“I told you I would take you there myself someday.”
It was definitely a pleasant thing to hear.
“I wanted to keep my promise.”
The beautiful scenery and the flowers with special meaning dancing under the bright sunlight were the same.
‘Why now...’
My heart changed as I watched.
I resented him for reminding me of that day when he came closer without any warning.
However, I suddenly hid my feelings seemed to have cooled down, and smiled at Kaian.
“Pick me the flowers.”
“Now?”
“Like before.”
Kaian didn’t even get up, but only stretched out his arm and picked only the thick ones.
“Here.”
He paused as he held out the bouquet of Margarets that he had picked himself.
I laughed out loud with sincerity as if I knew what Kaian was thinking without him saying anything.
“You were stuck in Herzol back then.”
“I see.”
When Kaian handed me the bouquet in a trembling manner, I carefully sniffed the flowers.
In the meantime, he seemed to be fidgeting, worried that I might vomit blood while sniffing them as if he was having a hard time shaking off old memories.
“If this is how it is, why did you bring me here?”
That day was not a painful memory for me.
I don’t know about Kaian, but it was a day that saved me.
If he hadn’t taken me to the sponsorship if he hadn’t picked the flowers.
I, who was good at enduring my illnesses secretly, wouldn’t have been caught sick like that.
But seeing the man worrying so much about me getting sick made my heart flutter.
“If you’re anxious because you’re reminded of the past...”
“I wasn’t that anxious.”
“Whew...”
At that moment, I took a deep breath and grimaced because my nose tickled, and Kaian freaked out.
“Claudel!”
“Huechi.”
I sneezed and blinked. It was because of the pollen I had suddenly inhaled.
Kaian’s face was a little tired.
“No way. I think it’s better to go back.”
“Huh? We just got here.”
“I wanted to show you at least once. Since you’ve already seen it, that’s fine.”
When Kaian grabbed my arm and forced my body up, I resisted being dragged away.
“No. I don’t want to. I’ve come out for the first time in a while. I’ve been in the castle the whole time since I came to Rowen.”
Only then did Kaian stop.
“That’s... Me?”
“Of course. Where would I go when Julien is in the castle the whole time?”
“No. I don’t want to. I’ve come out for the first time in a while. I’ve been in the castle the whole time since I came to Rowen.”
Only then did Kaian stop.
“That’s... Me?”
“Of course. Where would I go when Julien is in the castle the whole time?”
When I resisted, saying it was good to be out for the first time in a while, he had no choice but to let go of me and sit back down. I slowly took in the scenery and felt for the seat next to me. Soon, when I touched the large hand of the person sitting next to me, I clasped my hand with his.
However, unlike the peaceful atmosphere, my heart, which had lost its balance and wavered earlier, felt like it was falling apart into pieces.
“Kaian.”
“Yes?”
“Are there always this many flowers here?”
“I guess so.”
“The sponsorship is determined by the time Margaret blooms.”
“I don’t know much about gardening, but I think it depends on how you take care of it.”
I slyly expressed my wish at Kaian’s words.
“I want to bring Julien next time and the three of us come together.”
“...”
“When Julien can walk.”
Kaian didn’t answer quickly at the promise that he would come later.
I held back the desire to beg him to tell me quickly.
“Wouldn’t Julien like these flowers too?”
“Yes.”
After secretly dragging the child along, I was finally able to hear the answer I wanted from Kaian.
“The three of us must come together.”
I told him as if making a promise.
Then the man who had been staring intently into my eyes and face burst into laughter.
“You don’t have to say it with such a scary face.”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to get angry if I don’t answer the way you want?”
“...”
I touched my face.
“A scary face?”
“Yes. You’re talking like you’re going to chew me out.”
“Lies.”
Normally, he would answer immediately when asked something. I felt that there was an intention behind his delaying the answer this time, so I urged him on.
“Don’t change the subject. I want to come with Julien.”
“Yes.”
Kaian finally gave the answer I wanted, as if he couldn’t win.
However, my heart was beating even harder.
The day Kaian was to leave for the campaign was approaching in a week.
As always, he was busy, and I was busy too.
However, deep down inside, unlike my busy daily life, I was in a daze as if I had lost my mind.
‘I didn’t ask him properly today either.’
However, unlike the peaceful atmosphere, my heart, which had lost its balance and wavered earlier, felt like it was falling apart into pieces.
“Kaian.”
“Yes?”
“Are there always this many flowers here?”
“I guess so.”
“The sponsorship is determined by the time Margaret blooms.”
“I don’t know much about gardening, but I think it depends on how you take care of it.”
I slyly expressed my wish at Kaian’s words.
“I want to bring Julien next time and the three of us come together.”
“...”
“When Julien can walk.”
Kaian didn’t answer quickly at the promise that he would come later.
I held back the desire to beg him to tell me quickly.
“Wouldn’t Julien like these flowers too?”
