Chapter 3 – Ladies Alighting from the Carriage (7)

Demetrian was bewildered by the words he had uttered under the influence of the atmosphere. And seeing Chloe’s green eyes shining strangely, his heart, which had been pounding just moments ago, felt constricted.

‘…Yes, it’s too early to be responsible for anything right now.’

Since he began to consider the possibility of losing Chloe, he often found himself unfamiliar with his own impulsive behavior.

When Chloe seemed too lovely, like today, and then showed even a hint of disappointment towards him, he would hastily say anything to erase that expression.

For Demetrian Crevelle, who grew up without needing to express his feelings or care for others’ emotions, it always ended up being a misstep.

Watching the inexplicable gloom settle on his face, Chloe excused herself to the restroom.

‘Who really wants to cry here?’

Staring at her own face, beautifully adorned and unfamiliar in the mirror of the powder room, Chloe bit her lip unwittingly. She had to control this miserable yet fluttering heart.

‘After all, in two years, it will be an inevitable matter.’

No matter what they experienced or what feelings they held for each other, the most certain thing was…

If the type of thugs she remembered were causing trouble at the festival market and the separatists attempted terrorism, the Holy Grail would be stolen before the grand festival returned next year.

Even if Demetrian truly broke that vow, if that future came, the Emperor would give the young lady of Lacroix to the royal family of Scandar, not the Crevelle Dukedom. Of course, the premise of him breaking the engagement out of disregard for his responsibilities as an heir was flawed from the start.

‘…So I must not waver.’

When Chloe returned to her seat a little later, she barely touched the desserts included in the course meal, and only pretended to sip the sweet wine that accompanied them. She didn’t even touch the cheesecake from Dessert that Demetrian had procured. Demetrian, too, didn’t enjoy the meal much, merely watching Chloe’s mood.

During the ride back to Count Palatine’s residence in Crevelle’s carriage, neither of them spoke. They simply kept their gazes fixed outside the window.

Chloe had nothing to say, having missed what might have been an opportunity to pour out her heart’s curiosities. Demetrian, on the other hand, couldn’t easily speak as he tried to gauge Chloe’s feelings.

Caring for emotions… was more challenging for the one who had already given their heart.

And Faigen, who had returned after grabbing a meal at a nearby tavern, sat across from them, bearing the awkwardness of the silence all by himself.

‘They’ve been doing this often lately.’

“Rabi? Why are you out here?”

When Chloe entered the entrance hall after parting with Demetrian, it was Mirabelle who greeted her instead of the usual butler. It seemed she had been waiting alone in the reception room. Since Faigen was there, Mirabelle hadn’t accompanied them, and Chloe, feeling guilty for having eaten something delicious alone, shook the box containing the cheesecake from Desserts.

“Want to share this? I brought back a cheesecake from Desserts.”

Since she couldn’t just send a servant to buy a single slice, the remaining part of the whole cake, as packaged, became a gift for Chloe.

“Wow, what’s all this? Sure, let’s chat for a bit.”

Mirabelle’s voice, responding excitedly, made Chloe realize how the burden in her heart had grown like a snowball recently.

‘I guess it’s time to talk.’

It had been almost fifteen days since Chloe returned to being twenty, and Mirabelle had been with her throughout. Originally, her routine was monotonous, reading books at home or attending social gatherings, but suddenly she was wandering around the artisan district, claiming to do business, which must have seemed odd.

Each time, Mirabelle would look curious but would soon follow without a word.

And when Chloe met Ryan and Lagu yesterday, Mirabelle felt left out, and that feeling lingered in Chloe’s mind.

‘I used to share even the trivial things. She might have felt it was inevitable because of the employer-employee relationship.’

Strictly speaking, it was an employer-employee relationship, but they had lived like childhood friends, like sisters. It was the same kind of guilt Chloe felt when Mirabelle was reprimanded for almost getting hurt while trying to ambush the separatists.

‘It’s okay to tell her now, right? …I won’t suddenly return to the distant palace of Shevik, right?’

She had often thought about discussing this strange sensation, but kept postponing it, fearing the time spent talking would be wasted, or that her words would seem absurd.

“Rabi, do you want to sleep in my room tonight? We have cheesecake, and let’s have a glass of wine.”

“Are you getting into the habit of sneaking the Earl’s collection?”

“Will you be my accomplice?”

“…What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“Recover at home? I’ll make sure there’s nothing for you to do, okay? I had a really tough day.”

“Why, did Young Duke Demi bother you again?”

“Don’t even ask.”

