Chapter 61: Hillmartino Jonathan

Place.

It would have been better to push him out of the window and fall with him than to go back to my place. But in Wilhelm’s eyes, Agrane didn’t know anything. When I smiled briefly with a gesture of incomprehension, he also smiled softly and said,

“I don’t think I’ve heard the answer to my suggestion yet.”

Do you mean the suggestion of seeing each other every three days? To know your enemy, you must know yourself and know your enemy. There was no reason to refuse.

“You’re inviting me? When can I see you?”

“You just have to wait for the servant who will be sent to you after the sun goes down tomorrow.”

“I understand.”

After the conversation, we spent a few more minutes appreciating 『The River Where the Sun Manoeuvres』 together. Afterwards, Wilhelm said he had something to do and saw me out of the annex first.

As I moved away from him, I was immersed in an unfamiliar thought. Whenever I was with Wilhelm I was always anxious, but strangely enough, I was anxious about getting farther away from him today. I knew the source of this uncomfortable feeling.

No matter what commitment I had made to get here, I was nothing but a stranger to the Imperial Palace. Also, the only string that connected me to this place was Wilhelm. Even if I didn’t want it, my attention and gaze had no choice but to follow him.

‘Ah shit.’

At the moment, I felt a strong urge to throw anything I could get my hands on. I left the room in frustration, and all I got was the realization that I was weak and inferior.

I turned around and headed for the West Forest, not the back garden. Walking among the high birch trees, I thought of Ingord. Thinking about it, it was funny that I remembered a land like that. I thought I really had nowhere to go back to.

“Hmph!”

“Contrary to how you look, you have guts.”

How long have I been walking for? I heard a gasping sound not far away.

“I know you go to and from the eastern section, so why do you keep saying you don’t know?”

From the voice that followed, I could feel the refreshing melody and subtle pleasure as if singing. Should I have avoided it? It seemed too late for that. Holding my breath, I leaned against a nearby tree and listened.

“Kuek… that’s His Majesty’s favorite, haha. Because I know…”

“Favourite? What’s his preference? You won’t tell me? All right. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.”

In the darkness of early winter, which had not yet completely settled, I could see people moving vaguely through the trees. The one kneeling was wearing a servant’s robe. Soon, a tall man covered the servant’s mouth with a cloth.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Sik. It was a brief sound, but I got goosebumps behind my back. There was a bell ringing. Suddenly, a sense of crisis raised its head and signalled to me that I should not be here for too long. I walked as quietly as I could, my eyes fixed on them. No, I was going to move it. If only I hadn’t made eye contact with her.

Ah. There is a strange and eerie light in her eyes that made me forget to breathe. Except for Richton, she was the first person to have such strong eyes as if to squeeze a human heart. Maybe that was why? Unexpectedly, my feet froze.

While I stood still, the owner of those gleaming eyes slowly drew closer. I stood there as if I had forgotten how to breathe. The approaching woman had a strong scent of wind that hurt my nose.

“An unfamiliar silhouette.”

I noticed it at once. The fact that the strange melodious voice which was questioning the man belonged to this woman..

“A face I’ve never seen before.”

Her tanned, pale brown skin and darker black hair made her feel like a stranger. A mole below her left eye caught my eye. The color of her eyes was green, more intense than the needle-like thin and long leaves of a pine tree. The woman lifted my chin with her cane. The touch of cold soil fell on my chest.

“But considering that, it doesn’t seem vulgar to me.”

The peculiarly ripe, elegant atmosphere emanating from the woman dispersed with a rather innocent-looking smile. The woman asked me,

“What’s your name?”

Only this woman’s eyes reminded me of Richton. That sentiment was enough. It meant that there was no need to be more involved with this person. I answered with the utmost softening of my hostility.

“You look so creepy that I can’t open my mouth easily.”

The woman slowly lowered her cane. The smiling face somehow reminded me of Vivianne, who had the opposite atmosphere.

‘Because of Richton and Vivianne.’

It was getting worse.

“You know how to use your mouth. Pretty things are often worth their face. The first impression is not bad either.”

“I’m on my way back from visiting the annex. I didn’t mean anything else.”

“Isn’t that a completely different answer from the question I asked?”

Although she was still smiling, her pressurising eyes remained. I slowly backed away, turned and ran to the back garden. When I thought that I might be killed in a place like this, my body moved.

“Catch them.”

As soon as I was on my tiptoes, the voice in the back of my head made me run breathlessly. But the pursuit did not last long. I stopped running and lost my balance as I stumbled at the rough hand that touched my forearm.

“Ha, ha….”

Yes, there was no way I could run away like this. No matter how crazy this woman was, she couldn’t harm me as long as I was a guest of Wilhelm.

