134. Don't even make eye contact.
“I understand what the Grand Duke means.”
The deep, pensive voice of the Baroness of Baden broke the long silence. Beyond the window, the sky was already beginning to turn a dark shade.
“I’m so sorry.”
Meeting her gaze, the Prince once again offered a sincere apology. The two sat across from each other in the rosy, silent room, staring at each other in silence for a long time.
Baroness Baden sighed and rubbed her forehead. Her head began to pound again as she recalled that war-like afternoon.
The impact of Bjorn's sudden appearance was huge.
The servants, faced with a guest and the First Prince of Letzen, without any preparation, were disorganized and disoriented. Baroness Baden was no exception.
She thought they would naturally get divorced.
At first, she thought they needed some time apart to gather their thoughts, but no matter how long she waited, the Prince never came looking for Erna. Even if he knew where she was going, how could he not be concerned about the well-being of his wife, who had barely packed a suitcase and left? His attitude was practically a consent to divorce.
Erna calmly pleaded with her, who, so angry and distraught, had expressed her intention to meet the Grand Duke in person. She pleaded with him to let this end quietly. If only Erna had cried, she might have been able to persuade her. The girl smiled with a serene resignation. Her face was eerily similar to Annette's around the time of her divorce from Walter Hardy.
Baroness Baden couldn't say anything more to her granddaughter, who looked as fragile as cracked glass. She simply prayed and prayed. Please, don't let this child shatter like her mother.
Fortunately, Erna gradually recovered. After the maid who had been with her since the Hardy family arrived, she regained her vitality.
But now, he's shaking the child like this.
It was incredibly annoying, but she couldn't just turn the Prince away at her doorstep, who had come with such formality. So she decided to show him some courtesy and then send him away. That was until shr saw Erna's furious outburst.
Lately, she'd become more talkative and smiled like before, but she still seemed to be a child buried deep in a slumber. Erna, however, poured out her emotions without restraint. It was as if she'd completely forgotten the gazes of those around her. It was the first time since returning to Baden that Erna seemed alive and vibrant. The reason she was here, facing the Prince, in this room was purely because of that.
The fight that Erna started after she suddenly dragged the Prince away only ended when Baroness Baden visited the room. Unlike the calm Prince, Erna was furious, her face flushed bright red.
Baroness Baden, judging that it was necessary to separate the two first, brought the Prince to her room. She had decided that this would be a better place for an intimate conversation than the drawing room.
To her surprise, the Prince responded to the conversation with considerable sincerity and humility. He apologized for past events and asked for understanding. He calmly explained his circumstances, which had only allowed him to arrive after a season. Throughout the lengthy conversation, the Prince never showed a moment of self-pity or attempted to make excuses. His attitude was so rational that it almost seemed cold.
"It's hard to believe, but I think it could have been the Grand Duke's perspective. Erna would probably feel the same way, too. But I think the child's wounds are too deep to understand and start over."
Baroness Baden looked at Bjorn with a look of mixed emotions.
"More than anything, even if this situation is miraculously resolved, I think the two of you will fall out again if things continue this way. The Grand Duke is probably well aware of this, so I wonder why you're so intent on holding onto Erna. What exactly are you planning to do?"
“Actually, I don’t know either, Baroness.”
A slight wavering occurred in the Prince's eyes, which had never wavered for even a moment.
"But I felt I couldn't end this marriage without confronting it properly. If necessary, we'd fight, talk, and have the opportunity to face each other, to face the truth, not the illusions we each have."
“Don’t you think that might hurt both of you even more?”
“That may be true, but I think it’s better to have done your best than to have regrets left over from giving up cowardly.”
The Prince looked up from his long-cold teacup and met Baroness Baden's gaze again. His eyes, once cool, now flickered with a faint warmth. The room was dim, illuminated only by the candles on the table, but Baroness Baden could clearly discern the change.
Baroness Baden, who had been gazing at the Prince for a long time, rang the bell just as the early evening darkness filled the room. Soon after, a young maid, looking very nervous, answered.
“I’ll call Erna.”
Even as she gave the soft command, Baroness Baden's gaze remained fixed on the Prince.
Erna's day began like any other.
She woke up in the still-dark dawn, washed her face, and changed her clothes. After making her bed, she sat down at her desk and made artificial flowers. The flowers that bloomed from her diligent fingers were as beautiful as ever.
“Your Highness, haaaa-.”
As dawn broke, Lisa came to visit again today.
“Did you work from dawn again?”
Lisa's eyes narrowed as she looked at the desk she was organizing.
“Just. A little.”
