Like a Priest (5)
“…I told you…”
Daisy speaks to her father in a weak voice. Earl Hexter sat down with a deep expression and did not answer.
“……”
“…so… I told you…!”
Daisy just got frustrated with her father who didn’t answer.
The reason these two became like this was because of a single letter sent to their territory.
The letter came from Helen, the head of the Priest house maid, and said he would deliver news to his fiancee, Daisy.
There, there was good news that Kaden had been found.
He said he was alive and had no major problems.
It was only a moment for Daisy to scream in joy and surprise as she received the letter.
His expression hardened more and more at the next post.
He was insanely happy that he survived, but now that that fact has settled in his heart and the excitement has subsided, he’s starting to think more and more after that.
It was because it was an open fact that the Hectors, less than a day away from the Naita Forest where Cayden had disappeared, did not provide any aid.
Of course, plague and famine were circulating in the Hexter family estate, so it had to be a certain level of excuse, but Daisy had no choice but to be anxious.
Besides, Judy Ice is in his rescue. In other words, it was discovered that Cayden’s ex-fiance was also involved.
First of all, going to see Kayden became a fact. She had been preparing to leave for Fryster’s estate for several days.
As the meaningless time passed, the anxiety in my heart only grew.
….what if I lose Kaden like this?
Will all the memories of giving flowers for the first time, teaching me the thrill of being a woman, escorting me and telling me how I feel protected, and talking and building friendships all become meaningless?
His ex-fiance, Judy, saved his life, and he had nothing to say about it, as he just stood by.
Everyone left, I was afraid that Kaden would hate me.
When her fiancée herself disappeared in the forest near the estate, and asked what she was doing… she was left speechless.
Of course, that wasn’t her heart.
She tried to persuade and persuade Earl Hexter for several days and days, but each time Earl Hexter repeated the words that there were no soldiers to send.
In order to dispatch them, not only people, but also equipment and food must be prepared, so there is no room for that.
Daisy knew it was all excuses. From the time Cayden was banished from the family, her father had developed a sense of insecurity.
The fear that he would just become a commoner. Anxiety that even if he gave his daughter to him, he would not be able to take on Freister’s power.
If he hadn’t thought so, he couldn’t have been so ignorant of the eldest son of the Freisters and who would become the husband of his daughter.
He must have gone to help him by squeezing out the manpower no matter what.
Maybe it was because he had some certainty that Cayden was dead. The first letter I received from Benthrack stated that they had even found Kaden’s body.
…Daisy knew that now that Cayden came back alive, nothing would be an excuse.
She had no intention of looking at Cayden’s face.
He was very happy that he was still alive, but at the same time, he was ashamed and sorry that he could not be his strength.
For the first time in her life, she even resented her family.
Why is this resentful plague turned against my family? Why can’t I find the time to dispatch because I don’t have enough strength?
…why can’t he somehow convince his father?
She even had nightmares.
A dream in which Cayden, who was so kind to him, turns away from the judgment of the family.
At that time, no matter how strong and unshakable she was, she would wake up drenched in sweat.
He didn’t have the confidence to be hated by the man he had grown up with for the first time.
If the twins had feelings for Cayden like this… they would have sympathized with them.
With such a jumbled mind, he spends time waiting for the rest of the servicemen and soldiers to complete their preparations, but Count Hexter finally spoke.
“……I can’t avoid the blame from Pryster.”
And at those irresponsible words, Daisy couldn’t stand it any longer.
“…I told you…”
“……”
“…so… I told you…!”
“……”
Daisy wanted to resent her father, but she couldn’t.
Because I knew it wouldn’t change anyway.
In the end, she had no choice but to leave to quickly calm Freister’s anger.
Daisy was able to withstand any punishment.
Unless Kaden… pushes himself away. unless you file for divorce.
****
Even after feeding Mieum to Asena and Kirsi, my day did not end.
Grandma who is now taking care of herself, Sir Lawrence, Helen and Thane, etc…
This is because the users of various families gathered in one place and talked about the full story of the incident.
Most exciting was Lawrence.
He couldn’t stand the seething blood any longer, and he repeated everything he had been told in an angry voice.
“…Is that real, Kayden?”
And Lawrence’s emotions spread like a plague.
Grandma looked at me with sad eyes. It wasn’t the look in the eyes of the grandmother, who seemed to find it difficult to even stand up until morning.
“…the Payne…is attacking you?”
“…I can’t believe it any more.”
“Does the hound bite the owner?”
“If Kaden-sama hadn’t come back alive, I wouldn’t have known about the Payne family.”
Not only the grandmother, but everyone who took part in the event shed a sigh of relief and helped out one word at a time.
“…So you mean that you and Asena had a grudge against you?”
Grandma checked again.
I nodded.
“Since I was expelled from my family, it must have come as a personal resentment. It wasn’t an attack on Pryster, it was an attack on me.”
For everyone blindfolded in anger, we also offer a different perspective on the event.
“……”
And that was enough to make Grandma pause for a moment.
Because she must have been thinking of Asena, who had expelled me from her family.
The grandmother, who had been stopped for a while, wondered if she would leave the conversation, but then she shook her head and raised her voice to everyone in the room.
“That is no excuse. In any case, it turns out that the Payne family was hiding the second daughter, and it was confirmed that they had a grudge against you and Asena, the head of the household. I have no intention of looking at it.”
