LIGHTNOVELWORLD Ch. 55 - Let's Go to Elodia
A few hours later, after meeting with the king and queen and finishing dinner, Karas was in the garden.
The boy had left the bench and was sitting on the grass, staring off into the distance.
Al, who knew exactly what that gaze meant, approached him.
“It’s in that direction.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, Dark Town is over there, not here.”
“O-okay?”
Swoosh.
Karas’ small body turned in the direction Al pointed.
No matter how composed he acted, he was still just a nine-year-old boy.
Emperor Harun had sent Karas to the very place where a doppelganger had appeared and vanished.
Though Queen Alice was accompanying him, she was an adult after all.
‘What a bold decision.’
With the elite knights of the kingdom, Asil with the Mirror of Origins, and Lupedos, the cat demi-human, alongside them, not to mention the captain of the guard, Baine, and Charon, a doppelganger wouldn’t dare show up.
But still.
‘Your Majesty, why did you send the three of us to accompany Lord Karas?’
If Harun’s grand scheme really revolved around these three all being together…
What a headache!
Just then, Karas, who had been staring at the sky, shouted.
“Huh? Al, look! Something’s falling from the sky!”
“It’s a shooting star.”
Whoosh—
While they said that making a wish upon a shooting star would make it come true, Al, who was knowledgeable in astrology, wanted to cry.
It felt like that star was telling him something.
That he was going to go through a lot of hardship from now on.
‘Ugh. Why do all the difficult tasks fall on me?’
Karas clasped his hands, muttering something under his breath, then opened his eyes and said.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Huh?”
“… of course, I want to see her. But it’s an official setting, so I won’t act recklessly. Maybe I’ll seem distant and make her feel sad?”
Was he talking about Yuriana?
Al nodded.
His mischievous streak would likely also be sealed away until they returned from Elodia.
Like provoking Levina when they met again, for instance.
He hoped her injuries had healed.
He’d been so relieved back then when Levina had only hurt her ankle.
If it had been her head… ha.
“Yes.”
“We’ll have to prioritize Nea’s Queen according to the schedule, right? Until the moment we return. Well… if we escort her to Dark Town, that might be a different story.”
“Indeed.”
Even now, when it was just the two of them, Karas was careful with his words.
“Al, I might not be able to say goodbye to her in person. If that happens, could you pass along my message when you get the chance?”
“Understood.”
Al couldn’t help but smile at Karas’ kind words.
At that age, boys were usually mischievous, but how could he be so mature and thoughtful?
He seemed like someone greedy enough to want both love and duty.
After a long, long night, morning finally came.
*
“Ugh, having to go with the Dark Town lot. It’s frustrating as a knight!”
“Shh.”
“Even if something happens to them, let’s not slow down. Understood?”
The knights of the kingdom were muttering their complaints in low voices.
But the excited Karas didn’t hear a word of the buzzing around him.
‘They said they’d be here early…’
“They’re coming!”
‘Ah!’
From a distance, Karas spotted a head of silver hair, high up, with a small, cute tuft of silver hair fluttering next to it.
Seeing Asil and Yuriana, Karas quickly turned his head.
If he blushed now, it would be truly embarrassing.
‘I didn’t come here just as Karas Ifrit. I’m here as the emperor’s envoy, representing my uncle, His Majesty.’
‘It’s Karas!’
The imperial envoys were so elaborately dressed that the boy and the girl recognized each other immediately.
Yuriana’s sapphire bracelet sparkled at the edge of her sleeve as she clung to Asil.
Karas pretended not to notice the dazzling light and averted his gaze.
‘Uh… didn’t he see me?’
Yuriana wanted to catch Karas’ attention, but she couldn’t muster the courage.
At seven years old, she could have swung her arms wildly or shouted “Hey!” once, braving the embarrassment.
‘That would be too childish, right? This is an official setting, so I better not.’
“…”
As Yuriana tightly shut her mouth like a clam, a thought crossed her mind.
Had he gotten tired of her while they hadn’t seen each other? Or maybe… was he avoiding her to forget the terrible memory of the Dark House attack?
Yuriana knew better than anyone that Karas wasn’t the timid type.
Despite the danger back then, he had gripped a dagger tightly, promising to protect her.
Even though she knew better, she couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
Before long, Karas, along with familiar faces including Al, headed towards the palace, which stood with its doors open.
“Hmph! Get ready to depart.”
The commander of the kingdom’s knights merely nodded at Asil without even offering a formal greeting.
A complete disregard, as if to say he wouldn’t acknowledge even his name or origin.
Soon, King Aidan and Alice appeared side by side from the palace, waving to everyone.
‘Whoa, she’s truly beautiful.’
Yuriana was well aware that she was considered a rare and beautiful girl, especially when she saw herself in the mirror.
