AWLITEB Chapter 36

Isabella finished her simple preparations.

She wore a modest dress with no accessories at all.

Her hair was pulled tightly back in a single knot, and her makeup consisted only of a touch of color on her eyebrows and lips. Today she'd be busy traveling around the western region all day.

After their carriage stopped at the orphanage, Genos and Isabella's next destination was the elderly shelter.

The shelter was packed full with old people abandoned for being aged and infirm.

The moment she stepped from the carriage, Isabella lost her words for a moment.

Those aged gazes passing idle, lonely days—they caught Isabella off guard.

"Your Grace the Grand Duke, Miss Isabella. It's an honor that you've visited."

"Your steps bring glory to this place."

The caregivers working at the shelter bowed, greeting them.

Isabella withdrew her stunned gaze from the elderly and quickly smiled.

"I've been concerned about not visiting. I'm glad we could make the trip today."

At Genos's words, the caregivers bowed their heads humbly.

Genos and Isabella followed their guidance into the building.

The three-story building was at maximum capacity—every room filled with elderly residents.

Isabella walked slowly down the corridor with Genos, physically feeling the weight of the elderly residents' stares.

The caregiver guiding them sensed this too and bowed apologetically.

"I apologize. Most of the elderly here suffer from mental illness, so it's difficult to make them observe proper etiquette toward Your Grace and the Miss."

"Don't worry about it."

Genos said.

Isabella also shook her head with a smile.

"I'm not bothered at all, so don't concern yourself."

"Your ocean-deep grace overwhelms us."

After expressing his gratitude respectfully, the caregiver led them to the reception room.

"I'll bring a report on the shelter's current status. Please wait a moment. May I ask what kind of tea you'd prefer?"

"Any herbal tea is fine. With sugar."

"Yes, Your Grace."

The caregiver bowed politely and left, closing the reception room door.

As soon as he left, Isabella dropped her artificial smile and trudged to the sofa to sit.

Meanwhile, to avoid creating a second northern orphanage incident, Genos thoroughly checked every corner of the small room to confirm no one was present.

Only then did he approach and sit beside Isabella.

"Why are you exhausted already? We haven't even visited the orphanage yet. This is just today's first stop."

"Seeing people disconnected from love and affection—it's exhausting. Like looking in a mirror, it hurts."

As Genos narrowed his eyes, Isabella made a dejected expression.

"You know this. It doesn't get fixed overnight. Even if you dislike my attitude, there's nothing I can do. This is who I've become over a lifetime."

"I know. I'm just curious when your trauma might ease."

"I wonder about that too—"

That's when it happened.

Bang! The door flew open without warning.

And so forcefully that it slammed against the wall with a crash!

Startled, Isabella gasped and sprawled across the sofa.

But embarrassingly, considering how badly she'd been startled—the person who'd opened the door was an elderly man who looked close to ninety.

"Please, have mercy!"

The caregiver who'd rushed in after him immediately dropped to his knees.

As the loud noise drew curious elderly residents, they began gathering at the reception room entrance.

In a word: total chaos.

Of course, guard knights stood watch outside the reception room, but their opponents were incredibly frail elderly people.

Afraid that rough handling by able-bodied men might break bones, no one could easily drive them out.

The reception room rapidly filled with dozens of elderly residents. If this wasn't bedlam, what was?

"You seem short-staffed."

At Genos's observation, the caregiver shook his head frantically.

"Two staff members called in sick today. Normally it's not this chaotic. Please forgive us."

"Have mercy, Your Grace."

The caregivers wept, bowing their heads in confusion.

"How can I punish those afflicted with illness? Enough—just clear the reception room. At this rate, we'll suffocate before we can read any reports."

Genos gestured at the reception room at 100% human capacity—not even room to stand.

Isabella and Genos had been sitting quite close, yet already three elderly residents had squeezed between them.

The caregivers hurried to support the elderly and escort them outside.

But the very first old man who'd entered refused to leave, clinging stubbornly to the sofa's armrest.

"Please leave now. Hurry!"

The caregivers tried to use force, but the old man was immovable.

Genos rubbed the bridge of his nose hard, looking exhausted.

Isabella watched the situation helplessly when Genos waved his hand lightly.

"Just leave him and bring me the report."

"B-but, Your Grace—"

"Do it. Now."

When Genos spoke with a tired expression, the caregivers hesitated briefly before all but one left the room.

"You too. Out."

"Yes? But someone should watch the old man—"

"Out."

At Genos's firm command, the caregiver couldn't argue further and quietly left the room.

The old man sat silently on the sofa, conserving words.

"I'll need double sugar today."

Genos muttered, looking completely drained.

"Yes. I'll give you two cups—my share too."

As Isabella spoke, the old man suddenly jerked his head up.

The movement was so swift it was startling.

As Genos and Isabella unconsciously watched the old man's movements, he slowly withdrew something from his pocket.

A dead bird.

"It died."

The old man muttered quietly, looking at Isabella.

The bird he held was a small white baby bird, dead with its neck broken.

"Should've kept a caregiver in here."

Genos muttered.

The old man stared only at Isabella, not even glancing at Genos.

"It died, teacher."

The old man whispered toward Isabella in a small voice.

An old man suffering from dementia, apparently.

Genos started to rise to call a caregiver, but Isabella reached out and grabbed him.

Isabella silently mouthed It's okay to the Grand Duke, then looked at the old man.

"So it has. A sad thing."

"Then it will never rise again?"

"No. But it's nature's way."

