Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy

Leaving the Main Gate, I headed straight to the lodging.

The reason for my hurried steps was not only to inform Lumia that all the bad ties had finally ended due to Deron’s punishment, which would be more terrible than death, but more importantly, to deliver the news of Marien’s survival.

I wanted to let her know that she doesn’t have to suffer and grieve for a lifetime due to Marien’s sacrifice by delivering this joyful news.

Because, for Lumia, the news of Marien’s survival would be much more wanted than Deron’s end.

“Lord Elden! Wait a moment!”

But someone halted my steps.

“Ah, Marien.”

Marien approached and bowed to greet me.

“Lord...Elden...How have you been?”

“Fine. I heard you were seriously injured, everything good?”

“You heard?”

“I heard from His Grace the Grand Duke. About what happened that day.”

“Ah...”

Marien made a gloomy face as she trailed off.

What happened that day.

Those are things that will be vividly remembered even after several years pass.

Of course, now there’s no need to be gloomy, and it’s okay to blur the memories of that day, but I decided to refrain from talking about Lumia for now.

It’s Logan Winterfell’s castle, and although we had a discussion, it would be best to avoid letting my guard down against the Grand Duke who is an expert in schemes and power struggles...And also has some Jedi powers.

Don’t nobles change masks as needed in their daily lives?

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So, I intended to carefully open my mouth regarding Marien’s approach.

Marien lowered her head with a face that was not just gloomy, but dismal.

“Then you must have heard... that the Young Lady has gone missing.”

“Well... yes.”

Marien raised her head.

This time, her face was filled with desperation that was nothing short of earnest.

“Have you by any chance seen our Young Lady...? If Deron was in the Grand Duchy, I thought the Young Lady might be somewhere too...”

“......”

Although I could feel that there was not a single bit of falsehood in her desperation, it was difficult to answer readily.

Of course, it’s not that I can’t trust her.

It was a judgment that it would be better to be cautious at least until safely leaving the Grand Duchy and arriving at the Eris Marquisate.

As I hesitated for a moment, Marien continued.

“I guess not...”

It seems she thought my hesitation meant a denial.

Then, Marien gave a sorrowful smile.

“It’s okay. I don’t think anything bad has happened to the Young Lady.”

“...I think so too.”

When someone agrees with an uncertain belief, humans are bound to be happy.

Whether that belief is positive or negative.

That’s why Marien tried her best to smile brightly.

“Thank you. My Lord. I’ve decided to go find the Young Lady anyway. His Grace the Grand Duke said he would grant me freedom once Deron’s guilt is proven.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know where to start or how to start, but I can’t just wait here blankly for My Lady.”

A maid and the daughter of the Grand Duke.

Normally, a gap as wide as the sky and earth would divide those two people, but for Lumia and Marien, this posed no problem.

“It won’t be easy. You have never experienced a life outside this castle have you?”

“I’m not afraid. Waiting like a fool day by day is more frightening.”

“...Is that so.”

For a girl who has been a maid since childhood, living alone outside would be the same as jumping into a pit of death.

Her devotion and loyalty were strong.

She should clearly be afraid, but there was no fear on Marien’s face as she spoke her heart.

Rather, only hope was visible.

Even if it looks thin and precarious, Marien is igniting hope rather than despair on a path where death lummed at every turn.

That went beyond a normal loyalty and affection,

It is my duty to see such efforts bear fruit and convey her intentions to Lumia.

That’s why.

“Follow me.”

“Yes, yes? You mean you’ll help me?”

Smiling at her, I once again started walking towards the lodging.

*****At the same time.

A tense silence permeated the lodging.

One filled with worries for Elden, who went to the Grand Duke’s castle by himself.

One filled with worries for Lumia, who survived a life-threatening experience.

One...Filled with painful memories that surfaced due to Deron.

A silence intertwined with various worries and pains was flowing inside the lodging.

“...I should have followed him.”

“Please calm down, Rachel. It’s our Lord who we’re talking about here, he will surely seize what he wants and return cheerfully.”

“Here...Erenscia, drink this.”

As Rachel and Rendler argued about what to do while staring at the Grand Duke’s castle through the window, Ariel placed a teacup in front of Lumia who was sitting at the living room table.

Lumia bowed her head in greeting and wrapped both hands around the teacup.

The warmth flowing through her palms made her feel like her startled heart was calming down a little.

She lifted the teacup and drank the tea.

It was a Winter Blossom Tea.

