(113) Since when (2)
"Thank you."
Ariana took the box and opened it. It was filled with chocolates in various shapes.
For some time now, whenever Cyrus visited Ariana, he would always bring her a sweet treat. When did it start? Yes, since she said she had a sweet tooth.
She couldn't eat it all by herself, so she shared it with her maids and servants, which made Ariana popular among the employees. The future Queen would share precious chocolates with her subordinates. Ariana didn't know such stories were being told.
“The East must be in full bloom now. Don’t you miss the East?”
"I miss it. It's a beautiful place. The East sky was truly blue at this time of year."
“The lord sent me a long letter.”
“Father?! What did he say?!”
"Why aren't you sending Ariana away? Send her back immediately. If you don't send her back, I will lead my army and invade."
“...No way.”
"He didn't write it like that, but it felt like it. I didn't know the Lord of the East was such a formidable person."
Ariana recalled the letter she had received from her father. While it urged Ariana to return to the kingdom immediately, it contained no harsh language.
“My father is not a scary person.”
“Then it seems like it’s just me. Grandfather... Even the previous lord of the kingdom included a very dire warning in his postscript.”
“Grandpa?! What did he say...?”
“If you touch even the tip of the Princess’s hair, I will break your fingers.”
“...No way.”
"Really. I wonder what the Eastern lord would do if I told him that the Little Lord cut off a handful of the Princess's hair."
"Ah..."
She completely forgot that she gave Geor a handful of her hair.
“The Northern Lord has a good memory. I had forgotten.”
“Does that mean I’m a petty, timid person who keeps things to myself?”
Ariana laughed out loud. Ariana had been laughing out loud in front of Cyrus a lot lately, but she hadn't realized it.
Every time Ariana smiled like that, Cyrus felt a surge of warmth welling up inside him. Even though spring hadn't yet arrived, the North felt as if it were bathed in spring sunshine.
The urge to touch Ariana's cheeks and mouth when she smiled grew stronger by the day. Cyrus spoke, his trembling fingers barely able to rest on the side of his thigh.
“If you don’t have anything special to do, should we go to the next town?”
“What’s there?”
“The best pottery craftsman lives in the North.”
Cyrus held out his hand, as if he knew Ariana would consent. Ariana wondered, "What would the Northern Lord's expression be if I refused?" but obediently placed her hand on his palm.
It was as if he had started bringing her sweet treats at some point, and it was also at some point that he would often hold her hand like this, like a partner accompanying her to a party.
When he first reached out, Ariana was taken aback, not knowing what he wanted. If it had been another man, she would have immediately remembered, but Cyrus wasn't the type to reach out to a woman.
Even when she realized his intentions later, she was still embarrassed.
Let's walk holding hands? Why should we?
But Ariana was curious. What would it feel like to walk while holding his hand? What expression would he make if she placed her hand over his? Curiosity outweighed embarrassment, so she placed her hand over his.
His hands were as cold as ever, but as the days went by, she became accustomed to the cool temperature.
At first, when she walked while holding his hand, she was so nervous that she couldn't even remember what they talked about, but now she can talk to him as naturally as breathing.
The employees working in the hallway watched with delight as the man and woman walked down the hallway, holding hands lightly.
Isabelle was glaring at Geor with a sullen expression.
An hour had passed since Isabelle arrived at Geor's office, yet he still acted as if no one was there. Unable to bear it any longer, Isabelle shouted.
“Geor!”
“Oh my, this is surprising.”
“What a surprise! You knew I was coming all along.”
“You were so small I couldn’t see it.”
"Nonsense. Tell me quickly. Where did Ariana go?"
After hunting season began, Isabelle was so busy hunting for big game that she didn't even notice Ariana's disappearance. Only after the season ended did she learn Ariana had left Maho Castle to recuperate.
Even if she asked the Eastern Lord, my grandfather, or her parents, they all said, “Ariana needs to spend some time quietly,” and gave her no answer.
