༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (61) ༻
Delphine’s appearance brought a momentary chilling silence to the air.
Regardless, Delphine’s attitude was extremely relaxed. She, however, only made a peculiar huff while alternating her gaze between Cien and Elsie.
Strangely, there was no umbrella in her hand.
Nevertheless, there was no sign of wetness from the rain because as soon as any raindrop touched her body, it immediately vaporized.
It was an application of aura.
Emitting heat throughout her body by utilizing aura, Delphine could evaporate the raindrops before they even touched her. As evidence, with a hissing sound, steam continuously rose from Delphine’s body.
Next to her, a girl with gray hair came into view.
The gloomy-faced girl, especially whenever she looked at Cien, held an unusually chilly gaze. That expression, resembling an ice sculpture, was truly in her character.
Seria Yurdina was Delphine’s half-sister and a lady of the Yurdina family. She also held the top student position in the second-year knight division. She was also a genius.
Two familiar faces appeared, both seemingly trying to dissuade Elsie, causing her to hesitate for a moment.
Of course, the hesitation didn’t last long.
Elsie briefly trembled , sighed, and released the grip on Cien’s collar.
With a soft thud, Cien’s body, which had been floating slightly above the ground, fell.
The princess gave a few more hacking coughs and then quizzically looked at Delphine.
Why did she just save her?
Was she not the enemy of everyone who misunderstood and harassed Sir Ian? Perhaps she sided with Cien as the successor of the Yurdina family?
Of course, those expectations were shattered almost immediately.
Cien’s ‘Dragon’s Eye’ revealed people’s true intentions. In front of it, pretense and falsehoods held no meaning. Except for those who had reached the caliber of a master, no one could avoid it.
Even Delphine, one of the strongest at the academy, was the same. She still fell into the category of individuals whose emotions could be faintly discerned by Cien.
And the emotions reflected in Delphine’s crimson eyes were far from Cien’s wish.
Faint hostility and discomfort were emanating from her.
It was rare for emotions like these to be visible in someone as skilled as Delphine. This indicated how much she disliked Cien.
At least she wasn’t on the princess’s side.
Cien eventually abandoned her brief hope and could only offer a wistful smile.
“Your Imperial Highness, please forgive me. Rinella has been sorrowfully wandering around these days, like a damp dog in the rain, looking for her owner…”
“I-I wash myself every day because I might meet the M-Master, you know?! D-damp, you said? W-What do you mean by d-damp? Smell it! It’s fragrant! Hurry! Try smelling it!” “
“…As you can see, she has become extremely sensitive.”
Delphine and Elsie exchanged banter as if they were familiar.
As the conversation continued, the Imperial Princess couldn’t help but realize her insignificance between the two people engaging in the dialogue.
Even Delphine’s words, which seemed to express concern for the princess, were, in fact, nothing but mere formalities.
Delphine calmly advised.
“Your Imperial Highness, it would be better for you not to come here for a while.”
Cien couldn’t be tactless enough to ask for what reason.
However, the girl lowered her head with a gloomy expression. It was something she had heard several times before.
Delphine sighed deeply as she watched that sight. Concerns were clearly visible in her tone.
Of course, it was all just a facade.
Anyone else might be fooled, but Cien couldn’t be deceived.
“The public opinion is not favorable towards you. So, please take a break for a while…”
“I understand.”
Cien had no choice but to abruptly cut off the conversation.
Sneakily, Delphine’s crimson eyes turned towards the Imperial Princess. At first glance, those eyes seemed like the loyal gaze of a subject worried about their lord, but the target of that loyalty was different.
At least it was clear that the target was not Cien.
Somehow, it felt more familiar to her this way. While thinking so, Cien shook her head with an expression that seemed on the verge of tears.
No one was on her side.
“Now, now I will go back… Thank you, Dame Yurdina.”
Delphine silently assessed Cien’s complexion. The gaze, piercing through the girl attentively, seemed as if it could delve into the Imperial Princess’s emotions even without the ‘Dragon’s Eyes.’
Perhaps she had read Cien’s inner thoughts, which seemed like she might burst into tears at any moment.
