Volume 5, Chapter 39 – Eve of the Grand Ceremony (Part 1)

Stretching languidly, Yisi, having dealt with Rahab, flew down from the cliff. Although she hadn’t slept all night, the cold wind and the exceptionally beautiful scenery of the manor made her feel less drowsy than she had imagined.

“As expected of the Blood Clan’s granary… the entire territory is a sea of gold.”

A few villages were scattered across the plains, and at their center, the golden wheat fields rippled in the autumn breeze. The fragrance of wheat ears in the air was very refreshing to Yisi.

“I remember Andrea said she was going to inspect the surrounding villages. I’ll take a little time to go and see her.”

As Alvier VII, yet unable to break the curse left by the previous queen, Andrea would probably be questioning whether she was a member of the royal family at all if it weren’t for the fact that she could use magic exclusive to them. Truly worried about her condition, Yisi decided to visit Andrea before returning to the mansion, even though she couldn’t change the fact that Andrea was unable to break the curse.

Finding Andrea’s location, Yisi flew straight toward the village. Before she could be seen, she landed on the flat ground. The village path was very soft to walk on. Combined with the dry weather and the sunlight piercing through the clouds, it gave Yisi a warm and fuzzy feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time.

It would be very comfortable to settle down here.

While fantasizing about Mary running through the wheat fields with a flower crown on her head, Yisi walked into the village. Boris and Augustin were not here, as they had to handle official business. Only a few soldiers from the Royal Guard were guarding Andrea.

“I’m here to see Andrea.”

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“Her Majesty the Queen is currently on an inspection. Please allow me to lead the way.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m not here to see Andrea on official business.”

“Understood.”

The soldiers parted to the sides, and Yisi easily walked into the village. This village was home to less than two hundred people. Most of the houses were single-story wooden buildings, making it a common, ordinary village.

One could see tall stacks of wheat in the village’s central square, which a few young and able-bodied men were tending to. No one was in a panic because of the Queen’s arrival. She had probably not revealed her identity.

Passing through the square and arriving at a wheat field on the plain, Andrea, in a night-colored long dress, was standing alone under a windmill, letting the breeze that stirred the waves of wheat mess up her long, pink hair as she stared blankly into the distance.

“Andrea.”

Calling out softly, Yisi waved at the turning Andrea.

“Lady Yisi? What brings you here?”

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“I was worried about a certain sentimental fool, so I came to see you. Are you still worrying about those undead?”

Yisi’s words made Andrea lower her head and fiddle with the hem of her skirt in embarrassment. “Yes…”

She seems much better than before. Yisi was slightly relieved. There was no longer a shadow on Andrea’s face, and the fact that she was embarrassed proved that she had recovered to some extent.

“Although I can’t tell you not to worry, now is not the time to worry. The Grand Ceremony of the Festival of Original Sin is in two days. If everyone sees an unhappy queen, they won’t be happy either. You don’t want that to happen, right, Andrea?”

“Mm…”

“So don’t make that face anymore.” Yisi reached out and pinched Andrea’s cheek, making the corners of her mouth turn up. Andrea covered her face, even more embarrassed.

“Lady Yisi, wh-what are you doing?”

“I just saw you looking so down, so I wanted to cheer you up. After all, when you smile, Andrea, even I’m captivated.”

She had intentionally used a teasing tone, but Andrea seemed to have taken it seriously. She became fidgety. “How could that be… I don’t have a perfect figure like Miss Camilla, and I always run away when I encounter problems… how could I possibly captivate you, Lady Yisi…”

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“Who knows? Running away is a natural instinct for all living things. When I encounter a difficult problem, I also always think about how to get around it, not how to defeat it. And to be honest, your timid and hesitant appearance makes one want to protect you.” Besides, Andrea had used the wrong example; Camilla’s figure was not perfect.

Yisi waved her hand helplessly. “No matter what you think, Andrea, I think you’ve already captivated many people. Your small teeth, your wings that always reveal your inner thoughts, being a queen yet unexpectedly kind, worrying over a little bit of pocket money for a long time, unwilling to see soldiers sacrifice themselves for you. Although you see it as avoidance and weakness, in my eyes, those are very cute points.”

“But as a queen, I don’t need these things…”

“That’s right…” Not denying Andrea’s statement, Yisi was silent for a moment. As long as Andrea was still the queen, there would always be a day when she had to face difficulties. If the Vladimir Territory were to fall, Andrea would have to face that choice, wouldn’t she? Surrender, or fight to the death.

If Yisi were to state her own thoughts, she would hope that day would never come, and that Andrea would stay as she was.

But that was a selfish thought. Even if Andrea didn’t change now, she would eventually mature with the passage of time. Her past hesitation and avoidance would become a part of her “growth” in the future.

This was a process everyone went through. If Andrea hadn’t had the necklace as a protective umbrella, she would have matured long ago in her struggles with the nobles. Even if she was unwilling, she had to do it. Whether it was not attending the council or pretending to be sick, there would always be a day when she had to face them.

And in this painful process, with the help of those who supported her, Andrea would gradually grow into a qualified queen. Unless Andrea gave up her position and fled to a place where no one would know her, changing her name and living as an ordinary girl.

Yisi said abruptly, “If you don’t want to be a queen, Andrea, I can take you away from here.”

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As if she didn’t understand what Yisi meant, Andrea’s golden eyes widened slightly. “…Eh?”

“I can take you to live a free, ordinary life. Like the girls who live in this village, you’d work for your future, think about every copper coin you spend, then grow up, find a partner you like, become a mother a few years later, raise the next generation with your partner, and finally die without regret at the end of your life, to be buried in a grave and become a small tombstone. If you wish for it, Andrea, I can make it happen. The price is that you give up your position as Queen and no longer concern yourself with the affairs of the Blood Clan.”

Andrea bit her lip, a look of struggle in her pure eyes.

For the current Andrea, such a choice was too cruel. To ask a person to abandon everything they now possessed and live a new, unknown life, no matter how much she detested her current life, she would hesitate for a long time when truly faced with such a choice. Giving up the present was not a simple matter. Moreover, no one could be certain that the life after making the choice would be better than the present one.

In the past, Andrea had simply thought that becoming an ordinary person would solve all her problems, without paying mind to what she would face or what she should do after becoming one. By laying out this problem for her now, Yisi was just trying to make her worry less about unnecessary things.

Her serious expression softened considerably. Yisi gently patted Andrea’s head. “You don’t have to tell me the result so quickly. You can tell me anytime.”

As if she hadn’t heard Yisi, Andrea nodded absentmindedly. “Mm…”

“Oh my, if it isn’t Her Majesty the Queen.”

An elderly female voice suddenly appeared by Yisi’s ear. She subconsciously turned her head. It was an old woman with gray hair, a hunched back, who could only move with the aid of a cane. She was now looking at Andrea with the kind smile characteristic of the elderly.