The warm temperature of the Winter Blossom Tea that Marien always brewed flowed down her throat, soothing her aching stomach.

‘Marien...’

Lumia put down the teacup and took something out of her inner pocket.

It was Marien’s keepsake, a bloodstained handkerchief.

Lumia lowered her head while holding it to her chest.

With a face that fully revealed both joy and sadness.

Lumia was happy that she avenged her maid,

But at the same time, she was sad, because Marien wasn’t by her side.

If only there was a gravestone to visit...

‘Marien... Thanks to Elden, I was able to successfully take revenge. Now... I hope you can rest in peace...’

Lumia conveyed those thoughts to the bloodstained handkerchief, her keepsake.

‘Elden, thank you so much.’

She was grateful that the ties of regret, shame, and hurt finally ended.

It was said that Kyle jumped off a cliff while being escorted to a prison,

Blund had gone insane and became a beggar,

And while she didn’t know what kind of fate Deron would have, it was clear that he would face a more horrible punishment than the previous two due to the anger of the Winterfell family head.

She hoped it would be so, and it had to be so.

Because Deron killed Marien.

He took away a precious person who had done nothing but serve her with the utmost effort.

‘Marien...’

Although the revenge succeeded thanks to Elden, Marien wouldn’t come back to life, so the gentle waves that rose in Lumia’s blue eyes gradually began to surge.

If only she could bring Marien back to life, she would willingly give up her own life.

If only she could return to that moment that day, she would push Marien away and take that knife herself.

If only she could, if only she could do that, she wouldn’t mind giving up everything she had...

The fact that nothing changed even after her revenge was complete...prickled her heart.

Just as the blood on the bloodstained handkerchief cannot be wiped away.

The sadness of losing Marien cannot be wiped away by anything.

“Oh? It’s Elden-!”

That’s when it happened.

The voice of Ariel, who was looking out the window after giving Lumia a teacup, resounded in the quiet living room.

“Phew....”

“Oh my... What a relief.”

Rachel and Rendler let out sighs of relief as they saw Elden approaching the lodging, but....

Huh? Who’s that?”

Ariel looked puzzled at a figure following behind Elden.

They couldn’t confirm who it was because they were wearing a hooded cloak.

“...Something isn’t right...”

Rachel said while instinctively grabbing her sword.

“It seems they came together from the Grand Ducal Castle.”

“...It seems to be a woman under that cloak, right?”

“Yes. Look at the narrow shoulders and slender ankles, it’s a woman.”

“Hmm... Bringing a woman from the Grand Ducal Castle. It does give a bad feeling, as Rachel said.”

A bad feeling.

The words were the same but had different meanings.

For Rachel, it was a worry about safety, and for Ariel, it was a worry about a new rival.

Regardless, Rachel and Ariel headed towards the entrance waiting for Elden to arrive.

Lumia also slowly followed a step behind them.

A moment later.

-Creak.

The entrance door of the lodging opened and Elden entered.

The first ones to greet him were naturally Ariel and Rachel.

“Welcome back! Elden, we were worried.”

“I hope nothing happened.”

Smirk-.

Elden had a mischievous smirk on his face as he entered.

“Of course. Nothing happened.”

“Did you obtain what you wished for?”

Rendler asked.

Whether it was worthwhile to personally lead Deron and go to the Grand Ducal Castle.

Elden smiled brightly and answered.

“Of course.”

“Hoho. That’s a relief. As expected of my Lord.”

The party members also let out sighs of relief at Elden’s answer.

Lumia also showed a faint smile while looking at him.

The fact that her mood improved, all her trembling calmed down, and a smile formed on her face unknowingly as soon as she saw Elden was something she had yet to realize.

“I brought a gift too.”

Elden looked at Lumia.

That gaze hinted that she was the recipient of the gift, so Lumia pointed to herself with her index finger and made a puzzled face.

Because she didn’t deserve a ‘gift’, since she only caused trouble for everyone.

Likewise, the party members who followed that gaze also made puzzled faces.

Because Elden clearly came empty-handed.

As if realizing something, Ariel clapped her hands.

“Ah! Could it be that woman who was following behind?”

Of course, even if that was the case, they were still confused.

“Huh? But why would a woman be a gift...? Erenscia, did you have a younger or older sister?”

“I heard that the Third Northern Duchess wasn’t very close with her family members...”

“...Could it be?”

While Ariel and Rachel couldn’t grasp the situation, Rendler’s guess, backed by many years of experience, flashed a certain face in his mind.

