ACT 4.
The Witch’s Cabin
They dined late, considering how early they’d woken up, since Lisa, the nanny and cook at the Arel mansion, was devastated by the youngest son’s death. Kay thought he could tell why Zigryl and Schumann had only mentioned finding the body after they’d had dinner yesterday. Nothing seemed to matter to them more than their own convenience, be it morality or whatnot.
Schumann left the room while breakfast was delayed, and Kay also did so, since he didn’t fancy being alone with Zigryl. He could see the village of Edor through the windows along the corridor. Smoke trailed up from chimneys as breakfast was prepared, and a lovely smell filled the air. What was going to happen to this village, so outwardly peaceful?
Schumann had described it as a true hell on earth, and that a more terrible death than by one of suffocation to evil energy would befall the inhabitants of this village. Kay turned to look at the door he’d just passed through. The man in there won’t cause a scene after failing to find Alosha’s Flower , and massacre the villagers, will he?
The obellus that they’d found yesterday bothered him greatly as well. They were known to be extinct, but they’d been growing below the mansion. They had been inside a secret passageway, granted, and perhaps a search party had failed to discover them previously. Schumann had purified the basement, and he’d seen with his own eyes that everything was clean, but there was still a nagging feeling somewhere inside him.
He tapped on the windowsill and muttered, “Why do they live in hiding in a place like this?”
“That’s because they’re condemned criminals, or their family, Kay,” came a sudden voice. Kay turned to look at who’d spoken. It
was Helena.
“Lady Helena? Your hair...”
Her long, luxurious hair, which she’d taken great pride in, had been cropped short like a man’s. He saw her eyes redden.
“Do I look funny?”
“N-no,” Kay said, shaking his head. “I’ve heard that the truly beautiful women look sexy even with short hair. It seems they were right. You look great, Lady Helena.”
He meant what he said, and she smiled at him.
“I knew you’d say that. My nursemaid was very upset, and you can’t imagine how much of a fuss my mother made. She looked more stricken over my hair than Sena’s death.”
Her joke brought a bitter smile to his face. She’d lost her little brother yesterday. Seeing her with knowledge of the fact made him think there was an odd sort of gloom over her. Only now did he notice that her eyes were red and puffy.
“Why did you cut your hair so suddenly? Was it because of... Sena?”
She shook her head, and he saw tears in her eyes. “No, not Sena,” she muttered, but he believed that Sena’s death must have had quite a lot to do with it.
“I’m sorry we came at a time like this.”
It wasn’t really Kay’s fault, but he felt apologetic that he’d come to the mansion on business at a time when a member of her family had recently died. She dabbed her tears away and raised her head.
“Kay... I know it’s sudden, but I have a favor to ask.” Her expression was firm, as if she’d come to some kind of decision.
“A favor?”
“Take me with you when you leave this village.”
Kay’s eyes widened. “Lady Helena?”
“I’m not asking you to elope with me. I know you wouldn’t do that, I do. Just get me out of here without my family knowing. I want to get away from this tiresome place. All I need is help with getting to Lablen. Please, Kay?” she said, clinging to him.
Confused, he asked, “Lady Helena, what’s the matter? Your brother had just died, and you want to leave the mansion?”
Kay and the others would be leaving within two or three days at most. In fact, they might even leave tomorrow if the flower was found. The household was steeped in sadness after the suicide of their precious youngest son. What was she thinking, leaving the house as well? And her tone implied this wouldn’t be a short trip— she was probably leaving for good. She gave a contorted smile, noticing that he didn’t seem to think leaving was a good idea.
“I abhor this village... and I hate my mother, Kay.”
She looked so pained, Kay was momentarily at a loss. She didn’t simply look tired. The look on her face was of intense repulsion. He moved his lips, wanting to ask, Whydoyouhateher?but the words refused to leave his lips. Is it becauseyour mother was involved in Sena’s death? She’d described the village as one occupied by murderers. He gazed out the window over her shoulder. It looked peaceful enough. Why did she hate it so?
“You two are standing together again.”
“Zigryl, my lord.”
Why did everyone seem to appear from behind him? Kay spun around, saying his name, only to back away in fright. Zigryl had bathed and dressed himself, unlike moments before, and he had his eyes narrowed as he approached with a sword in his hand. Wait, what’s hisproblem? For every step Zigryl took, Kay backed off. Kay could see Helena, who was standing behind him, glaring with the blood rushing out of her face.
“What’s the matter? It’s only morning—”
“I’m not going to hurt you, so don’t worry.”
That meant he was going to hurt someone. Kay quickly looked beside him and noticed her gaze meet his. Sparks seemed to fly, they were so intense. What’s this?Ithoughthelikedher?He didn’t really think Zigryl would like anybody, but he’d seemed jealous of him. That had led him to assume that there must be something about her that pleased him. Whydidyoutormentmelikethatifyou weren’tfeelingjealousoverher?
He’d believed Helena wanted to marry this man as well. She’d said on multiple occasions that it was far better to be a count’s mistress than the wife of a rural baron. And yet she was looking
daggers at a grand duke, who was much higher in station than any count, even though she was trembling with fear. He couldn’t sit by as Zigryl approached her, so he stepped in front of her. At this moment, he detested the personality that led him to do such a thing.
“Zigryl,” Kay said. He could hear her sigh in relief. A scowl formed on Zigryl’s face.
“Why are you getting in the way again?”
“Well, you see... We... haven’t even had breakfast. Surely you don’t want to use your sword so early?”
“What? What does breakfast have to do with anything?” Zigryl asked, uncomprehending. Kay smiled, trying to sound as gentle as possible.
“It’s not a good look... to start off the day with murder.”
“Murder, Kay? I’m just butchering a wicked bitch. So get out of my way,” Zigryl said in a low voice. Kay really wished he could comply, but he repressed the urge.
“She’s a person, not a dog, Your Highness.”
“No, Kay. Take a good look. The obellus must still be in your system. Can’t Schumann be thorough with anything?”
Kay jerked around to look at her, who was giving him a look that seemed to ask, Areyououtofyourmind?Ofcoursesheisn’tadog, he thought with a sigh.
“She’s a human. She has no tail, she can talk, and as you can see, she’s walking on two feet.”
