[The wind says it looks like the apple tree is going to get sick. I think I need some confirmation.]
“Is it an orchard?”
[Yeah.]
“Then, when I go to the monastery today, I’ll have to stop by the orchard for a moment. Can you tell me how to identify trees that are diseased by the wind?”
[I’ll let you know before departure.]
“Thank you.”
Clarisse has been secretly solving big and small issues that are happening in Sheridan based on the information provided by the mansion.
It was a little awkward for her to act like she didn’t know at first, but now she’s pretty used to the coldness.
In this way, she was able to repay the kindness of the Duke and Duchess, who had opened up a way for her to live. Clarisse was always grateful that the mansion helped her.
After hearing the whole story, Clarisse quietly kissed the wall of the mansion.
She has been giving magical power ahead of time whenever she has some free time lately because she won’t be able to do so for the next two seasons.
Anyway, maybe… It seemed like this would be the last time.
After that, she looked back at Mallang, who was fiddling with her shiny hair in front of the mirror.
“There’s no moss today, so you can stop looking in the mirror. It’s not even the rainy season anymore.”
“Cooh. (That’s not true, I feel like my body is a bit dry. I feel like my body is going to crack.)”
“Not at all.”
Mallang looked at the mirror satisfactorily only after putting Clarisse’s lotion all over its body.
“Cooh. (I’m going to buy some. As expected, I like expensive products.)”
“It’s not dry at all? If your body is not getting bigger, there is no way that the stone will crack.”
“Cooh. (Clarisse doesn’t know much about beauty.)”
Yes, but it wasn’t a story about a fatal fault.
Until Clarisse was a respectable eighteen years old, she had strict rules on what she had to learn, none of which included fashionable hairdressing techniques.
“Anyway, I have to go to the Duke right now. I need to tell him that I’m ready to go.”
She looked back at the inner walls again.
“The Duke is in the office, right?”
[Yes! Of course. Oh my, our Duke is definitely going to work early in the morning, despite what he did last night? He is truly an amazing person!]
“What happened last night?”
[Yes?]
“That’s what you just said.”
[Ah, really. Look at my mind. Clarisse doesn’t need to know.]
“But you promised.”
Clarisse picked out a red ribbon and tied it up in her long hair.
“In exchange for giving you magical powers, you will watch the mansion and village carefully and tell me the story.”
[That’s…]
The inner wall hesitated, but then gave a careful answer.
[Actually, I think we’re going to have a baby.]
“Oh my, congratulations.”
Clarisse quickly rubbed the surface of the inner wall. She was wondering if she could find any traces of baby gravel somewhere.
[Oh my, no! Minerals don’t have children!]
“Ah….”
[So, it means that there will be a child in this mansion! Oh my, so often! No, that’s not it, ah!]
“Whose child is being born? And what did you do often?”
[…I’m just saying that the Duke and his wife don’t have any problems.]
Clarisse didn’t understand why he suddenly said something like that, but it was a good thing that there was no problem, so she quickly nodded.
“That’s a relief, then. Because I won’t be back for another two seasons.”
[Sheridan would be very bored without Clarisse.]
She was a little thankful that the inner wall was truly disappointing.
Even though they were given enough magical power, the reason they were disappointed seemed to be because they thought Clarisse was a useful person in this land in many ways.
“Sir Outer Wall, please take care of the mansion while I am away.”
When she spoke to the outer wall through the open window, he grunted and gave her the answer.
[…Do you think I’ll hear orders from the master who will be away for a long time?]
“This is not an order.”
Clarisse gently stroked the cold outer wall beyond the window
“Just… I’m just telling you that I think a lot about this mansion. I like it very much.”
[S, stop talking nonsense. You’re going to die soon anyway!]
“Yes, that’s true.”
Clarisse smiled brightly and stretched out her hands beyond the window. As if she were trying to completely embrace this huge mansion in her arms.
“Take care, I’ll see you again soon.”
The outer wall only groaned but didn’t give a proper answer.
