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nChapter 61

nProofreader: xoxomonami

nThe tomb of the Evron Grand Duchy was out in the stronghold.

n“The building was built with the stronghold in mind. If there is something like the tomb of the family in the castle, there would be problems with the space, but there is one more place to be protected in case of emergency.”

n“If it was outside, it’ll be even more fragile.”

n“It is said that it was built outside the castle with the intent of giving it up quickly. If it is inside the castle, even if you say you don’t have to protect it, you can’t do that from the standpoint of your vassals.”

nThat said, it cannot be built anywhere and left unattended.

nSo, it was built on the mountain closest to the stronghold.

nSince the mountain was also a military hub, the Grand Duchy built a defensive facility there. And he put the military in place.

nCedric asked.

n“But, isn’t it cold?”

n“It’s not cold.”

nArtizea shrugged her shoulders a little.

nIt is still fall weather by the Evron standards, and if it were in the capital, it would be considered to be mild winter weather. It wasn’t cold enough to wear a marten coat like this.

nRather, because she was in Cedric’s arms, she felt hot. She couldn’t even tell if she was speaking properly.

nShe was told that they were going out casually. But she didn’t think he would come out with a carriage.

nYou have to climb the mountain. There is no paved way for a carriage to go through. I thought you’d know…

nThe butler said with a sorry expression on his face.

nDuring the time when the preceding Grand Duchess was alive, the dirt roads were nicely paved, but in the past twenty years or so, no one had to go in a carriage to the mausoleum.

nThe road got rough.

nSorry. I didn’t think much.

nNo. We can ride a horse right?

nArtizea asked. Both the butler and Cedric had ambiguous looks on their faces.

nThe reason was found after a while.

nThere were only huge horses in the stables, which were enormous in height and in their amount of hair. In the first place, the horse breed is different from the passenger horse in the capital.

nAre you good at riding horses?

nCedric asked. Artizea had no choice but to shake her head.

nAnyway, she was far from using her body. She knew how to ride a horse, but she was only able to sit on a gentle path and stroll.

nCedric smiled with a somewhat pleasant face.

nLet’s ride together.

nWhat?

nArtizea was confused.

nAre you troubled?

nNo, not that. No, but.

nSoon, a black horse that had been gently combed came out.

nCedric held Artizea and placed her on the horse. And he carefully climbed on its back.

nShe’s never ridden a horse like this before, but there was no time to be surprised or scared.

nIt was because she was put in a position that had her held between his arms.

nThe feeling of Cedric’s touch on her back and hearing the sound of his heart beat, made Artizea hold her breath.

nThere was a memory in this sense.

n‘Ah….’

nIt was when she was carried around the empire by Cedric on a horse after losing all her limbs.

nShe had no idea at the time.

nHer incompetent body hurt without ceasing. Everything that came through the five senses put her mind in pain.

nEven then there was this warmth. She didn’t feel the warmth, but it was definitely there.

nBeing trapped in Cedric’s arms was like a punishment.

nAnd now…

nArtizea closed her eyes tightly and forced her to cut off her thoughts.

nA cold wind hit her face.

nAs they ran the plain for about 40 minutes, they entered the mountain trail. Cedric easily handled the horse and ran through the mountain path. It was stable, as if nothing took place.

nAs they climbed the mountain, they saw a fence blocking the road. Soldiers standing guard saw Cedric and quickly cleared the fence.

nThe knight in charge of the defense facility came out and gave a military salute.

n“Welcome, Your Grace, Grand Duke. I have been waiting for your call in the morning.”

n“I just came to visit, so don’t worry and go back to your original duty.”

n“Yes.”

nThe knight replied briefly and raised the salute again.

nSoldiers closed the fence from behind.

nSome soldiers whispered, but not enough to bother. The knights were wearing a happy smile.

nIt was a good idea for the Grand Duchess to ride with Cedric’s horse. If it weren’t for their duty now, they would have rushed and surrounded.

nArtizea opened her eyes and looked around her.

nThe first thing that caught her eye was the stone tower. Likewise, there were soldiers’ quarters and arsenals built of solid bricks.

n“What about the tomb?”

n“This way.”

nCedric paused in front of a building that looked like a small chapel.

nCedric opened the bag on the saddle of his horse. Four flowers made of silk appeared as if prepared in advance. He handed it over to Artizea.

nAnd he himself lifted a lamp.

nCedric took the lead and went to the chapel.

nThe chapel had only a large stone staircase pierced below. It looked like a chapel, but it was actually a wall covering the stone steps.

n“Is the tomb in the basement?”

n“In case, the building is destroyed and the entrance is blocked. It is not an object to be protected first, but it is also a matter of not letting the tomb be dug.”

