bunch of dessert, gasped in shock.

Benjamin looked uncomfortable for a moment as well.

My two confidants, as well as the people around me, clearly remembered how the sun halo weed and moon halo weed had affected me in the past.

Sir Geens had put sun halo weed extract on my teacup and then later had me drink moon halo weed tea to make me suffer from ether disturbance.

He then used that to try to kill me.

“……Thank you, Gerrit. But uncle is not sick so it is okay. This is your medicine so you don’t have to save some for me.”

I carefully chose my words. His mint-colored eyes were shaking.

The child opened and closed his mouth as if he wanted to say something but no words came out.

He must have been upset about that as his face looked sad. ‘Aigoo.’

“I mean it. Uncle is completely fine. So let’s drink all of it, Gerrit. I’m sure your dad wants you to do so as well.”

“Waa……”

A cry-like groan came out of his mouth.

I gasped and covered the child’s hands, which were holding the cup, with my hand.

Gerrit was looking at me with a desperate gaze.

“Your highness, you don’t need to drink it.”

“Yes sir.”

Benjamin quietly advised and I immediately flicked my chin.

The dark tea was releasing the peculiar bitter scent of medicinal teas.

The reason I suffered from ether disturbance was because of the combination of sun halo weed extract and moon halo weed.

My head knew that tea made from sun halo weed would not negatively affect me in any way.

That would explain why the Imperial Crown Prince punk allowed this child to bring his medicine with him.

“……”

The surface of the tea was slightly shaking.

It took me a long time to realize that it was because my hand was shaking.

‘I guess I’m still scared of it.’

“I guess you must have heard that I fainted, Gerrit. That is why you are giving me this medicine?”

Thankfully, my voice sounded fine.

The young boy looked at me with teary eyes and nodded his head.

Gerrit was ten years old but he was as short as a seven year old and his physique was weak because he has been weak since birth.

I smiled while looking at the child and……

“Your highness!”

Gulp gulp. I drank the rest of the sun halo weed tea.

Ganael looked extremely anxious as if I had swallowed poison but Gerrit’s fingers twitched with joy and relief.

The child quickly placed a piece of Membrillo in my mouth as soon as I placed the empty cup on the table.

The soft and sweet taste melted in my mouth and washed away the bitter taste.

I couldn’t help but chuckle now.

“It looks like uncle will get healthy thanks to you, Gerrit. Maybe my ether will return tomorrow.”

I placed a purple berlingot in Gerrit’s mouth.

My little mailman and doctor smiled brightly and nodded his head.

He seemed to be agreeing with my statement.

*

That night…

“Dame Christelle de Sarnez, I have so much respect for you. It is an extreme honor to meet you. To fight against a golem…… You are as brave as our ancestors.”

“Thank you very much. I am pleased to meet you as well.”

This fancy tavern in the Legault district, the central district of the Imperial Capital, was so full that there was no room to move.

Christelle was smiling brightly while receiving the greeting of some noble young lady.

The person’s face turned red and she didn’t seem to know what to do before kissing the back of Christelle’s hand and walking away.

This was already about the fifth time she had faced this sort of situation tonight.

“It is great that my daughter is so popular.”

“Yes, I agree, mother.”

Christelle responded with a smile to Isabelle’s whisper.

The mother and daughter pair, who were actually pretty similar in age, clinked their glasses against each other’s and giggled.

The young Holy Knight was doing her best not to recall the view of Korea she had seen that day.

All it was doing was to make her upset.

She was neither sure about how to create that hole in the sky again nor how she could get there.

She did not want to be tortured by a useless hope that she may be able to return to her original world.

It was better to forget about it.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers!”

The sweet yet bitter taste of the wine flushed down her throat with those memories.

The city area had been completely empty two weeks ago when the soldiers had been moved to alert status.

The knights in the garrison defending the Imperial Capital were patrolling the streets night and day while the regular nobles and commoners with no talents in magic or sword arts stayed in their homes.

But it was different now. Everywhere except the borders had returned to normal.

In fact, it seemed even livelier than when that hole in the sky and the golem appeared.

Christelle let her ears take in the waves of chatter she could hear from those around her.

“The harvest festival is already next month. I am excited to see how much we can gather in my territory.”

“Oh, the storehouse at our Lord’s Castle was looted last month. I hope we can make up for the losses with this harvest.”

“My goodness, Baron. Was it perhaps that thief?”

Her blue-gray eyes inadvertently looked through the tavern. It then stopped at a certain spot.

Although this man had a robe covering his face, Christelle was certain that she knew this person sitting at a corner table.

Now that she thought about it, she had not checked to see if he was okay since they last saw him at the Blanquer Lord’s Castle. An odd sense of curiosity as well as mischievousness filled her heart.

Christelle called an errand boy over to say that she wanted to send a drink to that gentleman over there and asked for paper and pen.

She then excitedly wrote down a message.

‘You can’t get married if you can’t drink this in one shot. Oh, detestable sir…

What happened with the prophecy you made at the Blanquer Duchy?

– C. S.’

The errand boy quickly delivered champagne and the message to Modeste Bacary as Christelle smirked and observed his face.

The young seer seemed surprised at this completely unexpected show of goodwill.

Christelle was not acquainted with Bacary but knew that he was the one who had viciously glared at Prince Jesse during the Crown prince’s succession confirmation ceremony.

She had also heard about how he had left an ominous prophecy to the Prince and his friends at the masquerade.

As someone who listened to his warning and assisted in searching through the ballroom, she thought that she had the right to hear the backstory.

However, he showed a surprising reaction.

Bacary looked at Christelle from the distance before calling the errand boy over to write a response.

This was an interesting development.

Christelle calmly read the message from the seer that the errand boy delivered.

‘I will accept the drink with gratitude. However, I do not know what you are talking about with a prophecy, Dame Sarnez. Unfortunately, I have lost my memories of that night.

– M. B.’

“……What does he mean?”

Her face stiffened.

‘Is he saying that his memories of making the prophecy are completely gone?’

—
Translator’s Comments

Dory, is that yooooou?

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