“Oh my. I didn’t start this to force you like this.”
“It’s okay. There’s nothing else to do in the morning anyway.”
Erna, smiling as usual, quickly put on her coat and hat. She didn't forget to pack a scarf and gloves.
“But Lisa, you don’t have to go through this every morning because of me.”
Erna looked at Lisa with a look of concern. Lisa, who had been tilting her head, suddenly widened her eyes.
"Hard work? Your Highness and I used to go for a morning walk together every day, even at the Grand Duke's residence."
"But it's cold these days. You can walk around this area with your eyes closed, so don't worry about me."
"Don't say that! In this harsh world, how could I send Your Highness out alone?"
Lisa showed her resolute will by striking firmly.
“This is a place where it’s hard to even find a single person...”
“There are no people, but there are beasts. Beasts!”
That damned Dniester wolf.
Lisa clenched her fists, swallowing the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
Five days had already passed since the Grand Duke's procession had stirred up a stir throughout Burford. That meant just as much time had passed since the white wolf had entered this house.
The Baroness allowed the Prince to stay at the Baden residence. Erna vehemently refused, but ultimately failed to break her grandmother's wishes. Still, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that they shared a room together, preventing any untoward incidents. Had the Prince invaded Erna's bedroom, Lisa might have been recorded in Letzen history as a maid who had harmed the royal family.
Lisa went out for a morning walk with Erna again today.
Normally, everyone would still be asleep, but ever since the Prince barged in, the Baden family's servants started waking up earlier. He hadn't specifically asked for anything, but it was hard to remain detached from the fact that they were under the same roof as the Prince.
Anyway, he's a troublesome uninvited guest.
Lisa, who cast a sympathetic glance at the Baden family's servants, their faces pale, followed Erna at a brisk pace. The weather was chilly enough to send shivers down your spine, but the sky, with its glow beginning to fade, was clear.
"Oh, right. Today's the day we're supposed to deliver the flowers to Mr. Ale's General Store. How about we go out to town together later? It'll be a nice change of pace."
Lisa's chattering words spread like white breath. Seeing Erna's brightly smiling and nodding face, the Prince grew even more resentful.
When he was by her side, he treated her worse than a cane, so why is he being so petty and persistent now? In any case, the Prince is guilty in many ways.
“Hello, ma’am.”
Just as the two people were descending the last steps of the hallway, an uninvited guest suddenly came out to greet them.
Startled, Erna and Lisa simultaneously turned their gazes to the second-floor window from which the voice had come. The Prince was perched on the windowsill of the guest bedroom, looking down at them. He looked drowsy and disheveled, as if he had only just woken up. The smoke from the cigar, loosely strung between his fingers, rose into the bright morning air.
“Do you want to date?”
Bjorn let the question drift away, his cigar smoke deep in his mouth. Lisa was almost sickened by the thought of hearing that man's love story so many times in just five days.
“Then I can go for a walk instead of the maid.”
The Prince's words, added with a tinge of laughter, made Lisa flinch.
Erna, who had been staring at him silently, turned her head away without replying, conveying her firm rejection. The sound of her footsteps on the frozen road echoed clearly. Whatever. The Prince leisurely smoked a cigar and watched Erna's back. Far from being heartbroken, he seemed delighted.
Lisa, shaking her head, hurriedly chased after Erna. Erna, practically running, finally slowed after she had left the backyard fence and crossed halfway across the field.
“Poisonous mushrooms. You know them, right?”
Lisa lowered her voice to a whisper. She knew full well that the conversation they were having so far away would never reach Baden Mansion, but she couldn't help feeling cautious.
“You can never do it twice, yes?”
Lisa pleaded with a desperate heart. Erna, breathing heavily, looked at Lisa with wide eyes.
“You’ll die if you eat it. Of course, you know that because you tried it once.”
Lisa's voice grew even more solemn as the image of the Prince, dazzling with his uselessly beautiful shell, came to mind. From the morning breeze to the sight of him smoking a cigar in his robe, what a sight. Lisa almost lost her gaze.
“It won’t work.”
Lisa, who had erased the Prince's memory by tightly closing her eyes and opening them, reached out and grabbed Erna's hand.
“Don’t look. I think that’s better.”
"Yes?"
“Never, ever make eye contact with that guy.”
It was a plan that had been put together after much deliberation, but Erna burst into an innocent, childlike laughter.
“Promise me. Yes?”
Lisa fidgeted and urged,
“Yeah. I will.”
Erna promised with a faint smile in her voice.
It's been five days since the love-crazy wolf appeared.
Buford was at peace. At least for now.