After half a year without knowing where Ariana had gone, she was starting to get worried.
Did Ariana really leave the asylum? If so, why didn't she tell anyone? At least she could tell me!
Geor had just returned from a mission to clear out a group of bandits who were causing trouble in the northern part of the East.
Isabelle also said obediently because she felt she had gone too far.
"Oh, you've worked hard. Anyway, Geor. Where did Ariana go? Do you know?"
“I don’t know.”
“You know. How could the little Lord of the East not know the whereabouts of the Princess of the East?”
Isabelle stared blankly at Geor, who spread his hands as if performing a magic trick. Geor shrugged and said.
“Leave the Princess alone. She is safe and well.”
"But I'm worried. Where is safer than Chase Castle?"
“It could be.”
"Ariana's turning 17 soon. She'll be doing her debutante next year at the latest, so it's time to start showing her face in the social world."
"Why don't you worry about your debutante? It'll be difficult to succeed without God's blessing. Should we take this opportunity to pray to God for your successful debutante?"
Isabelle kicked Geor in the shin.
“It hurts, Isabelle. Your kicking really hurts.”
“Geor, you really are a loser!”
Isabelle shouted and left the office.
Geor swallowed a sigh and habitually placed a hand on his chest. Inside was a pouch containing Ariana's hair.
At some point, whenever his heart started to flutter or he got nervous, he started to feel the pockets as if they were a talisman.
Ariana.
While his adoptive father, Lord Russell, seemed dissatisfied with his daughter's prolonged stay in the North, it was a relief for Geor. While in the North, Duke Obelius would be out of reach.
Ariana gave Geor some time to sort things out with the Obelius family.
The deadline is probably before Ariana returns to the East. It's unclear how Ariana, who has been living with the Northern Lord on her back, will change when she returns.
'The Duke of Obelius will be a light in the wind. The Duke of Obelius won't realize it.'
Ignorance is terrifying. Duke Obelius, unable to discern the woman named Ariana, would have regarded her as a petty, frail child and attacked her without hesitation.
As was the case during the hunting season and during the journey to the North.
Duke Obelius likely believes the reason for his failures was "the Princess's luck." If he learned even a little bit about Ariana, he wouldn't feel so relieved.
Ariana's delicate and harmless appearance was also a weapon.
'Wiona is no longer a problem, but...'
Geor knew that his younger sister, Wiona, was wary of Ariana. But dispelling that wariness wasn't difficult.
A few months ago, Geor met with Wiona and had a serious talk.
-“Averaster cherishes the Princess very much, Wiona. Think carefully. Would Averaster like a woman who dotes on his cousin, or a woman who constantly nitpicks?”
Wiona has had Averaster in her heart since she was little.
"That's not all, Wiona. Averaster is only interested in practicing martial arts, not in women. If the Princess were to step up and take your side and praise you, Averaster would think of you first when choosing a wife."
Until now, Geor hadn't been particularly interested in Wiona's love for Averaster. He figured it was a matter between a man and a woman, so it wasn't his place to interfere.
But now things have changed.
Ariana was determined to destroy House Obelius. For some reason, he was certain she had the ability to do so.
If Wiona were to marry Averaster, the bloodshed Ariana unleashed would at least not reach Wiona. Even if it did, it would only brush past her.
Since Wiona wasn't a complete fool, she understood what Geor was saying.
'The Duchess is the problem.'
He had to somehow distance the Duchess from the Obelius family, but the Duchess's trust in the Duke of Obelius was boundless.
No matter how many times he suggested to her that he go on a vacation to a faraway land and come back, the answer he got was always the same.
-“Where am I going, leaving your father behind?”
Whenever he thought of the Duchess, his heart would race. At such moments, his hand would naturally reach out to his chest.
Ariana. If only you hadn't come back. If only you hadn't come back.
He couldn't sleep because he couldn't understand why he was so tormented by this problem that could have been solved by secretly killing Ariana, and yet he was carrying around her hair like a talisman.
