He will stay here for three days. During that time, I must protect Arkadia and establish a new relationship with Sion Belpast.
Slowly, I removed the half mask covering my face and looked at the freckled caterpillar. He seemed shocked, unable to take his eyes off me, or more precisely, off the unscarred half of my face.
"Freckled caterpillar, whatever your orders are, think carefully. If you don't want to end up like me."
He looked panicked. Apparently, revealing my face, partly as a threat, partly to instill fear, worked.
"What, what orders?"
"Whatever they are."
I turned away from him. Then, he called out to me.
"Are you going to the Duke of the North's victory ceremony tomorrow?"
"We're not allowed outside the castle. Don't you know?"
"I know. But…"
He trailed off, then mustered some courage to speak.
"I heard it's going to be a pathetic victory ceremony. A maid who serves food was talking about it. I don't want that."
The freckled caterpillar left before I could reply.
He dislikes a pathetic ceremony? Now that I think about it, he did take the North's side when fighting the eternal second.
I already know what will happen at tomorrow's procession.
In my previous life, Rahel planned a 'Silent Victory Ceremony,' where the people who came to see the Duke of the North were intimidated into not uttering any welcome or cheers. And then…
Rahel hung massive bags of silver bellflowers in the celebratory fireworks. The flowers symbolizing the North were crushed to dust and fell to the ground, forcing the Northern Knights to trample on their own symbol.
A humiliating event that lingered in the gossips' mouths for a long time, the so-called 'Return of Humiliation.'
I didn't want to welcome the Duke of the North, whom I met again in this life, in such a manner.
Where did they get all those silver bellflowers?
I recall hearing they were hidden within the Rahel Forest.
I wasn't sure, but I had heard rumors of a hidden cluster of silver bellflowers within the forest.
I wandered aimlessly through the forest.
What was I trying to confirm?
Eventually, I reached the farthest part I had never seen before and found a vast field of silver bellflowers, hidden behind a massive barrier. However, most of the flowers were gone.
'Again this time?'
That night.
I climbed the highest tower in the castle where the fireworks were prepared. Following the long fuse, I found massive amounts of gunpowder and bags of silver bellflowers connected to it.
As I suspected.
Rahel's pettiness made me laugh. Unlike my previous life, the Duke of the North had formally requested this victory ceremony.
Even with the Emperor backing him, the most powerful man couldn't do this. Especially when the Northern Duke's family has an incomparable lineage and history.
"Bella. I hope your soul can come out of the darkness."
Your words, echoing in my heart, made me close my eyes.
What did my soul look like to you, Duke Belpast?
Can you help me find my true self?
I climbed up and down the tower several times, removing all the bags of silver bellflowers. I then connected the bags of jasmine I had picked all day to the gunpowder.
The red jasmine loved by Medea.
A flower symbolizing Rahel, blooming everywhere in the Rahel Forest. There was enough to turn several Lenas in front of the castle into a flower path.
Sion Belpast, this is my first gift of atonement to you.
I hope that in this life, I can reach you as my true self.
Search "in this life" at "redcatty . com" to read ahead chapters.