It couldn’t be determined whether she did or not. However, the only sound that escaped from Delphine’s lips was a sigh.
“…Seria.”
“Yes, Sister.”
The girl with gray hair stepped forward.
Her stride remained confident despite being thoroughly soaked by the rain without using an umbrella. She was the very person who insisted that if the Lady didn’t use an umbrella, a vassal shouldn’t use one either in the first place.
She acted as if getting caught in heavy rain was only natural. Her appearance formed a peculiar contrast with Cien, who held an elegant umbrella.
Seria’s blue eyes gazing at her were so cold that Cien couldn’t help but once again lower her head with a resigned expression.
“Shall we escort Her Imperial Princess? It’s a worrying time considering the chaotic circumstances.”
“Please don’t worry too much, Sister.”
The conversation flowing between Delphine and Seria was straightforward. It was a question-and-answer without any room for misunderstanding.
However, Cien’s light gray eyes could clearly see the hidden intent.
Delphine found Cien’s presence there unpleasant, and Seria disliked her even more. So, the two sisters had agreed to remove Cien from this place.
It was not unusual for their discomfort to be apparent.
Nevertheless, Cien had no right to express dissatisfaction with their decision.
Instead, she just offered a brief smile to Seria. Seria responded with an awkward smile, causing the corners of her mouth to tremble.
“Your Imperial Highness, shall we leave now?”
“Then I’ll have to bother you, Senior Seria.”
The world was full of pretense and hatred.
Only one person was an exception, and that was Ian Percus.
Cien almost retched at the hypocrisy.
**
That night, Cien had a nightmare.
It was a dream where the Head Maid choked her neck, and she frantically stumbled and rolled down the corridor, trying to escape. After a while, Cien found herself back in her childhood memories.
At the end of it, there was her mother waiting for her.
Then, her throat felt tight. Even as she pleaded, gasping for breath, her mother only stared at Cien with bloodshot eyes.
She recited.
“Everyone hates you.”
Despite her saying it was not true and trying to hit her mother’s arms, which were squeezing her throat, it had no effect.
Cien woke up gasping.
Cold sweat covered her. The girl staggered to her feet, grabbed a water cup prepared by the maid last night, and gulped it down.
The cold of the early dawn penetrated her, making her shiver. Unbeknownst to her, the morning sunlight had already seeped through the curtains.
It was morning.
Somehow, on that day, Cien found it frightening to descend the staircase.
The reason was unknown.
It was an instinct, or one might say a perfectly reasonable premonition. Perhaps it was due to hearing so many painful words the day before. She wasn’t sure why she felt this way.
From the Saintess and Elsie to even Delphine and Seria’s hidden feelings.
Every single thing was like an awl piercing Cien’s heart. Whenever she recalled those memories, it felt like a suffocating weight on her chest.
After all, going down the stairs and starting another day only meant more suffering awaiting her.
No one was on Cien’s side.
Everyone hated her, and those staying by Ian’s side despised her.
For Cien, her sole source of hope was Ian.
But what if she couldn’t receive forgiveness from that man?
To offer a more optimistic perspective, Cien’s life wouldn’t change even if she couldn’t.
If she wandered through the day feeling somewhat lonely, just like she had lived so far, she might find the ‘real one’ again.
However, due to the past few days’ experiences, Cien was not in a state where normal judgment was possible.If she couldn’t get forgiveness from Ian…?
It might be better if death awaited her.
It might be an absurd exaggeration, but at least Cien felt that way.
The only person who had dispelled her deep-rooted distrust in humans since childhood was Ian.
With slightly trembling steps, Cien descended the stairs.
As it was still early in the morning, the lobby was quiet. A small sigh finally escaped Cien’s lips.
It was a noticeable sign of relief. The Imperial Princess, who had been catching her breath for a while, suddenly noticed a luxurious envelope on the lobby desk.
It was a letter from the Imperial Family. The pattern resembling a dragon on the seal confirmed that fact.
It was a symbol that only the Imperial family could use.
Strangely, just by looking at the envelope, Cien’s anxiety resurfaced.
It was a feeling that transcended any logic or reason.
Swallowing dry saliva, Cien slowly picked up the envelope. There, the sender was written in elegant golden letters.
