8.1 The Dream of a Picture Book and Babelclair’s Dining Table
The moment she realized she was sitting in the chaise longue of her Father’s former office, Dia instantly knew she was dreaming—
—before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Outside of the window, rain was gently falling, wetting the rose buds in the garden.
The smell of ink which allowed for beautiful letters to be written… the scratching of pen on paper… the scent of her Father’s favorite tea…
…the melody of her sister’s piano coming from somewhere in the mansion…
Inside the hazy dream, Dia was still a child.
She was tracing her precious picture book using her petite hand, before making a troubled as she leaned her head back against her Father. He was staring at her.
“Dia, you mustn’t be like that, don’t force him. That’s absolutely not allowed.”
“…I, I can’t get along with the Prince?”
When she started reading this picture book, she was in a very happy mood. The second she was told that, she shocked to the brim of tears.
He was a very handsome and gentle Prince.
He even told her, with a smile, to “come back”—so why did her Father say that?
The dejected Dia noticed her Father smiling sadly before leaving his big chair to pick her up.
Dia loved her Father—whenever he picked her up with those big hands, his chest would always be available for her to rest her head.
I love Father…
Dia’s cheeks loosened as she smiled inside his secure arms.
His large hands were warm; his silver hair was akin to the lion’s mane inside a painting.
The Princes who came to visit their mansion were secretly afraid of her Father. It was because in front of guests, her Father became a silent person. But, more than anyone, Dia knew her Father was the gentlest person.
The engagement between the Second Prince—who was a bit scared of Dia’s proud Father—and Dia’s older sister was still undecided.
Her older sister, who adored Prince Jillreid, even now remained downhearted over that fact.
According to the words of the King of Fashitar, Prince Jillreid was still but a child. As such, the King wanted him to get along well with her family as friends.
Dia hoped that the gentle Prince Jillreid, who often came to play, would become her beloved sister’s fiancé in the near future.
The two were good friends—but, if the engagement was still undue, her older sister might find another fiancé someday. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Prince Jillreid took Dia—who was two years younger than her—to be his fiancée in her stead—
—and that would be a problem.
Because Dia was deem on marrying that Prince she had met at the ball. Therefore, she couldn’t become Prince Jillreid’s fiancée.
Dia was still a child at the time, but she already picked up on the prospect of her and Prince Jillreid becoming a couple in the future. The talk concerning her engagement lingered between the adults. Her heart grew troubled.
It was because Dia had no eye for other Princes—
—it was because she had already decided on her number one and only Prince.
“Dia… your eyes are full of tears… could it be, you love that boy that much?”
“…It’s because Dia has already decided to marry that Prince. That Prince loves to cook delicious things for Dia!”
“…This is indeed troublesome. I thought you’re still a small child, but how did you grow up so fast? Is it because your magic zone is beyond normal…? My precious, cute daughter, isn’t it too early for you to fall in love?”
“…Magic… zone?”
Would her growth accelerate if her magic zone was high?
Thinking for a moment, she recalled such a notion from the story of the King of the Night Kingdom.
Having made a big discovery, she again traced her favorite picture book.
Staring at such a Dia lovingly, her Father gently stroked her head.
“Despite so, the fact won’t change, Dia—you mustn’t long for him. We did an unforgiveable thing long ago. …in exchange, I’ll take you to the next year’s ball again, so dress up to your utmost satisfaction. If the Prince yearns for Dia, then that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Dia doesn’t think she’s worthy enough, but will the Prince still consider Dia?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no. This is a secret, but Dia’s grandmother’s sister married the fairy of that castle. Supposedly, she resided in that forest until the day she died.”
Hearing that, Dia brightened up.
If someone could become a fairy’s bride, then Dia might be able to become that Prince’s bride!
Dia’s cheeks were plump. She herself didn’t think she was beautiful, but her mother and sisters always praised Dia as the most beautiful in the world.
“The Prince told me to come again. He’ll let me eat a lot of treats someday!”
When Dia uttered so, her Father looked at her, a bit surprised. For a while, he held her while remaining silent.
…Father?
In an attempt to call him, Dia pulled on her Father’s splendid beard, swinging it from side to side.
Then, she saw her Father’s blue eyes directed towards her. His gentle face was showing a smile. There was a feeling akin to relief in there.
“…if Dia says so, then truly, he may have liked Dia… maybe, no… if it’s so… if you were to leave this house someday—would you be able to find happiness?”
“…Mugu. What, are you saying that Dia should leave this house?”
“Forgive me, Dia. That wasn’t what I meant… however, we’re criminals until we get rid of this curse. If my beloved Dia can escape this endless circle of demise made for the sake of our lineage’s atonement—as a Father, I would wish for nothing more than that.”
At that time, she still couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind her Father’s smile.
…were we doing bad deeds?
Dia frequently reflect about that.
Was it a sin that one Magician in the picture book fell in love with the Fairy Princess he met at the Royal Palace of the Night Kingdom?
Was it that unforgiveable to yearn for such a beautiful creature—for wanting to be desired by said being—to an extent that he must be cursed forever?
Here was the synopsis of Dia’s favorite picture book:
There was a great magician residing the grand capital of a magnificent kingdom.
The magician’s clan, which was known to possess silver hair, was highly respected in the kingdom. They were blessed with a high range of magical zones at birth. It was not strange for them to become teachers even at an early age.
The clan possessed strong but also beautiful magic.
However, the Magician—the protagonist of the story—fell in love with a Fairy Princess at a ball he was invited to.
He respectfully bent his knees, offered flowers, and courted the Princess—
—however, that, in itself, was wrong.
