Chapter 3
3 The Life of a Newlywed is Full of ups and Downs (3)
While the sun was shining overhead, Gaizel and his entourage finally arrived at their destination, Isiris .
Gaizel, who pulled the reins and stopped the horse’s feet, leaped to the ground as he was . Turning around, he silently extended his hand towards Tistye .
Tistye was a bit scared due to the height, but took his hand in the end . Then, even more vigorously than she expected, she was quickly pulled down .
“This place is, Isiris…”
Due to the scenery in front of her, Tistye inadvertently took a breath .
In the distance, misty mountains were lined up—it was as if they were trying to recreate the image of a white horse’s back! The lake, surrounded by a lush green coniferous forest, produced faint white ripples . Because of how transparent the water was, the dorsal fins of the swimming fishes were visible—Tistye chased them with her eyes .
“It’s the Lake of Nagama . Once winter comes, it will freeze all the way to the bottom . ”
“The entire lake!?”
“Yes . ”
Tistye proceeded to approach the edge of the water and peered inside the lake—the bottom of the lake had a deep blue color, which made it hard for light to shine through . Due to its mysterious beauty, her heart swooned involuntarily . At the same time, Tistye recalled the other day’s lesson .
It was said that Isiris was greatly affected by the four seasons—especially during the winter . In winter, Isiris became a very cold, life-threatening, world . The people of Isiris made a living out of agriculture during the summer, and hunting and crafts in winter . It was a small kingdom with no big cities—only some villages in the mountains .
“When you cross that mountain, you will find Yenzie . ”
“Yenzie…”
Yenzie was a huge kingdom comparable to the almighty kingdom of Verscia . She had read that Yenzie’s trade routes were well-developed due to it facing the sea, and that it possessed rare gems and fabrics which couldn’t be found in Verscia .
The impression she gained from seeing the real thing in the flesh and blood, when compared to the impression she obtained from a book, was unparalleled .
“What are you being so amazed about, come here . ”
By the time Tistye noticed, Gaizel was already carrying their luggage while walking ahead of the lake . When she chased him in a hurry, she saw a mansion behind the trees .
The architecture had a white theme . She was quite impressed by the number of thick pillars engraved with floral patterns there were lined up and down .
“Lord Gaizel, this place is…”
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“It’s my villa . ”
“Eeh!?”
“Let’s go . ”
She followed Gaizel, who kept walking forward .
Indeed, Isiris was one of the kingdoms overtaken by Verscia during the war . It was no wonder there was a villa intended for the Emperor Gaizel there… Not only was it similar to his main residence, it was also larger .
Yet again, Tistye was reminded of the authority Gaizel had .
“—Your Majesty the Emperor, we bid you welcome . ”
When they entered the villa, the servants who were in charge of the place welcomed them .
As she passed the room, Tistye showed a look of admiration once again .
“The lake is right in front of us!”
The room had a window on one side of the wall .
A large balcony was built outside the window to oversee the lake . A small but cute sofa and table had also been also lined up there .
When Tistye opened the window, the refreshing breeze flowing over the surface of the water rushed in, making the room feel as if it was literally floating over the lake .
Aside from Tistye, who was so moved to the point of utter speechlessness, Gaizel immediately went to the doorway of the room after putting down her luggage .
“I need to do some visitations . If you need anything, just relay it to the servants . ”
“Ah, yes! Have a safe trip!”
“…Yes . ”
As Tistye smiled and saw him off, Gaizel kept staring at her .
The moment he opened the door—as usual, she could ‘heart’ him .
[“The nerve of that Randi guy! Which part of this is an exchange for a honeymoon?! Is there anyone else who could hand out so much work other than him!? To think that I have to leave Tistye alone and do visitations… what kind of honeymoon is this!?”]
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Once the door closed, the voice of his heart was cut off .
Gaizel’s sorrowful voice caused Tistye to unintentionally smile .
On a side note… I keep wondering, why does he keep staring at me all the time?
Even with such an expression, perhaps he wasn’t angry, but had poor eyesight, instead…
Still, the people around her always said that Gaizel had a stern look—what a waste, really .
Tistye smiled happily—alright, someday, I shall ask him the reason!
Gaizel’s work took more time than expected—it wasn’t too long after the sun had fallen that he returned to the villa .
After a late dinner, the two returned to their room and went straight to the balcony . Unlike during the daytime, the humid, chilly wind patted her cheeks—Tistye squinted comfortably .
The skies were hazy as the clouds drifted vaguely around the waning moon .
