Chapter 17: Letter.

The room was quiet.

Yukomis, leaning against the headboard, carefully opened the jewelry box.

Inside the worn box, there wasn’t any expensive jewelry, but a single sheet of paper with a letter on it.

‘I’m so sick of you all.’

That’s how the letter began.

‘I’ve been trying to hide it, but it was impossible. You have no idea that you’re fighting for the fate of this world. You ignore instructions, act impulsively, and, to top it off, you look down on me because I don’t have any magical talent. I’m so tired of it. Even though I’m the oldest member of this group.’

The letter was written in a delicate script that didn’t match the content at all.

‘This isn’t child’s play. I’m not your babysitter. Age aside, when you decided to kill the Demon King, you should have shown a more mature attitude than this. Do you understand?

Especially my younger sister, Yukomis. I’ve always tried to be good to you, but was it not enough? Why were you always so cold to me?”

Yukomis bit her thin lip.

‘I don’t need you anymore. You’re just getting in the way. I’ll handle the final battle alone. I’ll stop the end of the world by myself, and I’ll prove that I was worthy. I’ll show you that I can do it even without being a magician. I’ll definitely come back, so be prepared to be surprised. And… don’t you dare follow me.’

“Am I supposed to believe this?”

She said in a dry voice after reading the letter.

“Are you calling this a lie?”

But unlike her voice, the paper she held trembled slightly in her fingertips.

“I always told you that you were terrible at lying, didn’t I, sister?”

The letter was in terrible condition.

It was crumpled with wrinkles as if it had been crumpled over and over again with emotion, the ink was smeared in places as if it had been wet with something, and dried bloodstains were left here and there.

“Just this is her will…”

Yukomis closed her eyes tightly.

It was a letter she had already read hundreds of times.

From the moment she first saw the letter, Yukomis knew that there was not a shred of sincerity written here.

Her sister was never the type of person to say these things. But even knowing that with her reason…

‘Why were you always so cold to me?’

That one phrase, specifically singling out her name, stabbed painfully into her heart.

Not only that, but every sentence written here was true.

True.

The fact that what was written here was true drove Yukomis crazy.

She had acted in ways that made her feel ignored. She had said harsh things. She had acted like a spoiled child.

It wasn’t child’s play. She hadn’t been mature…

It was an undeniable truth.

She wished that this kind of letter hadn’t been left behind.

But this dirty scrap of paper was ironically the last trace her sister had left in this world.

Her sister had a habit of bending the upper end of straight strokes.

No matter what she wrote, the thickness of the strokes and the change in pressure were noticeably apparent.

She wrote small letters large, and large letters small.

She had a strange habit of trying to put the letters in a square frame.

Her sister wrote the Imperial language as if it were a completely different language.

But that was also a unique personality that didn’t look too bad.

…In that way, the evidence of her sister’s existence remained so vividly.

Whenever she dreamed of her sister, or when thoughts of her sister unexpectedly washed over her,

She would unconsciously find and read this letter.

It was like the theatergoers who couldn’t take their eyes off the tragedy.

As Yukomis closed her eyes tightly and digested the emotions left by the letter,

Someone knocked on her bedroom door from outside.

Knock, knock, knock.

Yukomis neatly rolled up the letter again and put it back in the jewelry box before anyone could see it.

“Lady, may I come in?”

It was Parnen’s voice.

“…Yes. You can.”

She came into the room with a towel, a water container with perfume, and a change of clothes.

“I’ve come to help you with your morning wash.”

“Why is Shar doing this?”

As Yukomis said, it wasn’t something the head maid would normally do herself.

“Because I want to, Lady.”

Parnen approached the bed with a kind smile.

And she soaked a towel in the container of water with flower petals and lightly wrung it out into the empty container next to it.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you because you’ve been busy with official duties, hasn’t it?”

Parnen urged, “Here,” and Yukomis reluctantly unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing.

It was a body that could hardly be described as having abundant feminine curves, even as a euphemism.

