If the situation was such that he couldn't confidently send a letter and had to hide it in Cordelia's envelope, that would be the only reason. After that, there was no room for doubt.
At this point, who would dare open the letters of a duke who was royalty? And why did the duke send complex codes instead of dealing with that outrageous person?
"It seems Daria has taken control of the royal palace."
Faster than expected. And more ruthless than expected. She didn't know about royal affairs, but Daria gaining power was also an obstacle to Esperanza's quest.
This was troubleso.
"If that's the case, it would be difficult for the duke to send such letters again. He knows that too, so he probably packed as much information as possible into this letter. So this is a letter that absolutely must not fall into their hands..."
Even if it did fall into their hands, they shouldn't be able to interpret the contents. It was an almost impossible wish.
Esperanza let out a big sigh. There was no need to consider the duke's circumstances. First, she needed to think about solving the code.
"Does this mansion have Tisbia language scripture too?"
"A few kinds. There have been countless Tisbia language scriptures revised since translation editions began appearing, but among them there are seventeen officially recognized complete translations. But if I were the duke, I wouldn't use the latest edition that anyone could look up."
"Very old ones would be hard for both parties to obtain, so they'd be difficult for code decryption, and the latest editions would be too easy to obtain, so he wouldn't have used those. What about the one that was in the duke's prayer room?"
"That was in Osdern language. The 1831 edition."
Ah, that was natural. There was no reason to use foreign language scripture when holding worship. Esperanza glared at Cider Claiborne as if he was disgusting for confirming both the edition and language in that short ti, then folded her knees up and propped her chin on them as she spoke.
"Seventeen kinds. That's not too many. Should we just buy them all and look?"
"Such a barbaric thod... we could do that."
Cider, who had received a glare, quickly changed his words. Calling it barbaric. What a pretty way to speak.
"Even if it's barbaric, there's no other thod right now. The question is whether we can find all seventeen kinds."
"Hmm. There should be several in this study too. As you know, the Counts of Avondale are collectors."
It had been that way for generations. Esperanza recalled the previous counts' collections she had seen while touring Glailly House. It was likely there would be Tisbia language scripture too. Moreover, in such a large study. The bookshelves filling the walls seed ready to spill over.
The densely packed books were only a portion. Esperanza knew that this mansion had a separate library, and even employed a curator who managed books that were closer to artifacts than literature. Indeed, this mansion was closer to a historic site or museum than a ho.
A little later, the curator found and brought twelve kinds of scripture in Tisbia language. Twelve out of seventeen kinds—it was truly impressive. So of them were from before tal type was even invented. The first letters of paragraphs were disgustingly decorative, and illustrations hand-drawn by monks were inserted throughout.
"Real artifacts."
"You must handle them carefully. Please be sure to wear gloves when viewing them."
"I'll handle it myself, so go out."
The curator left closing the study door, glancing anxiously. As if he believed without doubt that the precious artifacts would return catastrophically damaged. But even if the count tore up the scripture to use as kindling, there was nothing the curator could do.
"You're being treated like a complete demon."
"This is how I am. I don't even get treated like a master."
That wasn't sothing the person who had just coldly chased away the curator should say. Esperanza covered her mouth and giggled.
"Well then, shall we look?"
The curator had brought the twelve kinds of scripture organized in publication order. Cider pushed the duke's letter up and brought new paper to write down only the phonetic symbols converted to initials. It was exactly ten lines.
"Shall we check just ten first? We can exclude the ones that don't make sense. I think we can do that much today."
They divided the twelve scriptures, taking six each. Esperanza looked at the paper where Cider had organized and written just the beginnings, while Cider began solving the code on blank paper while looking at the original. Partway through, Cider took two more volus.
Before long, the grandfather clock announced midnight. Esperanza put down her fountain pen and said.
"We didn't even need to look at ten. There's nothing on this side."
Cider also shook his head.
"Could it be among the remaining five kinds?"
Fortunately, since Cider's ancestor had been an enthusiastic scripture collector and had obtained all available editions at the ti, they only needed to obtain the five kinds that ca out after his death. These were relatively recent editions.
"1707, 1737, 1767, 1797, 1827."
"Is there a place where we can get them right away? ...No, why should we be worrying about this!"
The duke should have made a proper code instead of sothing this cumberso in the first place!
"There's a bookstore in the nearby shopping district that also handles Tisbia literature. It's hard to find outside Nine Holder, but the duke might have considered even that. Since there are also parts I need to commission, how about we go out tomorrow?"
When they first ca down to Avondale, they had planned to take about a day to tour the city. It was a plan they had almost forgotten due to Cider's busy research schedule and the crashing waves of emotion.
