Chapter 22: Hopeless idiots
That evening, a dinner party was held at the hot spring inn with Gustav in attendance.
Diana sat there, not touching her food, staring blankly at the banquet.
“Diana.”
Gustav, as overweight as ever, asked in his low voice.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Ilsa also looked at her with a worried gaze.
“That child has always been like this.”
“She escaped from the war. Losing her parents right in front of her, it’s natural for her to feel exhausted and tense now. Just eat what you can and leave the rest, Diana.”
Diana remained motionless as if her strings had been cut.
Gustav called for a butler and whispered something to him.
Diana was taken away from the dining hall.
Ilsa sighed deeply after seeing her off.
“Ilsa.”
Gustav spoke.
“Come to my room tonight.”
Ilsa gritted her teeth.
Her beautifully styled hair, her polished figure from the esthetic treatments, her beauty. Now, all of her own merits felt repulsive.
(Ah, I wish I could grow old quickly.)
She genuinely thought that.
(Then, I would be freed from my duties at night.)
“Oh, by the way, Ilsa. There’s an art dealer who has been wanting to marry Diana. . .”
Ilsa raised her head at Gustav’s talk of a potential marriage proposal for her sister.
“An art dealer. . .”
“We can consider it after the war settles down. I want to give her some bride training, but what do you think?”
Ilsa smiled vaguely and then suddenly felt a sense of emptiness, bowing her head.
(Will she follow the same path as me?)
She felt like she heard crying again from her sister’s room. Ilsa gently covered her ears.
・・・
【”𝔸𝕨𝕖𝕓𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤.𝕔𝕠𝕞” – 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕔𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖, 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕝𝕘𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕧𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕣𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕕𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕦𝕡𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤】
・・・
Meanwhile, at that time――
There was a knocking sound on the door of the mountain hut in the approaching twilight of the barren land, and Leon opened the door.
George was standing there.
Leon immediately tried to close the door, but his foot got caught in the gap.
Leon clicked his tongue.
“What do you want?”
“Everyone who gets involved with you will end up unhappy.”
George’s sudden words puzzled his younger brother.
“. . .What?”
“If only you weren’t here, everyone could live in peace.”
“There you go again. I’ve heard that a long time ago. Go back.”
After a short pause, George hesitated to say something.
Leon sensed a premonition.
“So, why did you come. . .”
“You must never become like me.”
“. . .”
“Diana is at the hot spring inn in Lipps village.”
Leon stared blankly at George.
“It’s useless to hide. You kicked out your wife, didn’t you?”
“. . .! Th-That’s. . .”
“What is it?”
“. . .Diana can’t find happiness in a place like this. . .”
“You seem to understand your own position well.”
George’s gray eyes contained a different light than usual.
Leon gazed at him, taken aback.
“George, what do you know?”
“. . .”
“What are you planning?”
George looked at his bewildered younger brother and spoke.
“Diana was crying.”
After saying that, George turned on his heel and mounted his horse. From atop the horse, he showered his brother with insults.
“You’re a hopeless idiot.”
“. . .”
“You’d be better off dead.”
“. . .”
“The happiness you imagine is shallow.”
“. . .Shut up.”
“Because you’re an idiot.”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
“Die.”
“Before I die, I’ll definitely kill you!”
“. . .Haha.”
“Don’t laugh!”
While hurling insults at each other, something began to sprout inside both of them.
Surely, it was the seed planted by Diana.
Without looking back, George waved his hand.
After Leon watched George disappear, he took a step forward through the open door.
Regina, who stood out white against the twilight, stared at him with clear eyes.
“Damn it. . .What’s going on?”
Leon trembled his lips as he walked towards the horse.
“Diana. . .Why did you cry in front of that damn brother of mine?”
Regina brought her nose close to Leon’s forehead.
“What are you talking about. . .”
Leon pulled Regina’s neck closer.
“. . .Diana.”
In response to that name, Regina softly whinnied.
“. . .It’s no use.”
With determination, Leon mounted Regina. When she was kicked in the stomach with all his might, Regina dashed off at full speed.
“No, no, no. . .”
Enduring being blown away by Regina, Leon lowered his posture on horseback.
“It’s too late. . .It’s useless now. . .!”
―Neigh!
Regina, carrying Leon, raced past George on his horse at full speed.
George watched the receding figure of his youngest brother and snorted with a hint of satisfaction.