He’d clearly stated that she was human, but Zigryl gave him a look that seemed to ask, Doyou really believe that? Helena’s hand touched his skin from behind. It was definitely the feel of human skin.
“Why are you accusing me of insanity like this? She’s definitely human,” he argued emphatically. Zigryl shrugged.
“Oh, all right. She’s human. Happy? Now out of the way. I’m looking to get in some morning exercise by slaughtering a human.”
How shameless could he be? Kay frowned at him. Was it truly impossible to have a sensible conversation with this man? He gestured behind his back, telling her to quickly leave.
“Must you do this? Can I ask you why?”
“Her eyes... are impudent,” Zigryl responded after a pause. Kay glanced at her. She was still standing there, refusing to run away. Her red, puffy eyes were glaring at Zigryl, which didn’t look particularly respectful, to be sure. What was wrong with this woman? She was only a baron’s daughter. For her to look daggers at a grand duke was an offense worthy of execution on the spot. She seemed well enough aware of this, judging from her pallor. Did she not value her own life? Kay sighed and shoved her back. Still standing in Zigryl’s way, he smiled obsequiously.
“Lady Helena cared deeply for Sena. I think his death has affected her deeply. I’m sure you can understand that in your generosity, my lord—”
Zigryl stared at him quietly, seeming to ask, Wouldyouliketodie inherplace?Sighs escaped him from the depths of his heart.
“You’re hungry, my lord. If Lady Helena dies as well, your meal will be delayed even more, don’t you think?”
He despised the fact that he had to say something so inhuman to stop him, but appealing to Zigryl’s compassion would not be a valid strategy in the least. Kay appeared to be right. Zigryl gazed at Helena for some time, then smiled.
“I suppose you have a point.”
His smile was so angelic, an outside observer with no knowledge of the context wouldn’t be able to imagine that he’d just referred to a lady as a bitch and claimed to want to slaughter her.
“So, Zigryl,” Kay began with a sigh.
“Your Highness! Kay! Your breakfast is ready!” came Schumann’s voice from below. Schumann probably had knowledge of what was going on, but there were moments when Kay was so glad for the man’s presence he was moved to tears. This was one of those moments.
Doing his best not to upset Zigryl, Kay said, “Let’s hurry down, Zigryl. The soup will get cold.”
He shrugged and snapped his wrist, putting the sword in its scabbard. This left a shallow cut on Kay’s neck, since he’d been standing in front of Helena. Kay pursed his lips and froze, feeling the blood trickle down his skin.
“I’ll stop here for today. But if you stop me from getting to that bitch one more time, I won’t be keeping any promises.”
A rigid Kay stared up at him, wiping the blood from his neck. Something seemed to have upset him, and his lazy smile was frosty.
“I’ll have my way with you in front of her.”
Kay furrowed his brow. This knave was more than capable of it. He had no idea why Zigryl was so upset again, but it occurred to him that Zigryl was like weather at the turn of a season—unpredictable and fickle. Zigryl had seemed to be less of a threat recently, but the blade that had nicked his neck had chilled him to the bone. Kay nodded casually, despite the insult.
He didn’t know what the problem was, but he planned to tell Helena to stay in her room if possible. It occurred to him whether he was enough of a gentleman to risk his life for her a third time. Kay had a bitter look on his face as Zigryl took his hand and glared viciously at Helena. Then he walked past her and headed downstairs.
“You’re too easy,” Zigryl muttered, still holding onto Kay’s wrist. Kay looked up at him, but the man only gave an irritable sigh.
* * *
While Kay had been aware that Zigryl was extremely adept at threats, blackmail, and persuasion, he’d never been on the receiving end before. Zigryl smiled graciously like a princess as he cut some chicken breast with a knife.
“So? The one spot behind the cliff, and below the cedar grove to the right of the forest. Are those two the only locations?”
Zigryl had planned to task them with retrieving the Alosha’s Flowers, but after Sena’s body was discovered last night, the butler and the third son had shaken their heads and declared a strike. The reason provided was that they could do nothing until the funeral had been held. Zigryl’s party didn’t have the time to wait for two to three days for this funeral to take place, while the House of Arel was of the opinion that the location of the flowers was a family secret.
Schumann had just spoken to the growling Zigryl as well as Helena, convincing them that they could share a single root. This had convinced the family to reveal two of the locations, but these didn’t seem to be all of them. Thatwouldbelikematingamarewith a stallion,Kay thought as he looked at Zigryl. But he couldn’t shake the thought that, judging from the dirty look on his face, no promises would be sacred to this man.
“Well, yes, those are the approximate locations,” said Raymond, the fastidious-looking first son, with a haughty air.
Raymond seemed to think that he had the advantageous position, if the matter was so urgent that Zigryl had come in person. Kay stole a glance at the man. He looked quite unaffected and lighthearted for someone who’d just lost a brother last night. There was so much about this family that didn’t make sense. The other members of the family had excused themselves from breakfast, apologizing that they couldn’t come. That was the expected reaction, to be honest.
“And if they aren’t there?” Zigryl said, nodding. He didn’t seem to want to continue this conversation for long.
Raymond said with a cocky smile, “Then they’ll be elsewhere, Your Highness.”
Zigryl smirked at the insolent reply. “Well, now, it looks like you won’t be willing to talk until you’ve lost a few limbs.”
Kay sped up his eating. There was no knowing when cold metal might bite into the saucy man’s shoulder, so the wise thing to do was eat as much as he possibly could, as quickly as possible. An appetite couldn’t last long after blood was spilled. Kay had no way to explain why his train of thought was so oddly warped, but sadly, he was getting used to it. Schumann seemed to be of a similar opinion and focused on devouring his food without even looking at Zigryl. The presumably inconsolable cook had made only a few dishes for breakfast with difficulty, but they tasted wonderful.
“I beg your pardon?” Raymond asked, perhaps thinking he’d misheard. Zigryl, who’d been about to draw his sword, looked at Kay and Schumann, intent on their food. He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t
like the fact that the two were busy eating when he was feeling displeased.
“Schumann?” he said.
Even dogs are allowedtoeatinpeace... Schumann thought. But instead of evincing his rebelliousness, he gulped down his food and said meekly, “Yes, Your Highness.” He knew criticizing Zigryl in front of Raymond, who seemed disdainful of the former, might lead to a broken limb or perhaps an ankle. Zigryl smiled sweetly and released his grip on his hilt.
