The Pope started pouring water into the teapot to boil it.
When the water boiled, a soft whistling sound came from the jug.
The Pope got up and took the tea out of the tea pot to prepare it.
The tea pot was a small wooden box with the handle and latch plated with gold leaf.
A pot of tea was so expensive that an ordinary civilian could work all his life and hardly earn anything like it.
Up to that moment, no words had been exchanged between the Pope and Denis.
Each of them was watching the other, to know who would speak first and what he would say.
As the Pope gently poured the tea, a fragrant aroma rose from the teacup.
“It's good tea.”
“I'm glad you liked it.”
Dennis spoke as he looked at the teacup.
“The inscription on the tea pot reminds me of a poem from Nate’s book.”
“You mean the poem about the sheep who returned the favor?”
asked the Pope.
“Yes, my favorite one in my childhood was the story of an olive tree that was nourished by a hungry ewe for days, so she was allowed to eat its fruit.”
Dennis grabbed the teacup and took a sip.
“It's a poem that I love too.”
“So you know the whole story.”
Dennis looked at the Pope.
The Pope was confused by the book's sudden talk, but he continued the story:
“With the passage of time, the olive tree grew old and became sick, so people wanted to cut it down, but the sheep gave her body to prevent them and lost her life in the end, so God parted with her and gave her a new life.”
“You are fully aware of it, Your Holiness.”
Dennis smiled slightly.
It was natural for the Pope to be familiar with the book.
"Yes, of course."
The Pope answered defensively.
“I was touched by the sheep that did not forget the beautiful thing despite the passage of time, and you, Your Holiness?”
“I do too.
God clearly distinguishes between virtue and sin.”
“Good.
Then you have not forgotten my debt to you, Your Holiness.”
“I want you to give it back to me.”
Dennis looked at the Pope with an emotionless look, as if he held nothing.
“…And what is your motive for mentioning that now?”
The Pope furrowed his eyebrows, as if the topic of Denis bothered him.
“Because now is the most appropriate time.
You know very well the difficulties I face in the matter of succession to the throne.”
Dennis gave his decisive speech.
“I need the temple’s help.”
Inside the chariot returning from the temple.
Dennis tilted his head back completely and closed his eyes.
Will the Pope accept the offer?
In fact, it was a threat disguised as an offer.
He mentioned Queen Charles, who is the Pope's weak point, only that the Pope would not be able to ignore him.
'God is watching.'
Dennis raised his right hand and placed it on his chest
He recalled the phrase engraved beneath his layers of clothing.
A hollow laugh emanated from his mouth.
The sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground, "tick tock, tick tock", sounded like a quiet song.
He was crazy tired, but sleep wouldn't come.
Dennis opened his eyes and looked out the window.
They had already arrived near the royal palace.
“I can come down here, maybe take a walk.”
The carriage stopped, and when the servant was about to get off, Dennis raised his hand to stop him.
“You and the driver come back.”
“But, Your Highness...”
“It's a royal forest, so what could happen?
The distance from here to the palace can be walked.”
The servant showed a puzzled expression, then gave up.
“Well come back before sunset, sir.”
“I will.”
Dennis got out of the car and looked into the forest.
It was a forest of birch trees that belonged to the royal family.
The dense birch trees were swaying in the wind.
The sound of trees swaying, “Shaaa, Shaaa,” sometimes sounded like running water.
He started walking slowly.
The scent of pure trees passed his nose.
A birch sapling given a hundred years ago by a nobleman has turned into a dense forest, a place where the royal family occasionally comes to rest.
It is said that the former king was very proud of the birch forest, so much so that he built a tree house in the middle of the forest and visited it daily.
As proof of this, if you go inside, you can see the tree house which is still well preserved despite the passage of decades.
It had been years since he had last visited the birch forest.
If he crossed the pedestrian path, he would reach the western gate of the Royal Palace in about two hours.
He walked, listening to the whispering sound of each birch tree.
He loosened the tie that was choking his neck.
A breeze passed through his soft, dark black hair, ruffling it.
Dennis suddenly felt a strange feeling.
As if he saw himself rolling through the birch forest with that woman.
Was it a dream?
Or a prophecy?
As if a familiar scent passed on the breeze.
