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46.91% Don't Tell the Stars (GL) / Chapter 38: Chapter 38. Wait and see

Chapitre 38: Chapter 38. Wait and see

— Why did you do that? — Liana Daehsin's voice sounded incredibly smooth.

With the northern princess leaving, not much time had passed and the tense atmosphere had dissipated. After being examined by the physician, the emperor felt better and finally took the throne. The banquet continued as if nothing had happened. Except… One person couldn't just let this situation go.

The young head of the order gave the man opposite her a hard stare. He, in turn, grinned crookedly.

— What did I do wrong? — The guardian asked a counter-question, as if he really didn't understand the essence of her claim.

Liana's hand continued to clench on the glass. It seemed as if it would break into pieces right in her palm.

— You hurt the princess's honor in front of everyone. What else do you call it?

— «Affronted her honor»? Don't talk like I'm some kind of villain. I was only concerned for His Majesty's welfare.

That excuse seemed ridiculous to the girl.

— I don't think so. I think you just wanted to do it.

Benedict Samuel furrowed his brow.

He held a respected position in the order. Even His Eminence reckoned with him and heeded his advice from time to time. Therefore, he could not simply accept that such a young person could address him in such a disrespectful tone.

— Young head, although you undoubtedly hold a special position, you are not yet a head. Therefore, do not forget the boundaries of what is allowed.

When the old man dryly stated this fact in front of her, Liana Daehsin laughed coldly.

— Thank you for kindly reminding me of that. You are right. You have no reason to report to me.

The tower guardian smiled strainedly as well.

— I'm glad we understand each other.

From the outside, the two of them seemed to be having a friendly conversation. Except that no one suspected that their gazes were actually sparkling with lightning.

— By the way, young head… — the guardian was leisurely going through the rosary on his chest, — This is not the time for you to worry about others.

The Guardian hinted at the incident that had happened not so long ago in a very direct manner, and the girl's smile grew even wider.

— Of course. You don't have to worry about that. I will definitely be responsible upon my return to Glensia.

Last time, the old man's promise to tell the lord everything wasn't just empty threats. The next day, he actually came and honestly told Halias Daehsin about everything. More specifically, her dubious connection with the newly minted northern princess. The supreme astrologer listened attentively to him completely. But what his reaction to it was, it is truly unknown.

However, on the same day, the head of the order summoned his eldest daughter for a «preventive talk».

— You seem to be having fun lately,» Halias muttered, standing with his back to her and brewing a strong tea.

The girl was on her knees and was not allowed to raise her head.

— Father, I have no excuse,» Liana replied meekly, «You can punish me as you see fit.

— So do you realize that you made a mistake?

«…»

The man in the long robe of satin silk looked formidable and majestic. Even his daughter was no exception and had to address him respectfully. Halias lit a stick of incense, and the peculiar fragrance wafted around the room. After a while, he looked at his daughter indifferently. Liana was silent and stared at the floor.

— Since you admit you made a mistake, you must be punished for it.

— I understand…

Liana didn't contradict her father and simply agreed with him. The authority of the Supreme Astrologer was too great to try to challenge him. Especially even when he didn't show it, but the man was clearly angry.

— As punishment, you will not be able to return home for three months,» the head of the order said nonchalantly.

— What?

Liana raised her head for the first time.

— You will be responsible for the education and training of the young adepts. The qualification exam to be held in the spring is very important. I'm putting all the responsibility for it on you. You should do your best to get the best results.

The girl pressed her lips into a thin line.

Training new adepts was indeed an important task. Normally, astrologers of at least the highest rank were in charge of it. But her father had suddenly decided to entrust it to her. Liana had never had this kind of experience before. However, even so, the slightest mistake was unacceptable.

— Given the importance of the task, you can't be distracted by extraneous things. You'll stay in the central tower for now. In the spring, if I am happy with the results of the exam, I will consider your return.

The Supreme Astrologer was described as a cold man with a pleasant smile. Despite his outward friendliness, he was actually a rather ruthless person. He had the same attitude towards both the servants who worked for him and members of his own family. Any mistake or show of disobedience deserved severe punishment. The only person who was bypassed by this rule was his youngest daughter Gardenia.

