Chapter 252: Chapter 252
Receiving confirmation from his child, Orland moved his seat closer to make the child feel the privacy a storyteller should give to their audience.
"It is a story... More of a legend that occurred in the secluded lands we are to visit."
Pinching a piece of the apples he wanted her to eat, Orland commenced, offering the silverware for her to hold and eat the juicy fruit as the snack she had suggested. Intending to help her not forget as he knew she would concentrate on his storytelling from here onward.
Meanwhile, at a polite distance, Paige waited on her Master, pleased at the scene yet with overwhelming mustiness in her chest.
’My Lady’s expression... It... It changed shape... So majestically...’
Wishing to cry, the young maid restrained the trembling chin that wanted to express her joy and thrilled emotion.
’... Perhaps... It was not an illusion of mine back then.’ — Paige smiled softly in moved thought. Reminiscing on the day the foreign soul had arrived in this Realm.
That day, doing as her duty solicited, Paige had attended the Lady as usual... Nonetheless, the young miss was different.
She could tell there was a new attitude in her always expressionless Ladyship. To begin with... That morning she was standing on her feet when she arrived... Something she never did before, for she always would wait calmly seated at the edge of her mattress.
Paige did not point it out to the Miss, yet she noticed and she gladly witnessed other tiny hints as a good sign in the Lady’s mood.
However, the young maid had deemed an unusual sight as a misconception of her eyes for they long ago have been yearning to see some kind of change in the kind Lady she served.
’I... I thought I had seen it wrong... She appeared so beautiful... So elegant in the mirror’s reflection... Closing her eyes while holding her own hand that... That I had thought my desire to see my Lady’s lovely smile had fooled my eyes...’
Lifting her gaze to see the intent eyes of the Lady listening attentively to her Father, Paige felt overwhelmed again by the wave her beaming figure summoned as she remembered clearly the lifeless stare it normally portrayed for years.
’Fortunately... It was not an illusion...’
Wiping her lids before the tears could fall, Paige discreetly inhaled. Deeply inspired to finally learn the truth of that lucky picture she once saw and from time to time would imagine to see in the Lady she served after that day... As if it was her prayer to the divine that could make it a reality someday.
’Izeneya... I thank you for my Lady’s smile... Please make it so no other illusion of mine is deemed false by my stupidity... So I can protect my Lady properly... So I don’t miss any detail as important...’
Lowering her head, the young girl held her hands together in a heartfelt plea. Composing herself so she could serve her masters as she acknowledged they deserved.
While in the midst of her convincement, her Lord had taken the Lady’s notes and drew in them a tiny sketch of a manor so the child could visualize where was it that this tale unfolded.
"As you can guess, the Forest House is located in a leafy forest... However, it is at its entrance. Just where the high trees had commenced their roots, that is where the House poses as is the beginning of it.
The house is the door that welcomes the mystery behind it and the gap that separates the vast landscape in front of it, from the nature inside it."
Drawing the appearance of a house, the shape imitated what a prominent tree’s trunk would be. Elevating rustically yet befitting of the scene behind it.
’It looks cool... Your Dad knows how to draw Marianne...’ — Rapted by the intriguing tale she observed the sketches, also absorbed by what she was already imagining in her head.
"The tale is not elaborate, my dear... Nonetheless, it is intriguing." — Orland then warned, playful as he used the pencil to tease her nose, proceeding to pinch another apple so she could snack on it.
"The territory our Family holds was given so we could nurture it. And it has grown to what we proudly see today. Yet, that place was left untouched... Even though it is obvious to anyone’s eye that the value its nature holds would permit people to live comfortably."
’That’s good since it seems like a special place.. ’— She considered. — ’But why? People usually explode the earth for benefits, so... It’s not something to be proud of but... What stops you in this case?’
"The reason behind it is the legend itself. " — Orland continued to answer to her curious eyes. — "A legend that a passing bard gave birth to, about something that is unknown to us mortals and no legend from Izeneya tells it... A crafted legend by us curious ones... about what a spirit becomes after their death."
’Oh... A spirit’s death, you say...’
