Chapter 161: The Letter That Arrived Late
umanwasleftspeechless.
nthecurrentsituation,whereRenhadessentiallybeendraggedhereagainsthiswill,theyhadnotevenbeenabletoexplainthecircumstancestohim.
hethingstheyhadmeanttotellhimslowlyhadbecomeevenhardertobringupafterRencollapsed.ntheend,theyhadarrivedattheroyalcastlewithouttellinghimanythingoraskinghimanything.
heycouldsayitcouldnotbehelped,butwhathadbroughtthemtothispointwasultimatelytheirresponsibility.
“’msor......”
“oonalready.”
Withoutevengivinghimachancetoapologize,Renleftumanbehindandwalkedahead.umanstaredaftertheboy’sbackforalongtime.
***
heeroesfollowedthekingtohisoffice,andRenwasshowntohisroombyaservant.JepetowasassignedtheroomrightnexttoRen’s.
“Ren.Wouldyouliketoeatrightaway?”
versinceRenhadcollapsedatthelord’scastlethatday,Jepetohadbecomeevenmorecautiousaroundhim.
isattitudewaslikesomeonehandlingadelicateworkofart.twasobvioushecaredforRen,butthatveryattitudeonlymadeRenmoresensitive.
“’mfine.wanttorestalittle.”
“fcourse.Youshouldrest.Ren,ifyouneedanything,cometomeatanytime.”
Afterhefinishedspeaking,Jepetohesitatedasiftherewassomethingmorehewantedtosay.
Ren,whohadbeenabouttoenterhisroom,stoppedandlookedbackathim.
“......f,byanychance,youwanttoleave,pleasetellmefirst.’llhelpyou,sowouldratheryoudidn’t✪оvеlіgһt✪(fficialversion)leavealonelikelasttime.”
tseemedRensneakingawayfromtheinninempestostillweighedonJepeto’smind.
heseriouslookonhisface,andthecouragehehadforcedouttosayhewouldhelp,reachedRen.
“Fine!getit.Soyoudon’thavetoworryaboutthat.”
WhenRenshoutedcurtly,almostasifhewerewhining,colorreturnedtoJepeto’sface.
Watchinghim,Renwasmomentarilydumbfounded.
Comeon,whatamsupposedtodoifhelikesitwhengetannoyed?fmypersonalitygetsworse,Jepetoisdefinitelyalittleresponsibleforit!
“Yes,good!Ren,restwell!”
Jepetoturnedawaywiththebrightestfacehehadworninrecentdays.elookedrelieved,asifanindigestionthathadbeensittinginhischestfordayshadfinallygonedown.
Renbithislip.
Separatefromhowuncomfortablehisownheartfelt,hehadnointentionoftroublingotherpeople.ehadonlyjustrealizedthathehadbeencausingthemtroublewithoutmeaningto.
AsRenstoodthere,frustrated,andonlyletoutasigh,theservantcheckedhiscomplexion.
“Areyoufeelingunwell?willcallaphysician.”
“o.’mfine.”
Renshookhisheadandsteppedintotheroom.
“Wow.......”
headmirationslippedoutreflexively.
tcouldnotevenbecomparedtotheshack,oragoodinn,ortheroomhehadbeenshownatthelord’scastle.
Aspaciousroom,softcarpetthatseemedtoswallowhisfeet.Aluxuriouschandeliercastinggentlelight,andalargeroomdecoratedwithexpensivewood.heframedpaintingshanginghereandthere,andeverylargeandsmallthingadorningtheroom,alllookedextremelycostly.
Abedwideenoughforthreepeopletoliedownon,atable,acozy-lookingrockingchair,andbookspackeddenselyenoughtofillanentirewall.Booksthatwouldhavebeendifficulttoobtaininthecountrysideweresoplentifulheretheywerepracticallyunderfoot.
hespaceseemedtooverwhelmRen.
Sothiswaswhattheroyalcastlewaslike.......
‘Sowhatamsupposedtodoaboutit!’
Renmovedhishesitantfeetandfloppedcarelesslyontothebed.
“willbringyousomethinglighttoeat.Arethereanyfoodsyoucannoteat?”
“.......”
ecouldnotaffordtobepickyaboutfoodshecouldnoteat.
Becausehehadgonewithouteatingwhentherewasnothing.
“tdoesn’tmatter.”
Ren’sexpressionchangedsubtly.
“Yes.fyouwaitjustamoment,willbringitrightaway.”
“Ah,wait!”
Renhurriedlycaughttheservant,whohadbeenabouttoleave,andraisedhimselffromthebed.heservant’sfaceflushedforaninstantashefacedthosebeautifulgreeneyes,drainedofstrength,andthatdisheveledblondhair.Rendidnotnoticehisbewildermentandcontinued.
“Cangetmyluggage?”
heservant,whohadpaused,nodded.
“Yes.willaskandbringittoyou.”
“......Soevenbringingmemyownluggagerequirespermission.”
“Pardon?”
Seeingtheflusteredservant,Renshookhishead.
“t’snothing.”
“Yes.hen.......”
heservantbowedhisheadandquietlylefttheroom.
Asilencemeantforoneperson,aquietstillness,wrappedaroundRen.Forthefirsttimeinawhile,itfeltasifhehadbeenleftcompletelyalone.
“Don’tpickafightfornoreason.”
Suppressingtheurgetoturnsharp,Rensighed.
