Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 422

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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My doll.
Do you know the secret words?
Children of Rune
Demonic
Episode 192.
An Angel’s Face and
The Blood Flowing Through a Demon’s Heart (1)
Act 11. Meridian
1. The Blood Flowing Through an Angel’s Face and a Demon’s Heart
They say the white blood flowing through your veins tastes like divine nectar. Is that truly so?
Joshua swiftly traced the family genealogy in his mind, searching for any path where an unknown “von Arnim” could exist. There was none. The possibility of such a person existing, especially on this island, was far too remote and negligible.
“Who is your father?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
“Then why are you an Arnim?”
Aurelia gathered her hands in the folds of her skirt and gazed at Kelsniti.
“Did I tease you too harshly?”
“Don’t do that, Aurelia. You said you didn’t want conflict.”
“But I needed to say this one thing.”
Aurelia turned her head toward Joshua.
“That I could have become von Arnim too. Regardless of whether I wanted to.”
Joshua fixed his gaze upon the small girl.
“I’m not in the mood for jests. Reveal who you truly are. I was surprised you could see Kelce, but there can’t be only one medium in this world. Yet if you had no connection to House Arnim, Kelce wouldn’t have brought you here. If this concerns my family, I’m prepared to listen to anything. So speak.”
“You say you’re prepared, but you’re actually angry, aren’t you?”
Joshua did not answer. Yet inwardly, he was reflecting on why he had reacted so sharply. Aurelia lowered her eyes. With her gaze cast down, her face appeared childlike and innocent. Her full cheeks resembled those of a painted doll.
“Yes. It’s understandable to feel displeased. When a stranger appears claiming kinship, people usually feel displeasure rather than joy. People are amusing, aren’t they? Do they fear that one more family member will tarnish the nobility of their house? I am a strange sister from the age of legend. Young Duke Arnim, I have known of your existence for a long time and wished to see you. I imagined that if you matched my expectations, it would be wonderful. How much truth lies in what people say? Half? Half of half?”
Aurelia looked directly at Joshua again, speaking without a smile.
“Surprisingly, nearly all of it was true. You are beautiful. Like a miracle. My life’s expectations have crumbled almost entirely.”
Joshua shook his head and turned his gaze away.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
The word “sister” brought Ivnoa’s memories unbidden to his mind. Ivnoa’s golden hair and delicate features and… Joshua shook his head again. He did not wish to acknowledge it. Yet he did not possess eyes that could deceive him.
Aurelia’s face resembled Ivnoa’s.
“Since you don’t understand, I must teach you. Even Kelsniti didn’t know until I told her, so there’s no reason you would know the truth. But now you must.”
“Please. Don’t speak in riddles.”
“It’s not a riddle. My life is too much of a mystery even to me. I am Aurelie von Arnim, and I am also Aurelie Loertikarum. ‘Loer’ came into being after my clan left Sunset Island and entered Periwinkle. We humbled ourselves. Because we abandoned our homeland and departed. There was talk of changing the name entirely, but since even the House of Arnim themselves no longer remember that person, this was sufficient.”
Joshua could not respond immediately. The fact that there was only one possible conclusion left him bewildered.
“Aurelia, I find it difficult to believe your claim that you are descended from Anarose Tikarum… but I will concede that is not my concern. However, I cannot accept your claim to the name ‘von Arnim.'”
Aurelia pressed her small lips together and looked up at Joshua.
“You still don’t understand…?”
“No, I understand. But I cannot accept it.”
Aurelia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’re saying you can’t acknowledge it?”
“….”
Joshua lowered his gaze. Aurelia lifted the hem of her skirt slightly with her fingertips.
“I’ve come dressed in mourning today. Your attire suits it well too. Our first meeting should have been in mourning clothes. We should have grieved, but I’ve never once grieved for someone who deserves it.”
Joshua’s clothes weren’t technically mourning attire, but his trousers were black and his shirt white, so they met the requirements if one were strict about it. Aurelia watched his expression carefully as she spoke, but Joshua simply gazed down at her quietly before answering.
“I don’t know who you’re referring to when you speak of someone to grieve for. But as long as you’re a person of Periwinkle, I’ll wear mourning clothes for your sorrow without hesitation. It’s something I must do in place of my Father, who isn’t here.”
At Joshua’s words, Aurelia’s face underwent a subtle transformation. One layer of tension peeled away, and her expression softened closer to that of a young girl.
“I tried not to hope for it, but the fact that you’re someone capable of answering that way is both sad and joyful. Someone once told me that’s the strength of House of Arnim. Very well. My family has suffered a tragedy, which is why I’m dressed in mourning. Will you attend the funeral as you just said? In mourning clothes?”
There was no reason to refuse. When Joshua nodded, Aurelia pulled a black muffler from her pocket and gestured for him to come closer. As Joshua bent forward, she personally wound the muffler around his shirt collar.
