Translator: Nox
(44) The Dead Forest and the Fairy Garden (1)
Unlike magicians, black magicians worshiped dark gods and used the power they received from them. They were cruel and strong.
The Empire and the Temple were wary of them and killed them on sight, but black magicians used strange tricks to cloud their opponents' eyes and disguise themselves, continuing their lineage.
'Lucas Pelur or Elise must have made a soul contract with a black magician. If they provide what the black magician wants, the black magician will move as they wish.'
Elise was one thing, but Lucas Pelur had the power and authority to do so. She judged that Lucas Pelur was the one who hired the black magician.
'They have a strong ally, but I have nothing.'
Even her only allies, the Spirits, did not move as Roxana wished, making her anxious and uneasy. She wanted to develop some ability as soon as possible to reclaim her family and bring those responsible to their knees.
'But what am I doing now?'
Roxana sat on a garden bench and recalled her recent routine.
She would chat with the Spirits for a few words, then go to the laundry to do laundry or clean, go to the kitchen to learn to cook and help prepare food, and sometimes spend time gardening with the gardener.
At first, the employees were embarrassed by Roxana's visits, but now they greeted her with a welcome smile.
'Yes, I shouldn't think of this as a waste of time.'
Winning people's hearts before doing great things was important. There would be times when people's hearts would be more helpful than any other power.
'It's only natural that it will take a long time for someone like me, who has nothing, to reach them. If I get impatient, things could go wrong, so I have to take a long-term view and move step by step.'
Roxana soothed her anxious heart in that way.
It would be nice to have someone to confide in and share her worries with at times like this.
When she thought of the person she could tell everything to when everyone was alive, her stomach churned.
'Yes, even that was you, Elise. I told you things I couldn't even tell my family.'
As Roxana clenched her fists tightly, something jumped onto her thigh. Roxana's eyes softened as she looked down at the lump of fur.
"Lion."
The gray wolf, named Lion, licked Roxana's hand as if trying to comfort her. Roxana tickled Lion's chin and said.
"Yes, now I have you."
No matter how small, a beast was a beast, and Lion was fierce to everyone. Even though Petria brought him meat and milk every day, he didn't give her an opening.
But he was as gentle as a puppy only to Roxana. He didn't bare his teeth, and unlike a wolf, he wagged his tail, exposed his belly, and acted cute.
There was no way she couldn't feel affection for the little wolf who was so lovely only to her.
Whenever she realized her incompetence and wanted to die, the little creature grabbed Roxana's ankle.
'Yes, I have to hold on at least until this child is alive.'
The wolf cub became her strength without knowing what thoughts Roxana was gaining the strength to live on.
Roxana looked down at Lion with a softer gaze and tickled his chin. Roxana said to the wolf, whose eyes narrowed as if he felt good.
"You know, my younger brother is named Ranian, and he really liked puppies. If he had seen you, he would have loved you so much..."
Roxana couldn't tell other people about her family, but it was different with Lion. The little wolf only looked at Roxana with clear, sparkling eyes, without any evaluation or comfort.
That's why it was comfortable.
"Ranian is kind and gentle, so he liked animals very much. He liked puppies the most and raised five of them. They were all cute and lovely, but since there was no one to take care of them, they must have all died."
As Roxana's voice trembled, Lion licked Roxana's fingertips as if to comfort her. Roxana stared at Lion for a moment and said.
"It's been almost a month since I first met you, but you haven't grown at all. Are you sick somewhere? I wonder if Sir Lepe knows why you're not growing?"
It was only a few days ago that she realized Lion wasn't growing. She woke up in the morning and saw Lion lying at her feet and suddenly realized. That he was the same size as when she first met him.
She soon dismissed the idea that the growth rate of dogs and wolves might be different. Wolves are wild animals, so they will grow that much faster. There was no way he would maintain such a small and weak appearance for long.
When she realized it was strange, she wanted to run to Kirshan and ask him right away, but she couldn't.
Recently, the Grand Duke's palace was too busy managing the people who had moved to the city because the forest had died.
The city dwellers treated the refugees as country bumpkins, and the refugees resented the city dwellers. Of course, there were more people who took care of the refugees with good intentions, but it was easy to predict that the conflicts that were taking place all over the city could spread like wildfire burning hay.
