142 Lu, I miss you
When I first saw the man, I thought he was a refugee. I never imagined that he would work as a spy.
Rudy saw the spy’s envelope handed out by the escort.
On the back of the envelope, which had hardened plain wax, it read “Old Man’s Tricks and Drums.”
I’m talking about what happened during the last training session at Watoringu. At that time, the old soldiers tricked the young magician and Rudy and excitedly beat the drums of victory.
“How’s the situation at Watoringu?”
When Rudy asked, the spy blinked his thin eyes and lowered his head.
“It’s still fine. It doesn’t appear that any villages have been damaged. I’ve heard that stockpiles are sufficient.”
“okay.”
After reading the contents of the letter, Rudy saw the spy.
“You’re very skinny, isn’t that what it used to be?”
The spy smirks.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I was originally on the chubby side. It’s important for a spy to look the same as the people around me. That’s how I was created.”
“It’s hard.”
Rudy looked at the spy’s bare bones for a moment, then looked away.
It was so dry that it was painful to watch.
“It’s okay. It’s work.”
The spy smirks.
A sigh came out spontaneously. This place is really a black company in the whole world.
“Let’s go to the tent and listen.”
As Rudy moved, Jumbo, who was dancing swayingly from a little distance, came running.
[master! let’s go together.]
Jumbo came closer, rolling his eyes and bringing his nose to the body of the spy.
[Who is this? friend? are you playing together? Play with Jumbo?]
The spy looked at Jumbo as if he were about to pass out. Like a goldfish, it puffs up its mouth. I wondered if I was really fainting.
“Jumbo, can you see the little mountain over there?”
Rudy pointed to the forest in the distance, and Jumbo shook his hips and nodded. Its tail swung vigorously to and fro.
“It’s hide-and-seek from now on. Go over there and count to ten, then count to ten again, then ten again and…”
Jumbo can count, but only up to ten. So I had to do this over and over again.
After telling him to count quite a lot, Rudy smiled and met Jumbo’s eyes.
“After that count, we’ll start playing hide and seek. You know, we did it a few days ago, right?”
[huh! Jumbo is so much fun. The new hide-and-seek is so good because the owner finds it soon!]
I’m a little sorry. I’m glad you enjoyed it, but the truth is, I’m getting rid of you because it’s annoying.
Rudy lightly slapped Jumbo on the butt.
“Now, this is the beginning. Go to the mountain and find a place to hide. Then wait for the tagger to come. Can you?”
[huh! Master, you can’t find it too soon. We have to wait until Jumbo hides. count all the numbers Understand?]
“Okay, I’ll go slowly.”
The spy, who had been watching the exchange between Rudy and Jumbo, stammered as if he was very surprised.
“Your Majesty, you seem to be able to communicate with that long-nosed creature.”
“What else is a long-nosed monster?”
When Rudy laughed, the Imperial soldiers nearby laughed loudly.
Jumbo shook his hips and fluttered towards the mountain. Maybe she was happy, her tail was spinning like a helicopter wing.
*
After entering the tent, Rudy heard from the spy that there was a witch in the Kingdom of Crete.
The wife from the previous life is an enemy who is eager to kill herself.
I felt strange.
‘What did I do to that woman in my previous life to be resented like this?’
It seems that he hates it enough to want to summon and kill it on purpose. If so, it wouldn’t be as bad as cheating.
Me in the past, what the hell did I do?
But I don’t know what’s going on to make people resent that much.
‘I really don’t know.’
It’s hard to honestly accept that he, who was a bachelor, suddenly became a married man in the past.
‘Oh, isn’t it? You’re already married to Lilitha.’
Come to think of it, he is the founder of the Corea Dynasty. That would mean that he had children. Whoa, that’s really strange.
The spy continued.
“The witch said something, and the black crows made a long path by overlapping their bodies. The crows were shining softly. I didn’t know it then, but now I think it’s a light similar to that long-nosed creature.”
“That’s kind of odd.”
