Chapter 131

Vercello!

Vercello!

Ver-chell-lo-!!!

All of Merion was abuzz, shouting 'Vercello!'.

Children, not knowing any better, shouted with joy.

Young people, overwhelmed, bellowed at the top of their lungs.

The elders wept, crying it out in a wail.

The old name they had once turned their backs on was now being shouted in unison.

"Shameless wretches!"

Kukulo Del Conti snorted.

He had been quiet until now, but I was dumbfounded to see him get so excited when things were about to go wrong.

He belittled them, saying they were fools.

Whether their foolishness was true or not, it was the people of Merion who were happy, and Kukulo who was cornered.

"I have to do something... Yes, if I scare them more, they'll run away! Because they're idiots...!"

He wasn't thinking straight.

But people who aren't thinking straight can't tell that they're not thinking straight.

"Onseu Om! Scare those fools... Onseu Om? Where is he?"

"He has returned."

Tibel Bartole cautiously parted her lips.

"He said he was upset after seeing the royal carriage from Maesh..."

"...That damned bastard!!!"

I already knew Onseu Om hated Maesh.

But there's a limit to everything.

What am I supposed to do if he acts so arbitrarily even at a time like this!

Vercello, Vercello!

The cheers were getting closer.

"Vercello, may he be struck by lightning, may he be struck..."

Kukulo clutched his throbbing head.

He took out some tobacco to smoke, but his hands were trembling so much that he dropped it.

He ground the fallen tobacco under his heel.

But his anger didn't subside at all.

"Damn it..."

He had no choice but to admit it.

"...I've been completely had."

***

The hero of the festival was Vercello.

People were shouting 'Vercello, Vercello!' and cackling.

They even did it while clinking their glasses.

The childish shouts made it even more enjoyable.

The Del Contis were nowhere to be seen.

This was because people were glaring at them so fiercely.

Of course, the Del Conti family had no desire to be involved in the Harvest Festival now.

They were hiding in their mansion, covering their ears as if they couldn't hear the joyful sounds of the people.

Drink, song, dance.

And more drinks, and endless drinks.

Beer and wine and hard liquor.

Anything was fine as long as they could lose their minds.

Anything was fine as long as they felt good.

It felt good because it felt good.

That's the way it is with alcohol.

It was a day where no one would scold them even if they said it was okay to be like this for just one day; it was the Merion Harvest Festival.

People singing. People drinking.

People dancing.

Joyful people who had willingly chosen to become foolish.

Today would pass and tomorrow would come, but at least not now.

"Everyone looks so excited."

Serena de Verchello wiped her sweat.

She had been struggling all day to avoid people.

Everyone would run to her excitedly as soon as they saw her, chanting the name Vercello.

It made her incredibly happy, but repeating it dozens of times was extremely tiring.

This was also because she had overexerted herself yesterday, baking a lot of bread for the festival.

'Euchya.' She took off her hood and moved her stiff body this way and that.

A series of cracking sounds that were difficult for a nineteen-year-old girl to make came in a continuous stream.

Serena looked at the people dancing.

A man and a woman held hands and quietly disappeared down an alley.

'Oh my.' She covered her mouth and smiled.

It would be a lie to say there wasn't a hint of envy.

"Miss Serena."

A golden light approached.

Amidst the sound of songs and the smell of alcohol, he was beautiful.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Shion."

For some reason, Shion Pollinglight was dressed in a proper outfit.

It was the kind of good clothing a nobleman's son would wear, and it looked strangely good on him.

Serena suddenly felt embarrassed about her own shabby attire.

She wanted to take a few steps back, but Shion's gesture made it impossible for her to retreat.

"I hope you aren't busy."

"I just finished my work."

"That's a relief."

"Why is it a relief?"

Shion smiled faintly.

"Because I'll be able to dance with you."

"Oh my. Who said they'd dance with you?"

"Well, if you don't want to, there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll have to go home and cry."

The Regressor Prince feigned crying, wiping his eyes. Serena giggled at his childish behavior.

Maybe it was because she didn't have many friends her age, but her conversations with Shion were so enjoyable.

"Will you lead, Shion?"

"Of course, Serena."

Shion didn't call her 'miss.' Serena gave him a pointed look as if to say 'I told you so,' but held out her hand without any sign of dislike.

Shion took her hand.

This time, he held it tightly, as if he wouldn't let go.

The Regressor Prince danced.

He smiled deeply, holding the beautiful hand he had once let go of.

The burning flame was trapped deep beneath his tongue.

He led Serena's hand without allowing for any clumsiness.

"You're a good dancer."

Serena de Verchello felt a strange sensation.

All she had to do was move as Shion led her, and it became a dance.

Naturally, she didn't think he was the prince of the Great Empire, Cordis.

"Did you learn, Shion?"

"I had a hard time. Did you learn as well, Miss?"

"Why? Is my dancing too good?"

"No. You keep stepping on my foot."

'You're joking!' Serena laughed heartily.

Moving her body gave her a sense of vitality.

She was smiling more than usual.

'But I'm serious...' Shion quietly rubbed his sore toes on the ground.

The festival was ripening. Serena, who had always watched from the side, suddenly realized she was in the midst of the merriment.

Her eyes were the color of raspberries.

A mysterious dark red that could only bloom in the shade.

Shion's eyes were a blue flame. After holding the Seven Secrets for so long, his eyes burned with a blue glow.

"I have a question, Shion."

"Ask me anything."

