That Piece Of Trash Was Me - Chapter 284

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story Chapter 2

Ferdinand returned to the barracks that night only after the sun had set.

After washing up, he collapsed onto his bed. His swollen wrist throbbed, but his expression remained unchanged.

It couldn’t be helped. Being at the border, everything was in short supply. He had already shown it to the military doctor, but they couldn’t waste precious medicinal herbs freely. So applying a cold compress to his swollen wrist was the extent of the treatment.

The barbarians were fierce, and they would even devour people alive. No matter how much Ferdinand was protected by divine power, he couldn’t avoid getting hurt. Almost every day, he would return with at least one minor injury.

So this level of pain was laughable…

Ferdinand uncapped his canteen and moistened his dry throat. After gauging the remaining water, he took out a handkerchief from his chest and dampened it.

His hands were quite skilled at directly kneading and wringing the handkerchief. As he spread the clean handkerchief to dry at the head of his bed, he was lost in thought for a moment.

A knight returned to Ferdinand’s barracks and reported.

“Your Highness, organizing the spoils of war finished faster than expected.”

Ferdinand slightly raised his head.

“Weren’t there many things worth calling spoils of war?”

At the cynical question, the knight hurriedly shook his head.

“It’s the opposite. There were only valuable things, so categorizing them was quick. Would you like to take a look?”

Of course, the last question was merely ceremonial. Ferdinand had no interest in such things. So he was always refused, but today was different.

“Yes, I should take a look.”

“Pardon? Yes!”

The spoils of war were stored in a space that combined three barracks.

There’s a saying that on the battlefield, the most precious things are first military provisions, and second the spoils of war.

This was no different story for the front lines where barbarians were being eliminated. Under strict guard, when the Crown Prince appeared, the soldiers hurriedly bowed their heads.

The barbarians at the border didn’t have enough unity to establish a nation. However, they had enough intelligence to plunder nearby villages and steal and collect valuable things.

Moreover, they were extremely fierce with strong grip strength, making it difficult for most countries to actively resist the barbarians.

Perhaps that’s why. The barbarians who had enjoyed plundering for a long time possessed tremendous treasures. Everything in here was such items.

“Hmm.”

Spoils of war from the battlefield were items that even an emperor of a nation couldn’t touch at will. A victorious general could offer a few pieces to their lord as a sign of respect, but even that was enough for maintaining appearances.

Therefore, all these treasures would become tools to support Ferdinand’s position, a kind of capital. It would be a bonus if Empress Carmi and Second Prince Dave went crazy with envy and jealousy.

Above all…

Ferdinand was only looking at precious and beautiful things with his eyes. That is, only things that were decent enough, not shameful enough to gift to a noble girl.

But nothing really caught his eye. Since he set the standard not for himself but for that child, the conditions became endlessly high.

Ferdinand let out a quiet sigh. Then the knights and soldiers following him became frightened and exchanged glances.

Was there something displeasing to him? But what could be displeasing? These spoils of war were at the level of having robbed an entire wealthy kingdom…

Of course, Ferdinand had no way of knowing their anxiety. He was carefully examining the spoils when he stopped.

“What’s this that’s been classified separately?”

“Yes, Your Highness! This is lotus silk from the Arachne Kingdom!”

Ferdinand blinked lightly.

“Why would items from the Arachne Kingdom be with the barbarians? And in such perfect condition at that?”

“Those barbarian bastards were lucky! Last season, a smuggling ship coming from the Summer Continent encountered a storm and deviated from its route, and the place it happened to arrive at was the barbarians’ land. These are items they plundered at that time.”

“A smuggling ship. That makes sense.”

So that’s why such precious items were included.

Ferdinand reached out toward the vivid red silk.

Lotus silk from the Arachne Kingdom was precious. It was fabric woven by interweaving fibers from lotus stems called ‘hayeon’ that only grew wild in the humid plains of the southern continent, and silk thread called ‘eunmyeongcham’ raised only in a few countries of the Summer Continent.

