CHGD 18

Chapter 18

Beneath a brilliant blue sky, a massive city welcomed us. Colorful buildings constructed in various regional styles, wide streets and shops I’d never seen in my homeland, and countless people enjoying the festival with happy expressions…

A world that seemed to have brought a fairy-tale happy kingdom to life was spread out before my eyes.

‘They’re not monsters… they’re all human.’

I didn’t sense the suspicious aura that emanated from Lloigor, the Count, or Ickabel. They were clearly ordinary humans, just like me.

“Come, Deliana.”

“Wait, just a moment. I’m not mentally prepared yet—”

“It’s alright. No one will recognize us.”

The Count kindly took my hand and led me into the heart of the city.

Thanks to the festival, the streets were bustling. Clowns and magicians performed everywhere, and street vendors selling mouth-watering, pungent snacks tempted the children.

All sorts of commotion and noise swirled around my ears.

“Mom! Buy me that!”

“No, you won’t eat your lunch!”

“Hahaha! That clown dropped his ball!”

“Now, the magic trick of the century begins! No admission fee required—!”

Couples walking arm in arm, children laughing atop wooden horses, cheerful music drifting from somewhere…

‘I’m not seeing an illusion, am I?’

It wasn’t that either. Unlike when I was deceived by Lloigor, this was overwhelmingly real.

Nor did I sense any falsehood in the people’s expressions. The streets were filled with pure happiness.

“How do you like it, Deliana?”

“……What do you mean?”

Even as I walked through such a bright and cheerful street, for some reason, I didn’t feel good. I unconsciously covered my drooping lips, and the Count pointed proudly at the street and said.

“Here, you’d never get tired of it even if you lived here forever, right? I’m finally able to show this place to you, Deliana.”

I didn’t answer, biting my lip.

His usually kind words felt more distant than ever today.

I deliberately averted my gaze from his radiant smile.

The beautiful Count, whose very smile captivated all attention, and his splendid city; the colorful buildings of unknown origin and his happy subjects…

The first impression that came to mind upon seeing it all was:

‘A miniature garden.’

It felt somewhat desolate.

After walking around the city with the excited Count for a while, I lost my energy and asked for a break. His expression immediately turned worried, and he led me to a small park away from the festival’s bustle.

“Shall we go back?”

“No. I’ll be fine if I rest for a bit.”

Sitting on a bench, I smiled to reassure the Count. Taking off my cloak and soaking in the sunlight helped lift my mood a little.

Feeling guilty for keeping him so flustered, I asked him to buy me a drink.

Normally, I would have asked a servant, but the Count left without a single complaint.

I was blankly watching his retreating figure when Ickabel, standing behind the bench, spoke in a chilly voice.

“Is Lord Lloigor not coming?”

This was his first words after keeping his mouth shut for hours.

Despite having been defeated while trembling, the moment the Count and Lloigor were gone, he resumed his haughty attitude. It reminded me of Lloigor’s description of him as a ‘young one.’

“He said he had business.”

He seemed quite curious about Lloigor’s whereabouts. Since I’d decided to use him as a subordinate, he’d eventually find out, but at least not now.

“But why did you ally yourself with Lord Lloigor, who killed the guard knight—”

“Wait, I’ll tell you about that later, so shut your mouth. This isn’t the place for that conversation. Read the room.”

“Ugh…….”

There was no way I’d answer just because he asked.

Ickabel, looking like he wanted to scream again, let out a small groan, but then gritted his teeth and backed down.

“And it’s ‘Milady,’ not ‘you.'”

He had called me ‘Milady’ in a pinch last time, but now that he was a bit more comfortable, he was subtly dropping the honorific.

“……You don’t call me ‘Sir’ either.”

“I will when you become a proper knight.”

“Then the title ‘Milady’—”

“I’m a proper lady of the house. If you don’t like it, tell His Excellency yourself.”

“…….”

Silence again.

It was frustrating that I had to teach him one by one, but I reminded myself that Ickabel was younger than he appeared.

I decided to consider personnel management as part of my duties as the lady of the house.

“By the way, Ickabel, I have a few questions.”

“I’m not allowed to ask questions, but you—Milady—are?”

“Yes. Because I’m the lady of the house.”

If you don’t like it, become the lady yourself.

Ickabel’s face crumpled.

“All the people in this town live here, right?”

“Of course.”

“Not brought in from somewhere for this festival or anything?”

“They’re humans who originally lived here. They’re not food, so why would we go through such trouble?”

It was off-putting that he compared humans to food, but I didn’t show it.

“Are those people brainwashed?”

“No.”

“Are their memories manipulated? Were they kidnapped?”

“We did encourage immigration from various places to help a few groups relocate, but we’ve never tampered with memories. ……But why are all your analogies so violent?”

Because you people are violent monsters.

The more we talked, the less I understood.

At first glance, this city showed no sign of the darkness of the outside world. There were poor people, but not as destitute as outside; the streets were clean down to every corner; and even when strangers like us appeared, the people showed no wariness.

It was impossible by the standards of the outside world. Finding this city’s peacefulness suspicious, Ickabel looked at me with raised eyes and asked.

“What’s your problem with it? Do you dislike a city where humans live?”

“Ickabel, have you ever been outside the Akeim domain?”

“Two… or three times.”

“Have you ever spoken with humans outside?”

“No. That’s not my job.”

I thought so. That’s why he could say such things—he knew nothing of the world.

I sighed.

“The Empire that Akeim belongs to is going through the worst era right now. The borderlands are stained with blood from long wars, and repeated disasters have caused food shortages. Needless to say, war taxes have increased the number of people starving to death.”

The nobles who bled their subjects dry were better off, but even they couldn’t dream of a hopeful future—that was the reality of the Empire.

And nobles without resources in their domains were bound to fall.

‘Like my family.’

The turbulent political situation also served as a justification for marriage contracts that sold daughters off to other houses.

Barbaric acts of cutting expenses and filling pockets tend to appear when misfortune becomes commonplace.

To think there could be such a peaceful street in that Empire—it was as hard to believe as the fact that my husband was a monster.

Just by looking at the faces of the passersby, I could tell that my family’s domain was no better than hell.

“How on earth did you create a city like this? What did you do?”

“W-Well….”

At my sharp questioning, Ickabel stammered in confusion.

“I heard that Lord Hastur chose good land. It’s so good that other beings covet it, saying it’s a waste to give it to humans. Outside the city are all fields and paddies, and they’ve never had food shortages because of the bountiful harvests every year.”

A self-sufficient society—I couldn’t even begin to imagine how large this city truly was.

“Of course, food is abundant, but I’ve heard that fabrics and luxury goods are brought in from outside. ……Ah! Also, sleeping in this world has the effect of restoring one’s soul.”

What was that supposed to mean?

I frowned and demanded an explanation.

“Hypnos lives here. He’s a being that devours dreams, and by Lord Hastur’s command, he consumes the nightmares of the humans here.”

“Meaning he brainwashes them through dreams?”

“No, it’s just the effect of getting a deep sleep and not having nightmares.”

“……That’s it?”

“From what those who’ve experienced it say, they feel great when they wake up in the morning because it’s so refreshing.”