About Things That Haven't Occurred Yet — Chapter 17

IT IS TIME TO LEAVE THE PALACE, YOUR HIGHNESS.

CAPTAIN?

WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE TRAINING CENTER...?

DID YOU RETURN AS KNIGHT COMMANDER?

HEATHER. WE HAVE NO TIME, SO I WILL BE BRIEF.

THIS IS A REQUEST, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE AN ORDER.

OR PERHAPS AN ORDER YOU SHOULD NOT OBEY.

CAPTAIN, WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT?

IF NOT FOR YOU, I WOULD HAVE DIED ON THE STREETS AS A COMMONER ORPHAN.

SO I WILL FOLLOW ANY ORDER FROM YOU, CAPTAIN. GIVE THE COMMAND.

YOU MUST TAKE HER TO THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME. ACCOMPANY HER, HEATHER.

MAY I ASK WHO SHE IS?

SHE IS THE KING'S CONSORT, GRANTED MOND PALACE.

Huh?!

W-WHY IS SHE GOING TO THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME?

DID THE KING PERMIT THIS?

HEATHER.

WE MUST HURRY BEFORE THE KING'S KNIGHTS STORM MOND PALACE.

YOU MEAN THE KING...

I AM ADELHEID.

I CANNOT EXPLAIN EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT I MUST REACH THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME.

SHE REALLY IS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT STILL.

PARDON?

NO, IT IS NOTHING.

I AM JUST A BIT OVERWHELMED...

?

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO RIDE A HORSE?

I KNOW I HAVE NO RIGHT TO ASK.

ARE YOU REALLY ALL RIGHT WITH BECOMING KING?

I KNOW ASKING CHANGES NOTHING. I KNOW IT IS FOOLISH.

STILL... WHY...?

WHY ARE YOU HELPING ME?

IN THE PAST...

I DID NOT KNOW YOU,

AND I DID NOT UNDERSTOOD YOUR HIGHNESS.

YET I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU,

AND DELUDED MYSELF INTO BELIEVING I UNDERSTOOD.

THERE ARE CHOICES YOUR HIGHNESS WOULD MAKE THAT DEFY MY LOGIC AND REASON,

AND THINGS I CANNOT KNOW...

EVEN AS TIME PASSES, AS I GROW OLD AND FACE DEATH,

I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND A SINGLE PIECE OF YOUR DEEP CONTEMPLATION.

EVEN AFTER COMING THIS FAR, I STILL CANNOT TELL YOU WHY I AM HELPING YOU.

YET ONE THING IS CLEAR...

BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW YOU, I WANT TO KNOW YOUR WORLD.

"THE ART OF LOVING PRESENTS SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF LOVE.

CARE, RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, KNOWLEDGE... AND SO ON."

AH.

I WANT TO KNOW ADEL, UNDERSTAND HER, AND RESPECT HER.

THAT IS WHY I COULD NOT LEAVE HER TO WITHER AWAY IN THE PALACE.

CAPTAIN, PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE.

?

AH...

YOUR HIGHNESS, SINCE YOU HAVE COME THIS FAR,

YOU MUST NOT LOOK BACK.

ONCE THE DEED IS DONE, LEAVE.

ANYWHERE, THAT IS, EXCEPT XENOMES.

CAPTAIN, WASN'T THERE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY EARLIER...?

IT WAS NOTHING IMPORTANT, SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

I'VE ENTRUSTED THE VALUABLES TO HEATHER.

THANK YOU, DOMINIC.

PERHAPS THIS MOMENT WILL BECOME SOMETHING THAT NEVER EVEN HAPPENED.

EVEN SO, I TRULY WANTED TO TELL YOU THIS.

I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS A FITTING FAREWELL TO YOUR HIGHNESS, BUT...

I WILL DARE TO SPEAK IT.

I HOPE WE NEVER MEET AGAIN, ADELHEID.

FOR EVERYTHING, EVEN THE THINGS I MAY NOT REMEMBER.

TO THINK, AND ESPECIALLY TO THINK OF SOMEONE...

SEEMS TO CONSTANTLY PUT ME TO THE TEST.

EVEN AS I HELPED ADEL ONTO THE HORSE...

I HAD TO FIGHT THE URGE TO KISS THE BACK OF HER HAND.

PHEW....

WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU VISITING.

IT HAS BEEN A WHILE, MOTHER.