Chapter 3 – Part 4

Eli changed many things in Shuban.

First, he changed everything about the Marquisate of Grit so that he would receive regular reports.

Later, he expelled those who were loyal to Marie.

It happened not because Eli intended it, but because most of those present at the party that day were followers of Marie.

Only after many changes did Viscount Rainier, his wife, Baron Blora, and Baroness Blora manage to visit Ruby’s tomb.

Eli stood by their side as they called out to Ruby, who could not answer.

Viscount Rainier and his wife did not blame Eli. They just tapped his shoulder before leaving.

“I’m sorry.”

There was no disdain in their eyes for him, nor did they ask him to apologize, but it came naturally.

“How could the accident be the Marquis’s fault?”

“….”

“Take care of yourself, Marquis. Your face is badly bruised.”

It was strange.

He could faintly see Ruby in the faces of Viscount and Viscountess Rainier.

And then, suddenly, he missed Ruby.

So even after everyone had gone, Eli couldn’t leave the place, and he stared at her grave for a long time.

***

[The Dowager Marchioness threw objects in anger.]

[The Marchioness seems to be under some strange enchantment.]

[She was in the room with a frequently visiting sorcerer when smoke appeared. When they opened the locked door, there was a fire, and strange symbols were drawn on the floor. It seems like an attempt at sorcery.]

These were reports about Marie that Eli received for years.

Eli mostly just skimmed through the reports.

[You should come urgently. She said she was going out to get some fresh air but headed towards the lady Ruby’s grave. There were unfamiliar attendants with her, seemingly gathered from other regions.]

But with the last report urgently delivered, Eli had no choice but to rush. Leton was with him.

“Do you know who I am? I’m the Marchioness of Grit! You can’t even look at me!”

At the entrance to Ruby’s tomb, Marie was struggling to get in, but the attendants hired by Lord Grit blocked her path.

“Madam, you need the Lord’s permission to enter.”

Despite the Grit attendants desperately stopping her, the rough attendants who had followed Marie tried to enter the tomb.

“What’s going on?”

The people fell silent at Eli’s voice.

“Lord Grit.”

The faces of the attendants brightened at his arrival.

“What are you doing? Mother.”

“None of your business. Just go in.”

Ignoring Eli, Marie ordered the attendants she brought with her.

“Any of you who move an inch from here will not live.”

Eli drew a knife from Leton’s waist. The sharp sound of the well-honed knife being unsheathed was fierce.

The attendants who were pushing each other stopped and looked at each other, quieting down.

Eli looked at Marie and said, “Explain.”

“This is all for you.”

Eli frowned at Marie’s words but didn’t interrupt.

“They said Ruby wouldn’t let you go even if she’s now dead.”

“….”

“In this state, our family’s blood will end here.”

“Who said that?”

Eli laughed, making the sound of wind being knocked out of him. His voice sounded like he was listening to a funny story, but his eyes were sharp.

“A very wise shaman told me that the only way to keep the family name alive is to take the Ruby out of our family!”

“Mother, if family was so important to you, you should have been nice to Ruby. She was the woman I chose to marry.”

Marie had to realize that the mere fact that he was married, for whatever reason, was a great thing. If it weren’t for Ruby, he probably wouldn’t have married at all.

“And my marriage is my own business. It has nothing to do with Ruby, it’s just that I’m not doing it, It’s different from what that damn sorcerer said.”

“That’s not it!”

“Take my mother home. And bring some strong men here. We will transfer Ruby’s coffin to the temple.”

Ignoring Marie, Eli gave orders.

“Tell them that I want Ruby’s coffin in the temple, and if they want a donation, I’ll give regardless of how much they want.”

“Oh, okay.”

Despite his hesitation, Leton ran to carry out Eli’s orders.

“No!”

Marie shouted.

“Look at this. All of this strange behavior, this situation, it’s all because of that child coming to our house! And you’re still claiming that you’re not being held by her?”

“Mother.”

Eli called out to Marie with an indifferent gaze.

“Get a hold of yourself. What you’re hearing are the nonsensical ravings of a nobody who knows nothing about sorcery and etiquette.”

“It’s not like that!”

“Do you realize how pitiful you look right now? And for you to be ranting about noble honor and manners……”

Intentionally elongating his words, Eli scanned Marie from top to bottom.

“You don’t look like a noble. You’re like a madwoman on the street.”