As Chloe exaggerated a sigh, Mirabelle giggled and succumbed to Chloe’s coaxing.

The cheesecake, rich and creamy, paired with the sweet wine from Lazure, stealthily taken from her father’s cellar, was a compensation for the dessert time she couldn’t fully enjoy in Mare and Lazure due to her complicated feelings.

With their spirits lifted, Mirabelle and Chloe started chatting and laughing even over trivial stories. The funny things they saw at the market, Ryan’s clumsy way of speaking, Lagu’s hand habits, and other recent memories they were building together became the main topics.

“But, did Young Duke Demi really give this as a gift?”

While a cake from a famous patisserie wasn’t a big deal for Young Duke Crevelle, Mirabelle was surprised that ‘that Young Duke Demi’ had bought something like this.

Spending time and money to cater to Chloe’s tastes. To Mirabelle, Young Duke Demi cherished Chloe, but his expression of it had always been intangible.

“Come to think of it, sending a bouquet last time was also unusual… Why is Young Duke Demi behaving so unlike himself lately? Has he matured?”

Chloe burst out laughing at Mirabelle’s words.

Mirabelle might be the only one in the world who would say that the Crevelle heir, who had grown up exactly as ‘the Duke’s successor,’ hadn’t matured. It wasn’t surprising, since Mirabelle had always regarded Demetrian with a certain disdain, even though he was two years older than her.

“No, a mature person wouldn’t visit a lady unannounced early in the morning. So, adolescence?”

“Haha, what’s that?”

Another burst of laughter had Chloe clutching her stomach and wiping tears from her eyes.

“Seriously. He was a bit strange today too…”

“That’s what I’m saying. Why suddenly suggest going out? It’s not even a date.”

Mirabelle squinted her eyes and nudged Chloe’s side with a playful elbow.

“So, young lady, were you excited? Is that why you dressed up so nicely to go out?”

“Haha.”

Chloe exaggerated her laughter again and slowly mulled over the words she had prepared. There was something she needed to say before discussing his strange behavior. It was something she had kept tightly inside, and it was hard to bring it out, which made her keep delaying it.

“Rabi. I have something to tell you.”

At Chloe’s subdued voice, Mirabelle wiped the smile from her face, sensing that she was about to hear something she’d been wanting to know.

Chloe’s green eyes and Mirabelle’s yellow eyes were enveloped in the dim light of the magical stone lamp.

“I had a long dream.”

“Another dream?”

“Yes, another dream.”

Mirabelle, who had sensed that the ‘dream’ Chloe had mentioned some time ago was not an ordinary one, adopted a serious expression.

“In that dream, I lived until I was 25…”

Chloe began to talk about those times she had never spoken of to anyone before. It was a story she had revised in her mind several times, thinking she should tell it someday, so it was concisely organized, but since it was her first time speaking it aloud, she unraveled it very slowly, little by little.

She said that in two years, she would marry the prince of Scandar for the Empire, and at that time, Rabi was her too. But… she didn’t seem very happy.

“Can you believe it?”

“You wouldn’t lie.”

Mirabelle, Chloe’s Mirabelle, never took Chloe’s serious words lightly.

After closing her mouth and appearing to contemplate something, Mirabelle asked a few questions about things she had been curious about lately.

“So that’s why you suddenly started looking for the separatists?”

“Yes, because they really did commit terrorism during the parade.”

“Then, is that how you became knowledgeable about Scandar’s magic stones?”

“Right, because I lived there for several years.”

“…Then borrowing children’s books from the Imperial Library…”

All those questions were reasonable doubts for someone who shared everything with her, and Chloe felt it was good to confide in her. After all, Mirabelle was the only one who knew her so well.

“Then… everything you remember will happen in the future?”

“Judging by what’s happened so far… yes.”

“I see.” 

Mirabelle swirled her wine glass, her lips pouting as she watched the liquid ripple.

“…No matter what, it’s still upsetting.”

“I’m sorry. I was worried you might not believe me.”

In truth, Chloe sometimes thought that what she considered a dream was actually all these current moments. So she couldn’t say that she hadn’t told her because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy her bright appearance and would return solemnly to Shevik’s palace. The memory of Mirabelle distancing herself from her in Shevik still had a painful corner in her heart.

“Why wouldn’t I believe you?”

“I’m sooorry.”

Chloe clinked her glass against Mirabelle’s.

Ching, a clear sound resonated softly.

Chloe knew well the painful feelings Mirabelle must have experienced. Though the situations were different, it was what she felt when she saw Mirabelle gradually distancing herself in the palace of Shevik.