The Fairy Princess was betrothed to a vengeful, brutal, Spirit of Death.
Thus, the Spirit put a strong, oppressive, curse on not only the Magician himself, but also the entire member of the silver-haired clan. The Magician and his clan were then transported to an ice land far away from the fine capital of his kingdom.
The curse of the Spirit was the most frightening of all—and no matter how much the Magician apologized, the Spirit’s anger didn’t subside.
However, the people succeeded in escaping into the forest of the kingdom at night when the Spirit took his eyes off them.
But, the Spirit of Death roamed around the forest, as such, those people were trapped in the forest.
In the end, the lamenting people who couldn’t get out of the forest were noticed by the King of the Night Kingdom who managed the forest.
When the beautiful but terrifying King appeared, wondering why so many people were trapped in such a forest, the Magician who had proposed to the Princess plead for mercy.
At the very least, he wanted to be allowed to live in this forest.
The ruthless King didn’t bestow his agreement immediately, but, after the Magician begged and cried, the King then imposed a number of trials upon the Magician. If the Magician could overcome them, he would then become the King’s follower.
The ordeal was very difficult, but the Magician managed to overcome them and was recruited as a squire to the King of the Night Kingdom.
The Spirit of Death was very dejected that those humans he hated managed to escape their sin. However, the Spirit didn’t stand a chance against the King of the Night Kingdom. As such, the Spirit refrained from entering the woods, which was governed by said King.
The Spirit then reluctantly swore that he wouldn’t touch the Magician and his clan as long as they were still the King of the Night Kingdom’s servants—
—in a way, cursing them so no one could truly escape.
That was how the silver-haired clan was entrusted with the management of the large forest by the King of the Night, and as his servants, to inhabit the forest for the purpose of protecting it.
The curse left by the Spirit of Death turned all the magic that the people had into jewels.
As a form of penance, the people buried it in the trees’ roots of the King of the Night’s rich forest, so that the forest would continue to prosper.
The King was pleased, and as a reward, he gave the silver-haired clan beautiful forest crystals.
…everyone in the Kingdom of Fashitar has beautiful silver hair.
Therefore, it was clear what the story in the picture book was based on, which also answered the role of the Duke of Gillasfi.
Those merchants, who would visit Fashitar from other countries, would tilt their heads when they learned how low the magical zone possessed the people of Fashitar was—
—despite silver hair being a sign of a person with a high magical zone.
But, after spending the night at Fashitar, they all had no choice but to come to term that the people, and also the land itself, had been depleted of their magic.
This was what they often said;
‘What a terrible fate the people of this land suffer!’
***T/N:
“…It’s because Dia has already decided to marry that Prince. That Prince loves to cook delicious things for Dia!”
UM, DIA!? DID YOU PERHAPS GOT BETHROTED TO THE WRONG PRINCE!? AIN’T NO WAY THAT’S PRINCE RETARDO!!! THAT DUDE DEFINITELY DON’T HAVE ANY TIME TO WANDER TO THE KITCHEN. ALL HE PROBABLY DID IS PROBABLY SIT WITH FINGERS ENTWINED, ‘KUKUKU EVERYTHING WENT AS ACCORDING TO PLAN…’
Yeah, that Prince sounds a lot more like a certain King we know….
Prince Gordon Ramsay …
I keep thinking that Dia is seeing conspiracies that aren’t there, that Noin is a yandere, her family was a bunch of demon worshippers and the royal family spared only her because only she was uninvolved in their crimes. And now she is indeed bringing curses on the land like the second prince and those other nobles are hinting. And despite this, the second prince loves her. And maybe the first prince too.
That sounds like a way better story actually. If the story is as presented and everything is meant to be taken at face value then this is actually kinda boring. The theories I’m coming up with just sound way more interesting to me.
Perhaps Dia mistook the ball they attended and it wasn’t a ball hosted by the Royal shit of the Fashitar Kingdom but a ball hosted by King of the Night????
And Noin might be the Prince she used to like, remember the words she told Noin when they first met????? That one asking him if he was there to pick her up????? But if her family was supposed to serve the King of the Night, then does that mean she can’t be with Noin as his wife cause she won’t be a servant anymore if she did and the Spirit’s curse will kick in??????
It seems there is more about her family’s death……..
“That Prince loves to cook delicious things for Dia!”
Hey don’t tell me that Noin was messing around that day disguised as the prince and that’s how they first met……. and because she kept repeating that as a kid to the 2º prince, but he got to know by his elder brother that he was doing something else at that time that something was off?
So, the why many people of their kingdom have low/no magic but silver hair (which I also thought it was strange since in most stories those with lighter hair have more magic) is because they were cursed and the jewels are their magic that seeped out and crystallized in jewels and the fact that they used to bury the deads under the trees would make the forest more prosperous, but now they forgot it all and think of themselves as the lords and even killed the branch that was supposed to protect/manage the forest so the agreement is being dissolved and all the prosperity and protection that the king of night gave is being taken back…….. and the spirit of death will soon be able to reach them~
But why did the curse fail on Dia? Was there some loophole? Is it because it should only act on those with light silver hair, but her’s is darker (maybe steel gray?)?
Probably bcs her family is the closest to the Great Magician. Hence her magical zone is slightly higher than most people
i bet everything the prince was actually Noin ! (cookiiing) soo the duke family are the direct descendant and the guardians ? so the royal fam is really just a bunch of assholes ? mmooooarrr please : both tragic and exciting, I want to knoow <3
Wait…which prince did she fall in love with whaaaat?!? Nice though that some things are being revealed to us readers! Thanks for the chapter
It was Noin!!!!! (I hope) he was a prince and now the King