성황의 아이들 [2]

254

254. Attic (3)

The place where Orden guided Seongjin was a small attic at the top of the expanded count's residence.

"The princess often spent time here when she was young."

Hearing Orden's explanation, Seongjin looked around the room in silence.

Rough wooden floors that were damaged in places and shabby walls that were not finished properly.

Light leaked in from a small field window covered in white dust, and a small bed filled with blowing straw smelled like the dry sunlight of early autumn.

'... What did you spend most of your time on? Surely this wasn't where your sister stayed?'

Is it simply my mood that gives me a somewhat sad premonition?

Meanwhile, Seongjin discovered small graffiti written here and there on the wall. The words were written in clumsy, round handwriting that appeared to belong to a child.

"...Is this your sister's?"

"Yes, sir."

Indeed, you have shown the qualities of a master penman since childhood. Even now, my dexterity is a mess, but my handwriting is very fluid.

Seongjin traced the words with his hands, immersed in a strange sentiment. These were words that a child would learn for the first time, and even Seongjin could read.

Mom, Dad, Family, Belle, Mom, Dad... ... .

-Reading books with my family has been my long-time dream.

Suddenly, Amelia's face, smiling happily while reading a storybook to Seongjin, came to mind.

However, among them, a few unrecognizable words stood out. I couldn't read it at all, so I asked what it was, and Orden nodded.

"It's not the imperial language, sir. It's Breton."

"okay?"

"yes."

Orden explained that they were letters that meant church, angel, hut, etc.

"The princess is extremely intelligent, and this quality must have been evident since she was young. She learned Breton on her own, even though she had never learned it."

... Didn't you learn it?

When Seongjin widened his eyes at the somewhat subtle explanation, Orden realized this and smiled bitterly.

"Yes, as far as I know, no one has taught the young princess Breton. She has never had a teacher here. Perhaps, if the meaning of those words was something different, the princess might have been branded a witch."

Who dares accuse the princess of the Holy Empire of being a witch?

Seongjin's face hardened. As was the case with the attic she was guided to, I somehow had a feeling that the truth I would learn later would not be very pleasant.

"The reason I invited you here is because I have some items that I would like to show you and then decide on how to dispose of them."

After saying that, Orden bent down and felt under the small bed. He tears off a wooden plank hidden deep inside and carefully pulls something out from within.

Eventually, he stood up and held out a small wooden box to Seongjin.

"These are treasures that the princess hid when she was young. No one in this mansion knows about them other than me, not even the employees."

Seongjin's eyebrows went up.

"Your sister told you about it separately?"

"That's not true. I just spent time here when I was at the mansion, so I naturally learned about places where a little girl might hide things."