* * *
After stopping by the orchard and telling them the news about the apple trees, Clarisse, the Duke and Duchess headed straight to the monastery.
The rules of the monastery she went to this time were quite strict.
It was prohibited to wear anything other than designated neutral-colored clothes, and no items for entertainment were allowed to be brought in.
But Clarisse felt fortunate that they had limited many things.
If she could have taken anything, she would have taken the ‘fur clothes’ that the Duke and Duchess provided every year.
When she was young, she thought it was just a ‘warm prison uniform’, but now she knows how expensive it is.
Of course, they were sad that they couldn’t provide anything better.
This was not the only thing.
The Duke and Duchess were also very dissatisfied that Clarisse could not bring a blanket made with the feathers of the firebird.
“I don’t think the monastery’s blanket would have such a good function.”
Perhaps unable to let go of his attachment to the blanket, Maximilian complained several times in the carriage on the way to the monastery.
“The monastery is near the capital, so it won’t be that cold. I’m Sheridan’s child.”
Clarisse calmly persuaded him.
Now the Duchess’s worries continued.
“Clarisse, can you go to sleep and wake up on your own? You’ll have to be good at locking doors.”
“When I wake up in the morning, they ring a bell to tell me the time. I’m going to sleep with the door closed properly. Don’t worry.”
“But the laundry…”
“I can do the simple things myself. The monastery washes the outerwear in batches.”
Despite the calm answer, the Duchess’s face was still full of worries.
“There should be a lot of friendly people… but they shouldn’t be bullying each other as competitors, right?”
“No way. Maybe I can make a friend who has the same goal.”
Clarisse blushed slightly.
Actually, she was a little excited about the possibility of making a new friend (although Quentin said that it would never happen).
“I hope so. It would be very helpful if you had a friend.”
Clarisse loved seeing the Duke and Duchess so worried about her.
Because just as they worry about Clarisse, she also worries about the Duke and Duchess who have to spend the winter in the capital. For some reason, it feels like they share the same feelings…
“You two must not skip meals just because you are busy. I will be visiting you every weekend, so you must tell me how you have been.”
“If it snows too much and the roads are slippery, you don’t have to force yourself to come, okay?”
Even so, the Duchess took out her calendar and counted how many weekends Clarisse had while she was staying at the monastery.
That sight was somehow cute, so Clarisse giggled to herself.
****
The monastery was located about 30 minutes by carriage from the third wall of the royal capital Heyden.
It was early winter and the harvest was over, so she could see a red brick building across a large field that looked somewhat desolate.
Clarisse parted ways with the Duke and Duchess at the entrance and awkwardly looked down at her clothes.
The clothing designated for test takers studying here included a gray skirt, a blouse buttoned up to the neck, and a cape with the monastery’s symbol engraved on it.
This neat attire probably played a role in helping test takers naturally blend into the calm atmosphere of the monastery.
Clarisse lifted the trunks on either side with all her might.
Even if she couldn’t pack clothes or a blanket, her luggage was quite heavy.
This was because she brought a lot of books and stationery.
“Miss Grezekaia?”
Soon, a man with a sign saying ‘Guide’ approached Clarisse.
“Ah, yes! Hello.”
“I was asked by the monk to guide you. Abington Bellville. I’m the representative of the test takers.”
From the looks of it, he was not a priest here, but a test taker who came to study like Clarisse.
He was wearing the same gray men’s designated suit.
“You must be busy studying, thank you.”
Clarisse smiled and put down the trunk for a moment.
“I’m Clarisse Lennon Grezekaia. I don’t know how happy I am to come to the monastery like this!”
She held out one hand for a handshake.
She hopes that a person who shows kindness like this might become a good friend.
“No.”
But somehow the answer she got back was cold.
That wasn’t all.
He even turned his gaze away, pretending not to have seen Clarisse’s outstretched hand.
“Ah…”
Clarisse quickly pulled back her hand in embarrassment.
