Chapter 9
#9
"What's this? Where did this beast pup come from?"
One of the Lafi, recognizing Lykan by his tail, started a fight with the client. It was only natural for Lykan, who valued his hot-blooded nature, to respond to the provocation.
During the ensuing brawl, the Lafi, at a disadvantage, reported Lykan, and Lucy, who was protecting him, was pointed out as the mastermind.
The Lafi around her, who had a bad impression of her, added their voices as if they had been waiting for this moment, and Lucy was reduced to a notorious street thug and imprisoned.
"Ugh, really. How did it come to this?"
Lucy chewed on her bread as if it were her enemy, gazing at the ceiling with sad eyes.
If this were the first time, she might have been surprised. What made it even more maddening was that this was already the third time.
Her determination to wait quietly until the king died had all gone up in smoke, and Lucy had become the most infamous human in Pomnos.
"Still, just hang in there for a few more days. I've called someone to vouch for you, so you'll be released soon."
The guard, who had been sorting feathers in the corner, got up and spoke as he dusted off his seat.
"A guarantor?"
Lucy, squinting and trying to deduce the meaning of the word, threw her tray aside and stood up.
Just as she was about to shout about who they had called this time, a small murmur seeped in beyond the sound of the tray clattering.
A low voice accompanied by heavy footsteps.
It was definitely the sound of military boots.
"Oh my, he's here already."
The guard tapped his beak and looked towards the door. After a moment, a man emerged from the shadow cast in the doorway.
The man walking upright was quite tall for a human, but the Lafi standing in front and behind him were so large that he didn't give off much of an intimidating presence.
However, the crude sword at his waist and the expressionless, stern face, along with his reputation, pressed down on Lucy's shoulders with an indescribable pressure as soon as she met his gaze.
Lucy bit her lip and involuntarily took a step back.
Noticing her bewildered expression, he gave a faint smile and approached the iron bars.
"It's been a while, Princess."
Walter Heiberg looked at Lucy with a stern face.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Contrary to the common perception that it was full of white snowfields, Pomnos was a land with relatively distinct seasons. The short summer ended, and the chilly north wind brushed against her cheeks, signaling the poignancy of autumn.
Beneath the cool air, a vast plain with sparse patches of green grassland met the sky, revealing an endless horizon. In the distance, sheep were grazing, and two shepherds hurrying along with a load of wool conveyed a sense of quiet peace.
The picturesque scenery never got old, no matter how many times she looked at it. Walter stood in front of the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon, and opened his mouth.
"I was worried because it's a difficult area for humans to live in, but I'm relieved to see that you're doing well."
It would have been better if he had thrown sarcasm at her.
The sincere voice, devoid of any mockery, pricked at Lucy's conscience.
Lucy straightened her back as if nothing was wrong and handed him the warm sheep's milk.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm sorry for causing you worry. You didn't come all the way here just because of me, did you?"
Walter raised the cup and took a sip of the sheep's milk. After a brief silence, he turned his gaze to Lucy and opened his mouth.
"A year ago, when you were first imprisoned, I signed as your guarantor. Since then, the Lafi seem to regard me as your protector."
When she was first brought to prison, the Lafi checked Lucy's origins and mistakenly thought she might be a political criminal or a spy.
Due to its nature as a city-state, Pomnos was the perfect place for criminals from other countries to hide. Of course, it was too cold for most humans to even come close, but historically, there had been cases of criminals seeking asylum.
The daughter of the Parnassus king's beloved concubine. Moreover, a graduate of the military academy.
With such a woman doing strange things with Lykans in tow, it was no wonder the Lafi were suspicious.
But as luck would have it, Walter, who was staying in Pomnos for a meeting, visited the prison and cleared up the misunderstanding. Out of all the many soldiers, to bring Walter Heiberg of all people, she couldn't tell if it was a bad or good fate.
Recalling it, a fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her, and Lucy lowered her head slightly. Walter, observing her reaction, opened his mouth with a face that seemed to smile and not smile.
"It seems you're still helping the Lykans these days."
"Well... it just happened that way, but I certainly didn't intend to do it. It's just that Lykans with nowhere to go came to me and asked for help."
"You said the same thing when you were previously detained, do you perhaps remember?"
Lucy dropped the corners of her mouth and closed her mouth with a displeased face.
It was ironic that she had always shown a lacking side in front of Walter, despite her determination to live flawlessly. It was the same when they first met, and when they met again in Pomnos, she faced him in such a foolish state as today.
Why him of all people?
It was frustrating that she repeatedly showed an unsightly appearance to the person she should be trying to impress the most.
Lucy tilted the warmed cup and put on a nonchalant expression.
"How is the royal palace? This place is so remote that it takes half a year for rumors to reach us. Is everything alright?"
"Well... what do you think?"
"I heard that Dopein and Antevassila are preparing for war, and I'm worried that Parnassus might get caught in the crossfire."
