Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 73

It was the third day. All the maids who usually attended to Ashika had been expelled from the main house, and two knights stood guard at the door day and night.

During this time, Jeanne had tried to meet Ashika but received additional punishment for insubordination. Julma had to take over the tasks Ashika used to handle, forcing her to stay at the mansion for room and board, and for some reason, Nile was nowhere to be seen.

‘What is Nile doing?’

Wasn’t Nile hired to handle tasks that those belonging to Igraine couldn’t do? He should have stepped forward by now, but his silence was strange.

‘Surely he hasn’t left. He’s not such a disloyal person.’

She wondered if he had gone to Iben, but immediately shook her head.

She hadn’t heard what Nile had agreed to give in exchange for Iben’s help. The reason he stayed by Ashika’s side, leaving behind Iben who was an excellent pharmacist and alchemist, was probably because of the Grand Duchy. So she thought he wouldn’t rashly leave her side.

‘If I were stripped of my position as heir, would he still remain by my side?’

Her situation was pathetic – having all her authority confiscated and being confined to her room by Weive’s single word. Knights constantly patrolled below the window, leaving no gaps to be seen.

‘It’s not like I’m going to jump from the third floor, so why are they guarding below?’

Even the dazzling sunlight felt spiteful, so she leaned her head against the window frame and closed her eyes.

‘What’s so important about that marriage?’

If she returned to being the obedient granddaughter and heir as she had been, everything would go smoothly.

‘Just getting married like this wouldn’t be so bad. That’s what I should do…’

Perhaps she had been temporarily confused after experiencing that terrible nightmare. That’s why her meeting with Drushia might have felt even more like destiny.

For nearly two months, there had been no more hallucinations. All of it might have been just a strange experience with no hidden meaning from the beginning. The secrets about her birth and the tragedy she encountered in the hallucinations too.

She could just notify Drushia of their separation and use the family’s power to suppress any scandal. Then all the tangled affairs would return to their original places.

“Ah…”

She held her breath at the crushing pain in her chest. There was an easy answer before her eyes, but unknowingly, she vehemently rejected that answer.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

She couldn’t throw away the life she had built over twenty-two years for a moment’s folly.

‘Rushia, why did you make such a big deal out of this?’

He had made it impossible for her to skillfully avoid the situation. Perhaps that was his intention. Drushia surely knew how Weive would react.

‘Maybe he has a more reckless and impulsive personality than I thought.’

A chuckle escaped her.

“Even in this situation, I’m laughing, Rushia.”

She had been busy hiding her feelings, but Drushia had boldly revealed his heart, throwing aside all problems. Of course, he must have calculated the benefits when Talion and Igraine were united.

‘But it wouldn’t be just because of that.’

Somehow, this time it seemed like genuine feelings stronger than calculation had made things big. She felt the desire to take his outstretched hand and let herself be led wherever he wanted.

‘Not yet. I need time to think.’

She couldn’t let her life be swayed like this, being dragged along. This marriage wasn’t about fulfilling her duty for the family either. Once she understood that much, it became much easier to compose herself.

It wasn’t she who had lost judgment, but Weive. She didn’t know what had made Weive so urgent, but she needed time to understand the situation.

‘I need to know something to persuade Grandfather.’

Being confined, she couldn’t do anything. Even her closest servants were forbidden from approaching, so Ashika was completely bound hand and foot.

While Ashika was lost in thought, a small commotion arose outside the door. Following a quiet, coaxing voice, a child’s wailing could be heard.

“Who is it?”

There was no reason for a servant’s child to come to the main house. Ashika tilted her head and opened the door.

“My lady, I’m sorry.”

“How did this little one get all the way here?”

“Waaah, I came to see my lady…”

Leon, now six years old, was a small child who only reached about Ashika’s waist.

“You could have talked to him nicely, why make the child cry?”

“I’m sorry, My lady.”

Ashika lowered herself to meet the child’s eye level. When they faced each other up close, Leon’s eyes sparkled brightly as if he had never been crying.

“I greet My Lady.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. Did you see your mother?”

“Yes, she’s with Lea.”

The child fidgeted with his hands clasped together, watching Ashika’s expression.

“Um…”

“What is it? Do you have something to say?”

“Can I touch you just once?”

“Ah.”

Touching a noble’s body without permission could lead to severe punishment. While the gap between lower nobility and commoners had narrowed as the wealthy merchant class grew, high nobility remained untouchable.

The child knew this, so he clenched his tiny hands like fern fronds and watched her expression carefully.

“It’s okay, come here.”

