duke and writer

The light of the crystal chandelier is like a flame burning in the ice, and the illuminated zenith paintings reflect the lines outlined by gold leaf on the smooth marble floor.

"Why do you order me?" The aristocratic young man with short dark blue hair straightened his spine haughtily.

"Why?" The man on the seat let out a chuckle, rubbing his fingertips against the delicate texture of the cherry wood armrest, "Just because you don't even have the ability to hide from my detection, I don't think it will be long before those of mine It's not hard for an 'old friend' to get wind of it."

"..."

"What do you think they will say?" He still curled his lips and looked at the young face who was [-]% similar to himself, "Collude with heresy, blasphemy? ——In this way, even if His Majesty wants to suppress it, the Holy See will not Let us go easily."

"Ke An Mixiu is my important friend," Lei Shi's jaw tightened, and the words between his lips and teeth were also very cold, "I will never allow..."

"You really look like me, Lei Shi," the prime minister couldn't help laughing, but there was no smile in his deep purple pupils, "Then I also tell you clearly, my child, I also don't allow any factors to interfere with the ongoing reforms - no matter who those hidden dangers and threats come from, I don't mind removing them one by one with my own hands."

"He doesn't know anything, doesn't know..."

"This is not something we can decide," the man casually interrupted the other party's pale rebuttal, took off the ring on his thumb and put it on the desk case, "maybe you are interested in talking with you" 'Father, make a bet." Under the light, the huge pigeon blood ruby ​​seems to be trapped in the surging blood in the face of the ring.

"I'll prove it to you." He raised his chin stubbornly, and those same fierce purple eyes looked directly at the other party, not to be outdone, "but no one can bet his life."

……

The north wind whistled and swept away the last fallen leaf, everything was silent, but the world was noisy again.

Unlike the harvest festivals held in late autumn in other countries, the festivals here are arranged in early winter every year.The grand gathering of celebration and thanksgiving often lasts for [-] days, and various public schools and universities also have long holidays in response to the situation.

Declined the invitation of Lei Shi and Palos, the young Mr. Writer simply packed up some salutes, and before returning home, he routinely made a detour to a monastery for orphans in the urban area.

Handing the silver coins to the kind-faced nun, he opened the suitcase and distributed the specially brought novelties to the children. He rubbed the boy's soft hair, stood up and wanted to say goodbye, but the little guy suddenly grabbed his arm , something was stuffed into the palm.Looking at the other party with a funny wink, he opened the note in his hand after getting into the carriage as he said.

After reading the words on the note over and over again, the sullen look on the young man's brows became more and more intense, "Please wait a moment." After a long while, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted.

"Sir, what are your orders?" Coach Fule stopped his horse and asked back.

"Please go to the square on the west first, thank you."

After taking off the flashy evening dress at night, the square is bustling with life in the daytime.Carriages carrying dignitaries and dignitaries passed by in a hurry, and vendors of all colors seized every opportunity to sell their goods to every well-dressed pedestrian.

"Hey, sir, come and taste the clearest and sweetest spring water in the whole city!" The girl lifted the lid of the wooden barrel and greeted warmly.

"Oh?" The young writer blinked with interest, "If it's really what you said, maybe I'd like to buy all these springs."

"Really, really? But if it's all about it, I'll be a little embarrassed..."

"That's really a pity. My mother used to tell me that I was born from the prayer of water."

"Sir," the girl looked at the other party seriously after hearing the words, "Can you explain in more detail?"

"Of course." The young man showed a kind smile, "—that day mussels and herons gathered to preach on the shore, and seagulls and rooks called to call for the morning," he lowered his eyelids to cover his incomprehensible eyes, and the words he uttered As if reciting thousands of times in my heart, "The rain wets the raised mane of the white horse, and the bird of the tree with wings spreads my name."

"you are……"

"So, beautiful lady," he brushed his brown hair that was blown by the wind, and smiled as usual, "can I buy these spring water now?"

"—that's strange," the girl was about to answer, but was interrupted by a bitter sneer, "what is so precious about water?—don't be deceived again, stupid knight."

"Why are you here?" An Mixiu frowned displeasedly.

"Help the prime minister run an errand." Pointing to a certain building, the purple pupils turned their eyes to the young man again, "It's you, didn't you say you want to go home today?"

"Stop by and see. I heard that there will be a rehearsal of the festival here in a while. Come join in the fun."

"Oh, is that so?" Lei Shi raised his eyebrows, "But as far as I know, the rehearsal is in the square to the east."

"Is that so? It seems that I remembered wrongly. In this case, I will take a step first." Averting his eyes unnaturally, the brown-haired boy waved his hand, "See you later."

"Wait," the young Duke grabbed the other's wrist, his eyes darkened, "An Mixiu, what are you doing?"

