(221) Side Story; Precious and New (15)
“Sei, stop...”
He did not stop despite Ariana's pleas. Instead, he explored her even more deeply, licking his lips. A shiver ran wherever his lips touched. Heat spread wherever his fingers brushed.
In front of the mirror, Ariana had no choice but to let herself be entangled in his touch as she watched herself crumble.
Before anyone realized it, the gown covering Ariana's body had slipped down to the floor. Behind the disheveled Ariana, only Cyrus remained neatly dressed.
It was shameful to be alone, a mess, gasping for breath, but even that heightened Ariana's senses. As Ariana's body trembled and she let out a shrill breath, he tilted her head back and kissed her hard.
Every sound coming from Ariana was swallowed by him.
He was enveloped in hot heat despite being cold.
After a shiver swept through Ariana's body like a tidal wave, Cyrus whispered softly in her ear.
“How about that? Aren’t I better than Count Pylon?”
It was a wondrous time.
On the bed, on the sofa, and in the bathroom.
Ariana and Cyrus tried a lot of things.
Intoxicated by the joy of realizing that things that seemed impossible were possible, the two lost track of time. When morning finally arrived, Ariana was completely immobilized.
“Sei, stop now...”
Ariana weakly pushed away Cyrus's chest as he relentlessly lunged at her.
“It’s morning. The maids will be coming.”
“Tell them to come. I think there was a scene like that in that wonderful novel.”
“Sei!”
Cyrus buried his face in Ariana's arms and giggled. Ariana stroked his head with her trembling hands, as she was weak.
His hair smelled of oranges. The same scent of oranges that had filled the bathtub Ariana was in last night.
The two of them stayed close all night, close enough for their scents to permeate each other.
Cyrus let go of Ariana and got out of bed. Ariana fixed her gaze on the tight muscles in his side. It was awe-inspiring to watch him pick up the scattered clothes, layer by layer, and put them on.
Even though it has been a long time since she became this kind of relationship with him, there were sometimes moments when she couldn't believe it.
"It feels like I'm dreaming."
Cyrus smiled at Ariana's muttering.
"So do i."
It was May when I heard the news that Isaac and Isabelle were going to get married.
The rain that had started falling at dawn did not stop that day, and Fellowes ran to Chase Castle, getting soaked in the rain.
Russell, Ariana, Theodore, and Carradine, who were having breakfast, put down their forks when they saw Fellowes arrive soaking wet, wondering if something terrible had happened.
Watching that family, Fellowes spread his arms wide and shouted.
"Isabelle is getting married! Finally! I won!"
I don't know what they won, but it was clear that Fellowes was happy. When Carradine found out that Isabel's opponent was Isaac, he said, 'Yeah, I knew it,' but Theodore muttered in bewilderment.
“How did such an upstanding young man end up like this...”
However, Ariana knew that they were only saying it. While preparing for the wedding scheduled for the fall, Theodore and Fellowes would often shed tears as they packed up the things Isabelle used when she was young.
"She was truly like an angel back then."
"Oh, was that so?"
"Even though she was a bit mischievous."
“Um... don’t you remember Father screaming because she smashed all the windows on the first floor of the main building?”
“Ah, right. That happened, didn’t it?”
"You know, there was even a time when she started a fire while trying to do something in the kitchen."
“Ah, right. That’s true... Back then, I really thought the whole castle was going to burn down completely. It was tough.”
“That’s right, it was really tough...”
Isabelle looked extremely happy.
Ariana often went out on dates with Cyrus in the busy downtown area, and whenever they did, they would always spot Isabelle and Isaac together. Cyrus grumbled every time he saw them.
"To think that guy got married before me."
Even as he said that, Cyrus was preparing a wonderful wedding gift for Isaac and Isabelle.
Whenever Ariana and Cyrus went on a date, Leinster and Louis always followed about three steps behind them. Ariana noticed that the distance between the two as they walked side by side was getting closer and closer, but she pretended not to notice.
