Silver Lining Yesterday - Chapter 28
“…Do you know what I said? Celine Guinness, this time you’re wrong! The answer to this problem is—”
“You can’t calculate it. Karl, this is the third time I’ve said this.”
Karl, who had obtained a drink even though he could get drunk after barely taking a sip, had been holding Miranda’s attention and going on about his competition with his peers.
Gemma, claiming to be tired, had gone back to her room, and Ernest was…
“Where’s he going?”
Ernest, who was already hard to miss due to his large frame, was sneaking out onto the terrace.
Jean squinted his eyes, staring at him silently.
From years of experience, Jean could guess that Ernest’s suspiciously sneaky figure was undoubtedly that of a sinful prodigal sneaking away for a secret rendezvous.
Though Jean often lectured him about his messy personal life, he had never actually stopped Ernest from sneaking off for a tryst on a dark night.
What concerned Jean was the imagined tragedy of his ex-lover suddenly appearing, running at Ernest with a knife. As long as that kind of catastrophe didn’t happen, honestly, she didn’t care where or with whom Ernest tangled himself up.
Of course, she wished Ernest would stop his sordid affairs, but following him around and witnessing him in compromising situations was far worse.
Jean shuddered at the thought, recalling the time when she and a few trainers had stumbled upon Ernest and some others in a compromising state, almost wanting to blind herself with the sight.
Thinking back on that day, it would honestly be better if Ernest slipped on the ice and disappeared from this world entirely. However, if that really happened, it would be a big problem.
Sighing, Jean trudged out onto the terrace.
The snow, which had started falling early in the evening, had already covered the world in white.
Foolish Ernest Garland, because of you, I can’t enjoy this beautiful scene from the warmth and peace of indoors…
Just before she could reach the railing of the terrace, someone urgently grabbed her shoulder.
Jean’s eyes widened.
“Gemma?”
Gemma, wearing a cozy wool hat, was panting heavily.
Jean, momentarily forgetting to pursue Ernest, smiled brightly and approached Gemma.
“Didn’t you say you were going to bed because you were tired? Is it okay for you to be out like this?”
“…Yes.”
Gemma, as if clinging to a lifeline, didn’t release Jean’s shoulder.
Jean nonetheless moved closer to Gemma.
“You look even better like this. Karl complained about your wool hat and wool cloak, saying it was like a shepherd’s outfit. What a fool, not even knowing you’re still unwell.”
Dressed as the shepherd, the protagonist of the banquet’s theme ‘The Golden Axe’, Gemma looked majestic, like a king from the legendary northern lands.
The wool hat and cloak were the finest items stolen from Gemma’s great-grandfather’s statue, and the golden belt around her waist was a high-end item forcibly taken from Ernest’s suitcase.
“Now you’re the master of the fortress. I would have liked to introduce you to the citizens of Satin, but…”
“It’s fine. It’s not like there’s anyone who doesn’t know me.”
“Still…”
Muttering to herself, Jean subtly looked up at Gemma and smiled shyly.
“But you know, Gemma, I really know how amazing you are.”
“…”
“How brave and righteous you are… So, I hope you’ll stop pushing yourself so hard. You didn’t have to bear the burden of reclaiming your homeland all by yourself.”
When Gemma had abruptly stormed Satin without consulting anyone, Jean had spent sleepless nights worrying.
If Gemma had just given her a heads-up, she would have gone to Satin to help her, even if it meant going alone.
“Anyway, it all worked out in the end. Now we can celebrate your birthday together.”
Jean smiled genuinely, happy from the heart. Gemma, who had been staring at her with dull eyes, awkwardly tried to smile in return.
Then, as if an idea had come to her, Jean clapped her hands and jumped into the snow.
“Oh, by the way, it’s the full moon! Gemma, I’ll give you a blessing as the final gift of the banquet.”
“What? No, I don’t want it.”
“You don’t want it? Come on over here.”
‘The Golden Axe’ was a fairy tale about a shepherd who meets a dwarf, a sage, a knight, and a princess in search of the owner of a golden axe.
The princess, the last to meet him, decides to bless the shepherd who finds her homeland’s treasure, the golden axe.
“Axe… there’s no axe. Well, I can’t help it. From now on, this twig is the axe.”
Gemma, who knew Jean’s stubbornness better than anyone, sighed and kneeled on one knee in the snow.
Jean, who had draped her shawl over her shoulders as if reverently, covered it like a veil, then tapped Gemma’s shoulder with the twig and said,
“Giant of the North, the sword of Aisendor, ruler of the harsh cold. Heiress of Heidegger, Gemma, I wish you endless glory and a smooth future… and may faithful friends accompany you.”
As Gemma lowered her head quietly, the bandages wrapped around the back of her neck became visible.
A painful expression flickered across Jean’s face. It felt as if the pain was contagious…
Jean, who had been biting her lip, quickly shook off her concern and continued with a lively voice.
“And to you, my dear, I promise…”
Gemma hesitated and looked up.
Under the soft moonlight, Jean was smiling brightly.
“No matter what happens, I will always stand by your side, forever.”
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