Archmage's Restaurant - Chapter 52: Hidden Faces and the Dessert (8)
“What do you think you’re doing?! You worthless tools! I won’t forgive the Duke, the Emperor, or any of you miserable wretches!”
Count Dedran still had not come to terms with his wrongdoings, shouting incessantly. But it was of no use. His fate was sealed, and there was no one left to save him. If anything, his defiance only fueled the anger of the crowd, who continued pelting him with stones, drawing blood from every part of his body.
And, of course, no one escorting him bothered to help.
The Duke of Taemuran was one of the three most powerful dukes in the Empire. Though he had been frail lately due to recent shocks, he remained one of the most influential figures in power.
“This can’t be happening! It can’t!”
As blood trickled from the count’s head, a fire erupted from the top of his castle. At the same time, everyone inside the castle began fleeing.
“Ahhh!”
Screams echoed from all directions.
The flames only engulfed the very top of Count Dedran’s castle. The maids, butlers, and all those from the Dedran household who managed to escape watched from a distance.
What was strange was that only the top of Count Dedran’s castle was burning.
This was under Elle’s control. To avoid innocent casualties, Elle had waited until everyone had evacuated before using a 9th-class spell to blow up the castle.
**BOOM!**
Due to an inexplicable phenomenon, the castle split and began to collapse from all sides, as if it were a controlled demolition.
Within moments, the castle was reduced to rubble.
The symbol of tyranny that stood in Dedran City had crumbled.
Seeing this, the citizens fell to their knees, believing it to be an act of divine will.
The resolution of these events was greatly aided by the unexpected visit of Darian. Elle had been contemplating various scenarios for Count Dedran’s end.
Being punished under imperial law would have been the most fitting conclusion, but that required political maneuvering.
However, with Darian’s information, Elle was confident the matter would be resolved without his intervention.
Of course, Darian’s visit brought another set of complications, but those were unrelated to the current matter.
From the summit of Mount Grayke, which marked the border between Dedran City and Grayke City, where Elle had just demolished the castle, he turned to Verna, who stood beside him.
“Do you see, Verna? Your prison is gone now.”
Verna stared at the scene, disbelief written all over her face, as she looked at Elle.
“How… how could this happen…?”
“It’s the will of the heavens. It means they want to truly set you free. So, forget everything that happened in the past. What your father did—he was more beast than man. Whatever his end may be, forget it. And now, live freely.”
“But I… I don’t deserve such freedom. I… I am a woman who has done nothing.”
“Then, are you saying you won’t care for the count?”
“No… that’s not what I mean! The count was the light of my life. The only thing he ever asked of me was to be a beacon for Dieran. I may not understand what being a beacon entails, but I will devote my life to House Grayke!”
“See? You are more qualified than anyone.”
Elle smiled and turned away.
Verna looked at him, bewildered.
To have such qualifications…
Elle’s words sounded like a spell of liberation. For some reason, tears began to fall from Verna’s eyes, without her even realizing it.
But they were not tears of sadness.
***
The young Lord Grayke believed that Count Dedran had been taken to the capital because their claims were accepted there. He was unaware of the political maneuverings that had occurred in between.
He simply trusted Elle’s word that, given the connections from the past, Count Dedran would surely end up on the gallows.
The next day, Verna was invited to a banquet at the restaurant. Not only Verna, but the young Lord Grayke as well.
Of course, their identities were kept secret. They were simply invited as regular patrons of the hilltop restaurant.
The young Lord Grayke had not been acting as the count’s regent for long. Hence, his face was not widely known, and Verna had never appeared publicly, so her face was not recognized either. The only one known in Grayke City was Count Grayke, who still lay bedridden.
“Mother, here we must speak formally to everyone. We haven’t revealed that we are nobles. My teacher said it’s important to observe the lives of the common people, to blend in, and to feel what they feel.”
At first, Verna hadn’t noticed the absence of the word “little” from how the young lord addressed her. But now, every time she heard it, she felt a painful tightness in her chest.
“Is that so? It was only natural to come, since your teacher invited us… but this… this mother…”
Verna stuttered, embarrassed by the unfamiliar term “mother.” However, since the lord’s castle had exploded, destroying the prison of fear she had been trapped in, she had vowed to be confident after witnessing that scene, so she continued to speak.
“I’m… I’m not very good at socializing with people…”
“It’s fine. All you have to do is enjoy the food. You don’t need to say anything.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose it’s alright…”
Verna looked around again.
“Hey, Elle! What’s on the menu today?”
“A dessert banquet.”
“What, dessert?”
Knoll’s face twisted.
