TYNV - Chapter 84

(84) Why am I (3)

"Me too."

It was something that came out impulsively.

“Can I go to the North with you?”

Isaac's eyes widened, and he looked back at Ariana.

“Princess Consort, too? To the North? When I go, will you come with me?”

"Yes."

Now that she thinks about it, it seems like a good idea.

“When Isaac goes, I want to go too.”

Anyway, there was nothing to do in the East for the time being.

Cyrus had been a great help to her all this time, so she wanted to do something for him if there was anything she could do.

'I don't think it'll be of much use if I go, but if I look, won't I find something I can do?'

Isaac was blinking his eyes.

“Will it be uncomfortable if I go?”

"T-T-that's right! It's absolutely wonderful. It's so wonderful, Princess Consort. It's truly, truly, truly wonderful. Everyone will welcome it. They'll love it!"

Ariana burst out laughing at Isaac's overly welcoming welcome.

Isaac, who had been blankly watching Ariana laugh, suddenly came to his senses and said.

“However... would the Lord of the East be willing to send the Queen to the North? The weather there isn’t as good as the East, and it’s a very dangerous place... Ah, of course, if you were to come, His Excellency the Lord of the East would send elite knights to escort you.”

“If I really want to do it, my father will allow it.”

“That would be really great. I should let the North know.”

“No, I’m just letting you know...”

"I have to let you know. Then we can prepare to welcome you. You can't change your mind. Understood? You have to go with me!"

“Yes, I will. But it’s a bit much to welcome me so warmly...”

“Don’t worry about that part. I’ll take care of it, Princess Consort.”

That was the part that worried her. Isaac was overly fond of Ariana.

"It'll be really cold in the North when we arrive, so you'll need to prepare plenty of warm clothing. And shoes. No, I'll prepare the shoes for you. Just come with your body. We'll take care of everything."

She didn't know who Isaac meant by "we," but Ariana was starting to regret it. She had planned to just leave quietly, but things seemed like they were going to get too big.

***

Knock-knock-knock-

After several knocks, Ariana finally woke up. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she checked the time, then heard the voice of her maid, Catherine.

"Princess, are you alright? His Excellency, the little Lord, came to see you because you're running late for class."

Ariana jumped up.

Her swordsmanship lessons with Geor started early in the morning, and Ariana was never late.

'It's already 9 o'clock!'

The class is at 7 o'clock, which means that Geor waited for two hours before coming.

“Tell him I’ll be out soon.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Ariana quickly prepared to leave.

She did talk to Isaac late last night, but she was embarrassed. She never missed a moment to wake up because she slept late.

'Come to think of it, I didn't even have a nightmare today.'

What were you thinking about before you fell asleep that made you sleep so soundly?

'I've been thinking about going to North. Isaac keeps talking about it.'

She thought about the North and Cyrus. She thought of a frigid country and a northern monarch with an equally frigid body.

She thinks she fell asleep while thinking of the lonely young monarch who had lost his parents and had to wander alone, and the lonely little boy whose heart was broken after being betrayed by those he trusted so many times.

Ariana rubbed her face with both hands.

'I'm like this because I'm nervous about going to the North.'

Ever since she told Isaac to go to the North with her, a strange sensation had been coming to her intermittently, squeezing her heart.

Ariana took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door.

Geor sat cross-legged on the living room sofa. Leaning back leisurely, he smiled at Ariana.

"Did you sleep well?"

“Sorry, I overslept.”

"You're in the prime of your life, so you should sleep a lot. Should we offer a prayer of thanks to God for granting the Princess, who suffered from insomnia, a deep sleep?"

Geor raised both hands slightly and spoke teasingly. She was now used to his quirky demeanor. "Later," Ariana said, sitting across from Geor.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, right?”

“The weather was nice, so the waiting time was nice.”

Ariana looked out the window.

The sky was covered with dark clouds.

“It looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Yeah. I like rainy days.”

There was a pause in the conversation.

Ariana felt Geor's gaze, her gaze fixed on the sky outside the window. Geor sometimes observed Ariana with such tenacity.

The amethyst-like eyes, shining within the slightly downturned, narrow eyes, were incredibly sharp. Every time he gazed at her, she felt as if those eyes were digging and rummaging through every corner of her mind.

'Does the Little Lord still doubt me?'

During that time, Ariana avoided attending parties hosted by various noble families; instead secluded herself in the castle, studying and living a quiet life. This was to demonstrate that she had no intention of building connections to solidify her position.

Yet, Geor still sends her that persistent gaze.

"It looks like you enjoyed your conversation with Isaac. Judging by the way you slept well last night."

At Geor's words, Ariana slowly turned her head and looked at him.

“You put a watcher on me.”

"There are eyes watching and ears listening everywhere in this castle, Princess. It would be best not to plot anything within this castle."

"Since I can't shake off your suspicions, I think it would be best to leave the East. Will the little Lord feel safe if I don't show up?"

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Geor said with a smile.