Liana shuddered involuntarily. She understood perfectly well why her father was doing this. After all, the worst punishment for the girl was not excessive work and busy schedule, to which she had long been accustomed. It was the inability to see her little sister. She and Gardenia would have to be separated for several months.

Khalias Daehsin was indeed cruel.

Nevertheless, the girl had to obediently answer:

— I obey, father.

Steel gleamed in the emerald eyes.

— You better remember what happened today. I'm only punishing you so lightly because it was the first time. You've never disappointed me this much before. But if it happens again…

Hearing the warning tone in his tone, Liana involuntarily swallowed. The head of the Order never said anything for nothing. And she knew it well.

— Father, I swear that I will never fail you again!

The heiress of the order had to say this to avoid the worst consequences. But in truth, deep down, she felt a longing.

She was like a bird that, after a brief moment of freedom, had been caged again.

The short time spent with the princess of the north was pleasant and something akin to a dream. However, any dream sooner or later comes to an end.

Liana had something to risk. Even if she felt sympathy for this girl, she couldn't forget about her little sister. Besides, Remesis was her fiancée's sister. If they spent time together, the socialite society would definitely be filled with dirty rumors. And their families' reputations would suffer.

Any way you look at it, any kind of relationship between them is simply impossible.

And perhaps… It was at this moment that Liana Daehsin fully realized that.

Since it would be best for both of them, the young head decided to retreat first. She left the northern princess a parting gift. However, the girl never wore that dress. Seeing this, Liana came to the disappointing conclusion that Remesis no longer wanted anything to do with her either. «Well, it's for the best…» The girl even thought she had accepted it.

But…

Even though Liana had decided to stay away from her, today's incident couldn't leave her indifferent. Seeing the tears glistening in the corners of the girl's eyes, something trembled in the depths of her heart.

Although neither her status nor her surroundings allowed her to hold the senior astrologer accountable for her words, the girl could do nothing at all. After finishing her conversation with the tower keeper on a «friendly» note, she suddenly started to go somewhere.

— Where are you going? — The banquet is not over yet.

— Please excuse me,» the young head smiled kindly, «I have important business to attend to. I'll be back soon.

— It's… — as if realizing something, the old man frowned, — You're not going to…?

— You understood me quite correctly.

Anyway, she's already been punished. So what is there to lose?

Benedict Samuel did not have time to add anything else, as the girl had already disappeared from his sight.

Liana left the banquet hall with her usual gait and then ran swiftly down the stairs. Her sprawling steps took her to the main exit of the central palace in a matter of minutes.

Once in the front courtyard, the heiress of the order breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Remesis had not gone far enough, and her small figure could be seen in the half-light of the lanterns. She had only a few more steps to take before she was out of the garden.

Liana quickly caught up with her.

— What… What are you doing?!

Remesis panicked when a stranger's hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. She began to scream.

— Let go. Let go of me!

— Princess.

Liana Daehsin's voice was calm.

The girl flinched because she recognized it. Glittering emerald eyes and soft facial features appeared in her field of vision, shimmering in the faint lantern light. The night breeze fluttered his long brown strands.

When Remesis realized who was in front of her, she calmed down a little.

The next moment, fear was replaced by anger.

— What do you want? — I don't want to talk to you!» she said firmly, «I don't want to talk to you!

Liana noticed that the girl was trying hard to suppress her tears. She did not succeed in suppressing her tears. This sight made the young head's heart squeeze.

She tried to say it as gently as possible:

— Shh, calm down. Everything is fine now.

— I don't need your support!

To confirm her words, the princess sniffed her nose, quickly coming to her senses. She brought her hand to her eyes and wiped away her tears. All she wanted was to go home. She had no desire to stay here a second longer.

Besides, she didn't have the energy to see this person right now.

— Just leave me alone.

Spitting out those words, Remesis abruptly turned away from her.

She tried to walk past but was stopped.

— Are you sure you can walk on your own in this condition?

— I told you to leave me alone! — Right now Remesis was not in control of her emotions and shouted at the whole garden, forgetting about the rules of decency.

Liana looked at her silently and pressed her lips tightly together.

— Then at least take this.

Without letting go of the girl's hand, the heiress of the order took something out of her breast pocket and handed it to her.

It was a white handkerchief with a beautiful pattern on it.