“Did you gather us here just to eat something like that?”
“Oh my, dear? What’s wrong with dessert? What a luxury!”
“What? That’s nonsense! A banquet means meat! Meat. Wait a minute, I’ll go to the shop and get some delicious cuts. How can we just eat dessert?”
“Hohoho, my dear wants to be disciplined. What do you all think, everyone?”
Verna watched the bickering couple. They seemed like they were fighting, yet it was so natural. Was this what a real marriage was like? Verna wondered.
For someone like her, who had rarely seen the form of a married couple up close, Knoll and Rayne were simply fascinating and enviable.
“Um, Lady Rayne is right. I don’t know about anything else, but I can’t agree with you about dessert. It’s a revolution! Elle’s revolution. For an elf like me, who can’t eat meat, it’s definitely a revolution!”
Another person nearby spoke. A person?
Verna flinched in surprise again. Judging by the pointed ears, she realized it was an elf, a race she had only read about in books. There were so many new experiences happening at once that she felt like her brain couldn’t keep up.
“Dieran, is that… an elf?”
“Yes, Mother. I’ve seen her a few times.”
“Really?”
Verna thought she was truly beautiful. An elf, a naturally harmonious couple, and herself sitting close beside her son.
Everything felt like a dream.
So much so that she wondered if she should be allowed to dream like this again.
“Here you go.”
Elle presented a strawberry tart made with strawberries sourced from afar to everyone. The ultimate sweet and sour delight. He also served strawberry shaved ice in front of them.
Verna’s eyes nearly popped out at the sight.
Such beautifully colored desserts. And the strawberry shaved ice seemed to sparkle.
Knoll took a big scoop of the shaved ice, looking unimpressed, and shoved it into his mouth.
“Ahhhh!”
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his brain and grabbed his head.
“What is this?! Oh, it stings…!”
“Oh, you can’t eat it all at once like that. It’s cold. You should eat it slowly, with some strawberries, like Miss Elena over there.”
“Hey! You should have said that first!”
“Shouldn’t I?”
Elle laughed, and Rayne and Elena laughed along with him. The young Lord Grayke thought to himself that he should avoid doing the same, carefully scooping the strawberry shaved ice into his mouth. It was sweet. Sweet and sour. And cold. It was incredibly refreshing.
It felt like his heart was being cleared.
Verna felt the same.
This…
This kind of dessert…
And before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face again.
She had once been ready to commit suicide.
No, she had actually chosen death.
Of course, her happiness had ended. Count Grayke was still bedridden. But now, with this moment spent with another source of light, Dieran, and this renewed sense of being alive.
Verna worried again if she deserved to live a life like this, fearful that another seed of misfortune might sprout from somewhere. She felt a sense of hesitation and unease.
“You have every right, and even more right to be happier. Don’t make that face. I’ll pack some desserts for you to enjoy with the count.”
Verna was startled. This peculiar man always spoke as if he could read her thoughts, as if he were peering into her heart.
Yet, whenever he did, it somehow put her at ease. She nodded, genuinely hoping it would be so.
***
After the banquet, Verna went straight to the bedroom where the count lay. She took his hand and gently placed a strawberry tart in his mouth.
Though he was in a dazed state, his animal instinct for survival remained, so he chewed when something was put into his mouth.
Watching this, Verna began to sob.
“Do you know… how much joy I felt today? I wasn’t alone… well, with Dieran, so I wasn’t alone. But oh, how wonderful it would have been if you had been there too? Still, it was good. Dieran has an amazing teacher with him. So, your son… he won’t go astray. You can rest assured. And no matter what, I will look after both you and Dieran. Ever since the day you first smiled at me, and since the day I first smiled at you, I’ve always been a part of House Grayke.”
Saying this, Verna wiped away her tears. Then she began to comb the count’s disheveled hair with great care, strand by strand.
Verna looked directly at Count Grayke, her face set with a resolute expression.
She had stood up to her terrifying father and spoken her mind.
“May I… dare to say this to you? I’ve always wanted to say it when you could understand, but I’m glad I can say it now, even if it’s just like this. If I had died hanging that day, I wouldn’t be able to care for you now. So…! And besides, someone told me I deserved it, so I’ll be brave. You must listen to me.”
Verna knelt and held the count’s hand, looking up at him. Her hand trembled slightly, but feeling the warmth of his hand, she opened her mouth and confessed.
“Your wife, Verna of Grayke, truly loves you, her husband, Ridon of Grayke. I love you, truly.”
Tears streamed down Verna’s face again. Even so, she kept repeating the words she hadn’t been able to say for ten years. Those words of love, over and over.