“Have that man tell me at least five places where Alosha’s Flowers might be. I’ll give you five minutes. Be sure to tell him the price of wasting our time as well.”
“Well, as you wish,” Schumann said glibly, suddenly devouring his soup.
“What was that? Were you talking about me, Your Highness?” Raymond said, looking offended. But Schumann said nothing. Raymond put down his spoon, quivering with the face of a stern housemaster, while Zigryl and Schumann continued to eat. Kay watched the tension build, and when exactly three minutes had passed, Schumann put down his knife and fork.
“Why don’t you come with me for a moment, Lord Raymond,” Schumann said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“Wh-what is this about?”
“Negotiations will be faster with me, and you’ll only stand to gain by it. I’m more generous than His Highness, you see.”
Raymond stood up haltingly, perhaps having noticed that something wasn’t quite right. Kay wondered if he’d been like that man once. Telling himself that he must have coped better than that countryside noble, he watched the two of them leave. He then gazed at Zigryl, who was gracefully cutting his chicken breast.
“Why are you staring? I thought you were hungry? You sure seemed like it a while ago,” Zigryl said, sounding somewhat miffed. Unable to explain that he was now full because he’d rushed to eat his food, afraid there would be bloodshed, Kay changed the subject.
“This might be an unrelated question, but why are you looking for Alosha’s Flowers? Don’t tell me your wife—” he began, wondering
if his wife was infertile. Zigryl’s eyes widened as he ate.
“I’m not married.”
“Ah...” Kay tilted his head, puzzled. “Then why...”
Zigryl looked displeased, oddly enough. “I don’t have a wife or a concubine. Why did you think I did?”
It was simple. Alosha’s Flower made people pregnant, and Zigryl was apparently in a hurry to find them. That was why Kay had made such a guess.
“I’m looking for the flowers for the sake of the current emperor, my brother, who has no heir. They’re not for me.”
“You’re going to... help him produce an heir? But that will mean you’ll no longer be next in line for the throne.”
If the king had a son, the empire would naturally fall to him, even if he was only a few months old. Kay looked befuddled by Zigryl’s unreasonable and frankly esoteric explanation. Zigryl put down his fork. He no longer seemed to be hungry.
“That’s precisely it. You’re smart, Kay. Would you want a job that will leave you overworked, lacking sleep, and devoid of vacations of any kind?”
Kay blinked at him. He’d hate that, of course, but Zigryl was talking about the throne.
“I’m already quite powerful. So much so, in fact, that I could ravage you at any time if I wanted.”
One might have expected him to be embarrassed to say such a thing, but he had no shame. This was also true, and Kay didn’t bother to refute the statement. Not only was Zigryl almost the most powerful man alive, he would easily take the top of any pyramid even if he were thrown out into the wild with nothing but a shirt on his back. It was impossible to win against this man, which explained the lack of antagonism Kay felt.
“So you came all the way here so you wouldn’t have to be the emperor?”
“Yes,” he said, drinking water from his cup. Kay watched him slowly gulping it down. He seemed to mean it.
Themanwouldn’thaveanyreasontolietomeinthefirstplace.
“Why are you watching me like you find me a novelty? I thought you weren’t interested in power, either?”
“Still... If it was the throne, I think I’d want to experience what it’s like, at least. It’ll mean ruling over the entire world,” he muttered, feeling as though he was speaking to a nonhuman entity, for some reason. Zigryl gazed at him for a moment. Zigryl continued to stare until Kay felt his face, wondering if there was something on it. Then he smiled the sweetest of smiles.
“I think being an empress would suit you better.”
Ha! Kay cocked his head, confused, but this man would never apologize even after making offensive sexual jokes. He shrugged, feeling flabbergasted and amused at the same time.
“An empress might not be so bad.”
Kay had the impression that Zigryl’s eyes were narrowing again. “What you just said—” Zigryl began, but that was when the door flew open. It was Schumann. It had probably been exactly two minutes since he’d left. Kay gazed at the man, who looked ebullient. Raymond was nowhere in sight, and Schumann had small blood splatters on his clothing. There was a slightly tattered parchment map in his hand.
“I’ve received a map marked with the locations of the Alosha’s Flowers, Your Highness. They seem to be in more places than expected.”
He made no mention of any deal. Kay told himself this man was just like his master, even if, as he claimed, he was a little more on the generous side. Zigryl glanced at Kay, who had somewhat of a sickened look on his face, and said, “Let’s go.” * * *
The weather was extremely cold. This told Kay just how warm the Arel mansion truly was. The snow came up to their knees everywhere except for the paths that had been shoveled. They were taking a route along some fields, and all they could see was snow.
Just accept being an emperor. Why do we have to be out here looking for something in this snow? Kay thought. If Zigryl had just
agreed to be an emperor, Kay would have never had to meet him. Or zombies and ghosts, for that matter. And of course, he wouldn’t have had to experience what it was like to be done in the behind by another man, either. Thinking Zigryl was at the root of all these problems, Kay glanced at the man walking beside him.
Zigryl gave a low laugh, noticing this. “You must be having stupid thoughts again.”
He was so perceptive, it was frightening. Never in over twenty years of his life had he ever thought himself to be bad at hiding his thoughts. But this man seemed to read him like a book. Kay supposed it was this very perspicacity that had allowed Zigryl to survive this long. Otherwise, he would have died to some assassin’s blade long ago. Kay was probably not the only one Zigryl had treated in such a beastly way, and someone out there with a grudge to settle would have succeeded in their assassination attempt.
Kay responded lamely to his piercing gaze, “That’s not true, Zigryl.”
He then turned away his eyes casually, to which Zigryl cackled lightly. He seemed to be in a good mood, not caring about anything in the world, so Kay relaxed a little and rubbed his cold hands. His hands and ears were red from the cold.
“Kay... Don’t you have gloves?”
Kay shook his head, holding his cold hands against his ears. He’d lost them not long before he’d met Zigryl. He’d been telling himself that he should buy a new pair when a sudden snow had come. Then Zigryl had shown up, in front of whom Kay had been hurriedly dragged over. Everything else he’d been careful to pack, but he’d had no time to get new gloves. Zigryl, who wore a cape made with white fur, looked Kay up and down and then narrowed his eyes.
“Are you cold?”
