HOW LOVELY...
EVERYTHING FEELS SO PEACEFUL...
EXCEPT FOR THAT MAN STANDING STIFFLY ALL BY HIMSELF IN THE DISTANCE...
SO THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE MEAN WHEN THEY SAY SILENCE IS STIFLING.
STILL, IT'S NOT AS IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, EITHER. MAYBE HE FINDS IT STIFLING TOO...
...IS IT TRUE THAT YOU USED TO BE A PALADIN?
I JUST REMEMBERED WHAT THAT CHILD'S FATHER SAID EARLIER...
IF HE HAD TRULY BEEN A PALADIN,
HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO POINT HIS BLADE AT MY FATHER, WHO PROFANED THE DIVINE DURING THE LAST LUCIDORIAN REVOLUTION...
IT IS ONLY HALF TRUE.
NOT LONG AFTER I WAS ORDAINED, I WAS DISMISSED FROM THE POST.
I WAS SORELY LACKING IN THE NECESSARY QUALITIES, AND AS IT HAPPENED, I ALSO HAD TO ASSUME THE REGENCY OF THE DUCHY.
THE RUMORS WERE DELIBERATELY SPREAD BY MY AIDES,
FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPENSATING FOR THE LEGITIMACY I LACKED.
FOR A SECOND SON IN NAME ONLY WHO APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE,
THE PRESTIGE OF A PALADIN WAS NEEDED TO ESTABLISH ANY AUTHORITY.
IT ALSO PROVED USEFUL IN STEADYING THE WAVERING HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE.
COME TO THINK OF IT... THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME SEEING YOU AS WELL.
I KNEW THAT LORD CASSIUS HAD A YOUNGER BROTHER, BUT...
MAY I ASK HOW YOU HAVE LIVED ALL THIS TIME?
I LEFT MY FAMILY AT THE AGE OF EIGHT TO JOIN THE DIVINE ROYAL GUARD,
AND FROM THEN UNTIL I ASSUMED THE REGENCY, I NEVER ONCE RETURNED HOME.
I DRIFTED FROM ONE BATTLEFIELD TO ANOTHER ACROSS THE CONTINENT,
UNTIL ONE DAY I RECEIVED A DIVINE ORACLE AND ROSE TO THE POSITION OF PALADIN. THAT IS ALL.
SURELY HIS LIFE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN EASY ENOUGH TO SUM UP IN SO FEW WORDS.
YOU MUST HAVE ENDURED A LOT.
...IT IS A PLACE FAR MORE THAN I DESERVE.
THIS LAND OF ROCHE NOIR, I MEAN.
UNTIL ITS RIGHTFUL MASTER RETURNS SOMEDAY,
I AM MERELY STAYING HERE FOR A BRIEF WHILE AS A WATCHMAN.
I HAVE NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED ANYTHING IN THIS LAND TO BE MINE,
AND SO THERE IS NOTHING I CAN OFFER YOU, PRINCESS.
IN HIS CALM VOICE, SPEAKING EVENLY OF THE ARDUOUS YEARS HE HAD ENDURED,
AN UNWAVERING FIRMNESS HAD QUIETLY SETTLED.
EVEN NOW, I FEEL
THAT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN FAR TOO MUCH.
AND HE TRULY BELIEVES IT.
THAT LORD CASSIUS WILL RETURN ALIVE.
DID YOU ENJOY YOUR OUTING?
YES, THE SCENERY WAS TRULY BREATHTAKING...
THE CONIFER PATH WAS NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
IF A ROAD WAS OPENED FOR THE SAKE OF THE VILLAGE, SHOULDN'T YOU MANAGE IT WITH A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY?
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS REALLY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE...
OH DEAR, I'M CERTAIN WE CHECKED IT JUST THIS MORNING...
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT INSPECTING IT MORE THOROUGHLY. WE SHALL BE MORE CAREFUL GOING FORWARD.
I WILL BE WATCHING TO SEE THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO.
OF COURSE, MY LORD!
BY THE WAY,
VARIOUS OTHER DOCUMENTS HAVE ARRIVED, AND THERE ARE MANY TERMS IN THEM THAT I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND...
