Side Story: Karos Ordo

It had been a tedious life, with nothing particularly enjoyable. He lived as time passed, with nothing he especially liked or disliked.  

Then one day, the moment he most wanted to avoid arrived.  

“It’s time for you to get married.”  

He was certainly old enough to have already gotten engaged and married his fiancée. But knowing that Karos wasn’t keen on engagement, Duke Ordo had kept quiet. Still, he was now too old to keep pretending not to notice.  

“It’s time to start preparing for a match.”  

“Yes, Father.”  

After finishing a meal with Duke Ordo and returning to his room, Karos sighed and sat down in a chair. He knew well that Duke Ordo had been considerate toward him. But still, he didn’t welcome engagement or marriage.  

‘There’s no point in delaying any longer.’  

He knew he had to accept it, but he didn’t have the confidence. To marry someone he didn’t care for, have children, and spend the rest of his life together until death.

***

Duke Ordo never demanded much from Karos. He simply hoped, as any ordinary father would, that his son would find a good partner and be happy.  

But there was one thing Duke Ordo asked of Karos: to pray once a month at the Temple of Beatrice for the late Duchess Ordo.  

As usual, the day to pray arrived, and Karos visited the Temple of Beatrice. Strangely, the sunlight felt warm and the breeze gentle that day.  

Then, carried by the wind, a floral scent made Karos turn his head.  

Golden hair, thin as threads, fluttered in the breeze. Soon, a pale face and half-closed blue eyes appeared. In her small hand, she held a white flower.  

“……”  

It felt as if time had stopped.  

He couldn’t take his eyes off the way she smiled, brushing her hair aside as if tickled by the wind. It felt like a vision that would disappear if he reached out.  

Perhaps he stared too long, because the woman slowly raised her head, and their eyes met.  

The moment her blue eyes, like the sky, met his, Karos’s breath caught. But the woman, startled, widened her eyes and quickly ran away.  

Karos, as if bewitched, slowly walked to where she had been. There, he found the flower she had accidentally dropped.

***

After that day, Karos visited the Temple of Beatrice almost daily. But unfortunately, he never saw the woman again. Like a dream, there was no trace of her at the temple.  

At first, he hoped he might see her again. But after months had passed, that hope faded, replaced by lingering regret.  

‘I should have stopped her then.’  

If he’d known her name, he wouldn’t have been so desperate.  

Then, one day, as if by miracle, he saw her praying at the Temple of Beatrice. Karos immediately called a priest passing by and asked the woman’s name.  

His heart raced, thinking he’d finally learn her name.  

But when he heard it, what he felt first was not joy, but despair.  

‘Epona Laura.’  

She was the only daughter of Marquis Laura, Duke Ordo’s sworn enemy.  

Even Duke Ordo, who begged his son to marry anyone, would never welcome Epona Laura.  

The first person he’d ever felt affection for was far more unreachable than he’d expected.  

‘D＊mn.’  

He nearly cursed out loud.  

It was hopeless.

***

In the end, Karos decided to give up on Epona. It was foolish to pine for someone whose only connection was a fleeting glance.  

He tried to convince himself, dozens or hundreds of times a day, that he should move on. But even so, he wanted to do that foolish thing.  

Unable to fight his feelings, Karos went to the Temple of Beatrice.  

“I don’t believe in the Goddess.”  

He knew better than anyone that it was impossible, but unable to give up, he prayed desperately, as if it were his last hope.  

“But if you truly exist…”  

“Please give me Epona Laura.”  

“I want to give myself to her.”  

“I want to be her husband.”  

He repeated the same words over and over, as if chanting a spell.  

He knew he could never possess her, nor be possessed by her, so he poured out his heart.  

And the next day, as if the Goddess had heard his prayer, a revelation came.

***

‘Is this a dream?’  

Without time to be puzzled by the sudden summons from the High Priest, Karos saw Marquis Laura and his only daughter Epona also present. He didn’t know what was going on, but he felt satisfied just to see her face.  

