Side Story 2.8

“Just a moment, Sir Kaiden.”

Fwoosh, the light of the portable oil lamp lit by the page cast up a faint warmth.

“…Thank you.”

Kaiden lifted feet that felt as though they were sinking into the earth and continued on his way, just a little more lightly.

Without realizing it, the path he had taken by habit was the hill road where the house with the orange roof stood.

“……”

Naturally, Rian’s house was dark. On the first night of the New Year festival, it was Perrindale tradition for everyone to gather in the square and stay up together through the night if at all possible.

Rian too must have gone out with her parents to enjoy the festival.

Every year, she must have gone on building memories like this without Kaiden. It might well be that other neighbors had more than filled the empty place he left behind.

Laughing and singing together with someone else, perhaps her world without him had grown so large that there was no longer anything left to write to an old friend in her letters.

“……”

Who is she with right now? Kaiden wondered as he looked at the quiet window.

If she is with someone else… I only hope he is not a bad person. I want you always to be with good people….

“Um, is this it? Your home, Sir Kaiden?”

At that moment the page asked cautiously. It seemed difficult for him to interpret any other way his master’s behavior in standing blankly before a deserted house and staring inside.

“No.”

Kaiden answered in a constricted voice and turned away.

The starlight scattered across the black sky emerged from behind the clouds and followed his steps.

The people of Perrindale believed the stars were the eyes of angels. So they made wishes upon the stars. One of their traditions was to choose a favorite star, call it Angel, and ask that it carry their wish to God, and when he was young, Kai too had searched every year for his star of the year.

Which star had Rian chosen this year? Was she too thinking of a wish right now, picturing the tomorrow she dreamed of?

“……”

Rian.

The tomorrow I wish for is one with the beloved you….

“Oof, it’s cold. You’ll catch a chill! Let’s hurry along.”

The page quickened his pace. Kaiden could only go down the opposite side of the hill and hasten his heavy steps toward his old childhood home.

Thinking of the house standing empty made even that feel hollow. In any case, because he had donated money to the village head and asked him to maintain the house so it would not fall into ruin, filled as it was with precious memories of his mother, there would be no inconvenience in sleeping there for one night as soon as they arrived.

As for supper, tomorrow they would have to procure ingredients first….

“Ah, that smell of grilled fish was incredible. Such a waste. Shall I hurry back and bring some for you?”

At the page’s words, spoken as he nearly jogged beside him, Kaiden suddenly looked at him.

Martin. His name suddenly came to mind, and Kaiden looked at him with deliberate gentleness.

“I’m all right, Martin.”

I was not entirely alone after all, Kaiden thought, and felt a little sorry that he had not let his page eat the good festival food.

Should I go back to the square even now? Perhaps our paths simply missed one another, and perhaps I might meet Rian there.

Of course, he did not act on the thought, because he did not have the courage to risk seeing her with another man.

“Tomorrow we’ll go to the festival and have some good food….”

Kaiden had only just managed to gather himself enough to promise his page tomorrow’s plans when.

“Oh my! You even remember things like that?”

He stopped dead.

The voice had come from inside his house, which they had now reached without his even realizing it.

Did I hear wrong? 

Holding his breath, he listened, and soon a woman’s bright laughter and a man’s voice followed. Kaiden, who had just been about to push open the gate, froze at the unexpected sounds.

Why….?

There were people inside his house. Through the crack of the shutters, tightly fastened against the cold wind, a warm light was leaking out.

If the window were opened, warm air would surely spill forth from within.

“Of course! When it comes to my daughter’s affairs, there isn’t a single thing I forget!”

A man’s hearty answer followed. It was Mr. Dane’s voice.

“You’re impossible. You really are a husband who dotes absurdly on his daughter.”

“Hahaha.”

The voices that followed were just as familiar. It was certain now that those inside were Rian’s parents.

“Why are the two of them here….”

Unable to wait any longer, Kaiden slowly pushed open the gate and stepped into the dark garden.

No, into a bright and warm garden.

The walls, the trees, beneath the eaves, everywhere he looked was beautifully adorned with New Year festival ribbons and flowers, and even the torch lamps were all neatly lit, welcoming him into a radiant garden.

“Wow, it’s a very lovely house, Sir Kaiden.”

“……”

That’s right, it’s the house my mother treasured and cared for.

Instead of answering, Kaiden let a faint smile rest on his lips and slowly walked the garden path while looking around. Taking his time, he passed along the way slowly, imprinting each scent and each piece of scenery that filled him with warm nostalgia.

The flowerbeds were full of blossoms. Though it was midwinter, the pink dahlias he loved were showing their lovely faces.

His heart began to beat faster and faster. It felt as though heat were returning to his body, which had gone cold. The fact that these flowers were here meant that the one who loved them… no, in truth, the person who loved pink dahlias was—

“Ah, stop teasing me already. Father, you’re silly!”

The moment he heard that burst of laughter, Kaiden felt his heart might burst as well.

“Teasing you? All little children are like that. You just don’t know how adorable you were.”

Silently, Kaiden stepped into the flowerbed and snapped off the single prettiest blossom.

“Hmph. If you keep it up, I’m not going to call you doting anymore, I’m just going to call you foolish. I can tease you too.”

In truth, from the beginning, the reason Kaiden had planted dahlias in the garden was because he had wanted to give them to the most lovable little girl in the world.

Yes, now he remembered at last. It was not he who loved dahlias, but she.

“Ha ha ha! Since my daughter is clever, it’s all right if her father is a bit foolish!”

Rian.

“Oh my, why is my husband foolish? He’s the finest and wisest man in all of Perrindale.”

Rian….

“Oh, honestly, I can’t bear to stay here with this. I’m going to hurry up and get married too.”

Kaiden’s heart pounded harshly. The hand with which he carefully opened the front door trembled a little.

The savory smell drifting out through the crack brushed his nose and stirred up old memories. It was the distinct rum scent, unique spice, and rich fruit fragrance of the New Year festival bread that they had used to make and share at Rian’s house.

“My goodness. How can you get married all by yourself? Your partner has to come and fetch you first.”

As he passed through the entrance and stepped into the drawing room, he began to catch sight of the people sitting around the table in the far corner.

Not knowing who had arrived, they were wholly absorbed in talking over bread as they ate. They looked entirely off guard, as though in their own home, even if their guests were a knight and a knight apprentice who had deliberately hidden their presence.

“Ah, I don’t know. Is there some law saying I have to wait for him to come fetch me? If he doesn’t come this year either, then I’ll just go fetch him myself.”

What that lovely, cheerful voice meant was obvious. There was only one person who could come to fetch her.

Ah, Rian….

At the sight of the back of her head, her reddish blonde hair braided and falling down her back, Kaiden’s chest swelled painfully.