Slightly saddened, Marianne turned to look behind her, towards the mattress where she had left her treasure.
"Mhm... We don’t truly know what becomes of them... Yet listen, my child, do not feel sad so soon. I would not tell a tale that would sadden you, would I?"
’... That’s true... Do continue, mister. I am d*mbo. I am all ears.’ — Finding reason in his words she went back to pay further attention to his story.
"The bard’s lyrics were like this:
<<Crossing the plains, there we found a splinter.
Wore on by the sunny journey we pierced it in the lonesome dirt, oh despicable! with muddy feet.
No laugh we could get for no sense was in it.
And we left and we left... Oh, lonesome is the splinter. >> "
"??" — ’That’s all??’
"... It says nothing yet, does it not?" — Giggling at his daughter’s confusion, Orland said.
’Yeah... I don’t get it, Mister.’
"But that was the first half. The bard finished the strophes a few years later.
<<Holding the wine I was, oh joyful for winter had passed.
Feet that wandered in drunk took me back to those lands I did not reminisce about.
A trunk! Oh, a trunk veiled my dusk!
The splinter we left behind, a trunk had become.
Hai hai hai~ we fool laughed.
Vindictive wroth the splinter’s spirit was.
For our night was soft like the leaves of its forest...
But oh, my soul cries... Oh, lonesome splinter... Lonesome trunk.
Was the spirit’s sadness as harsh? >>"
’... Mister... That’s still sad.’ — Quiet she paused to his recited phrases, continuing to feel depressed at the song.
"For many years no one went near the Forest House because of the bard song. It was believed that sadness had invaded his soul and it had withered taking his life after telling the tale in the melody... It was thought the curse of the house’s spirit was his killer."
’... I am hoping there is more...’ — Marianne glanced poutily. — ’I don’t like it if it’s like this, mister...’
Noticing her waiting gaze, the Duke grinned and then continued.
"However, on a night of strong rain, the bard appeared."
"!!" — ’Oh~ here comes the thriller!’
"The song was the same as many have heard but more phrases were added, those he cried in joy so the rain would not drown his sound.
<<Dance and dance oh lonesome trunk!
Rain has come and soaked the once splinter!
Our dusk was rediscovered devotion to your roots.
May the trunk stay lonesome as peace is the need of my splinter’s spirit.
We are to meet again, oh! we are to dance! oh, splinter! oh, trunk! oh, the nature’s house you have become! >>
The rain lasted many days and the bard sang as it lasted. His last verses were full of joy and his voice ceased to sing after that.
It may seem like a bit of a sad story at first. Yet sad stories have a happy source...
With the last prose the wise ones of our household at the time decided to leave the Forest House out of man’s reach.
The mysterious appearances of the bard and his words in the melodies were enough to take as a warning whilst superstitious times.
’May the lonesome trunk stay lonesome as peace is the need of my splinter’s spirit’, the wise ones abided and left it on its own.
And ’We are to meet again’... It was taken as a promise to visit.
But if you remember the start of the newest lyrics... Basically, it was a song born from love."
’... Was... Was the trunk the bard’s love?’
Her eyes widened in expectation, and Orland smiled to the wonderful purity within before continuing with a fond smile.
"... We Sylfinniers don’t ever let hand be laid on the Forest House because nothing should disrupt a spirit’s love. We have thought that... The bard was the spirit in his song’s lover.
They separated and reunited, to then the man disappear and finish the song. Whether it truly was a spirit... we do not know... Hence, the bard was clever."
"???" — ’Nngh~... Elaborate, mister. I’m a foreigner, I kind of have a gist of why... But...’
Unsure to believe her deductions, she pressed for more information accepting the piece of apple the Duke offered, aloof to it for she was in utmost concentration.
"Haha. If we cannot confirm it was not a spirit, we cannot risk disturbing it.
If it is simply the place where his mortal lover rests... Or if it’s his spirit lover that rests there... The bard made sure to protect it with the uncertainty rooted in his listeners."
’Oh~ that’s pretty clever~... a love story... Haha, the bard was a romantic one...’
"I like this story... More so now, my child." — The duke then confessed, as he saw his daughter understand the explanation.