Chapter 143: Bond (2)

Yuri invited Graham to his quarters.

His palace rarely received visitors. For one, Yuri himself was hardly ever there except to sleep, always rushing from one place to another.

Because of that, there wasn’t much to offer a guest.

With Graham seated across from him, Yuri whispered to Ena.

“Ena.”

“Yes…”

“Hm, shouldn’t we at least bring out something like cookies…?”

“I’ve already sent someone. They’ll be here soon…”

“But there’s nothing now?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because His Highness normally doesn’t eat cookies…”

“Mmm…”

“And you don’t receive visitors either…”

“Mmmm…”

“They’ll arrive soon. Until then, use your eloquence so the guest doesn’t notice. I believe in you, Prince.”

“So it all depends on my talent, huh?”

“Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Kugh…”

Ena hurried away. Once they were alone, the atmosphere turned slightly awkward.

Yuri cleared his throat.

“Sir Graham. Coming without notice… you could’ve at least given me a hint…”

On the table, there were only two cups of tea. Yuri forced a smile as he picked his up.

“This is… it’s called Helgrey, has a wonderful aroma.”

“Oh, really?”

“I like it a lot. Drinking it calms the soul, or something like that…”

They both raised their cups as if to toast and took a sip.

Graham closed his eyes as if to savor the tea, and soon a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“It’s good.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Then silence returned. Somehow, the air felt heavy. Yuri’s plan to distract him with his dazzling conversation skills had failed from the start.

As he struggled to find an opening, Graham spoke first.

“Prince.”

“Hmm?”

“No need to bring the cookies.”

“Huh?”

“I want to talk alone.”

“You heard all that earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

The fact that such an undignified conversation had been overheard left him slightly embarrassed.

Yuri stood up, tea cup in hand.

“If you want to speak privately, let’s go inside.”

“Yes.”

They left the reception hall and headed to the deeper library.

Amid perfectly organized bookshelves was a table, and beside the window stretched a completely blue sky.

With that sky framed through the window’s bars, Yuri and Graham sat facing each other.

“Is this confidential?”

“Let’s say it is.”

“Understood.”

Yuri touched the magic stone under the table. Instantly, the stored spell activated, sealing the room from outside sound.

Not a single word would escape.

Yuri took a sip of tea and asked,

“I was surprised you came all of a sudden. But saying it’s a secret talk makes me even more nervous.”

“Ha ha…”

“My offer still stands, you know? What do you say, will you come to Briol?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Of course, I figured…”

Yuri knew well that Graham would never agree to that. And that only made him more curious.

“So, why did you come to see me?”

Graham didn’t answer right away, keeping his eyes fixed on the surface of the tea.

Something gleamed in his pupils as he stared at the liquid.

“Prince.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to ask you something.”

“Anything.”

“Are you, by any chance…?”

“By any chance?”

“From the future?”

“What?”

Yuri almost spat out his tea. He barely managed to maintain composure.

His heart was pounding, so he used mana control to calm himself.

Yuri forced a smile.

“N-n-not at all. Sir Graham, you say the funniest things.”

“Right? Haha…”

Graham chuckled softly.

“I only said it because it felt that way. You strike me as someone who never makes mistakes.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

He leaned back in his chair, as if recalling the past.

“In the allied army, you always acted with a calmness beyond your years. Everything you attempted, you achieved. Watching you, it’s like you already knew the future.”

“I was just lucky.”

“But you always acted with conviction.”

“I was only pretending.”

“Really…?”

Graham lowered his gaze.

“I came here on impulse. I suddenly felt the need to ask. Of all the people I know, you’re the one who doubts his decisions the least.”

“I thought there was someone else like that in the Empire.”

Yuri joked, but Graham shook his head.

“That’s not confidence in oneself, it’s confidence in power.”

“Sir Graham also knows how to say bold things, huh?”

“I didn’t mention any names.”

“Neither did I.”

Both laughed at the same time. Then Yuri continued.

“Alright. Let’s say, even if I don’t believe it, that I really am as sure of my decisions as you say.”

“Yes.”

“What advice do you seek from someone like that, coming from so far?”

“Your Highness…”

Graham hesitated a moment before speaking.

“Do you believe in a death with honor?”

At the sudden question, Yuri set down his cup.

“I ask again. Between surviving while losing your honor, or dying while preserving it… which would you choose?”

