Volume 6 Chapter 28 Edelstein's Turmoil
In front of the open door was a maid from the Girard family.
"I'm sorry to bother you while you're resting. Everyone is calling for you," she said, helping me get dressed.
She put a fluffy cream-colored dress on me and draped the red shawl I brought over it.
While tying my hair up with ribbons, she wiped my face and hands with a warm towel and applied beauty oil made from camellias, a trade item from Wakoku country, on my skin.
I was getting pampered in a way I usually wouldn't do by myself, and I felt shiny and bright since morning.
Even though I have black hair and purple eyes and look a bit plain, I felt as glamorous as Elder Brother Chrisrain and Mother Tiansa because I was all dressed up.
"You're so cute!"
I pinched the hem of my dress and twirled in front of the mirror. The maid who helped me said, "You look very cute, Lady Lydia."
Eir-Eir and Ms. Famine crawled in between my clothes from under the red shawl.
I picked up my dad in both arms and stepped out of the room.
"By the way, Dad, we were in the middle of a conversation."
"It's not urgent. Plus, it's better to talk when everyone is here rather than just with you. You'll tell everyone what I say anyway."
"That's true, but I'm curious."
"I've decided to tell everything. There's no need to rush. Right now, we should hurry to everyone else."
"Okay..."
I thought everyone would still be sleeping since they had been drinking late last night.
But I was led by the maid to the dining room where everyone was waiting.
The long table in the dining room was beautifully decorated with flowers and candlesticks.
There was coffee with lots of milk, small pieces of fruit, freshly baked bread smelling of butter, egg salad, and golden consomme soup ready to eat. As soon as I sat down, Eir-Eir started munching on the bread in front of me.
I also cut some bread into small pieces and fed it to Ms. Famine, who was sitting next to Eir-Eir.
"Good morning, Lydia. That dress looks great on you."
"Lydia, you should eat too."
When I entered the dining room, Sir Stefan and Sir Roxas, who were talking with serious faces, stopped and greeted me.
Sir Stefan complimented me happily, but Sir Roxas spoke to me in a slightly stern voice.
"Is something wrong...?"
I wondered if there was something urgent.
Since Sir Roxas urged me, I took a sip of my coffee and bit into the bread topped with lots of strawberry jam.
Eir-Eir's mouth was all sticky with strawberry jam.
Ms. Famine seemed to be worried and was playfully tapping Eir-Eir with her tail.
My dad moved to the chair next to me and sat up straight. He was sitting properly.
"This morning, we received a message from Leavis in Saintwise via a magic butterfly. Ciel is missing, and... the Wisteria family is sending troops to Edelstein."
Sir Stefan said with a serious face.
A magic butterfly is a way that magicians sometimes use to send messages, where they can send words inside a butterfly made of magic, like a letter. So, Mr. Leavis's magic butterfly must have reached Sir Stefan.
I blinked a few times, not fully understanding what Sir Stefan meant.
Yesterday, Sir Rail came back to the Girard family, and we all celebrated together.
It was fun and made me happy.
I slept soundly in a fluffy bed and got dressed beautifully.
Today, I was supposed to go back to Lobelia and return to my usual routine.
"...Sir Ciel is missing?"
"Calm down and listen, Lydia. We don't know anything yet. It's not unusual for Ciel to be gone for a while. But, there's been no response to the special magic called telepathy that the people of Saintwise use to communicate. It's rare for Ciel not to reply."
Sir Roxas said, crossing his arms.
Sir Ciel is missing.
But it's okay, right? Sir Ciel is the top magician of Saintwise, and he's really strong.
Maybe he just can't reply because of some situation.
"And at the same time that Ciel is missing, Wisteria has sent their army to Edelstein. There are rumors in Wisteria that Ciel is leading the Gem's People to fight against Wisteria."
"That can't be true... Sir Ciel wouldn't do something like that...!"
I said this firmly to Sir Roxas and then covered my mouth with my hand.
"Don't worry, Lydia. I understand. Leavis said it's just a rumor. That's why I asked Peach Bun and Fafnir to scout from the sky. Lucian is checking on Edelstein, and Lord Chrisrain and Rail are looking into whether Wisteria really has sent out their army."
Sir Stefan said this in a calm voice to reassure me.
I put the bread I was holding back on the plate.
Anxiety filled my chest.
My heart was pounding loudly. My fingertips were getting cold.
Something might have happened to Sir Ciel. Wisteria is Sir Ciel's home, and Edelstein is where Sir Ciel's father is from.
Wisteria did terrible things to Sir Ciel and his parents.
Sir Ciel might hate Wisteria. Plus, since half of him is Gem's People, he might want to protect them.
So, is he trying to go to Edelstein alone and lead the Gem's People into war?
(No, that's not right. Sir Ciel... he has great power, but he's someone who chooses not to fight.)
That magic, that power, is meant to protect people──he's someone who holds himself back.
I know he's a kind person.
It must be some kind of mistake. Just a rumor. But why can't we find him...?
"Is the one leading the army that young guy from Clifford? He can't be the old man from Wisteria. I heard he lost his daughter to the Gem's People and hated them, but he's so old now he could be in a coffin already. What's he doing now?"
Sir Marx, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"My brother said that the number of people with White Moon disease has strangely increased in Margrave Wisteria's territory. The townspeople are talking about it, and it's even spread to the Holy Capital, so it must be true. Father, is the old man from Wisteria really that old?"
"Yeah. He's at least 20 years older than me. He could have died a long time ago."
Sir Marx answered Sir Roxas's question.
He is Sir Ciel's grandfather. He's the Margrave who punished Sir Ciel's father, Sir Safiro, with Gem Piercing Punishment.
"...They say White Moon disease is a curse from the Gem's People. It seems that while my father was sick and I was... being controlled by a monster, rumors like that slowly spread in the borderlands. Those rumors probably became serious along with the chaos at the Great Temple."
"...Why is that?"
"I was controlled by a monster. There's a terrible monster in this country that can control the royal family. Monsters are a plague. The Gem's People are monsters. Monsters can use cursed magic. White Moon disease is also a curse. ...It's simple, but fear and suspicion spread easily among people. If many people think the same way, the rumor becomes the truth."
"Tarte Tatin..."
Ms. Famine crawled into my shawl.
Eir-Eir spread her arms wide to protect Ms. Famine.
"Kids, it's okay. Stefan isn't blaming you."
Eir-Eir blinked and said, "Pumpkin..." when Dad told her.
"Lydia, just eat. There's nothing to do until your brothers and Lucian come back."
Sir Roxas said.
I nodded and stared at the bread in front of me. I forced it into my mouth and swallowed.
Anxiety swirled in my chest, and even though the bread looked really good, it had no taste at all.
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