After posting a little side story, I’ll be taking a short break to start writing the next chapter.
Thank you very much for accompanying me this far!
I hope you will also enjoy the next chapter, “The Cave Princess.”
A few days after the tea party at the mansion.
Jill stood on the highway with Karappa.
It was the main highway leading from the town of Shelland to the royal capital, and travelers occasionally passed by.
The travelers were surprised to see Karappa, but they were reassured when they saw Jill beside it.
The presence of a harmless monster seated nearby signified that there were no dangerous monsters in the vicinity.
Some travelers simply nodded lightly at Jill.
Others engaged in casual conversation.
Some asked anxiously if there were any monsters or bandits, still unable to shake their wariness.
Some tried to flirt with Jill, only to be intimidated by Karappa and hurriedly left.
Others realized that the familiar face standing there was someone they knew, and they stopped in their tracks.
“…Oh, Miss Jill. Could it be that you’ve come to see me off?”
“Something like that. There’s also a little something I’d like to ask.”
With that, Jill climbed onto Karappa.
She walked alongside Ionia, step by step.
“I didn’t hear that today was your departure.”
“Well, I’ve only told a select few. You’ve got a sharp sense.”
“Matthew noticed and informed me.”
“That’s just like a merchant. He’s sharp-eared. I’d like to recruit him if I could.”
“It’s not out of the question that there are bandits. I’ll accompany you for a while.”
“No, no. You’d be alone on the way back, wouldn’t you? That wouldn’t be right.”
“It’s fine. This one is strong.”
Karappa clacked its pincers, as if to say, “Leave it to me.”
“…True enough. Then, I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”
The sky was clear.
But the air was slightly humid.
“There are clouds to the south. It might rain tomorrow.”
“Well, a little rain is good sometimes. I wouldn’t like it if it kept raining, though.”
“It never rains continuously. But, we’ll have to take care to keep the cargo dry.”
“It’s good to value gifts, but… may I ask you something?”
“What is it, Miss Jill?”
“Do you intend to kill my sister?”
Under the peaceful sky, Jill’s words were disturbingly perilous.
But Ionia shook his head.
“No? Miss Erinna is not an enemy, and killing her would lead to even greater turmoil. Even if such a proposal were made, I would reject it.”
Ionia answered frankly. Though he denied the intent to kill, by saying that, he implicitly admitted that he was in a position where such a thought could arise. This, in turn, was a confession that Ionia himself was part of the rebel army and held a fairly high rank.
“Is that your judgment as a member of the rebel army?”
“Of course not. My contact with Miss Erinna is a secret known only to a very few. There are those who detest the royal family of Dailan… though I don’t agree with them.”
Ionia let out a tired sigh.
It seemed overly theatrical.
But within it, there was a glimpse of genuine anxiety and fatigue.
“And besides, she’s one of the few who appreciates my art. I have no intention of harming her in the slightest.”
“Well, that’s good. You seem to be having a hard time with her, though. It wouldn’t be the first or second time my sister Erinna has been selfish, would it? She doesn’t mean any harm, but she’s quite demanding.”
“That’s inevitable. Sometimes, by strange fate, even the most unreasonable demands can be resolved, so it’s not something to lament over.”
“True, though I was the one who struggled this time.”
“Thanks to you, something splendid has been created. Both the tailor and Miss Erinna will be astonished by it.”
Ionia murmured in satisfaction.
Jill had thought Ionia’s gifts were merely a means to get close to the royal family.
However, Ionia was sincerely trying to offer the best gift as an artist.
It was a peculiar situation.
“…Why are you plotting a rebellion?”
“You already gave the answer, Miss Jill. You said that if things continue as they are, in a few decades, the age of civil war will come.”
“Are you trying to stop that?”
“Stopping it is a means, not the end. Personally, I’d like to spend my days painting or appreciating the beauty others create and living a joyful life. But at this rate, many patrons will die, and even if they don’t, they’ll no longer be able to indulge in art or luxuries. That would be a problem.”
“…I agree with that. But I thought you’d have a more grandiose reason.”
Jill let out a sigh.
“Oh? Have I disappointed you somehow?”
