Chapter 40
Still, I sat down first. My legs were killing me from having to endure the conversation between the Duke and Irix. Irix reluctantly sat beside me.
“Did your new attendant pick that outfit for you? It’s a different taste than usual.” The Duke pointed at Irix’s clothing. Irix was dressed in an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place even if he were selling cabbages at the market. That’s because he bought it at the same shop where a cabbage-selling boy might shop.
“I just bought it myself. It’s comfortable and nice. It’s much better than the clothes Bok chose, so I plan to wear this from now on.”
I remembered the extravagant outfit Irix had worn before—layers of embroidery and lace… It suited him, but I was relieved he hadn’t picked it himself. Looks like there won’t be any more of those outfits in the future.
“He’s already dead. It’s not his fault for having bad taste, so just pray for his soul,” the Duke said.
“It’s not just bad taste, is it?” Irix’s words cut sharply.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The events of that day were his fault, yes, but he died horribly. Let’s forgive him for that.”
Irix’s eyes sharpened. “It wasn’t only that.”
“Yes, it’s regrettable that Arche died too. Poor kid. But having you by his side, he wasn’t alone. Arche must have been thankful too.”
Irix glared at his father. The Duke chuckled lightly.
“Irix, many people have died beside you. Don’t dwell on it every time. Forget what can be forgotten, let go of what should be let go. I’ve already forgotten everything.”
Right, this is a fantasy world. The concept of human rights is trash, and people just die. Spies die, innocents die, people die for reasons, people die randomly, people die when their time comes, people die for no reason—death is everywhere. So first, get used to people dying. I’ve seen plenty of that.
“Enough about that. Let’s talk about new connections,” the Duke said, looking at me.
“Like this young Elphini here.”
Wait a minute—didn’t he just say people keep dying beside Irix? And now I’ve just sat next to him. At least the Duke was really handsome. A man who could make many noblewomen in the Empire commit adultery wouldn’t have an average face.
“Are you close with Irix?”
“Yes, we are,” Irix answered.
Without looking at Irix, the Duke said, “I’m disappointed I didn’t know you had a close friend. You should tell your father about school sometimes. My dear Rixy doesn’t seem to talk about himself enough.”
Doesn’t seem to talk about himself? And Rixy? That creepy nickname—what is that? Irix must hate it too, judging by how he swallowed hard every time his father used it.
“But how did you two meet on the train?”
“….”
“It doesn’t seem like it was a planned meeting. I checked, and no letters were sent to the address your friend could have received. Also, your schedule changed just a day before. Contacting your friend and changing their schedule would have been too tight.”
The Duke looked at me. A normal girl would have been scared. But I’m not a normal girl—I’m from another world—so I felt nothing. Only curiosity. Why is this adultery-addicted man acting like this?
“Tell me. How did you meet?”
Any excuse I gave would be seen through. This is a man who rules over the Empire’s political stage, full of intrigue and conspiracies. Ordinary cunning won’t work. Actually, trying to be cunning at all would be foolish. I smiled slightly.
“I had a strange dream.”
So I decided to go with bold nonsense.
“What kind of dream?”
“I dreamed that Irix got into a big accident.”
I may have said something wrong, but let it slide. Don’t lose momentum.
Irix frowned. “What about me?”
I didn’t answer, and the Duke ignored it and asked,
“Did the dream show which train Irix was on?”
“Yes.”
“Which station at what time, all of it?”
“Yes. But it was a coincidence that we were on the same train.”
“Coincidence?”
“Yes. I didn’t intentionally get on the same train. There were just only a few special-class trains that could get us to school before the start of term. It was a coincidence.”
“I see…” The Duke looked at me for a moment. With those violet eyes, he seemed to probe my thoughts—but I held firm. I’ve dealt with all sorts of people. I can’t control people, but I can withstand them.
“Did you also see what kind of accident it would be?”
“Yes.”
“You must be the type whose dreams are accurate, Elphini. You see it in a dream and immediately try to find our Rixy?”
“Yes. It’s always accurate. That’s why I trust my dreams.”
The Duke chuckled. “So your dream was right. But tell me, how do you distinguish it from a random dream?”
“I can tell. I just feel it.”
The Duke kept smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes. Well, he’d be angry—having a nineteen-year-old spout nonsense in front of an Empire Chancellor.
“Blessed by a god, perhaps?”
“Yes.”
I had to stay confident. Show no weakness. I had to keep my nonsense seamless and thorough.
“I find it regrettable that I don’t believe in your god. Tell me, what is this god’s name?”
“Room 301.”
Irix’s mouth fell open. The Duke fell silent for a moment, recalling if such a god exists. Of course, it doesn’t.
“Tell me more about this god.”
“I don’t proselytize.”
The Duke studied me closely. He looked like he was thinking, What kind of lunatic is this? I met his gaze even more confidently.
“It may not be a god, but a supernatural power.”
“It isn’t.”
“You tested it?”
“No.”
“And you’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“How can you be certain?”
“It just feels right.”
Irix’s eyes went to the ceiling. He couldn’t bear to look any longer.
The Duke, who had been staring blankly, suddenly laughed out loud.
“Irix, your friend is truly amusing. Now I understand why you’re close.”
“Thank you for appreciating my friend’s qualities.”
The Duke smiled at me.
“Not only amusing but also capable. I like this friend of mine. Take care of my son from now on.”
I was surprised, and even the snake peeked out of its pouch, flicking its tongue. Irix pressed the snake’s head back into the pouch with his finger.
“Now, Elphini,” the Duke said elegantly.
“I want to talk with my son alone. Will you step out?”
Step out immediately. Irix poked my side.
“Go wait outside.”
“You really have an interesting friend. No, you probably became friends because he’s interesting.”
“Mind your own business.”
“No, you need to be a little unusual.”
The Duke looked at the door through which I had left. He said “interesting,” yet didn’t smile at all.
“Now, let’s talk, Irix. What happened?”
Irix didn’t answer.
“You failed, didn’t you?” Still no answer.
“I told you the chance to enter the order, to finally see those Elders. Why didn’t you go? Were you too scared when the moment came?”
He kept silent. The Duke slowly stood, bowed slightly, and brought his face close to Irix’s. Their eyes met.
“Were you scared?”
“Yes.”
Finally, Irix answered.
“I was so scared that I couldn’t move. So I gave up.”
Even then, his voice was calm, and his eyes cold.
“It was impossible for me. Don’t make me do that again. I was scared I might have died right there.”
“…”
The Duke studied Irix’s face carefully and said,
“Why did you kill Telecus?”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“Then the senior did?”
“There was a venomous snake on the train. It bit him.”
“A venomous snake?”
“Yes. A wild one.”
The Duke lost words for a moment.
“So a venomous snake capable of instantly killing someone happened to be there at that time?”
“Yes.”
“How did the snake end up there?”
“I didn’t study animal behavior. Nor ecology. I don’t know. That guy must have just had an unlucky day.”
“Unlucky?”
“Yes. And everyone that day was unlucky. Many who bought tickets to the capital got trapped on the bridge over the Grand Canyon. Then a corrupted beast ran rampant, nearly sending the whole train into the canyon. Telecus just happened to be particularly unlucky.”
“Irix.” His father’s voice grew serious. Irix knew from experience that when his father spoke like that, unpleasant words followed.
“All that coincidental misfortune was actually a deliberate inevitability. Nothing is truly by chance.”