“The Goddess has given a revelation that Karos Ordo, son of Duke Ordo, and Epona Laura, daughter of Marquis Laura, are to be married.”  

At those words, Duke Ordo and Marquis Laura were shocked and began protesting how such a revelation could be made. But Karos quietly observed Epona’s expression.  

Her cheeks, previously tinged with a blush, were now pale. She lowered her head, and Karos felt his chest grow cold.  

Ah, she must not be pleased.  

To marry a man she’d only met eyes with once. It was a natural reaction, but seeing how different her feelings were from his made him feel unsettled.  

Trying to hide his feelings, he watched the situation unfold. Then Marquis Laura asked Epona,  

“What do you think, Epona?”

“Me?”

“Are you alright with marrying the son of such an uncouth family?”

“I…”  

Epona couldn’t say anything, just lowered her head. She seemed unable to say no, even though she didn’t want to marry him, because of the Goddess’s revelation.  

So when Duke Ordo asked Karos, he deliberately answered calmly and indifferently.  

“How could I possibly defy the will of the Goddess?”

The Goddess herself had granted his wish.  

“I will accept this marriage.”

He had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.  

Fortunately, perhaps recognizing that there was no avoiding it, Epona also said she accepted the Goddess’s revelation.  

When her trembling blue eyes met his, Karos inwardly smiled deeply. He couldn’t be more satisfied.

***

From wedding preparations to the ceremony itself, everything went more smoothly than expected. Karos could never forget the moment he recited his vows with Epona before the priest. She was even holding the bouquet he’d prepared.  

It felt as if flowers were blooming in his heart, and he couldn’t stop smiling.  

But happiness didn’t last long.  

“I’m a little scared…”  

On the night they were to spend together, as Karos headed to the bridal chamber, he stopped at the sound of voices through a slightly open door. Epona, speaking to a maid, was curled up in fear.  

“……”  

Her reaction, so different from his own excitement and anticipation, made Karos return to his own room instead of the bridal chamber.  

He felt complicated.

***

The next day, at breakfast, without having spent their first night together, Karos thought Epona would ask why he hadn’t come to the bridal chamber. No, he hoped she would ask.  

“Young Master.”  

So when she called him, he was hopeful.  

“I know very well that you do not welcome our marriage.”

“……”  

But that hope was mercilessly crushed.  

“If, someday, you meet someone you truly love and wish to marry that person…I’ll leave….”

“……”  

Seeing her speak with trembling lashes, Karos understood for the first time what it meant to feel his insides turn over. He gripped his glass so tightly that he saw cracks form.  

She said she knew he didn’t welcome their marriage?  

She said she’d leave if she found someone she loved?  

‘Ridiculous.’  

The reason their marriage wasn’t welcome was Epona Laura—her.  

How could she say she’d leave if he fell in love with someone else?  

‘Who gave you permission?’  

He would never let her go.  

He hadn’t even started yet.  

Karos let out a heavy sigh and stood up. If he stayed, he might lose control and yell at Epona, demanding to know what she meant. So he turned and left, almost fleeing.

***

Epona Laura was someone born with a gentle and kind nature. Her promise to leave made his insides churn, but after that, the two lived peacefully. Sometimes, when she smiled at him, Karos felt he owned the world.  

But still, he was uneasy. He feared she would make him crazy again with another promise to leave.  

Wondering how he could make her care for him even a little, Karos went to see Marquis Laura. Fortunately, Marquis Laura didn’t chase him away just because he was his son-in-law. But that didn’t mean he liked Karos.  

“I had no choice but to let my daughter marry, but I hope you won’t make her suffer.”  

“That will never happen, Marquis Laura.”  

Knowing Marquis Laura didn’t care for him, Karos visited whenever he could. After some time, perhaps thanks to his efforts, Marquis Laura even suggested sharing a drink.  

That day, Karos heard something shocking from Marquis Laura.  

“To be honest, I wanted my daughter to marry Viscount Romain. Viscount Romain is such a good man, I thought he’d be perfect for Epona. He’s polite, so I had my eye on him as a son-in-law, though it’s a bit disappointing. Oh, don’t misunderstand. I don’t think you’re bad either.”  