Because he couldn't sleep, he had a hard time managing his stamina, and he was in danger several times when he was trying to clear out easy bandits.
Geor even considered giving up everything and running away.
Ariana, if I can't get rid of you, maybe I should disappear. If you want to exist, maybe it's better for me to not exist.
If I step down from my position as the Eastern little Lord and disappear, wouldn't Duke Obelius also give up on me?
But if that caused internal strife and endangered the kingdom, it would be of no use.
The problem was Duke Obelius's persistence.
He had already tasted power by placing his son in the position of little Lord. His son had learned the sweetness of being the second-highest person in the East.
If Geor vanished, Duke Obelius would blame everything on Ariana. He'd feel like everything he owned had been taken away because of her appearance, and that's when he might explode.
'No, I'm sure it will be like that.'
So there was nothing Geor could do.
Every day, he can't sleep, and when he does, he is plagued by nightmares, wasting his time. Whenever he was consumed by endless worries, he just placed his hand on the talisman within his heart.
The village next to Lake City, the capital of the Northern Territory, had another name, but it was called "Crockery Village" because most of its residents were engaged in the craft of pottery making.
Among them, the one who made the most excellent pottery was naturally the 'Hidle family', and although they were commoners, they were recognized for their achievements and were given the surname 'Hidle'.
Cyrus said as he stopped in front of a large store.
“It’s one of our northern specialties.”
Ariana also knew about the vessel made by Heedle, 'Rodenin'.
"It's the kind of bowl that wealthy nobles boast about, possessing as a set. At one point, it became famous for supplying it to the imperial family, and Rodenin bowls were extremely popular."
Cyrus stared intently at Ariara. Ariara, finding his gaze so persistent, looked up, meeting his searching gaze.
'Why are you looking at me like that?'
A faint wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows.
“How do you know that?”
"Yes?"
"I plan to present this bowl to the Empress soon. However, it's not yet in the imperial family's hands. Only if the Empress is pleased with it can we proceed to the next step."
"Thank you."
Ariana took the box and opened it. It was filled with chocolates in various shapes.
For some time now, whenever Cyrus visited Ariana, he would always bring her a sweet treat. When did it start? Yes, since she said she had a sweet tooth.
She couldn't eat it all by herself, so she shared it with her maids and servants, which made Ariana popular among the employees. The future Queen would share precious chocolates with her subordinates. Ariana didn't know such stories were being told.
“The East must be in full bloom now. Don’t you miss the East?”
"I miss it. It's a beautiful place. The East sky was truly blue at this time of year."
“The lord sent me a long letter.”
“Father?! What did he say?!”
"Why aren't you sending Ariana away? Send her back immediately. If you don't send her back, I will lead my army and invade."
“...No way.”
"He didn't write it like that, but it felt like it. I didn't know the Lord of the East was such a formidable person."
Ariana recalled the letter she had received from her father. While it urged Ariana to return to the kingdom immediately, it contained no harsh language.
“My father is not a scary person.”
“Then it seems like it’s just me. Grandfather... Even the previous lord of the kingdom included a very dire warning in his postscript.”
“Grandpa?! What did he say...?”
“If you touch even the tip of the Princess’s hair, I will break your fingers.”
“...No way.”
"Really. I wonder what the Eastern lord would do if I told him that the Little Lord cut off a handful of the Princess's hair."
"Ah..."
She completely forgot that she gave Geor a handful of her hair.
“The Northern Lord has a good memory. I had forgotten.”
“Does that mean I’m a petty, timid person who keeps things to myself?”
Ariana laughed out loud. Ariana had been laughing out loud in front of Cyrus a lot lately, but she hadn't realized it.
Every time Ariana smiled like that, Cyrus felt a surge of warmth welling up inside him. Even though spring hadn't yet arrived, the North felt as if it were bathed in spring sunshine.
The urge to touch Ariana's cheeks and mouth when she smiled grew stronger by the day. Cyrus spoke, his trembling fingers barely able to rest on the side of his thigh.
