Act 2, Scene 2. The End of Unrequited Love

A long carriage journey for the first time.

The Duke of Trisel worried that the trip might be too exhausting or excessively boring, but Hyacinth enjoyed the smooth journey. Thanks to her cousins and nanny Seina, she forgot about boredom.

With four people, it was the perfect number for a card game. Caleb was good at cheating, Seina was quick-witted, Benjamin was experienced, and Hyacinth was the luckiest among the four.

Thus, the winner changed every time, and everyone played with fierce determination. During breaks, they would stretch their creaky bodies, get out of the carriage to enjoy a fulfilling rest, and then get back in to indulge in sporadic pleasures.

The carriage suddenly stopped when Seina achieved a spectacular victory against the members of the royal family. Normally, the nanny who always showered her with love was ruthless in card games. Her hands were so merciless that Hyacinth lost half of her seed money in the recent defeat and shed a few tears.

“I will win the next round.”

Caleb’s solemn declaration seemed to act as a signal, as the carriage abruptly began to slow down. The first to notice the change in speed was Hyacinth. She squinted her eyes as she glanced out the window. The scenery beyond the glass was gradually becoming clearer.

“What’s going on?”

Benjamin, who had been tapping his knees, also tilted his head.

“Is the carriage stopping?”

“Are we already at Bremlin?”

“Not yet, Your Highness.”

Seina answered while neatly organizing the cards.

In the midst of their murmured conversation, the carriage finally came to a halt. Four pairs of eyes fixed on the door. Click. The sound of the door being opened from outside.

The person who appeared amidst their rising curiosity was Duke Ethan Erentis.

The man’s gray eyes immediately locked onto Hyacinth. And they didn’t move away. It was a very blatant, almost sticky-like fixation.

One might wonder if he was aware of the fact that he was neglecting the princes.

Ethan Erentis was currently acting so single-mindedly that one could say his mind was entirely occupied by Hyacinth.

“Why did the carriage suddenly stop?”

“There is a view I want to show you.”

There was no subject mentioned, but everyone present understood.

Benjamin raised an eyebrow, and Caleb chuckled mischievously. Hyacinth stomped hard on her cousin’s foot in the darkness covering the carriage floor.

When she took the Duke’s outstretched hand and got off, a completely different scenery awaited Hyacinth. It was not the dense northern forest that had been continuously unfolding outside the window until now.

A vast… truly overwhelming plain.

It was a barren plain with sparse life, but thus it appeared more sublime. Hyacinth covered her mouth with her hand and gazed at it for a long time. It was such a beautiful scene that she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

She didn’t know how Ethan Erentis had predicted her reaction so accurately, but she felt grateful for the first time that he had stopped the carriage to show her this plain.

“May I go in?”

“Yes.”

Hyacinth carefully grasped the hem of her bliaut and stepped into the landscape that looked like a painting. She ventured further inside, exploring the sturdy grasses and wildflowers that bloomed here and there. Perhaps worried about her, Ethan Erentis followed a few steps behind.

When the carriage was far in the distance.

Hyacinth widened her eyes and took a sharp breath. Ten steps away, she spotted a cluster of small golden flowers. She had never seen such a wondrous sight in her life.

In this chilly weather, they were blooming so sturdily and beautifully.

The unmelted snow between the delicate petals, and the noble yellow wildflowers blooming among them.

It was like summer within winter.

“These are erentis flowers.”

“They are truly beautiful flowers.”

At that moment, she understood the feelings of the first lord of the Erentis family, who made these small flowers the symbol of their house. Hyacinth took ten steps closer and gently touched the small, lovely yellow flowers.

When did he close the distance?

Ethan Erentis suddenly approached from behind and picked two flowers. Then he handed them to her.

“Thank you. Flowers are one of my favorite gifts.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Don’t they suit me?”

“They suit you very well.”

His answer was so quick that it made her laugh. Hyacinth giggled and hopped back. She also made an effort not to step on any of the cute little lives.

When she finally returned to the carriage, she handed one flower to her nanny.

“How is it, nanny? Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s pretty.”

“Take it. This is an erentis flower, and it’s so cute…”

Suddenly, Hyacinth felt moisture on her fingers and widened her eyes. When she turned her head, Duke Trisel’s horse was chomping on the other Erentis flower she was holding.