DO YOU MEAN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS?
Yes, yes.
Um... Please go ahead and discuss your business. I would like to sit here for a little while.
YOU MUST REMAIN WHERE I CAN SEE YOU.
Yes! Of course!
Can you see me?
...BRING ME THE DOCUMENTS.
YES, SIR!
HOW CAN THE WORLD BE SO CRIMSON, AS THOUGH IT WERE ABLAZE...?
IT'S THAT CHILD FROM EARLIER! HIS NAME IS 'LAINEL.'
H...HELLO THERE?
I remember hearing his father call him that!
I HOPE HE ISN'T TOO DISHEARTENED ABOUT GETTING SCOLDED BY HIS GRACE EARLIER TODAY...
I'M~! TOTALLY FiNE~!!
is he being wary of me... or observing me...?
miss, are you lord regent's friend?
F...FRIEND?
CAN I REALLY CALL US FRIENDS?
um... well... i suppose so...?
There's no way two people can just be friends when you're this pretty~
OH MY, LISTEN TO THIS KID.
THAT'S NOT...
NECESSARILY TRUE...
It looked like Lord Regent was being super nice to you, though!
I bet it's definitely because you're pretty.
HE'S MAKING ME BLUSH!
I NEED TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT... CHANGE THE SUBJECT QUICKLY!
UM... ABOUT EARLIER TODAY...
LORD REGENT ISN'T A BAD PERSON, EVEN IF HE ACTS LIKE THAT.
HUH...?
SEEING YOU LOOK HORRIFIED AND RUN AWAY FROM HIM MADE ME FEEL SO BAD THAT I COULDN'T JUST LEAVE IT ALONE.
D-DID I LOOK HORRIFIED?
I FIGURED I OUGHT TO STEP UP AND CLEAR UP THE MISUNDERSTANDING FOR HIM~
A-A MISUNDER- STANDING? IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.
I ALREADY HEARD ALL ABOUT IT! THE STORY OF HOW HE RESCUED YOUR PRECIOUS KITE!!
LORD REGENT REPAIRED OUR WHOLE VILLAGE FOR US. ALL THE ROOFS WERE NEWLY REPLACED, TOO.
Y-YES! THEY'RE SO PRETTY! THE RED COLOR OF THE ROOFS MATCHES THE SUNSET WONDERFULLY!
IT WAS DECIDED AT THE VILLAGE MEETING TO MAKE ALL THE ROOFS A MATCHING RED.
AND TO RENAME OUR VILLAGE THE RED WINDMILL VILLAGE.
BUT THEY SAY I CAN'T SEE THE COLOR RED.
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY EYES.
OH...
THEN EVEN RIGHT NOW, TO YOU...
STARTING AROUND SUNSET, THE WHOLE WORLD LOOKS MURKY AND DARK TO ME.
AS IT TURNED OUT, IT ONLY LOOKED THAT WAY TO MY EYES.
SO TO MY EYES, THE SCENERY OF OUR VILLAGE RIGHT NOW DOESN'T LOOK ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE.
BUT LORD REGENT,
HE PUT A BLUE ROOF ON MY HOUSE ALONE.
SAYING THAT AT THE VERY LEAST, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN OUGHT TO LOOK VIVID AND PRETTY TO ME!
my dad, the guild master, opposed it and said every house should match,
BUT EVEN THE VILLAGERS ARE ENVIOUS,
SAYING THAT OUR HOUSE ALONE WILL STAND OUT VIVIDLY EVEN FROM THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN!
DOES THAT MAN EVEN KNOW?
THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME.
THAT HIS KINDNESS
LIT A WARM LIGHT
INSIDE ONE CHILD'S SMALL WORLD.
I'LL BE SURE TO REMEMBER HIM AS A WONDERFUL PERSON.
In Clockwork Lovers Chapter 10, the quiet stroll between the Princess and the Regent Lord turns into an unexpected conversation about his paladin past. He explains that his old title was a rumor spread by his squires, that he left home at eight years old and drifted from battle to battle, and that he guards Roche-Noir only as a caretaker until its true owner returns. Afterwards, the Princess speaks with little Lainel and learns that her kindness has lit a warm light in the child's world.
