Chapter 24. I give you snowflakes that bloom coldly. (One)
After providing a place to rest for the punitive force that entered the territory.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
Mikel took care of only the urgent matters and immediately called Leah into his office.
“…….”
Leah lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment.
The blood stains that had spread on the armor that had not yet been changed did not match Leah’s pretty face at all.
“father.”
But when she raised her head.
The sparkling emerald eyes in the center of his white face had a spirit no less than that of Mikel.
“I’m glad you came back safely. I was very worried because I couldn’t contact you.”
At the blunt but warm voice, Mikel’s frozen face softened.
“…Thank you.”
He wiped away his happy expression and put on a stern face again.
“But is there anything else you can say other than that?”
“I was the one who sent the dispatch to the capital. But I didn’t know you would come with such a large army.”
Leah’s voice became cold.
“That many troops have entered the front yard of the Nord territory. I am concerned about what impact this will have on the territory in the future.”
Leah’s words penetrated reality.
Until now, the Node Territory has protected the North with its own strength. This time, it was Mikel’s difficult move that broke down the strong fence.
However, it was an unavoidable situation. It was dizzying to even think about how I would have gotten back to Node Territory if it weren’t for them.
Mikel responded in a stern voice.
“It’s none of your business.”
Leah’s eyebrows twitched at the words that drew a line.
“Why is it none of my business? It’s our territory’s business.”
“I will take care of these complicated matters. Rather, Leia, is there really nothing else you can say?”
“What do you mean? Are you talking about leading the knights without your father’s permission?”
The air between Leah and Mikel became colder.
“Or is it because you went into battle wearing armor?”
“It’s Leah.”
Mikel’s voice went down a notch.
“Did you think I left Adjutant Hansen to suck my fingers? You can just leave it to him.”
“…….”
“You left a blue bruise on Han Sen’s face. Don’t you know why he blocked your path with his whole body?”
Leah spoke firmly without changing her expression.
“I am merely paying the penalty for disobeying the orders of the only heir to the Concellare family.”
“Leah!”
Mikel’s roar shook the office.
“Didn’t I tell you clearly before I left? It’s your job to take care of the territory’s residents so they don’t feel anxious in the castle!”
“…….”
“You can leave the work outside the castle to Han Sen and the knights! Their job is to protect you!”
“no.”
Leah held her chin high.
“Their mission is to protect the people of the territory, not me.”
“…….”
“And as the successor to this territory, I also have to protect the people of the territory. Rather than hiding in the castle and watching.”
Mikel, who couldn’t bear it anymore, coldly dismissed it.
“I never decided on you as my successor.”
“-!”
Leah looked hurt for a moment.
A look of regret flashed across Mikel’s face when he saw this, but he tried to look away and continued speaking.
“You have no idea how I felt when I saw the outer castle for the first time. It was scary to see so many monsters gathered around, and you even went to war with the knights.”
“I wasn’t hurt at all.”
In response to Leah’s blunt answer, Mikel looked intently at Leah’s right arm.
Visibly broken armor marks.
“……until yesterday.”
Leah, who noticed the gaze, quietly added.
“Nothing happened that you were worried about. I just wanted to show you.”
Leah clasped her hands together.
“I know that I have the ability to be the heir, and that I have the power to protect this place.”
“I don’t want that!”
thud!
Mikel couldn’t bear it anymore and hit the desk hard.
“How many times do I have to tell you! I don’t want you to walk down this road!”
His blue-gray eyes burned brightly.
“A lonely and difficult path fighting against monsters at the end of the north. Why do you want to walk on all fours?”
“…….”
“Didn’t you see it with your own eyes? There may be honor in this life, but there is no peace or happiness.”
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Leah was silent for a moment and then slowly opened her mouth.
“……If that’s the case, why did you teach me how to use a sword?”
“The intention was to simply protect your body, it did not mean that you should hold a sword and go into battle in earnest.”
Mikel pursed his eyebrows as if he was in trouble.
“How many marriage talks are coming to the princess of the Concellare family, and why are you turning them down?”
“…….”
“If the empire is not enough, I will also try to arrange marriage with another country.”
“What I want is not to live comfortably as the mistress of a family.”
Leah stubbornly stuck out her mouth. No one could break her will when she made that expression.
“…I didn’t want to say this, but…”
Mikel, who was watching, eventually made up his mind to be cruel.
“You have no talent.”
“……!”
The color drained from Leah’s face. Mikel continued to speak even while looking at his face.
“That’s why I didn’t teach you Nord swordsmanship. So give up.”
In fact, it was Mikel who was impressed and satisfied while watching Leah’s movements several times.
“You will never be given the position of successor.”
At this moment, I had no choice but to say that.
He did not want Leah’s future to be stained with blood. What parent would want their child to live like that?
However, the method he chose was too harsh for Leah.
“…….”
Leah’s eyes turned red, but soon became wet with water.
“-!”
Mikel felt a throbbing pain as if his heart was being torn apart.
But if she doesn’t do this, Leah will eventually throw herself into the sword’s flames.
“A dinner with representatives of each knight order is scheduled soon.”
Mikel spoke while trying to avoid Leah’s eyes.
“You too must attend then.”
Leah looked at Mikel intently, then laughed out loud.
“Are you saying we should dress up beautifully?”