“It’s already September, Shini. Isabelle’s wedding is tomorrow. The Count White’s garden is decorated so beautifully. Isabelle’s dress is also very beautiful.”
The day before Isabelle's wedding, Ariana sat beside Shini as always. Shini, too, was breathing quietly with her eyes closed, just as always.
"Isabelle must be really pretty. Tomorrow she will be the prettiest in the world."
At first, Fellowes had said, 'Thanks, Isaac. Thank you so much,' as if joking, but starting a week ago, he began to sniffle for real. He would often stare blankly into the distance, then suddenly his eyes would well up with tears, and he would blow his nose forcefully into a handkerchief.
“Uncle Fellowes seems to be feeling a bit unsettled. He doesn't act like this in front of Isabelle, but when it's just the two of us, he showed me a portrait of her from when she was five and said she looked just like a tiny, pretty baby bird. Is that how all fathers feel when their daughters get married?”
Ariana wondered if Russell would act like Fellowes when she got married.
“Ah, Charlotte’s teahouse is doing well.”
A few months ago, Charlotte came to see Ariana and said that she no longer needed to help the Blenwitt family.
"I have already received so much kindness, Princess. It is time for my family to accept reality as well. Now, Blenwitt must find their own way to survive."
Her unwavering gaze conveyed her determination.
Ariana could not break her resolve. It was because she felt she knew exactly what and with what mindset she had resolved.
However, she was concerned. In her past life, Charlotte was not cruel to Ariana. Even while watching Ariana being tossed around by the Third Prince, she did not cast a look of contempt upon her.
For Ariana, that alone was enough.
"Then, Charlotte, do it like this."
So, Ariana decided to use the fragments of the future she knew to help Charlotte one last time. She decided to extend a final favor to Charlotte, who had not despised her despite her past life, which deserved to be scorned.
"I'll set up a teahouse for you in a nice spot. I'm not just giving it to you; I'm lending it to you."
In a few years, tea houses will become popular on the continent. Currently, tea houses are places where commoners occasionally stop by to lift their spirits, but in a few years, they will transform into places where nobles go to enjoy dates.
Since Ariana has changed the future, the timing might come a little sooner or later, but the day will come when the tea shop prospers.
"Let's pay it back later when things go well. How about it?"
Charlotte asked Ariana, who was being kind to her.
"Princess, why are you helping me to this extent?"
Ariana wanted to tell Charlotte. When everyone treated her like a vulgar girl, Charlotte would smile and accept her greeting. That sometimes, that smile felt like salvation.
Swallowing the many words she wanted to say, Ariana spoke.
“Does a friend need a reason to help a friend?”
The clever Charlotte struggled a bit at first, but now she has become an elegant teahouse owner and is running the shop well. Ariana also often stopped by for tea, so rumors spread that 'the Princess occasionally visits Lotte's teahouse,' and the number of customers increased.
“Yuria is pregnant again, too.”
Yuria, who had lost her unborn child due to Victoria and the Third Prince, was seriously ill for a while but began recovering her health a few months ago. And not long ago, Ariana heard the news that she was pregnant.
Former Crown Prince David, who had been wandering in darkness after losing his father and his country, came to his senses upon learning of his wife's pregnancy.
He shaved his messy hair and beard, came out of the house, and helped Charlotte at Lotte's teahouse. The man who had lived a life where he was served even to drink a cup of tea was now a father, carrying heavy things and cleaning the shop with his own hands.
“I saw David a while ago when I went to visit Charlotte. He greeted me with a bright smile. He said thank you and that he would live his life to the fullest.”
As Ariana looked at him, she was reminded of her father.
“It was fascinating. I thought David would never be able to break free from his past glory. After all, even when he was the Crown Prince, he was a man with a weak side. But the David I saw that day truly shone brightly.”
She didn't know that a father's face would shine so brightly as he awaited the birth of his child.