“Yes.”
After secretly dragging the child along, I was finally able to hear the answer I wanted from Kaian.
“The three of us must come together.”
I told him as if making a promise.
Then the man who had been staring intently into my eyes and face burst into laughter.
“You don’t have to say it with such a scary face.”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to get angry if I don’t answer the way you want?”
“...”
I touched my face.
“A scary face?”
“Yes. You’re talking like you’re going to chew me out.”
“Lies.”
Normally, he would answer immediately when asked something. I felt that there was an intention behind his delaying the answer this time, so I urged him on.
“Don’t change the subject. I want to come with Julien.”
“Yes.”
Kaian finally gave the answer I wanted, as if he couldn’t win.
However, my heart was beating even harder.
***
The day Kaian was to leave for the campaign was approaching in a week.
As always, he was busy, and I was busy too.
However, deep down inside, unlike my busy daily life, I was in a daze as if I had lost my mind.
‘I didn’t ask him properly today either.’
What does he think about leaving Rowen and going to war?
I always worried if there was a way for him not to go.
On the other hand, it became harder and harder to ask Kaian every time he did something he hadn’t done before.
He was steadily preparing to leave.
So he seemed to be very busy, checking on my health from time to time and telling me how to manage the property for me and the child.
Some things were not visible to the public as if they were in the secret safe of the family head, but even Baron Colon began to come to me instead of Kaian to discuss and ask for permission regarding the castle's affairs. It was largely seen as a matter of course that the butler came to ask the madam, not the family head, about the status of the work.
So after returning, I felt that the people of the castle were friendly to me, but lately, I felt that I had finally become the true mistress and was recognized by those around me. In a way, it was an important time when I had finally become a true Duchess.
I was now completely absent-minded, whether I did or not.
Me and Hannah were busy looking around while walking slowly through the marketplace.
Then Hannah found a piece of fine silk and asked me.
"Madam, what do you think of this?"
"It's pretty."
"How about making something out of this and giving it as a gift?"
"Haa. You know my sewing skills."
I was becoming increasingly impatient.
I wanted to give something special to Kaian, who was soon to leave Rowen to go to war.
Something impressive and precious that would remind him of me every time he saw it.
However, the castle was busy taking care of Julien. The baby, who was born perfect but treated as incomplete, would have an accident if I took my eyes off him for even a moment.
Just yesterday, while changing diapers, the baby flipped over in an instant and grabbed the mobile with his hand, and the thread that had tied the paper butterfly got tangled around his wet and swollen fingers, causing chaos. I tried to untie the thread, but Julien cried loudly, saying that he was dying, and his fingers quickly lost their color, so I ended up taking a pair of scissors and cutting the thread. In addition, I had recently started feeding Julien mashed apples and thinly sliced bread, so I was even more distracted.
It took more than thirty minutes to feed him one bite of food for an adult, and after washing the baby, whose chin and neck wrinkles were all sticky, it was time to breastfeed him again.
'If there had been no nanny, I might have collapsed.'
I thought that sincerely.
Then again, I wanted to take care of Kaian, but I didn't have time to do so.
"I want to give him something nice."
Something that he wouldn't lose on the battlefield, something that would remind him of Julien, but that wouldn't be too burdensome or cumbersome to carry around.
This time, Hannah showed me a small silver locket.
"How about this? I think you can put a small picture inside it."
"There's only a few days left, so when are you going to hire an artist to paint it?"
"That's true."
Most of the things sold at the Market Place were things that Kaian wouldn't like.
I had already known that on his birthday last year, but even though I knew that, she didn't really have any other options, so I thought that if I looked closely, I might find something that Kaian would like, and this was already my fifth time coming to the Market Place.
As Hannah and I were walking with feeble steps,
Bang!
We heard a sound like something exploding in the distance.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know."
The sound was coming from the direction of the port, so Hannah was worried about what was going on at her husband’s workplace.
Kkwaang!
A much louder sound than before was heard from closer, and the usually lively Market Place suddenly stopped moving.
At that moment, the busy and noisy sound of hooves was heard.
My eyes widened when I saw the one running in front.
“Claudel!”
“Kaian.”
As soon as he stopped his horse, he jumped down, placed me on the saddle, and quickly climbed back on.
“We’re going back to the castle right away.”
“Just a moment. Hannah...”
Without even a word of explanation to me, Kaian immediately turned his horse and started to ride towards the castle.
'Hannah can't ride a horse.'
At first glance, it seemed like several soldiers were approaching to take her away, but I soon gave up because I couldn't see my back because of Kaian's large body. There was no way Kaian would abandon Hannah if something happened.
"What's going on?"
Kaian didn't answer and just spurred on. The horse was running so fast that I automatically shut my mouth. I was afraid that I might bite my tongue.
On the way back to the castle, the explosive noise I had heard earlier gradually got closer.
