A tall, blond, beautiful young man appeared in front of Kyrieâs eyes. Kyrie, to put it more precisely, immediately realized who he was as soon as she looked into his eyes.
âYou are not human.â
The red-purple eyes were uniquely beautiful, but at the same time, they were chillingly indifferent. Just like Nathaniel.
The man who appeared spoke in a middle-ranged tone, as if scratching the bark.
ăMy name is Lore Leschaux. I want to talk to you, Kyrie Buchanan.ă
âHe is also the Patriotic Lord.â
He was so much like Nathaniel that she didnât believe him. If thereâs anything else, thereâs no savory, primitive power smell from Nathaniel.
Kyrie bent over to help catch her breath.
âThis is Count Buchananâs daughter, Kyrie. First of all, may I ask you about my horsemanâs condition?â
ăIâve put him to sleep. Thereâs nothing wrong with him, and heâll naturally wake up when weâre done.ă
âOkay, I think weâd better get off the wagon first.â
ăThank you for your understanding.ă
She was calm and so was Leschaux. Kyrie, a little relieved, reached out.
âYou wouldnât cut me off just because I asked for an escort, would you?â
She showed no signs of ill-humor in her words.
ăItâs my job as a knight.ă
With that simple act, Kyrie recognized the courtesy, decency, and chivalry he had in his body.
âIt is also similar to Nathaniel. There will be no screaming in the middle of the night.â
Since she didnât feel any malicious intent, Kyrie did not hesitate to get out of the carriage and head for the trails of Highland Park.
Leschaux spoke first.
ăSorry for using this rough method. If I go to the mansion, he will notice, and itâs not good if there are many people present, so I chose this method.ă
âItâs okay. If you had put everyone to sleep on the side of the street, I might have run away.â
ăUnlike Nathaniel, Iâm not good at magic, so I donât have that skill.ă
âI see. After all, does Nathaniel have a good knowledge of magic?â
ăI donât think itâs the level that the wizards of the time can catch up to.ă
After a brief discussion of a common acquaintance, the two went to talk about the main topic.
ăHow much do you know about Nathaniel?ă
âWell, even if you ask like thatâŠâŠ.â
Here, Kyrie stretched her words a little and took some socially agreed action. (T/L She tried to choose a polite action in order to not offend Leschaux)
Leschaux responded dryly.
ăCall me as you please.ă
âOh, Iâll call you Sir Lore.â
Kyrie hid her heart and smiled brightly. Since heâs a âLordâ, it was enough to call him âLord,â but who would dare do that?
âExcept for Nataniel.â
âAnyway, I can only tell you that I donât know as much as Sir Lore knows.â
ăDid he tell you a story of the past?ă
âVery little. It was so long ago that it sounded like a dream to me.â
In a moment, Leschaux stopped walking. Kyrie also naturally stopped her feet and twisted her shoulders toward Leschaux.
ăHas Nathaniel ever said anything about the royal family?ă
âNot without, but why do you ask?â
ăWhyă
For the first time, he abandoned the âyesâ tone. In addition, a faint tension emerged in his red-purple eyes.
No, it wasnât tension.
âThatâs fear.â
Leschaux whispered.
ăCanât you feel it when you see him?ă
âWhat is it?â
ăThe desire to destroy.ă
âItâs not that I canât feel it. I just thought a lot of it had subsided.â
ăItâs not wrong.ă
Leschaux lowered his eyes.
ăBut we donât know yet.ă
âIs it the end of the world that Nathaniel really wanted to bring this country to ruin?â
She felt the need for a more detailed explanation.
âNathaniel said that the founder Vallabriga suddenly put him asleep with the magic of Orewinbridge.â
ăDid he talk so far?ă
Leschaux showed a faint surprise. He seemed more surprised that she was closer to the truth than Kyrie said.
ăSorry, but I donât deserve to say anything he didnât say. If you have any questions, you should ask yourself.ă
âIs that so?â
Kyrie sighed.
âI canât. Both of you are talking as if Nathaniel was wrongfully asleep.â
She felt the need to be more specific.
Leschaux made a bitter smile for the first time.
âDoes Sir Lore think that Nathaniel will take revenge on the royal family?â
ăThatâs right.ă
âYou donât seem to be interested in Nathanielâs resentment.â
ăNot really. If I could atone for it, I would. But the revenge that you think heâs going to do, and the revenge heâs actually going to do, is going to have a huge difference.ă
âBut you can stop him.â
Kyrie said what he was thinking. Not only did she have this thought, but anyone in this country would have thought that even if âThe Endâ appeared again, it would be okay because there was the Patriotic Lord.
Leschaux narrowed his eyes to realize where Kyrieâs thin tension was caused.
ăKyrie Buchanan, you have a big misunderstanding of Nathaniel.ă
He turned his head and stared at the wide pond by the promenade. Just in time, the wind blew and shook the eucalyptus leaves. A harsh voice, like a shriveled bark, rang to the crunching sound of the leaves.
ăIt was Nathaniel who taught me swordsmanship. And I have never surpassed him.ă
Kyrie opened her mouth wide with astonishment.
âWait. Did he teach Sir Lore about swordsmanship? But he⊠is âThe Endâ? The Founder, the Legendary Knight, and Sir Lore condemned togetherâŠâ
Leschaux opened his mouth slightly, then shut it like a clam.
