Chapter 199

TL: Zimmings

“It’s been two years.”

I took Adrian’s hand and asked, regardless of my family’s reaction.

“When did you come? How did you come yesterday? Is the red moon rising because you came? What do you mean after two years? What have you been doing all this time? Huh?”

Seeing me constantly asking questions, Adrian smiled.

When he said ‘for the first time in two years’, he probably meant that he had been there for two years.

Adrian had changed a lot, it’s a normal thing for teenagers.

His height, which was similar to that of Isaac, had grown up near Johann’s height, and his jawline became sharp… above all, the voice! His voice became very low.

It’s very surprising.

As my eyes lit up, I could feel some eyes behind my back. My family.

Henry separates me from Adrian.

“The prince is surprised. Take it slow.”

And then, I looked around.

‘Oops.’

There was no one around except us, but we have to be careful as it is the Imperial Palace.

I nodded.

“Shall we go to your palace?”

“Let’s go somewhere else. We don’t want anyone to find you here.”

It’s been a week since Adrian disappeared.

The reason why everyone was so quiet even though the prince disappeared was because he had been told by the emperor to leave for the border just before he disappeared.

I asked my dad so that no one would know of his disappearance.

“Ah, the emperor thinks you’re sick. I thought it would be weird if he didn’t hear from you even after you arrived at the border.….”

As I whispered, Adrian said, “I know.” and nodded his head.

“Then how are you going to explain why you came to the Imperial Palace?”

“My people have found evidence of some officers colluding with foreigners. I came here on the pretext of consulting with the prime minister, so there is no need to worry.”

“I see……. You’re not going to go see His Majesty?”

It may have been only days for the emperor, but for Adrian, it was 2 years.

As I lowered my head, Adrian stroked my hair.

“He would be suspicious when he saw his son suddenly this tall.”

Then I turned to my father and brothers and said, “Please take them to the greenhouse too.”

My father and brothers glared at Adrian fiercely and followed him, but I stood for a moment and touched the part that Adrian has stroked.

‘He has definitely grown up.’

He seemed like a little kid, but somehow it felt strange. Is this how the older sister feels when she sees her younger brother grow taller? I’m confused, and somehow…

‘My cheeks are itchy. Why?’

Have I been bitten by an insect?

Just as I was thinking about it, Isaac said, “Aren’t you coming!?” I scratched my cheek and chased after them.

***

The greenhouse where Adrian took us was very desolate.

It’s so shabby that I can’t imagine it’s a greenhouse in the Imperial Palace. I was puzzled. Henry noticed me and whispered, “It’s the late Empress’s greenhouse.”

‘Ah…’

The deceased Empress Elsa’s garden.

Empress Elsa is Adrian’s mother and the only empress during the current emperor’s reign.

Empress Yvonne was jealous that she stayed in the people’s memories even after she died, so she used her influence to make them forget. As a result, the greenhouse is overgrown with weeds and dirty.

Among the trees that grew randomly, there was only one tree that looked like it had been touched by a human hand, and there was a sign on it.

[Adrian.]

It seems that Empress Elsa planted a tree after the name of her child while she was alive.

It was like Adrian’s world.

It looked so lonely.

“I’m sorry for bringing you into this poor place.”

Adrian gave our family a table lying around in the greenhouse.

“So you know.”

Ishak sat down while grumbling and I glared at him fiercely.

“… It’s a good place.”

After Isaac was startled and changed his words quickly, I turned my gaze away.

Adrian looked at me and smiled, pulled something out and placed it on the table. I widened my eyes when I saw what Adrian had pulled out.

“Mom’s seal!”

I have seen it clearly in the past.

The seal of Duchess Dubblede was shining alongside her wedding ring in my mother’s hand. Inside, the sun and the moon interlock with each other, and in the center there is a Dubblede pattern and a jewel. Dad and Johann’s eyes hardened as if they also recognized it.

“How does the prince have this?”

Adrian answered Johann’s words.

“After sending the lady here, I returned to the Dubblede Territory to bury the Duchess and maid’s bodies. But the body disappeared and all that was left was this.”

My father, holding his mother’s seal, nodded.

“The body is gone?”

“Yes. When I went to the mountains, Dubblede’s knights were also looking for the Duchess and the child, but, as you know, no one found the body. Even the cardinal’s corpse.”