At the same time, something rose in Lumia’s eyes as she stared intently at Elden.

“Come in.”

Elden said beyond the entrance door.

And then.

Tap, tap.

A figure wearing low shoes entered the inside, and everyone’s attention was focused.

Rachel was wary and observing, Ariel was simply puzzled, and Rendler had a subtle smile.

Only Lumia had her eyes wide, and her mouth so open she couldn’t utter a word.

“...!!”

Even though she was wearing a hooded cloak, Lumia’s eyes could clearly see inside it.

Then, when the woman took off her hood and revealed her face under the living room lamplight.

“My Lady...!”

Marien shouts with a tear-filled face.

She couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing,

Also,

Lumia couldn’t believe that the voice she heard was real.

“Marien...!!”

Suddenly, Lumia rushed at Marien, embracing her.

Not knowing how clearly she just called out Marien’s name.

“Wah! My Lady! I...I was so worried about you!”

“Marien...! Is it really you? Is it really you?!”

“Yes! Of course! It’s me!”

“Sniff! I thought you were dead!”

The two hugged each other.

It was a tearful reunion.

The other looked at this scene with content smiles.

No...

Heuuk...! Kheuk...! So beautiful...So moving...! Sniff!”

The old butler sheds tears and snot, overwhelmed with emotion as if it’s his own business, due to the bond he had built with Lumia.

“Are you okay!? Are you not hurt anywhere?”

Lumia, breaking the embrace, started checking Marien’s entire body like a mother checking her child.

“It hasn’t been long since I woke up, but my body is fine. His Grace the Grand Duke assigned a personal physician to me.”

Lumia lifts the hood to check the area where Marien was attacked by Deron and sighs with relief.

Not even a scar remained.

“Haa.... Thank goodness. “

At this moment, Elden’s voice reached Lumia.

“Erenscia.”

Lumia looks at Elden.

To the man who shone brighter than the sun, even in the darkest night.

“You can speak now. I’m glad.”

“Huh...?”

Only then does Lumia realize that she is speaking with a clearer voice than ever before?

At that moment, through all the windows of the lodging, through the window of the entrance door behind Elden, a halo of light settles.

Even though it’s not morning, even though it’s just the faint dawn breaking, a bright halo settles.

As if bestowing a blessing, as if ending a curse, like magic.

If it weren’t for Elden, everything would have ended in tragedy.

She would have died on that forsaken place grieving over Marien’s ‘death’.

While Marien would have suffered.

If she hadn’t met Elden in the ruins if Elden hadn’t taken Deron to the Grand Ducal Castle, this ill fate would have eventually ended in the tragic victory of the villain.

Lumia rushed at him.

She wanted to convey all the gratitude that filled her heart.

She wanted to convey the words she wanted to say for a long time.

-Thud!

Lumia hugged Elden with everything she had.

Her arms encased his neck as she buried her head into his chest.

The words she couldn’t say until now.

“Elden, thank you so much...!”

Surely there were many words she swallowed in her heart, but those swallowed words blended and flowed out in this short gratitude.

“Thank you, really thank you...! Heuuk...!”

Perhaps it’s because his embrace was so warm, cozy, and snug...She burst into tears once more.

The tears she thought she shed endlessly burst out again and wet his chest.

“I just did what I had to do. You don’t need to thank me.”

“Heuuk..., heuuk....”

Lumia kept crying as she hugged Elden.

She sheds tears of joy until Elden’s chest becomes damp.

Watching this, Marien walked closer and lightly hugged Elden’s side.

“Thank you. Thank you, Lord Elden!”

Watching this, Ariel and Rachel also rushed at him...Not wanting to lose to their competition(?).

Then they also hugged Elden.

“As expected of Elden! He’s the best-!”

“Hm...Good work Student...”

“Kheuk....C-Can’t breathe...G-Girls....Heup...”

While this happened, Rendler continued to cry as his nose was filled with snot.

“Kheuk! As expected, serving the young master is the greatest honor of my life! Heuuk! Bravo! That’s My boy!”

*****In the North, a sudden halo drove away the darkness of the night.

It was brighter than the dawn.

More brilliant than ever,

The halo of that day was the first halo to be recorded in the history of the northern regions.

A halo that could resolve any sadness, pain, or curse.

“What the actual fuck is this shite! Fucking hell, aint it night now? Mate, you seein this too? Holy shit. I’m not crazy am I?”