Knowing that, I did not struggle and was gently dragged by the woman’s hand. It wasn’t rough, perhaps because of the high-class clothes I was wearing. That was how I faced the woman again. She still had a smile on her face. No, it seemed like the eyes were narrowed. She spoke in an unbothered tone.

“My name is Hillmartino Jonathan. A marquess guarding the southern fortress of the Grenferg Empire.”

Hillmartino Jonathan. The head of the Jonathan family and the second most powerful force following the Duke of Ingord among the forces supporting Vivianne. Sister of the deceased Empress and Madame Jonathan. I heard that Marquess Hillmartino was a woman, but I didn’t know she was this young.

“I wonder what a great woman you are to be so cheeky in front of me.”

The woman, Hilmartino, showed her white teeth and laughed. It was a smile that was not appropriate for the situation and showed that she was genuinely entertained.

There was an illusion of cold sweat flowing over my forehead. What should I do now? Should I lower my body as much as possible to appease her? Or should I just get away with the name of Vivianne or Wilhelm?

I glanced down slightly and looked over Hillmartino’s back. The servant screaming and rolling on the floor fell into my eyes. Considering the capabilities of the woman that I’ve witnessed just now… I didn’t think I could get away using flattery. I bowed my head as an apology.

“Please forgive my rudeness, Marquess. I am Agrane Karold.”

“…Karold?”

It was a question that seemed to show that she was unaware about me. Come to think of it, I heard that the Marquess of Hillmartino was going to come this evening.

“Are you saying you’re a Karold?”

I raised my head at the repeated question. Where did her previous relaxed atmosphere go, replaced by those bloody eyes that were staring at me?

“Yes.”

“Ha.”

Hillmartino, who shed a short false laugh, rubbed her face with her head tilted.

“Hahahaha!”

What was so enjoyable? Hillmartino, who shook her head and smiled, said in a gentle voice.

“I see, Miss Agrane. Good! Let’s say you deserved to be arrogant. You can do that. Finish your journey.”

The man who held me moved away and I turned my back to the servant. But Hillmartino looked at me with a deep smile, holding her cane. Even on the way to the back garden, I turned my head but Hilmartino stood there.

‘What crazy bitch did I wrongfully get caught by?’

As soon as I returned to the room, I asked Valeria.

“Do you happen to know about the Marquess of Hilmartino Jonathan?”

Valeria, who paused for a while, shook her head with a strange expression I had never seen before.

“Oh, it’s already time for her to return.”

“Tell me what you know.”

“Marquess Jonathan resides in the Imperial Castle from the beginning of winter until early spring. To be precise, I know that Her Highness Vivianne is assisting her by her side.”

I can’t believe we have to live together until spring next year. At least I didn’t plan to remain in the Imperial Palace until then.

“Marquess Jonathan is a close confidant to Her Highness Vivianne and the woman she appreciates the most. I mean, she was until you came to the Imperial palace.”

“She must’ve heard about me.”

“Over 20 letters come and go from the Palace everyday. I think there was a letter going to Jonathan”

The southern fortress of the empire is close to the capital. Also, around the time of the Marquess of Hilmartino’s visit, even if she had not exchanged letters, she would have been briefed on the situation of the imperial palace upon arrival.

“I saw her in the woods, clenching her servant’s fingers one by one.”

“None of her maids did not fear her.”

I guess so. Among the nobles, there were many people with bad tastes and dispositions, and the damage was usually borne by the employees.

Among them, Hillmartino’s presence… Even when I came across her once, she was so unique that I could not forget the afterimage of the gleam in her eyes.

“If you don’t want to lose your fingers, Valeria. Don’t leave the castle without me for a while.”

“Yes.”

It was an answer that was more sincere than ever. With the exception of Hillmartino, Valeria had been very loyal to me since losing the emperor’s attention. I didn’t think I needed to worry about Valeria, at least for the time being.

***

The next day, when the sun had risen in the middle of the sky and it was starting to go down, I headed to the back garden. Originally, I had to accompany Vivianne, but today was a little different. Vivianne had not been seen since yesterday, perhaps because of her reunion with Hillmartino, who said that they can’t live and would die without each other.

“How many should I prepare?”

“Half as usual.”

It was my first time using a hunting gun without Vivianne.

Even though I was a guest of the emperor, I counted it as entertainment for me, who did not have a title. If I were an emperor’s concubine, I would have asked to officially learn the gun, but I had no authority to do so.

However, there were few women of my age who could communicate with me, and the rest were people who treated me as insignificant or tried to take advantage of me. When I began to indulge in boredom and negative thoughts, all I could do was hunt.

“Let it fly.”

With my gun fixed, I gave the order, and the servant flew a goose into the sky.