“I understand what the Grand Duke means.”
The deep, pensive voice of the Baroness of Baden broke the long silence. Beyond the window, the sky was already beginning to turn a dark shade.
“I’m so sorry.”
Meeting her gaze, the Prince once again offered a sincere apology. The two sat across from each other in the rosy, silent room, staring at each other in silence for a long time.
Baroness Baden sighed and rubbed her forehead. Her head began to pound again as she recalled that war-like afternoon.
The impact of Bjorn's sudden appearance was huge.
The servants, faced with a guest and the First Prince of Letzen, without any preparation, were disorganized and disoriented. Baroness Baden was no exception.
She thought they would naturally get divorced.
At first, she thought they needed some time apart to gather their thoughts, but no matter how long she waited, the Prince never came looking for Erna. Even if he knew where she was going, how could he not be concerned about the well-being of his wife, who had barely packed a suitcase and left? His attitude was practically a consent to divorce.
Erna calmly pleaded with her, who, so angry and distraught, had expressed her intention to meet the Grand Duke in person. She pleaded with him to let this end quietly. If only Erna had cried, she might have been able to persuade her. The girl smiled with a serene resignation. Her face was eerily similar to Annette's around the time of her divorce from Walter Hardy.
Baroness Baden couldn't say anything more to her granddaughter, who looked as fragile as cracked glass. She simply prayed and prayed. Please, don't let this child shatter like her mother.
Fortunately, Erna gradually recovered. After the maid who had been with her since the Hardy family arrived, she regained her vitality.
But now, he's shaking the child like this.
It was incredibly annoying, but she couldn't just turn the Prince away at her doorstep, who had come with such formality. So she decided to show him some courtesy and then send him away. That was until shr saw Erna's furious outburst.
Lately, she'd become more talkative and smiled like before, but she still seemed to be a child buried deep in a slumber. Erna, however, poured out her emotions without restraint. It was as if she'd completely forgotten the gazes of those around her. It was the first time since returning to Baden that Erna seemed alive and vibrant. The reason she was here, facing the Prince, in this room was purely because of that.
The fight that Erna started after she suddenly dragged the Prince away only ended when Baroness Baden visited the room. Unlike the calm Prince, Erna was furious, her face flushed bright red.
Baroness Baden, judging that it was necessary to separate the two first, brought the Prince to her room. She had decided that this would be a better place for an intimate conversation than the drawing room.
To her surprise, the Prince responded to the conversation with considerable sincerity and humility. He apologized for past events and asked for understanding. He calmly explained his circumstances, which had only allowed him to arrive after a season. Throughout the lengthy conversation, the Prince never showed a moment of self-pity or attempted to make excuses. His attitude was so rational that it almost seemed cold.
"It's hard to believe, but I think it could have been the Grand Duke's perspective. Erna would probably feel the same way, too. But I think the child's wounds are too deep to understand and start over."
Baroness Baden looked at Bjorn with a look of mixed emotions.
"More than anything, even if this situation is miraculously resolved, I think the two of you will fall out again if things continue this way. The Grand Duke is probably well aware of this, so I wonder why you're so intent on holding onto Erna. What exactly are you planning to do?"
“Actually, I don’t know either, Baroness.”
A slight wavering occurred in the Prince's eyes, which had never wavered for even a moment.
"But I felt I couldn't end this marriage without confronting it properly. If necessary, we'd fight, talk, and have the opportunity to face each other, to face the truth, not the illusions we each have."
“Don’t you think that might hurt both of you even more?”
“That may be true, but I think it’s better to have done your best than to have regrets left over from giving up cowardly.”
The Prince looked up from his long-cold teacup and met Baroness Baden's gaze again. His eyes, once cool, now flickered with a faint warmth. The room was dim, illuminated only by the candles on the table, but Baroness Baden could clearly discern the change.
Baroness Baden, who had been gazing at the Prince for a long time, rang the bell just as the early evening darkness filled the room. Soon after, a young maid, looking very nervous, answered.
“I’ll call Erna.”
Even as she gave the soft command, Baroness Baden's gaze remained fixed on the Prince.
***
Erna's day began like any other.
She woke up in the still-dark dawn, washed her face, and changed her clothes. After making her bed, she sat down at her desk and made artificial flowers. The flowers that bloomed from her diligent fingers were as beautiful as ever.
“Your Highness, haaaa-.”
As dawn broke, Lisa came to visit again today.
“Did you work from dawn again?”
Lisa's eyes narrowed as she looked at the desk she was organizing.
“Just. A little.”