Remesis regarded it for exactly one moment. Her first impulse, of course, was to throw it to the ground. But, as if anticipating her intentions, the girl resolutely placed the handkerchief in her palm. Even if Remesis had wanted to, she wouldn't have had the strength to break free.

«…»

The girl remained silent as she still had to accept the handkerchief after a brief resistance.

Liana was still looking at her.

— Princess, may I ask you a question? Only you must answer honestly.

— …

— Do you hate me?

— Yes,» Remesis answered without hesitation.

The young head grinned unhappily.

— I knew it. Well, you have your reasons.

— So what now? — The little lady frowned, -I don't think you care about my feelings. You've just come to laugh, haven't you?

— No,» the girl's unexpectedly firm answer made Remesis tense up.

— Then…

Liana sighed heavily.

— From the outside, it might seem like I have a lot of power, that I can do whatever I want. But I don't. Right now, I'm very… Very… Very helpless.

Since she was still being held down, the girl had to listen to her, even though she didn't understand what it was about.

— I… I just want to say that I don't treat you badly.

— It doesn't matter to me.

— I know,» she smiled weakly, «And yet I thought you should know that.

A short pause followed. It was unusually quiet in the night garden of the Imperial Palace.

After a while, as if she had mentally made a decision, Liana Daehsin continued speaking. She chose her words carefully:

— Before, I wasn't sure, but now… Princess, I ask you to believe me just once.

— What?

Remesis frowned.

— Wait for me.

— Hmm?

Remesis stared at her incomprehensibly. «Wait for me? What should I wait for?»

Meanwhile, the young head's steady gaze made her tense up. Her worried face was illuminated by the moon's glow. It seemed as if there were some words left unspoken in the depths of her soul.

— I want to say that one day I will be stronger than I am now.

«…»

— Just wait and see it.

A faint smile touched the corners of her lips. For a moment, Remesis couldn't take her eyes off the sight.

They looked at each other just as they had that night at the festival.

Although the northern princess didn't quite understand what those words meant, it seemed that the answer had already been prepared in the back of her mind.


Chapitre 39: Chapter 39. A spark can start a fire

When the long awaited day of departure from the Imperial Palace came — Remesis was greatly relieved. She couldn't believe that it was finally over.

These past couple weeks had undoubtedly been truly eventful. The impressions from this trip, even if not very positive, would stay with her for a long time to come. At the end of the day, one should be able to be grateful for every experience in life. Fate doesn't present lessons for nothing. «At least I hope so,» the girl pondered to herself as she tried to convince herself that her time spent in the capital wasn't such a waste.

The next morning, after the banquet at the palace was over, Remesis and his escort set off on their return journey to the North.

It seemed that this time they traveled even faster.

After a week and a half of non-stop traveling, the girl saw snow-covered hills that she didn't seem to have seen in ages. Remesis was a little excited before her return. Hannes also noticed some changes in her usual demeanor and inquired:

— Your Highness, is something wrong?

— Ah, no…

While traveling, they stopped briefly to water the horses, and then the knight's gaze caught something strange.

— Your Highness, do you have a new handkerchief? I've never seen it before.

The girl has been carrying it around with her since they left. It was a very beautiful piece, and judging by the gold embroidery, very expensive. The commander hesitated: where could the princess have gotten it from? They had certainly not visited any store with such things.

— It was given to me by a friend.

— The same one you met last time? — The knight's eyes squinted.

Hannes guessed very quickly.

Remesis sighed and did not deny the obvious.

— Yes. In fact, he lent it to me, but I had no way to return it.

It was the truth. The delegation of the astrological order had left the Imperial Palace even before them. So when Remesis woke up, Liana Daehsin had already left. But even without that, returning her handkerchief to her in public would be difficult. So she just left it as it was.

The knight tensed up a bit.

— Your Highness, this is…

— It's nothing like that. We won't be seeing each other again anytime soon anyway. So I can just throw it away.

The knight sighed.

— Alright, whatever you say.

Fortunately, Hannes was also smart enough not to ask unnecessary questions. He turned away and continued checking his gear. The girl felt relieved.

«Good thing I didn't tell you that the friend I was dating was a girl…»

Actually, given Remesis' young age, it would have been foolish to think along those lines. However, since she was legally married, it already placed a certain kind of restriction on the girl. The Nadal Empire still adhered to the old traditions. Therefore, it was unseemly for a married girl to date an unmarried girl in the absence of her spouse. Hannes was merely concerned about her reputation.