Light flower scent and aromatic ointment scent.
He turned to look behind him.
The woman was standing with a stunned face.
“What's wrong?”
“I went out for a walk.
The palace doctor advised me to walk a lot...”
The woman mumbled in confusion.
She was standing alone, without any attendants.
It seemed that she also did not expect to meet him here.
“Ah, okay.”
A wind passed between them.
The hem of the woman's dress blew in the wind.
Dennis took off his coat, laid it on the flat grass under the tree house, and lay down.
While the woman remained standing in her place as if she had frozen.
“What are you doing?
Either sit down, or come back.”
Her features were troubled.
But perhaps she thought he would not expel her, so she carefully sat down next to where he was lying.
Dennis was listening to the sound of the edges of her dress touching, his eyes softly closed.
Then she started talking:
“And you, Your Highness, why are you here at this time?”
“I'm taking a walk too.”
"… Yes."
The woman hesitated, as if she wanted to ask something more.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly, I'm a little tired now.”
“Didn't you sleep well?”
I asked him in a worried tone.
It was a very affectionate question, and he felt a pang in his chest.
“You see.”
Dennis's voice was soft in his answer.
He met the Pope after weeks of not resting properly, his body no longer having any energy.
In this way…
Dennis spoke to himself inwardly.
The sound of a bird chirping was heard from afar.
As he lay still in the birch-wood, his nerves, as frayed as a sword, seemed to have dulled their sharpness.
Luburn's short summer was already coming to an end.
When the short summer ends, the long winter will come.
“...Therese.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Should we go live in the south?”
He made his speech as if it were a light joke, with his hand over his eyes.
Therese did not answer.
“If you don't like the South, how about the East?”
She remembers that she loved the forest of the East, where she went on vacation.
Two years had passed since the time they spent in that forest.
“Until then...”
She opened her mouth cautiously.
“Until then...will you need me?”
He thought the question sounded desperate somehow.
“Sure, wife.”
His voice was tender, as if he had never rejected her.
Therese was distressed by his answer.
She wanted to ask: Why did you ask her to let go of his hand then?
Does that mean he doesn't need her anymore?
“Then why did you ask me to let go of your hand?”
I finally asked.
Therese lowered her head.
She didn't trust herself to see his face and hear his answer.
Dennis answered calmly:
“Well…was there a better way?
I don’t really know.”
“I should have said it myself.”
The words were like an apology.
But he continued, saying:
“If I no longer need you, I will definitely tell you then, understand?”
Therese raised her lowered head.
These words meant that he still needed her now, at least.
It wasn't a satisfactory answer, but at least it didn't mean he would abandon her now.
Therese felt a slight relief.
He yawned as if he was tired.
I immediately asked him:
“Can I help you sleep?
Your Highness.”
“No need...”
The offer was very tempting.
For a moment, he couldn't refuse and looked at Therese.
He saw a sea in her eyes staring at him.
He wanted to drown in that sea and rest.
“Yes, Therese.”
He grabbed Therese's arm.
Help me sleep, please.
The little body was dragged on top of him.
The familiar temperature of her body wrapped around his hands, and her slender shoulders, were extremely pleasing.
It felt like a missing puzzle piece had found its right place.
It matched perfectly without the slightest error.
Dennis had a shiver running through his entire body.
The woman seemed lighter than he remembered.
She was looking at him from above.
Her hair fell lightly, like a golden curtain surrounding them.
Clear blue waves rippled in her shadowed eyes.
While he was looking at her from below, he felt a different feeling when he looked at her from above.
It was a strange feeling.
Dennis looked closely at her face, then discovered a small dot under her chin.
It was a point he had not noticed well as he looked at it from above.
He lightly caressed its point with his index finger.
He felt refreshed just by this little discovery.
“Can you lower your head?”
The tip of Therese's approaching nose collided with his own.
Dennis devoured her lips like an eager human.
He saw the light creeping between the birch trees.
Between the leaves of trees, between the flying strands of hair.
Maybe that strange feeling wasn't just "déjà vu"?
Dennis smiled a little.
It was a rare satisfied smile.
He felt a lazy sensation as if he were being visited by a welcome guest.
His eyelids closed comfortably.
Finally, he drowned in the sea.