When we returned to the castle, Kaian quickly got off his horse and hugged me.
A carriage came rushing in behind us, crossing the drawbridge. As soon as the carriage passed, we saw the drawbridge quickly begin to rise.
'It's still daytime.'
The drawbridge was usually raised after allowing passage until 6 p.m.
Kaian opened his mouth with a hardened face as he carried me to the mistress’ bedroom.
“The enemy has landed on the shore.”
“What do you mean, the enemy has landed?”
Did the enemy rise from the water?
“The war has begun.”
I always worried if there was a way for him not to go.
On the other hand, it became harder and harder to ask Kaian every time he did something he hadn’t done before.
He was steadily preparing to leave.
So he seemed to be very busy, checking on my health from time to time and telling me how to manage the property for me and the child.
Some things were not visible to the public as if they were in the secret safe of the family head, but even Baron Colon began to come to me instead of Kaian to discuss and ask for permission regarding the castle's affairs. It was largely seen as a matter of course that the butler came to ask the madam, not the family head, about the status of the work.
So after returning, I felt that the people of the castle were friendly to me, but lately, I felt that I had finally become the true mistress and was recognized by those around me. In a way, it was an important time when I had finally become a true Duchess.
I was now completely absent-minded, whether I did or not.
Me and Hannah were busy looking around while walking slowly through the marketplace.
Then Hannah found a piece of fine silk and asked me.
"Madam, what do you think of this?"
"It's pretty."
"How about making something out of this and giving it as a gift?"
"Haa. You know my sewing skills."
I was becoming increasingly impatient.
I wanted to give something special to Kaian, who was soon to leave Rowen to go to war.
Something impressive and precious that would remind him of me every time he saw it.
However, the castle was busy taking care of Julien. The baby, who was born perfect but treated as incomplete, would have an accident if I took my eyes off him for even a moment.
Just yesterday, while changing diapers, the baby flipped over in an instant and grabbed the mobile with his hand, and the thread that had tied the paper butterfly got tangled around his wet and swollen fingers, causing chaos. I tried to untie the thread, but Julien cried loudly, saying that he was dying, and his fingers quickly lost their color, so I ended up taking a pair of scissors and cutting the thread. In addition, I had recently started feeding Julien mashed apples and thinly sliced bread, so I was even more distracted.
It took more than thirty minutes to feed him one bite of food for an adult, and after washing the baby, whose chin and neck wrinkles were all sticky, it was time to breastfeed him again.
'If there had been no nanny, I might have collapsed.'
I thought that sincerely.
Then again, I wanted to take care of Kaian, but I didn't have time to do so.
"I want to give him something nice."
Something that he wouldn't lose on the battlefield, something that would remind him of Julien, but that wouldn't be too burdensome or cumbersome to carry around.
This time, Hannah showed me a small silver locket.
"How about this? I think you can put a small picture inside it."
"There's only a few days left, so when are you going to hire an artist to paint it?"
"That's true."
Most of the things sold at the Market Place were things that Kaian wouldn't like.
I had already known that on his birthday last year, but even though I knew that, she didn't really have any other options, so I thought that if I looked closely, I might find something that Kaian would like, and this was already my fifth time coming to the Market Place.
As Hannah and I were walking with feeble steps,
Bang!
We heard a sound like something exploding in the distance.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know."
The sound was coming from the direction of the port, so Hannah was worried about what was going on at her husband’s workplace.
Kkwaang!
A much louder sound than before was heard from closer, and the usually lively Market Place suddenly stopped moving.
At that moment, the busy and noisy sound of hooves was heard.
My eyes widened when I saw the one running in front.
“Claudel!”
“Kaian.”
As soon as he stopped his horse, he jumped down, placed me on the saddle, and quickly climbed back on.
“We’re going back to the castle right away.”
“Just a moment. Hannah...”
Without even a word of explanation to me, Kaian immediately turned his horse and started to ride towards the castle.
'Hannah can't ride a horse.'
At first glance, it seemed like several soldiers were approaching to take her away, but I soon gave up because I couldn't see my back because of Kaian's large body. There was no way Kaian would abandon Hannah if something happened.
"What's going on?"
Kaian didn't answer and just spurred on. The horse was running so fast that I automatically shut my mouth. I was afraid that I might bite my tongue.
On the way back to the castle, the explosive noise I had heard earlier gradually got closer.
When we returned to the castle, Kaian quickly got off his horse and hugged me.
A carriage came rushing in behind us, crossing the drawbridge. As soon as the carriage passed, we saw the drawbridge quickly begin to rise.
'It's still daytime.'
The drawbridge was usually raised after allowing passage until 6 p.m.
Kaian opened his mouth with a hardened face as he carried me to the mistress’ bedroom.
“The enemy has landed on the shore.”
“What do you mean, the enemy has landed?”
Did the enemy rise from the water?
“The war has begun.”
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