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Side Story 3
“Don’t provoke me. I’m holding back just fine.”
Rune had already heard from the servants several times that she looked unusually tired lately.
Even to her own eyes, she seemed a little pale. Come to think of it, she hadn’t been eating well lately, often complaining of an upset stomach.
“Are you eating properly?”
“Lately, everyone seems so interested in my meals. But I actually have something I need to say, Kyle.”
“What is it?”
Kailian lay next to her on the bed, rubbing Rune’s slender wrist and smiling softly.
What is it that the lady wants to say with those eyes?
“Do you remember the request Dana made?”
At Rune’s words, Kailian’s lips pressed into a thin line.
He remained silent for a while at the mention of Asha. How could he forget? Back then, he thought that if Rune wanted it, and if it was something she had to bear, he would willingly join her.
‘That was back when we didn’t know Asha was a man.’
Moreover, knowing that Asha’s existence was sustained by the power of light made it even more unsettling.
Asha, the embodiment of “darkness” behind the light. Dana, the “moon shadow” who had stood by him for so long, was approaching the end of her life.
“How can you be sure Dana’s poor health isn’t because of Asha?”
“That’s just speculation. I said Asha needs the moon’s power, but it shouldn’t be something that would harm me.”
“Still. I need assurance that you’ll be safe.”
Rune felt quite flustered as the conversation with Kailian wasn’t going as smoothly as she had hoped. She understood what he was thinking, but she couldn’t back out of her promise to Dana now.
“I can take care of it as promised… but we’ll talk about her whereabouts later.”
Kailian sighed in frustration, pulling Rune into his embrace.
To him, Asha’s existence was like a debt that would eventually have to be repaid.
Just then, a sense of unease, long absent, began to surge beneath the surface. A knock sounded gently at the bedroom door—the butler had arrived.
Sensing something was amiss, Kailian slowly rose.
Though it was early evening, it was unusual for the butler to come directly to the bedroom at this hour.
As expected, after a brief conversation with the butler, Kailian returned, rubbing his temple with a troubled expression.
“What is it?”
At Rune’s concerned question, Kailian clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“It’s a telegram from Eloi Francis, who just arrived in the Empire. That fool says he’s heading straight to Este.”
“Eloi… now?”
“Yes. Right now. Even if I told him to wait until morning, he wouldn’t listen. He went through the capital already, so he should arrive by late evening.”
What could the unpredictable Crown Prince possibly want this time?
“I guess I should prepare to receive a guest as well.”
Kailian straightened Rune’s gown and helped her lie back on the bed.
“Why bother? You rest. I don’t intend to treat someone who barges in at this hour as a guest.”
“Could it be because of that matter after all?”
“Exactly. He wants to discuss the magic stones needed to complete the Teleport Gate.”
Following the successful trade with Lemoire, Este was in discussions to establish new trade routes.
From constructing a bridge over the Nile to other proposals, Rune suggested the “Teleport Gate.”
“If we can safely move the entire trade guild at once, nothing is more efficient than teleportation.”
Indeed, it was the same woman who once flew into her room via a teleportation magic stone used to transport goods long ago.
However, Rune was dissatisfied with the person assigned to this task.
Even newlyweds were not usually so unprepared for such matters.
“If it’s about the gate, I want to be there to listen too.”
“We’ll discuss the details in the morning. That fool will probably spend the night drinking anyway.”
Kailian, now in his gown, left the bedroom after tidying Rune’s bed. Alone, Rune tossed and turned, eventually sitting up.
She couldn’t shake thoughts of Asha, even amidst the excitement of a new trade route with Lemoire.
‘Still, he must be just a child. And in poor health… How bad could it be?’
Having napped lightly all day, sleep wouldn’t come easily. Perhaps she should have insisted on meeting Eloi together one more time.
She poured herself a glass of wine, hoping the alcohol might help her sleep, when suddenly the window swung open as the lock clicked.
“Ah, no alcohol for you.”
Rune brushed her hair away from her face and looked toward the window.
Standing beneath the moonlight, the curtains billowing, was a familiar figure. She widened her eyes.
“Dana?”
Dana, kneeling on the window sill, leapt down to the floor. She swept her neat black bob aside and spoke in her characteristic husky voice:
“How have you been, child?”
“Dana, how did you get here…!”
“Ah, I see you’ve decorated the place you and your mother once used as your honeymoon suite.”
Dana, hopping around with her hands behind her back, eventually sat on the stool at the table and shook her head.