Soon, Abington glanced at her bag.
“It’s not like you came here to have fun… I don’t know why you didn’t bring a servant to carry the luggage.”
She thinks it’s okay to say it in person. Is he asking her to listen to this on purpose?
Or maybe he’s just someone who needs to say exactly what he’s thinking to clear his mind.
In any case, she had no desire to fight with him, so Clarisse quickly lifted her bag bravely.
“I don’t need servants. I can lift it by myself.”
“Oh, yes, of course you should. It’s not something to brag about, is it?”
He nodded half-heartedly and took one of his keys out of his pocket.
“Please follow me.”
He headed inside the monastery with familiar steps.
It was a large square building with a garden in the center and a circular hallway that could go around in a circle.
Since it was her first time seeing a building with this structure, Clarisse’s eyes kept wandering towards the central garden.
‘Pretty. I’ll have to look around after I unpack.’
While thinking that, she climbed the stairs to the second floor and saw several test takers wearing the same clothes.
Some people were reading books alone on the bench overlooking the garden, while others were having a conversation with someone.
They were probably people who had been preparing for the exam here for much longer than Clarisse.
‘I can’t believe that so many people all had the same goal.’
For some reason, her heart was pounding.
But this is only for a moment.
Clarisse realized that there was a strange tension in the gazes of people glancing at her.
She wasn’t mistaken.
It was so intense that her shoulders and back flinched.
“….”
Her eyes, which had been excitedly looking around, were suddenly focused on the floor.
‘What’s…wrong?’
Is it unpleasant to be around a prisoner or something?
“Just for your information, we are serious.”
Abington, who was ahead, sent a warning. Clarisse finally raised her head.
“Yes?”
“It means that this is the only way to get over the wall.”
“….”
“If it’s you, His Majesty will take care of you for the rest of your life, so you won’t have to worry about making a living.”
As he passed the corner of the hallway, he paused and looked back at Clarisse.
“This kind of exam is just something to kill time and achieve self-realization. Isn’t that right?”
[The wind says it looks like the apple tree is going to get sick. I think I need some confirmation.]
“Is it an orchard?”
[Yeah.]
“Then, when I go to the monastery today, I’ll have to stop by the orchard for a moment. Can you tell me how to identify trees that are diseased by the wind?”
[I’ll let you know before departure.]
“Thank you.”
Clarisse has been secretly solving big and small issues that are happening in Sheridan based on the information provided by the mansion.
It was a little awkward for her to act like she didn’t know at first, but now she’s pretty used to the coldness.
In this way, she was able to repay the kindness of the Duke and Duchess, who had opened up a way for her to live. Clarisse was always grateful that the mansion helped her.
After hearing the whole story, Clarisse quietly kissed the wall of the mansion.
She has been giving magical power ahead of time whenever she has some free time lately because she won’t be able to do so for the next two seasons.
Anyway, maybe… It seemed like this would be the last time.
After that, she looked back at Mallang, who was fiddling with her shiny hair in front of the mirror.
“There’s no moss today, so you can stop looking in the mirror. It’s not even the rainy season anymore.”
“Cooh. (That’s not true, I feel like my body is a bit dry. I feel like my body is going to crack.)”
“Not at all.”
Mallang looked at the mirror satisfactorily only after putting Clarisse’s lotion all over its body.
“Cooh. (I’m going to buy some. As expected, I like expensive products.)”
“It’s not dry at all? If your body is not getting bigger, there is no way that the stone will crack.”
“Cooh. (Clarisse doesn’t know much about beauty.)”
Yes, but it wasn’t a story about a fatal fault.
Until Clarisse was a respectable eighteen years old, she had strict rules on what she had to learn, none of which included fashionable hairdressing techniques.
“Anyway, I have to go to the Duke right now. I need to tell him that I’m ready to go.”
She looked back at the inner walls again.
“The Duke is in the office, right?”
[Yes! Of course. Oh my, our Duke is definitely going to work early in the morning, despite what he did last night? He is truly an amazing person!]
