The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#41

Hernin’s birthday party was just around the corner.

The servants of the Gerold Marquis family were all busily preparing for the party in unison. The mansion’s corridors were so crowded with local specialties sent from various regions and floral decorations for the party that it was difficult to walk through.

Of course, Jersian wasn’t busy just because of the birthday party. Today, too, he sat in his office, listening to information brought by a messenger.

“Baron Basiz will depart from his mansion tomorrow, it’s said.”

Jersian twisted his lips into a smirk upon hearing this and muttered,

“He’s coming quite early.”

Having so many private soldiers at his mansion, moving his heavy body just to attend a birthday party was clearly not a good choice.

‘But if invited in the name of the Gerold Marquis family, especially Elmerila, he couldn’t refuse, I suppose.’

Jersian said, rubbing the invitation stamped with Elmerila’s seal with his fingertip.

“Prepare to move tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll enter his mansion before the main event starts. It’s common to arrive a little late for the scheduled time.”

Merheim, hearing Jersian’s order, nodded and said,

“That’s right. I’ll convey this to Sir Peter immediately. Young Master Hernin will be quite disappointed.”

He quickly scribbled confidential documents to be delivered to the knights, even adding a joke. In reality, no one cared about Hernin’s feelings. Jersian laughed shortly, “Hmph,” as if Merheim’s joke was ridiculous. Then he opened his mouth with an “Ah.”

“Is there something else, sir?”

Merheim’s eyes, which had been moving the quill quickly, suddenly looked up.

“The engagement Aunt Elmerila proposed before, surprisingly, she’s decided to withdraw it first. She says she sent a messenger to Tesena.”

“Oh… withdrawing the engagement.”

Merheim’s ordinary brown eyes widened, and he seemed to be thinking to himself for a moment. He was clearly considering what the Marchioness’s intentions were in postponing that proposal, and what measures should be taken accordingly.

After a while, Merheim opened his mouth.

“The Marchioness has her moments. It’s hard to know her thoughts in detail, but in the end, it shows how much she cares for you, Young Master Jersian.”

“Cares? It’s not like that.”

Jersian, resting his chin on the desk, reacted exactly the same as when he heard Merheim’s unfunny joke.

“…So there’s another intention behind this?”

Merheim asked with a hardened expression. There was no way the Marchioness would act without reason.

“The engagement was a shackle to bind me to the Gerold family, and canceling it means she has a new ulterior motive. Judging by how she keeps asking about Kain openly, it seems she’s changed direction towards that. For her, it’s important that I get engaged, not who I get engaged to.”

Jersian stared at the wall behind Merheim with indifferent eyes as he spoke his true feelings. She was not the type of person who would cancel the engagement with the Tesena royal family out of love for her nephew, genuinely wishing for him to be engaged to someone he truly loves.

It was then.

Jersian’s red eyes moved swiftly at Merheim’s voice.

“Um… I have a personal question, if I may ask?”

“What is it?”

“…Is it really okay?”

“Hm?”

Jersian slightly frowned, his chin still resting on his hand, as if trying to understand the intention behind Merheim’s words.

“What kind of question is that?”

“…”

Silence fell over the office for a moment. Merheim, standing in front of Jersian, seemed to be pondering how to speak with quite a troubled expression.

“Just ask comfortably. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“You speak as if it’s nothing… But engagement is a big deal. It can have a significant impact on your life later, Young Master Jersian.”

Merheim was full of worry. The Young Master Jersian he served always seemed to be walking on a tightrope.

But lately, this aspect had become even more pronounced. After reclaiming the ‘Claude’ he so desperately wanted, he showed no interest in the future beyond that, and seemed indifferent to what would happen afterward.

“Is it really okay to get engaged to Kain Starchis as the Marchioness wishes? Even though nobles often engage and marry formally… I thought you weren’t that type, Young Master.”

“Why?”

Jersian’s red eyes shone as if piercing through Merheim.

“Did you think someone who lost their mother like that would be more cautious about marriage?”

“…!”

Merheim’s eyes, standing in front of Jersian, widened. His trembling pupils were clearly visible even from Jersian sitting at the desk. As Merheim was about to open his mouth slightly in confusion, trying to choose what to say with an “Um… well…”

Jersian beat him to it. After seeing Merheim’s rarely flustered face, he reconsidered what he had just said out loud. From Merheim’s perspective, it was like a sudden sharp counterattack to someone who was just concerned for him.

“Forget it. I know you were just worried about me, Merheim. I said something unnecessary too.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Hearing the apology, Jersian rubbed his eyes with his fingers and waved his other hand dismissively. There was no need for Merheim to apologize to him.

“Let’s take a break and resume later.”

“…Yes.”

Merheim nodded while organizing the documents on the desk.

“And tell Peter that I’ll personally choose who enters the Baron’s mansion. I’d feel more comfortable moving with my personal soldiers rather than the Gerold knights.”

“Yes, I’ll go and relay that right away while we’re on break.”

Merheim nodded and left Jersian’s office.

As soon as the office door closed with a thud, Jersian, who had been maintaining a nonchalant face, completely crumpled his expression and frowned.

“…Haa.”

A deep sigh accompanied it. Soon after, Jersian placed his hand on his forehead and then buried his face in it. A sense of self-loathing came over him for blurting out his deep inner thoughts in response to such a trivial question. He still hadn’t completely moved on from that incident.

“Jersian, Jersian. We have somewhere to go now. Wake up, dear.”

The child, who had been quietly sleeping alone in the large bed, slowly opened his eyes. Then, recognizing the person in front of him, he rubbed his eyes that wouldn’t open easily with his pajama sleeve and said,

“…Mother?”

“Get up. We have somewhere to go for a while. But we need to be quiet. Understand?”

Shh- The woman with pale lips put her index finger to her mouth. She had extremely beautiful features, but somehow gave the impression of a beautiful woman who looked haggard and tired.

“Yes…”

Jersian nodded his small head slowly and got up. Impatient with the child’s slow pace, having just woken up, the woman with long red hair reached behind the child and pushed him.

Before he knew it, Jersian was standing barefoot on the carpet. As he stepped onto the carpet with bare feet instead of wearing slippers or shoes, young Jersian’s face slightly wrinkled at the unfamiliar sensation. The child had never walked barefoot since birth. But his mother didn’t seem to care about such things at all.

“We’re going to the Gerold house today. Come, take my hand.”

Jersian held her hand with his small one. The Gerold house was a place Jersian had visited a few times before.

“Where you grew up, Mother?”

“Yes. Let’s go to the Gerold mansion.”

“…Why?”

“Shh- I’ll explain later.”

The woman’s attention was focused on the quiet door outside. Beyond the room was pitch black like the sky. It was the dead of night when everyone in the castle would be asleep.

The woman grabbed little Jersian’s hand and pulled him out of the room. Jersian pointed to the navy cloth slippers under the bed and said,

“Mother, my slippers…”

“Everything we need is prepared in the carriage.”

“But…”

“It’s okay.”

“…Yes.”

Reluctantly, he left the room barefoot, led by his mother’s hand. This was something that should never be done normally. At this point, young Jersian vaguely sensed that something serious was happening.

Jersian in the office rubbed his throbbing eyes as he sat at the desk. He regretted bringing up that story, as it filled his mind with past events.

He couldn’t imagine how long these memories would continue to haunt him. Even after several years, that past still gripped Jersian’s ankles, constantly pulling him into a dark swamp. How long would he have to struggle alone in this swamp? No, could he ever escape from there permanently? Jersian himself wasn’t confident about the answer to this question.