“Was it the same for my father? When he found out Rachel was pregnant with me, did he shine like David?”
Ariana thought she wished that were the case.
"Cyrus waited for me for a long time."
In the meantime, Cyrus spent his time traveling back and forth between the Empire and the Kingdom of Stella. An Empress was needed to strengthen imperial power. Peace could be maintained without a struggle for the throne unless a virtuous Empress took charge of the household and bore a child to inherit the imperial line.
“They don’t say anything, but people around me are probably nagging me a lot. Because it’s an important issue.”
Many nobles are likely striving to place their daughters on the throne as Empress. In an empire that has only recently been established, even that was a source of chaos.
"I think it's time to let go of my desire to spend a little more time with my family."
It was a happy time, like a dream. It was such a wonderful time that she felt no matter how much she experienced it, it would never be enough.
Nevertheless, Ariana knew that there were times when she had to let go. She couldn't make things harder for him because of her selfishness.
"I love Cyrus very much. I also believed that he would fill in every single part of me without leaving anything lacking."
Nevertheless, the reason she feels like she doesn't want to leave her family is.
“I guess I haven’t fully grown up yet, Shini.”
Ariana put her arms up on the bed and lay face down.
“It is only natural to get married, leave home, and start a new family when you reach a certain age, but here I am, unable to do that obvious thing. How foolish I am.”
Cyrus said he would return to the Empire with Ariana in a year.
“Even though he says that, if I say I don’t like it, he’ll wait for a year, and then another year after that... until I’m ready.”
He would wait for Ariana for as many years as needed. He knew that even if his retainers urged him to fill the Empress's seat, or if someone with ulterior motives coveted the Emperor's throne and blamed the Empress's absence, Cyrus would wait for Ariana in silence.
Knowing this, she could not delay that time any longer.
“It’s not that I don’t want to marry Cyrus. On the contrary, I’m looking forward to it. I’m also curious about what it would feel like to marry someone you love. And yet...”
Ariana can't speak.
“Sei, stop...”
He did not stop despite Ariana's pleas. Instead, he explored her even more deeply, licking his lips. A shiver ran wherever his lips touched. Heat spread wherever his fingers brushed.
In front of the mirror, Ariana had no choice but to let herself be entangled in his touch as she watched herself crumble.
Before anyone realized it, the gown covering Ariana's body had slipped down to the floor. Behind the disheveled Ariana, only Cyrus remained neatly dressed.
It was shameful to be alone, a mess, gasping for breath, but even that heightened Ariana's senses. As Ariana's body trembled and she let out a shrill breath, he tilted her head back and kissed her hard.
Every sound coming from Ariana was swallowed by him.
He was enveloped in hot heat despite being cold.
After a shiver swept through Ariana's body like a tidal wave, Cyrus whispered softly in her ear.
“How about that? Aren’t I better than Count Pylon?”
***
It was a wondrous time.
On the bed, on the sofa, and in the bathroom.
Ariana and Cyrus tried a lot of things.
Intoxicated by the joy of realizing that things that seemed impossible were possible, the two lost track of time. When morning finally arrived, Ariana was completely immobilized.
“Sei, stop now...”
Ariana weakly pushed away Cyrus's chest as he relentlessly lunged at her.
“It’s morning. The maids will be coming.”
“Tell them to come. I think there was a scene like that in that wonderful novel.”
“Sei!”
Cyrus buried his face in Ariana's arms and giggled. Ariana stroked his head with her trembling hands, as she was weak.
His hair smelled of oranges. The same scent of oranges that had filled the bathtub Ariana was in last night.
The two of them stayed close all night, close enough for their scents to permeate each other.
Cyrus let go of Ariana and got out of bed. Ariana fixed her gaze on the tight muscles in his side. It was awe-inspiring to watch him pick up the scattered clothes, layer by layer, and put them on.
Even though it has been a long time since she became this kind of relationship with him, there were sometimes moments when she couldn't believe it.