“Who wouldn’t be in this weather?” Schumann said appeasingly, replying for Kay and walking slightly ahead. Even Zigryl, that monster of a man, seemed quite vulnerable to the cold. Even though he wore a fur hat and cape and many layers of clothing besides, he’d still complained about the weather. Kay grinned and nodded to himself.
The temperature itself was low, but the strong wind, carrying bits of powdered snow with it, was what made him feel as though his ears were about to fall off. Zigryl suddenly stopped to one side of the road for some reason, and Kay, who’d been walking forward, turned around in puzzlement. Zigryl gestured to him with a finger, telling him to come closer.
“What is it?” Kay asked, moving over. Zigryl took Kay’s red and frostbitten hands in his bare hands. Maybe it was because Kay’s hands were ice cold, but Zigryl’s touch felt scaldingly hot. He shivered, feeling as though the heat was traveling through his entire body. Zigryl helped thaw Kay’s hands, ignoring the fact that his own hands were getting cold.
“How can you be so careless as to forget your gloves in this kind of weather? I have no idea what you do with that brain of yours.”
“Z-Zigryl? My lord?”
A blush filled Kay’s ears immediately as he realized that Zigryl’s hands were moving gently and affectionately, like those of a man helping warm his lover’s hands. Not that it was likely to show, since his ears were already red from the cold. Kay looked up at him and realized that Zigryl was looking down at him with a captivated look in his eye. Shocked by the eye contact, Kay looked back down at the ground and asked, “Uh... Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hmm? Like what?” Zigryl asked. Whatdoyou mean, like what? Unable to say to him that he’d had the look of a lover in his eyes, Kay gulped air again. He stole a glance upward, wondering if Zigryl was making fun of him, but Zigryl really looked puzzled. Was I mistaken?Imusthavebeenmistaken.Lookatmelikealover?That makes no sense. Kay had to admit he seemed to be losing his grip these days, and quite a bit of it, too.
He shook his head and lowered his head again. “Never mind.”
Zigryl felt his chin instead of making any further comment, then soon pulled out the gloves from the pocket at his waist. He then said in a stern, but kind tone, not unlike that of a mother, “Open your hands.”
“What?” Kay asked, but he did as he was asked. Zigryl ran his fingers along Kay’s in a seductive movement, then put the gloves on
for him. The hands felt a lot warmer as the gloves covered his fingers. They seemed to be of the extremely expensive variety, since they almost seemed to have no weight. Zigryl carefully buttoned up the gloves at the wrists and smiled. Blue gems glistened on the wrists.
“My lord...? This is...”
“Don’t lose them,” Zigryl said with a grin. Did he mean Kay and his family would be wiped out, down to the third generation? Kay nodded automatically, but he felt somewhat awkward for some reason. Schumann, who’d walked quite a distance ahead, called out to them, “Aren’t you coming?” Kay quickly looked around in the direction of the voice, as if it offered salvation from the odd tension in the air. The man was walking into a grove of cedars covered with snow.
* * *
There were a total of eleven locations marked on the map of the village and its environs as locations where Alosha’s Flowers could be found.
“Goddamned many for such a tiny village,” Schumann grumbled, but Edor wasn’t as small as one might think when the fields, paddies, and forests used for logging were included, especially when one had to search the area right after a fresh coat of snow had fallen.
Kay had asked what the flowers looked like as they left the mansion, and Schumann had given him a simple explanation as he moved through the snow.
“You’ve seen the obellus, right? They look exactly the same, except there is a smallglobule under thepetals. Ifyou findthem, don’t pick them yourself, no matter what you do. Call me over instead.”
He’d explained that they were useless plant matter if picked the wrong way. Though Schumann had sounded as though the search was easy, sadly, the obellus that Kay had seen had had very short stems. With the snow coming up to their knees as it did now,
searching for a flower that basically bloomed on the ground would be just as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.
Kay now knew why Zigryl had given him the gloves. Zigryl didn’t so much as lift a finger after handing over the gloves, choosing to simply watch as Kay and Schumann scooped away the snow in front of him, sometimes making annoying comments here and there. “Look over there, too. No, yes—there, under that tree,” he’d sometimes say. At other times, he’d comment, “Focus, you two. You need to go slow. What if you harm the flowers?”
They searched the front of the cedar grove, the first place they visited, very thoroughly. Kay, however, doubted they could find the flowers this way. Even perennials would freeze in this cold. How could those fragile-looking flowers bloom in the snow? He saw no hope, but Schumann was shoveling away eagerly beside him, and Kay followed suit stolidly as a soldier might.
“This is driving me nuts. How will we finish searching even one location within the day at this rate?”
Zigryl grumbled from behind. Thenuse allthat excess energy of yours and brush the snow away, at least! Kay wanted to scream. Schumann, who’d been scooping the snow in front of him, sighed heavily and tossed the shovel aside. It sank tip-first into the show.
“I don’t think this is the right approach either, Your Highness.”
Did that only occur to you now? Both of them were smart, but they seemed to have that affliction common to people of rank—they tended to issue orders first and think later. Kay swallowed the curses that were on the tip of his tongue and put down the broom he’d been holding. Zigryl seemed to agree, since he was squinting down at Schumann.
“What’ll it be, then? Should I set the trees on fire?”
Kay looked at him in shock. Set the trees on fire? Was the man out of his mind? He was relieved to see Schumann shake his head.
“That’ll burn the Alosha’s Flowers, if they exist, right along with the trees. We’ll need some more manpower.”
“Manpower?” Kay asked.
Their party consisted only of three people. What more manpower was there? Kay looked up, wondering if Schumann was suggesting
that the grand duke needed to start shoveling as well. The secretary was pointing to the village.
“There. There’s more than enough manpower in that village. It won’t take long if each person takes up a shovel.”
“You mean to have civilians help us?” Kay asked, confused. Zigryl nodded, as if he found this idea reasonable.
“It’s so cold out today, and that’ll mean a whole lot of people. Will our budget cover all the money we need to pay them?”
Schumann shuddered at the mention of pay. “They won’t be digging money out of the ground, will they? It’s just a bit of shoveling. Why pay them anything at all?”
He seemed so offended by the suggestion Kay was slightly taken aback. Did they mean to force the villagers to work without pay, then? Not even the grand duke could request commoners to do such a thing—they were not slaves, and this territory did not belong to him. And this was manual labor, no less!
