Chapter 27.4

The place Elia had wanted to visit with Edmund was a lake near the Roang mansion.

Originally, the Roang family had owned the land for generations, but after Elia’s parents died, Roang had to dispose of many assets to fill the investment funds lost from a failed contract.

This land with its small lake had to be handed over to a family with a daughter about Elia’s age.

“That’s a relief. I hear good land near the capital is all fenced off now, but I guess it’s okay to visit around the lake.”

“It’s right next to the southern highway, but since it’s so quiet, they don’t manage it strictly.”

Elia, who got out of the carriage first, gazed at the lake under the gentle evening glow.

“There really aren’t any passing carriages. Nothing blocking the view.”

At the far end of the open vista, the lake had two small boats and a wooden dock—maybe people went boating when the weather warmed up.

Maybe young Elia had gone boating here with her parents too.

“All the spring flowers have already bloomed.”

Unlike the mansion’s garden, planted with easy-to-manage flowers, the fields by the lake were bursting with all kinds of seasonal blooms.

Even the common wildflowers, which people didn’t bother naming, gathered and bloomed in the same colors, just as lovely as rare greenhouse flowers.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Edmund, who got out next, took his eyes off Elia and looked at the scenery for a moment.

Edmund was used to the vast estates of the Imperial Palace and Raspe Duchy, so such an open space wasn’t new to him.

But the untouched, unrefined landscape caught his attention.

He must have passed similar views hundreds of times traveling between the capital and his territory by carriage, but Edmund had never once thought to open the window and look outside.

He’d lived a bleak life, and perhaps everyone else had noticed there was no beautiful scenery in their lives—except Edmund himself.

He wondered what the woman beside him thought, living next to such a suffocating life.

She must have found it dreadful.

“Eugene says when he was young, your family came to this lake often. So I wondered if you might have come here too. Do you remember anything?”

“…Sorry. I don’t remember coming.”

Edmund shook his head with an apologetic air, as if he’d committed some offense.

“No, don’t apologize! Honestly, I don’t remember either. Not at all. I thought maybe I’d remember if I came in person, but it doesn’t feel familiar. Feels like the first time.”

When Elia’s voice dipped with disappointment, Edmund instinctively held his breath.

‘What should I say to make her feel better?’

He knew he should comfort her, but didn’t know how to make Elia, upset over forgotten memories, smile again.

His mood darkened, and even the beautiful lake view seemed to fall into premature night. All that remained was the feeling that he’d let Elia down.

“Should we go a little closer?”

“Hm? To the lakeside?”

“If we go nearer, maybe we’ll remember something.”

“Is that allowed? Hm… I wonder how close we can get.”

She asked the nearby knights, and one who’d already been on guard at the lake answered,

“As long as you don’t get too close to the woods, it’s fine. But the grass hasn’t grown in yet, so it might be uncomfortable to walk. Please be careful.”

“Oh, so I might get my shoes dirty or trip. Hm. Maybe I’ll just look from here.”

“If it’s about your shoes, I can have something else brought for you to change into.”

Of course, after being cooped up in the mansion, Elia had looked forward to dipping her hand in the lake, so she did want to go closer.

But after thinking it over, she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. It’s someone else’s land anyway, so it feels awkward. And maybe it wouldn’t look as pretty up close.”

Elia told the story of going to see hydrangeas in the Academy garden and being startled by a swarm of ants.

“Just because it looks pretty from far away doesn’t mean it’s all good. Let’s just look from here.”

Edmund was happy to do whatever Elia wanted, so he called over the nearby knights.

“Yes, we’ll keep watch around the carriage.”

The knights widened their perimeter so Elia and Edmund could talk without being overheard.

Noticing their obvious consideration, Elia couldn’t hide her embarrassment and stamped her feet.

As Elia’s footsteps thudded under her long skirt, the knights moved away without making a sound.

‘With no one else making a sound, it’s like just the two of us at the lakeside.’

The setting sun and the breeze from the lake added to the quiet…

‘Lonely. Just a little.’

Loneliness crept in. Elia, feeling the sudden emptiness, moved a little closer to Edmund.

Like the lovers on the music box, not touching even their clothes but close enough to look affectionate.

‘…He won’t dislike it, right?’

She got nervous after already moving closer. This was the closest the two had ever been.

Edmund thought Elia was cold and silently took off his coat for her.

“Oh, thank you.”

She wasn’t cold, but Elia snuggled into the coat Edmund gave her. Thanks to that, the loneliness of the desolate lakeside faded a little.

‘It’s warm.’

Not the warmth of burned wood, but the warmth the man had gradually left in the coat. Unlike a fireplace’s fleeting heat, it warmed her heart.

‘That time, when you came to Roang and covered me with your coat to open my gift—it felt warm too.’

That day in March when Edmund came to Roang without warning and said he wanted to see her. Even then, Elia, confused and flustered, thought the coat on her shoulders, with Edmund’s body heat, was warm.

It almost felt like they’d touched skin—a strange feeling she remembered.

Her heart swelled, and she wanted to express it. Elia wanted to share the warmth she felt with Edmund.

“Eddie. Last time, you covered me with your coat too.”

“In Roang’s drawing room?”

“Yeah, it was warm then, and it’s warm now. Are you okay? You’re down to just your shirt. If you get cold, tell me, okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m glad you’re warm.”

She looked at Edmund, and the white fabric, like wildflowers, stretched from his fingertips to the neatly buttoned collar.

A knight tried to offer his own coat, but Edmund waved him off.

‘It’s not that cold, so it should be fine, right?’

Elia checked to see if Edmund looked cold.

Her gaze followed the fabric up to Edmund’s face.

Gently closed lips. Skin so clear even a light touch would leave a mark. Shadowed eyes, dark lashes.

And his eyes.

The sunset lake was reflected there. Elia’s bright yellow dress made Edmund’s dark blue eyes look tinged with sunset.

Instead of saying his eyes were beautiful, Elia spoke the words she’d wanted to tell Edmund today.

“Eddie, I went to the bookstore today, like I do every month.”

A breeze stirred the calm lake.

“It was the last time. I won’t go there anymore.”

Her voice sent ripples through his calm eyes. To Elia, it looked like Edmund was asking, ‘Why?’

“I thought I was worrying you. If you were worried because of me, I’m sorry.”

Her reply to a question he hadn’t asked—‘because I thought I was worrying you’—was ambiguous.

Why did Elia think Edmund would worry? He wanted to ask, but held back, afraid it would hide her warm smile.

“…If it’s what you want. If you want it, you can do anything.”

“Really, I can ask you for anything?”

“Really. Anything.”

“Then, even though you’re busy, if you have any free time, will you give it to me?”

It was the feeling of wanting to touch a fully bloomed flower—innocent and childlike.

Elia paused, then savored Edmund’s focused attention before speaking again.

“I’ll be bored now. Let’s come see the lake together. And come visit Roang. Everyone wants to see you so much. After you first came, they kept asking when the Duke would visit again.”

“I will. I promise. Whenever you want.”

“Yeah, and you too… okay?”

She touched the flower again, and even though the breeze was gentle, the petals trembled. She wanted to reach out and gently stroke it.

“If you miss me, just say so. Then I’ll come see you anytime.”

The gently flowing lake under the orange sky, the sight of him beside her.

And the woman, her face flushed with embarrassment, was proof this wasn’t a dream