I’ve Been Exiled, But I’m Alive and Well - Chapter 115 (Patreon)

When we left the theater, it was lunchtime.
As a result of a discussion between us, we decided to have lunch. We went to a restaurant nearby and were shown to an expensive private room, because it was crowded.
Money flies today, doesn't it?
I guess I'll have to work somewhere after I leave Arburn.

"Oh, by the way, there's going to be a ball at the Nutre Castle.”
"I heard from Giselle. Arburn will soon be full of nobles.”

In the event that the ball is held at Nutre Castle, about ninety percent of the nobles of the Principality of Agreable will attend. It has been several years since a ball of this magnitude has been held in the Principality.
The reason the surveillance recorders got set up all of a sudden in the back alleys might be because of the nobles gathering for the ball.
I hope there won't be any incidents of nobles hurting commoners, though.

“Nobility, huh… I guess I’m irrelevant in that aspect.”

Jed's expression was somber as he slurped down his apéritif and muttered quietly. It seems that he’s not completely unrelated.
Nevertheless, I feel like I've really seen his face before.
If he was a noble from the Empire, I would have some idea of him, but there is no one who fits the bill.
It would not be in the best interest of either of us to pry too deeply into the matter, so I gulped down an apéritif myself.

"Where do you want to go after this?"
"I'll follow you wherever you want to go.”
"Today is the day to thank you, Jed, so I will be accompanying you.”

I'll go with Jed because today is the day to thank him for his help. He went with me to the play, and now I will go with Jed wherever he wants to go.
Jed scratched his cheek, clearly troubled. He probably couldn't find anywhere in particular he wanted to go.

"Oh, yes. Why don't we go to the clock tower?”
"The clock tower?”
"I heard you can climb up there.”

The clock tower in the central square was built when the Principality of Agreable was founded. It's a building with a lot of history, and even commoners are allowed inside. However, because the stairs are too steep, it is said that not many people enter the tower anymore due to a series of unforeseen accidents.
I've heard that many people have fallen from the top of the tower, and it's quite dangerous.
I also heard that there was a request to maintain the tower, but the Prince Blanche, the one who had it built, did not allow it.

"Sure, but it's a tough climb.”
"Have you ever been up there?”
"That's what I heard.”

When I visited Arburn once, I tried to climb it and gave up halfway.
It was too much for a noblewoman.
Now that my legs and feet were reasonably well-trained, I could try again.

"Now that you mention it, I'm tempted to climb it.”
"Let's not go right after lunch. We might get a stomach ache.”
"Is that so?”
"And I hear the view is better if you reach the top at sunset.”

The clock tower, which was built so that the sound of the bells would ring throughout the entire capital, is not as high as the castle, but it is high enough.
I heard that the view from the top is the most beautiful.
Jed happily agreed with my words, saying, "Well, let's go there in the evening.”

“Still, you really know a lot, Elle.”
“Y, you think so? I've learned a lot of things from other people.”

In fact, all I know about Arburn is what I learned from Lady Margaery.
I've heard that she often climbed the clock tower, but now she doesn't seem to do that anymore.
I'm not sure what happened to her.

"So, why did you want to come to Arburn, Jed?”
"Why are you talking about that?"
"When we met in front of Meil, you said your destination was Arburn.”

I had a bad feeling about Jed, who froze and started sweating profusely.
I'm not sure if he was just saying that just to allow him to follow me.
I don't think it's a stretch, but seeing how panicky he was, I'm inclined to doubt it.

“I, I wanted to see my mother’s hometown…”
“Eh?”

I thought Jed was from the Fall Empire? When he was born, the Principality of Agreable had already become independent.
There was no way that someone from the Empire could have the blood of a Principality’s citizen.
When I looked at him, he had closed his mouth hurriedly.
If he was related to the nobility, it was an ugly story that should never be known. I don't know how high up he is, but if that is the truth, it could even start a war.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that.”
"I'm sorry..."

I've learned a secret that shouldn’t be shared with anyone.

Next chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55470366