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…Do royalty build their tombs in hills?
The horses were going up the hill. There were more people than I had expected. I could tell who they were by their backs, but I had no idea that Liz-san and the others would be there.
Sothing must have happened while I was gone. Still, I didn’t intend to return ho like this…
I didn’t want them to know that I was here. I just wanted to see Uncle Will and leave.
Besides, if they knew I showed up here, I would beco the main character of this funeral. This was a morial service for Uncle Will.
It was not a place for to make an unannounced appearance. Plus, I was an exiled woman…
“…how could they not notice?”
No one turned to look at us, even though we were pretty prominent on horseback.
“I’ve made my presence invisible.”
“You really are very thorough.”
Duke-sama’s words no longer made smile lightly.
There was no gap in any act. He was always walking ahead of . I wondered if I’d be able to surprise him one day.
I could see the coffin before everyone was lined up. At the sa ti, the horses stopped.
The King and father were there, too, and Gilles had tears streaming down his eyes. His expression made my heart ache.
He could barely stand up. And yet, he was staring fixedly at the coffin.
Rebecca and the others were also shedding tears. I could feel that we had lost a rare figure who had been adored by the people of the impoverished village, by the royalty, by the nobility, and by Liz-san – a commoner.
I could not look directly at the coffin.
What should I do? I ca this far, but I was too scared to look at it.
Duke-sama, perhaps sensing my sowhat frightened state, asked, “What are you going”.
“…Of course, I’m going to see him.”
I felt my voice tremble a little.
I desperately tried to keep my spirits up, but if I were to collapse a little at this ti, I might not be able to keep my composure. That was how unstable my state of mind was.
I dismounted from the horse with Duke-sama and approached the coffin.
It had been a long ti since I had seen everyone, everyone had grown up, but I didn’t want to be reunited with them in this way.
I was staring at the situation from a little distance. From this spot, I couldn’t see Uncle Will’s face in the coffin.
“Are you sure this is the right place?”
I nodded a small “yes”, a little unsure of what to say.
Of course not. I had to say goodbye.
I knew that in my heart. And yet, I was so cowardly that I couldn’t muster the courage to do so at a ti like this. Even Gilles, who was younger than , was looking at the reality of the situation.
Why wouldn’t my legs move…
As I stared at the coffin, the King, whose eyes were red, quietly spoke.
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