(103) Unexplained feelings (1)
There was no one in the hallway in front of Ariana's room.
Perhaps believing Maho Castle was now safe, Langster was busy teaching Shini. Shini continued to be called out to Langster early in the morning and returned late at night.
“Noah.”
As she whispered softly, Noah, who had been hiding, revealed himself.
“Yes, Princess Consort.”
“I want to go out to the shopping street.”
“Yes, I will inform my lord immediately.”
“If you’re too busy, you don’t have to come...”
Noah had already disappeared.
Ariana headed to the reception room on the first floor. While waiting there for a moment, Cyrus came in.
“I want to go to the shopping street.”
“Yes. I have things to buy and things to talk about.”
"I was just about to say something, so that's good. But it's going to be really cold outside. That coat won't do."
Cyrus nodded to the maid, who returned with a thick fur coat. Made from two layers of fur, it was so heavy that it made her legs tremble as soon as she took it.
“The carriage will be warm, but wear it when you walk around the streets.”
"I think I understand why the people of the North are so strong. They must naturally build up their stamina by wearing these heavy fur coats."
Cyrus chuckled slightly at Ariana's words.
“Why are you laughing?!”
"The people of the Northern Territory are resistant to the cold. The only people wearing coats like that on the streets are probably tourists."
As she walked towards the carriage, a few steps away from the building, Ariana's cheeks were frozen solid.
As soon as Ariana got on the carriage, she melted the ball with both hands and said.
“I didn’t realize it when I was inside, but it’s really cold.”
“There are often cases where travelers who arrive unprepared freeze to death.”
“Isn’t it cold in the Northern Territory?!”
Cyrus was wearing only a thin black coat.
“It’s not cold. What are you going to buy?!”
"My father sent me a letter. I'd like to include a gift with my reply. I'm thinking of buying something like cufflinks or a badge."
“If that’s the case, there’s a good store.”
Cyrus took her to a shop that crafted small gemstones into unique pieces of jewelry. They said they could carve human faces or animals into gemstones the size of fingernails.
Ariana was about to ask for the Eastern Lord's face to be carved, but Cyrus said.
“I think the Eastern Lord would prefer cufflinks with the Princess’s face engraved on them.”
“No way.”
“Trust me.”
Cyrus was never wrong.
When they had previously traveled from the West to the East, Cyrus had told Ariana to trust that the East would be warm to her. Ariana didn't believe him, but the East was indeed overflowing with warmth.
But carving her own face into a cufflink was a different matter.
Isn't that too embarrassing?
"What do you think, sir? Don't you think you would be happy if you got a pair of cufflinks with your daughter's face engraved on them?"
The shop owner nodded at Cyrus's question.
“I’m so happy I could breathe.”
When even the shop owner said this, Ariana decided to overcome her embarrassment. The shop owner quickly called in an employee and had him draw Ariana's portrait.
“I need it urgently. How long will it take?”
“We will give it top priority and send it to Maho Castle within two days.”
“I’ll make sure you pay the full price. Please bear with me.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. Of course.”
Ariana and Cyrus rode back in the carriage.
Cyrus asked.
“What are you trying to say?”
“If I send a letter, can it be intercepted and replaced with another letter?”
“It’s possible. Why?”
"I'm going to write false information in the letter. Information that will cause great harm if they believe it. The Northern Lord's name will also be included in it."
"Oh."
Cyrus' eyes narrowed.
"The Princess seems suspicious of your personal maid. Viscountess Catherine Ruel, I think."
With just a few words, Cyrus quickly grasped the situation. That was the best part. It saved her from having to explain things at length.
"Yes. Catherine will read my letter. And if she finds any useful information, she will pass it on to the person behind her."
“Who is it?”
“Duke Obelius.”
Cyrus crossed his legs and stroked his chin with his thumb.
“Are you sure that the maid is the Duke of Obelius’s secret lover?”
"Almost. This letter should prove it."
At first, she planned to use Shini to spread false information to Catherine. However, Shini was busy learning swordsmanship from Langster.
At that time, a letter arrived from the lord, and a reason arose to write a reply.
The letter she gave Catherine contained false information. If the Duke of Obelius heard of it, it would become clear that Catherine was his.
“What information are you going to leak?”
Ariana hesitated for a moment.
Up until now, he's been able to dismiss these stories as Ariana's exceptionally clever nature, but this information was different. It was a story that could only be known if one could see into the future.
Even Cyrus, who accepted Ariana's plan without question, was suspicious of the information, so she was hesitant to reveal everything.
Cyrus, noticing Ariana's hesitation, said.
“The Princess still doesn’t trust me.”
