Ch 2.3
After that, the four of us—me, Mary, William, and Lian—began traveling together.
We went to Grence, and I saw with my own eyes a diamond mine that actually existed.
‘To think all those diamonds are mine…….’
I can’t forget the thrill I felt the first moment I saw the diamond mine.
The fact that I could buy a whole house just by selling a few of these stone-like things rolling around at my feet made me intensely excited.
My only purpose for coming to Grence was to see the diamond mine with my own eyes.
Therefore, I immediately moved on to the next destination, and in that way, I traveled here and there throughout the Empire, seeing and experiencing many things.
During that time, as if determined to keep his promise to me, Lian continued arduous training with William every single day.
Strangely, perhaps because he was eating well while living with me, he suddenly began to grow tall very quickly.
To add a bit of exaggeration, it felt as though he grew every time he went to sleep and woke up, and grew even more by the next morning.
Within that one year of our travels, Lian grew into a boy who looked about fourteen or fifteen, rather than a twelve-year-old child.
Since growth is something that can be slow for some but very fast for others, I watched Lian grow up with pride and without much suspicion.
And now, we had just arrived at a coastal city called Yulita in the southern part of the Empire and were each taking a rest at an inn.
I saw it while coming in on the carriage, but the city was incredibly boisterous.
When I asked the innkeeper why, he said it was a festival period.
Hearing the word “festival” suddenly made me think of the man I saw in Peorat a year ago.
He was remarkably handsome though…….
His hair, which looked as if black ink would rub off if touched, and eyes that looked like amethysts had been embedded in them, made the man’s beauty stand out even more.
‘I wonder if the other children who were in the circus troupe are doing well?’
After falling asleep while thinking of this and that, the next day we decided to stay here for a few more days.
We had traveled through many cities for a year, but there weren’t many places we passed through that happened to coincide with a festival period.
It was to the point where enjoying the festival in Peorat on the first day of the journey was lucky.
At any rate, while the word “festival” does make one’s heart flutter, more than anything, it was my first time experiencing a festival with the unique atmosphere
provided by a coastal city, so that alone was enough reason to spend time here.
“My Lady.”
“Yes. Come in.”
Mary called me from outside.
I finished my preparations and went out.
As if we were used to it now, we decided to move on foot instead of by carriage.
Since the inn where we stayed was in the heart of the downtown area, it was a distance easily traveled back and forth.
“My Lady, look over there!”
Perhaps because it had been a long time
since she had seen a vibrant street filled with colorful things, Mary pointed at something for me with an excited voice.
“It’s the sea! I can’t see the end of it!”
Following the road and walking a bit off the path, a vast ocean came into view.
It was the first sea I had seen since coming here.
Somehow, I felt relieved because it wasn’t different from the sea I used to know.
“My Lady, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the sea!”
I could feel Mary’s overwhelming emotion as well.
I thought that not just Mary, but Belita and everyone else here would be seeing the sea for the first time.
As if my thoughts were correct, not only Mary but also William and Lian had a different look in their eyes than usual.
Among them, Mary had been filled with anticipation, talking about the sea so much that my ears were practically ringing throughout the journey and as we approached Yulita.
“May I go closer?”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
To see the sea more closely, we approached the beach where the golden sand sparkled.
Upon entering the beach, Mary roamed around here and there with a face full of deep emotion.
Watching Mary like that made me feel good as well.
When I suddenly looked at William standing next to me, it was clear enough for anyone to see how he felt about Mary.
He had an expression as if he were looking at the most lovely person in the world.
Seeing the two of them made my heart feel proud and touched.
I quietly left them in their own world and approached Lian, who had been staring only at me for a while.
Lian, who had grown a full 15cm taller than a year ago, looked at me with wide eyes.
“It’s your first time seeing the sea too, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Since it feels unfamiliar and
wondrous, it seems correct that it is my first time seeing it.”
Lian’s growth was certainly remarkable.
Not just his height, but even his voice and way of speaking showed no trace of the
young child from a year ago.
“I see. What are your impressions?”
“It is blue, wide, and massive.”
“Is that all? How do you feel right now?”
I asked Lian back in a teasing voice, as if saying “Is that really all?”.
“……It is good.”
“What?”
“It is very good.”
Looking at me steadily and saying it was good, Lian was smiling so beautifully that it would make one’s heart flutter, in a way that didn’t seem like a child.
“If I had known you liked the sea, we should have come sooner.”
“…….”
Why is he suddenly silent again?
It was just as I was about to ask why he was speechless again.
“My Lady!”
Mary approached me, calling out, as if she had finished enjoying the sea for a while.
“I think I was too absorbed in the sea by
myself. I’m sorry.”