Right,thisistheroyalcastle.Sincethekingishere,ofcourseevenlittlethingslikethatneedpermission.Yes,evenifit’sforaerowhocommandedbattlefieldsandsufferedcountlesswoundsforthekingdom,andthatero’syoungerbrother!
hemorehethoughtaboutit,theangrierRenbecame,andhefumed.
Wasn’tthatattitudebasicallydoubtingtheirloyalty?
Rencurledhisbodyintoaball.heblanketwassoftasfeathers,andthebedwascomfortableenoughthathecouldfallasleepatonce.SomuchsothatitcouldnotcomparetoanythingRenhadlivedwithuntilnow.
ButRenfoundthatcomfortuncomfortableinstead.
ebegantosuspectemarhadneverreceivedpropercompensationfromtheking.
heshackwasold,Ren’slifehadbeenshabby,andnotoncehadtheyeverlivedinabundance.
Rendidnothatepoverty.ewasonlyangrythattheyhadnotproperlyreceivedwhatwastheirs.
omatterhowmuchemarhadgivenawaytothevillagers,hewasaeroofthekingdomwhodidnotindulgeinasingleluxury,andoneoftheSevenStarsontopofthat.Renhatedthathelivedinanoldhouse.ehatedthatemargaveeverythingawaywithouteventhinkingofRen,buthehatedevenmorethesightofhimstrugglingeventosharethatmuch.
Andnow,hehadquestionsaboutallofit.
hisroomwassofineandspacious.RagnielhadshownkindnesseventoRen,merelybecausehewasemar’syoungerbrother.venunderRen’sglare,hehadnotcalledhiminsolent,buthadtriedtounderstandhim.hekingofanentirekingdomhadevenaskedfortheunderstandingofaboywhowasnothing.
adRagnielbeenactinginfrontofRen?
herewasnoneedforthat.WhatwasRen,anyway?Atmost,aero’syoungerbrother.Aminorchildwithnoparticularlyimpressiveability.Whatcouldthekingpossiblywantfromsomeonelikethat,enoughtogothroughthetrouble?
So......emarmusthavebeentreatedashedeservedbytheking.nsomeway,surelynotinawayunworthyofaero’shonor.
hedayumanfirstcametotheshack,hisclothescouldnothavebeencalledshabby.
henwhydidmybrother?
o,forgetit.
herewasnoneedtoargueaboutit.
tbelongedtohisbrother.WhateverhisbrotherdidwithithadnothingtodowithRen......
“Damnit!”
Renstruckthebedwithatwistedexpression.
thadnothingtodowithhim.Butstill,thenwhydidtheyhavetolivesohard?heycouldhavereplacedthewarpedwindowframeandtheworn-outblankets.
“......nceleavetheroyalcastle.”
Renmuttered,slowlyblinking.
nceheleft,hewouldearnmoney.Withhisownstrength.
Rensimplythoughtofthat,andnothingelse.
heservantsoonreturnedwithRen’sluggage,alongwithfoodthatwassuitableforalightmeal.Amongthethingstheservanthadbrought,somewerenotRen’s.
Renrummagedthroughhisluggage,chewedthetealeavesraw,andswallowedthem,erasingsideeffectsfromhismind.Afterthemedicinalsweetjelly’ssideeffects,hemighthavebeencautiousoutoffear,butinsteadarebelliousfeelingwelledupinhim.hatkindofpainwasonlyfrighteningonce.What,wasitsupposedtoscarehimasecondtime?
SoRendidnotlookforthedosageinstructionstheoldapothecaryhadpackedforhim.nsteadofdiggingthroughhisownluggage,herummagedthroughemar’s.
Becausethinkingoftheoldapothecaryhadremindedhimofsomething.
Aletter.
hatday,inthelonelinessafterumanleft,RenhadnotbeenabletoreadthelettersfromtheoldapothecaryandCoco.
Renpushedthefoodtoonesideandtookthecrumpledlettersinhishand.
Asheslowlyreadtheletter,Ren’seyesbeganmovingfaster.Afterreadingittotheend,herereadthesamepartoverandoveragain.Joyandtearsabruptlyfilledhiseyes.
Renhadtobitehisliptokeepfromcrying.islip,tatteredfromhowmanytimeshehadbittenit,stillhadnothealedproperlynomatterhowmuchmedicineheputonit.Bloodstillshowed,anditstung.noughtomakethetearsretreat.
Rensprangup,wentoutontothebalcony,flungthedoorswideopen,andlookeddown.hegardenoftheroyalcastle,theservantsbusilypassingthroughit,andpastthem,thefaint,distantsceneryofthecapital!hatviewmadeRen’schestswell.isheartbeaturgentlyashesearchedforsomeonehecouldnotpossiblyseefromthisfaraway.hump,thump,thump.tpoundedhardenoughtoshakehisbody,likesomeonewasknockingfranticallyonadoor.
heoldapothecarywascomingtothecapital!
helettersaidthathe,too,hadbusinessinthecapital.ehadfoundaskilledcoachman,andtheoldapothecarywrotethathethoughthewouldarriveinthecapitalatalmostthesametimeasRen.Asidefromthat,inanuanceonlyRenwouldrecognize,heaskedaboutRen’shealthandwrotethathehadobtainedseveralgoodmedicinalingredients.
heletterwassimple.Almostdry,forsomethingwrittenbytheoldapothecary,whousuallynaggedandworriedsomuch.
Butthosefewsimplesentences,thatplainandevendryletter,movedRen’sheart.
hegladnessofmeetinganoldfriendfromhomehadalreadybeguntosproutinRen’schest.