"It feels like I'm dreaming."
Cyrus smiled at Ariana's muttering.
"So do i."
***
It was May when I heard the news that Isaac and Isabelle were going to get married.
The rain that had started falling at dawn did not stop that day, and Fellowes ran to Chase Castle, getting soaked in the rain.
Russell, Ariana, Theodore, and Carradine, who were having breakfast, put down their forks when they saw Fellowes arrive soaking wet, wondering if something terrible had happened.
Watching that family, Fellowes spread his arms wide and shouted.
"Isabelle is getting married! Finally! I won!"
I don't know what they won, but it was clear that Fellowes was happy. When Carradine found out that Isabel's opponent was Isaac, he said, 'Yeah, I knew it,' but Theodore muttered in bewilderment.
“How did such an upstanding young man end up like this...”
However, Ariana knew that they were only saying it. While preparing for the wedding scheduled for the fall, Theodore and Fellowes would often shed tears as they packed up the things Isabelle used when she was young.
"She was truly like an angel back then."
"Oh, was that so?"
"Even though she was a bit mischievous."
“Um... don’t you remember Father screaming because she smashed all the windows on the first floor of the main building?”
“Ah, right. That happened, didn’t it?”
"You know, there was even a time when she started a fire while trying to do something in the kitchen."
“Ah, right. That’s true... Back then, I really thought the whole castle was going to burn down completely. It was tough.”
“That’s right, it was really tough...”
Isabelle looked extremely happy.
Ariana often went out on dates with Cyrus in the busy downtown area, and whenever they did, they would always spot Isabelle and Isaac together. Cyrus grumbled every time he saw them.
"To think that guy got married before me."
Even as he said that, Cyrus was preparing a wonderful wedding gift for Isaac and Isabelle.
Whenever Ariana and Cyrus went on a date, Leinster and Louis always followed about three steps behind them. Ariana noticed that the distance between the two as they walked side by side was getting closer and closer, but she pretended not to notice.
“It’s already September, Shini. Isabelle’s wedding is tomorrow. The Count White’s garden is decorated so beautifully. Isabelle’s dress is also very beautiful.”
The day before Isabelle's wedding, Ariana sat beside Shini as always. Shini, too, was breathing quietly with her eyes closed, just as always.
"Isabelle must be really pretty. Tomorrow she will be the prettiest in the world."
At first, Fellowes had said, 'Thanks, Isaac. Thank you so much,' as if joking, but starting a week ago, he began to sniffle for real. He would often stare blankly into the distance, then suddenly his eyes would well up with tears, and he would blow his nose forcefully into a handkerchief.
“Uncle Fellowes seems to be feeling a bit unsettled. He doesn't act like this in front of Isabelle, but when it's just the two of us, he showed me a portrait of her from when she was five and said she looked just like a tiny, pretty baby bird. Is that how all fathers feel when their daughters get married?”
Ariana wondered if Russell would act like Fellowes when she got married.
“Ah, Charlotte’s teahouse is doing well.”
A few months ago, Charlotte came to see Ariana and said that she no longer needed to help the Blenwitt family.
"I have already received so much kindness, Princess. It is time for my family to accept reality as well. Now, Blenwitt must find their own way to survive."
Her unwavering gaze conveyed her determination.
Ariana could not break her resolve. It was because she felt she knew exactly what and with what mindset she had resolved.
However, she was concerned. In her past life, Charlotte was not cruel to Ariana. Even while watching Ariana being tossed around by the Third Prince, she did not cast a look of contempt upon her.
For Ariana, that alone was enough.
"Then, Charlotte, do it like this."
So, Ariana decided to use the fragments of the future she knew to help Charlotte one last time. She decided to extend a final favor to Charlotte, who had not despised her despite her past life, which deserved to be scorned.
"I'll set up a teahouse for you in a nice spot. I'm not just giving it to you; I'm lending it to you."