“I believe you. But I don’t know if the Northern Lord will believe me.”
“From the moment I decided to join forces with the Princess, I decided not to have any doubts about you.”
Ariana's eyes widened.
"Did we agree to be on the same page? I don't remember saying anything like that."
“I told you I was using the Princess well.”
“That doesn’t mean we share the same purpose.”
“I also said that our goals would be the same.”
"Remember, Northern Lord. I said that if we shared the same goal, we could move together."
“Yes. Then let’s agree.”
"Yes?"
"I think the Princess needs precise expressions, so I'm speaking precisely. I'll try to agree with the Princess."
Ariana was too embarrassed to answer right away.
Do you know what it means to be in the same boat?
“The Northern Lord... doesn’t know what my goals are.”
“Isn’t this revenge on the Bronte family?”
“What if there is something beyond that?”
“Are you thinking of killing the Emperor?”
Ariana grabbed his knee in surprise.
“Don’t say something so serious.”
"What are you going to do, being so nervous about something like this? I thought scaring you would be enough to get you through it."
“It may be a joke to the Northern Lord, but for me, it’s something I have to risk my life for.”
"So, it worked out well. If it's just a joke to me, then I won't suffer any great loss by joining the Princess's cause. Besides."
“It could be a great help to the Princess.”
During the month-plus Ariana spent at Maho Castle, Cyrus constantly felt like he didn't belong. When Ariana smiled, Cyrus felt happy, and when Ariana sternly grinned, Cyrus felt down.
The feeling that he would do anything to see Ariana's radiant smile grew stronger. Watching Ariana's every move was still fascinating, and the information she shared sometimes proved helpful to Cyrus.
Cyrus decided to take Ariana as his own.
Even after a grueling schedule, cooped up in his office, seeing Ariana would relieve his fatigue. He even felt a groundless confidence that everything would be okay.
It wasn't bad. No, it was pretty good.
“It’s reassuring to hear that the Northern Lord thinks so highly of me.”
“That’s right. There’s no one stronger than me on this continent.”
“It’s also nice to see you so full of pride.”
“Does that mean you want to stop acting so smart?”
Ariana laughed. It was nice to hear her small, ringing laugh.
“You still make your speeches fun.”
Cyrus had never thought about being funny, but every time Ariana said that, it made him think that maybe it was okay to be funny.
If he could just keep hearing that laughter.
Ariana removed her hand from Cyrus's knee, feeling the warmth draining away.
"Then I'll believe that the Northern Lord trusts me. Northern Lord, do you know Count Gabion?"
"Gabion... Are you referring to Count Gabion of the Empire? He's running several businesses. While his financial resources aren't great, the ones he's managed so far have been quite successful, and he's expecting growth."
“I heard from Penny that Count Gabion is seeking investment to build large factories in several places.”
"Oh, you said it was a perfume factory? Recently, there's been a growing demand for perfume even among the common people, so they're going to produce and sell separate high-end perfumes for the nobility and cheaper ones for the common people. I understand that quite a few nobles have already invested."
“Did the Northern Lord also invest?”
"I don't invest in other people's businesses. But if the Princess says so, I'll do it."
“No, don’t invest there.”
Cyrus's eyes lit up at Ariana's confident tone.
Ariana would sometimes speak with such confidence that it was questionable whether she could even know the future. He wanted to ask if she possessed the gift of foresight. The reason he didn't ask was that he feared Ariana would close her heart, which had barely opened, the moment he asked.
Cyrus knew that even though Ariana believed in him, she didn't completely trust him. Cyrus was like Ariana.
Ariana wants to reveal herself to Cyrus while also keeping some parts of herself hidden. If that's the case, it's best not to try to dig into it.
If Cyrus doesn't ask, Ariana will start to reveal herself little by little, just like she is doing now.
“Why?”
“That perfume factory is going to fail. It’s going to fail miserably.”
“Why?”
“Do you know the hellon flower?”
"I know it's a flower that blooms in the southern part of the empire and in the southern regions. Isaac said it's not a flower that can be used as medicine."
"The flagship product of Count Gabion's perfume factory is a perfume made from the helon flower. The perfumers employed by Count Gabion, after years of research, discovered that this flower could be used to create a truly long-lasting, high-quality perfume."
Cyrus narrowed his eyes.
“That’s not good. It must be poisonous.”
"That's right. It will weaken as it's made into perfume, but with consistent use, the effects will show. No one will die, but some side effects, such as severe hives, will occur."
“Investors will have a headache.”
"It won't be a headache. They'll leak investor information to the newspapers."
There was no one in the hallway in front of Ariana's room.