“Thank you for your hard work, today . ”
Tistye placed a glass in front of Gaizel, who sat silently on the sofa .
“What’s that?”
“‘Yashka’—or so this local liquor is known as . Please, drink it as you like . ”
Finally, she poured the amber liquid into the glass .
Seeing small bubbles emerging, Gaizel picked up the glass . The moment he touched it, Tistye was already smiling grandly .
“Taste like water . ”
“B, but I heard that it’s quite strong…”
After he had drank it, he passed the glass to her . Tistye also drank some .
However, the moment the beverage touched her tongue, a strong taste of carbon dioxide, and also a high concentration of alcohol assaulted her—as such, her mouth immediately went agape .
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“I, it seems that I can’t drink too much…”
“Weak . ”
Gaizel smirked, and took both the glass and the bottle from Tistye’s hands . Soon enough, he had already gulped down a second glass . But, once his glass was empty, his hand stopped, for some reason .
When Tistye grew worried, she heard the voice of his heart—although a bit fainter than usual .
[“Darn it… isn’t this basically an indirect kiss?! W-well, Tistye doesn’t realize it, so it should be okay, right? It’s not like I intended for that to happen, but what if she thinks I was!? What if she feels uncomfortable!?”]
For him to worry about such a thing! Tistye felt embarrassed .
Gaizel, who wasn’t aware she had heard his dilemma, continued to down more and more glasses as if to hide his frustration . Because of how fast he downed those drinks, Tistye became concerned for him . Softly, she stood up and headed for the jug of water in the room…
You’re already tired due to your work, so please don’t overdo it…
However, back at the mansion, they rarely had any time to spent together—only the two of them—like that . Therefore, she wondered if she should’ve stayed with him a little longer .
Returning to the balcony, Tistye shook off her worries and focused on the scenery, faintly expressing her admiration .
A slightly strong breeze blew, and the clouds covering the skies slowly diminished .
Then, the surface of the water turned into a mirror—two silver moons had appeared—in the sky, and also on top of the lake .
Looking up, the starry sky was right above her head, as if it could engulf her at any moment . The moon, which assumed the shape of a perfect circle, shone brightly .
Below, she could see the clear reflection of the moon on the rippling surface of the lake . Tistye was captivated by the beautiful scenery .
“—wonderful, isn’t it?”
Suddenly, Gaizel spoke to her . Tistye regained her sense .
“I, indeed, really, it’s truly a wonderful sight!”
“It’s autumn now, but during the spring, the scenery of Isiris is even more spectacular . Countless flowers are blooming everywhere . ”
Tistye suddenly imagined the land of Isiris covered entirely with colorful blossoms .
The carpet of snow that was currently covering the land transformed into a carpet of vivid colors . Envisioning the beauty of it, a smile instinctively appeared on her face .
“I’m sure that would be a beautiful sight to behold! I do wish I can return to this place and see it for myself—even if only once . ”
“Indeed . My father was also mesmerized by the beauty… it would’ve been nice if that was all that was there to it . ”
“…by that, you mean, there’s more?”
“It’s exactly because the land is such a sight to behold that my father wanted to make it his own—then, he seized Isiris . ”
Upon hearing Gaizel’s tone become stronger, Tistye immediately stopped talking .
The history of Isiris, which was unraveled by her tutor, was still fresh in Tistye’s mind .
The former emperor, whom was also the father of Gaizel—the late Dilph Verscia .
His reign was filled with long history of invasion and colonization . With the massive investments he made to his army and armed forces, he took over the kingdoms neighboring Verscia .
He was the Emperor with the highest record of colonization—which was the reason Tistye’s homeland, Lacie, was put into submission by him .
She knew Isiris was one of the kingdoms he seized—but who would’ve thought that was the reason?
“…It’s also an undeniable fact that I share blood with that man . ”
“Lord Gaizel, too… wants to seize control of other kingdoms?”
Immediately after saying that, Tistye regretted and was ashamed of her mistake .
However, Gaizel didn’t seem the least bit angry, and instead muttered in a faint voice—
“—who knows?”
The reply was as unreliable as that which a lost child would spout when trying to look for his parents .
Gaizel closed his mouth as it was, but the voice of his heart quietly flowed into Tisyte’s chest .
[“I… don’t want to end up being the same person as that man . ”]
He didn’t want to steal someone else’s hometown, nor ruin the scenic landscape .
[“But, even I fail to convince myself when I say that . Now that the factions in the royal palace are undergoing major changes, to speak of such a notion in public would only be deemed as outrageous… then, what am I supposed to do?”]