However, to Remesis, all that was nothing. She didn't care what anyone thought of her. Since Asil hadn't bothered to stick to her reputation as a faithful spouse in her previous life, why should she? Although the girl's main priority was revenge, and she wasn't planning on having a relationship, if any rumors suddenly started, Remezis was ready to quietly turn a blind eye to them.

And Asil wouldn't care where she was or who she was with anyway.

On that basis, Remesis considered the knight's worries to be completely in vain. No need to pay attention to rumors, especially unfounded ones. «But is it true…?» Although the girl had told the knight to get rid of the shawl, in the end she didn't. «By the looks of it, it's worth at least ten sekels. It would be foolish to throw that kind of money away, right? I'd rather sell it.» That was how Remesis internally explained her motivation to keep the item donated by the young head of the order.

There could be no other reason. And when the girl thought about it, she raised herself to laughter, «And how could I have thought such a thing? It's nonsense. Definitely nonsense!»

All the rest of the way the girl tried not to return to these thoughts, which were becoming more and more frightening and uncontrollable for her.

After another ten days, Remesis finally made out the familiar iron towers in the snow blizzard.

They were traveling fast through a dense coniferous forest. The sky was slowly turning from purple to light pink. It was beginning to dawn. Along the way, they occasionally had to fight off monsters and other creatures, resulting in a few guardsmen receiving injuries of varying severity. But fortunately, there were no serious accidents.

When they reached the gate of the fortress, the heart in the girl's chest involuntarily beat faster. The guard standing on the watchtower recognized their group at a glance and rejoiced:

— Her Highness has returned!

This cry alerted the inhabitants of the northern castle to the long-awaited return of the princess.

After a while, the gatekeepers opened the gates, and then Remesis met a man she had not seen in a long time.

Asil stood in front of the gate and watched her. She ran out as soon as she got the news.

Remesis smiled and climbed out of the carriage.

— Hello, your highness.

«…»

Asil was silent and looked a little flustered.

Since she continued to stay where she was, Remesis decided to approach her wife herself. She took a few steps her way, and with each one, the surprise in her eyes grew. «I have not been gone for more than two months. What has happened to Asil in that time!» Remesis was truly amazed. The girl's appearance could not be described with any decent epithets. To be honest, she didn't look much better than when they first met at the Imperial Palace.

Her silver hair was a mess, as if ravens had made a nest in it. The princess herself was gaunt and gaunt. Only her amber eyes always sparkled like gems.

When they came face to face, Remesis couldn't help but ask:

— Your Highness, what's wrong? Have you not been eating well? Maybe you are sick again!

At Remesis' questions, Asil shook her head.

— Then what's the matter? — The girl continued to ask, but the princess only looked at her.

Asil's condition was truly discouraging. It was like leaving a flower for a month and not watering it. That's what would happen to it.

The princess blinked. Since she didn't say anything, Remesis was forced to question her for a long time. Finally Asil looked at her, bowed her head, and swept her hair away from her face with her hand, exposing her forehead.

— Huh? What is it?

«…»

When Remesis tilted her head perplexedly, not understanding what the princess meant, the latter frowned as if she was upset and tilted her head forward as well. She pressed her forehead right against her lips.

— Huh?» the girl wondered.

Remesis stared at the princess. There was a sudden coldness on her lips. Asil glanced at her as well, her face flushed and even darkened a little. The princess silently opened her mouth in embarrassment. Then she stepped back and ran away.

Remesis blinked a few times looking after her, but soon realized what had happened and laughed.

«She really is like a puppy. If she wanted me to kiss her forehead, she could have just said so,» the girl thought with a smirk.

On the way to the castle, the princess continued to giggle at this. Sometimes the little beast did do some cute things. Remesis quickly forgot about her earlier worry. And was even a little glad to be back here.

***

Duke Carter's office was unusually cold. Even colder than usual. The overcast weather outside the window was accompanied by raindrops drumming on the glass. The room was silent.

Until it was broken by a faint knock.

— Father, you wanted to see me?

The door creaked slightly. The ducal successor stepped inside.

