Глава 8

So you're finally here.

Hui-chieh.

Hui-chieh:

The storm hasn't broken for days. The whole valley's snowed over.

The raspberry bushes still haven't budded. It's like spring'll never come.

We're trapped here, starving, dressed thin, and every silent day we pass waiting for the snow to melt drives us out of our minds.

You know, there's something about it all I find odd.

We've never once had a smooth time of it. Any better circumstances, and they'd go to shit fast the moment I get involved.

Maybe it really is like the Lungmenites say. I'm a bad omen. Nothing good comes of being around me.

Reminds me of something from a hell of a long time ago.

I've been thinking how I need to share my thoughts with you, in order to find peace.

December 14th

Third year without the Black Snake

A small Ursus hamlet

Talulah, get back here! You can't let them see you like that, for heaven's sakes.

Don't worry! I'm coming in now.

Why won't you just take those clothes off?! I've said it over and over, they'll bring those damned bugs around!

Those big, black, poisonous bugs... One bite and a whole field goes barren!

I always wear my normal clothes, don't I? I've only been wearing these lately because I had to be outside.

You remember the gentleman who gave me these clothes, don't you? The handsome one. He wouldn't recognize me in anything else.

I believe destiny will send him to me again. When that time comes, you and your husband can both live happily ever after.

Bah! Talulah... Talulah! A bald-faced liar, that's what you are. What about everything you said before, then?

Oh. What was it I said before? I've forgotten. It was the same, wasn't it?

You said your father gave you these clothes as a birthday gift!

You said he was robbed blind by some ring-headed foreigner, and you ran off crying, these clothes soaked in his blood!

You're all over the place... The time before that was a different story too!

Ah, so I can't keep it straight? Your memory's just wonderful.

Don't suck up to me! Always talking complete nonsense... I've got a foot in the grave, but look at you, running an old coot like me in circles. Don't you feel even a bit of shame?

Ah. I'm sorry, that's wrong of me. Really.

Now sit down! Don't bother with your clothes! Driving me up the wall!

Chop, chop! Polish off that lunch already. You told me you'd be back by noon and the sun's almost down!

I left the soup on for you, but it's nearly boiled dry now. You may as well be having your supper at this rate!

Oh, dear Majesty, how could our little girl turn out this way...?

Get that down, you. The old man still wants you for something. Oh, that miserable drunk! Where's he run off now...? You'll have to find him yourself.

Alright, I get it.

Hmph! You grew up so well, but not a single true word comes out of your mouth! Just like all those sweet-talking youngsters in the city!

I nearly got swindled once when I was younger... There's nothing good about them!

Enough... I've heard this one a hundred times.

Talking back! Right... here. Oh, come on, take your plate now! And eat your bread, snappity-snap!

Don't rush like that! You'll choke!

...*Sigh*, you were all soaked in blood the day you showed up, though.

I still get chills thinking about it, Talulah. If you weren't one of those good kids, the old man would've split your head open with a hatchet right then and there.

Who can even tell if someone else is good or bad at a single glance...?

That day you ran here, it was an evening dark as dark was, with all beasts crawling outside. Burdenbeasts or meatbeasts, they never stopped howling! Really made me uneasy...

And then, and then that thing you were carrying...

Unf, pff... *cough* *cough*!

What a big knife it was! I'd never seen one so big in all my years!

That was a sword... a sword! Not a knife. And don't take it to clear out mountain paths again. That's not what it's for.

And by the way! Didn't we agree never to speak of that again? I'm getting upset.

Whoops, my big mouth! Pfeh! Oh, Emperor above! I won't say a word more, not a single word of it again! Oh, Your Majesty, forgive an old blabbermouth for her careless slip!

That's enough. Surely the Emperor's in no place to care. He's living it up just fine in his grand old city, and us? We can't even find potatoes to eat next week. He couldn't do anything for us, even if he wanted to.

For that matter, I'm wondering if you even know who the Emperor is now?

How rude!

The soup... are we out of salt?

Yes! We ran out a while ago. The salt jar went empty last night! Hmph, you're just as wasteful as that old man! Eating all our salt... you'll pickle yourselves dead!

And Lord knows what in the world you're up to when you leave for days at a time! You come back with nothing, no money, not even a thing to eat! A girl driving this house to ruin...!

I get it, I get it. I'm changing it out now.

So healthy you are! You ought to be working!

Don't bother. I had a chat with Alina just a minute ago. She'll bring us some salt. Now look at you!

Alina is a lot more reliable than you! She likes her studying, she gets hands-on with her work, and you still can't even sew your own clothes!

...To each their own.

Eh? What do you mean?

Everyone has her own ambitions.

So what ambitions have you got? Ought to find someone good, a strong lad 'n' lass! If we leave you to do the work, mossoat'll be rotting underground before long.

I haven't slacked once on the yearly farmwork.

You've only been here how many years?!

Talulah never falls behind on her work. Please stop scolding her.

Alina! You need to help me talk some sense into her, or else she'll keep going on like this, and...

And there's not much wrong with that.

Oh, at last, you're here. You're the only one who knows how to quiet her down.

So you're all grown up, are you! Think you're a noble just because you draped yourself in some uniform you got from Lord-knows-where? Small as you are, you put on airs anyway! Where'd you learn that...?!

I have work to do! You two eat up. If you're hungry, Alina. Talulah, don't eat too much! Leave some for Alina.

Alright, alright... alright.

I'll be fine, Ma'am. Thank you.

Talulah, I've brought some salt over. The salt merchant will be here next week, so remember to buy some then.

Thank you so, so much, Alina. Without you, she'd be going on for another twenty minutes.

I can hear you!

Where'd you go this time?

Nowhere, just out for a walk to feel the wind. Right, the landscape painting you wanted.

Ah, you actually remembered. Thank you, thank you a lot, Talulah.

This brush type... This isn't by the local painters.

The old painter in Shmyr only knows hard strokes. I can't imagine him using a feather brush. These soft tips, this was a nighteye's plumage... from before it molted.

Talulah, you went to the city.

...Can't hide anything from you.

Why hide things from me? I'm not Gendarmerie. Or a tax collector.

You don't need to know about any of it. It's danger all around there.

And you're in the thick of it, then?

The deer facing her seemed almost supernatural. The white-haired Draco felt, deep down, that if you didn't want Alina to know what was happening, your best option was not to let those things happen at all.

I'm just saying... Alina, you don't need to worry about th—

Trouble! There's trouble...!

What's all the racket about?! Storming in without even knocking! I don't know what I'll do if the bolt's broken!

The... The Infected Patrol Unit!

Your old man brought this rabble on us!

What?!

Talulah! Where are you going?

Oh, the knife! Alina, don't let her wave that thing around!

Let me repeat myself, old boy. I could just break your leg and come in all the same.

You've already come searching before! What're you here for now?! We can't even afford your taxes anymore! What more do you want to wring out of us?!

This is a routine inspection! We don't care how you try to sweeten the pot this time, we're mandated to inspect every two years... If we don't carry this out, then we're all in for the whip.

But if you just consent...