"Can you promise not to lie?"

"For now."

Serena and Shion were holding hands.

Serena's face, which had turned red from chewing on her excitement, suddenly became serious.

"You knew the Del Conti family would destroy our carriage, didn't you?"

"Yes."

She looked straight into Shion's eyes.

Shion did not avoid her gaze and answered.

"If I hadn't known, I wouldn't have been able to prepare a spare carriage."

"That's right. And yet, you let me work hard to fix the carriage that was going to be destroyed."

"I did."

"Why did you do that?"

"It's a secret."

Shion smiled instead of answering.

Serena had a deep conviction that Shion would never give her an answer, no matter what.

In the end, it was a benefit to the Vercello family.

No, it was more than just a benefit.

It was so surprisingly splendid and joyful that it made her think, 'Can a day like this really come?'

But did he really have to use such a method?

Did Shion have to keep it a secret all by himself?

Couldn't it have not been a secret?

Couldn't he have told her in advance and prepared together?

"......"

Shion continued to lead her.

Serena quietly followed him.

They were getting closer and blending in. In doing so, Serena felt like she couldn't understand Shion anymore.

Sometimes, there were moments when she felt like she understood him, when their hearts seemed to be connected, and that only deepened her doubts.

"You don't have to be impatient. Soon, very soon, something will happen."

"What will happen?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

The Regressor Prince chuckled quietly.

"In five days, I will come to you myself. We'll finish the rest of our talk then. Now is not the time."

"Then what time is it now?"

"It's time to dance."

It was still a festival.

The smell of alcohol and the sound of songs were still loud.

Because the secret that wouldn't go away was still in her heart, she wanted to pretend it didn't exist.

"Isn't this a day that rarely comes?"

***

We danced for a long, long time.

We danced for so long that Serena's eyelids, tired from her usual fatigue, were about to fall shut and Shion had no choice but to carry her on his back to the Vercello mansion.

After taking Serena home, Shion returned to the center of the festival.

The number of people had decreased, but the noise was even louder.

This was because everyone was quite drunk.

Some drunkards grabbed anyone and offered them a drink.

Shion was grabbed a few times but refused them all. He didn't like to drink.

"We meet again, coachman."

A shabbily dressed old man approached, and I greeted him.

He was the old man who drove the carriage when I was invited by the Del Conti family.

"I was looking for you. It's hard to meet you except at a time like this."

The old man took off his hat and nodded his head at Shion.

"Let me introduce myself properly. I am..."

"Are you not Conteano Del Conti?"

Shion chuckled.

"Kukulo Del Conti's father and the former head of the Del Conti family."

"...You knew."

"I also know that you were once the Vercello family's exclusive accountant."

"......"

Conteano Del Conti sighed deeply. His old body was so tired.

He hadn't liked noisy places even when he was young, but it was getting worse as he got older.

Shion urged him to sit down.

Conteano Del Conti didn't refuse and sat down. A pained groan came out.

"Putting aside your relationship with the Del Conti family, there is something to respect about you."

Shion scratched his forehead.

"It's not an easy thing. For a retired elder to personally come to check on a threat to his family."

"......"

"So, what was the result of your check?"

"...When I was Vercello's accountant, I had a hobby of writing poetry."

Conteano muttered quietly.

"I often used to compare a person to an animal they resembled."

"Is that why the symbol of the Del Conti family became the cuckoo?"

"That's right. Both my son and I are nothing but cuckoos."

"Then what am I?"

"You are..."

The old man opened his lips with difficulty.

"...A swamp."

He mulled over what Shion had done to the Del Conti family.

He had taken away the victory of the duel, the warehouse in the sewers, and the main stage of the Harvest Festival and he had given it to the Vercellos.

The fact that the purpose was so clear but he hadn't known at the time was astonishingly chilling.

He had only thought it was a coincidence, but when he came to his senses, he was cornered.

"Even if it's covered with green leaves on top, you can't even guess how far down it goes... that kind of a swamp..."

"A swamp? That's not an animal."

"...Where would you find an animal like you?"

He had seen it, the flame deep in Shion's eyes.

No, even if he hadn't seen the flame, he had felt something from Shion.

There was something inside him.

If he hadn't been hiding something, he couldn't have been so brilliant and meticulous.

"If I had to make a comparison, it would be a dragon."

'He saw it quite correctly.' Shion chuckled.

His master's name was Sen Sorti or Beluchian Pollinglight, the Silver Dragon of the North.

Shion felt a little surprised.

This old man, Conteano Del Conti, was unusually profound.

At the very least, he had the insight to realize how dangerous Shion was.

"I know for sure today. Shion, you're not someone a cuckoo can handle."

Conteano wanted to kneel down. And he wanted to slap his son.

There is a certain kind of person you shouldn't touch.

How could he have done something so foolish, enchanted by a woman named Tibel Bartole, after building up the family for so long?

"How can the Del Conti family survive?"

"If a cuckoo acts like a cuckoo, there will be no reason to wipe it out. The problem arises when it tries to act like an eagle."

"......"

Shion tapped the table.

"For the Del Conti family to be cuckoo-like, they'll have to spit out a lot of things."

"...That's a difficult matter. I'm a retired old man. Kukulo is the head of the family now."

"When your life is on the line, is anything a difficult matter? I believe in your wisdom, sir."

The blue eyes were cold. Conteano Del Conti couldn't say anything more.

"Everything will be over in five days. You should start moving before then."