Chapter 6

Demian did not speak for a while. She could neither urge him on nor interrupt his words. But as the silence stretched, her hands began to tremble slightly.

“We’re almost there.”

Demian, sensing her unease, changed the subject. He dismounted gracefully, then looked up at her gently.

“I’ll help you down.”

She hesitated a little. Perhaps because of the light reflected off the white snow, Demian seemed to shine on his own even in the middle of the night. His gaze looked so innocent that she finally nodded.

As she prepared to dismount, he immediately caught her in his arms.

Demian’s arms around her tightened for a moment. Her cheek brushed against his firm chest, and the strong heartbeat threatened to make her face flush. It seemed he did not want to let her go.

“Sir, it’s a bit hard to breathe…”

“…I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

He stepped back quickly, as if burned, and his once-composed face twisted with regret. Something unknown ached in her chest.

Demian lowered his gaze and tied the horse to a tree. Then he came over and carefully wrapped her coat tighter around her. A faint, hazy smile appeared and disappeared.

“This must look like rags to you, Your Grace… I’m sorry.”

“A-ah, no… Don’t say it like that.”

Since she’d snuck out without the maid’s help, she wore only the outerwear and winter gear Demian had brought. It wasn’t bad, but he seemed to think that, as the Grand Duchess, she would find it shabby.

“Even so, Your Grace, you shine even in rags.”

“Sir Demian, you keep teasing me like that…”

“But, are you cold?”

He changed the subject smoothly when she tried to scold him for his embarrassing words. She simply nodded in reply.

“We’re almost there. Ah, would you like me to hold your hand? Of course, only if you’re comfortable.”

The snow had piled up all day, sinking to her ankles. She reluctantly extended her hand, and Demian took it in his warm grip.

He walked ahead, making a path, and she followed in his footsteps toward the edge of the hill. His broad back made her feel as if the wind had stilled.

“You’re right, Sir. It’s quite beautiful.”

The northern night was bathed in moonlight. The stars seemed ready to pour down, and the frost clinging to every branch looked like snow flowers. It was an unreal sight.

“Already? If you’re impressed this early, that could be a problem.”

“Why?”

“Well, if you’re already amazed, you might regret tonight soon.”

He added playfully. She steadied her voice, which threatened to crack in the cold.

“You said you’d make a good memory for me, didn’t you? What do you mean, regret…”

“There’s an astonishing sight waiting for you, one you might remember for the rest of your life. Ah, I’m exaggerating a bit, of course.”

He glanced back and smiled brightly. The mischievous smile made her laugh, too.

“……”

And then, an unexpected silence fell. Demian looked as if he’d been struck. His gaze lingered on her, frozen.

“Sir Demian…?”

Demian started walking again without a word. His breath scattered in the cold air as if he’d sighed.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“…I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

He tried to act unaffected, but she didn’t press further. In truth, she could almost feel the heat in his eyes.

“Ah, we’re here. This way, Your Grace.”

At the edge of the hill, Demian stopped. He carefully drew her to his side, and she took the chance to study his expression.

True to his reputation as a northern knight who never showed weakness, Demian’s earlier confusion was gone.

“It’s quite high, so when you look down…”

“Ah…!”

She looked down the hill without thinking and felt dizzy. Now she realized it was steep enough to be called a cliff. Demian quickly supported her as she staggered.

Her body felt annoyingly frail. Unlike herself, Demian’s face was determined, as if his knightly spirit was overflowing.

“Thank you, Sir Demian.”

“It’s nothing. Please lean on me.”

She leaned almost completely into his arms as she gazed down the hill. There must have been plenty of snow below, but it was already midnight.

“Ah, this is…”

Below the cliff, a field of flowers was in full bloom. Even at midnight, the flowers stretched their necks long toward the moon. They looked like purple morning glories, but the blossoms were so unnaturally large that their beauty was visible even from a distance.

Amazingly, the flowers seemed to absorb the moonlight and then emit it. The translucent petals literally glimmered, softly illuminating the hillside. It was as if the night sky had been transplanted onto the earth. She let out a soft gasp.

“It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?”

“Are those… flowers shining on their own?”

“Yes, those only bloom when the full moon rises. Strangely, they don’t respond to sunlight, only to moonlight, and only under a full moon. Certainly not ordinary flowers.”

As she turned to look at him, a cold wind swept between them. Suddenly, a sweet scent filled the air, intoxicating enough to lift her spirits. Could this be the scent of the flowers?

“These flowers… Ah, have you heard of Lady Lovisa? She was the Grand Duke’s great-grandmother.”

She slowly shook her head. She’d only skimmed the original story and knew little. Besides, except for Demian, everyone in the ducal residence avoided talking about previous Grand Dukes and Duchesses in front of her, as if there was some family tragedy to hide from the new bride.

“Lady Lovisa was from the South and suffered severe homesickness. The Grand Duke at the time decided to bring all the southern flowers to the North for her.”

“Wow… That’s so romantic.”

“After a year or two, it seemed all attempts had failed. Not even heating magic or greenhouses worked.”

Wait, magic? Ah, right, this was a world where magic existed. It wasn’t as powerful as holy power, just enough to make daily life a bit more convenient…

She tried to connect the story of the Grand Duke’s ancestors with the beautiful, mysterious flowers.

“That’s a rather sad story.”

And a bit abrupt, too.

“Fortunately, it has a happy ending.”

Demian nodded toward the flowers below. He blocked the wind and spoke.

“Some flowers survived, as you see now.”

“Ah…”

“In the South, these weren’t considered very special. Beautiful, yes, but they never glowed like this… and the scent was never this strong.”

She began to understand what Demian wanted to tell her. He was choosing his words carefully.

“I hesitate to compare you to a mere flower, Your Grace… but I believe you can thrive here in the North, too…”

A look of earnest longing appeared on his handsome face. He desperately hoped his words wouldn’t sound presumptuous, and his awkward comfort touched her even more.

Demian struggled to continue, then gave a sad smile. That smile shattered a wall inside her.

In that moment, tears rolled down her cheeks. Oh, no. Opening her heart to someone in the North—a place that could become her grave—was surely madness…

“Your Grace!”

“I-it’s alright. It’s just…”

She couldn’t even wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her whole body felt heavy, and even lifting her hand seemed impossible.

Demian bit his lips so hard they turned white. He, too, seemed afraid of what was to come. Perhaps it was an emotion too overwhelming to bear.

Demian let out a long breath and slowly took off his gloves. The simple gesture felt strangely intimate. Maybe it was the way he kept restraining himself that made it so intense.

“Forgive me, Your Grace.”

He spoke with a determined expression. Demian’s long fingers brushed her eyes, softly wiping away the tracks of her tears. Her heart pounded as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff.

“Even if today is the last day I see you up close, Your Grace, I’ll be satisfied. Someone like me is only allowed to comfort you, after all.”

His warm breath touched her face. He looked almost solemn, as if making a knight’s vow.

“I’ve kept these feelings hidden since the day we first met. I know you bear responsibility as the Grand Duchess.”

“……”

“But after seeing you smile today, I just…”

He couldn’t finish, burying his face in his hands. When Demian finally looked up, his face was resolute.

“I can’t stand by and watch you suffer any longer, Your Grace.”

“Sir Demian, wait…”

“I’ll stake my life to protect you. Please trust me, just this once.”

“What… What are you trying to say?”

Demian’s gray eyes were calm, as if he had swept away all confusion.

“Let’s run away together, Your Grace.”

She was so shocked she nearly screamed.