"Nature is terrible. I'll die like this too, won't I? That's right, isn't it? It's frightening, teacher."

"What?"

"I'll die this miserably too, won't I? Close my eyes and never open them again—that's it, right?"

The old man pressed closer to Isabella, growing more insistent.

Genos's mood was souring, but Isabella waved the hand she'd extended behind the old man at Genos, signaling him not to intervene.

"But even after death, you can soar again."

"How? When you've fallen like this!"

The old man shrieked and hurled the bird he held toward the floor.

The bird sprawled on the floor like discarded trash. The old man's eyes welled with tears.

As tears filled those wrinkled eyes, Isabella gently spread both palms before the old man.

Then a small red bird made of magic—pretty as flame—spread its wings.

"After death, the soul can soar like this."

Whispering, Isabella lightly flicked her palms upward.

The red bird performed graceful aerial acrobatics, flying through the air before passing through the window and vanishing.

The old man cried out in delight, clapping his gnarled hands together.

"Even after death, it's not eternal death. Even after dying, you can fly."

The old man muttered with a happy smile. Then he suddenly embraced Isabella.

Genos nearly tore the old man away, but Isabella raised her hand again to stop him.

The old man stood from the sofa with a face bright as sunshine, then left the room before they could stop him.

Isabella carefully picked up the abandoned bird from the floor.

"This bird should be buried in the front yard."

"......"

"What?"

Genos was staring at her intently, his cheek resting against the sofa back.

"Why waste magic on something like that?"

"What?"

"I'll admit it was impressive. I didn't know you'd developed that trick."

"I had a nightmare about a vicious dog recently. Because of someone."

"That someone is me?"

"Who else would it be?"

Isabella glared at her shameless fiancé and continued.

"But the moment I woke from the nightmare, there was a red dog right in front of my eyes. I nearly fainted from shock, but when I looked closer, I'd unconsciously created its form using magic. So I've been developing it little by little. It doesn't last very long yet."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to tell you when I could maintain it for more than ten seconds. You're busy, Your Grace."

"No matter how busy, I always have time to talk about you. From now on, if you discover something, tell me. Understood?"

"Fine, fine, I understand."

Isabella smiled and started to rise, but Genos grabbed her and made her sit back down.

"Ah! I almost dropped the bird!"

"We're not done talking. You didn't answer my question about wasting magic on something like that."

"I'll admit it was effort spent on something that won't earn me any reputation. But it doesn't cost money."

Isabella lightly shrugged.

"If today becomes a decent memory that grandfather carries until he dies, it's worth doing once."

"You sound like a volunteer."

"I know better than anyone how hard it is to pass each day in a place without dreams or hope."

"You're very strange. You know that?"

Genos smiled at Isabella as he spoke.

Isabella could tell his words weren't meant unkindly. Genos found her interesting.

And the feeling was mutual. She also thought Genos strange and interesting.

"Some days you're insane with wanting to kill someone, and other days you want to make a confused old man happy."

"When you put it that way, I really do sound weird. But my thinking is actually very simple. I want bad people dead. Painfully and humiliatingly dead. But I want everyone else to be happy. That's all."

Isabella grinned and stood.

"Now. Let's go bury this bird. Holding a dead bird is starting to give me the creeps."

"We've arrived."

The carriage door opened as the guard announced.

Isabella, who'd dozed off, startled awake at his voice.

She took the guard's hand and stepped out in a daze. But the sensation beneath her shoes felt strange.

This grittiness seeping into her shoes—it was sand.

Realizing this, Isabella rubbed her eyes and looked around. This was the beach.

"Guard from a distance."

Genos followed her out of the carriage and gave the order.

The guards obeyed as one, taking their positions. Not too far, but distant enough that they couldn't hear Genos and Isabella's conversation.

"Sit."

Genos guided Isabella to a blanket the guards had spread out earlier.

Isabella followed Genos in a daze, finding herself seated on a sandy beach where waves gently lapped before her eyes. Splash.

"I thought we were going back to the mansion?"

"I told you we'd go to the beach today."

"Ah...... right."

"Ah, right? You forgot?"

"Things were chaotic at the shelter today."

Isabella even yawned lazily. Haam.

Genos laughed hollowly, shaking his head in mock hurt.

"To think you completely forgot."

"I just forgot for a moment—why are you saying I 'completely' forgot?"

"Come on, breathe."

"What? ......I am breathing."

"Deeply. Close your eyes."

At Genos's command, Isabella closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

Salty, cold, refreshing, soft air rode through her nose and filled her lungs completely. Then escaped in a long exhale. Hooooo.

Isabella kept her eyes closed, her lips curving happily.

"Eat."

Genos suddenly put something in Isabella's mouth while her eyes were closed.

When Isabella's eyes flew open in surprise, she saw it was well-grilled fish.

It had been prepared in the corner of the blanket all along, but in the darkness, Isabella hadn't noticed.

"I had it prepared ahead of time."

"Suddenly a night beach with grilled fish. Am I in some kind of training?"

"No, we're just here to rest today. We won't stay long before moving to the south, so I wanted to leave you with at least one good memory of the west."

Genos picked up a stick and took a bite of fish.

He suited elegant, refined activities well, but these bold, undignified activities suited him even better.

Isabella followed his example and tasted the fish. She liked the rough, rustic flavor.

"How did you make the Viscountess kneel?"

"What? You were watching?"

When Isabella asked blankly, Genos chuckled.

"You actually made her kneel? I meant it figuratively."

He wiped a smudge of soot from the grilled fish off Isabella's lips with his finger.