n“If someone collapses it right now, will we be buried alive?”

nCedric laughed out loud.

n“It’s a useless worry.”

n“I’m not worried about it. Though I’d like you to bring an attendant next time.”

n“It’s not a building that’s exposed outside. It’s in a military building.”

n“Do you thoroughly believe in all the knights and soldiers in the military and even their families?”

n“Yes?”

n“No, of course, you believe because they are the citizens of the Grand Duchy ……”

nArtizea sighed.

n“People become betrayers for very unforeseen reasons. Until now, you’ve only been as Grand Duke Evron, so it would have been okay.”

n“The port and the Elia side are certainly not managed, but we can know and understand who goes to and from the military and stronghold.”

n“I hope you understand my worries a little. Be careful in the future. It is enough to have someone you trust outside to guard.”

n“Okay.”

nCedric made a bitter smile.

n“I don’t know if this will help you get rid of your anxiety, but it’s only the head of the army that knows how to take this building down at once. And that friend lost one arm for me.”

n“I’m not suspicious of the Evron Knights. I was talking about the general theory.”

n“I know. I don’t misunderstand. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful in the future.”

nCedric said so.

nCedric’s parents were laid side by side in the outermost room.

nTwo sarcophagi were enshrined in a stone altar. In front of it, a carved slate was placed to cover the deceased’s coffin from being directly seen.

nAnd each was engraved on the slate like this.

n<>

n<>

nCedric moved and lit the candlesticks on the left and right of the altar. And he cleared the artificial flowers in front of the tombstone.

nThe old silk flowers would have been originally white. But now it has turned yellow. It looked old enough to crumble.

n“It’s been 3 years.”

nAs he made excuses, he received two new silk flowers from Artizea and laid them down on the altar.

nArtizea was still behind him.

nShe had never missed the dead, so she could not speak words of consolation. She didn’t think she could dare say consolation.

nCedric called her with his hand.

n“I want you to give a flower too.”

n“Can I do that?”

nTwo silk flowers remained in Artizea’s hand. She thought it was a flower for Cedric to dedicate to another tomb.

n“I heard my mother liked flowers. She will be happy.”

nArtizea carefully approached the altar. She then got down on her knees and put the flowers down.

n“The day will come when you will return.”

nArtizea said so in a whispering low voice. Cedric shook his head.

n“I never thought I should take my mother to the capital. Because the dead are dead. She is gone, she will already be in peace.”

n“Lord Cedric.”

n“The important thing is on the living side. I know you can’t live right if you have a grudge, Tia.”

nCedric spoke as if confessing.

n“I think I should live with that much value, even for those who threw their lives for me. And being obsessed with revenge for the deceased would not be living for a better world, if not meaningless.”

nArtizea looked at him in a strange mood.

nArtizea knows well that Cedric’s words are sincere and true.

nHowever, whenever she saw his right mind like this, she couldn’t help but get caught up in the feeling of seeing something unrealistic.

nArtizea did not know how to pay tribute. She couldn’t imagine her willingness to stand up and face the future.

nShe had already given up when Miraila died. If there is a heart closest to her memory she felt it for Lysia.

nBut when Lysia died, Artizea was in despair, foreshadowing a miserable end. It was then that she disbanded the intelligence organization and chose seclusion.

nShe gave up the empire.

n***

nAfter finishing the offering and coming out of the tomb, Cedric led Artizea to the tower.

n“It’s a watchtower. If you climb to the top, you can see the gateway to the Thold Mountains.”

nArtizea rolled up the hem of her skirt and grabbed Cedric’s hand and climbed the spiral staircase.

nThe guard at the top of the tower was startled and gave a military salute. Cedric answered him and said.

n“The telescope.”

n“Yes.”

nThe watchman handed the telescope he had to Cedric.

nThe wind blew like crazy. The wind broke through her coat, and Artizea shuddered.

nThe tower was higher than she thought.

nThe surrounding area was low and it was the only tower on top of the mountain. As Cedric said, she could see the surrounding terrain at a glance.

nHolding a telescope, Artizea looked around.

nThen she saw people plowing in a valley beyond the Thold Gate, the northern border.

n“Lord Cedric, that’s….”

nCedric nodded as Artizea mumbled in the exact direction.

n“That’s right. I was going to show you that.”

n“Are they nomads? Why are they there….”

n“We are researching whether it is possible to grow Karam crops.”

nArtizea swallowed her breath.

n“If the temple finds out, they will say that you are researching the devil’s crop. They may say that you’re colluding with Karam.”

n“Yes. That’s why I’m doing it beyond the Thold Gate.”

nCedric replied.

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