Sir Lawrence nodded and muttered in a low voice.
“It is war.”
I knew the direction was going to go like this, but when I was able to make a decision at this point, the story of war made me startled.
The compulsion to not cause trouble to the family, which is located deep in my heart, came again.
As a commoner, I have penetrated deeply into the family and shake the family so much. Tens of thousands of Youngji people are affected by our decisions.
Lawrence nodded his head one by one.
“…I’ll give you a Jailbreak.”
“…the dog that bit the owner must be slaughtered.”
I raised my voice before the story took a strange turn.
“Wait!”
Everyone’s attention is drawn
Yeah, if it wasn’t me who suffered, but Asena, Kirsi, Grandma, or Lawrence, I would have argued for war too.
They are precious to me as well, since they were part of the Frysters in the first place.
But if it happens to me…I can stand it.
The cycle of hatred never stops, and I’ve also grown anger towards Shalon Payne…but I just have to endure it.
Even my life would not be at risk for the lives of countless soldiers with whom I had shuffled swords, let alone the lives of Lawrence here.
In summary, I also wanted war out of my hatred for Payne, but I didn’t want war because I was worried about the members of the family and didn’t want to shake up Pryster any more.
“…there is no justification.”
I say quietly.
Grandma cried out in rage.
“Why is there no reason? I attacked you, so the cause is good enough-”
“-I’m not a Fryster!”
For a moment, the conference hall became silent. I continued speaking in the silence.
“You must not forget. Asena banished me, and I am no longer a Priest. Especially in the eyes of other families.”
“……”
“Besides, how can you make a war decision without the permission of the Californian owner, Asena, who is lying down like that?”
“…Asena will want war, too.”
grandma says
This time it was my turn to be silent.
“….okay. And you spoke well. You can’t make decisions because you don’t have a head… you’re right, Kayden.”
Even as I felt her take a step back, I felt a strange pressure. It was clear that the next words wouldn’t be a good story for me.
“…Then we need to find the head of the house. Someone who will rule Freister in his stead while Asena is down.”
Grandma looked at me timidly.
“You take the lead in Asena’s place.”
“yes?”
I got up and asked her. Why did the words go like this?
“I’m no longer a Priest, I’m just a commoner, how can I—”
“I don’t trust anyone in this room that you aren’t Priest.”
In an instant, I made eye contact with everyone in the meeting. They were looking at me with unwavering eyes.
“…and, if not you, who else did it?”
“……”
“Is this what this old and weaker me is supposed to do? Or is it what Kirsi, who can’t speak, is supposed to do? What should Lawrence the Knight do? What should Helen do?”
I couldn’t find anything to say.
Her words completely overpowered me.
“……”
“…It’s you who will leave for the time being, Kaden. I got it.”
I repeated my grandmother’s words. There were no words to find any gaps.
It seemed reasonable for my grandmother to act as the head of the household, but I was not ignorant of grace enough to bring her back into politics.
So, Grandma couldn’t do it again, Kirsi couldn’t do it, and no one else could do it.
there was only me
No matter how many times I shouted that I was expelled from my family, it was really only me.
“…everyone is waiting. Answer me, Kayden.”
Unlike when they were alone, the grandmother at meetings like this was always determined and charismatic. Following her words, I looked around again, and everyone was waiting for my decision.
“… until Asena wakes up.”
I finally answered with difficulty.
“Then, it’s war.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Grandma declared.
“….yes?”
It wasn’t the words that came out of my grandmother’s mouth, who knew I was going to make the opposite choice.
But she said calmly.
“Our family head has been attacked, so where is the family that will stand still?”
“……”
“Kaden, do you want our family to look so slick? I know you feel terrible for the members of your family, but now you’re not thinking about the damage that will return to war. Think of our wrath and pride.”
“……”
When I can’t answer, Grandma asks with a cold tone.
“…are you afraid, Kaden?”
“yes?”
I could feel the provocation in her question. It was clear that he was trying to provoke me.
But I was not ashamed to show my weaknesses. Especially in front of them.
As she said, I was afraid that my family would die for me.
“Of course I am afraid-”
“- Act like Freister.”
Grandma said with a twinkle in her eyes. It was as if he had become a different person.
“…but, you are the one to go. So among us, you have to be the most Priest.”
“……”
I don’t know why….that one word shook my heart.
The weight of Gaju immediately overtaken me.
What Grandma said was not wrong. Although I was a deputy, since I became the head of the household, I was the face of Pryster.
It was natural to have to be the most Frieder.
“……”
Instantly, Asena came to mind. Asena really looked like a Priest to anyone.
Was this the reason why she always wore a mask when others saw her?
Was it all because of this reason that she put down the mask and went back to the original girl only when she was alone with me?
She must have been carrying this burden.
“…..under.”
Thinking that it was a burden Asena was carrying, it became so light in an instant.
If this was a weight I had to lift instead of my brother, I was willing to lift it.
“…be like Freister…”
….Yeah, it wasn’t something to be afraid of anymore.
said the grandmother.
“…it’s a war, Kayden. Make a decision for sure. We all want this war. You have to tell those who touched you who we are.”
I shook my head.
…..Like a Fryster. i got back
“…All right. Let’s do it, war.”