"Are you worried about the country?"
Lucy scratched her cheek and nodded faintly.
"I'm staying in Pomnos out of necessity... but I was born and raised in Parnassus, after all. It's only natural to worry about my homeland."
Currently, Lucy was a traitor who had run away with the king's concubine.
She was living in Pomnos only because she couldn't return, and she had never forgotten her homeland for a moment.
Perhaps moved by her honest words, Walter stared at her with a subtle expression.
Feeling his piercing gaze, Lucy raised her head, and he cleared his throat as if nothing was wrong and changed the subject.
"I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, Princess, but how is Ansila? I heard she was born and raised in the west, and I was worried about whether she would adapt well to the cold."
"My mother is doing even better than me. She goes to the kindergarten every day and takes care of the Lafi children. Thanks to her, we're somehow managing to live without being kicked out."
"Do you have any thoughts of returning to Parnassus?"
She was speechless at the sudden question.
Lucy, trying to gauge the intention of the question, looked at him with a questioning gaze. Walter stared at the tapestry hanging on the wall and recited the words as if whispering.
"Ten days ago, His Majesty passed away."
Clang!
The sound of pottery colliding echoed as the cream-colored sheep's milk quickly spread across the carpet.
Lucy, unable to even think about cleaning up the broken cup, fumbled with her lips with a blank face. She moved her lips as if trying to find something to say, then barely moistened her lips and pulled out the words.
"Is that... really true? I remember him being healthy, how could he suddenly..."
"About six months ago, a strange disease began to spread among the upper class. His Majesty also passed away from that unknown plague."
"So? Did the First Prince ascend to the throne?"
"Unfortunately, the First Prince passed away as soon as His Majesty passed away. The others also passed away around the same time. Fortunately, the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince survived, but their movements are not sound."
All the princes are not sound...
Lucy, repeating the words with a serious face, hesitated and continued her question.
"Then the throne... who will be the next king of Parnassus?"
"Actually, that's why I came to see you today, Princess."
Walter, who had been staring intently at the pattern of the tapestry, turned his head towards Lucy at a very slow pace.
In his black eyes, which were impossible to read, a lady wearing a white anorak was reflected perfectly.
"Arsinoe Thea Neoparnassus. If you allow it, I would like to recommend you as the 19th Queen of Parnassus."
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
She woke up to the rattling sound of the wind.
Lucy adjusted her blanket and blinked slowly. She had been worrying all night and it felt like she had only fallen asleep a short time ago, but already a bluish light was illuminating the room.
"What time is it..."
She sat up and leaned her head against the wall of the bed.
As soon as she got out of the blanket, the cold unique to the north penetrated through the gaps in her skin. She pulled the blanket up to her neck and stared blankly at the dawn light that had entered through the crack in the window.
In her hazy mind, as if she had poured out diluted grass, only the conversation she had with Walter yesterday rose clearly, causing tinnitus.
"I would like to recommend you as the 19th Queen of Parnassus."
To recommend her as queen.
It was a sudden question. No, it was even more embarrassing because it was a question she didn't expect to hear at this moment.
"How did he die so quickly?"
She had expected the king to die to some extent.
Walter called it an unknown plague, but Lucy knew the origin of the disease thanks to her past life experience. She also knew how to make the disease worse.
But it was too early.
She thought he would die at least two years later, no matter how early. Moreover, the news that even the royal family had been wiped out was unexpected for her as well.
While hoping that the disease would worsen, she had taken some measures... She never thought they would all end up like that.
Her pangs of conscience were only temporary, and Lucy chuckled at the thought that the deaths of the royal family were all their own fault.
Throughout their lives, they had regarded Lucy and her mother as thorns in their sides. Ansila, as the king's favored concubine, was always a thorn in the side of the consorts, and Ansila was always in danger of being killed.
There was no way that women blinded by jealousy would like Lucy.
"Be careful. If you act recklessly just because you trust your face, you'll end up like your mother."
Lucy was constantly beaten by the consorts and their children, taking advantage of the times when Ansila was not around. The reason why Lucy chose the military academy in this life was partly because she wanted to get away from them.
Surely, one of them must have killed her mother in her previous life.
Was it because she had become numb to death, or was it because her emotions had become numb due to her desire to retaliate?
Lucy closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind.
"A queen..."
Originally, she was planning to usurp the throne with the help of the lords in three years.
If time flowed according to the future she knew, Parnassus would be caught up in the Three Kingdoms War in three years, and the royal authority would be weakened. Lucy's plan was to use her connections to persuade the lords and win over Walter to ascend to the throne in that state.
But everything was messed up due to the disease's irregularity.
"...No."
Still, it seems like I've made Walter Heiberg my ally.
"Should I be happy about this or not?"
Lucy, pressing her forehead, muttered to herself and suddenly got up from her seat.
Mixed in with the familiar sound of the wind, there was a foreign sound.
