Sigrid Chapter 132

[ … words ]

“That’s— kind of you.”

Beramund said with a sigh. Karsus glared at Arkana and growled.

“Did you just attack me?!”

“I attempted to.”

“But was interrupted.”

Beramund and Arkana answered in turn. The moment Arkana used magic, Beramund interfered with that mana using aura.

It was a response only Beramund could make, having become familiar with magic from living with Arkana. Arkana sighed and said,

“If you’ve cooled down, shall we have a proper talk now?”

“What?”

Karsus whirled to look at him.

“Why are you looking for a magician?”

At Arkana’s question, Karsus opened his mouth, then closed it and frowned, saying,

“I can’t talk here.”

“Then why don’t you go change your clothes while I leisurely enjoy my breakfast? You’re soaked.”

And come to my office, he added. Karsus let out a deep sigh and looked at his clothes. The snow and ice that had clung to him had melted, creating a small puddle at his feet. Of course, his clothes were wet too.

Karsus left the dining room, leaving wet footprints, and Alkerto murmured,

“I feel a bit sorry for him.”

“He deserves it.”

For messing with Sigrid, Arkana added as he leisurely began eating breakfast. Awen watched Arkana cautiously before asking,

“Then can I learn magic too?”

“Are you interested?”

Arkana looked at Awen in surprise, and Awen nodded.

“Don’t you want to become a Master?”

When Beramund spoke teasingly, Awen blushed and retorted,

“I want that too, but I’m curious about magic. It’s fascinating.”

“If you’re interested in it as a field of study, it’s not difficult to start—”

“I want to try starting at least.”

Awen said cautiously, and Arkana thought for a moment before nodding.

“I’ll give you some books, so take a look at them.”

Though he didn’t offer to teach directly, Awen nodded, satisfied with just that.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Alkerto stood up and asked,

“If you’re done eating, shall we go out together?”

“Yes!”

Awen jumped up from his seat. He turned and asked,

“Beramund, come with us too.”

“Oh? I thought you’d forgotten about me now that Alkerto’s here.”

“No way!”

Beramund grinned and stood up, saying,

“Then shall we make the world’s biggest snowman?”

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

“Have a good time.”

Arkana gave a light farewell. Awen excitedly ran out ahead, and Alkerto followed, chiding, “You shouldn’t run.” Beramund was about to leave the dining room when he turned back and said,

“Update me.”

It meant to let him know after talking with Karsus. Arkana replied, “Understood,” and Beramund left the dining room with a grin.

Sigrid woke up to the sound of commotion.

‘My head hurts……. I’m thirsty……. Bathroom…….’

These three thoughts appeared simultaneously in her mind. Sigrid rubbed her eyes and crawled out of bed, rolling onto the floor. Lowengrin, wearing a light robe, was drinking black tea.

“Good morning.”

“You were up…?”

“Yes, want some water?”

“Yes, after I go to the bathroom……. Marie…… is still sleeping.”

Looking back at the bed, Marie-Chez was still asleep. Sigrid yawned, went to the bathroom, and then washed her face. She then lowered the bed curtains halfway and drew the room curtains.

‘Ah.’

She had wondered who was making noise outside, but it was Awen. He was attaching charcoal eyes to a snowman that looked more than twice his height. Alkerto was giving him a piggyback ride to reach.

‘Such a huge snowman…….’

To place such a large snowball on top of another large snowball, it must have been Beramund’s work. An ordinary person couldn’t lift that.

“If we air out the room, will Marie wake up?”

“Probably? Shall we go to the next room?”

“Let’s do that.”

Sigrid nodded. They left Marie-Chez to continue sleeping and moved to the adjacent room, ordering fresh tea.

Drinking the warm tea seemed to settle her stomach a bit.

Though one side of her head was still throbbing, it was better than her first hangover. Does one get used to this too?

“Lowi, you look fine……”

At Sigrid’s words, Lowengrin smiled and said,

“I have a good tolerance. Rather, Marie, who seems like she’d drink well, is actually weak.”

“Ah, I see.”

Sigrid nodded. Lowengrin held up her cup and said,

“And this tea, I’m not sure what kind it is, but it definitely makes my stomach feel better.”

“Hmm, Seria has been experimenting with different medicinal teas lately. It’s pleasantly sweet and tasty.”

“I should ask for some to take home later.”

“Sure, I’ll share some.”

Sigrid nodded. As she emptied her cup and poured a second one, she said,

“Lowi, about that conversation we were having yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Ah, about Beramund giving up his title?”

“Yes. What does that mean?”

“It’s simple. Who’s the strongest supporter of the current Emperor?”

“Hmm, the Lunatil ducal family and the Blanche comital family?”

“Yes, just those two. The Western Alliance isn’t completely on His Majesty’s side, and neither is our marquisate. Of course, we’re not enemies, but I mean true loyalists. If I were His Majesty now, the person I’d most want to grant a title to would be Beramund Lunatil. At least a marquis title or higher.”

“But……”

Beramund didn’t receive a title. At Sigrid’s murmur, Lowengrin nodded.

“He refused it.”

“Why?”

“Well— because he wanted to marry you, I suppose.”

“Huh?”

Sigrid’s eyes widened in surprise. Lowengrin made a troubled face, then smiled again and said,

“Siri, I like you as you are now— but if you had become the wife of a newly created marquis, you wouldn’t be able to be like this. You’d have to enter high society and establish your position there. But now you’re a countess, so it’s okay for you to be yourself.”

There’s an enormous difference between being a countess oneself and being a marquis’s wife.

