Chapter 43
1939 Words
Chapter 43
If Elliott were to stay in the center of the pond she’d overlook him, but if he continued trying to make it to dry land, it would be the stones for him. Her accuracy was great as well, so she would definitely hit Elliott if she wanted to.
“E-EEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
It was hopeless. He couldn’t just give up and stay in the pond. The pond wasn’t shallow enough that a six year old Elliott could reach the bottom.
During the time that Elliott had desperately tried to float up and thought he was going to drown, all of his followers had gathered around the girl standing on shore. It looked like they were all begging on Elliott’s behalf, but the girl was ignoring them. She just kept playing with a couple of small stones in the palm of her hand while silently staring down Elliott.
Elliott slowly faded out of consciousness as he watched a group of adults rushing towards the gathered children.
The area around the pond had become the stage for a terrible incident with agonizing cries filling the air.
While the maids took care of the wounded boys, some of the other servants jumped into the pond to rescue the sinking prince. Nobody looked to be seriously injured, but everyone needed medical attention and follow up. The royal court physician was thus called just to be safe.
The King and Queen arrived at the scene after receiving a sudden report, and were clued in to details that sounded straight from a battlefield.
“............and so if the only calm one of the bunch, Duke Ferguson’s daughter Rachel, is to be believed, then it’s worse than we thought.”
Even though this incident involved only young people who lacked a certain level of judgement with such things, it’s still hard to believe that a dozen boys would gang up on a single noble daughter just because of some perceived disrespect..........and then just one person completely annihilated the Prince and his entourage that was supposed to protect him..........
This wasn’t on the level where you could call this a failure in education. Elliott’s group and the girl too. Figuring out what to do with these kids was giving the King a headache.
Duke Ferguson was down by the pond, his face a rich shade of blue and holding his daughter who was at the center of all this. No matter how much anybody tried to persuade her, she wouldn’t stop throwing stones at Elliott, so her father had to forcibly hold her in his arms so that she couldn’t throw any more.
She was a cute little girl that looked like an expressionless doll, and she seemed all the more doll-like being held up in her Father’s arms the way she was..........however, while her face may have been expressionless, there was clear anger and murderous intent in those eyes that made even the King shudder.
The King was looking into the Duke’s arms at the calm face of a young girl the entire time the Duke was rattling off his apologies and excuses.
“So you’re Rachel? May I talk with you?”
Hearing her name, the eldest daughter of the Ferguson house tilted her head to the side.
“Your Majesty, will this be a long talk?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
While the King was speaking as gently as possible, the six year old daughter of a duke was speaking quite seriously.
“Because the distribution for the cherry cheesecake will soon end, is it fine if we continue this after I’ve received at least one?”
On the King’s orders, a servant ran back to the venue to get a slice of cake.
Naturally the King was left stunned by this development, so the Queen who was standing beside him spoke up.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
“This is a big deal for Rachel.”
“Well.........I can’t deny that.........”
Rather, even a generous man would have to admit she’s focusing on the wrong thing, the King thought to himself.
“I’ve come to a decision. Rachel shall be Elliott’s bride.”
The Queen made a sudden declaration as if a brilliant idea had suddenly struck her.
..........But in that situation, how was such an idea formed? Even the King was unable to understand his wife’s train of thought when seeing this little girl.
And so the King unintentionally responded.
“.........seriously?”
“I’m very serious. She was able to do all of that, and now here she is, calmly and objectively describing everything that happened. It’d be difficult for anyone to do that.”
“I suppose you’re right...........but isn’t it just that they didn’t understand what they were doing because they’re kids?”
So the Queen asked Rachel.
“Rachel. What were you thinking when you injured Elliott.”
“I, was giving him the death penalty? I wanted to take his neck before the cherry cheesecake ran out.”
“How about it Your Majesty? Even though it may have landed her in prison, she still calmly describes her actions!”
“More than that, I’m worried about this cherry cheesecake that Rachel seems so obsessed with.”
Elliott awoke as if he had only dozed off and had no memories of the garden party.
To be exact, he remembers that something happened at the garden party, but those memories were random and fragmented as if he had dreamed it all.
This was quite fortunate for the Queen who proceeded to introduce Rachel to Elliott as his future bride rather than as the criminal who almost killed him. Although Elliott was struck by the sudden decision, he thought it didn’t matter since it would be over a decade before he’d get married.
“For that reason, since Elliott agrees to it as well, you can send your daughter over.”