The raw materials were precious, but those who wove them were even rarer.

The people of Arachne Kingdom were mysterious beings, said to be descendants of elves, living hidden in the deep forest and showing themselves only about once every hundred years.

Only then would they bring their unique specialty precious fabrics as tribute to guarantee the kingdom’s safety, and among them, ‘lotus silk’ was the most precious item.

As far as Ferdinand knew, lotus silk had last appeared on the Spring Continent a full 90 years ago.

That fabric, which had the texture and characteristics of silk but was incredibly sturdy as if enchanted with special magic, was used for the emperor’s coronation robes.

Even Ferdinand, the Crown Prince, was seeing such complete lotus silk for the first time. Even enough to make a dress and have some left over…

“It wasn’t stored separately for nothing.”

“That’s right, Your Highness.”

The knight suggested with a rarely excited tone.

“Your Highness, how about wearing a cloak made of this lotus silk when you return in triumph? The nobles have high standards. They’ll naturally recognize the lotus silk immediately, and it will show a visible effect that can spread Your Highness’s bravery more widely.”

Ferdinand knew the knight had spoken out of overflowing loyalty.

Thanks to risking his life and rolling around dozens of times at this border, he had been able to cultivate many such devoted followers.

“Shall we call tailors from nearby territories? Also, how about inviting all the perfumers?”

Lotus silk had its unique luster, wrinkles, and finely silver-glowing patterns, but most peculiar of all was that once a fragrance was applied to the fabric, it would remain even after a thousand washes.

That’s why legends circulated that the people of Arachne Kingdom who wove such fabric couldn’t possibly be human, and must have inherited elven blood.

“No need. Just put it in a box as it is and bring it over.”

The knight was surprised by Ferdinand’s words, but quickly nodded.

* * *

Click.

Ferdinand returned to his barracks and opened a small wooden box.

It had already been over three seasons since he came to this border region. So even Ferdinand, who didn’t place much meaning on possessions, had accumulated some belongings to some extent.

One of them was these tulips.

It was barren land, a battlefield where blood was spilled. Tulips were ornamental flowers that required careful cultivation, and rarely grew beautifully in the wild.

So even combining all the tulips Ferdinand had collected whenever he saw them, there were barely over thirty stems. They all had the hardy quality of wildflowers.

But fortunately for Ferdinand, he had this special box.

This wooden box was something Ferdinand received not long after coming to the front lines. It was a personal gift from a nearby lord, and it wasn’t a simple tribute.

That lord was a defeated man who had brutally lost more than 80% of his territory residents to the endless plundering of barbarians. The old lord, whose face clearly showed signs of aging, regarded Ferdinand as a savior sent by God.

He knelt down crying and begged him to accept it, so Ferdinand had no choice but to receive it.

The wooden box looked ordinary on the outside but had a rare preservation spell cast on it. So the tulips inside were as fresh as if they had just been picked.

The fragrant scent of fresh flowers that spread when the lid was opened.

It was also the only moment of the day when Ferdinand, who had been covered in blood cutting down barbarians with his nerves on edge all day, became vulnerable.

After briefly touching the wildflowers, he soon got up. Even as he placed the tulips, which were close to wildflowers, on the lotus silk, he constantly hesitated.

He finally couldn’t hold back and muttered.

“…Is this too stupid.”

Ferdinand thought his imagination was severely lacking. It seemed somewhat pathetic too. Just because that child’s name was ‘Tulia’, to give the same tulip fragrance to the fabric as a gift…

…The thought that the child might laugh at him crossed his mind, then didn’t.

“…”

After pondering for a long time, Ferdinand eventually just stared blankly at the red silk with the tulips placed on it.

How long the fabric needed to be left for the fragrance to permeate, he naturally didn’t know such things.

So he simply watched until the tulips placed on the silk slowly withered away.

Until the several flowers that had vividly comforted him for so long completely melted into the silk.

He only watched once a day without fail.

Until the day before returning to the Imperial Capital, continuously.

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