Chapter 159
“I had a dream where I was playing with people I’d never met before.”
The content of the dream changed every day, but the people who appeared in it were always the same.
“Just watching them made me happy, and my heart felt warm.”
“…….”
“In that dream, the way I referred to the two of them was…”
“Kai?”
“Yes.”
She nodded vigorously.
“And I called the other one Arti.”
“…….”
“At first, I wondered what kind of dream this was. But even after waking up, I couldn’t forget it.”
These were people she saw in her dreams every time…
“I always wondered who these happy people were. But no matter how much I tried to recall, I couldn’t figure it out. Because I had never met them even once in my life.”
A long sigh escaped from Yunes, as if summarizing all the emotional hardships she had endured.
“Then, I happened to find a book written by Artia herself at a bookstore. And when I saw her portrait in it…”
Yunes spoke with a slightly excited tone.
“That’s when I finally realized who the one I had always called Arti in my dreams really was. And also who the other person with them was.”
That’s why she had set out for the Duchy of Persha without hesitation—to meet the only living being among those she remembered.
“Then I saw a patient in the village…”
She ended up helping them.
“I still don’t know why I keep having such dreams…”
Yunes slowly reached for the small vase on the table. White smoke flowed out and quickly enveloped the flowers. Before anyone could react, the flowers withered rapidly.
“Ghh!”
Del, who had been quietly observing the scene beside her, drew a sharp breath. But his surprise only grew in the next moment.
The flowers, now surrounded by the same white smoke, returned to their original, vibrant state as if they had never wilted.
So this was the power she had used to cure the recent epidemic!
Even having heard about it, seeing it with his own eyes was far more astonishing. Del alternated his gaze between Yunes and the flowers with admiration.
“This is why I am called a saint. I healed people with this ability.”
Curious about the nature of her power, Yunes asked if anyone knew what it was—but Kainel said nothing in response.
“Her name is Yunes, right?”
“Yes.”
“Del.”
At Kainel’s call, Del approached and leaned in, as if ready to follow any command.
“Move her room. To the middle room on the west side.”
“…Yes?”
But Del hesitated at Kainel’s next instruction.
The middle west room was only opened for truly special guests. Even members of the royal family might not be given this room—yet it was being offered to her?
Honestly, Del had assumed Kainel would give that room to Miss Seres.
“Lift all restrictions.”
“…Understood.”
Even the restrictions on the space available to her were to be removed. Del nodded with a slightly reluctant expression. Now there would be no place within the Duchy of Persha she could not enter.
“Thank you.”
Yunes finally smiled brightly, as if relieved. Kainel’s gaze remained fixed on her, making her smile even warmer.
“Wow.”
Nothing here has changed at all.
Seres, walking around the Duchy of Persha, could not help but express her amazement. Even after 300 years, it was as if time had stopped here.
‘Does the building follow the owner’s time?’
Seres chuckled softly at the thought as she looked at the buildings, still holding memories from long ago.
‘Aaah! It’s so cold here!’
‘I didn’t tell you to come.’
‘You little…! From now on, no entering the magic tower!’
‘Not Grace! You—you!’
Despite the constant bickering, the three of them always spent certain periods together in this place.
“Haah, it’s so cold today.”
“Yeah. I think it’s the coldest so far this year.”
As she walked along the snow-covered path, Seres heard voices nearby. Turning her head, she saw two women, likely maids, talking by the well.
‘That is…’
Her eyes softened at the sight of the well. Two wells stood side by side, holding a fragment of an old memory. Seres slowly approached them.
“Even from a long time ago, why are there two wells here?”
“Who knows. Maybe they failed when they tried to make one? No water comes from this well anyway.”
The two maids, pausing their work to fetch water, chatted about the second, unused well. Having two wells in one place was unusual, and splitting the water supply was inefficient.
Perhaps they had dug one well, found no water, and decided to dig another next to it.
“Two wells are weird.”
“Exactly.”
Since childhood, these wells had existed in the Duchy of Persha from the first time they came here.
They could never understand why a well that didn’t produce water was left untouched.
“If you don’t use it, you could just remove it.”
“Everyone who comes here for the first time gets confused.”
“They always drop the bucket in both wells. I did the same.”
They muttered softly, recalling old memories. On such cold days, drawing water from the deep wells and pulling it up was exhausting.
The frustration when a bucket came up empty was something only those who had experienced it would understand.
“Looks like we’ll just be heating water all day again today. It’s so cold.”
“The kitchen and other departments will demand hot water even more.”
The two maids, responsible for carrying water throughout the Duchy, sighed heavily. Cold days like these doubled their work, as the water had to be kept hot.
“Is this one unused?”
“……?”
Suddenly, a voice joined their conversation. Turning quickly, they saw a stranger tilting their head in curiosity.
‘Who is that?’
It was the person who had arrived yesterday afternoon with His Grace. They hadn’t seen them up close, but they clearly remembered His Grace holding that person’s hand and disappearing.
‘Why is a guest here?’
The Duchy of Persha was not kind to strangers. They would never allow free movement outside designated areas.
Even Yunes, called a saint, had only limited space in which she could move freely.
‘But how is this person moving around so freely?’
Unknown to the maids, this was thanks to Del, the aide, who quickly informed the key personnel of everything regarding Seres’ situation despite the potentially awkward circumstances.
Even Roel, the steward who had coldly refused Yunes’ request to explore the Duchy, and the other key personnel who managed the estate, did not attempt to stop Seres’ walk.
“Hmm.”
With the two maids’ astonished gazes upon her, Seres looked quietly at the unused well. It seemed completely dry and untouched.
‘Why leave something this convenient abandoned?’
This well had been made by Artia long ago.
‘Not for you! It was for Grace, who hates cold water!’
Even in the middle of winter, Artia had specially made this well so that she could use it comfortably.
‘Of course, someone always prepared warm water, but…’
Artia had also made it for herself, to avoid complaints from those who frequently sought warm water and grumbled at the helpers.
