I’ve Been Exiled, But I’m Alive and Well - Chapter 121 (Patreon)

“Elle?”

The voice calling my name brought me back. I turn around to see Jed staring at me with a worried expression.

"What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, should we go back to the inn?"
"'N, no. I was just reminiscing about the past.”

Perhaps it was because I was walking aimlessly that I caused him unnecessary worry. When While I was feeling sorry, he tilted his head, "About the past?”

"Yes, about a friend of mine I met in the Empire.”
"The one you just said you had never seen again?”
"That's right.”
"Why did you never see him again?”
"My friend has some complications.”

After I met Jerald, I did a lot of research about him.
The nobles of the Fall Empire have a tendency to look down on the commoners. This is something that happens in every country, but in the case of the Empire, the tendency is more pronounced.
And Jerald was the child of the Emperor and a commoner woman. As long as he had red hair, a sign of royalty, it was only natural that he would be welcomed as part of the Imperial family. He was also taken in by the Emperor. But instead of being respected, he was abhorred as a person of lowly blood. As a result, he was treated coldly and was not allowed to leave the castle or even appear on in public. He has not even been given the right to succeed to the throne. He was made into a member of the Imperial family in name only.
It was an utterly terrible story.
I didn’t understand how they could treat him as such only because he had commoner’s blood in his veins, and how they can look down on the son of the Emperor.
No matter how much I grieved, the only thing I could do, as I had no power, was to keep thinking of him as a friend.

“What’s wrong? You are making a scary-looking face…”

I smiled at Jed, who looked at me with concern.

“It’s nothing.”
“I see. That’s good, but…”
“I can't give you any details, but my friend in the Empire is having a hard time, and I... feel ashamed of myself for not being able to do anything about it.”

I spilled out my honest thoughts unintentionally. After making a surprised expression, Jed laughed and patted my head. Normally, I would shake him off, but it was so strangely comforting that I closed my eyes and accepted his gesture.

“I’m sure your friend would be happy knowing you feel that way.”
“I wonder about that…”
“I know I would be happy.”

I felt like I could believe his words for some reason. When I opened my eyes, the silhouette of a smiling person appeared in front of me. That moment, my entire body stiffened.
Huh…?

“N? What is it?”
“N, nothing…”

For a moment, he and Jerald seemed to overlap, even though I knew they weren’t the same person.
Was it because they had the same name?
Jerald didn’t have a nickname, so I gave one, Jed. And they were from the same Empire, so that’s why they must have overlapped.

"For a moment, you looked like the friend I was talking about… That was rude, I know. I'm sorry."

I bowed my head and apologized, and a small groan fell.
I looked up to see what was wrong, and my eyes met Jed's, who was smiling bitterly.

“Jed?”
“... No, it’s nothing. Let’s have a meal.”

What was that about, I wonder?
I tilted my head at Jed, who turned and walked away.

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