“You haven’t sweated much today. It looks like you had a good dream.”

“That’s none of your business.”

She said that, but her voice didn’t feel prickly at all.

Parnen politely lifted the shirt, revealing Yukomis’s bare skin, and brought the towel to her back.

“It’s not none of my business. It’s your condition, Lady.”

“More than me… Is Shar doing okay now?”

“Of course. She’s just a little tired. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve been through, Lady.”

“Excuse me.”

As Yukomis said, it must have been a long time since she had done this kind of chore, but her touch was still polite and skillful.

Yukomis kept hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

“It seems like there’s something you want to ask.”

“Why do you think that?”

It was a defensive way of speaking.

Parnen, who had been carefully wiping her upper body, smiled slightly.

” ‘…I’m expressionless.’ Lady, you only think that.”

“I’ve served you for years, I can tell this much.”

At that, Yukomis pouted her lips slightly.

And she spoke the truth that she had wanted to ask from the beginning.

“Is that child okay?”

“Are you talking about Signo?”

“Yes.”

“Yes. But she seemed very tired. She’s still sleeping today.”

“Is she okay?”

“Of course. There’s nothing wrong with her body. Rather…”

Parnen tilted her head there for a moment.

“Rather, there’s nothing wrong with her, to an almost strange degree.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Signo arrived here, I said that her injuries were very severe, right?”

“That’s right.”

Yukomis, who had regained consciousness the day before, had already heard from Parnen about what situation she had been in.

“She had bruises all over her body, a large tear around her eyes, and her ankle was almost broken… And because she had been flying at night in the cold weather, her body temperature had dropped a lot. Karat said that after letting Aisha into the infirmary, she fainted on the spot.”

“So what happened?”

“I thought it would be difficult with just first aid, so I went to call a doctor, but when I brought him back, her injuries had already healed a lot.”

“Healed… you say.”

“Yes. I heard that her ankle, which was clearly swollen to the point of being difficult to see, quickly subsided, and the wound on her eye also began to close.”

“…That fast.”

“Yes. I thought it was because she was a child and her recovery was fast, but even so, that speed is still strange.”

Yukomis seemed to be deep in thought about something.

“Lady. I think it’s okay for you to explain to me what kind of person Signo is.”

Parnen’s hand had already stopped.

She had wiped everything that needed to be wiped, applied everything that needed to be applied, and had already changed her into her pajamas.

“I… I almost collapsed the moment I saw Signo’s face. You know why, don’t you, Lady.”

“She looked like she had taken Lady Thermis from her ten-year-old self and put her right there.”

“…That’s right.”

“I don’t think… The Great Lady didn’t have any successor…”

“That’s not true.”

Yukomis quickly denied that possibility.

“…My sister was probably infertile.”

It was a heavy word. Although it wasn’t spoken out loud, Parnen could tell that there was a self-reproach of ‘because of me’ hidden at the end of Yukomis’s words.

“And considering Signo’s age now, it doesn’t match up in terms of time either.”

“That’s right. I guess so…”

“She’s just… someone who looks like my sister.”

“…Lady, I’m sorry to say this, but I can’t believe it.”

Parnen came out a little strong.

“She can’t just be someone who looks like her. She knew things that only family members know.”

“She was a child who read a lot of books. She’s even read ‘The History of the Solenas Dukedom’.”

“It doesn’t end there. She spoke like her, and she acted like her. And that person even looks exactly like her. How can I believe this?”

“…Karat heard her instructions before losing consciousness during the flight. He said that he heard my symptoms and treatment methods directly from me…”

“Is that true, Lady?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Yukomis said honestly. Her memory had been cut off from the middle of promoting Signo.

As she said, it was a seizure that almost killed her, so it made sense that the memory before losing consciousness had disappeared.

“Then Signo must be a tremendous genius, as much as you, Lady.”

“What do you mean?”

“She dealt with it so well with just the short instructions she heard from you in a critical condition, and she even pretended to be the Great Lady for a while in front of me, who was flustered.”