Hyacinth glared, but the horse was invincible. It wagged its tail as if to say, ‘Scold me if you want,’ and continued to chew heartily.

“Are you alright, lady?”

Ethan, who had quickly closed the distance, gave his horse a stern flick on the forehead. The horse’s eyes widened as if it couldn’t believe its master was being so harsh. It stomped its hooves noisily.

Regardless, the knight’s hand firmly holding the animal was strong.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I was just surprised that the horse ate my flower.”

“Take mine, lady.”

Nanny Seina and the Duke offered simultaneously.

Hyacinth looked at the beautiful color of the Erentis flower and shook her head.

Already picked flowers would wither over time. There was no reason to be sad about missing a fleeting beauty. Though it was inevitable to feel a bit of regret.

“It’s alright.”

She declined firmly and got back into the carriage.

* * *

Next break. When Hyacinth, who had gotten off to stretch her stiff body, Ethan Erentis handed her a flower. Although she had refused, saying there was no need to pick another one, it seemed he had been thinking about it the whole time.

…She didn’t know Ethan Erentis had such a delicate side.

Caleb teased quietly next to the dumbfounded Hyacinth holding the flower. This time, Hyacinth didn’t retaliate.

Bremlin was near.

It was time to conclude this indulgent and pleasant carriage journey.

* * *

Two days later, they arrived at Bremlin Castle.

At the center of the North, the home of the Erentis family. It was the very white stone castle that had been the backdrop for many legends. The drawbridge of the moat began to lower with a creak to welcome the distinguished guests who had traveled a long way.

Curiosity often overrides etiquette, so Hyacinth and her two cousins clung to the windows to observe the outside scenery. The flag of the Erentis family was majestically fluttering on the highest watchtower.

“It’s really different from Tyche.”

“If it were the same as Tyche, that would be a problem in itself.”

“Indeed.”

Ignoring the slightly pathetic conversation of her two brothers, Hyacinth wrinkled her nose.

Unlike the grand and splendid Tyche, Bremlin was serene and dreamy. Of course, it was smaller compared to Tyche, but Bremlin Castle itself wasn’t small. Compared to the main castles of other regions, it was still significantly large.

As she observed without blinking, Hyacinth eventually furrowed her brows and tilted her head. Looking at the beautiful castle made her chest ache for no reason. It felt as if the cold was gnawing at her fingertips.

Wrapped in several layers of thick blankets and even having snatched Caleb’s cloak, she should have been warm, not cold.

She gritted her teeth for a moment.

She felt sorry for those who had endured the long journey because of her, but an overwhelming fear surged up.

I shouldn’t have come.

One regret.

I need to return as soon as possible.

One rejection.

Thinking such thoughts while looking at that beautiful stone castle was, in a way, amusing. Hyacinth relaxed her jaw and bit her lip.

Let’s not regret it.

She had come here to properly color her nightmare. She had a feeling she would succeed in that goal.

Suddenly, she felt a warm touch on her hand. Her nanny, who seemed to have seen through her agitation, was gently holding her hand.

“Nanny.”

As she hugged her and burrowed into her arms, Seina laughed and hugged her tighter.

“How old are you?”

Despite Caleb’s jeers, Hyacinth clung tightly.

* * *

When she first arrived in Bremlin, Hyacinth quickly adapted despite the initial unease she felt. While Benjamin, who was somewhat scatterbrained, got lost even after a week, she managed to grasp the layout within just three hours. Her guesses about where corridors and rooms would be were uncannily accurate.

It was quite strange.

When she thought, ‘the bathroom should be around here,’ and opened a door to actually find the bathroom, it gave her chills.

As this happened repeatedly, Hyacinth couldn’t help but question her subconscious.

Why on earth do I know the layout of Bremlin? Why do I feel like I’ve seen the northern landscape before? It even felt like she had seen the massive snowstorm that only occurs in the north…

Most of all, that flower.

The yellow erentis flower she had placed between the pages of a book also felt familiar, as if she had seen it before. It even felt like she had been to the barren yet beautiful plains.

Hyacinth folded her arms and looked out the corridor.

Even the garden view below felt so familiar it was unsettling. Although not exactly the same, it felt like something she had experienced once in her life.