“But can you request civilians to help without paying them anything? They’re all commoners. They will not like it.”
Zigryl looked deeply puzzled by this comment. “Request help?” he said, as though the word “help” was foreign to him. He gave an amused laugh. “I’m simply going to commandthem, Kay. Who would dare disobey me?” he said, smiling wickedly and looking at Kay. He seemed to think his reasoning was very logical.
Kay clammed up. If it were any other noble, he would have dismissed the man as an ignorant member of the nobility, but there was more than enough charisma and force to his words. There was the arrogance of a predatory animal about him, noble and haughty.
“Even so, if they manage to find the flowers, we should reward them, at least...”
Zigryl grinned, watching Kay murmur the words. “Aren’t you a kind soul? The villagers have done nothing to warrant your concern.”
“You say that, but I’ll bet you’re planning to claim the reward yourself,” Schumann said in passing, applying his own logic to Kay’s words. His eyes were burning with determination to find the flowers himself. Kay smiled wryly, picking up the broom and shovel he’d put down.
It would be difficult, to be certain, to disobey the grand duke, but it was likely there would be some resistance. There would be far fewer complaints if a reward was offered, no matter how small. To theinnocentpeoplewholivedina villagelikethis,thegrandduke’s money will be— Kay stopped short. Innocent people? There was something about the phrase that bothered him.
Helena had referred to the people here as condemned criminals or their kin. Kay recalled how simple and honest the villagers had seemed when he set foot in the village yesterday. There were deathrow convicts among them? No. It’s wrong tojudgepeople like this. Kay believed what his own eyes told him. He believed he had quite a good eye for people, and the worry in their eyes when he’d stumbled and sunk to the floor had been real.
“What are you doing, Kay? Come on.”
Kay looked at Zigryl, who was calling to him from a few paces ahead. As soon as he did so, his confidence in his own judgment plummeted. He’d actually considered Zigryl a gracious, kind gentleman when he’d first seen the man. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. A lingering anxiety had returned since yesterday, bothering him like something stuck at the back of his throat. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the feeling. Nothing could happen, could it? “Yes, I’m coming,” he muttered as he walked forward.
* * *
When they moved past a line of houses, people started glancing at them from afar like they were animals in a zoo. They were being more cautious and watchful than yesterday. They’d probably heard that the newcomers included a grand duke, and were nervous as a result. Even barons and counts would grow obsequious around such a man, and commoners would feel as though they needed to prostrate themselves before him. There was admiration in the eyes of every one of them as they watched from afar, unable to approach because they lacked knowledge of etiquette.
Zigryl, who’d probably been stared at like that for all his life, didn’t seem at all interested in whether people were looking at him.
And as for Schumann, he looked bored, for some reason. Kay felt a little embarrassed, however. These two deserved the admiration, but Kay was simply a nondescript vice captain of the guard from a nearby city.
These innocents might be thinking he was the personal guard of the grand duke or something. They were sure to think he was extremely skilled, at the very least, since he was accompanying the duke. This prodded his conscience. He even felt the desire to explain that he was just the clown, though that would be demeaning himself.
While Kay walked, made uncomfortable by the glittering eyes, Schumann approached a house with a blue roof and spoke to its owner. After some time, the man politely pointed to the house on the far left, where an old man with white hair was standing.
Zigryl approached him with one of his lovely smiles and asked, “Are you the oldest person in this village?”
The thick skin of the slightly wizened old man reddened. He looked taken aback as he quickly fell to his knees and said, “Yes, Your Highness.”
“I need to speak to you. Show us inside, if you please.”
Zigryl’s voice and smile sounded like a suggestion, but it was in reality a command that brooked no argument. The old man quivered and touched the ground with his forehead.
“My house is not suitable for someone like you, Your Highness.”
“That’s fine.”
Kay could almost see the old man losing his mind over this as he stood behind Zigryl. The man slowly stood, keeping his head bowed as he opened the door. Zigryl went inside first, and Kay quickly followed behind him. He couldn’t bear the adoring eyes on his back anymore. There was a musty smell in the air, perhaps because the house belonged to an old man. It certainly didn’t seem suitable for someone like Zigryl, but he smoothly flopped into a wooden chair in the middle of the living room.
“Let me be direct. How many people in this village are capable of work?”
Kay could see the man’s brain churning. He asked cautiously, “By work, you mean...”
“I’m sure you know about them, given your years. I’m looking for Alosha’s Flowers.”
The old man’s eyes, filmed over with age, glimmered with an odd light for a moment. “In all this snow, Your Highness?”
Zigryl nodded indolently. “The women may not be able to work, but gather the men without exception. I’ll give something of a reward to anyone who finds the flowers.”
Zigryl smiled at Kay. Kay had a feeling Zigryl was doing this on purpose, putting on a show for Kay to see, but he had nothing to say to it, really. The old man stooped his head forward.
“If you’ll give me some time to speak to the men of the village—”
“Do so,” Zigryl said, cutting him off and waving him away. The old man bowed profusely as he left the house. There was some murmuring outside, then silence. Zigryl sat tapping the table with his fingers as if bored, and Schumann looked around the house for some reason.
Kay thought it quite shoddy to search a house the owner had left unattended. Schumann must be a high-ranked noble himself, but he really didn’t seem to have any consideration for dignity or selfrespect. Schumann had pulled open a drawer to rummage inside it when someone knocked on the door twice.
“Come in,” Zigryl said. A slightly tall woman came inside. She was an ordinary-looking woman in her late twenties, the only noticeable thing about her being that she was as tall as Kay.
“Your Highness, may I offer you some tea? Nobles sometimes come to this village for the tea leaves produced here.”
Kay felt her voice and hands shaking with fear. He took the platter for her pityingly, since she looked ready to drop it at any second.
“Here, let me take that,” Kay said. She blushed and bowed to him, and Zigryl’s face contorted into a frown. “The cold weather had me eager for some hot tea. Thank you. You can leave now.”
Her cheeks red from his kind words and smile, she said in a barely audible voice, “Please call me if you need anything.” She then
backed away awkwardly. No doubt the elderly villagers outside had told her it was polite to leave the room this way since a grand noble was inside. Kay grinned and turned around, only to find Zigryl with his eyes narrowed. Schumann, who’d been searching the drawer, was also looking at Kay tensely.