How could she not know? Slave hunters’ eyes lit up at the sight of her silver hair!
It would be a lie to say she had no confidence in her appearance.
But Alice’s appearance, radiant yet subtle, made it seem like just being near her would bring the scent of flowers. It was incredible.
‘Hmm… but something’s a little different. The Alice I saw in illustrations was lively and cheerful, but she doesn’t seem quite the same.’
Well, that was only natural, right?
She had responsibilities as a queen now, and being married meant she couldn’t continue living as the playful princess forever.
“Dad, put me down.”
“Alright.”
Aidan and Alice emerged from the palace.
The knights raised their voices in unison to greet the royal couple.
“Greetings to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen!”
“We will return safely, serving the queen with all our might!”
“Hmm. Everyone, travel well.”
“I trust you, brave knights of the kingdom.”
Alice spoke, smiling slightly, almost revealing a dimple in her cheek.
‘More, smile more!’
Feeling unsatisfied with just that, Yuriana let out a sigh.
“Ha.”
“Be patient a little longer. We’ll be riding in the carriage soon.”
“Okay.”
Asil assumed her impatience stemmed from boredom, unaware that it was for other reasons.
His gaze briefly swept over Aidan, but he completely ignored Alice standing beside him.
He didn’t even glance at the small jewels adorning the royal cloak, a gesture from the king to ward off the chill.
For Asil, to show no interest in such jewels was extraordinary.
But Yuriana was too busy admiring Alice’s beauty, more breathtaking than any flower, to notice Asil’s behavior.
‘Still… I wanted to see Alice’s full smile like in the ending where she and Asil get together.’
Just then, Lulu, who had been quietly sitting by Yuriana’s feet, let out a strange sound.
“Krr…”
“Shh! Lulu! What’s wrong?”
It wasn’t a contented purr—why was he growling like a dog?
Even if he purred like a cat, the kingdom’s knights would probably be irritated!
In a hurry, Yuriana tried to calm him down so they wouldn’t draw attention.
“Be quiet.”
“Meow…!”
Though Lulu’s growl quieted slightly, his posture remained tense.
His ears were perked up, fur bristled, and his tail held high. His golden eyes were wide, as if they were emitting beams of light.
Asil glanced at Lulu with mild disdain.
“If he doesn’t listen, we can tie him upside down to the top of the carriage and go.”
Only Yuriana and Lulu heard his remark.
“Pchuu!”
Lulu sneezed awkwardly, and Yuriana frowned.
“Dad…! No.”
Even if his words were harsh, he wouldn’t actually do that, right?
Not knowing what misunderstanding laid between Lulu and Asil, Yuriana hesitated to grab his sleeve.
Her Lulu was a good cat, really.
“Let’s set off. Queen, may you have a safe journey.”
“Yes.”
‘Whoa…!’
In front of the crowd, Aidan lightly kissed Alice on the forehead.
There was a momentary stir at the king’s display of affection, known for his usual composed demeanor.
Standing nearby, Levina couldn’t help herself and covered Yuriana’s eyes.
“Hmm…!”
“It’s too early. Ten years too early.”
“Ten years? It’s twenty.”
“Meow.”
Lulu let out a disgruntled meow, as if exasperated by Asil agreeing with Levina.
But Lulu continued to behave strangely.
He kept growling softly, watching Alice closely as he headed toward the carriage.
“Lulu, Lulu! We’re at the back of the procession, we need to go this way.”
“Meow.”
“… what’s wrong with you?”
Something was off.
Lulu was usually well-behaved and knew his manners—why was he acting up here?
It wasn’t an easy process revealing that Lulu was Lupedos, the beast-man, and taking her to Elodia.
‘If this keeps up, they’ll chase Lulu away, and that can’t happen!’
“Please get in, Your Majesty.”
“Alright.”
“…”
Once Alice got into the carriage, Lulu finally shifted his gaze.
His eyes were unsettling, as if sensing something ominous.
‘I’ll have to ask him about it later.’
On the way to Elodia, though Yuriana couldn’t exchange greetings with Karas, she quietly followed along.
With the king’s knights, the empire’s envoys, and Asil’s group from Dark Town all present, the scene was bustling.
“The pace is too slow.”
Asil grumbled from inside the carriage.
It felt like just yesterday when the doppelganger hunt happened around here.
‘It wasn’t even a hunt. I lost, while Lupedos and Al were captured. My daughter received the Mirror of Origin by pleading with the stars, but still, how pathetic.’
Was it wrong to have such thoughts while on a good journey?
Asil, having trained rigorously, had grown slightly stronger than before, and he tried to take pride in that.
If he were to falter, Yuriana, his daughter, would also be affected.
To ensure Yuriana received the respect she deserved, he must remain someone others couldn’t easily challenge.