Chapter 99
A wedding dress.
The concept was foreign to the Downstream, but Isaac knew what one was. Had he not, he couldn’t have casually brought up the topic of marriage with General Soluten at the plant a few days ago.
The thought of the ridiculous ceremony arose in his mind. Isaac had never actually seen a wedding, so the image his mind conjured was sparse, yet it was enough to make his stomach churn.
“I will put her in the wedding dress you couldn’t provide, and I will love her as a person—this woman you’ve degraded to a mere item in your collection and treated with contempt.”
“…What do you suppose any of that will mean to Arietta?”
Even as he asked, Isaac realized his own voice lacked conviction, a fact that only bolstered Benjamin’s confidence. Everything the man had said was pure delusion, and yet… Isaac was the one who turned away first.
Benjamin’s eyes narrowed. It was the first time he had ever claimed a complete victory over Isaac.
He celebrated silently.
His gaze soon shifted to the drilling rig. Finding the animal’s remains today would be ideal, but even if they didn’t… Arietta, who had opened this new horizon of possibility, deserved to be rewarded.
Benjamin planned to argue that point vehemently.
***
But Isaac was one step ahead of Benjamin.
Isaac stood at the edge of the swamp.
He imagined Arietta in a wedding dress. From what he had vaguely heard, the traditional style was a white gown, heavily adorned with beads and lace that glittered under the lights.
Arietta owned no ‘gowns.’ Her wardrobe consisted solely of simple shifts, not dresses tailored to her form. Most were two layers at best, cut in the silhouette of a slip. None were adorned with elaborate lace.
Besides, lace wouldn’t suit Arietta in the first place.
And yet, despite his conviction, the image of Arietta in a wedding dress was hauntingly beautiful. Perhaps that was inevitable, given how beautiful Arietta herself was. Amidst his own meager imagination and searing hatred, Isaac closed his eyes, picturing his infuriatingly lovely prize.
Is that what people crave when they tire of the Downstream?
Isaac vowed he would never give Arietta what she desired.
His golden eyes turned to General Soluten. The man’s greatest strength was his affability, his talent for not making enemies. But that was also his greatest weakness. To be at odds with no one meant one could be swayed like a reed in the wind.
And it was in General Soluten that Isaac had already planted a seed of doubt—the suggestion that Benjamin might be nursing the absurd hope of marrying Arietta. To this, he had added a comment about how Marquis Lenota might react. It was anyone’s guess, but no sane noble from the Sky City would ever welcome Arietta.
Besides, the signature trait of those Upstreamers was to blame others. If Benjamin, blinded by love, made a foolish choice, Marquis Lenota would surely torment General Soluten, who was not only an honorary noble but also the leader of this investigation.
Thus, the general would naturally come to hope that Arietta’s trip to the Sky City would fall through.
Isaac now needed to give General Soluten a definitive push. It was the only way to keep Arietta on the ground.
Alternatively, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Isaac to intervene directly.
A lamp on the drilling rig began to flash. Soon, with a clamorous noise, the first net began to rise. The things that had lain buried at the bottom of the swamp for so long began to reveal themselves.
The foul stench of oil filled the air.
The net disgorged its contents onto the ground at the swamp’s edge. The drill, which had bored through the viscous pollutants, was instantly fouled with clinging muck. Four able-bodied men struggled with the net, which refused to unfurl properly.
A surprising number of things had been dredged up. Many were too decayed to identify, but just as Arietta had said, some items were remarkably well-preserved. A candy tin, likely dropped by some clueless noble child from the Sky City, was so perfectly sealed that when opened, a few almost flawlessly preserved candies rolled out.
There were even a few items that could be called ‘remains.’ Most, however, were presumed to be human bones. Isaac quietly watched the members of the investigation team wipe down what was clearly a human skull with a cloth to examine it.
Nothing conclusive could be identified in the first net. Still, it was a much better outcome than when they had been digging fruitlessly. At last, they had objects ‘worth attempting to verify.’
As a result, smiles bloomed on the faces of the investigators. They couldn’t hide their delight despite the arduous labor. Even if they couldn’t bring back the animal’s remains today, they could report great progress to King Philip. How they had lost face with the king over the stagnant investigation, all while lavishing the Downstream with provisions…
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