Thinking back now, it was strange in many ways.
Why were her aunt and nanny worried about her waist?
It was Ethan’s finger that hurt, not her waist. Hyacinth wrinkled her nose.
Curiosity welled up, but she didn’t want to ask anyone. For Ethan’s sake, and for the sake of their marriage.
Didn’t the old sages say that the stories of the night should be hidden behind curtains?
Hyacinth wasn’t one to blindly believe in proverbs, but she thought there must be a reason such sayings were created.
Their first night was quite strange… but not extremely strange. Hmm. She finished rationalizing and straightened her back. Sitting in the carriage for so long made her whole body ache.
It must be time for a break soon.
Perhaps as a consideration for Hyacinth, who was experiencing a long carriage journey for the first time, they were given breaks every three hours. Sure enough, the carriage gently stopped, and there was a knock on the door. The sound was enough to wake Seina, who had dozed off.
Seina, still half-asleep, got out first, followed by Hyacinth, who jumped down.
And she marveled.
The endless coniferous forest had given way to a vast plain before them. Wow, she exclaimed without holding back, and the nearby knights chuckled softly.
They seemed proud of the northern scenery.
“Can I go in?”
“Of course.”
Ethan shrugged nonchalantly.
Hyacinth carefully adjusted her skirt and stepped into the picturesque plain. Though there wasn’t much grass, the ground felt sacred. She walked cautiously, avoiding every living thing. When she reached a spot where the carriage seemed smaller,
Hyacinth widened her eyes in wonder.
“Wow!”
Ten steps away, small golden flowers were blooming in clusters. They could bloom so beautifully even in this cold weather. Snow that hadn’t melted between the petals, yet the yellow wildflowers were blooming sturdily. It was like summer in the middle of winter.
Hyacinth could only gaze in awe at the marvelous sight.
“It’s erentis.”
At the explanation from behind, Hyacinth softly admired.
The ruler of the north, Erentis. And now, the Erentis colony is in this place.
The fact that these small flowers shared the name of the ruler of the north… it wasn’t as contradictory as she thought.
“They’re beautiful.”
“Just small wildflowers.”
“That makes them even more beautiful.”
To embroider them well, I need to observe carefully.
Hyacinth knelt and examined the flowers closely. Even up close, they were incredibly cute and lovely wildflowers.
“I want to take one flower with me.”
“Take it.”
“Is that okay?”
“…?”
“I’m asking the owner for permission right now.”
“You are also an owner.”
Ah. That’s right.
Now she was Hyacinth Erentis, the Duchess of Trisel. Not only was that man the owner of this beautiful land, but so was she.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Hyacinth fidgeted with her fingers hidden behind her knees. It was a temporary measure to soothe her ticklish soul.
Once she finally calmed down, she lightly brushed her cheek and began to carefully observe the cluster of flowers. She picked two flowers of similar size.
She handed one to her husband.
“Aren’t they pretty?”
“…Yes.”
Ethan looked somewhat reluctant but didn’t refuse. A knight who had even won a jousting tournament holding a flower looked truly beautiful.
Hyacinth cradled the remaining flower and hopped back the way she had come, being careful not to step on any living thing.
Ethan followed her silently from behind.
When Hyacinth reached the carriage, she showed the Erentis flower to her nanny. Seina let out a small laugh at the sight of the cute golden flower.
“It’s adorable.”
“Isn’t it?”
“It would look lovely as a bookmark.”
“I’ll do that! Nanny, you’re a genius.”
“Oh dear. Get inside now. The break time is over.”
“When will we arrive?”
“Tomorrow or the day after, Madam.”
The one who answered in place of Seina was a northern knight.
Hyacinth kindly thanked him and climbed into the carriage. At the end of the long carriage journey, Bremlin Castle would stand tall. It would exude a mysterious charm like a castle from a fairy tale.
She was looking forward to that moment.
Throughout the journey, as the carriage rolled along, Hyacinth carefully tended to the erentis flower. If even one petal got damaged or torn, she would be very upset. Wasn’t it the first memory she shared with Ethan in the north?
She hoped that life in the north would be as beautiful as this flower.
* * *
“Oh no.”
At Ethan’s sigh, the knight beside him turned to look. Then he sighed as well.
“Oh no, what a naughty fellow.”
The erentis flower his wife had given him. Ethan hadn’t planned to discard it or anything. He didn’t have any romantic desire to keep it safe either.