Perhaps believing Maho Castle was now safe, Langster was busy teaching Shini. Shini continued to be called out to Langster early in the morning and returned late at night.
“Noah.”
As she whispered softly, Noah, who had been hiding, revealed himself.
“Yes, Princess Consort.”
“I want to go out to the shopping street.”
“Yes, I will inform my lord immediately.”
“If you’re too busy, you don’t have to come...”
Noah had already disappeared.
Ariana headed to the reception room on the first floor. While waiting there for a moment, Cyrus came in.
“I want to go to the shopping street.”
“Yes. I have things to buy and things to talk about.”
"I was just about to say something, so that's good. But it's going to be really cold outside. That coat won't do."
Cyrus nodded to the maid, who returned with a thick fur coat. Made from two layers of fur, it was so heavy that it made her legs tremble as soon as she took it.
“The carriage will be warm, but wear it when you walk around the streets.”
"I think I understand why the people of the North are so strong. They must naturally build up their stamina by wearing these heavy fur coats."
Cyrus chuckled slightly at Ariana's words.
“Why are you laughing?!”
"The people of the Northern Territory are resistant to the cold. The only people wearing coats like that on the streets are probably tourists."
As she walked towards the carriage, a few steps away from the building, Ariana's cheeks were frozen solid.
As soon as Ariana got on the carriage, she melted the ball with both hands and said.
“I didn’t realize it when I was inside, but it’s really cold.”
“There are often cases where travelers who arrive unprepared freeze to death.”
“Isn’t it cold in the Northern Territory?!”
Cyrus was wearing only a thin black coat.
“It’s not cold. What are you going to buy?!”
"My father sent me a letter. I'd like to include a gift with my reply. I'm thinking of buying something like cufflinks or a badge."
“If that’s the case, there’s a good store.”
Cyrus took her to a shop that crafted small gemstones into unique pieces of jewelry. They said they could carve human faces or animals into gemstones the size of fingernails.
Ariana was about to ask for the Eastern Lord's face to be carved, but Cyrus said.
“I think the Eastern Lord would prefer cufflinks with the Princess’s face engraved on them.”
“No way.”
“Trust me.”
Cyrus was never wrong.
When they had previously traveled from the West to the East, Cyrus had told Ariana to trust that the East would be warm to her. Ariana didn't believe him, but the East was indeed overflowing with warmth.
But carving her own face into a cufflink was a different matter.
Isn't that too embarrassing?
"What do you think, sir? Don't you think you would be happy if you got a pair of cufflinks with your daughter's face engraved on them?"
The shop owner nodded at Cyrus's question.
“I’m so happy I could breathe.”
When even the shop owner said this, Ariana decided to overcome her embarrassment. The shop owner quickly called in an employee and had him draw Ariana's portrait.
“I need it urgently. How long will it take?”
“We will give it top priority and send it to Maho Castle within two days.”
“I’ll make sure you pay the full price. Please bear with me.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. Of course.”
Ariana and Cyrus rode back in the carriage.
Cyrus asked.
“What are you trying to say?”
“If I send a letter, can it be intercepted and replaced with another letter?”
“It’s possible. Why?”
"I'm going to write false information in the letter. Information that will cause great harm if they believe it. The Northern Lord's name will also be included in it."
"Oh."
Cyrus' eyes narrowed.
"The Princess seems suspicious of your personal maid. Viscountess Catherine Ruel, I think."
With just a few words, Cyrus quickly grasped the situation. That was the best part. It saved her from having to explain things at length.
"Yes. Catherine will read my letter. And if she finds any useful information, she will pass it on to the person behind her."
“Who is it?”
“Duke Obelius.”
Cyrus crossed his legs and stroked his chin with his thumb.
“Are you sure that the maid is the Duke of Obelius’s secret lover?”
"Almost. This letter should prove it."
At first, she planned to use Shini to spread false information to Catherine. However, Shini was busy learning swordsmanship from Langster.
At that time, a letter arrived from the lord, and a reason arose to write a reply.
The letter she gave Catherine contained false information. If the Duke of Obelius heard of it, it would become clear that Catherine was his.
“What information are you going to leak?”
Ariana hesitated for a moment.
Up until now, he's been able to dismiss these stories as Ariana's exceptionally clever nature, but this information was different. It was a story that could only be known if one could see into the future.
Even Cyrus, who accepted Ariana's plan without question, was suspicious of the information, so she was hesitant to reveal everything.
Cyrus, noticing Ariana's hesitation, said.
“The Princess still doesn’t trust me.”
“I believe you. But I don’t know if the Northern Lord will believe me.”