“…That’s…”

Yukomis couldn’t help but smile bitterly there.

“…That’s right. Coincidentally, she’s a genius.”

“…Yes?”

“I’m serious. The direction may be a little different, but she’s definitely a great genius.”

And at the end, she stammered and added softly.

“Of course, not as much as me.”

“Still…”

Yukomis sighed deeply in front of Parnen, who was blurring her words.

“I don’t know what Shar wants to think. I don’t know what Signo’s appearance was like when Shar saw her because I wasn’t conscious… But Signo was the boy I brought in from the Irendel territory. She may look like that, but her mind is a boy.”

“As I said, there was a magician in Kiffol who liked my sister in a strange way. Signo happened to be quite smart and, despite being a boy, looked a lot like my sister. She was a good subject for her.”

Parnen still had an expression of disbelief.

“There’s no room for other possibilities to intervene.”

“Still, Lady…”

“Shar… You know that you’re thinking of something ridiculous, Shar. That child can’t be my sister. It’s too clear where she was born and where she came from.”

Yukomis said, avoiding Parnen’s sad gaze at her.

However, Yukomis’s words were not so much to be heard by others,

It sounded uncertain and heartbreaking, as if she wanted to convince herself.

She had already experienced how destructive Signo’s current appearance was to those who knew Thermis in her childhood.

She had even allowed a second hit to the back of her head as soon as she saw Signo in Manya’s basement.

“Let’s stop this conversation now.”

“If that’s what you want… I understand, Lady…”

“Thank you. By the way…”

Yukomis forcibly changed the subject.

“Did you send the letter?”

“Yes. As you said, I sent the letter and report to Princess Iresia by Wyvern post.”

There were many things Yukomis had to tell the princess because there had been several things.

Originally, she had to look around a few more territories nearby.

Moreover, she had failed to arrest the corrupt magician in Kiffol, so to speak, her schedule and goals were all messed up.

All that was left was Signo, whom she had picked up in Irendel…

‘Signo, who was a boy who looked like my sister.’

That was all.

“Everything will be fine. You’re not the only one who can work in the Imperial Palace, Yukomis-nim. You just need to take good care of yourself for a while.”

“…That’s right.”

Parnen gently hugged Yukomis’s head, who looked like she had complicated feelings.

Yukomis did not refuse and leaned slightly into her arms.

“I’ll be going now. Aisha will bring it here when it’s mealtime.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s only natural.”

Parnen got up, taking the water container, towel, and clothes.

Then, she politely greeted and slowly walked out of the room without making a sound.

“…But…”

As soon as the door closed completely, Parnen muttered to herself.

“She clearly called me Shar… Did the Lady tell her that directly…?”

The deep doubts and anxieties that she couldn’t show in front of Yukomis still remained in her expression.

Parnen, who had been thinking about it for a while while standing there, soon slowly shook her head,

And disappeared into the distance of the hallway.

“That’s right. Yukomis… was very sick.”

A woman answered while looking at a letter.

“Yes. It’s the symptom that Your Highness guessed.”

“I see…”

The woman holding the letter was standing on a balcony decorated with a splendid stone railing.

Her blonde hair, which grew to her waist, fluttered in the night breeze,

And her eyes, with one side covered by her hair, shone with amber light similar to her hair color.

Her slender legs, like those of a deer, made her wonderful body proportions stand out,

And her breasts, which drew an ideal curve, were something that all women would envy, not only in their shape but also in their size.

She was reading a letter while receiving the moonlight.

It was truly an unrealistic beauty that could only exist in paintings.

“If it’s a symptom that she can’t treat herself, that’s the first thing that comes to mind.”

She smiled bitterly.

“I told her several times that it would be better to increase her escort knights in case something like this happened.”

Then, her secretary, who was standing behind the princess, replied as if in trouble.