‘Department of the Imperial Treasury’
With trembling hands, the girl roughly tore open the envelope. Then, she urgently began to read the content of the white letter inside.
It was a message attached with overly verbose sentences.
However, the core of it was short and clear.
‘As ordered, the trading company’s bankruptcy has been confirmed.’
With a thud, Cien dropped the letter.
Her complexion turned pale. The trembling hands indicated the fading sense of reality.
‘Ah, uh, ah.’
Cien couldn’t articulate proper words for a while. After stumbling for a moment, she suddenly burst into laughter. Followed by a fit of hysterical laughter.
“Pfftt, hehe… Ahaha… Fufu, hahaha, ahahahaha!”
The probability that she wished should never have come true became a reality. Therefore, she wasn’t in her right mind.
As she laughed like a mad person, tears streamed down her eyes. After stopping her laughter with difficulty, bloodshot veins appeared in Cien’s eyes.
What should she do?
No, there was no way to fix it.
Hasn’t it already declared bankruptcy? No matter what she did, it would be like discussing the next step after confirming that the dead body could not be revived.
Though her logic was saying so, Cien’s emotions couldn’t accept it.
Unforgivable.
The fact tightened Cien’s chest, making her heart ache. The initially irregular breathing became increasingly rough, and Cien bit her lips until it felt like blood would flow out.
‘No, no. It can’t be like this.’
‘He was the ‘real one’ I had found for the first time in my life.’
‘He might be the only one in my life. There might never be another one.’
‘Even if I’m a woman who committed bad deeds, I should be given at least one chance. Please give me one more chance. I’ll somehow, anyhow, make it happen.’
The accumulated mental fatigue began to mess up the girl’s mind.
Staggering, Cien walked back up the stairs to her room.
She rummaged through the drawers. No, she opened every storage she could find. All the precious items she had kept spilled out, but she didn’t pay any attention.
Along with the clattering sound, there was a sign of someone hurriedly heading towards Cien’s room.
She didn’t care. Cien was focused on rummaging through her belongings without a care in the world.
Someone forcefully opened and entered Cien’s room.
Rough breathing could be heard. It was Irene, a beautiful female knight with blue hair.
Although she had recently resumed a secluded life, the suspicious atmosphere she sensed coming from her lady’s room forced her to dash out.
However, as Irene urgently opened the door and entered, she could only fall silent.
Various clothes and objects were scattered on the floor. In the midst of it all, there was Cien, who was scratching at an empty drawer.
Cien was tightly holding something dear with one arm. Sensing Irene’s presence, the girl slowly stood up.
Despair filled her light gray eyes, along with tears.
A single tear streamed down.
“I-Irene…”
“…Your Imperial Highness.”
It was a word closer to a wailing.
Unable to bear the sight of her broken lady, Irene turned her eyes away.
Regardless, Cien walked slowly towards Irene. Then, she extended the documents she had kept in her arms towards Irene.
They were documents that could replace bills, promissory notes, or anything else representing cash.
As a member of the Imperial Family, the amount wasn’t at the level a typical academy student would have. However, despite scraping together all her balances, Cien still seemed anxious, as if it wasn’t enough.
“D-do you happen to have any saved money? No, no… Before that, do you know anything about the trading company? What can I do with this money?”
“Your Imperial Highness, please…”
“I asked what I can do with it!!!”
Irene turned her eyes away at the princess’s outburst with a pained expression.
She knew what her lady was asking for.
It seemed she wanted to revive the bankrupt trading company.
Unfortunately, there was no such way. Trust was more valuable for merchants than gold, and with the menacing risk of the ‘Imperial Family,’ the possibility of revival had undoubtedly vanished.
However, Irene couldn’t muster the courage to convey that truth.
She simply kept her eyes tightly closed, avoiding Cien’s earnest gaze.
Eventually, Cien collapsed on the spot. The only sound heard was the girl sobbing miserably.
“Please, please… I was wrong… I, I won’t… I won’t do it again. Please forgive me…”
Without knowing who she was addressing, Cien only repeated words of apology.
That day had been cruel from the morning.
It was a day when the foundation of all pain had taken its place.
