Tower of Karma

There were many varied things Lutogarde bought during their shopping. Seeming that Lutogarde intended to make everything herself except for what was made of gold, she bought many varieties of cloth and also bought things like jewels that could become used as pins and hair ornaments. The baggage increased, and when the amount became so much a n.o.ble girl couldn´t carry, Willian gave up on running away and delved himself into carrying all of it.

“That´s quite the amount. Will Lutogarde-sama partic.i.p.ate in the party too?”

Willian was carrying the great amount of baggage by himself. Lutogarde had many times suggested she should carry half of it, but as to be expected, Willian firmly refused. He had to keep the appearances to the eyes of society, and he also had pride as a man.

“No, they invited me, but I refused. I am not good at showing my face at at parties… When I am  at them, I often feel like leaving early.”

With that being the case, the amount of things she bought was weird. Seeming that she had noticed Willian acting puzzled, Lutogarde added .

“I am intending on making many sets of clothes, not only one.”

Lutogarde readily declared that, but because of how much hard it felt that this would be to do, Willian could only show a wry smile. He didn´t know how much important her friends were to her, but this was just putting too much time and effort. If she was actually doing all this without compensation, then she could only be considered a complete idiot.

“Sh-should we go have a look there?”

The shop that was ahead of Lutogarde, who was walking to its direction in a steady pace, was a mask shop.

“”That´s weird. Or is it that the party is a masquerade?””

There were many masks hanging at the stall. The open parts for the mouth and eyes were like an abbys looking back at him. To Willian, masks were something unrelated to his life until now. He never wore one, nor has ever thought of wearing one.

“Masks are carved in wood, but there are many kinds of materials like gold or porcelain that can be used for making it. While it is easy to make one of wood, it is very difficult to make one from the scratch with other materials. Because of that, I want to buy one first before I make the masks.”

What Willian had been wondering about since moments ago was about how even though Lutogarde would usually be very silent and talk in a small voice, she could become a bit talkative when talking about things related to clothing. It seemed that she really liked that kind of thing.

“Masks, right…”

While Lutogarde was focused on evaluating the masks, Willian was looking at them since he had nothing better to do. Just like Lutogarde had stated before, Willian was able to spot masks made of wood, porcelain and other various materials. All of the masks gave off some kind of weird feeling.

“”Something to hide your own form. Your expression can´t be read, and so, you can´t get the other party´s suspicion because of that. If I had to say, this is something useful.”

However, to wear a mask is the same as saying that you had something to hide.

“”This is something unnecessary to me. I don´t need to go all my way to make reasons for people to be suspicious about me.””

Deciding his own conclusions were right, Willian took his eyes away from the masks.

The weather was cloudy and very gloomy. The people at their surroundings were nervous, wondering if it was going to rain. It could be seen that the stalls, which didn´t have roofs, were all quickly closing.

A raindrop dripped at Willian´s cheek. It seems that it was going to rain.

“While masks are something used to hide yourself, it can also be used to see your inner side.”

Willian looked to Lutogarde, who had started to talk. Willian couldn´t see Lutogarde´s expression, who was with her back turned to him.

““A mask is a thin line that interposes between you and the outside. A thin boundary. Because of that, you can become aware of yourself, obtaining an outside perspective of that. I believe masks are something for you to become aware of you own existence.”

The image that was wildly going through Willian´s mind was the figure of himself changed to an ugly form.

The rain got stronger.

“Even for me, it is not like I can understand myself. I don´t understand myself, and you surely don´t understand yourself. I believe it is appropriate if those illusions can become of help.”

Lutogarde turned her head to Willian. It was a beautiful smile she had been hiding all this time. Willian gulped. He saw a smile he had never seem from Lutogarde, whose mind he had believed to have already understood…

“Take this. I believe it will definitely suit you.”

The [thing] that Lutogarde gave him was a white mask. That, which covered the expression of the eyes, had a very lonely shape. At one glance, the feeling it gave off was similar to the helm of a knight, but it was shaped in a strange whiteness that would more or less gave the impression of a skull. The red line that was drawn on the mask as decoration resembled the fires of war and the vast amount of flesh and blood.

“This, to me?”

“Yes, I am giving it to you. It is my thanks for having accompanied me in my shopping today.”

To simple people, they would think of a knight by looking at that mask. [That], which had both beauty and strength, was something fitting for a knight.