With that, Eli headed toward Ruby’s tomb.

“No! How can a family I protected with all my might crumble like this? It can’t collapse like this!”

Marie shouted at the top of her lungs, but Eli didn’t look back even once.

When he reached Ruby’s tomb, the disturbance ceased as if nothing had happened.

Eli stood in front of Ruby’s gravestone and traced her engraved name with his fingertips.

“I’m glad you can’t hear these noises”

He guarded the tomb until Leton brought more attendants.

***

“I never thought I’d see you again.”

It was the priest who had officiated at their wedding. There was a hint of kindness in his voice.

“Thank you for accepting.”

Eli and the priest were in the underground of the temple. Thanks to the temple’s willingness to relocate Ruby’s tomb underground, they have moved Ruby’s remains there today.

“I heard there’s a prayer for the repose of the dead. Can you do that for my wife?”

Eli asked, looking at Ruby’s coffin faintly lit by the dim and subtle light coming from underground.

“Whether it’s the cost or support for the temple, I’ll do anything.”

“Your gaze has changed.”

Instead of answering, the priest said something else. He didn’t take his eyes off Eli.

“It seems you have a different look in your eyes compared to the wedding.”

“Is that so?”

Eli had no choice but to answer like that because he didn’t know what kind of gaze he had at that time.

“I will pray.”

The priest said, staring blankly, not at the pews, not at the ceiling, but somewhere in between.

Eli gave a small smile.

The priest began to pray, and Eli bowed his head and added his strength to the priest’s, hoping for her peace.

“May I ask you one thing?”

The priest asked before leaving the underground after finishing the prayer. Instead of answering, Eli nodded slightly.

“If your wife were to return to the time when she was alive, what would you do?”

“….”

“What would you do then?”

The priest’s eyes were genuinely curious as he looked at Eli.

“I would change everything. Everything.”

“….”

“And I would save Ruby. By any means necessary.”

Eli’s answer came quickly. It had been his thought every time since Ruby’s death.

Should he have stopped her from getting on the carriage? Or should they have ridden together to see her home? Or maybe he shouldn’t have accepted the divorce.

At the end of his thoughts, he even considered the possibility that he shouldn’t have married Ruby in the first place.

But it was all in vain.

Upon hearing his answer, the priest turned away, mumbling, “I see.”

Eli touched the glass through which he could see Ruby’s resting place and rested his forehead against it.

“Live comfortably there, please.”

“I hope your wish comes true.”

Both Eli and the departing priest said at the same time.

Because of that, Eli did not hear the priest’s words.

* * *

“Marquis. You need to get up.”

It was Leton’s voice.

‘Did I fall asleep?’ Eli thought and pushed himself up.

Eli froze as he rose to his feet. Sitting up in bed, he looked around. This was one of his favorite quarters.

“Lord Grit, are you awake?”

At Leton’s urging, Eli opened the door, and Leton entered, bowing.

“You’re up later than I am, and that’s unusual.”

“I think you’re the one who slept in, not me.”

He replied, noting that he looked younger than when he’d last seen him yesterday.

Leton wore a look of disbelief for a moment, then wiped it away.

“You don’t have time for this, we’ll be negotiating in a bit.”

“Negotiate?”

“Have you been sleep-deprived? You’re here to negotiate with the Kingdom of Caines, and you’ve been up until dawn thinking about it.”

Eli’s hand stopped running through his hair at the words.

“What did you say?”

“You were up until dawn thinking about it.”

“Before that. Where are we?”

“Where at Miligal, right next to the Caines Kingdom? You came here to negotiate a dispute. Are you sick?”

“That’s…”

Eli was about to say, “That’s been over five years ago,” but he closed his mouth.

“How long has it been since I got married?”

“…Even if you’re indifferent, isn’t it too much to forget when you got married…”

“Is it about a year now?”

Oh, surprising, a look of surprise appeared on Leton’s face.

“If you know, why did you ask?”

Then he made a rueful expression.

As soon as Eli realized what was going on, he jumped to his feet and grabbed his clothes.

“Where are you going?”

“This negotiation is void. There’ll be internal conflict in their Kingdom.”

“What?”

“Just wait and see what happens.”

With that, Eli swung himself onto his horse and rode off.

“Marquis”

Ignoring Leton’s call, Eli rode as fast as he could. He rode to Shuban with minimal sleep.