Side Story 3

Reibella approached the painting as if entranced. She quietly gazed at the faces of the parents and the small child they were cherishing in their arms.

The child, with a face that knew no hardship, was smiling brightly while holding Dad’s hand with one hand and Mom’s hand with the other, grinning widely.

A smile spread across her lips at the innocent appearance.

“……Is this.”

Calyx, who had quietly approached, asked with a soft exclamation.

“Could it be, Rel, is this you?”

“Yes. I think so.”

It was a painting that had hung in the castle of Reliccarve, Felicity’s territory, a very long time ago. It had been placed next to her father’s portrait, which was the first thing visible when entering the castle lobby.

Why would such a painting be here?

Why in this remote village with no connection to Felicity?

“Do you like that painting?”

As she was staring at it for a while, someone who appeared to be the owner of the painting approached. He was an elderly man with graying hair and a slightly hunched back.

“……Yes, it’s so beautiful.”

“The lady has good taste. But I won’t sell it.”

He continued with a regretful expression.

“The owner of this painting told me to just hang it here. Not to sell it, just like this.”

“……Just hang it here?”

“Thanks to that, merchants passing through here often admire it. Recently, a merchant who said he heard rumors from the capital asked if this painting belonged to the extinct Felicity family……”

“As far as I know, I heard that nothing remained of the Felicity castle because it burned down.”

The castle of Reliccarve had largely caught fire during the final battle and its interior was completely burned. Nothing recognizable had remained inside.

So how could a painting, of all things, survive in such pristine condition?

“Could I possibly meet the owner of this painting?”

At her request, the owner stared intently at her face. Then he carefully examined her pink hair, which matched the father and daughter in the painting. After that, he went inside and brought back a note. The note had an address scribbled on it.

Looking at the address, it was not in the current port city but in a nearby village. It would take some time to visit.

“We need to leave for the capital today……”

“I heard a ship bound for the capital departs this afternoon. If you plan to meet the painting’s owner before leaving, you’d better hurry.”

At his suggestion, Reibella looked at Calyx. She was checking his opinion.

Calyx seemed to contemplate for a moment before nodding. That was the moment their new destination was decided.

* * *

The place they arrived at following the address was a quiet countryside slightly removed from the port.

Located on such high ground that it could be called a cliff, there were very few houses where people lived. Instead of feeling empty, the vast meadows created a picturesque village with scenery that brought peace to the heart.

Reibella asked around and eventually reached the house closest to the cliff.

The first thing that greeted her was the clear sound of wind chimes. The metallic resonance heard whenever the wind blew gently melted away her tension.

Next, she noticed a large old tree growing beside the house. Under the tree was a small, bear-shaped wooden figurine.

It was a somehow familiar bear figurine.

Curious, Reibella approached and carefully picked up the bear. As she stroked its smooth, well-polished head, something suddenly came to mind.

Whenever she was sulking dejectedly, someone would quietly approach to cheer her up……

‘Miss. I’ll give you this, so please cheer up.’

‘……What is this?’

‘It’s a one-of-a-kind doll I made just for you, Miss.’

……Could it be.

As she was looking at the bear again with wide eyes, a presence was heard from somewhere. A heavy resonance cutting through the air. The sound of someone using a sword.

Reibella immediately raised her head and headed toward the back of the house where the sound was coming from.

The first thing that caught her eye was a middle-aged man with white hair and a sturdy build. He was elegantly swinging a sword held in both hands.

Each time he moved his sword, the sound of cutting wind echoed loudly. His light movements across the green earth and disciplined gestures suggested his swordsmanship was extraordinary.

But more than that, what caught Reibella’s attention was a small action he showed.

After swinging his sword for the last time, he held it to his chest as if embracing it before carefully lowering it. That gesture was so familiar.

‘Levi!’

‘Miss! I told you not to suddenly run in!’

In childhood, when she would suddenly run into the training grounds, he would check the surroundings one more time while lowering his sword, fearing she might get hurt.

Taking a sharp breath while watching him, Reibella urgently approached. Just as he was about to lower his sword, Reibella leaned against his back and embraced him with both arms.

“……Levi.”