She got up from the chair and made a sound.
“It would be appropriate to offer it as a reward for this subjugation war. A son-in-law of the Concellare family, what reward could be more appetizing than that?”
Mikel couldn’t bear to answer and closed his eyes.
“I will leave now you unfilial child.”
Leah left the room without even listening to Mikel’s answer.
“Huh….”
Mikel held his face in his hands.
“I was thinking about punishing you.”
About disobeying my orders and holding a sword.
But when I saw Leah’s pale face, even that thought disappeared. For Leah, hearing those words seemed like the greatest punishment.
“I’m going crazy….”
A deep sigh poured out onto the office desk.
❖ ❖ ❖
Jerk, jerk.
The dull sound of people moving in armor echoed through the hallway.
“…….”
Leah walked alone and silently down the long hallway.
Even wearing this armor, I never thought it was heavy. This has never felt more inconvenient than it does now.
‘Talent… … ‘No.’
My vision was blurry due to water.
Her father always made an uncomfortable expression when she held the sword.
I think it was because he wasn’t satisfied, so he always tried and tried again. In fact, it was a criticism towards myself for not having any talent.
When I remembered that moment, it felt like my heart was being cut with a knife.
I’ve never been stabbed by a sword, but I wondered if it would be this painful. So much so that I don’t want to go through it again.
‘To my father…’ … ‘I wanted to be recognized.’
I thought it would be enough to protect the territory well until I returned. Even though he was reluctant, I thought he would eventually give up his position as successor.
But what came back to me was,
‘You have no talent.’
It was nothing but a cruel and despairing declaration as a prosecutor.
“after.”
Leah shook her face and brushed away the tears from her eyes. As I walked steadily and turned the corner of the hallway, “Ah.”
I encountered a young man with red hair.
He was a rare handsome man. It has a passionate and flashy style that is difficult to find in the northern part of the country where the overall color is pale.
The blazing red eyes were filled with melancholy, which cast a shadow over the young man’s face and made him look even more attractive.
“Ah, this is the person who led the knights earlier and came out to provide support.”
The young man paused for a moment, then greeted me in a picturesque manner.
“My name is Cain Sud Ardante. Excuse me, Lady…?”
‘Ah, it’s him.’
Leah thought bitterly.
Cain’s name was often heard even in these distant northern mountains.
The eldest son of the Ardante family, who possesses overwhelming wealth and power, has outstanding appearance and swordsmanship, and is even said to be the best groom in the empire.
‘This is the family that my father hated.’
Mikel used to get angry at Carlo and call him Seungnyang. He firmly stated that even if marriage talks came from there, he would reject it.
‘But I can’t ignore the greeting… … .’
Instead of following the etiquette that Leah learned so long ago that she barely remembers,
chuck.
I held out my hand to him.
“Lea Nord Concellare.”
“ah……!”
A look of embarrassment flashed across Cain’s face. He looked at Leah’s face and hand in turn, then held Leah’s hand stiffly.
“……You are Lord Mikel’s daughter.”
“yes.”
“As expected, I heard the story.”
Cain let go of his hand and continued to express his admiration.
“It’s amazing that you learned swordsmanship with a woman’s body, but to be Lord Mikel’s daughter… that’s truly amazing.”
“…….”
“Besides, I was really surprised. I never thought the lead driver would be a woman.”
Cain was clearly speaking with a sense of admiration. However, the more she listened to him, the more Leah’s mood seemed to sink into the mud.
That’s implicitly reflected in his attitude, ‘For a woman, she’s quite good.’ It was because of the tone. These were sentences reminiscent of Mikel’s admonitions.
“Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you can’t be a knight.”
Leah responded in a cold tone.
“The women of the North never neglect training to protect themselves and their territory.”
Cain raised his eyebrows at Leah’s reaction.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I just….”
“I think your father has some business to attend to, is that correct?”
Leah didn’t want to continue the conversation with him any longer.
‘What kind of man would like you if you said that!’
For a moment, I felt like my father’s scolding reached my ears.
‘I don’t know, what’s there to know?’
Everything was just annoying now.
“Yes, how did you know?”
Cain nodded hesitantly.
“At the end of this hallway is my father’s office.”
Leah knew that her attitude would seem arrogant, but she pointed in the opposite direction with the tip of her chin.
“You can just walk straight this way.”
“Thank you for letting me know. Excuse me, Lady.”
“Okay then.”
Leah turned away from Cain and walked faster. Even though she knew that he was watching her behind her back.
The gaze that had been closely following her only broke away after she left the hallway.
Rattling, rattling.
Leah blindly headed to the back of the castle. It was a place where she went when she wanted to be alone, with a small stream flowing through it.
dump.
Leah sat down by the stream and sighed.
“Ha, damn it.”
Then he began to take off the cumbersome armor on his own.
Rattling.
The armor on my left arm, which had shrunk earlier, did not come off.
“Oh, really. Nothing is going to work.”
Leia twitched her lips and twisted the armor with all her strength. I grunted like that for a long time,
“Phew.”
A laughing sound came from above my head.
“Can I help you?”
widely.
A man lightly jumped from a tree and landed on the ground.
“Abel?”
Leah’s eyes widened. Abel Kindreal was standing behind me, smiling so that her purple-blue eyes were wide.
fantasy,