"Mm. Yes. It would be the first ti leaving the mansion since coming here."
She hadn't intended it, but she had ended up living a life going only between the laboratory and the mansion. Cider answered while placing the empty cup on the tray.
"It's different from Nine Holder here. It's a small city, so there will be many botherso things. It would be better not to go out unnecessarily, but this ti it can't be helped."
Botherso things?
"Wait, you don't an the sa kind of botherso things as the day we first ca here?"
Cider squinted his eyes in a smile and said mischievously.
"Young lady, make sure to wear shoes with low heels. You might need to run if necessary."
To that extent? Esperanza squinted her eyes just like Cider. Going out was good, but being surrounded by strangers was disgusting.
"Maybe we just shouldn't go out..."
Cider laughed quietly. Esperanza beca embarrassed and pursed her lips in a circle, then laughed along. She glanced at the clock and got up from her seat, saying.
"Well, if it looks like you're going to get mobbed by people, I'll save you."
??????°??☆????°??????
To conclude, people had no interest in the count.
"You're not getting much attention."
Until getting off the steam carriage, Esperanza had been tightly gripping Cider's arm and looking left and right, wondering from which direction people would swarm, but she let her guard down within 10 minutes of getting off. Several noble ladies and gentlen did approach warmly to greet them, but they withdrew more lightly than expected.
"Sothing like what happened at the train station couldn't happen every day."
"Then what are the botherso things?"
"For example."
Cider sighed and stopped walking. Esperanza went "Aha" and chuckled. A woman who had been glancing this way and following them from earlier approached with a red face, held out an artificial flower sprayed with perfu, and quickly ran away. Cider accepted the flower without refusal.
'Look at that?'
Esperanza clicked her tongue and said with emphasis.
"You seem popular?"
"It's nothing special."
Cider broke the stem of the artificial flower. Then he tucked it behind Esperanza's ear so the bud was visible.
His fingertips gently brushed over her earlobe. For a mont they were under the sa hat's shadow. When the curly hair covered the flower stem, Cider withdrew his hand without lingering.
Esperanza felt around the flower tucked behind her ear. The artificial flower made by cutting out petals one by one was gorgeous even to the touch and had a sweet fragrance. It showed signs of being carefully made.
"You don't need to worry about it. Those young ladies give flowers to all n who look reasonably decent."
"I thought that might be the case. They had many flowers in their hands."
"It's almost festival season."
Co to think of it, it was already autumn. Esperanza thought while looking down at the autumn dress she had tailored before coming to Avondale.
The only festival to prepare for at this ti was October's Beginning of Winter festival. Ti really flew.
"Wait. This is that flower? Then it's not just any flower they give out?"
Osdern's Beginning of Winter festival wasn't a big festival celebrated noisily by the whole country. But it was well-known enough for governnt offices and companies to plan small commorative events and products, and above all, it was popular among young people.
Basically, it was a combination of a festival thanking for abundant harvest and the Beginning of Winter festival bidding farewell to sumr's end. On top of that, there was a custom like a vestigial organ of ancient matchmaking, where young n and won paired up on the last day to dance all night.
Usually on such days, they would change partners and dance freely. In keeping with the matchmaking purpose. But when they wanted to monopolize a partner, they would do a kind of marking like this. So the act of offering artificial flowers sprayed with perfu at this ti ant wanting exclusivity at the Beginning of Winter festival.
'Exclusivity.'
Esperanza fiddled with the flower by her ear and muttered into her mouth.
She recalled the tis she had joined among the Nine Holder people enjoying festivals. Dungeons didn't rest just because it was a festival day, but when everywhere was in a festive mood, hunters also wanted to join in the fun. To them, Nine Holder, or Osdern itself more broadly, was just a playground.
Esperanza had joined in like that for about three years, then stopped after making the rankings and having her face beco known. And during those entire three years, the perfud artificial flowers had never ant anything other than that.
She could be so definitive about this because naturally Esperanza had also received flowers. Quite a lot of them.
'There were so troubleso people too.'
It would be better not to ntion this story.
"To think they're scattering partner marking flowers around like this."
"In Riton they just make a lot and scatter a lot. Of course, they wouldn't give them to just anyone."
In short, it was for throwing flirtations at reasonably appealing targets.
"In conservative regions like Riton, even engaged couples couldn't possibly stick together dancing with just one person all day. If they did sothing that went against etiquette even during a festival, rumors would spread imdiately."
Cider said while tapping the flower tucked behind Esperanza's ear. As if telling her to rember that aning.
"Unlike us Nine Holder people."
Reviews
All reviews (0)