"Let go, why do I have to report everything to you?" An Mixiu was rarely annoyed when he failed to break free, "Lei Shi, don't you feel that you are acting abnormal recently? I want to ask what's wrong with you! "

"Answer my question, An Mixiu," Lei Shi ignored the questioning, but raised his chin slightly, his purple eyes casually glanced at the peddler who was standing still, "otherwise the sheriff will take her away immediately."

"...No," the young writer was stunned for a moment, and he couldn't believe his ears, "You won't do that."

"Of course I will."

"She's just an innocent girl, why should the sheriff arrest her?"

"Innocent?" He sneered, reading the crooked promotional words on the wooden barrel, "'The clearest and sweetest spring in the whole city'—who in the whole royal city doesn't know whose mansion is the most precious spring in?"

"Thunder Lion!"

"An Mixiu, tell me—should the magistrate arrest him for the crime of trespassing and stealing at the duke's mansion? Is hanging enough for this man who got both stolen goods?"

"You villain, you are making unreasonable words!"

"Sir, you have to understand that if she is really dead, you must have a share of 'credit' - if I am a villain, then what are you?" He winked, and the guards hiding around Immediately stepped forward and held down the girl who was about to run away.

"...Okay, let me say," An Mixiu's eyes turned red as he loosened his clenched teeth, "I'm just helping a poor child find his mother."

"It's just like that?" Lei Shi asked, his purple pupils were dark and unpredictable.

"if not?"

"Okay, An Mixiu, you're fine." He laughed suddenly, but the laughter was extremely indifferent because of lack of emotion.

"Magistrate!" He let go of that wrist, stopped looking at the other party, and raised his hand to greet him.

"Sir, may I help you?"

Under the respectful inquiry of the man in uniform, An Mixiu excitedly grabbed the arm of the person beside him, "Lei Shi, what are you doing?!" He shouted, "I have already answered you!"

"As you can see, my friend has suffered from witchcraft, and his mind is still confused." He turned his head and glanced at the guy who was pulling him hard, and then pointed to the restrained girl in front of him, "Magistrate Your Excellency, I have reason to accuse it of being the hands of this evil witch, right?"

The magistrate nodded quickly when he heard the words, and without further ado, he summoned his subordinates and took the water seller away. Before leaving, he did not forget to promise many times to the dignitaries in front of him that the trial would be serious.

With a polite and alienated smile on Lei Shi's face, he said some nonsense such as believing in a fair verdict that even he didn't believe in, and then sent the overzealous sheriff away.

"why……"

With a pain in his arm, the young Duke frowned slightly, "What I want to hear is the truth, An Mixiu," he pulled away and stubbornly grabbed his hand, "and there is only one chance."

After speaking, he crossed the other side and boarded the carriage not far away.

Watching the luxuriously decorated carriage gradually go away, An Mixiu clenched his fists and tried his best to control himself to calm down.Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and walked towards the police station.

"...Officer, how many times do you have to tell me to believe that child is definitely not a witch!"

"Mr. An Mixiu," the magistrate rubbed his brows wearily, "I have already explained this matter very clearly, please go back."

"No, I..."

"Excuse me." A hand wrapped around a cross pushed open the door. The white-haired young man raised his brows slightly, as if he was a little surprised by the tense atmosphere in the room. "Gentlemen, I hope I didn't hinder you."

"Father Palos, you are here..."

"Don't dare, I'm just a cleric apprentice." Palos smiled and shook his head, stepped forward and patted the dazed brown-haired boy, "This time, the Lord told me that I'm here to bring back the lost lamb. "

Outside the window, the sun was slanting to the west, and the golden red light covered the entire sky. Under the reflection of the sun, the towering spire of the church seemed to be able to reach directly to the kingdom of heaven——

"...Your noble character is really admirable, but junior," the black-robed clergyman said to the young man sitting beside him, "I have to say, what you did today is indeed disgraceful."

"Huh? Then what is decent?" An Mixiu couldn't help retorting, "Like Lei Shi?"

"..."

"...I'm sorry," he covered his eyes in frustration when he met the astonished orange pupils, "I don't mean anything else, senior, thank you very much today, I just, just..." Gritting his teeth, he couldn't speak anymore.

He seemed to sigh, "Is she really that important?" The young man put his hand on his slightly trembling shoulder.

"..." In the quiet church, the only answer to him was restless breathing.

"Then let me try, if you need my help."

Somewhat slowly, he raised his face buried in his hands, "...Really, is it okay?" The young man asked in a difficult voice, his light blue eyes seemed to be filled with misty lakes and mountains.

"I swear to be kind to the weak, I swear to help anyone who asks me for help, I swear to treat my friends sincerely..." Palos stroked the other person's hair comfortingly, with a warm smile like a gentle brother, " ——Didn’t you tell me all this?”

"Don't you...don't ask me why I did that?"

"You are not good at lying, why should I make it difficult for you."

"But you also said that it is your principle to be wise and protect yourself - you are not afraid..."

"Will you harm me, An Mixiu?"

"of course not!"

"Well, I believe you."