Since crows have substance, they are not demonic creatures.
He didn’t know how much he had done in the past, but seeing as dragons didn’t have substance, he didn’t have the talent to create demonic creatures like real ones.
But the beast has the light and magical power of a demonic creature?
Anyway, I have to meet the witch. Otherwise, I don’t think anything will come to an end.
The thought of meeting his ex-wife who was trying to kill him gave him a tingling feeling in his stomach.
The spy talked some more about the situation before returning to Watoringu.
He refused to take a few days off or to bring some food.
Rudy watched for a moment as he left.
The appearance of stooping and staggering was an ordinary refugee.
‘Spies look similar to the people around them.’
The words he left remain in my heart.
I thought I wanted to create a country where spies do not dry up, such a country.
***
The season is still winter, but the cold has already begun to subside. Spring is coming soon.
Rilisha straightened her back and walked down the long hallway.
From the outside, it seemed like they were just walking gracefully, but the hand holding the fan was full of strength.
She is gripping a fan decorated with satin and lace so tightly that it hurts.
The faces of the ladies-in-waiting following her also hardened.
Rilisha is on her way back from the weekly after-situation tea party.
Today, the topic of concubines came up.
Sang-Hoo Sang, who had been implicitly speaking around the corner until now, asked her directly this time.
A concubine is under the jurisdiction of the empress, so now wouldn’t it be the right way for you to directly select and recommend a concubine to the emperor? No matter how many children there are in the imperial family, there are few.
I don’t know how I answered that, because my head went blank.
As she approached the empress’ palace, there were no people around her before she knew it.
Although she is the mistress of the imperial palace, there are not many guests in Lilitha’s palace now that Empress Sang Sang is still managing the clique of noble wives.
The empress’ palace was sparsely populated to the point of being a little chilly.
It’s not that painful or sad.
However, I felt sad at times as the whole building seemed to say that you are not yet the real wife of the Emperor.
Rudy still pampers him, but the man’s heart is easily changed.
Everyone said so.
He said that when a girl he really likes appears, he neglects his wife, whom he had a good relationship with, and only follows her butt.
Even after the situation, everyone said that they couldn’t stand Nadiagra.
Lilitha suddenly stopped walking and turned around.
“I’m going to the concubine today.”
As if Tyra had guessed, she slightly bent her knees.
“Yes, Mama. I’ll let the secretary know. I should be able to clear it by tomorrow morning.”
As the new year rolls around, the baroness is handing over her work little by little to Tyra.
In the future, it seems that Tyra will be the first lady-in-waiting and educate her.
Rilisha went back to her room and opened the small box next to the bed.
There were several letters containing short remarks.
It was a letter from Rudy.
News is regularly exchanged between the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Army who have gone to Dicoquaria.
Various documents that Rilisha was not familiar with, including the war situation, documents requesting replenishment of supplies, and the names and conditions of injured or dead soldiers, etc. came and went.
Rudy sent a letter every time such news came to the imperial palace.
Most of them are as simple as one sheet.
Today’s march to the snow-covered mountain, I was surprised to find a rat in the stew, seeing the snow falling reminded me of Lilitha rolling in the snow, and such trivial things were written on it.
And at the end of the letter, there are words such as how are you usually doing, don’t put the blanket on, and be careful not to catch a cold.
Rudy always knows that he is a child. I am a fully grown woman now.
Lilitha also replied to Rudy’s letter every time.
Compared to Rudy’s one, hers are ten or even twenty. After one use, the envelope became thick.
still not enough
The paper is too small to show all her love and longing.
Rilisha hugged the letter to her chest and closed her eyes.
Shouldn’t the two of them be gentle and just live their lives alone? Do you really need a concubine? Rudy himself says he doesn’t need it, but should another woman step in between them?
If you ask Rudy, he will of course answer no, but I don’t think the world will look at him that way or let him go.
“I miss you.”
You can’t say that to Rudy, who is suffering in the war.