Yuri looked at him with a hardened expression.

And on Graham’s face, he clearly saw the same grim expression from his past life, right when he had let him go.

It was as if that Graham had come back to ask him this very question.

You survived miserably. And how did that turn out? Was it really better to live like that, or would it have been better to die right there?

Yuri already had the answer. But he couldn’t speak it out loud.

He lowered his gaze and stared at the surface of the tea, recalling the past.

In the end, it was good that he survived. Because of that, he could return to the past and had a chance to make amends.

But that was pure coincidence. Originally, his fate was to lose his head to Roland and be tossed like a corpse into the wasteland.

Having survived where he should have died left him unable to rest, even after death.

Once he gave up his honor, there was no place in the world where he belonged.

That’s why…

To die where one must die is a great blessing.

However.

Graham Heartfall.

This honorable knight had come with that face to speak of death. How could he casually tell him yes, that it was the right thing?

He’d rather tell him no.

Yuri looked up and met his gaze. Graham smiled—as if saying it was alright, to just speak.

Yuri opened his lips.

“Sir Graham.”

“Yes.”

“I want to tell you the story of someone I know.”

“I’d like to hear it. Is it someone I know too?”

“Maybe.”

“May I ask who it is?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Did they die?”

“You could say that.”

“I see.”

“Now that I try to start, I don’t know where…”

“But it was you who decided to talk about it.”

“Seems that way.”

“Haha. Then I’ll ask the questions.”

“Alright.”

“First…”

Graham tilted his head slightly and asked,

“…What kind of person was he?”

***

She didn’t know how it had come to this.

Elaine was sitting in her room across from the Emperor’s daughter.

The Imperial treasure, Yekaterina.

Even to another woman, she was absurdly beautiful. Elaine had received plenty of compliments for her own looks. Deep down, she had confidence in herself.

But seeing the imperial princess made her feel ashamed for ever thinking that way.

It was as if they simply existed on different planes.

“…”

Yekaterina sipped her tea with a calm air.

“It has a lovely aroma.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“Helgray?”

“You know it?”

“Someone I cared about used to drink it…”

Her green eyes were so pure they looked like a doll’s, set with embedded jewels.

At first, the lack of expression had seemed eerie.

But when she smiled as she spoke of the tea, her entire face lit up with life.

She was beautiful.

So beautiful, in fact, that Elaine couldn’t help but be curious about the person who made her smile like that.

Just one change in expression evoked countless thoughts in others. She clearly had a face blessed by the heavens.

But a merchant couldn’t be distracted by a client’s appearance.

“So, to what do I owe your visit?”

“I heard you brought goods from the East.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Elaine pulled out a thin, neatly prepared catalog.

“Then please take a look. It features our most prominent—”

“That’s not necessary.”

Yekaterina shook her head.

“I didn’t come for the merchandise.”

“Then…”

“Hey, is this room soundproof?”

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to discuss something confidential.”

“Ah, yes.”

Elaine concealed her discomfort and pulled a magical device from her chest.

The energy in the enchanted stone deployed a soundproof barrier within the room.

Now nothing they said would be heard outside.

“Is it functioning properly?”

“Of course.”

Seeing Yekaterina eye the artifact with suspicion, Elaine explained,

“This item was personally given to me by the Grand Mage of the Magic Tower…”

“Sorry. It’s just what I’m about to say is highly confidential.”

“I’m Elaine Wood. I value trust more than life itself. Nothing leaves this room.”

“Alright.”

Elaine expected her to speak right away, but she took her time. In moments like this, silence was best.

Elaine waited patiently for Yekaterina to speak on her own.

“May I call you Elaine?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Elaine… To be honest, I’ve been watching you for some time.”

“Excuse me?”

Elaine looked up. Yekaterina wore an ambiguous smile.

“And while watching, I started to wonder…”

The next words left Elaine momentarily speechless.

“Did you come from the future?”

Being silent from surprise only proved one had been hit squarely. That’s why, in any situation, Elaine preferred to respond first.

But this time, she truly had nothing to say.

Not because it was absurd. In truth, because she herself had thought something similar before.

“Exactly what time did you come from?”

“Well, I didn’t expect Your Highness to be so amusing. Hahaha…”

“Or perhaps it’s not you who’s from the future—but someone close to you?”

“What a delightful sense of humor.”

Elaine barely held her composure. Yes, it was a plausible assumption.