ăHe was already unknown even when Vallabriga and I were still young and human.ă
âThen who the hell is he? No, what is it?â
Leschaux looked back at Kyrie. He opened his mouth, no fragment of emotion was visible on his doll-like face.
ăI do not know.ă (T/N: FCK IT WHEN WILL WE KNOW!?)
âYou donât know?â
ăWe didnât know anything back then. I simply did not know him, so I easily borrowed his strength, easily feared him, and easily let him go.ă
Kyrie was speechless for a moment. After a while, she was compelled to say this.
âWait a minute, I mean, you got help from Lord Nathaniel for the founding of the country, and you abandoned him because the war was over?â
ăThatâs right.ă
It was an honest answer with no excuses, but to Kyrie, that honestly felt disgusting.
âThatâs betrayal.â
Unknowingly, she said with an elevated voice.
Once again, she remembered the back of Nathaniel, who was looking at the vast snowy forest. Did he originally have the calm solitude on his back? Or was it born out of betrayal?
âThen, Lord Nathaniel really did nothing wrong, 540 yearsâŠ.â
Kyrie mumbled as if she couldnât believe it. She tried to calmly open her mouth.
âDid you agree to seal Nathaniel, Sir Lore?â
ăNot really, but I think I expected it to happen implicitly.ă
âWhy?â
ăBecause he was so high, so unidentifiable, so strong, so beautiful. To the point where I wanted to bring him down in any disgrace.ă
Leschaux closed his eyes.
ăSo I wanted to meet you.ă
âI donât want to hear whatâs next.â
ăI hope you listen.ă
Leschaux looked at Kyrie slowly, as if opening up.
ăPlease stop Nathaniel.ă
Kyrie forgot that it was rude and moistened her lips with her tongue.
âYou canât expect too much. Iâm nothing to Nathaniel.â
For Kyrie, Nathanielâs voice, which said, âItâs not worth that much to youâ,was still clear in her ears. But Leschaux shook his head weakly.
ăOriginally, everything was meaningless to him. Iâm afraid youâre the only one who has any meaning. You can trust me.ă
âI donât risk my life for something groundless.â
ăThereâs basis.ă
âWhat is it?â
Leschaux lowered his cherry-colored eyes in the dark.
ăThe evidence is that you are still alive.ă
âThatâs a sophistry.â
Despite being cool, she noticed that there was something Leschaux hadnât said. It wasnât that she didnât want to urge it, but she didnât know if she could intervene with him any more.
She was not a passionate totalitarian, and her loyalty to the royal family was on the verge of collapse in her work with Prince Eden.
And for Kyrie, Nathanielâs anger was taken for granted. That part was the biggest problem.
âThe one involved, Vallabriga, is dead, but he is a descendant of a person who took power based on his high blood.â (t/n: he=the current emperor)
Kyrie thought it was right to stop him because it was not the fault of the current emperor, but in her heart, Nathanielâs situation was more understandable.
âHonestly, Iâm confused. I donât think itâs my business.â
Leschaux quickened his pace as he realized that Kyrie was reluctant to do this.
ăYou donât know how dangerous he is. The situation is now entering the countdown.ă
âI think youâre exaggerating.â
Leschaux shook his head.
ăItâs still snowing.ă
Kyrie almost heard MarryAnneâs voice overlap with what Sir Lore said.
âWhatâs with the eyes? Whatâs all this fuss about?â
âPlease tell me so I can know. Thereâs an unprecedented heavy snowfall, but itâs not a big problem. Winter will soon pass. âŠ.â
ăNo. Spring wonât come at this rate.ă
Leschauxâs already low voice became even lower. Kyrie glanced at him.
âIf youâre trying to persuade me, give me a more convincing reason.â
Leschaux hesitated very briefly. However, whether he was a quick judge or not, he quickly returned with a stiff look like a stone.
Now there was no need for cumbersome spying between the two. The conversation went on quickly.
ăIn the past, he was called âKing of Winterâ by allies.ă
âThatâs a romantic title.â
ăYouâll change your mind when you hear everything.ă
âOkay, letâs hear it.â
Leschaux took a moment to pause, then opened his mouth.
ăHe used a sword in the early days of the subjugation, but at some point he changed his method, saying, âItâs too cumbersome.âă
âHow?â
Leschaux looked at Kirie.
ăAt first, it was just heavy snow, and it wasnât until halfway that people realized something was strange.ă
Kyrie blinked. Thatâs exactly what she thinks these days.
âStrangely, it snows a lot this year.â Thatâs what she thought.
ăBut then it was already too late. There was a cold that could not be solved by human fire, crops froze, and animals died. Enemies fell in the snow and died.ă
Leschauxâs eyes sank deeply.
ăAt that time, Orewinbridge and I seemed to be the first to realize. That he was not human.ă
Kyrie managed to open her mouth.
ââŠâŠI donât understand. Why did he do that?â
Leschaux smiled bitterly. It was a face with regret.
ăThat part made us feel more real. Because there was no reason.ă
âWhat?â
ăHe made the entire continent as permafrost for no apparent reason, and while doing all of that, he just smiled with boredom as usual.ă
Leschaux slowly stretched out his hand. Brushing the snow off Kyrieâs stiff shoulders and hair he continued.
ăDo you understand? âItâs snowing too muchâ, Kyrie Buchanan.ă
T/N: I will refrain myself from giving funny comments in middle of the ChapterâŠ..because the mood will get ruined