I write a reply saying that I am doing my best and having fun every day, but I feel lonely.
Lilitha sniffed the ink while hugging the letter, then opened her eyes.
Pick up a pen and write a letter you’ll never send.
I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. Rudy, I really miss you. love you. I miss you.
As I wrote down each letter, the tears flowed and the letters smeared.
still write Every time I wrote a letter, I wanted to see it a little more.
But I can’t stop. Because Rudy’s face becomes that much clearer at the word “I want to see you”.
In one simple sentence, a face she wants to see rises before her eyes.
so i can’t quit
It seems that dozens of pages have been written like that.
Tyra knelt beside him and quietly held her hand.
“Mama, your hand hurts again after writing like this. Last time, your fingers hurt for several days.”
‘Sorry Tyra. But even with my best friend Tyra, the longing doesn’t stop. Ty is useless without Rudy. That’s why I have no choice but to keep using it.’
Lilitha smiled as she apologized in her heart.
“Don’t laugh while crying, Mama. It hurts the viewer’s heart more.”
Tyra hugged Lilitha tightly.
“If you want to cry, just cry! Don’t pretend to laugh like that.”
“Sorry. I’d like to see Tyra too.”
“…”
Tyra paused and murmured.
“Of course, as a maid, I’m worried about His Majesty. It’s natural.”
I know it’s a lie
How many years do you think they stuck together like twins?
Tyra also loves Rudy. From an early age, probably forever.
Still, Tyra is hiding her love for Lilitha.
Lilitha put her hand on the back of Tyra, who was hugging her.
And he said it in a mumble.
“Love is very difficult.”
“…”
Tyra didn’t answer. Instead, he patted Rilisha on the back.
The two of them hugged each other and gently rubbed each other’s backs.
*
That evening, Rilisha went to Nadia Gravi’s residence.
As a matter of principle, the empress should not spend the night in the concubine at will.
Even though the empress was the owner of the concubine, there was an imperial family law.
Even the number of steps the empress should take in front of the emperor in public, the direction and position she should be in, the number of steps she should take and stop were all carefully documented rules.
The same goes for governing the concubines and the night life with the emperor.
Everything is set to be the norm.
There was also a rule that the empress should not sleep outside of the designated place except for official events and a few occasions.
There were such contents in the middle of the thick book of imperial etiquette, which consisted of several volumes.
I heard that there are too many rules regarding imperial court etiquette, and there are officials who specialize in managing and studying only them.
Now, all you have to do is study a simplified booklet created and published by those officials. However, even those books were thick enough to be held with both hands.
Everything Lilitha has learned is a simplified norm.
It was all thanks to Rudy that Lilitha was able to change her bed freely within such tightly set rules.
Because no rule or rule of the imperial family goes against the will of the emperor.
As long as the emperor wishes, Lilitha can live freely in the concubine.
That means that the moment Rudi’s attention falls away from Lilitha, her situation changes completely.
In an instant, she drifts away from Rudy.
With no support, Lilitha had no way to force Rudy’s attention back to herself.
“…”
The wagon, which had been running softly on the dirt road, stopped.
Rilisha looked at the mansion, which looked the same as before, as if time had stopped.
The slightly broken fence has been refurbished, but not new. It was cleverly repaired so that it could retain its former appearance.
It’s all Rudy’s instructions.
So as not to irritate Nadiagra Mama’s nerves, this place kept its old look.
A sheep came out crying mee, mee.
“Where are you going!”
The voice was heard first, and Marie ran after the sheep.
“oh!”
Marie, who found Lilitha, smiled brightly.
“Mama, welcome.”
Now that she has become the empress, it is rare for her to move without a schedule. I always informed the other person in advance according to the schedule and visited.
But it’s okay to come here unexpectedly. Mary always greeted me with a smile.
After getting off the carriage, the maids and attendants all quietly left.
“number of animals.”
When Lilitha approached and hugged her waist, Mari smiled and hugged her tightly and let go.