When she extended her hand, the child smiled brightly and nestled into Ashika’s embrace.

It was a small, tender body. Even though so small, it was fascinating that it possessed all the features of a human form.

‘A child…’

Suddenly she remembered the memory from her dream of being heartbroken while dragging legs that could barely walk.

-‘I wanted to have a child. A child of Rushia’s and mine.’

But it was difficult to move her own body, so she couldn’t even dream of having a child. What if it were now?

If a small child with blue eyes resembling Drushia and hair containing sunlight were born. If such a small, lovely form came to nestle in her arms, how her heart would swell. Just the thought made warm emotions well up in her chest.

“Leon, would you like to play in my room for a bit before you go?”

“Wow, yes! I have to brag to Lea!”

“My lady, I’m sorry, but…”

It was when Ashika was about to take Leon’s hand and enter the room. A knight blocked Leon’s path. Ashika’s gaze naturally sharpened.

“What? Even a child isn’t allowed?”

“No one except authorized personnel may enter my lady’s room.”

“What could this tiny child possibly do?”

“I’m sorry.”

The inflexible knight was faithful to his orders. Seeing the standoff between Ashika and the knight, the child quietly let go of the hand he was holding and stepped back.

“Mom said that in this mansion, I shouldn’t do what the knights tell me not to do.”

“Yes, Jeanne taught you very well.”

The child was so well-mannered that Ashika had no choice but to let him go despite her regret. Leon placed his tiny hands above his belly button and bowed politely.

“Farewell. I’ll come visit again holding hands with Mom and Lea.”

“You can’t come here again, little one.”

The knight gave another warning in response to Leon’s greeting. The young boy glared at the knight intently, then turned around and ran away. The guard knight seemed incredulous and let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha, what a bold little fellow.”

“My lady, you must return to your room. I’ll close the door.”

“The only visitor I get is a six-year-old kid, so I feel sorry for myself.”

Her tone became sarcastic without her realizing it. The knights weren’t at fault, but their excessive faithfulness was also vexing.

“I’m sorry, My Lady.”

Ashika turned back to her room without regret.

Behind her back, she heard a greeting to rest comfortably, and the door closed. Ashika quickly moved toward the bed and opened her clenched hand. Inside was a thin piece of paper about two finger joints long, rolled up tightly.

‘You shouldn’t underestimate a small child. Absolutely not.’

Leon was a clever child. Smart enough to secretly deliver a note to his young mistress at his mother’s instruction.

Ashika didn’t know, but there had been constant attempts to contact her. When all the closest servants failed, Jeanne finally brought her children.

Ashika unfolded the note and smiled gently. As expected, the person who wrote and sent the note was Nile.

****

The mansion was quieter than usual. Due to the quarrel between the Duke and the young Duchess, the servants held their breath tactfully, creating an even bleak atmosphere.

Ashika changed into a yellow dress she rarely wore and paced by the window. Not knowing when or where Nile might be watching, she wandered around the room until her legs became stiff.

‘This should be enough for him to notice.’

The anxious time passed slowly. After finishing dinner and having the last maid visit, Ashika quickly changed clothes.

And she waited. She wished she could get some sleep, even briefly, but her nerves were on edge with tension, making it difficult to lie in bed. Even sitting still, sweat gathered in her clenched hands.

After rubbing her wet hands on her pants and steadying her breathing for some time, a dull sound came from outside the door. It was such a small sound that she wouldn’t have noticed unless she had sharpened her senses. Then the door opened quietly, sliding like silk.

“Did you wait long?”

“Nile.”

A bright smile spread across Ashika’s face. When had Nile ever been as welcome as today? At the smile that bloomed like a flower in full bloom, Nile flinched and furrowed his brow.

“Don’t smile like that. I’ll get attached.”

“Where have you been all this time? Why haven’t you been around?”

“So you were curious about me. I was busy running around here and there at Jeanne’s request.”

With Jeanne and Julma, who had been Ashika’s hands and feet, both confined to the mansion, Nile had been going out in their place. The picture roughly formed, so Ashika nodded.

“Come out. We don’t have much time.”

At Nile’s urging, Ashika picked up the luggage she had prepared and left the room. However, seeing the two knights unconscious in front of the door, Ashika’s eyebrows shot up.

‘I heard his skills weren’t lacking enough to be outmatched anywhere, even if not quite at Talion’s level.’

Nile, with a much slighter build than the knights, was grinning and waiting for her.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“….Coming.”

Why hadn’t someone with such skills become a knight? She immediately dismissed the emerging question.