Surprised by the sudden situation, Levi, or rather Lionel, tried to remove her hands but stopped. His hand holding the sword began to tremble slightly.

His voice calling her also trembled finely.

“……Miss?”

“Yes.”

“……Is it really you, Miss?”

“Yes, Levi.”

With her answer, Lionel turned around. Facing him, she recalled the last moment they had seen each other.

‘Miss.’

‘……Yes.’

‘You are still young, Miss. No one wants a child to suffer because of adults.’

‘But I am a Felicity.’

‘That’s why you must survive first. All of us are fighting hoping for your survival.’

‘……’

‘The Duke also wished for that. It was his last wish. To forget everything and be happy.’

He was the knight commander of Felicity, Lionel, who had regretted that they would never meet again and wished for her happiness until the end.

His hair, which had been like autumn wheat fields, had turned white, but it was indeed him.

After confirming that she had now become an adult, he reddened his eyes.

“……Miss.”

With a face about to cry, he quietly gazed at Reibella, unable to continue speaking. Eventually, Lionel knelt down and whispered with his forehead against her hand.

“Thank you, truly, thank you, Miss.”

Then, Lionel’s sobbing sound spread to the edge of the vast meadow, carried by the wind.

It was a sobbing that made sadness and pain, suffering and worry melt away like snow.

* * *

“It’s humble, but please come in.”

Contrary to his words, the house Lionel led her into was quite neat. The kitchen, as well as the bed area, was in an impeccable state.

Though farming tools might be scattered outside, the inside of the house reflected the order and tidiness characteristic of a knight.

As she sat in the chair he offered, he quickly brought tea. It had a rich, aromatic scent.

“The person who came with you……”

Lionel’s gaze turned toward Calyx, who was still leaning against the old tree outside. Reibella looked at him and smiled.

“I think he’s giving us space to talk comfortably.”

“I see.”

“I’ll introduce him to you later. He’s someone who is very skilled with a sword, so I think you’ll like him, Levi.”

Reibella continued talking while looking at Lionel.

“Why didn’t you contact me all this time? I thought you’ve died defending the castle that day. That’s why I didn’t look for you……”

“I heard news that you had gone to Vicheravali, Miss. Seeing that you seemed to be living happily, I remained silent.”

“Then, if I hadn’t come here, were you planning to never reveal yourself?”

“If you were happy, Miss, yes, that was my intention.”

“Levi……”

“I’m truly grateful that you’ve grown up so well, Miss.”

Seeing him smiling contentedly, something welled up inside her. She felt like crying again.

“Anyway, thank you so much for being alive, Levi. I’m so happy to see you again.”

“I would have died if not for Master Lerang. He saved me when I was dying and told me to live when I was ready to give up my life.”

“……My teacher?”

“Master Lerang said that you would surely survive and would find me. It was also Master Lerang who ordered the Felicity portrait to be placed at the port.”

If that portrait hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have been able to meet Lionel today.

To form a connection in a relationship that could have easily passed them by.

“……I think my teacher truly is a sage. It’s like he can see the future.”

“He was never an ordinary person. He lives in a time we can never approach.”

“I’d like to see my teacher too.”

“Soon, Master Lerang also said he would have something to do again. Wouldn’t that be related to you, Miss?”

Her teacher was the leader of the elf tribe that protected the Spirit Forest in Reliccarve.

As a race that worshiped spirits and lived with them, Tolbish Lerang, the leader, had also taken care of and respected Felicity, who inherited the spirit’s blood.

For such a person to have something to do ‘again’?

“Could it be that he knew I would become the Duchess of Felicity?”

Had he known all along that the day would come when Felicity, long vanished through extinction, would spread its wings once more?

She even thought that perhaps this spirit’s prank wasn’t a coincidence.

Perhaps the spirit had also invited her here to meet Lionel.

And if that was what her teacher had intended?

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t shake the feeling that her teacher was truly a mysterious person.

Smiling slightly as she looked at Lionel, she saw him staring at Reibella with a face half surprised, half excited. He looked as if he had heard something unexpected.

“……Miss, those words.”

At his voice, trembling with excitement, Reibella carefully continued.

“Yes, I’m going to become the Duchess of Felicity.”