“Huh? Please drink. It smells quite all right,” Kay said, picking up one of the cups and putting the tray down on the table. It seemed to be a luxurious tea that had a gentle but pungent scent. He took a sip, and a bittersweet flavor coated his throat, warming him up inside. Zigryl stood up irritably, walked over to Kay, and took his hand. After snatching the cup away and sniffing the tea, he slammed the cup down onto the saucer.
“Schumann, go and throw this tea out. And Kay, spit that out.”
“My lord?”
He’d already swallowed. How could he spit it out? Zigryl looked ready to force his hand into Kay’s mouth, however, and make him throw it up.
“Your Highness, your jealousy is getting a little too...” Schumann said, extremely tense.
“I told you to spit it out. Didn’t anybody teach you not to accept food from strangers?”
“Ugh! What—” Kay shoved Zigryl away as he tried to push a finger into Kay’s mouth. “Why are you doing this?”
That was when some burly men threw open the door and came inside. Kay, who was surprised at himself for being so angry at Zigryl all of a sudden, frowned when he saw the swords in their hands.
“What do you think you’re—”
He couldn’t finish the sentence. His tongue refused to move, and the world spun around him. He felt a powerful pain in his stomach. Had the tea been drugged? He tried to grab the table as he lost his footing, but his palm only grazed it as he fell to the floor. He could hear someone laughing and saying, “That’s the only one we needed to get, anyway.”
Apparently, they’d really taken him to be some kind of guard. Kay told himself he should have told them he was just a clown before he came in. Subduing him or Schumann would accomplish nothing, as
long as they couldn’t put Zigryl out. Nonplussed by the pitiful attackers, Kay raised his bleary eyes. If he fell asleep like this, would he wake up to find everyone in the village dead? He wondered about this as he watched Zigryl draw his sword through glassy eyes. It won’tkillme,willit?
The floor was turning around him. He noticed a small vase under the table where he was looking, and spotted a small red flower. He tried to reach for it when his eyes closed of their own accord.
Seeing Kay sink to the floor, unable to finish his sentence, Zigryl tutted as he drew his sword.
“You can’t expect something like that not to happen to you when you’re smiling at every woman you meet.”
He almost sounded pleased. If Kay had been awake, he’d probably have laughed at the poor man and told him he deserved what he got. Schumann gave a disdainful look at Zigryl, who seemed to be burning up with a childish jealousy. He could have grabbed Kay as he fell, since he’d been nearby, but he’d let Kay hit the ground instead.
No doubt that had been out of jealousy. It was hard to watch the man glancing worriedly at Kay, even though he’d been the one to let him fall. Given Zigryl’s vile temperament, he probably wanted to mock Kay. But his overflowing affection seemed to be making his hands twitch with pity for the man whose cheek now lay on the dirty floor.
“Oh, for goodness’s sake...”
That’s what happens when a man like you actually gets it into theirheadtoactuallylikesomeone.
Schumann tutted and looked at the men surrounding them. There were about fifteen of them. They were gloating, apparently thinking the advantage in numbers was everything. The way they were greedily looking over Zigryl and Schumann’s clothes seemed to suggest they were already pleased by the thought of splitting the clothes and other possessions between them. Though Schumann
was certain he could tell what they were doing, he decided to be polite enough to ask, anyway.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
They shrugged at him. “What a bother...” he muttered, scratching his head. Zigryl and Schumann were sometimes threatened by people with personal vendettas, but it felt like it had been forever since someone had tried to attack them from pure greed. This wasn’t surprising, since it took a lot of courage to attack a grand duke, unless they had someone to back them. But there was nobody powerful enough in the empire—no, the world—who could guarantee one’s safety after trying to harm the grand duke.
Though Zigryl claimed he didn’t want the throne, he was still the primary heir as of yet, after all. Schumann wondered what gave these men the balls. They would have to kill Zigryl and his companions to prevent any retaliation, but it was obvious that Edor would be held responsible if they went missing. A single button from the grand duke’s chest would be worth a wonderful sum, but it was just too rash, even considering that people seemed to value money over their own lives these days.
While Schumann watched in puzzlement, Zigryl finally seemed to have realized that he had nothing to gain from laughing at Kay, who was on the floor. He muttered something, squatting and taking a look at Kay. His voice was too small to make out, but it sounded similar to Why are you always fainting? Having felt Kay’s neck and checked his breathing, Zigryl soon frowned. Apparently, Kay wasn’t breathing very well.
“What kind of drug is this?”
“A sort of sleep medication. It does require an additive stimulant to be effective, though, since it’s so weak. I wouldn’t let Kay die,” came a calm voice which seemed odd considering the circumstances. Helena quietly walked out from behind the avaricious-looking men, and they stepped aside to let her pass. She appeared to have masterminded this situation. She was a little pale as she spoke, her lips modestly painted. Zigryl smirked.
“I did wonder what you meant by the stupid request you made to Kay this morning, to run away with you. I see you were planning
something quite unpleasant. You want these men to kill us and save Kay? Of all the idiotic things I’ve heard in my life...” Zigryl spat, laughing at her. Schumann looked at Helena, who was holding her head up, pretending to be brave, but was actually shaking. She seemed desperate in her own way.
To thinktheyattackedthegrandduke withsucha woman inthe lead. He could understand somewhat why she might hate Zigryl. Though Schumann hadn’t paid much attention to it, no doubt Zigryl had tormented her quite a bit for purposes of “removing a rival” or whatnot. But what of the villagers? For them, this was a foolish deed that could cost them their lives.
Schumann was quite certain that this woman wasn’t the sort of person capable of persuading the villagers to risk their lives for her. The village being small, perhaps they were a closer-knit community than most, and perhaps her beauty made her something of a celebrity here. But that had nothing to do with getting people to risk their lives. And that wasn’t all.
“Ehehe. Let’s get this over with already.”
The men who were cackling behind her were showing no trace of respect for her.
“What in the world?”
This combination was quite hard to understand. If there was an alliance here, it was a very temporary one. Schumann scratched his head and tutted. She glared at Schumann coldly, apparently finding him more hateful than the main threat.
“You don’t seem to realize the situation you’re in. These men—” She paused for a moment, gazing at Kay, who was in Zigryl’s arms. “They’re quite used to situations of this sort. You’d best not believe for a second they’ll let you go because you’re a grand duke.”