“We also know that the temple must have hidden it. What is the prince trying to say?”

“It was no accident that I found the duchess’ seal.”

“… What do you mean?”

“It was lying in an obvious place. It’s like they’re giving us a hint.”

Our whole family looked at Adrian with hardened faces.

After exchanging glances with my father, Adrian opened his mouth again.

“The temple has no reason to hint that they killed the Duchess.”

“… So someone is not on the temple’s side?”

“It must be the one who recovers their bodies.”

‘The real Trigon.’

The man who erased the memories of Lea and Cecilia was in the mountain at the last moment.

I quickly looked at my father. Hr nodded his head as if he agreed with me.

‘Trigon said that the real Trigon is a sincere and good person who loves his family.’

“It’s ridiculous that he’s following the temple! He’s a fool who can’t harm a single mouse!”

“But Lea and Cecilia must have been really struck by Trigon’s magic. Think carefully. Was there anything suspicious at the time?”

“I don’t know. It’s long ago… Ah, At that time, Aragorn (real Trigon’s father) had a carriage accident. I was also accidentally injured, so I couldn’t take care of him.”

Recalling the conversation with the fake Trigon, I clenched my skirt tightly.

“Family.”

“What?”

Isaac looked at me as I bit my lips.

“The temple threatened the real Trigon with his family. So there’s nothing he can do.”

Dad added.

“The son of Aragon was famous for being filial. He left a seal on purpose.”

“He was compelled to follow the temple, but the good-natured real Trigon couldn’t stand it. So… ”

I turned to Adrian as he said.

“A smart man would not have left the evidence. He gave us a hint with this seal.”

Yes, he must have been under surveillance in the temple, so he wouldn’t have been able to leave evidence.

He purposely left the seal at the mountain.

“But what is that hint?”

As I mumbled, Adrian said.

“Leblaine.”

“Huh?”

“Sun and moon. Anything comes to mind?”

“The sun and the moon…? That’s…”

I opened my eyes wide and jumped up.

“Underground altar! Dad, there’s the sun and the moon interlocked in the temple’s underground altar tapestry!

The place where I died in my first life.

I watched the tapestry the whole time while dying.

“But, Adrian. How did you know that?”

“Because I’ve been to that altar before and saw it. There’s a man who collapsed there.”

“… Is the real Trigon alive?”

“I don’t know if it’s him. But it’s certain that the seal is pointing at the temple.”

I touched the seal on my father’s hand.

‘Everything went well.’

Adrian has returned safely and there is no need to go to the temple anymore. But now, I have to go back to the temple to find the real Trigon. It was as if someone led me to the temple.

‘I don’t know if it’s a God Neliard or the evil God, but there’s something clear.’

If we can enter the underground altar, I can find the real Trigon.

‘And if we find the real Trigon, we can destroy the temple.’

***

Holy knights and priests lowered their voices as they talked with Cardinal Blasio.

“The pope is very worried.”

“I know.”

“The red spinel is unresponsive?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s a passage right? Out of nowhere why… now the Pope has threatened u to find the fragment of etwal at any cost.”

“I don’t know!”

Cardinal Blasio stood tall and shouted.

The servants passing through the quiet corridor looked at him in surprise. It seemed strange that the anger erupted from the benevolent cardinal.

The holy knight was surprised and quickly waved his hand so that everyone could go. Meanwhile, Cardinal Blasio ruffled his hair.

The red spinel had lost its light for a week or so. As if the devil disappeared.

‘There were signs of a break-in in my office. Someone came in, but who?’

It wouldn’t be a thief.

A thief would have stolen the red spinel, but it wouldn’t have caused it to fade.

‘Did the owner of etwal touch it? But from the beginning, etwal was only in the temple…’

He didn’t know how either.

The pope urges him to find out but he had no clue.

He couldn’t even make up an excuse.

‘In the midst of this, I have to listen to grievances about the Empress Dowager. Damn old woman.’

She didn’t want to meet with the pope.

The temple was busy because the influence of the temple was reduced and Marche also ignored them recently.

In the midst of this, if the Empress Dowager was captured, it would be even more chaotic.

Just then,

“Blasio!”

A voice came from the end of the hallway. A little lady with luscious brown curly hair looked at him and bowed her head.

“Yes?”

“Child of fate…”

“My name is Leblaine!”

No one could guess Leblaine’s motive beneath that bright smile.

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