“Yes. I’m a little let down because now I have no reason to stop you. With your talent, you could escape anywhere and live happily while painting… or so I was going to say. But if you’re going through this hardship for such a joyful life, I have no words to stop you.”
Ionia nearly burst into laughter at Jill’s candid words.
“Hahaha, this is the opposite of how it was when we first met.”
“Stopping someone who might die doesn’t feel too bad.”
“Then perhaps I should become your disciple or a guest in your home?”
“I’ve got extra rooms.”
“…That’s an incredibly tempting offer.”
“Ah, but it would be a problem if you and my sister started competing over who has the court painter. There’s even a story of an ancestor who fought to the death over their favorite musician.”
Ionia felt strangely drained by Jill’s comment.
“Ah, as a court painter, you mean?”
“I’ve got friends who are leatherworkers and merchants, so the studio would gain depth. It’d be nice to have some friends who are carpenters and blacksmiths, too.”
“Miss Jill. You should be a little more cautious. Having a man live in your mansion could cause misunderstandings.”
“Huh?”
At Ionia’s words, Jill was momentarily confused.
Then, she understood.
She also realized that she had just made a rather careless statement.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant when I said you should come to the mansion!”
“I know that. But even so, it’s not good for us to stay in the same place for too long. Someone might target our lives.”
Ionia’s voice had a strangely melancholic tone.
This was the part of Ionia that Jill wasn’t fond of.
He always seemed to see through everything, as if he had given up on something.
Yet, if you ignored his words and only considered his actions, you could say he was truly a good person.
Jill was torn between whether to be angry or grateful.
“…That’s why your actions are so puzzling. You’re plotting a rebellion against the country, yet on the other hand, you protect me. It’s contradictory. Why?”
“Because I want you to live. I want you to spend your days with a smile, enjoying life. You deserve to be far from bloodstained places and to taste happiness. That’s what I wish for.”
Jill, who had meant to speak sarcastically, was shaken by Ionia’s unexpected response.
She had assumed she wouldn’t get an answer to her question, thinking it would remain a secret.
“You and I haven’t met in the past… have we?”
“No. But I knew of you.”
“From where?”
“…Hey, Miss Jill. Don’t you think life is full of fun? Thinking too deeply about things doesn’t usually lead to good.”
“Please answer the question.”
“I’ve been learning to paint since I was a child. I didn’t find it enjoyable. It was more for education, closer to a duty. It wasn’t until about seven years ago that I started to feel joy.”
“That’s why I’m asking!”
“It was from seven years ago, when I saw your painting. That’s all.”
Seven years ago.
It was a year Jill could never forget.
Conrad went to war, and that’s where he died.
Since then, Jill’s life had turned dark and bleak.
“I’ll tell you more the next time I visit. If I can’t come, I’ll send a letter.”
“Hey, wait…!”
Ionia pulled something from his pocket.
It was a palette used for painting and a large brush, like those used for sweeping strokes.
Ionia swung the brush.
No, rather than swinging, it was as if he painted the empty air.
“Farewell.”
Where the brush had painted, the same colors as the scenery were applied.
The spot that was painted with the sky’s color became the sky, and the spot painted with the color of the earth became the earth.
The painted areas quickly spread, hiding Ionia’s figure.
The place where Ionia had been standing was painted over by the landscape beyond.
Only an eerily quiet scene remained, as if no one had ever been there.
“Hey, w-wait, Ionia…!?”
Jill quickly realized it was just a spell to deceive the eye. But she had never heard of such a powerful illusion before. It was likely that either the brush or the palette was a magical tool. While not as powerful as the ‘Acacia,’ the tools Ionia used were certainly formidable.
Still, it was only an illusion.
His figure had vanished, but he probably hadn’t moved far in an instant.
He hadn’t gone too far yet.
Jill realized this in an instant and shouted back with a scowl.
“…Next time you come, I won’t let you in the mansion!”
“You said if I tell you the truth, you’ll let me in, didn’t you?”
A voice came from a slight distance.
Jill realized that Ionia had continued walking without looking back, and she shouted, feeling slightly irritated.
“Bring imported goods as a gift!”
“Alright, I will!”
The voice was now even farther away.
Jill let out a long sigh.
She decided she would say something snarky the next time he popped back into her life.