“What happened last night?”
[Yes?]
“That’s what you just said.”
[Ah, really. Look at my mind. Clarisse doesn’t need to know.]
“But you promised.”
Clarisse picked out a red ribbon and tied it up in her long hair.
“In exchange for giving you magical powers, you will watch the mansion and village carefully and tell me the story.”
[That’s…]
The inner wall hesitated, but then gave a careful answer.
[Actually, I think we’re going to have a baby.]
“Oh my, congratulations.”
Clarisse quickly rubbed the surface of the inner wall. She was wondering if she could find any traces of baby gravel somewhere.
[Oh my, no! Minerals don’t have children!]
“Ah….”
[So, it means that there will be a child in this mansion! Oh my, so often! No, that’s not it, ah!]
“Whose child is being born? And what did you do often?”
[…I’m just saying that the Duke and his wife don’t have any problems.]
Clarisse didn’t understand why he suddenly said something like that, but it was a good thing that there was no problem, so she quickly nodded.
“That’s a relief, then. Because I won’t be back for another two seasons.”
[Sheridan would be very bored without Clarisse.]
She was a little thankful that the inner wall was truly disappointing.
Even though they were given enough magical power, the reason they were disappointed seemed to be because they thought Clarisse was a useful person in this land in many ways.
“Sir Outer Wall, please take care of the mansion while I am away.”
When she spoke to the outer wall through the open window, he grunted and gave her the answer.
[…Do you think I’ll hear orders from the master who will be away for a long time?]
“This is not an order.”
Clarisse gently stroked the cold outer wall beyond the window
“Just… I’m just telling you that I think a lot about this mansion. I like it very much.”
[S, stop talking nonsense. You’re going to die soon anyway!]
“Yes, that’s true.”
Clarisse smiled brightly and stretched out her hands beyond the window. As if she were trying to completely embrace this huge mansion in her arms.
“Take care, I’ll see you again soon.”
The outer wall only groaned but didn’t give a proper answer.
* * *
After stopping by the orchard and telling them the news about the apple trees, Clarisse, the Duke and Duchess headed straight to the monastery.
The rules of the monastery she went to this time were quite strict.
It was prohibited to wear anything other than designated neutral-colored clothes, and no items for entertainment were allowed to be brought in.
But Clarisse felt fortunate that they had limited many things.
If she could have taken anything, she would have taken the ‘fur clothes’ that the Duke and Duchess provided every year.
When she was young, she thought it was just a ‘warm prison uniform’, but now she knows how expensive it is.
Of course, they were sad that they couldn’t provide anything better.
This was not the only thing.
The Duke and Duchess were also very dissatisfied that Clarisse could not bring a blanket made with the feathers of the firebird.
“I don’t think the monastery’s blanket would have such a good function.”
Perhaps unable to let go of his attachment to the blanket, Maximilian complained several times in the carriage on the way to the monastery.
“The monastery is near the capital, so it won’t be that cold. I’m Sheridan’s child.”
Clarisse calmly persuaded him.
Now the Duchess’s worries continued.
“Clarisse, can you go to sleep and wake up on your own? You’ll have to be good at locking doors.”
“When I wake up in the morning, they ring a bell to tell me the time. I’m going to sleep with the door closed properly. Don’t worry.”
“But the laundry…”
“I can do the simple things myself. The monastery washes the outerwear in batches.”
Despite the calm answer, the Duchess’s face was still full of worries.
“There should be a lot of friendly people… but they shouldn’t be bullying each other as competitors, right?”
“No way. Maybe I can make a friend who has the same goal.”
Clarisse blushed slightly.
Actually, she was a little excited about the possibility of making a new friend (although Quentin said that it would never happen).
“I hope so. It would be very helpful if you had a friend.”
Clarisse loved seeing the Duke and Duchess so worried about her.