An Mixiu looked at the other party steadfastly. In the dimly lit transept, the pupils of the young man were like amber that had accumulated sunlight for thousands of years, transparent and warm...

This person actually believed him so much, in an instant, the young man's heart was filled with emotion and guilt, almost overflowing with blood.Because of this, he couldn't-

"Listen to a story, it's not too late to make a decision after this."

"Would like to hear more about it, my friend."

"Well... this story probably started a hundred years ago, you know, that sacred expedition—"

That year, the entire western continent was plagued by plague, and the pope claimed to have received an oracle, stating that the culprit was the devil from the east, and this catastrophe was a test of the Creator God's belief in the secular world.In order to pass the test, the highest authority of the Holy See issued a call, but within a few months, the coalition army was ready to go.And the supreme commander of this expedition is none other than Ellis, the head of the Knights Templar.

For the first year, the valiant knight was nearly invincible.However, a huge change happened two months later. It is said that he was bewitched by the devil, and he openly proposed to withdraw his troops at the military meeting. Naturally, such an absurd proposal was strongly opposed by all the soldiers and accompanying princes, so he had no choice but to give up. .But the matter didn't end there. On a Sunday when there was a customary truce, the head of the regiment actually deserted with a group of cronies.

"It's really shocking, isn't it?" An Mixiu twitched the corner of his mouth with a wry smile.

As a result, the combined army lacking a commander began to fall apart, and lost most of its centaurs in an important battle—the piled up remains stained the entire bay red, and an accompanying king fell off his horse and broke his head in a hasty escape. neck.Seeing this situation, the powers of various countries demanded to withdraw their troops immediately to avoid greater losses, so the fifth grand sacred expedition could only end so hastily.The Pope was furious because of this, and ordered the Inquisition to arrest the knight who rebelled against the will of God at all costs.

"He was arrested soon," the boy shrugged. "Honestly speaking, his method of evading capture is not very clever."

During the ensuing trial, he is said to have been silent throughout, as calm as a living person.And surprisingly, the pope didn't send him to the stake.

"Excommunication." The old voice announced.

An excommunicated person, that is, a person abandoned by God, is not allowed to visit his residence, pray, speak, eat, or intimacy with him-whoever violates this prohibition is subject to the same punishment as the punished person.

He was not raped, and the whole world seemed to be a cage made for him.

"So he's still dead?" Palos asked.

"Everyone is going to die," An Mixiu smiled, "but fortunately, he met someone before that—she was a pagan, but she had an overly beautiful heart."

The world probably thought that he had rotted unsightly in some dark corner.

However, the former knight took his lover on a long-lost journey, and finally they settled down and had a child.Ellis regards him as a treasure, and carefully guides him in martial arts and life, but strictly orders him never to become a knight.

"Later the boy grew up, got married and had children, and taught his children like his father did, and the children grew up as he expected. One day, the youngest son rescued a beautiful lady from the hands of robbers—and she, It was his later wife."

The story usually ends here.

"But for me, this story has just begun - because this lady, or more appropriately called her wife, is my mother."

"An Mixiu," the young cleric stood up abruptly, his eyes widened in disbelief, "do you know what you're talking about?"

"Of course I know."

"I should hand you over to the Inquisition."

"That's right," he nodded upon hearing the words, "but before that, I hope I can finish the story—"

"She was a scholar, a poet, at least as far as I can remember. Not long after she married her father, she heard about my great-grandfather's life. But she never believed that the head of the Knights was a disgraceful A traitor to the country, so she disregarded the obstacles around her, and secretly investigated the expedition that year—and all of this finally brought her a fatal disaster."

"Like every executed witch, she was burned at the stake. My father had a breakdown from excessive self-blame, and I was placed in foster care with my aunt. Around a year Later, that day I heard my aunt crying and telling her husband that her younger brother went to sea drunk one night and has not come back yet.”

"—How shameful is the truth?" He asked softly, but there was hatred in his words.The portrait of the martyr painted on the stained glass on the willow window was shattered by the afterglow and fell to the feet of the two. The young man stood up, and jumped a few steps rather bored, and finally stepped on the hanged man by the rope intentionally or unintentionally. Tight ankles.

"It was supposed to be like this, I found out the truth, and put it on the brightest roof to dry - but until a few days ago, someone told me that my mother may still be alive."

"The evidence they have presented is staggering, and I cannot pass up this opportunity, whatever the facts may be."

"So," Palos frowned, "that girl..."

"She is an important step in finding my mother." An Mixiu said frankly.

"Well, my story is over--you may send me to the Inquisition."

He tilted his head and smiled, the colorful light from the willow window caressed the tips of his slightly curled hair.

"...As I said before - I am a speculator, but never a believer." The young man stepped forward with a smile, and embraced the other party gently.

"And you are worth my risk, my friend," he said softly.

The orange pupils are still like beautiful amber, transparent and warm—and tens of thousands of years ago, when the tears left by the ancient pines and cypresses wrapped the small insects, it was destined to be here Sleep forever in a beautiful prison.