But life never goes as planned. While he was distracted, his horse chomped down on the erentis flower.
Seeing its tail wagging happily, it must have been delicious. Ethan clicked his tongue as he patted the horse’s mane.
“You’re such a glutton.”
Well, that’s why you’re here, food provider!
The horse neighed loudly, seemingly responding mischievously. Whether it knew it had been demoted from owner to food provider, Ethan diligently patted the beast.
After all, what fault did the horse have? It ate because it wanted to.
“How about going for a moment?”
“Where to?”
“To get another flower. Your wife might be upset, so maybe you could…”
Ah, he means to replace it with another flower.
Ethan gazed at the distant plain, estimating the distance.
He could send the party ahead and catch up after picking another flower. But why bother?
Why should he go through that inconvenience?
If the woman asked why the flower was gone, he could just tell her the truth—that the horse ate it. It was just a flower.
“No need.”
“…”
“My wife is generous.”
“Ah, I see.”
Hyacinth probably wouldn’t say anything to him.
The ‘flower of Tyche,’ who had been a modest lady, was now indulging in her role as a dignified wife. So she wouldn’t.
“We’ll arrive within two days.”
“Seems likely, Your Highness.”
How would Bremlin react when he brought Hyacinth Hener there?
The thought gave him a headache, making Ethan feel weary of life once more. His body was too strong, and his future was too long.
“Ha…”
After a long sigh, he mounted his horse.
He would die eventually, even without trying, so why bother trying to die? What else could he do?
He had to live this life.
Even if a woman with irritating red hair had suddenly intruded…
* * *
As planned, their party arrived at Bremlin Castle two days later.
The center of the north. The main castle of Erentis. The white stone castle that had birthed countless legends.
The Erentis flag fluttered majestically from the highest tower. The drawbridge lowered, and the iron gate clanked as it rose.
It was to welcome the return of their lord.
From inside the carriage, Hyacinth watched all this scenery, half stuck to the window. Though not as large and grand as Tyche, Bremlin exuded a serene and dreamy atmosphere.
Tyche was unusually large, and Bremlin was still large compared to other castles. Hyacinth was realistic in that regard.
…This is where I’ll live for the rest of my life.
My children will grow up playing here. Looking up at her second home, she felt overwhelmed by emotion. It was overpowering.
“Nanny.”
“Yes, lady—sorry, Madam.”
“If you want to call me lady, go ahead.”
“I can’t. You need to get used to the title too, Madam.”
“…Alright.”
“By the way, what is it, Madam?”
Hyacinth placed her hands neatly on her bliaut. Once, they were the hands of a girl who could be carefree, but now they were the hands of a noble lady responsible for managing the castle.
“Will I be able to do well?”
“Of course.”
Seina’s hand warmly cupped her cheek.
Since they were in the carriage and no one could see, Hyacinth quickly burrowed into Seina’s arms, quietly seeking comfort.
“You are my precious baby.”
“I’ll do well.”
“More than doing well, you need to be happy.”
“I will.”
She vowed determinedly.
And as soon as Hyacinth got out of the carriage, her resolve was threatened. The erentis flower she had cherished was nowhere to be seen, as if her husband had discarded it. There was no trace of the yellow flower on him.
So she could guess.
Ethan had been riding a horse… Hyacinth quickly explained to herself.
Unlike her, who traveled comfortably in the carriage, Ethan had been riding a horse the whole time. So the flower might have been cumbersome. Or it could have been lost to the wind.
She could have asked Ethan directly, but Hyacinth didn’t want to risk it. If, by any chance, he said he had thrown it away, she wasn’t sure she could keep her expression in check.
I can’t crumble over something like this!
After scolding herself, Hyacinth regained her cheerful spirit. As soon as she straightened her shoulders, a cold wind blew sharply.
As Ethan had warned, the north was chilly.
But as her uncle had said, Hyacinth was strong against the cold.
For everyone who wished her happiness, for all those kind memories, Hyacinth was determined to be happy with all her might. She would never wither.
“Hyacinth.”
“Yes.”
“It’s time to go.”
Ethan approached and extended his hand. Since the lord had returned after getting married, they had to enter together and greet the residents of the castle.
“The Duke and Duchess are entering!”
Hyacinth held her husband’s hand tightly and passed through the iron gate.
This was her first moment in Bremlin.
* * *
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kadycat88
Well I guess the hardship that will follow is definitely her karma for trying to push herself on the ML and forcing him to marry her. What goes around, comes back around people.