Drunk, Marquis Laura rambled on, and Karos could only remain silent. He simply helped Marquis Laura to his room and quickly returned to his own mansion.  

On the way back, Karos couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation with Marquis Laura.

So he made up his mind. This time, he would truly express his feelings.  

Karos knew that Epona did not welcome this marriage, that she wished to leave him, but he wanted to confess his feelings at least once.  

Preferably, on their upcoming first wedding anniversary.  

While pondering how to confess his heart, Karos decided to gift Epona the flower she had held on the day they first met—the same flower he had prepared for the bouquet.  

Thinking a bouquet might be too small, he went to the flower shop intending to create an entire flower garden. However, the Flower Shop Lady gave him a troubled smile.  

“Sorry, Young Master, but our shop can’t handle that many flowers.”  

“Is that so?”  

Just as he was about to leave in disappointment, the Flower Shop Lady spoke cautiously.  

“I heard Earl Stein owns a large flower farm.”  

“Really? Thank you.”  

“And if you don’t mind, may I prepare a bouquet for you? I could write the flower’s meaning on a card—what do you think?”  

“Then, I’ll ask you to do it.”  

Nodding lightly, Karos left the flower shop and returned to his mansion in good spirits. The timing was perfect; he had plenty of chances to make his request at Earl Stein’s party.  

His pleasant mood continued at home. Occasionally, a maid who kept him updated about Epona hinted that she was preparing an emerald brooch for him. Upon hearing this, Karos began to hope that Epona, too, remembered their wedding anniversary.  

So, on the morning of Earl Stein’s party, he dressed in a way that made his chest look empty, hoping for the brooch. But contrary to his hopes, even in the carriage ride to Earl Stein’s mansion, Epona did not give him the brooch. Disappointed, he could only wait.  

Upon arriving at Earl Stein’s mansion, Karos immediately spoke with Earl Stein. He had already explained his situation in a letter, so the conversation ended quickly.  

“To present your wife with a grand flower garden—she will surely love it.”  

Grateful not only for the favor but also for Earl Stein’s kind words, Karos gave a faint smile. Somehow, he felt good about it.  

However, his excitement vanished the moment he saw Epona alone with another man on the terrace.  

“It suits you very well.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Karos saw Epona smiling as she handed the emerald brooch to the man. And that man was…  

“Viscount Romain.”  

“Yes?”  

“That brooch.”  

Karos, naturally standing next to Epona, smiled coldly.  

“It suits you well.”  

Immediately, Karos took Epona and returned to the mansion. But all the way back, Marquis Laura’s words echoed in his ears.  

‘To be honest, I wanted my daughter to marry Viscount Romain.’  

‘Viscount Romain is such a good man, I thought he’d be perfect for Epona.’  

‘He’s polite, so I had my eye on him as a son-in-law, though it’s a bit disappointing.’  

‘Oh, don’t misunderstand. I don’t think you’re bad either.’  

‘I’m going crazy.’  

Remembering the conversation he had barely forgotten, Karos gritted his teeth. There was no more hesitation, and no reason for it.  

So he spoke to Epona.  

“I’ll let you go as you wish after we finish talking. Please sit.”

A year ago, in the bridal chamber where they should have been together, he planned to confess the feelings he had held. But strangely, Epona’s expression was not good.  

“That’s good. I have something to say too. Do you remember what I said before?”  

“What do you mean?”  

He had a bad feeling. And his instincts were never wrong.  

“If, someday, you meet someone you truly love and wish to marry that person…….”

‘You’ll leave me?’  

Seeing her troubled, tightly closed lips, Karos let out a bitter laugh. He couldn’t understand why she kept saying she would leave him.  

“I don’t understand why you still say such things, Madame.”

“Huh?”

“Now and in the future, I will never marry anyone else.”

‘Fine. Try running away.’ 

“That applies to you as well, Madame.”

‘I will chase you to the end, and leave my mark on you.’