The Kingdom of Belmar

Chapter 18

"Us?" Geoffrey asks, turning to his friend, "well unfortunately I lack much excitement in my life. I don't come from a Ducal estate like you, nor do I have to fight for my survival with seven elder brothers like Grace. I don't even know what to expect from Percival's past, though I suppose he doesn't relent his scolding of us enough to speak about it.

"I am an only child from a line of merchants and vendors. We make an honest living, and manage comfortably in the western territory, awfully close to the Ewell estate actually, I believe it falls under the jurisdiction of one of your vassals, an oil barron by the name of Count Brunswick if I recall correctly. My family did a bit of business with him in the past, but I wouldn't blame him had he forgotten my name and face."

I nodded along thoughtfully, though from what Geoffrey tells me his life must have been an unremarkable and humble one. Something about the way he described everything was very reminiscent of my past life as Caroline. Had it not been for my reincarnation, I'd be nothing more than a face no one would remember, an average girl that blended into the background. Just like how Geoffrey was never a named character in the original novel, I'd be nothing more than forgettable. Even when I travel through dimensions and logic, I still couldn't manage to be a main character but a villainess. Maybe I'll never understand the lives of main characters like Prince Cole or Margarite Hastings, but at least this time I'm someone important.

"And you?" I ask, giving a half smile to Philip across the table.

He unhooks his arm from around Geoffrey's shoulders, and leans into the conversation towards me. "My history unfortunately leans a bit more towards Grace's in the financial department, even without the seven other mouths to feed. I have a mother and a younger sister, both of whom are too fragile to even make the trip from the west to see me at the knights exam. My father was a cook in a local restaurant, and died in a fire when my sister was no more than an infant. Mother rarely speaks of him, and I barely remember him, but because of this the main income we've had for years was my mother selling herbs on the side of the street. There was one stall in particular that my mother would sit by frequently, and that stall was owned by Geoffrey's family. Shortly after Geoffrey realized how amazing I am and begged me to be his friend." Geoffrey rolls his eyes a bit, and laughs while he nudges his companion's arm.

Philip continues, "The women in my family have a predisposition to being weaker than normal. Growing up it was very obvious to me that while my mother was the strongest woman I knew, she was only a gust of wind away from breaking.

"My sister faced the brunt of it, however. She was discovered to be harboring a rare illness that can't be treated in the western territory, and we lack the funds to afford her medicine. She isn't expected to live past fifteen. I love her dearly but I simply can't manage to look at her in that state and feel no remorse. I left to become an imperial knight shortly after, most of my earnings goes towards the funds for her treatment, though I'm not sure we can save enough in time."

"How has Morganna's condition been progressingly lately?" Geoffrey asks, genuinely concerned for his friend.

Philip looks at his plate and doesn't answer. For the first time in my knowing this man, I've never seen him so silent and stoic aside from this current moment. He must care for his sister a great deal for him to look so distraught at a simple question, though I can't even begin to imagine the burdens and pain he must be carrying around on those care free shoulders.

It seems Percival is about to say something, maybe comfort the man he's spent so long criticizing, when a royal attendant enters the dining hall with a scroll, and several guards on either side of him. From the look of his uniform he must be someone high ranked, and from the presence of the scroll, it's clear that he's been tasked with relaying an important message.