Mary made an awkward face and lowered her eyes sheepishly.
“No. It’s okay. You can look more.”
“No. I’ve seen enough. Let’s go somewhere else now. Hurry.”
And so, we moved back toward the street lined with shops.
“It’s a circus troupe.”
While walking away from the beach, filling our stomachs because we were hungry, and then looking around the festival, we happened to encounter a circus troupe.
At the mention of a circus troupe, I hurriedly looked back at Lian, who was following behind me.
I was worried that Lian might feel uncomfortable or show signs of fear at the mention of a circus, but fortunately, there was no particular change in Lian’s expression.
“My Lady?”
When I stared at him, Lian called me cautiously as if puzzled.
“No, it’s nothing.”
I glossed over it roughly and turned my head forward again.
The area around the circus troupe was, as expected, crowded with many people.
Perhaps the performance was already in full swing, as cheers could be heard from everywhere.
‘Children…….’
However, among those performing, there were children again.
It wasn’t the dangerous tightrope walking in a flaming area like Lian used to do, but regardless, it was a sight that felt quite uneasy.
Two children were each standing on a wooden pole set upon a single wheel, tossing clubs back and forth to each other.
I looked back at Lian once more.
I was worried about what Lian would think looking at them.
And as expected, Lian’s expression was not very good.
“……Shall we go?”
At my words, Lian nodded cautiously.
I was just pushing through the crowd to leave that place, mindful of Lian’s unstable state of mind, when it happened.
For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure among the people.
“Eh?”
“What is it, My Lady?”
‘Could it be?’
The person I just saw in passing could have been someone who looked like that person in my memory.
However, since that face and physique were not ordinary, I tilted my head but couldn’t shake off the “what if” thought.
“It’s nothing.”
But whether it was that person or not, I didn’t intend to do anything about it, so I glossed it over and left the spot with Mary, William, and Lian.
Later, as it grew dark and I returned to the inn, I fell into deep thought.
‘I think it was him…….’
It was a thought about the man I caught a glimpse of earlier.
Since I saw him at the place where a circus troupe was performing and not some other location, I became certain that the man I saw was him.
I don’t know why, but curiosity was piqued.
If the person I saw is indeed that man, will he infiltrate to save the children this time too?
And above all, the anxious look in Lian’s eyes from earlier wouldn’t leave my head.
Although he followed me as soon as he saw the children of the circus, it seemed he was reminded of the children he had lived with and parted from.
‘Should I go check?’
I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go near the barracks where the circus troupe was staying and observe the situation.
If the man really appeared, I thought it
would be good to meet him once more, even for Lian’s sake.
Once I thought that, my body moved first.
Before the night grew deeper, I quickly changed into clothes that were easy to move in, disguised myself as a man, and quietly left the inn.
The barracks where the circus troupe stayed were easy to find.
Walking a bit further into a secluded area from where the performance was held earlier, I found several large barracks gathered together.
Since performance items they used were scattered around the barracks, I recognized at once that this was where the circus troupe stayed.
I hid near the barracks so as not to be noticed by anyone and observed the situation.
Since it was dark all around, it was perfect for hiding.
The surroundings were silent.
Only the sound of insects chirping here and there and the sound of sea waves in the distance could be heard regularly; no footsteps of people could be heard.
‘Was it a wasted trip?’
Since I had come thinking that might be the case, I didn’t feel disappointed.
It was just as I was thinking I should watch for a little longer before returning to the inn, just in case.
Suddenly, small but urgent footsteps began to be heard nearby.
Although they were moving carefully so as not to be caught, they were clearly audible to my ears, which were focused on reacting to even the slightest sign.
Secretly but quickly, I approached the place where the sound was coming from.
Then, I saw two familiar figures entering toward the barracks.
‘You did come, after all.’
Thinking about what to do, I decided it would be better to wait rather than blindly follow them.
So, I decided to wait near the path the two had passed until they returned.
About ten minutes must have passed like that.
The footsteps increased compared to before.
The light sounds of something were added to the heavy feeling from before.
I moved closer to where the signs were heard.
And near the barracks, I finally faced the man, Eden.
He was with a subordinate and three children.
As soon as he saw me, Eden looked full of surprise, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
He seemed to recognize me even though I was dressed as a man.
He flickered his lips as if to say something to me, then quickly realized where he was and shut his mouth.
Then, after gesturing for the children and his subordinate to follow quietly, he went on his way.
I followed behind them.
After a while, we arrived near the beach, sufficiently far from the barracks.
I saw Eden stop his movement and give a command to his subordinate with a glance.
Then, the subordinate took the three children and left the spot.
