Chapter 76

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Task
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Lucy did upon arriving at the palace was to entrust Duke Kill with the care of the Lycans she had brought with her.

After deciding to leave the Lycans at the temple, she discussed the situation at the border, received reports on recent events, and addressed the most pressing issues.

With her work done, she dragged her weary body toward the inner palace. As she passed through the quiet corridors and entered her chambers, an unexpected person greeted her with a bright face.

“Your Majesty. How was the south?”

Cocoche Rutherford, who had been eagerly awaiting the queen's return, smiled brightly and spoke the moment she saw Lucy.

Her hands were neatly clasped, and the corners of her mouth twitched incessantly, a clear sign she was dying to chat. *She's so energetic every time I see her. It's a marvel.* Hiding her fatigue, Lucy widened her eyes to appear more alert.

“It wasn't as warm as I expected. I heard you like dried fruit, so I bought some local specialties. You can open them later.”

“Oh, my... I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's consideration.”

Even after expressing her thanks, Cocoche showed no sign of leaving, instead pacing around Lucy and creating a distraction.

*What sort of nagging is she building up to?* In the end, Lucy was the first to surrender.

“Why? Is there something you wish to say to me?”

“Ah, it's nothing major, but there is something that's been on my mind.”

“What is it?”

“While I was tidying up your office earlier, I came across a peculiar document.”

“A peculiar document?”

When Lucy tilted her head and repeated the question, Cocoche glanced around and pursed her lips.

“Yes. It seemed to be a confidential document, so I was wondering if I should even mention it...”

“You are my one and only lady-in-waiting. There are hardly any secrets between us. So? What was on your mind?”

“Well... it said that ruins were discovered in the Lycan village, and I was curious about what kind of ruins they were.”

She had expected the usual nagging—that the hem of her dress was folded strangely or that she shouldn't stuff her fan in like that—so the unexpected topic piqued Lucy's interest.

“I didn't know you were interested in such things. Hmm... to put it simply, we discovered a place said to be a temple where the ancient Lycan gods resided.”

“A Lycan temple?”

Cocoche's eyes widened, and her mouth formed a small 'o'. Lucy raised a finger to her lips and lowered her voice.

“It may be a temple, but depending on the progress of the excavation, it could function as a strategic military point, so you must be careful not to let a word of this slip out.”

“I understand. But... is it really a temple? I heard that Lycans don't believe in gods. Could it be some other kind of cultural artifact?”

“We won't know for sure until more time passes, but for now, yes. The structure of the building, the atmosphere... it all felt similar to the Temple of the Nameless God.”

When she first arrived, she'd felt a sense of déjà vu. Thinking back, she realized the style of the pillars supporting the ceiling and the reliefs on the central altar were all very similar to what she had seen in the Temple of the Nameless God.

The ruins in the Lycan village looked ancient, but the Temple of the Nameless God was also a structure so old its age was difficult to determine. With a dragon statue at its center, it was unclear whether they worshipped dragons or some other deity, but there was certainly a common thread.

“Perhaps they were buildings constructed around the same time for similar purposes. I suspect a temple that was once above ground was buried by an earthquake or something of the sort.”

“I see. A Lycan temple...”

*A temple, a temple...* Cocoche furrowed her brow, mulling over the word, before replying in a lively voice.

“If the Lycans had gods, then the myths passed down only through oral tradition might not be false after all, right?”

“Myths? What myths?”

“The one that says all three races once lived under the grace of the gods. Now both the Lycans and the Raphi are nonbelievers, but it seems they were once the chosen people of the gods. There are even documents mentioning a black-eared race holding festivals at an altar...”

*What is this all about?*

As Lucy stood with her mouth shut and eyes wide, Cocoche covered her mouth with a gasp. "Oh, my."

“I was under the impression that humans were the only race to believe in gods. This is the first I'm hearing of this.”

“Ah, well! It's just something I speculated on while going through old documents... It's not a certainty, so you can just let it pass.”

She claimed it wasn't certain, but the Cocoche Rutherford Lucy knew was a bookworm with an extraordinary memory who wouldn't carelessly speak of unverified matters.

She must have mumbled it based on some knowledge she possessed.

“Not just the Lycans, but the Raphi too were the chosen people of the gods...?”