"They say the Maho Castle in the North is incredibly beautiful. Everything shines a pure white, giving off a heavenly feeling. It's a place I've always wanted to visit at least once in my life."

“Then why don’t you go with me too?”

"No, I'm done. I don't want to be with the Princess. It's stressful."

“Oh, right. That’s good.”

Ariana's gentle smile was sweetly beautiful. But Geor could feel the cold wall hidden behind it.

It was rather fortunate.

Whenever Geor was with Ariana, he felt stress he had never experienced before.

At first, it was the tension of not knowing Ariana's true intentions. Then came the burden of having to protect her from Duke Obelius. Now, with every touch, every breath, every glance, an inexplicable irritation creeps in.

During her swordsmanship lessons, there were many instances of physical contact. Arms, the backs of hands, waists, thighs, or cheeks. Every time they brushed against each other, he felt a thrill of excitement and a feeling of his stomach turning.

When Geor spoke of swordsmanship, Ariana's eyes widened, and she looked up at Geor with a bright expression. Just seeing that made him feel sick.

He thought it would get better with time, but he was stressed because the symptoms were getting worse and worse.

It felt like riding a carriage on an unpaved road.

Yet.

Even now, when you send me that sharp smile, why do I feel so dizzy?

“The Lord of the East will not want to send the Princess to the Northern Territory.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. He can’t just hand over my beautiful daughter, who is like a Princess, to the Northern Feudal Lords.”

In an instant, Ariana's pale cheeks were filled with a beautiful peach color. The color spread silently, so sweetly that for a moment, Geor forgot the passage of time.

“To hand it over to the Northern Feudal Lords? That’s not why I’m going to the Northern Territory.”

He came to his senses at the sound of Ariana's voice, which was as calm as ever.

“I just want to go and ask for help from the Northern Lord, and give him my gratitude.”

"That's fine as it is, but I doubt the Lord will let the Princess go. Would he want to part with his beautiful daughter, whom he worked so hard to get back?"

"No way."

“Want to make a bet?”

“What are you betting on?”

"Hair."

Another word that came out impulsively.

Strangely enough, when talking to Ariana, words that even Geor himself would not expect would come out.

“Hair? Are you saying the loser should shave his head?”

"The Princess is too extreme. You shouldn't shave your head. I'm fine with it, but if the Princess shaves her head... it doesn't match that dress."

“Is that the problem?”

"It's a big deal. How important is a dress to a beautiful young lady? A handful of hair will do. If I win, a handful of the Princess's hair. If the Princess wins, a handful of mine."

“Little Lord, I don’t want to have your hair.”

"That's sad. I need to pray to God to ease my sorrow."

Ariana was astonished to see Geor clasping his hands together in prayer.

Geor can be so sharp and unpredictable, but he also occasionally displays such eccentricities that it's almost foolish. Unlike Cyrus, he's a difficult person to deal with.

After a while, Geor finished praying and asked.

“Then what would the Princess want if you won the bet?”

“Well, what would be good?”

Ariana placed her index finger under her chin and tilted her head slightly to the side before speaking.

"Sword."

"Sword?"

“I want your sword.”

“Oh, you have an eye for detail.”

Geor took out his sword from its sheath and placed it on the table.

The scabbard, the same color as his hair, had two small jewels embedded in it, but the hilt was plain compared to the scabbard.

"It's a good sword. It can cut anything. I plan to cut the Princess's hair with it."

“Well, maybe I’ll stab you with that sword.”

Geor smiled faintly.

“Do you think a handful of the Princess’s hair is worth this sword?”

"Of course."

"You're so confident. Yes, then let's go see Father without delay."

“Right now?”

“Then shall we go tomorrow?”

She tried to ask her father for permission to go to the North today, but she hasn't thought of what to say yet. If Ariana insisted, she thought he'd let her, but seeing Geor even bet on it made her feel uneasy.

Wouldn't it be better to take your time and think about what pattern to put out?

“Father might still be asleep...”

“Father wakes up early.”

“It’s also too early.”

“Princess, did you forget that you slept late today?”

“He also needs time to wake up.”

“Father must have already come back after taking a lap around the training ground.”

Geor smiled at Ariana's embarrassed expression.

"Why? Are you anxious because you think you might lose the bet? Do you need time to think of a way to immobilize your father with that pretty hair?"

Ariana jumped up in anger at the mocking tone.

“Let’s go.”

A few months ago, Ariana would not have fallen for this provocation.

The peaceful time in the peaceful East seeped into Ariana's heart little by little without her even realizing it, silently mending the broken and shattered parts.

Her heart, which was slowly improving, though not perfect, began to accept the emotions that it had always observed from a distance as its own.

Geor, too, noticed that Ariana had changed since she first arrived in the East. Her eyes, once like those of a wounded beast, now sometimes shone like those of a beloved cat or puppy.

It was like that now.

“Really? Are you okay?”

"Of course. My father listens to everything I want to do. He would never object."

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