“If you don’t have anything special to do, should we go to the next town?”
“What’s there?”
“The best pottery craftsman lives in the North.”
Cyrus held out his hand, as if he knew Ariana would consent. Ariana wondered, "What would the Northern Lord's expression be if I refused?" but obediently placed her hand on his palm.
It was as if he had started bringing her sweet treats at some point, and it was also at some point that he would often hold her hand like this, like a partner accompanying her to a party.
When he first reached out, Ariana was taken aback, not knowing what he wanted. If it had been another man, she would have immediately remembered, but Cyrus wasn't the type to reach out to a woman.
Even when she realized his intentions later, she was still embarrassed.
Let's walk holding hands? Why should we?
But Ariana was curious. What would it feel like to walk while holding his hand? What expression would he make if she placed her hand over his? Curiosity outweighed embarrassment, so she placed her hand over his.
His hands were as cold as ever, but as the days went by, she became accustomed to the cool temperature.
At first, when she walked while holding his hand, she was so nervous that she couldn't even remember what they talked about, but now she can talk to him as naturally as breathing.
The employees working in the hallway watched with delight as the man and woman walked down the hallway, holding hands lightly.
***
Isabelle was glaring at Geor with a sullen expression.
An hour had passed since Isabelle arrived at Geor's office, yet he still acted as if no one was there. Unable to bear it any longer, Isabelle shouted.
“Geor!”
“Oh my, this is surprising.”
“What a surprise! You knew I was coming all along.”
“You were so small I couldn’t see it.”
"Nonsense. Tell me quickly. Where did Ariana go?"
After hunting season began, Isabelle was so busy hunting for big game that she didn't even notice Ariana's disappearance. Only after the season ended did she learn Ariana had left Maho Castle to recuperate.
Even if she asked the Eastern Lord, my grandfather, or her parents, they all said, “Ariana needs to spend some time quietly,” and gave her no answer.
After half a year without knowing where Ariana had gone, she was starting to get worried.
Did Ariana really leave the asylum? If so, why didn't she tell anyone? At least she could tell me!
"After your brother returned from battle, you couldn't even say he'd worked hard, yet you only worried about the Princess. It makes me so sad I could cry."
Isabelle also said obediently because she felt she had gone too far.
"Oh, you've worked hard. Anyway, Geor. Where did Ariana go? Do you know?"
“I don’t know.”
“You know. How could the little Lord of the East not know the whereabouts of the Princess of the East?”
“It should be obvious that I know, but surprisingly, I don't. Ta-da!”
“Leave the Princess alone. She is safe and well.”
"But I'm worried. Where is safer than Chase Castle?"
“It could be.”
"Ariana's turning 17 soon. She'll be doing her debutante next year at the latest, so it's time to start showing her face in the social world."
"Why don't you worry about your debutante? It'll be difficult to succeed without God's blessing. Should we take this opportunity to pray to God for your successful debutante?"
Isabelle kicked Geor in the shin.
“It hurts, Isabelle. Your kicking really hurts.”
“Geor, you really are a loser!”
Isabelle shouted and left the office.
Geor swallowed a sigh and habitually placed a hand on his chest. Inside was a pouch containing Ariana's hair.
At some point, whenever his heart started to flutter or he got nervous, he started to feel the pockets as if they were a talisman.
Ariana.
While his adoptive father, Lord Russell, seemed dissatisfied with his daughter's prolonged stay in the North, it was a relief for Geor. While in the North, Duke Obelius would be out of reach.
Ariana gave Geor some time to sort things out with the Obelius family.
The deadline is probably before Ariana returns to the East. It's unclear how Ariana, who has been living with the Northern Lord on her back, will change when she returns.
'The Duke of Obelius will be a light in the wind. The Duke of Obelius won't realize it.'
Ignorance is terrifying. Duke Obelius, unable to discern the woman named Ariana, would have regarded her as a petty, frail child and attacked her without hesitation.
As was the case during the hunting season and during the journey to the North.