She had expanded her business without making a single misstep. From the outside, it might seem like she knew the future.

“To say I’m from the future… means you value my intuition. I appreciate the compliment.”

“It’s not a metaphor. I’m asking literally.”

“You’re asking if I’m from the future?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why you’re asking that?”

“You just give off that impression.”

“Just because I seem that way?”

“Uh-huh.”

Now Elaine wanted to know what this princess was really thinking. So she firmed her tone.

“Your Highness.”

Elaine wasn’t the type to be cowed by royalty.

“You’re not telling me you rushed over just because I seemed suspicious. As if you’d been waiting for this moment. Knowing your nature, that sounds even stranger.”

“You even know my nature?”

“I thought you could become an important client.”

“Do you have something special to sell me?”

“I do. But I’d prefer we return to the main topic.”

“I thought you’d treat it as a joke, but you’re taking it seriously.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe because you feel caught?”

“Your Highness. If you won’t clearly state your reason for visiting, I have no reason to continue this conversation.”

“Fufufu…”

Yekaterina let out a playful laugh.

It was the first new expression she’d shown that day. Elaine, who was about to snap back, stayed silent for a moment.

There was no particular reason.

She just wanted to see that face a little longer. A look that quieted people with a single expression. Truly a face from another world.

Elaine let out a deep sigh.

“In any case…”

She considered Yekaterina’s position. She didn’t know how much was true, but she didn’t seem mentally unstable.

Nor was she someone who’d come here to joke around for no reason.

“Then please be direct. I’m tired.”

“I understand. You still seem on guard, so I’ll start.”

Yekaterina gently stroked her teacup with her fingers and spoke casually.

“I’m from the future, too. That’s why I ask these things.”

Elaine was speechless again. Most would’ve questioned her sanity or assumed she was joking.

But Elaine, without realizing it, was taking her seriously. Which meant she harbored the same suspicions.

Since Yekaterina mentioned the future, Elaine had been thinking of one name.

Yuri Briol.

That business partner of hers who always seemed to have the answers, like he knew the future.

“Hahaha…”

When Elaine didn’t respond, Yekaterina let out a soft laugh.

“It must be strange hearing something so sudden.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Yes, that’s understandable.”

That unreadable smile reminded her of him too. While Elaine was lost in thought, Yekaterina spoke cheerfully again.

“But now that I’ve said it, I’ll tell you the story. You can ignore it if you like.”

“Understood.”

“It’s just a story about someone I knew. Alright?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

She lowered her long lashes and began.

“This person… one day suddenly began remembering things from the future. As if he had returned to the past.”

“I see.”

“But the memories weren’t complete. They were more like scattered fragments, torn-out pages. At first, he thought it was a delusion. But then, the things he remembered began to come true.”

“I understand.”

“So he wanted to know if there was anyone else like him. And while watching the world… he found you. A merchant succeeding as if she knew the future.”

“I’ve just been lucky.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s not you.”

“Excuse me?”

“There is someone else. Someone who’s following a different path than the future I knew.”

At some point, the subject changed, but neither seemed to mind.

“Your early business success is likely thanks to that person. Am I wrong?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’d like you to be honest.”

“You speak as if you’re sure someone is behind me.”

“I am.”

Elaine couldn’t deny that Yekaterina’s story was intriguing.

She, too, had suspicions about Yuri Briol. And the line “your early success in business” didn’t escape her notice.

She wanted to know what kind of future Yekaterina remembered. What had happened to herself? Had she still built her company eventually?

And Yuri Briol? Was he still that incredible man?

She had many questions.

But before all that, Elaine asked the most important one.

“Your Highness. May I make a guess?”

“Uh-huh. A guess.”

“Since the story’s interesting, I want to join in too. Let’s say, like you said, someone’s behind me. And that person really does know the future.”

“And if they do?”

“What would you do with them?”

It was just a question thrown out casually.

But when she heard it, Yekaterina’s face darkened. Like a flower that wilted in an instant, her radiant face was now clouded in sorrow.

Had something happened between them? Elaine waited calmly.

But Yekaterina struggled to find words.

At times like this, it was best to ease the mood.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

“If it’s difficult to answer, I can rephrase.”

“It’s fine.”

“We have time, so take it slowly. First…”

Elaine thought carefully and asked what she was most curious about.

“What kind of person was he?”