Standing with his back to him was the imposing figure of the grand duke. He stood at the window and stared at something. Soon the man cleared his throat and spoke curtly:

— Do you know why I called you here?

Michel faded his eyes.

— Father, I…

— It seems that after living under my care for so long, you have forgotten your place.

The young man shuddered. His brown eyes trembled.

— Father… — the boy said in a slurred voice: «If you mean that incident, that girl attacked me first…!

Michel tried to justify himself, but the Duke's gaze, with which he looked at him, silenced the boy.

— Fool!» losing his former restraint, Michael Carter roared: — I don't care what you do. You can do it as much as you want in our territory. But how dare you dishonor me in the palace!

The boy turned dramatically pale. He was completely different from his usual self.

— You're the heir to the family, yet you managed to make such a mess right under the Chancellor's nose. What do you think he, and Halias Daehsin, think of me now? — The duke's cold voice cut sharper than any knife, «Now everyone knows that you have no restraint or manners. You've made a fool of our family.

Michel Carter looked like a helpless puppet. His lips quivered. He fell to his knees to beg his father's forgiveness.

— Oh, father, it was my fault! Forgive me!

He repeated it, banging his head on the floor. Michael Carter watched in silence.

Soon he walked over and squatted down so that he was level with his son. The man commanded:

— Raise your head.

«…»

Michel slowly did so. He was afraid to look his father in the eyes, but under the latter's pressure he gave in. Cold sapphire eyes, in which there was not a single drop of warmth, gazed at him. They seemed more frightening than the storm outside the window.

The Duke grabbed his son by the chin and twirled him around like a marionette.

— You know I never keep useless trash, don't you?

Michel, after hesitating, nodded.

— Even if you are my son, this is no exception,' the man muttered, 'I've already invested so much in you. All you have to do is fulfill your role perfectly. But even with that, you're failing.

— I… I'll do my best! — The heir replied in a thin voice.

Duke Carter looked at his eldest son for a long time. A variety of emotions mingled in that gaze. Soon he dismissed his face callously.

— You… Our first child with Katherine,» the man's voice trembled slightly, «That's the only reason I let you take this place.

«…»

— You know that well, don't you? — Michael asked quietly.

— Y-yes…» he swallowed convulsively.

The twelve-year-old was trembling like an aspen leaf.

— Otherwise…» the Grand Duke grinned icily, «Would a damned scum like you be able to climb so high?

Michel looked at him fearfully. His throat was dry and he couldn't make a sound. The Duke understood everything. And so did he.

At that moment, thunder rumbled outside the window. The wind and rain fell heavily on the branches of the trees. It only added to the already gloomy atmosphere.

— Do your best,» the Duke touched the boy's shoulder and moved closer to his ear, «don't make me regret leaving the damned bastard in my house.

It was said very quietly, almost in a whisper, but the man who happened to be outside the door heard it. He nearly staggered on his own feet.

«What… What… What did father say?!»

Livius' pupils dilated. The boy with dark hair and blue eyes, who looked very much like a duke, had accidentally heard something he shouldn't have. It stunned him.

There was silence in the study and the boy couldn't hear anything else. Startled, he heard footsteps outside the door and quickly fled. After a few moments, Michel came out and headed for his room. Although he tried to stay upright, his legs were trembling slightly.

Livius Carter followed his brother's gaze all the way down the hall. Until he disappeared down the hallway. He was utterly confused.

«What was that… What was that even?» — The nine year old boy muttered in despair.

While Livius was lost in speculation as to what exactly he had managed to overhear, a terrible truth slowly unfolded before him. Perhaps… Brother Michel might not be who he thought he was. This realization made Livius rethink everything he had lived before.

«If it's true, and father knew about it, then why… Why did he do it?» In the Empire, hiding, much less falsifying a natal chart, was considered a terrible crime. The entire family could be prosecuted for such a thing.

If it became known to the public that Michel had become the family's heir illegally…

Ah!

In an instant, hope was born in the soul of the youngest son of the Carter family.

«Then I still have a chance…!»

From this tiny hope, a very strong fire erupted in the previously very calm boy.

«If I manage to become the successor, then… Then… Then I can take my sister away from that horrible place!»

Livius' heart raced at the mere thought of it.

— Remesis, please wait for me… Brother will surely bring you home.


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