In the midst of all this, she couldn't bother Kirshan with the problem of the wolf not growing. As busy as Floyd was, his escort knight Kirshan must be busy too.
"I went to the downtown with Countess Lenardo the other day and saw the Grand Duke. He was resolving a dispute in the market. He was swearing... I've never heard such swearing in my life."
It was the first time she had seen a Monarch directly resolving a market dispute, or the way he roughly separated those who were fighting while spewing out vulgar curses. It was so strange and funny that Roxana watched him for a long time before leaving the place.
"He's a strange person. I've never seen anyone like that before. He swears so much, but he doesn't seem vulgar. Is that why everyone likes the Grand Duke?"
Roxana scratched Lion's chin.
"My brother was loved by everyone too... Ah, of course, not because he swore a lot like the Grand Duke, but because he was a very bright, cheerful, and reliable child. And this is a secret..."
As Roxana lowered her voice, Lion perked up his ears.
"Ranian had a talent for magic. He knew how to use magic before he even came to his senses. If that were known, the Empire would take him away, lock him up in the Magic Tower, and he wouldn't be able to see his family often. I kept it a secret because I was worried about that..."
Roxana's lips twisted.
"If I had known this would happen, it would have been better if he had been locked up in the Magic Tower. He would be alive now if that were the case."
Roxana didn't cry, but the wolf licked her cheek as if he knew her feelings. Despite the warmth on her cheek, the chill that swept through her pierced heart did not disappear.
Then Lion suddenly bristled and growled, looking behind Roxana. Roxana jumped up and turned around.
A middle-aged woman she had never seen before was standing in the middle of the path between the flower beds. The woman, dressed in a sophisticated but neat dress, was looking around the garden with surprised eyes.
Roxana hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Is there a problem?"
Only then did the visitor seem to realize Roxana's presence, regain her senses, and compose her expression. She blinked her eyes and looked at Roxana before opening her mouth.
"Ah, well, um... I'm Eldred. Eldred Hills."
Roxana knew the name.
Roxana slightly grabbed her skirt, bent her knees, and paid her respects.
"Head Maid, I presume. It's nice to meet you. I'm Roxana."
Eldred stared blankly at Roxana, who greeted her first.
Roxana didn't know it, but Eldred had had many things happen to her in relation to Roxana.
No matter how hard she tried to stop it, she couldn't completely stop the rumors that the Grand Duke had brought a woman into the Lily Palace.
Countess Tivlang's light mouth fluttered as she pleased whenever she met people, and those who heard the story came to Eldred, their eyes shining to find out the truth.
In order to hide the fact that the woman to whom the Grand Duke had given the Lily Palace had been branded as a slave, Eldred had to talk about 'our beautiful and precious lady' to those who came to her every day.
As a result, she began to feel a sense of familiarity with Roxana, whom she had never even had a proper conversation with. Moreover, as Roxana's reputation improved among the employees, she even came to be regarded as a truly 'beautiful and precious lady.'
Then, she heard rumors that the garden of the Lily Palace was unusually beautiful. She couldn't help but go when she heard such words.
Eldred visited the Lily Palace as if possessed and saw the real 'princess' there.
When she came in Floyd's arms, she only caught a glimpse of her, so she didn't have a chance to properly admire her appearance.
Roxana, standing in the strangely beautiful garden, looked noble enough to be called a 'princess,' even though she was only wearing a coat over an ordinary dress.
Her tall height, her coolly extended long arms and legs, her platinum blonde hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight, her pearly face beneath it, her beautiful forest-like green eyes, and her rose-red lips.
Her posture, standing with her back straight, was flawlessly elegant and dignified.
'This woman is a fairy!'
She couldn't take her eyes off her beauty to the point that she had such childish thoughts.
'Those clothes won't do!'
Eldred, who had spent decades as a Head Maid, instantly came up with dresses and accessories that would suit Roxana well.
'Light pink, no, light green dress. Expressing a darker color as you go down, and giving a strong point to the accessories with gold and emerald...'
"Um, Head Maid?"
Eldred was startled back to her senses by Roxana's call.
'What am I thinking!'
She had been lost in thought for a moment. Receiving Roxana's questioning gaze, Eldred cleared her throat and remembered why she had come here.