“But… Your Highness knows. The personality of the Great Magician is…”

“That’s right. She’s someone who doesn’t listen to others well…”

Should she say that she doesn’t listen well, Yukomis is basically someone who hardly trusts others.

No, in fact, beyond that, she didn’t like most people very much.

“But it’s the first time I’ve heard that she had such a panic attack after the war. I definitely thought she was okay now…”

“There may have been something that triggered it.”

“Maybe. But what kind of trigger could it be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm.. Anyway, it’s really fortunate. Her symptoms are really dangerous.”

She stroked her chest.

Yukomis occasionally suffered from such panic attacks during the Great War.

When she was attacked mentally, when she used magic beyond her limits,

Or when she witnessed a very, very terrible sight…

The princess knew well that her symptoms were unique to her and were not experienced by any other magician in the world.

“I thought she wouldn’t have explained those symptoms to the people around her because of her personality… It’s fortunate. It seems someone knew how to deal with it.”

The princess put down the letter she was reading on the balcony table.

“…No, am I not in a position to talk about others.”

It was a small mutter that only she could hear.

“What does her report say?”

“It says that she failed to arrest the two corrupt mayors of Kiffol.”

“She was so sick, so it’s no wonder. What else?”

“According to the report, rather than because she was sick…”

The secretary hesitated a little, unlike her usual self.

“I’ll finish the main point first. It says that more documents will arrive separately regarding the financial crime case involving Irendel’s and Kiffol. It also says that punishment should be considered for several officials in Kiffol.”

“Is that all?”

“The main text ends here. But…”

“What is it?”

“There’s a postscript. It says that she’s resigning from the position of Great Magician.”

“What?”

“She asks to reconsider whether she, who was defeated by two insignificant magicians in a small city, is really worthy of the title of Great Magician… She says that she will formally submit her resignation to His Majesty the Emperor in the future.”

“Princess Iresia. What are you going to do?”

The princess, called ‘Iresia,’ received the report from her attendant.

The report contained harsh and self-deprecating sentences such as ‘I was caught off guard in an ugly way and ended up missing them.’

‘…Caught off guard.’

She couldn’t tell to what extent her sincerity was in this sentence.

Whether she really hurt her pride.

Or whether she thought this was a good opportunity to get rid of the title of Great Magician.

Maybe it was both.

She originally hated this position very much.

‘Don’t think I can do this job properly.’

Iresia recalled what Yukomis had said on the day she was forced to accept the title of Great Magician.

‘I’m not a great magician enough to be called that anymore.’

‘All that’s left is an ignorant amount of magic capacity.’

‘The authority that I can wield with that has mostly disappeared with my sister’s death.’

It was a really difficult persuasion.

‘Only you and I need to know that. No one will know.

You just need to use the authority of that position. It’s better for someone you can trust to be in charge…

Above all… Please do it for my face.’

‘My face? Ilesha, what do you think my face is to me?’

Yukomis had replied to that as if spitting it out.

Yukomis hated the position so much that she didn’t even wear the Great Magician’s staff that she had received,

But she was more sincere than that.

Once she succeeded in getting her to take on her duties, she was the type of person who would do her best first.

Like this local tour.

Ilesha also knew that Yukomis hated her now.

She also knew that it was something she had passed on to her because she was sorry.

‘Still… There’s no one I can trust as much as her.’

In Ilesha, Yukomis was the only person who came to mind who wouldn’t slack off or become corrupt until the day the world was destroyed.

‘Come to think of it, it’s because of me that it turned out this way…’

Ilesha opened her mouth again.

“Please hold off on the resignation of the Great Magician. Just treat it as a long-term recuperation. And if the resignation letter arrives separately at the Imperial Palace, please intercept it before it’s delivered to my mother.”

“I understand.”

“And… You know. This is a personal matter.”

“Yes. Your Highness.”

“Can you clear all the schedules for a few days?”

“If you wish, that will be the case. But what’s wrong?”

“…You see, my friend is very sick.”

She gave a small smile.

“I was wondering if I should go visit her.”