“Wait a minute, Mama. Let’s start with the sheep.”
“Whoops.”
Lilitha laughed involuntarily.
yes, same as always She doesn’t prioritize herself as an empress.
For Marie, plucking weeds in the garden, sowing seeds, and slaughter sheep took precedence over the empress.
[Because eating is the most important thing.]
Marie always said that.
Rilisha clenched her fists.
“If you kill a sheep, it’s Lirisha.”
“Don’t just catch me with words, act, Mama. There! Block me! I’m going to run away.”
Marie grabs her skirt with both hands and runs.
Lilitha also started running together. The skirt is cumbersome. It seems that the hem is slightly stepped on by the foot.
As the sheep came forward, Lilitha reached out with both hands and grabbed the sheep with a snap.
“Ah!”
The sheep was startled and struggled and slipped out of his hand.
Because of the corset, Lilitha couldn’t balance properly and fell forward.
The overblown skirt tumbled to the side like a bell.
In the meantime, Marie was catching the sheep and pushing it into the mansion.
As I stood up waddling, Marie came closer and held out her hand.
“Oh my God! I think the corset is broken. It’s a pity. I’ll fix it when I get home.”
Knees and palms slightly chapped. If the ladies-in-waiting saw it, there would be an uproar.
But Mari said, “Oh, oh,” and smiled.
“He used to run really fast, but he just turned into a turtle.”
“number of animals.”
Suddenly, tears poured out. As he gets up, he hugs Mari by the waist and cries loudly.
“It’s still hard to cry, Mama. It was really amazing that she cried so hard and stopped suddenly when Rudy-nim came.”
It’s like going back to my childhood. I felt like I could say something to Marie.
“number of animals!
“Is it because you miss Rudy-sama?”
“huh.”
“I don’t think that’s all. Did anything else bother you?”
“huh.”
“It’s okay. Come on over here.”
Marie hugged her and a goat came out from the inside before she knew it.
This is the goat who looked down on Lilitha in the past.
He chewed on Lilitha’s dress and occasionally shaved his head.
Lilitha cried while clinging to Mary’s waist for a long time before finally speaking.
“Someday, if Rudy takes another concubine, will I become like Mama after the situation? Will I also go crazy with jealousy and try to kill another woman?”
“…do you think so?”
I couldn’t answer Marie’s question for a while. After a while, he nodded his head slightly.
“Really, I think I’ll hate you so much. But what’s worse is that I’m not afraid of me. I’m afraid that Rudy will hate me when that happens. Marie, have I changed? Have I changed? Do you think I’ve become a terrible woman?”
When I asked that question while crying, Mari nodded.
“That sounds terrible. A man might make you want to kill another woman.”
“…”
“But it’s okay. Rudy-sama will stop it before that happens.”
Marie chuckled.
“I’ll scold you. That’s bad, you’ll probably be angry.”
“…”
Mari tucked back Lilisha’s flowing hair and laughed.
“Lilisha-sama has grown up a lot too. In the past, it seemed like she would never grow up.”
Putting her forehead together, Marie said.
“You don’t need to be afraid. Trust Rudy-sama and just become an adult.”
“But what if the concubine really comes in and hates me?”
Marie tilted her head and said.
“Then tell Rudy-sama honestly.
Marie said that and added this at the end.
Because they are different from other couples. The two of them are like siblings who have been together since childhood. Even if the affection between a man and a woman is somewhat shaken, the bond between brother and sister remains. Besides, you can’t separate the two. No. I know that I have seen it all along. So, like brother and sister, like a couple, keep living, Mama.
I really hope so.
Marie jumped up and said.
“You’re here, so help me milk the sheep. He’s new, so he keeps running away.”
That evening, the two milked the sheep in the barn at the back of the mansion.
Nadia Mama was still there.
He still knew Rudy as his son and Lilitha as his daughter-in-law.
Really, this place doesn’t change. mind was set
All of a sudden, the pain that was occupying my chest disappeared a little.