“And Beramund probably wanted you to be yourself too. So he didn’t accept a title and married you.”

“That’s……”

Sigrid felt her throat constrict.

“I, I didn’t know……”

Thinking about it, that’s true. Though she had achieved merits, Beramund was also a great contributor and had served Serios for a long time. The fact that he didn’t receive a single title was indeed strange.

“I’m so stupid.”

As Sigrid said this, Lowengrin shook her head and said,

“Beramund probably didn’t care about such things. That’s why he didn’t tell you.”

“Still, I should have known. Ah, I feel so foolish. Why am I such an idiot?”

“Even if you knew, it’s not like there was much you could do about it.”

“But—”

Sigrid raised her head abruptly, then hung it low again. Lowengrin was right. Even if she knew now, or even if she had known before, what could she have done?

‘But…….’

Beramund worked hard too, yet he didn’t receive any recognition for it…….

Sigrid suddenly felt depressed.

Seeing Sigrid like this, Lowengrin quickly said,

“Siri, it’s okay. Both you and Beramund seem happy, don’t you?”

Sigrid nodded silently. Lowengrin wondered if she shouldn’t have told her, but then what should she have said?

‘Should I have said I didn’t know?’

She might have done so normally.

Avoiding and postponing problems was her specialty, after all. But she couldn’t do that with Sigrid. And she believed it wasn’t necessary to do so.

Just then, Marie-Chez staggered out from the adjacent room.

“Give me water too~”

Marie-Chez said in a hoarse voice.

“Did you sleep well?”

At Sigrid’s question, Marie-Chez nodded. Her eyes were swollen and barely open. Lowengrin asked,

“Cold or warm?”

“Cold for now.”

Lowengrin took some ice from the ice bucket, put it in a glass, and poured tea over it. There was a crisp cracking sound as the ice split. Marie-Chez took it and drank it in one go.

“Ahh— I feel alive. Give me one more.”

Lowengrin willingly poured another glass. Marie-Chez took the glass and sat down.

“Ugh, my head hurts. Lowengrin, you’re annoying. You’re the only one who’s fine.”

Lowengrin shrugged. Marie-Chez pressed the glass against her forehead and eyes.

“My eyes are completely swollen.”

“They are.”

“I should get some snow brought in to press on them.”

At Marie-Chez’s words, Sigrid quickly got up and pulled the servant’s bell. After telling the servant to bring snow, Sigrid flopped back into her seat. Marie-Chez asked curiously,

“What’s wrong? Why are you so gloomy? Are you feeling sick?”

“No, it’s not that—”

After Sigrid shared what Lowengrin had told her, Marie-Chez snorted and said,

“So what? Anyway, you’re living happily together now, aren’t you?”

“But……”

“Is Beramund regretting it?”

“That, I don’t think so. No, I’m not sure.”

“He’s someone who knows what’s important to him. Like me.”

Marie-Chez said decisively.

“Second or third children, the ones in the middle, grow up faster, you know?”

Marie-Chez added. The servant soon brought a tin full of snow, and Marie-Chez soaked a handkerchief in it and pressed it against her eyes.

Lowengrin smiled faintly and said,

“Anyway, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

“Okay, I’ll have them bring something.”

Sigrid nodded.

The breakfast that was brought seemed to be considerate of their post-drinking state, focusing on foods that were easy on the stomach. When she lifted the lid of a cute soup bowl, there was warm corn soup inside.

“Corn? At this time of year?”

Marie-Chez took a bite, marveling. It was moderately sweet and smooth.

“Mmm, this is really delicious!”

Marie-Chez emptied the soup bowl in an instant. Lowengrin also peered into her dish curiously.

“How did they preserve corn until winter? It doesn’t seem dried.”

“They said they froze it?”

“Froze it?”

“With magic.”

At Sigrid’s words, both Marie-Chez and Lowengrin looked at the soup with strange expressions.

“Is it okay to eat food that’s been magically treated?”

“It tastes fine, but……”

Marie-Chez said as she slowly put down her dish.

“But I’ve already eaten it all.”

Sigrid waved her hand and said,

“No, it’s fine. I eat it often too.”

“Well, if you say so? Anyway, freezing is fascinating. This method would allow for preserving various ingredients. It’s a luxurious approach possible only with a magician.”

At Lowengrin’s words, Sigrid cleared her throat and smiled proudly.

“We’d like to make contact with magicians on our side too. Magicians don’t really come to the imperial capital.”

At Lowengrin’s words, Sigrid tilted her head and said, “Really?” and Lowengrin nodded.

“There were several issues because of those magicians, right? And after the ringleader was executed, I think public opinion isn’t very good—”

“I see.”

“But conversely, there’s also a huge demand— Don’t you get a lot of letters too?”

“Yes, asking to introduce magicians. But I reply that it’s not my jurisdiction and send them all back.”

“They might say you’re trying to monopolize magicians?”

“It’s not like I’m oppressing them, right? I can’t force anything either.”

“That’s true.”

Lowengrin thought for a moment and nodded. Indeed, magicians were scattered everywhere, not gathered in one place. She sighed and spread her hands.

“Where on earth do those people go without settling anywhere?”

“Well, I don’t know much about magicians either……”

Sigrid tilted her head. Magicians were Arkana’s domain, not her business. After finishing their light breakfast, Sigrid stood up and said,

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

“Are you going to work?”

At Lowengrin’s words, Marie-Chez puffed her cheeks and said,

“We came to visit, play with us a bit~”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy lately. But since there’s a lot of snow, let’s go sledding tonight.”

“Sledding?”