In a few years, tea houses will become popular on the continent. Currently, tea houses are places where commoners occasionally stop by to lift their spirits, but in a few years, they will transform into places where nobles go to enjoy dates.
Since Ariana has changed the future, the timing might come a little sooner or later, but the day will come when the tea shop prospers.
"Let's pay it back later when things go well. How about it?"
Charlotte asked Ariana, who was being kind to her.
"Princess, why are you helping me to this extent?"
Ariana wanted to tell Charlotte. When everyone treated her like a vulgar girl, Charlotte would smile and accept her greeting. That sometimes, that smile felt like salvation.
Swallowing the many words she wanted to say, Ariana spoke.
“Does a friend need a reason to help a friend?”
The clever Charlotte struggled a bit at first, but now she has become an elegant teahouse owner and is running the shop well. Ariana also often stopped by for tea, so rumors spread that 'the Princess occasionally visits Lotte's teahouse,' and the number of customers increased.
“Yuria is pregnant again, too.”
Yuria, who had lost her unborn child due to Victoria and the Third Prince, was seriously ill for a while but began recovering her health a few months ago. And not long ago, Ariana heard the news that she was pregnant.
Former Crown Prince David, who had been wandering in darkness after losing his father and his country, came to his senses upon learning of his wife's pregnancy.
He shaved his messy hair and beard, came out of the house, and helped Charlotte at Lotte's teahouse. The man who had lived a life where he was served even to drink a cup of tea was now a father, carrying heavy things and cleaning the shop with his own hands.
“I saw David a while ago when I went to visit Charlotte. He greeted me with a bright smile. He said thank you and that he would live his life to the fullest.”
As Ariana looked at him, she was reminded of her father.
“It was fascinating. I thought David would never be able to break free from his past glory. After all, even when he was the Crown Prince, he was a man with a weak side. But the David I saw that day truly shone brightly.”
She didn't know that a father's face would shine so brightly as he awaited the birth of his child.
“Was it the same for my father? When he found out Rachel was pregnant with me, did he shine like David?”
Ariana thought she wished that were the case.
"Cyrus waited for me for a long time."
In the meantime, Cyrus spent his time traveling back and forth between the Empire and the Kingdom of Stella. An Empress was needed to strengthen imperial power. Peace could be maintained without a struggle for the throne unless a virtuous Empress took charge of the household and bore a child to inherit the imperial line.
“They don’t say anything, but people around me are probably nagging me a lot. Because it’s an important issue.”
Many nobles are likely striving to place their daughters on the throne as Empress. In an empire that has only recently been established, even that was a source of chaos.
"I think it's time to let go of my desire to spend a little more time with my family."
It was a happy time, like a dream. It was such a wonderful time that she felt no matter how much she experienced it, it would never be enough.
Nevertheless, Ariana knew that there were times when she had to let go. She couldn't make things harder for him because of her selfishness.
"I love Cyrus very much. I also believed that he would fill in every single part of me without leaving anything lacking."
Nevertheless, the reason she feels like she doesn't want to leave her family is.
“I guess I haven’t fully grown up yet, Shini.”
Ariana put her arms up on the bed and lay face down.
“It is only natural to get married, leave home, and start a new family when you reach a certain age, but here I am, unable to do that obvious thing. How foolish I am.”
Cyrus said he would return to the Empire with Ariana in a year.
“Even though he says that, if I say I don’t like it, he’ll wait for a year, and then another year after that... until I’m ready.”
He would wait for Ariana for as many years as needed. He knew that even if his retainers urged him to fill the Empress's seat, or if someone with ulterior motives coveted the Emperor's throne and blamed the Empress's absence, Cyrus would wait for Ariana in silence.
Knowing this, she could not delay that time any longer.
“It’s not that I don’t want to marry Cyrus. On the contrary, I’m looking forward to it. I’m also curious about what it would feel like to marry someone you love. And yet...”
Ariana can't speak.
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