I Became The Younger Sister Of A Dying Woman - Chapter 66

66. Please do not lose faith

Hernan arrived at the astrologer’s shop, as he had left the palace early. The shop, for such an eccentric establishment, was surprisingly large and well-kept.

It was evident that their business was thriving.

Two gatekeepers stood in front of the shop, blocking Hernan’s way. They were impeccably dressed.

“You cannot enter directly. Our shop requires reservations.”

Hernan, with his emotionless voice, commanded.

“Do you know who I am? How dare you block my way?”

Even the battle-hardened warriors who had fought in numerous wars would cower in the face of Hernan’s imposing presence.

The gatekeepers were no exception.

They lowered their shoulders and stammered.

“B-but rules are rules.”

“You!”

Hernan roared.

“Ugh, ugh! We made a mistake!”

The two gatekeepers prostrated themselves on the ground, begging for mercy.

Hernan maintained his intimidating aura as he continued.

“I made a reservation under the name George. Check it.”

“……Eh?”

“You fool… How dare you treat me like a commoner who hasn’t even made a reservation? Do you want to die?”

“P-please spare us!”

Hernan remained confident.

The Duke of Valencia had informed him that the shop required an appointment.

‘Your Highness, reservations are mandatory at that place.’

Even if he is a member of the royal family, he must follow the rules of the common people. Ahem. Whether he liked it or not.

Hernan continued to scold the bewildered gatekeepers.

“I said I made a reservation under the name George! If you want to live, check it quickly!”

“Yes, yes! We’ll check right away and get back to you!”

The gatekeepers rushed into the shop.

George.

George. That was an alias bestowed upon him by Linzel. He couldn’t bear to use his real name for such matters.

* * *

“Welcome, Mr. George. Thank you for visiting our shop.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Hernan replied as he observed the elderly woman sitting across from him.

She looked to be in her seventies, and despite the building’s exterior, she was dressed frugally.

Hernan also surveyed his surroundings.

Following the guide provided by the gatekeepers, they reached the innermost part of the building.

Here, the elderly woman, a fortune teller, would read his horoscope.

There weren’t many decorations in this space.

The only thing that stood out was a round crystal ball placed on the table.

The lighting in the room was slightly reddish, adding an eerie atmosphere to the place.

“So, Mr. George, it doesn’t seem like you’ve come all the way here for a fortune reading…”

Hernan, who was looking around, looked at the old woman with some surprise.

It was truly unexpected.

It could be a coincidence, but he couldn’t help but see her as a talented fortune teller who had quickly grasped his intentions.

He thought she was a trickster, but she seemed to have some skill.

“That’s right. I’m not interested in fortune-telling. I made a reservation because I have something to ask you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you know Miller Hawkins? Of course, he might have used an alias.”

“…….”

“He’s in his early thirties and has blue hair. And pretty damn skinny.”

“Hmmm…….”

“Oh yeah. He also wears glasses.”

The elderly woman seemed lost in thought for a moment, then her lips parted as if she had remembered something.

“Ah, yes! It seems like I had a visitor matching that description a while back. I don’t recall the name he used, but I certainly remember the impression he left.”

“What did that man ask you when he visited?”

“Mr. George, we have a policy of not disclosing information about other customers.”

Hernan nodded as if he had expected such an answer.

Unfazed, he continued.

“Very well. Then I’ll ask differently.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know any method that can bring someone back from the dead?”

The elderly woman stated firmly.

“No, there isn’t. Isn’t that too big of a task for a mere fortune teller like me?”

“You probably answered the same way to everyone who asked that question, right?”

Again, the elderly woman asserted.

“Yes, Mr. George. How could I say differently with just one mouth?”

If Miller had any interest in necromancy, at least he wouldn’t have been able to learn the secret here.

Hernan attempted to rise from his seat but froze as the elderly woman continued speaking.

“However, I do know someone who could make such a thing possible.”

Someone who could bring the dead back to life?

“What? Are you saying that such a person actually exists?”

The first thought that came to Hernan’s mind was a wizard.

There were few of them, but wizards did exist within the Empire.

However, there were no wizards capable of bringing the dead back to life.

They specialized in minor magic that might be useful in daily life, such as cooling a hot summer breeze or using it as a means of livelihood.

“I’ve never heard that there’s a wizard who can use such magic.”

The old woman shook her head.

“It’s not a wizard.”

“Then who?”

The old woman’s small eyes shone brightly.

“Apophis. The first emperor and dragon, he might be the one capable of such a thing.”

“Apophis…….”

The name of the dragon had been cropping up frequently lately, even though he had no particular interest in it.