The men behind her snickered, their well-sharpened blades glinting coldly. Schumann furrowed his brow, reminded of the reports he’d read on Edor before coming here.
“I knew it... This place is a trap.”
The entire village was like an elaborate spider web. They pretended to be a cozy village in their secluded mountainous location and awaited their prey. No wondersomething seemed off.
The Forest of the Dead was a dangerous place, to be sure, but the evil energy within had been quite recent.
The fresh state of the zombies, the way the cabin had been intact, and the almost complete lack of zombie traces in the forest suggested they’d spread at most two weeks ago. He’d wondered how travelers continued to go missing despite this fact—and only one or two each year at that. He still didn’t know what created the evil energy, but one thing was for certain—the reason the people had gone missing lay with this place.
Not a single body had been found even though quite a few people had disappeared, and at a consistent rate. No wonder no one had been found in the forest. Only a few of those who arrived in Edor had probably been killed off quietly.
Given how dangerous the forest was known to be, no search party would be sent out even if a couple of people went missing. These villagers had probably continuously looted wealthy merchants or people carrying large amounts of luggage into Edor. Their sharp swords were meant for killing. That was for certain. How many civilians had died to these blades?
Even though Helena had seemingly incited them this time, they’d probably been considering attacking the grand duke and his party already. Schumann sucked his teeth. There was no end to human greed. Even if they’d gotten away with their crimes so far, the moment the grand duke vanished, they would be killed off if only as scapegoats.
“I don’t know whether to call you people innocent, or...” he muttered quietly. Zigryl didn’t even seem to think it was worth his time talking to them. He took off his cloak, placed it over Kay, and stood up. Kay’s eyes were closed. Zigryl kept his eyes on the face— the same one he’d been staring at the entire night and smiled.
“You can’t kill all of them, Your Highness. Remember, we need the Alosha’s Flowers,” Schumann said quickly.
“Ah!” Zigryl exclaimed as he gripped his sword, as if he’d just remembered.
Soyouplannedtokillallofthem,asexpected.Schumann shook his head, picked up the unconscious Kay whom Zigryl had put on the
floor, and backed away. Zigryl seemed to think for a moment, then spoke to Helena.
“You. Bitch. What did I tell you last time?” She looked cowed by the fact that he didn’t seem scared despite being surrounded by so many people. She said nothing, and Zigryl asked again, “Perhaps you’re not smart enough to remember. Tell me, have you ever seen anyone drop their nose on the ground without realizing it?”
“What—”
It happened in the blink of an eye. She was about to scream when something hit the floor. A moment later, blood trickled down past her mouth. Horribly enough, it was a white nose that had hit the ground. Her hand felt for her nose—or rather, where her nose had been. Her eyes wide, she looked at the floor, then at her bloody hands. Then she sank to the floor. Something seemed to break in her pocket.
A wail escaped her throat. Zigryl didn’t seem to have moved at all —the only evidence that he had was the fluttering of his hair under the white fox fur hat. He smiled cunningly.
“I told you I would make it so you couldn’t bear to look at him ever again.”
“No... No! Augh!”
The whites of her eyes showing, she fumbled for her nose, and Zigryl crushed her hand with his foot. There was a nasty crunching noise as blood and bits of flesh spurted out from under her hand and drenched the floor. With another scream, she passed out. The men behind her paled and tensed, and Schumann tutted again. It wasn’t because he pitied the woman, who was quivering even though she was unconscious.
The crafty look on Zigryl’s face gave even him the chills, even though he’d cared for Zigryl since childhood. Schumann sincerely pitied the man in his arms. To thinka man like thattooka likingto you...Kay had apparently been born under an ill-fated star.
Zigryl shook off the blood from his blade and turned to the pallid men. One of them dropped his sword on the floor. There was a commotion from outside the door, and someone pushed his way through the men.
“Everyone! Stop! You can’t do this!”
It was Jack, the third son of the House of Arel. His forehead was drenched with sweat, suggesting he’d run over here after just hearing the news. He was already quite late, however, and very slow on the uptake. It wasn’t Zigryl and his companions who were in danger, but the villagers. Having interrupted, he locked eyes with Zigryl, who was grinning enjoyably. He looked down, sensing that something wasn’t quite right. Then he screamed.
“H-Helena? Helena!”
He swayed on his feet, seeing Helena’s gruesome state as she lay on the floor.
“Oh, my goodness! Who could have done such a terrible thing?”
“She’s not even dead,” Zigryl said with an indolent grin. Jack, blood rushing out of his face, picked her up.
“Your Highness? Don’t tell me you...”
Schumann looked pityingly at Jack, who was holding his marred sister. If it had been anyone else, he’d have shaken the man by the collar. But this was the grand duke, and he seemed taken aback. He’d run out here to stop the villagers, but he didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
“Wh-why is Helena...”
Zigryl simply grinned, licking his lips. He didn’t seem inclined to explain. Schumann did the explaining for him.
“She was the instigator.”
“Wh-why would Helena do such a thing?”
Myliegeisajealousman, Schumann wanted to say, but he held back and shrugged. Jack seemed to think getting his sister medical attention was more important than asking further questions. He stood up, putting her on his back with the help of the villagers. His plump shoulder was drenched in blood.
“Helena... If she... If she really was the instigator, then the punishment...”
The man looked ready to cry. Schumann shook his head and waved the man away. Magic could be used to heal wounds, but not diseases of the bone or organs, fevers, and the like. Even that had a prohibitive cost, which meant she would likely have to live with a
wounded pride and a missing nose for the rest of her life as the second daughter of a baron in a small village. Living would be a painful ordeal for her, and the shock would be immense, given how pretty she’d been.
Schumann stared at her face, then at Zigryl, who looked pleased with himself. He was relishing the shock she’d received before she passed out, as well as the thought of the one she would experience after she woke up. Schumann knew that he himself was quite the nasty man, but even he was forced to frown at Zigryl’s behavior. He had made sure Zigryl had everything he needed growing up, for the most part. Why had the man turned out this way? Jack bowed and rushed out the door.
“...”
A silence fell within the old man’s house now. The men were glancing at each other cautiously, having lost the will to fight after seeing Zigryl use his sword. Ever sensitive to such things, Zigryl snickered and spoke in a casual tone, as though he were asking them about the weather.