Duke Obelius likely believes the reason for his failures was "the Princess's luck." If he learned even a little bit about Ariana, he wouldn't feel so relieved.
Ariana's delicate and harmless appearance was also a weapon.
'Wiona is no longer a problem, but...'
Geor knew that his younger sister, Wiona, was wary of Ariana. But dispelling that wariness wasn't difficult.
A few months ago, Geor met with Wiona and had a serious talk.
-“Averaster cherishes the Princess very much, Wiona. Think carefully. Would Averaster like a woman who dotes on his cousin, or a woman who constantly nitpicks?”
Wiona has had Averaster in her heart since she was little.
"That's not all, Wiona. Averaster is only interested in practicing martial arts, not in women. If the Princess were to step up and take your side and praise you, Averaster would think of you first when choosing a wife."
Until now, Geor hadn't been particularly interested in Wiona's love for Averaster. He figured it was a matter between a man and a woman, so it wasn't his place to interfere.
But now things have changed.
Ariana was determined to destroy House Obelius. For some reason, he was certain she had the ability to do so.
If Wiona were to marry Averaster, the bloodshed Ariana unleashed would at least not reach Wiona. Even if it did, it would only brush past her.
Since Wiona wasn't a complete fool, she understood what Geor was saying.
'The Duchess is the problem.'
He had to somehow distance the Duchess from the Obelius family, but the Duchess's trust in the Duke of Obelius was boundless.
No matter how many times he suggested to her that he go on a vacation to a faraway land and come back, the answer he got was always the same.
-“Where am I going, leaving your father behind?”
Whenever he thought of the Duchess, his heart would race. At such moments, his hand would naturally reach out to his chest.
Ariana. If only you hadn't come back. If only you hadn't come back.
He couldn't sleep because he couldn't understand why he was so tormented by this problem that could have been solved by secretly killing Ariana, and yet he was carrying around her hair like a talisman.
Because he couldn't sleep, he had a hard time managing his stamina, and he was in danger several times when he was trying to clear out easy bandits.
Geor even considered giving up everything and running away.
Ariana, if I can't get rid of you, maybe I should disappear. If you want to exist, maybe it's better for me to not exist.
If I step down from my position as the Eastern little Lord and disappear, wouldn't Duke Obelius also give up on me?
He respected the Eastern Lord, liked the people of the White family, and loved the East. That's why he liked being the Lord Prince. Because he could protect the East.
The problem was Duke Obelius's persistence.
He had already tasted power by placing his son in the position of little Lord. His son had learned the sweetness of being the second-highest person in the East.
If Geor vanished, Duke Obelius would blame everything on Ariana. He'd feel like everything he owned had been taken away because of her appearance, and that's when he might explode.
'No, I'm sure it will be like that.'
So there was nothing Geor could do.
Every day, he can't sleep, and when he does, he is plagued by nightmares, wasting his time. Whenever he was consumed by endless worries, he just placed his hand on the talisman within his heart.
***
The village next to Lake City, the capital of the Northern Territory, had another name, but it was called "Crockery Village" because most of its residents were engaged in the craft of pottery making.
Among them, the one who made the most excellent pottery was naturally the 'Hidle family', and although they were commoners, they were recognized for their achievements and were given the surname 'Hidle'.
Cyrus said as he stopped in front of a large store.
“It’s one of our northern specialties.”
Ariana also knew about the vessel made by Heedle, 'Rodenin'.
"It's the kind of bowl that wealthy nobles boast about, possessing as a set. At one point, it became famous for supplying it to the imperial family, and Rodenin bowls were extremely popular."
Cyrus stared intently at Ariara. Ariara, finding his gaze so persistent, looked up, meeting his searching gaze.
'Why are you looking at me like that?'
A faint wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows.
“How do you know that?”
"Yes?"
"I plan to present this bowl to the Empress soon. However, it's not yet in the imperial family's hands. Only if the Empress is pleased with it can we proceed to the next step."
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