“From the moment I decided to join forces with the Princess, I decided not to have any doubts about you.”
Ariana's eyes widened.
"Did we agree to be on the same page? I don't remember saying anything like that."
“I told you I was using the Princess well.”
“That doesn’t mean we share the same purpose.”
“I also said that our goals would be the same.”
"Remember, Northern Lord. I said that if we shared the same goal, we could move together."
“Yes. Then let’s agree.”
"Yes?"
"I think the Princess needs precise expressions, so I'm speaking precisely. I'll try to agree with the Princess."
Ariana was too embarrassed to answer right away.
Do you know what it means to be in the same boat?
“The Northern Lord... doesn’t know what my goals are.”
“Isn’t this revenge on the Bronte family?”
“What if there is something beyond that?”
“Are you thinking of killing the Emperor?”
Ariana grabbed his knee in surprise.
“Don’t say something so serious.”
"What are you going to do, being so nervous about something like this? I thought scaring you would be enough to get you through it."
“It may be a joke to the Northern Lord, but for me, it’s something I have to risk my life for.”
"So, it worked out well. If it's just a joke to me, then I won't suffer any great loss by joining the Princess's cause. Besides."
Cyrus glanced down at the small hand still resting on his knee. He withdrew his own hand, which had almost touched it, and spoke.
During the month-plus Ariana spent at Maho Castle, Cyrus constantly felt like he didn't belong. When Ariana smiled, Cyrus felt happy, and when Ariana sternly grinned, Cyrus felt down.
The feeling that he would do anything to see Ariana's radiant smile grew stronger. Watching Ariana's every move was still fascinating, and the information she shared sometimes proved helpful to Cyrus.
Cyrus decided to take Ariana as his own.
Ariana pointed the tip of her sword toward the West, yet it posed no threat to Cyrus. Was it merely harmless? Sometimes adorable, sometimes lovely—watching her made him lose track of time.
It wasn't bad. No, it was pretty good.
“It’s reassuring to hear that the Northern Lord thinks so highly of me.”
“That’s right. There’s no one stronger than me on this continent.”
“It’s also nice to see you so full of pride.”
“Does that mean you want to stop acting so smart?”
Ariana laughed. It was nice to hear her small, ringing laugh.
“You still make your speeches fun.”
Cyrus had never thought about being funny, but every time Ariana said that, it made him think that maybe it was okay to be funny.
If he could just keep hearing that laughter.
Ariana removed her hand from Cyrus's knee, feeling the warmth draining away.
"Then I'll believe that the Northern Lord trusts me. Northern Lord, do you know Count Gabion?"
"Gabion... Are you referring to Count Gabion of the Empire? He's running several businesses. While his financial resources aren't great, the ones he's managed so far have been quite successful, and he's expecting growth."
“I heard from Penny that Count Gabion is seeking investment to build large factories in several places.”
"Oh, you said it was a perfume factory? Recently, there's been a growing demand for perfume even among the common people, so they're going to produce and sell separate high-end perfumes for the nobility and cheaper ones for the common people. I understand that quite a few nobles have already invested."
“Did the Northern Lord also invest?”
"I don't invest in other people's businesses. But if the Princess says so, I'll do it."
“No, don’t invest there.”
Cyrus's eyes lit up at Ariana's confident tone.
Ariana would sometimes speak with such confidence that it was questionable whether she could even know the future. He wanted to ask if she possessed the gift of foresight. The reason he didn't ask was that he feared Ariana would close her heart, which had barely opened, the moment he asked.
Cyrus knew that even though Ariana believed in him, she didn't completely trust him. Cyrus was like Ariana.
Ariana wants to reveal herself to Cyrus while also keeping some parts of herself hidden. If that's the case, it's best not to try to dig into it.
If Cyrus doesn't ask, Ariana will start to reveal herself little by little, just like she is doing now.
“Why?”
“That perfume factory is going to fail. It’s going to fail miserably.”
“Why?”
“Do you know the hellon flower?”
"I know it's a flower that blooms in the southern part of the empire and in the southern regions. Isaac said it's not a flower that can be used as medicine."
"The flagship product of Count Gabion's perfume factory is a perfume made from the helon flower. The perfumers employed by Count Gabion, after years of research, discovered that this flower could be used to create a truly long-lasting, high-quality perfume."
Cyrus narrowed his eyes.
“That’s not good. It must be poisonous.”
"That's right. It will weaken as it's made into perfume, but with consistent use, the effects will show. No one will die, but some side effects, such as severe hives, will occur."
“Investors will have a headache.”
"It won't be a headache. They'll leak investor information to the newspapers."
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