Come to think of it, the elder's interpretation had mentioned four lights. If each light represented a race, it would make a lot of sense.

*...No.*

Then what about the last one?

There isn't another race... Does it not refer to the races?

The more she thought, the more she felt lost in a labyrinth.

The information she had was far too limited to begin with. It was overwhelming enough just dealing with reality; talk of legends and myths didn't resonate with her.

Lost in thought while staring at the floor, Lucy felt Cocoche's sparkling gaze on her and looked up.

The moment their eyes met, a brilliant idea struck her.

“I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable in archaeology. I was just lamenting the scarcity of talent in that field.”

After a moment's thought, Lucy stroked her chin and continued.

“Cocoche. If you're interested, would you be willing to look into the ruins further?”

“The ruins... you mean the Lycan ruins you just mentioned?”

“Yes. Someone as scholarly as you would be a great asset to the excavation team. What do you say?”

Cocoche's face lit up, only to quickly darken.

She shrank back, darting her eyes around, her expression full of worry as if she feared this was a way of dismissing her from her duties as a lady-in-waiting.

“Uh... that... I am grateful for the offer, but...”

“Of course, only to the extent that it doesn't interfere with your duties as a lady-in-waiting. I need your help with official matters, so you will remain by my side when there is work to be done. Otherwise, I would like you to devote your energy to uncovering the secrets of the ruins.”

Cocoche, who had been shifting her eyes about uncertainly, clasped her hands tightly and bowed her head in gratitude. The wide smile that lifted the corners of her mouth betrayed her true, excited feelings.

Lucy smiled benevolently and dismissed Cocoche.

“Is she gone?”

The moment the door clicked shut, Lucy quickly turned her head and scanned the room.

As soon as she realized she was alone in the drawing room, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the sofa. She knew Cocoche would lecture her later about messing up her dress and hair, but right now, she just wanted to lie down.

Resting her cheek against a cushion, she replayed her conversation with Cocoche. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she recalled her last sentence.

*If she adapts well, I should just send her to the excavation team permanently.*

“I suppose I won't have to listen to Cocoche's nagging for a while.”

*It was a bit of a waste to keep someone like her as just a lady-in-waiting. And no nagging is a plus.*

She couldn't stop smiling at this unexpected outcome. Gazing up at the chandelier that cast a shimmering yellow light, Lucy couldn't fight off the encroaching drowsiness and quietly drifted into a nap.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

A week later, a commotion broke the tranquility of the royal palace.

“Arsinoe!”

Hearing her name for the first time in a while, Lucy snapped her head around.

There, standing in the doorway between the antechamber and the drawing room, was Young Marquess Ras. At the same time, she saw an attendant mouthing, "Should I get rid of him?" with a troubled expression.

“Oh... Young Marquess Geronimo Ras. What brings you to the palace?”

A letter requesting a private audience had arrived a few days ago, and she'd thought it was some kind of mistake, but it seemed he really did have business with her.

She took a sip of her tea and beckoned him in. Geronimo, his face red and fuming, stomped toward her imposingly.

*Why is he so angry?* Lucy thought, straightening her posture.

“The rumors are flying that Cocoche has been meeting some strange fellow lately.”

“Strange fellow? Who are you talking about... Ah, could it be.”

“Yes! That second son of the Kill ducal family!”

*So that's why he's so worked up.* Lucy rubbed her cheek and looked up at Geronimo with an awkward expression.

“That's a misunderstanding. Atlind Kill is a talented individual selected for the ruin investigation. He and Cocoche are meeting for research.”

The one-eyed young lord, Atlind Kill, had always been a rather competent scholar.

Lucy had sent Atlind, who was engrossed in theology, to the Lycan elder to conduct the ruin exploration together, and Cocoche had simply joined in to assist with the investigation.

“What do you mean, for research! Men and women should keep their distance...!”

To Geronimo, however, it was nothing more and nothing less than some fool clinging to the girl he liked.

The sight of them huddled together in the royal library day and night, laughing and chatting, was a bolt from the blue for him, especially since his romantic advances were already going nowhere thanks to the clueless Cocoche.

Unaware of his inner turmoil, Lucy frowned and looked at Geronimo as if to ask why he was picking a fight again.

“What's the problem?”

“Well, that's obviously...!”