“Don’t be absurd!”
The Duke made a firm protest after everything had been cleaned up, but it’s not like he could resist the decision of the King and Queen. Not to mention, his daughter did just assault the Prince.......the Duke’s house can’t show any opposition if they want to secure that acquittal.
“It’s fine, isn’t it? Isn’t it about time you found a marriage partner for her anyway?”
“Yes I suppose so..........but are you sure you’re fine with this?”
“What do you mean?”
The Duke let out a sigh while wiping his face with a handkerchief.
“Are you sure you’re fine taking in a girl capable of that into your family as a bride.”
“.............”
Now that he mentions it.........no no, the King shook his head and tossed out his newly emerging thoughts.
“W-Well........Well, I’m sure such an incident will never happen again. Hmm.”
“I hope so...........”
It would be another ten years before those two kids would cause a much larger incident.
. Just wanted to point out that Elliott is still using ‘kisama’ even as a kid to address Rachel. So he has always been foul-mouthed and rude.
- Day of Departure, and then a New Normal
- Day of Departure, and then a New Normal
Day of Departure, and then a New Normal
A cloudless clear sky. A suitable morning for a departure.
.......However, if you’re being forced to flee the capitol after a reduction in rank, the mood is bound to have a little misery mixed in as well.
Today is, the day of departure for the former Prince Elliott on his way to the Reefren territory.
“Good grief........there’s something really moving about looking out at some scenery you’ll probably never see again.”
Elliott was looking out at the trees in the garden next to his carriage. George, who had come to see him off, wiped the tears out of his eyes.
“This is how it is..........I never would’ve expected things to come out like this four months ago........”
“Haha, knock off those tears. Isn’t this a peaceful end after losing a court battle?”
In Elliott’s case, he had already been completely defeated before a power struggle could even take place.
“However George, is it okay for you to come see me off like this? Aren’t you in a pretty precarious situation yourself?”
The fact is he was seeing off someone who was almost as good as exiled, a pretty dangerous move from a survivor’s standpoint. No matter what the era, honoring a loser wouldn’t be looked kindly on by the winners.
“Yes, thanks for your concern. But for the time being at least, Alexandra has given me her permission..........”
“........I see. I wonder if she really cares.”
“She also sent over a few gifts for you. Um..........a picture book to read along the way, a few coins so you can buy some food or other supplies during the trip, a knight doll to kill some time in the carriage...........”
“That bastard, does she think I’m still a child.............”
Elliott refused to take the gifts that Alexandra had sent over, so George pulled out another bag.
“This too........bringing this, I honestly had to think about it.........”
“What is it?”
“I was entrusted with this as well.........it’s apparently a gift from Sis.”
“...........Rachel...........?”
The both of them took a look at the suspicious looking bag with the wariness it deserved.
“It’s okay to bet that there’s absolutely nothing decent in there.”
“........yes, I was worried the entire time I was carrying it...........”
Sharing a look, the two men carefully opened the bag. After making sure nothing was going to pop out at them, they start pulling out everything that was in there one by one.
“Medicine..........?”
“It’s medicine.”
The bag was filled with medicine for different ailments and injuries, bandages, blood clotting medicinal herbs, anti-bacterials, absorbent cotton, triangular bandages, pain relievers........
“Isn’t there too much medicine for wounds in here!?”
“Knowing her, there’s definitely got to be a reason for this...........”
At the very bottom of the bag was a card with a message scrawled across.
Hang in there!
“.........without knowing her intent here, this is a very foreboding message.”
“Is there something in the earldom, some other problem............”
As the men thought, both of them realized quite a bit of time had passed since George had come to visit.
No matter what the meaning behind Rachel’s message was, they couldn’t worry about it forever.
“Well now, George. Once things have calmed down, feel free to come over to play.”
“Yes, Your Highness should be careful too........”
George had to rub his nose a little as Elliott moved to board his carriage.
An escorting knight then got on as well, yelling it was time to leave as they shut the carriage’s door behind them. The carriage’s coachman then locked the door for his passengers before jumping up to his seat and grabbing the horses’ reigns.
George waved farewell as the carriage began its departure, and he continued to do so until it had left through the main gate and was no longer in sight.
“.........I wonder when next we will meet............”
George turned his eyes back in the direction of his office.............but after a few steps, his legs stopped.
“Just a moment.........before, did they lock the cabin doors from the outside?”
- Writer