However, what Willian imagined after looking at the mask was something completely different. The king of death, the king that controlled the deceased souls. It was as if that was the reflection of [himself]. He was feeling chills in his body. To think there would be something that would suit himself this perfectly.

The rain worsened. Most of the stalls were hurriedly closing, and the shop that was right in front of his eyes had already vanished. The only ones that were standing at the place were only two people soaked wet.

Before one´s notice, Willian put on the mask he had received. The ruby by his chest that was supposed to have been hidden inside his clothes was trembling. Both were things he received from Lutogarde. Also, both were things that matched Willian well. Whether it was on the outside, or on the inside…

Unfeeling thoughts came over to him. After being isolated from the outside word by that boundary, he was able to perceive himself in a more objective manner. He was able to feel the coldness of the rain much more acutely than usual. He could feel the rain touching his skin, the smell of the rainy weather, the sound of the raindrops. .h.i.tting the ground, the taste of the droplets of the rain wafting in the air…

…and with his sight, he could see the girl soaked by the rain that stood in front of his eyes.

“Be careful of father.”

Lutogarde spoke to Willian, who had put his mask on.

“Father is a person that can do anything if it is for the sake of the household. The Teirah family has acc.u.mulated a great amount of fortune at my father´s generation. As a count, he had a fortune that n.o.body among the viscounts could compare. However, Louran Von Teirah still has one thing he lacks. No matter how much money father has, in the end, he is considered just some rich upstart. What father really desires is status. He said this is what it is truly necessary in order to be recognized in this country.”

Willian´s impression of Lutogarde completely changed. Before, he saw her simply as a weird girl and as a stupid person that was shy around strangers and that Willian couldn´t see through her actions. All this had been completely destroyed.

“To father, all it matters is if a person can be used or if not. Me and Ainhart-anisama were considered the type that can be used, and Karl-anisama was considered the latter. In the surface, we are loved, but except for Ainhart-anisama, father has never had expectations from us, neither has ever loved any of us. Ainhart-anisama knew this, so he choose the path of a scholar in order to put resistance. Father easily consented to that.  …The reason he did so was because he had completely lost his interest about ani-sama. I think he will soon lose his interest on me too. Because I lack grace as the daughter of a n.o.ble… Because it will be impossible for me to be married into a household of high status.”

The content of her story was really miserable to her, but there weren´t any dark feelings in her expression at all. It felt as if it was overflowing with happiness. Willian had the feeling she was.

“But after learning about you, father changed the evaluation of Karl-anisama. It was because father decided that as long as he has the support of Willian-sama, it will be possible to raise military achievements. Hence, it will be possible to raise the status of the Teirah family. Father is expecting a lot from you. That is exactly why I wish you to be careful. Now that father decided you are the type of person that can be used, you need to be careful… careful about what father will make you do and what he will decide to do with you once he gets the status after using you.”

Lutogarde´s words were ambiguous, but it answered all questions. It was obvious there were only a fixed number of seats at the [top]. In order for the Teirah household to go to the top, it is necessary to have the person sitting at one of the seats to move out. And from then on, it would be necessary to remove anyone that wanted to sit on their seat. It was difficult to believe that the Teirah household would leave Willian alone once they sat onto the seat.

“I will take those words to my heart.”

Willian didn´t know why Lutogarde was telling him those things. This could even be Louran´s trap. But even so, it was necessary for him to bear it in mind. To bear in mind that Louran Von Teirah was more troublesome of an existence than Willian had expected.

“By the way, why are you telling me all that at a time like this?”

With Willian´s question, Lutogarde showed a smile different from the one she had been showing before. She was showing a pure smile.

“As a gift for having helped me.”

She happily answered. Willian felt a bit of deja vu, but he couldn´t remember anything out of it.

“Ah, we are wet to the skin. Let´s go back home, ok?”

“Yes, let´s go.”

Lutogarde firmly held Willian´s sleeve. Because of that action, which Willian had already lost any kind of discomfort or displeasure about, and also because of how the Teirah household really seemed like they were going to be problematic to him after all, Willian showed a wry smile under his mask.

“”I see, this is useful.””

Out of his expectations, Willian ended up becoming interested in masks, and also in the girl called Lutogarde.

“”Now then, how shall we make use of it?” “

The expression Willian was showing right now was also something being hidden by the mask. If he was to be careful about the expression of his lips, n.o.body would be able to notice his feelings. Willian now got in his hands two new weapons. The mask and Lutogarde. He didn´t have the slightest intent of trusting her, but he could see there was usefulness.