Chapter 1.4

As soon as they passed through the small door connecting the mansion and the garden, Adrian whispered something to his aide following behind. Though she couldn’t hear the content, the man named Lucas soon began walking a step behind, and by the time they reached the lawn at the garden’s entrance, he was no longer visible.  

“Ha… I finally feel alive.”  

Around that time, Adrian muttered while loosening his tightly tied cravat. When Theodora looked at him with surprised eyes, he lowered his eyebrows as if making an excuse.  

“We seem to be far enough from the mansion. You can let this slide, right, Theo?”  

The courteous gentleman he had shown in front of others was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a young man with a disheveled collar and mischievous eyes.  

Even the suddenly familiar nickname and tone. Before she knew it, he had returned to being her childhood friend Adrian rather than the Marquis of Devon. She didn’t find him rude at all. Instead, she felt warm inside seeing him act without formality in front of her.  

“Of course. Naturally, I can let it slide, Ian.”  

As she replied in a comfortable tone like his, his bright smile deepened. Only when out of others’ sight did they finally complete their true reunion, smiling as they faced each other.  

“I was so eager to talk to you comfortably. If the meal had lasted longer, my brother might have received a telegram tomorrow, saying his younger brother suddenly went wild in the Hazel’s dining room.”  

Except for his face, which had evolved to a level of a lethal weapon, Adrian wasn’t much different from before. Theodora had to turn her head slightly to hide her heart, which was cut to pieces by him.  

“And you? Have you been well?”  

The problem was that avoiding him didn’t stop the indiscriminate bombardment.  

“We exchanged letters sometimes, but it wasn’t enough… I missed you so much. You and Melhem.”  

Her heart trembled helplessly at the voice that seemed to melt her ears just by listening. It wasn’t strange for close friends to say such things, but for someone secretly in love with him, his sweet words felt unfair.  

Theodora took a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heart before she could finally respond calmly.  

“I’ve been well. Especially since it’s been so quiet here, as if war is a story from another world. Were you alright? Even if it was the rear, it was still a battlefield, so I worried a lot. You really weren’t hurt, right?”  

Theodora knew that Adrian had been stationed mainly in a unit in the rear rather than the dangerous front lines throughout the war.  

Because Lord Frederick, who had succeeded the title, was leading the army as the commander-in-chief, he couldn’t send his only heir to a perilous place.  

However, due to the Empire’s customs, he had to fulfill the noble’s duty, so he was often assigned to support diplomatic tasks such as managing supplies or visiting key foreign figures in the rear rather than fighting on the front lines, as she often heard in his letters.  

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. It’s a bit embarrassing to have returned without firing a single proper shot, but thank you for worrying. Your letters really gave me a lot of strength.”  

Thus, the two slowly moved towards the center of the garden, exchanging greetings and inquiries they hadn’t shared during the meal.  

“But no matter how easy the post, it was a bit harsh to keep a person on the move for five years. After so much traveling, I’m sick of it now. In fact, when my brother told me to choose an estate, I chose the south because I wanted to go somewhere as quiet as possible.”  

“Yes, I was a bit surprised to hear you were coming to Melhem. I suppose everyone was. It’s none of my business, but is it really okay to settle in such a rural estate? I mean, I’m curious if you really intend to settle here.”  

Adrian chuckled a little at the remark of a native who felt no guilt in belittling Melhem.  

“As I’ve said before, I like Melhem. I even find it more comfortable than the ducal residence where I was born and raised. Besides…”  

Then, with a serious face, he casually dropped a bombshell.  

“You’re here.”

Theodora found herself momentarily confused, unsure how to interpret his words, but soon regained her composure. If he felt any romantic feelings towards her, he wouldn’t easily say things that stirred her heart.  

Seeing Adrian still regard her as nothing more than a friend pained one side of her heart, but it was a feeling she had to get used to if she wanted to stay by his side. Perhaps she should consider it fortunate to maintain even this level of relationship.  

Five years had passed without seeing each other’s faces, yet their friendship remained unchanged and strong. Whenever they met, it was equally enjoyable, and even the silence between conversations was comfortable and not awkward.  

If this was the kind of relationship Adrian expected from her, she was willing to fulfill that role. The only uncertainty was how long it would be possible to continue…  

* * *  

For a while, the two strolled through the quaint garden of Hazel’s. The garden, with its large and small hills and a big artificial pond, was typical of the southern style.  

Southern nobles, who had an abundance of land, usually had large estates attached to their mansions. Therefore, unlike the formal gardens preferred in the capital, the Hazel family had created a large, park-like landscape garden.  