“So, what’ll it be? Will you work as I asked, or die here?”
They murmured at his light-hearted question. Someone quickly put their sword down on the floor, and the man in the very front looked at the others with tiny bird-like eyes. They were also putting down their swords one by one. He smiled awkwardly, making himself look like a genial person in no time at all.
“We shall work.”
He wasn’t hiding his crafty or servile nature, very much like a certain someone.
“You must be their leader?” Zigryl asked, all smiles as he sat down in a chair. The man was obviously scum from the way his eyes darted around and how his face formed an affable smile. Zigryl, however, didn’t care much about the value of a person or their character. They could be garbage or recyclable material, and it would make no difference to him. “I like a speedy conversation,” he muttered. “I’ll forget your rude attempt if you find Alosha’s Flower before noon tomorrow.”
He was saying he’d hold them responsible if they failed. The group buzzed as they realized they’d just been told to find a flower in a single day when the ground was covered in snow.
“Don’t you worry. I won’t kill you if you fail.”
“...”
The murmuring quieted down at his cheerful words. This was little consolation, since they’d seen what he’d done to Helena. He hadn’t killed her either. The men looked ready to run out into the snow and start looking immediately, so Zigryl smiled and said something more.
“But wait. Who has the stimulant?”
One of the men gave a small exclamation.
“Lady Helena does...”
Zigryl furrowed his brow. Getting up irritably, he spat, “I can’t seem to find a single redeeming trait in that woman.”
* *
Kay frowned and opened his eyes. His head was ringing with pain. His brain felt foggy, like someone had run it over with a coarse sponge. He’d fainted all too many times recently, and lost track of his memories prior to doing so. He’d never done so once in his life, but it had become a constant occurrence after meeting Zigryl.
“Are you awake?”
Kay tried to focus his eyes as he looked forward. His blurry vision cleared, and he realized that beautiful purple eyes were right in front of him.
“Zigryl?” he called in a raspy voice. Zigryl grinned and sat up slightly. He pushed his blond hair away from his face and licked his lips, which seemed moist.
“So a kiss is the best remedy for a sleeping princess, after all.”
“It’s the medicine doing its work. Are you sure that was a kiss? You weren’t trying to eat him alive?”
Schumann said gruffly. Kay raised his weak fingers and felt his lips, which were slightly sore. He could feel slippery saliva, and taste something bitter. He could also see Zigryl smiling close by, licking his
Another random document with no related content on Scribd:
— Mihkähä ootta pannu! Tuala n’oon porstuan nurkas maannu sitte ku suutarista tulivat, jos ei Juppe oo pihalle vetäny.
Mä kattoon Jupen päälle vähä rumaa, mutta s’ei ollu tiätääksensä. Huiskutteli vain häntäänsä.
Jupell'on nähkääs häntä.
Me ettiimmä sitte porstuasta, joka nurkasta mun piaksusaappahiani, muttei niitä ollu mihnää. Ei hyllyllä, ei naulas.
Sitte äkkäsin porstuan konttuurin ja menimmä sinne Jupen kans kopeloomha. Siäl’oli pimiä ku pussis ja kauhiasti tavaraa. Sattuu siälä meille vähä vahingootaki pimees haparoores.
Ku Juppe ettii, niinku koira ettii, kuanollansa mun saappahiani, nii sen suuhu sattuu lihampala. Siitä se niin peljästyy, jotta lähti pihalle ja melkee puremata nialaasi sen palan.
Mun meni käsi vahingos hillupurkkihi ja ku ei ollu hantuukia, johk’olis sormiansa pyhkiny, nii ei auttanu muu ku nualla sormensa, nii epäfiinisti kun s’oliki tehty. Mutt'eihä stä kukaa nähny siälä pimiäs konttuuris. Eikä se pahalta maistunukkaa.
Ja kuinkha sattuukaa nii kamalasti nolastamha, jotta mun piti tuan tuastaki viälä monta kertaa nualla hyppyysiäni, ku aina vain sattuuvat purkkiihi.
Ku mä sitte kumarrruin ja yritin koperoora yhrestä nurkasta, niin pukkas tikku keski ottaha, jotta silmän viärä ja käthe tuli jotaki riskuja jokka pisteli nii tuhannesti. Mä kriipaasin silloo tikulla valkian ja kattoon, nii siälä nurkas oli kolme kukkapurkkia ja niis kuivettunehia kukkakräkkiä!
Kyllä mä jahkaasin! Sanoonki ittekseni siinä jotta:
— Siinä stä ny taas on akkaan pankkoja. Kun konttuurin nurkkaha kasataha kuallehet kukat purkkiinensa, eikä viittitä sen vertaa että pränkarulle paiskata. Ja kukkakepit pystys viälä, n’otta silmänsä puhkaasoo. On ne yksiä kans. Ja täs viälä mokottaavat, kuinka miähet on viraattomia, etteivät tiärä piaksusaappahistansakkaa, mihnä makaavat. Ja itteltä jäätyy kukat konttuurin nurkkihi!
Mun pisti niin vihakseni, että panin nästyykin kären ympäri ja reviin kukkakräkyt irti purkiista. Menin pränkarulle niiren kans ja nakkasin kauas hankhe. Ja Juppe juaksi perähän, repii ja nakkeli niitä, n’otta olivakki vissihi hajallansa.
Sitte hain piaksusaaphani konttuurista ja menin köökkihi. Sanoon frouvalle jotta:
— Täs se frouva mua hualimattomaksi ja viraattomaksi morkkaa, mutta konttuurin nurkkaha itte palelluttaa kaikki kukkansa. Jonsen m’olsi koonnu niitä ja paiskannu pränkarulle, nii siälä olsivat viäläki. Kukha täs toisensa jälkiä saa siivoolla?
Mutta se ku mölyn päästi:
— Kukat pränkarulle? — kiljaasi — Mun ruusuinko s’oot sen tolvana nakannu pränkarulle? Jokka m’oon pannu pimiähä talvehtimha? Voi herra parakkoho tuata miästä!
Se lähti käret levjällä juaksho pihalle ja mä käsitin, jotta taisi tullakki tupenkrapinat.
Verin piaksusaaphat jalkoohini ja lipitin vähä vinkijää klupille.
