The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 34.2

“It’s a necklace that Odin Madus gave to his wife. It’s a gift from his mother,” she explained.

Ilya examined the necklace carefully. “This necklace and ring are a set.”

“I suppose so. But where did you get the ring?” Rene asked.

“The day before Odin Madus left, he took it from his room,” Ilya replied calmly, recalling that night.

“When I took this, he made a fuss. My father said something,” he added.

Rene smiled knowingly.

Rene’s eyes gleamed with a golden sparkle, causing Ilya to flinch involuntarily.

“Your Highness, the full moon will soon be upon us,” Rene reminded him.

“Yes, it’s not far away,” Ilya replied.

“Have you made preparations for our journey to Benning Mountain? Who will be accompanying us as our knight-errant?”

As they spoke, Naz entered the room without knocking.

“I’m ready!” he exclaimed.

“Dismissed. This time, I will be going with the deputy leader,” Ilya announced.

“I’m younger and more suited for fieldwork,” Naz protested.

“In this case, experience is more important. You might end up lost in the black forest,” Ilya explained.

Naz pouted but eventually relented.

Rene was lost in thought, stroking her chin. After a moment, she turned to Ilya and spoke in a serious tone.

“Your Highness, if we find Mandra, how do you plan to pick it up?”

“I die when I hear the sound it makes. The canyon could be our grave,” Rene continued.

Ilya suddenly had an idea and spoke as if he were possessed.

“If we can’t eliminate the sound, we can cover it with another sound,” he suggested.

Rene laughed at the idea, and her eyes sparkled.

“May I suggest another idea, Your Highness?” she asked mischievously.

Ilya had a bad feeling about this.

“My dear wife?” Ilya addressed Rene with a worried tone, “Where are they taking her?”

Rene chuckled at Ilya’s grumpy expression, while Naz shook his head in disbelief.

“How can my wife go to such a rough place?” Ilya exclaimed.

Rene shrugged nonchalantly, “Why not? There’s no place where a skilled hallucinologist like your wife can’t handle it.”

Naz was bewildered, “Wait, your wife is a hallucinologist?” he turned to Ilya, “Did you know?”

Ilya nodded, “Yes, from the beginning.”

Naz sat down with a thud and said, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but even if she’s good at psychedelics, if she comes with us, the knights will not approve.”

“I may be the deputy leader,” Naz continued with a shiver, “but I won’t be able to hide the fact that she’s a lady.”

Rene interjected, “It’s not a problem. We can create a fake identity for her. It’s not that difficult.”

Ilya was still unhappy about sending his wife to a dangerous place, but Naz spoke earnestly, “Your Highness, if you must go, it’s best to follow Rene’s suggestion.”

Renee then wiped away her mischievous expression and proposed, “Why don’t you choose a new name for your wife  yourself?”

Silence fell upon the room.

“Not Evelyn  Maduse, not Evelyn Ajauntice,” Renee clarified, “but a completely new name.”

Ilya’s blue-gray eyes fluttered with heat.

****

Ilya sat among the scattered tomes, his fingers turning the pages with a lack of conviction. His mind seemed lost in the meandering passages of the books, until suddenly, his hand froze in mid-air. With a sigh, he lay back on the lush grass, a book shielding his face from the world.

“Your Highness, did you enjoy that?”

Nikolas approached and plucked the book from Ilya’s visage, his mellifluous voice ringing out like a bard’s ballad.

“The knight of the free piercing finally ended his long wanderings on the sea, under the silver moon. It was like a mother’s embrace…”

“Give me that!” Ilya leapt up, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Nikolas erupted into peals of laughter, his face turning beet red.

“How did you know I was here?”

With an air of nonchalance, Nikolas retorted, “You’re not the only one who knows the secrets of these stone tombs. It’s our hideaway, nephew, for you, me, and the three departed ones.”

“Actually, it’s four now,” Nikolas added with a wistful smile, recalling a valiant woman who once galloped across the fields where the red blossoms of Cheon Il-hong bloomed.

“Don’t give me that look. I’m here to deliver a message from family of Lauren.”

“You’re always rushing here and there, like a lapdog to the emperor, as the youngest of Viscont Lauren,” Ilya retorted, a smirk on his lips.

Nikolas spoke of his captive existence, “Being a hostage is like being a bat, flitting about everywhere.”

The Sais Empire’s royal family had long been allies with the Viscont of Lauren. However, save for the eldest son, who was the successor, the rest of the sons left their estate to reside in the capital, Ato. Some married into the imperial court, while others joined the Imperial Guard or the Knights of the Holy See.

Though the Knights Templar belonged to the cathedral, it was an institution imbued with the emperor’s authority. Nikolas chose to enlist with the Knights Templar after the death of his childhood betrothed, who was an imperial princess.

“I’m referring to the spirit of the lady Count Luten, who has vanished,” Nikolas explained.

“How do you know that?” Ilya inquired.