“It’s the mourning marker of our family. Come, follow me.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Now.”
Aurelia turned toward the door and advanced. It opened of its own accord, and she stepped outside. This time, Joshua didn’t see the hand that opened it. In other words, that presence remained invisible to him, even if it were a spirit.
It was past three in the morning. It was difficult to imagine a funeral being held at such an hour anywhere. Keeping vigil over the coffin through the night was the family’s duty, so even if Joshua was the Duke of Periwinkle, he had no obligation to attend. But that was merely common sense. Few people would lie about something like a funeral. Whether it was dawn or not, if someone said a funeral was being held, one should believe them. And yet….
“Kelce.”
Kelsni, who had been standing like a shadow, nodded.
“Why did you bring that person here?”
“I was walking along the Northern Beach around evening.”
Kelsni straightened from where he’d been leaning against the wall. His body could pass through walls as easily as anything, but sometimes he stood like a living person. Whether that was for Joshua’s sake or his own.
“I remembered it was a place I’d walked long ago, when I was alive. I’ve returned to Periwinkle after such a long time. Was it the first time since I died?”
“You can travel even to the Land of Mortals now, can’t you? So why haven’t you come here all this time?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps I was reluctant to come.”
Joshua suddenly wondered if he himself became a spirit and could travel freely anywhere, would he fly straight to Jade Ring Castle? If there were no pressing need to do so, perhaps he wouldn’t. No, he couldn’t be certain. But before going there and seeing the familiar landscapes and people, he might need to steel himself. That might require more time than he expected.
Joshua absently adjusted the muffler. It felt like it was choking him. Even though it was tied loosely.
“Most places have changed, but the beach remained the same, I thought. Perhaps because of that, when I saw a small ship tilted to one side, I wanted to climb aboard like before. The first time Icabon and I went out to sea was by secretly boarding someone else’s ship. When I climbed onto that ship, I met Aurelia. We were both quite startled upon meeting. I was startled because Aurelia recognized me, and she was startled because she already knew my face.”
“She already knew your face?”
“Yes. She said, ‘You really do look exactly the same.’ There are many curious paintings in her home, and I thought most of the old paintings had been destroyed, but they remained there instead. And as I looked at those paintings, I eventually said the same thing. Aurelia, you really do resemble someone.”
“Whom? Are you saying she resembles Anarose Tikarum?”
Kelsni shook his head.
“Anarose’s granddaughter, Zenobia.”
That sounded very strange. Joshua found himself repeating it.
“Anarose’s… granddaughter.”
Kelsni continued.
“Zenobia was beautiful like a doll, but unfortunately, she was an idiot, or so I heard.”
Joshua straightened from where he’d been leaning against the desk. He found the shoes he’d left behind the bookshelf. He put on the shoes, picked up his jacket, and went outside through the door where Aurelia had disappeared. He left the door open.
Aurelia was waiting.
“Are you ready?”
It seemed they had walked for about half an hour. There was no sign of daybreak. Even though it was summer, it was still night. The darkness showed no gaps. Dawn waited for its moment instead of challenging hastily.
On Periwinkle Island, there was only one highland that could be called a mountain. On that limestone heap pushed up by the first volcano in the distant past, where the forest grew thick, it was called “Flour Mountain.” If one climbed to the peak of that mountain, snow fell uniquely in the South Sea. It was a story that Hispania had once told Joshua and Maximian as they sat before a campfire long ago.
Near Flour Mountain, there was no place that could be called a village. The people of Periwinkle found their livelihood in the sea, so no one bothered to cultivate the mountainside and live there. Well, there were some, but I heard they were the poorest and most isolated people on the island, not numerous enough to form a village.
As I climbed the hillside, the sea receded further behind me. At some point, the sound of waves had ceased entirely. Instead, the wind whistling through the leaves produced a sharp, menacing hiss. The path continued its gentle but relentless ascent. The darkness made it impossible to discern whether I walked a narrow trail cutting through a deep forest or merely a tree-lined avenue. Aurelia carried a lamp, but its shade was so begrimed that the light cast only a feeble glow.
“We’re here.”
Aurelia stopped and pointed ahead. To my eyes, only the Black Forest remained visible. I furrowed my brow and stepped past Aurelia, peering into the darkness. Gradually, the faint outline of a structure emerged from the gloom, growing steadily clearer. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“I see.”
The two-story wooden manor bore the severe marks of decay. It appeared as though it had been abandoned to the elements for some twenty years. Light spilled from the first floor. I could not immediately determine when that light had been kindled. Yet I did not hesitate—I walked directly toward the entrance. I had no reason to fear such things.
The entrance opened directly into the Reception Room. A wooden staircase to the second floor stood on the left, casting half the room in shadow. The other half was illuminated by the fireplace and dozens of candles, many half-melted. A door to the Backyard stood ajar, perhaps a hand’s breadth open. Beyond it lay only darkness.
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright of this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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