Chapter 73

“…Ha. So this is… Wiltsbrook Castle….”

Louise tilted her head back as far as she could.

Even though they hadn’t yet reached the front gate, the entire castle couldn’t be captured in a single glance.

The servants were also in awe, one by one.

“Isn’t it like a painting spread across the sky? It’s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.”

“It feels more like we’re looking at a gigantic cliff than a castle.”

“How did they build such a castle centuries ago? It’s magnificent and awe-inspiring.”

To Alec, too, Wiltsbrook Castle, stripped of its centuries-old time, exuded a transcendent aura, as if it wasn’t of this world.

It was so grand that calling it a massive rock formation struck by lightning and accidentally turned into a castle seemed more believable than saying it was a man-made structure.

Perhaps Aksen’s words about turning this place into a natural fortress and developing it to flourish had some truth to them.

‘Though he eventually ruined it all…’

Alec, who had briefly been lost in thought, approached Louise.

“Shall we head inside, then?”

“Oh, yes.”

As he took the lead, Louise and the servants followed him.

Even the bridge over the artificial moat boasted an enormous size and length.

Suddenly, something wrapped around his arm.

Glancing down slightly, he saw that Louise had linked her arm with his.

Even though she was dressed in warmer clothes than usual, made of leather and fur, her arm felt distinctly present.

Alec bit his lip lightly and pulled out the master key of the lord, unlocking the castle gate, and then opened another door leading to the real entrance of the castle beyond.

Every time he pushed the key into the lock, a heavy clanking sound echoed.

“I brought about 300 cleaning rags just in case.”

“Oh, Jane, your preparedness is something else. We’ll need to hire some local northerners to help with the cleaning starting tomorrow anyway. We need to meet the people here eventually…”

Louise’s voice, which had been directed toward Jane, gradually faded.

Unable to even make a sound, she clamped her hand over her wide-open mouth.

Following Louise, the other servants also let out loud gasps in shock.

The castle’s hall had such a high ceiling that their astonished breaths seemed like they could reach the sky.

Alec quietly approached Louise.

“Louise?”

“Yes?”

Louise, startled as if she’d seen a ghost, turned to look at him.

Alec began talking about something even more remarkable than what she was seeing.

“Actually, the view from inside the castle, looking outwards, is even more spectacular than the inside.”

“More spectacular than this?”

Alec nodded at her question. Louise, eyes brimming with emotion, responded firmly.

“That’s impossible, Alec. There can’t be anything more amazing in this world than Wiltsbrook Castle.”

“Would you like to go up and see for yourself?”

“Where do we go?”

As Louise asked, trying to calm her overwhelming emotions, Jane approached with a smile.

“My Lord, My Lady, we’ll look around and find a place to unpack first.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Oh, wait a moment.”

Alec stopped the departing servants and pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat.

“This is the layout of the castle’s interior. It should be helpful.”

“Oh, there’s a map? Thank you.”

James took the map from him. It was a drawing Alec had found while restoring the roads when he had stayed in the castle.

He then turned to Louise.

“Shall we? This way.”

“Alright.”

With even more anticipation on her face, Louise approached him.

Her small cheeks puffed up slightly as she tried to contain her excitement.

Turning his head away from the sight of her glowing cheeks, Alec led the way toward the stairs that connected to the tower.

However, after climbing for more than 30 minutes, the end was nowhere in sight. To make matters worse, the stairs became narrower and steeper.

Louise grasped her dress and the railing tightly, smiling.

“I suddenly have the urge to grab you by the collar.”

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult for you.”

Alec looked away awkwardly.

He hadn’t considered that for ordinary people, the climb to the tower would be quite the ordeal.

He had climbed it many times alone, able to make it to the top in under a minute.

But now, using such a technique was out of the question.

“So, how much further do we have to go?”

Louise smiled, gritting her teeth.

“If you’re tired, we can go back down. I realize now it takes quite a while.”

They still had over an hour of climbing left.

If he let her continue like this, she’d probably be sore all over by tomorrow.

“No, we’ve come this far. I have to see it at least once.”

“Shall I carry you, then?”

“If you carry me in this narrow space, my head will keep hitting the ceiling.”

With a strained smile, Louise brushed past him and continued up the stairs.

“Whew, it’s so hot.”

Suddenly, she took off her fur cloak and placed it on the railing.

“…”

Alec thought for a moment before speaking.

“Then I’ll carry you in my arms.”

“…!”

Before she could respond, he approached and gently lifted her into his arms.

He picked up her discarded fur cloak as well and carefully draped it over her.

“…”

Their chests were pressed together.

Louise’s heart was pounding, perhaps from exhaustion.

Was she startled by the sudden lift?

Alec gently cradled her head in his hands for safety and began climbing the stairs again.

As they ascended, Louise remained silent, holding her breath.

“I should have carried you from the start. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. I felt like my legs were about to snap,” Louise finally said, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

“But isn’t this hard for you?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Alec replied, biting his lip slightly, trying to sound composed.

Even with her whole body nestled in his arms, she felt soft and light, like a warm blanket.

“Then I’ll lean on you for a bit…” Louise murmured.

Strangely, the next 10 minutes passed as quickly as a single minute. Despite carrying someone in his arms, Alec felt an odd surge of energy.

As they neared the top of the tower, the stairs disappeared, replaced by steeply sloped steps barely large enough for one person to pass through. Alec carried Louise out into the open, holding her with one arm.

When he finally set her down, Louise stood on the ground and looked around. Beyond the entrance was a surprisingly wide tower balcony. Luckily, it wasn’t snowing, and the fog had mostly cleared.

The expansive view was so surreal it felt like they had climbed into the clouds.

“Alec, I guess the vastness of the ocean isn’t limited to just the sea,” Louise said in awe, moving closer to the railing.

Gripping the ornate, rust-free railing, she let out a soft exclamation. Her violet eyes sparkled with wonder.

“I’ve never seen a view like this in my life.”

Alec approached, wrapping her fur cloak around her shoulders, and stood by her side. As he inhaled, the air felt utterly pure, free from any trace of pollution.

It was a space that seemed to cleanse every sense.

“This is the only place where you can see all of Grand Cali at once,” Alec said.

“I can see that now… I’m speechless,” she replied.

Behind them, jagged mountains pierced through the clouds, while the road they had traveled on lay beneath them. Further in the distance, the town of Kanak stretched out like a wide basin.

Everything beneath the castle appeared like tiny dots.

Louise stood there, her lips slightly parted, overwhelmed by the majesty of the scene.

“Alec, do you know what I’m thinking right now?” she asked.

“Pardon?”

“If we opened this place as a tourist attraction, it would be a huge hit. Nobles from all over the country would flock here.”

“…”

“Sure, they’d have to endure over an hour of claustrophobia and scale steep cliffs, but people are daring enough. They already tighten their corsets to the point of breaking their backs, all for the sake of fashion.”

“…True.”

Her thoughts seemed to be filled with ways to revitalize the North. It wasn’t exactly what he had expected her to be moved by, but he was still glad he had brought her here.

“I’m joking,” Louise said, quickly adding with a smile. “Though I might be half-serious.”

“…”

Louise held onto the railing, took a deep breath, and resumed admiring the view. Somehow, the tower felt even more special with her there.

But then, at some point, Louise turned completely to face him. Alec’s eyes met hers as if drawn by a magnet.

Her gaze had shifted from the awe of earlier to something calmer, more serious.

“Alec. Do you think we can really govern the North?” she asked softly.

“Excuse me?”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories