Interlude ─ Keep going

In a large room of a mansion, Diana opened her eyes.

She was in her usual pajamas.

When she was a child, it was normal for maids to come and change her clothes.

After she lost her home she had to do it alone.

But now that she has her house back... no one helps her.

After doing her basic needs she went to change.

She changed into a business suit with pants included.

She went downstairs for breakfast and there was Lutart.

"Diana-sama, good morning."

"Good morning, Lutart."

Breakfast was served.

She wanted to go back to the days where she had luxurious and exotic foods for breakfast.

Now she could only find oatmeal, bread, juice and sometimes bacon with eggs.

Lutart was the one who prepared it.

Since there was no one else in this mansion.

After being declared priestess, Diana avoided her execution, but with it Aster's hatred did not descend one bit.

To clean the house or any repairs that need to be done, servants from other families come.

The servants of Vermillion Household all died that day.

The day Rudel blew up this same house and in the airship he destroyed.

Only Lutart remained of all the vassals of the house.

No one wanted to dare come into direct contact with her.

"Thank you for breakfast."

Diana thanked, Lutart took the dishes and went to wash them.

After she arrived, they prepared to leave for the meeting, but not before checking the letters sent to her.

"Diana-sama, you have correspondence."

"... Do you wish me to dispose of them?"

"No. I want to read them."

She replied after taking them.

Reading the first letter, Diana momentarily lifted her shoulders.

She set about writing each letter sent to her per day.

When she finished she handed them to Lutart.

Lutart went to the mailbox and placed them there, he didn't need to know what the contents said because it was obvious.

All those letters came from the people of Aster who lost loved ones.

In short, they were letters filled with their hatred of her, their frustration, their helplessness, their desire to kill her.

All that resentment was written there.

The only thing Diana would answer in response was the same.

"I'm so sorry. It was my fault, I'm really sorry."

The two left for the makeshift meeting place of the great nobles.

◇◇◇

Because there were no cars, transportation consisted of carriages or bicycles.

The carriages were for the important people, that generated uneasiness in the people. But it was necessary.

What would happen if Diana rode a bicycle from her house to the temple of the great nobles?

Nobody wanted to think the worst because it would happen.

For that reason, the mansion is surrounded by military.

The cars were destroyed, specifically their factories which were almost all in Exner territory.

Arriving at the temple, she greeted everyone.

But no one greeted her.

For her it was normal.

Arriving at the meeting room.

She found only Randolf.

"Good morning, Acting Chairman─ regent I mean."

"Good morning, priestess Diana."

Diana greeted him and went to sit next to him which was her destined seat.

Randolf was ordering some papers to deal with today's meeting.

After a while the other great nobles arrived.

Starting with Jude who was now head of his house.

"Good morning everyone."

Then came Tom, who was still grumpy.

"Morning..."

Leaving Malcolm and Elijah at the end.

After everyone arrived, Randolf started with the schedule.

"As I told you yesterday. I hope you have reviewed the documents I sent you all."

"We have to go through a lot of paperwork to get the sale of the magic stones we have at a high price to earn some more than the written fee."

"Let's start with─"

◇◇◇

The meeting dragged on so long that it had gone past three o'clock in the afternoon.

"That's enough for now. We must eat, come back in an hour."

When it was lunch time, they always brought food to the great nobles.

But in the current situation it was impossible.

In the room there were only Randolf and Diana left.

Lutart went to fetch her lunch.

Randolf took out of his briefcase a homemade lunch cooked by his wife.

Diana asked him.

"Is it tasty?"

Because it didn't look edible at all.

Even a meatball seemed to be surrounded by mosaic tiles.

Randolf took the fork and put that meatball in his mouth.

He grimaced horribly before swallowing it.

"Very tasty it tastes. After all, my wife cooked it for me."

"After we lost our son, we saw life change for us forever that day."

"Lucy said I shouldn't think about your mother and about that day. That it was unfortunate what happened, but it wasn't my fault."

"I try not to think about her or Romeo."

"But... forgetting someone you love is worse than knowing they're no longer here."

Diana looked sadly at her belly.

"I know how you feel. I've already lost two important people, I only have my sister, Lutart and the life growing in my stomach left."

Randolf looked at Diana as if he were her father.

"You do need help. Or maybe you want to talk to someone."

"The doors of my home will be open to you."

She smiled heartily at those kind words.

Among all those present who wanted Diana dead.

Only Randolf and Lutart were the only ones who didn't judge her as they understand how she feels.

"I... thank you."

"I-If possible. could I come this weekend?"

"The negotiations that day will be short due to the fact that we need to get some rest."

"So I thought I'd ask your wife if she could give me some tips for when the symptoms start."

Randolf smiled, remembering Beatrix's face in Diana.

"I'm sure more than ever, now that our daughter is gone and we don't know when we'll see her again. She needs company from a young lady."

"She'll be delighted to see you."

"Thank you."

After arranging their date to visit, Lutart came in with Diana's lunch.

◇◇◇

The itinerary ended.

When she left the temple she went to the sacred tree, there were gathered a group of people who comes to pray for their deceased.

They were all looking at Diana with looks full of contempt.

Diana knelt in the center and began to pray.

She asked for only one thing.

(Please, Lugh. Give me orbs, we need them very much, I implore you).

Then, an image just like Lugh's appeared in her head.

As he smiled at her, a small watermelon-like sphere grew out of the ground.

It was just like a bowling ball in size.

It was bigger the orb generated by the sacred tree than this.

But he could not refuse, only nod and accept.

◇◇◇

Night fell.

Diana and Lutart arrived tired.

Lutart went to prepare the bathtub for Diana.

Again she found letters addressing her name.

Each letter was a stab in the heart.

For that reason, she kept quiet.

After Lutart told her that the bath was ready, she went to bathe.

The original bath was large, this one was just as small as a house without financial resources.

After her bath she went to bed.

Before closing her eyes, Diana said to Lugh.

"Lugh, Zack. I'll try my best tomorrow too, for all four of us."

Diana will spend living her days being hated by everyone, cursing her, criticizing her for lousy actions, but mostly.

The guilt she has inside at being the sole survivor.

But, she will live this way since it is her punishment imposed by the world, Diana while she lives, will not be allowed to be happy.