Because just as they worry about Clarisse, she also worries about the Duke and Duchess who have to spend the winter in the capital. For some reason, it feels like they share the same feelings…
“You two must not skip meals just because you are busy. I will be visiting you every weekend, so you must tell me how you have been.”
“If it snows too much and the roads are slippery, you don’t have to force yourself to come, okay?”
Even so, the Duchess took out her calendar and counted how many weekends Clarisse had while she was staying at the monastery.
That sight was somehow cute, so Clarisse giggled to herself.
****
The monastery was located about 30 minutes by carriage from the third wall of the royal capital Heyden.
It was early winter and the harvest was over, so she could see a red brick building across a large field that looked somewhat desolate.
Clarisse parted ways with the Duke and Duchess at the entrance and awkwardly looked down at her clothes.
The clothing designated for test takers studying here included a gray skirt, a blouse buttoned up to the neck, and a cape with the monastery’s symbol engraved on it.
This neat attire probably played a role in helping test takers naturally blend into the calm atmosphere of the monastery.
Clarisse lifted the trunks on either side with all her might.
Even if she couldn’t pack clothes or a blanket, her luggage was quite heavy.
This was because she brought a lot of books and stationery.
“Miss Grezekaia?”
Soon, a man with a sign saying ‘Guide’ approached Clarisse.
“Ah, yes! Hello.”
“I was asked by the monk to guide you. Abington Bellville. I’m the representative of the test takers.”
From the looks of it, he was not a priest here, but a test taker who came to study like Clarisse.
He was wearing the same gray men’s designated suit.
“You must be busy studying, thank you.”
Clarisse smiled and put down the trunk for a moment.
“I’m Clarisse Lennon Grezekaia. I don’t know how happy I am to come to the monastery like this!”
She held out one hand for a handshake.
She hopes that a person who shows kindness like this might become a good friend.
“No.”
But somehow the answer she got back was cold.
That wasn’t all.
He even turned his gaze away, pretending not to have seen Clarisse’s outstretched hand.
“Ah…”
Clarisse quickly pulled back her hand in embarrassment.
Soon, Abington glanced at her bag.
“It’s not like you came here to have fun… I don’t know why you didn’t bring a servant to carry the luggage.”
She thinks it’s okay to say it in person. Is he asking her to listen to this on purpose?
Or maybe he’s just someone who needs to say exactly what he’s thinking to clear his mind.
In any case, she had no desire to fight with him, so Clarisse quickly lifted her bag bravely.
“I don’t need servants. I can lift it by myself.”
“Oh, yes, of course you should. It’s not something to brag about, is it?”
He nodded half-heartedly and took one of his keys out of his pocket.
“Please follow me.”
He headed inside the monastery with familiar steps.
It was a large square building with a garden in the center and a circular hallway that could go around in a circle.
Since it was her first time seeing a building with this structure, Clarisse’s eyes kept wandering towards the central garden.
‘Pretty. I’ll have to look around after I unpack.’
While thinking that, she climbed the stairs to the second floor and saw several test takers wearing the same clothes.
Some people were reading books alone on the bench overlooking the garden, while others were having a conversation with someone.
They were probably people who had been preparing for the exam here for much longer than Clarisse.
‘I can’t believe that so many people all had the same goal.’
For some reason, her heart was pounding.
But this is only for a moment.
Clarisse realized that there was a strange tension in the gazes of people glancing at her.
She wasn’t mistaken.
It was so intense that her shoulders and back flinched.
“….”
Her eyes, which had been excitedly looking around, were suddenly focused on the floor.
‘What’s…wrong?’
Is it unpleasant to be around a prisoner or something?
“Just for your information, we are serious.”
Abington, who was ahead, sent a warning. Clarisse finally raised her head.
“Yes?”
“It means that this is the only way to get over the wall.”
“….”
“If it’s you, His Majesty will take care of you for the rest of your life, so you won’t have to worry about making a living.”
As he passed the corner of the hallway, he paused and looked back at Clarisse.
“This kind of exam is just something to kill time and achieve self-realization. Isn’t that right?”