However, he did not have much faith when he heard that Apophis would make it possible.

This is because there was no material related to necromancy in <The Royal Archive>.

‘But I don’t have to tell her that.’

Hernan asked what he had wanted to know.

“Do you know where he is?”

“I’m not sure….”

The old woman hesitated, glancing at a clock on the wall.

“Oh, Mr. George, your reserved time has come to an end. If you choose to use our services again next time, we can discuss this further…”

It was a rather audacious remark.

Hernan, rather than getting irritated, placed a pouch of money he had in his jacket on the table.

“Finish what you were saying and wrap it up. You’re quite the saleswoman.”

Hernan suspected that this old woman wasn’t a trustworthy source of information, especially considering her audacity and the way she tried to intimidate him.

Therefore, he decided to comply with her wishes.

With a laugh, the old woman concluded.

“I don’t know where he is either. Aren’t his whereabouts known only to a privileged few?”

“You dare deceive me?”

“Sir, I have never claimed to know Apophis’s whereabouts.”

Hernan raised his hand to his hilt but immediately withdrew it.

He realized that killing the old woman would yield him nothing.

“I’ve seen enough.”

Hernan stood up. 

It was the moment when he took a step away.

“Your Highness.”

She seemed to have grasped his true identity.

“…….You knew my face.”

“Please, do not lose faith.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s all I can tell you.”

Hernan scrutinized her, but the old woman remained silent, her lips tightly sealed.

Hernan left the shop, contemplating her words.

Do not lose faith…

The only people Hernan truly trusted were his parents, Gatt, the Olive Knights, and Linzel.

None of them would break his faith.

“It seems there are no frauds here.”

Hernan headed for the palace.

He wondered about Linzel, who had said she would visit the West Palace.

* * *

“Mini, why would someone give a bouquet to someone they dislike?”

I lay in bed and stared at the bouquet of roses Lenox had thrown at me.

It was placed on the table.

Something he could have thrown away to anyone else, and yet he had given it to me, a woman he hated.

“Eat this and go away? Aaah! I’m sorry, Lady Linzel. I’ve been talking too much.”

“No. You have a point.”

Indeed, there had to be a reason why Lenox had given me flowers, especially considering my aversion to them. 

Moreover, this bouquet was meant for Illiya.

“But for a bouquet given by someone who hates Lady Linzel, it’s really pretty. I thought it was meant to be a confession.”

“That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to discard it.”

Should I say that not throwing it away was to avoid consequences?

“Shall we put them in a vase?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

Mini hummed a tune while placing the roses into a vase.

“I think you’re thinking of the person he was originally going to give them to.”

“Like a loving relationship?”

“Oh, no. You can’t use that word, Mini. You can’t.”

It would be more accurate to describe it as a beautiful friendship rather than love.

Illiya might not understand, but Lenox clearly regarded Illiya as a special friend.

A friend…

Lenox’s reaction to my proposal of becoming friends had been ambiguous, to say the least.

‘……Give me… time to think.’

Maybe making friends requires time.

I don’t know, because I don’t have friends.

But what I did know was that Lenox was thinking about it.

At least he didn’t reject me outright, so maybe I should be thankful for that.

I found myself curious about Mini who had been ordered to befriend the servants of the West Palace.

“Hey, Mini, how are you getting on with the maids of the West Palace?”

Mini exclaimed as she finished her flower arrangement.

“I’ve finally learned the name of one of the maids!”

It is said that Mini had a conversation with the pale-faced maid she met on the first day.

She says her name is Pael.

It was a name that went well with her pale face.

“Oh, have you heard anything from Maid Pael?”

“Well, it’s not anything significant, but… Prince Illiya seems to like flowers, so he’s been leaving them at the entrance for him regularly.”

So, Lenox was aware that Illiya liked flowers.

I looked at Lenox again. (T/N: Not literally, more like she sees a new side of him.)

I had only known him as a man who disliked royalty during the hunting competition.

But now I saw a sensitive man who regularly visited a long-forgotten friend, even going as far as preparing things his friend liked.

‘Why doesn’t Illiya come out when he has such a good friend.’

If I were in his shoes, I’d appreciate the effort my friend made and would consider facing the world.

I pondered whether it would be a good idea to prepare some flowers and visit the West Palace tomorrow.

Then, at the very least, those nasty notes won’t come back.

“Miss Linzel. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I’ll work harder to find out!”

Mini’s determination was truly admirable.

“When you were scared for your life in the West Palace earlier……, I can’t tell you how much it broke my heart.”

I smiled at Mini, my response unwavering.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to preserve my life.”