“Ah, it’s a shame I couldn’t attend your wedding. I wouldn’t have the face to see your mother.”
“That’s fine. Like my mother, you must have been watching over me from afar, right?”
“Yes. Always. You were… truly beautiful.”
“Are you well?”
“As you can see.”
Dana smiled faintly as she stared at the wine bottle on the table.
“And you should take care of yourself too.”
Rune touched her cheek in confusion. Dana, of all people, speaking about health—perhaps her own condition wasn’t so good after all.
“I received a message from Daniel. Even if we don’t have immediate plans to return, we were going to head to Lemoire soon.”
“Ugh. That yellow-haired fool… must still be stuck in the desert despite being told to return ages ago. Tch.”
Rune laughed at Dana, who pressed her temple in frustration. Despite her words, it seemed she had grown somewhat attached to Daniel during the expedition.
“You should have contacted me beforehand. How did you manage to get here?”
Dana nodded bitterly.
“It was a bit of a strain. You must have noticed my mana was heavily depleted.”
“I see. I’m in the middle of setting up a Teleport Gate to Lemoire. Francis is interested in this project, so it should proceed faster than expected.”
“From Francis? Ah, that pink-haired mage… Eloi, right?”
“Yes, Eloi.”
Dana, muttering under her breath, stretched her shoulders and stood. She scrutinized Rune for a moment, then drew a large circle on the floor with her index finger.
“Better than that troublemaker from Francis, but it’ll be a bit dizzying.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, but we’ll need to hurry.”
“Wait, are you… going to Lemoire now? Shouldn’t we tell Kailian first…!”
The circle on the floor expanded rapidly around the two of them, and a beam of light enveloped them.
Kailian burst into the bedroom, having splashed his face with water.
“Damn it… I shouldn’t have given that fool a drink…”
Seeing Dana and Rune inside the glowing circle, he froze.
“…Rune?”
“Oh, perfect timing before departure.”
Dana spoke softly, alternating her gaze between Rune and Kailian.
“It’s time to keep my promise.”
Kailian, left standing where Rune had vanished, felt his rational mind rapidly cool.
“That woman… Dana. She actually did it.”
He stormed down the hallway. The servants preparing a guest bath were startled and pressed against the wall.
Bang!
“Ah!”
Eloi, drinking alone, fell backward as the door slammed open.
“Ugh, damn it! What the—Huh? Kailian?”
Eloi, irritated at the unexpected visitor, looked at Kailian’s stern face and scrambled up.
“What… what are you doing back? I thought you weren’t drinking!”
Picking up the fallen wine glass from the carpet, Eloi felt a pang of guilt. He had been mocking Kailian just moments ago.
“You ghostly fool. How did you know I was talking about you?”
Kailian strode forward. Eloi crouched defensively.
“Eloi Francis.”
“Ah! Why! What are you doing?!”
Kailian grabbed Eloi by the collar, murmuring low:
“We start work immediately.”
“Ugh! Let go of me! You bastard!”
Eloi twisted free, straightening his rumpled clothes. Rumors of Kailian’s extreme devotion to his wife were true—it seemed he had calmed down only superficially, but now he barged in to get things started.
“Starting work in the middle of the night? What nonsense is this?”
“You said it yourself. The reason you came so recklessly at this hour was to complete the gate quickly, remember?”
Eloi could only laugh bitterly at Kailian’s stern seriousness.
“I can’t even joke around. Why the sudden fuss from someone who never believed my words?”
“There’s no time to explain. Complete the gate before dawn.”
“What? Complete what?”
Kailian gestured toward the exit, turning back:
“Don’t unpack. As soon as the gate opens, we leave for Lemoire.”
Eloi rubbed his ears in disbelief. He had planned to tease Kailian during his honeymoon, but everything had gone completely wrong.
“This… what on earth…”
The Marquis of Este shook his head at the construction site. Teleport Gate installation had been underway for a month.
At the center of the neatly laid black marble floor, the pale Eloi sat crouched, pulling at his hair in agony.
“Ahhh! My head feels like it’s going to explode!”
His pink bangs flopped weakly as he thrashed.
The Marquis, disoriented by the two unexpected visitors last night, felt a migraine creeping up again.
Dana had appeared suddenly and taken Rune away. Why was the Crown Prince of Francis here in such a sorry state?
The Marquis rubbed his temple and glanced at Kailian.
“So you’re saying… Rune is currently in Lemoire?”