“Oh my. I didn’t start this to force you like this.”
“It’s okay. There’s nothing else to do in the morning anyway.”
Erna, smiling as usual, quickly put on her coat and hat. She didn't forget to pack a scarf and gloves.
“But Lisa, you don’t have to go through this every morning because of me.”
Erna looked at Lisa with a look of concern. Lisa, who had been tilting her head, suddenly widened her eyes.
"Hard work? Your Highness and I used to go for a morning walk together every day, even at the Grand Duke's residence."
"But it's cold these days. You can walk around this area with your eyes closed, so don't worry about me."
"Don't say that! In this harsh world, how could I send Your Highness out alone?"
Lisa showed her resolute will by striking firmly.
“This is a place where it’s hard to even find a single person...”
“There are no people, but there are beasts. Beasts!”
That damned Dniester wolf.
Lisa clenched her fists, swallowing the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
Five days had already passed since the Grand Duke's procession had stirred up a stir throughout Burford. That meant just as much time had passed since the white wolf had entered this house.
The Baroness allowed the Prince to stay at the Baden residence. Erna vehemently refused, but ultimately failed to break her grandmother's wishes. Still, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that they shared a room together, preventing any untoward incidents. Had the Prince invaded Erna's bedroom, Lisa might have been recorded in Letzen history as a maid who had harmed the royal family.
Lisa went out for a morning walk with Erna again today.
Normally, everyone would still be asleep, but ever since the Prince barged in, the Baden family's servants started waking up earlier. He hadn't specifically asked for anything, but it was hard to remain detached from the fact that they were under the same roof as the Prince.
Anyway, he's a troublesome uninvited guest.
Lisa, who cast a sympathetic glance at the Baden family's servants, their faces pale, followed Erna at a brisk pace. The weather was chilly enough to send shivers down your spine, but the sky, with its glow beginning to fade, was clear.
"Oh, right. Today's the day we're supposed to deliver the flowers to Mr. Ale's General Store. How about we go out to town together later? It'll be a nice change of pace."
Lisa's chattering words spread like white breath. Seeing Erna's brightly smiling and nodding face, the Prince grew even more resentful.
When he was by her side, he treated her worse than a cane, so why is he being so petty and persistent now? In any case, the Prince is guilty in many ways.
“Hello, ma’am.”
Just as the two people were descending the last steps of the hallway, an uninvited guest suddenly came out to greet them.
Startled, Erna and Lisa simultaneously turned their gazes to the second-floor window from which the voice had come. The Prince was perched on the windowsill of the guest bedroom, looking down at them. He looked drowsy and disheveled, as if he had only just woken up. The smoke from the cigar, loosely strung between his fingers, rose into the bright morning air.
“Do you want to date?”
Bjorn let the question drift away, his cigar smoke deep in his mouth. Lisa was almost sickened by the thought of hearing that man's love story so many times in just five days.
“Then I can go for a walk instead of the maid.”
The Prince's words, added with a tinge of laughter, made Lisa flinch.
Erna, who had been staring at him silently, turned her head away without replying, conveying her firm rejection. The sound of her footsteps on the frozen road echoed clearly. Whatever. The Prince leisurely smoked a cigar and watched Erna's back. Far from being heartbroken, he seemed delighted.
Lisa, shaking her head, hurriedly chased after Erna. Erna, practically running, finally slowed after she had left the backyard fence and crossed halfway across the field.
“Poisonous mushrooms. You know them, right?”
Lisa lowered her voice to a whisper. She knew full well that the conversation they were having so far away would never reach Baden Mansion, but she couldn't help feeling cautious.
“You can never do it twice, yes?”
Lisa pleaded with a desperate heart. Erna, breathing heavily, looked at Lisa with wide eyes.
“You’ll die if you eat it. Of course, you know that because you tried it once.”
Lisa's voice grew even more solemn as the image of the Prince, dazzling with his uselessly beautiful shell, came to mind. From the morning breeze to the sight of him smoking a cigar in his robe, what a sight. Lisa almost lost her gaze.
“It won’t work.”
Lisa, who had erased the Prince's memory by tightly closing her eyes and opening them, reached out and grabbed Erna's hand.
“Don’t look. I think that’s better.”
"Yes?"
“Never, ever make eye contact with that guy.”
It was a plan that had been put together after much deliberation, but Erna burst into an innocent, childlike laughter.
“Promise me. Yes?”
Lisa fidgeted and urged,
“Yeah. I will.”
Erna promised with a faint smile in her voice.
It's been five days since the love-crazy wolf appeared.
Buford was at peace. At least for now.
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