TGBWT 05

Chapter: 05

“I think that’s enough pruning.”

Lilith laughed lightly, tossed aside the expensive pruning shears, and quickly climbed down the ladder.

Just then, Xenia returned carrying buckets filled with water.

One in each hand, and another balanced on top of her head.

“Doctor, I’ve brought the water.”

“Good.”

“B-But that’s not holy water… No, wait—before that, how are you balancing a bucket on your head?!”

The trio of caretakers had already reached the point where they had given up trying to understand anything.

Clicking her tongue, Lilith reached to take the buckets from Xenia, but Edrion stepped in.

Before Lilith could say anything, he took the buckets himself and walked toward the exposed roots.

“Should I pour it here?”

“No. It’s better to water the soil around the roots rather than pouring directly onto them. A tree this large would have roots that spread deep and far underground.”

Edrion scattered the water over the area Lilith pointed out.

The three buckets were emptied in no time.

The caretakers had now begun openly weeping. This level of sacrilege was more than enough for them.

“That should do it. I’d like to take a break.”

[More.]

“I’ve been traveling all day, so I’m exhausted.”

[I said more.]

“So tired I’m even hearing things now. Haha.”

[Over here, teacher. Right here.]

She had intended to commit sacrilege.

Apparently she’d done it a little too successfully.

A holy voice wasn’t reaching her ears—it was speaking directly inside her head.

She had expected to be expelled from the Imperial Capital, never to return.

She had not expected mysterious hallucinations or the onset of insanity.

[…So that’s how you’re going to play it.]

The way the World Tree trembled gave her a very bad feeling.

Lilith naturally glanced down.

The root beneath her feet had begun turning black.

Whatever was happening, this was bad.

No, seriously, this couldn’t happen.

At this rate, I’ll be torn apart and killed before the original story even begins!

“Ah… haha.”

Laughing awkwardly, Lilith hurriedly dragged loose soil over the exposed root, covering it completely.

Operation: Cover-Up.

[…]

Naturally, it didn’t work.

When even the surrounding roots started turning black, Lilith immediately jumped to her feet.

“Water! We need more water!”

“…?”

“Quit standing around! Grab the buckets and run to the lake! Move!”

At Lilith’s urgent shout, Edrion and the knights all sprinted toward the lake at once.

Xenia also departed carrying three buckets again, just as she had before.

That left only Lilith, the delinquent disguised as a tree, and the trio of caretakers.

Seeing their chance, the caretakers finally spoke.

“Since Duke Akshad isn’t here at the moment, we must say what needs to be said.”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“This is sacrilege. What you have just done is undeniable sacrilege, Lady.”

“Not only did you call these beautiful golden leaves ‘yellowed,’ you even pruned Lord World Tree’s branches and poured ordinary dirty water instead of holy water!”

“This is a matter that must immediately be reported to His Majesty. We can no longer overlook—! Ahem.”

The caretakers abruptly fell silent.

The knights who had disappeared toward the lake came charging back like a stampeding herd of bulls.

Following booming chants, they poured water.

Then poured even more.

At some point, Xenia had returned and was now standing behind Lilith with her arms folded.

“Why are your hands empty?”

“The Duke instructed me to stay by your side, Doctor.”

“No, whose maid are you exactly…? Fine, we’ll talk about that later.”

The soil that had been so dry it produced nothing but dust was now thoroughly soaked.

Only then did Lilith call for everyone to stop and patted the shoulder of the nearest knight.

“Good work, everyone.”

“N-Not at all!”

[Ah… now I finally feel alive.]

Lilith blinked blankly.

The glittering golden leaves somehow looked faintly greener than before.

Surely it was just her imagination.

Yes.

She decided it had to be.

“Lilith, shall we head back now? The sun will be setting soon.”

“It’s already that late…?”

Before she realized it, the sunset had painted the sky crimson.

On a whim, Lilith glanced back at the World Tree.

As if the voices and visions had all been a dream, the World Tree stood there looking like nothing more than a sacred and beautiful tree.

A perfectly ordinary tree.

One without a mouth.

Well, whatever.

By tomorrow morning she’d probably be exiled for sacrilege and never allowed to return anyway.

Smiling to herself, Lilith followed Edrion down the hill.

Unaware that—

[Pii…]

Hidden among her hair, the tiny leaf she had plucked first had grown a pair of bean-sized eyes and was quietly looking around.

“Ugh… I’m dying.”

Lilith lay sprawled in the steaming bathtub like a soggy newspaper.

After spending her entire life sitting behind a desk, a day this physically demanding made her feel as though years had been shaved off her lifespan.

As she languished in the hot water, Xenia, who was attending to her bath, asked,

“Did you enjoy today’s outing?”

“’Outing,’ my foot.”

“I’ve served you for six years now, Doctor, but today was the first time I’ve ever seen you so energetic.”

So my desperate struggle for survival looked energetic to you.

I see…

“Even when you went out, it was usually no farther than the Academy. I think getting some fresh air once in a while is good for you.”

“Xenia… could it be…”

A sudden thought crossed Lilith’s mind.

Did she deliberately push me into going out? Just so I could get some fresh air?

To be fair, the recent news from the Imperial Capital had weighed heavily on her mind.

Only a few months had passed since the tyrant Razer had been deposed.

Earlier this year, a new emperor had ascended the throne, and House Akshad had been restored.

Which meant the day the original Lilith was destined to die was drawing ever closer.

Since Xenia was always by her side, perhaps she’d noticed even the slightest change in her behavior.

So…

“You’re coming with me.”

“I’m responsible for managing your estate, Doctor. If I leave, this place will…”

“What if I pay you twice your current salary?”

“Welcome, valued customer.”

Hmm.

Yeah.

There was no way that was the reason.

“I want to bathe alone.”

“If you fall asleep and drown in the tub, Doctor, I’ll be unemployed.”

“Thanks for your concern. Now get out.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After Xenia left, silence settled over the room.

Only then did Lilith remember something she’d completely forgotten amid all the day’s chaos.

“As your fiancé, I’ve neglected you for far too long.”

“Pardon?”

“I was wrong. This was entirely my fault.”

Edrion had referred to himself as her fiancé.

But their engagement had been broken off six years ago.

The previous Duke Akshad had personally visited to formally request the annulment, and in exchange for agreeing, Lilith had received a considerable amount of compensation.

It had been a perfectly legal dissolution of the engagement with the consent of both parties.

Then why is he suddenly acting like this?

Edrion hadn’t attended the meeting where she signed the annulment papers.

But there was no way he hadn’t known the engagement had been canceled.

There was simply no reason for the Duke to hide such a thing from his own son.

The more reasonable explanation for his absence that day was not ignorance, but indifference.

After all, since the engagement ceremony, he’d barely even seen his fiancée.

Something’s definitely strange. We need to talk.

Climbing out of the bathtub, Lilith hastily dried herself and slipped into a thin robe.

She didn’t know where Edrion’s quarters were, but if she stopped any passing knight and asked them to relay a message, they could probably meet within a few days.

Thinking that, Lilith stepped out of her bedroom.

“Lilith?”

“…Duke Akshad.”

An unexpected voice echoed through the corridor.

Leaning against the wall opposite her bedroom door, Edrion looked at her in surprise.

Straightening up, he walked toward her.

“You’ve been on your feet all day. If you need anything, please tell me.”

“No, it’s not really that…”

She was about to politely decline when something he said finally registered.

Wait… what did he just say?

A duke was offering to personally wait on her?

Instead of simply calling for a servant?