Since it took at least half a day to properly explore every corner, Theodora carefully guided Adrian, ensuring they didn’t wander too far.  

As they walked, exchanging trivial stories, they encountered Tom, the gardener, who was working midway along the path. The middle-aged man with a graying beard and a straw hat always welcomed Theodora warmly.  

“Miss Theodora!”  

However, not expecting to meet Tom here, she was startled and hurriedly released Adrian’s arm, causing her to stumble briefly.  

“Oh, I didn’t realize there was a guest. I apologize.”  

Without showing any sign of embarrassment, he caught her elbow and steadied her. Tom, seeing Adrian, was initially shocked, his mouth agape, but soon recognized him and was delighted.  

“Oh, my. It’s Young Master Adrian. I didn’t recognize you.”  

Adrian returned the greeting to Tom, who removed his hat and bowed. Meanwhile, Theodora regained her composure and faced Tom.  

“Now you should call him the Marquis of Devon, Tom. He’ll be staying here until the nearby mansion is repaired.”  

“Yes, I see. Now that you mention it, the mansion has been quite lively these past few days, and it was because of hosting a guest. Well, it’s remarkable how both of you, who used to barely reach my waist, have grown so much. Ah, but are you both alone in the garden now?”  

Tom, usually easygoing and amiable, seemed sharp when it came to such matters, typical of the conservative southern folk. Fortunately, before Tom could harbor any suspicions, Lucas appeared from behind, helping Theodora avoid a predicament.  

“Oh, there are several guests. This old man worried for nothing. Well then, Miss, have a pleasant time with your guests. By the way, if you go a little further down, the crocuses planted last year are blooming splendidly. You have such an eye for choosing items, better than this gardener when it comes to selecting bulbs or seedlings.”  

Reassured that they weren’t alone, Tom made a joke and disappeared.  

“You still seem to have a keen interest in gardening.”  

Adrian remarked to Theodora as they resumed walking.  

“As you know, there’s not much else to do around here. Isn’t it boring that nothing has changed? Both people and scenery.”  

That was a self-deprecating remark. Although she loved plants, Melhem and the Hazel family were places where noble ladies had little else permitted.  

“No. I’m really glad you haven’t changed, Theo.”  

However, Adrian said this, and Theodora experienced a strange sensation of warmth in her heart mixed with a prickling feeling. She knew well why her friend’s kind words weighed on her mind. It was a sense of inadequacy.  

The words “glad you haven’t changed” felt like an attack. Hearing them made her feel stagnant, like a pond that had turned sour, and her mouth tasted bitter.  

Nevertheless, Theodora forced a smile. She couldn’t let such a trivial matter ruin their reunion. After all, she had lived her life earnestly in her own way. She did her best with the conditions given. That was enough. She comforted herself with these thoughts.  

When they had explored about halfway through the garden, they came across a small stream cutting between hills and a dainty arch bridge built to cross it. It was a very familiar scene to both of them.  

“Oh, this place…”  

“I remember. Beyond here was our secret hideout.”  

Crossing the small stone structure that was hardly a bridge and following the stream down led to an old pavilion they used as a hideout.  

Adrian and Theodora looked at each other almost simultaneously. Clear green eyes met somewhat uncertain brown eyes quietly. At some point, the aide had disappeared again.  

“…Shall we go?”  

The rather impulsive suggestion unexpectedly came from Theodora. When with him, newfound courage and desire bubbled up from somewhere. Fortunately, Adrian seemed quite pleased with the spontaneous suggestion.  

“That sounds like a good idea. We have plenty of time.”  

He said, checking the pocket watch he took out. Theodora’s heart was pleasantly fluttering. The thought of spending a little more time with Adrian excited her.  

“That’s great. I haven’t had much chance to come out this far lately.”  

Theodora told a white lie with a twinge of guilt. In truth, she sometimes went beyond that place, over the fence, to the distant wasteland alone, but not often, anyway.  

“But are you sure it’s alright?”  

Adrian’s gaze lingered on her long skirt and uncomfortable shoes. Theodora quickly nodded, fearing he might change his mind.  

“No problem.”  

“Well, if it comes to it, I can carry you.”  

With those words, he suddenly lowered himself and reached out his hand, leaving Theodora to watch him blankly. Soon, his well-shaped fingers skillfully retied the ribbon of her sun hat under her chin.  

He casually uttered words that could make her heart drop and performed actions that made her heart leap out of her chest without hesitation.  

“The sun is too strong.”  

His gaze was endlessly kind. Yet his hand left without regret. Unlike the half-dazed Theodora, his expression showed no emotional disturbance at all…  

“Shall we go then?”  

A sweet yet bittersweet afternoon still awaited her.