12. Even If We Can’t Touch (2)

The distant clouds looked beautiful.

After watching the blue sky visible between the clouds for a while, Saena drew the carriage curtains.

Though the outside scenery was beautiful, her mind was filled with a different subject.

‘Actually, I didn’t need to say that much at the end.’

A bit of sincerity and a bit of spite.

Saena was reviewing yesterday’s conversation. Not because she wanted to, but her thoughts kept lingering there.

Why did she do that? Due to her increasingly crooked feelings, her words didn’t come out well.

Last night, he seemed quite shaken by Saena’s final words.

Though she couldn’t see clearly as he quickly lowered his eyes, that deeply submerged look somehow…

‘…I don’t know.’

They had already arrived at the building with the warp gate. Since there was no solution anyway, Saena cut off her thoughts and rose.

“……!”

As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, a man caught her eye conspicuously. Tall with pink hair. A combination impossible to ignore.

“Oh?! No way, Miss?”

Oh right. Come to think of it, that man was Duke Aberdeen.

Remembering their last meeting at the sculpture park, Saena also became slightly flustered.

By the way, why was he already waiting outside the building?

“…I greet the master of the Covenant, Duke Aberdeen.”

Though he had given off quite the impression of an idle playboy or street ruffian, making her fail to recognize him despite witnessing the characteristics known to be Duke Aberdeen’s, now she knew.

Saena gathered herself and greeted him.

“No… why are you…”

But looking at her, Duke Aberdeen wore an utterly dumbfounded expression for some reason. Like someone who had met an unexpected person in an unexpected place.

Saena briefly searched her memories. Had she revealed her name back then?

“……”

Hmm. After scolding him about not introducing himself despite his high status, she had just left too.

Perhaps she had been even more rude… It was truly embarrassing.

‘Wait… come to think of it, there was the wedding.’

Technically, their last meeting shouldn’t have been at the sculpture park but at Saena’s wedding. She clearly remembered seeing Erenhorn soaring.

Though she didn’t remember seeing Duke Aberdeen himself who was actually its master, it seemed he hadn’t recognized her either. If he had, he wouldn’t be reacting like this now.

‘Ah, because of the veil?’

Since she had worn the veil throughout the ceremony, perhaps that’s why he couldn’t recognize her. Though the veil was thin, it wasn’t transparent.

Though she had briefly circulated the banquet hall on the first day of the reception, Duke Aberdeen had been absent then.

So well, this was the situation now.

“…I am Saena Kramer.”

She remembered his emphasis on properly introducing themselves next time they met.

Though he would obviously know who she was by now, Saena revealed her name as per that memory.

The name Duke Aberdeen had wanted to know—Saena’s name. But it felt somewhat strange to speak aloud her name with the changed surname ‘Kramer’ for the first time.

“So Miss was… Saena.”

Duke Aberdeen stared at Saena for quite a while with a face that seemed somehow lost for words. Then he sighed.

“Ah, how could this be. I thought the atmosphere felt strangely similar, to think it was real. I completely missed it.”

“……?”

“I thought it was really fate.”

What on earth was he talking about?

Duke Aberdeen scratched his head vigorously while muttering strange things. His fluffy pink hair became completely disheveled under his touch.

“Wow. I’m shocked. This is shocking. How can life be like this?”

“……”

“Why did you get married so soon?”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you just make your debut last year? You should have met various men before deciding, why did you rush into marriage like this?”

What? What business is it of…

“I wondered why Constantine, that bastard, rushed the marriage…”

His muttering spiraled increasingly into confusion. She wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or meant for her to hear.

Saena watched him for quite a while as his condition didn’t seem very good, but finally urged him on when she couldn’t take it anymore.

“…Your Grace Duke Aberdeen? Aren’t we going?”

“Oh right. Ah, yes. That’s right. You said you’re going to meet Floria, right?”

“Yes.”

“This kid… if she was going to invite you, she should have done it earlier. Why only now?”

…Pardon? Well…

“You two have been close friends for quite a while, right?”

They had been associating since meeting after her debut, so it had been several months. Though it couldn’t compare to some ladies who had been friends for years.

“It’s been several months.”

“Exactly! How nice would it have been if she had invited you right when you met!”

“……”

He seemed to be quite the chatty type. Or maybe the type to make lots of idle talk.

Even after learning he was a duke, Saena’s evaluation remained quite harsh as the image she had defined in her mind hadn’t changed.

“You’re not planning to keep doing this on the street, are you?”

Finally Saena brought attention to their surroundings again.

“Ah, right… We should go, let’s go.”

Duke Aberdeen turned toward the building with somewhat deflated air.

Before entering, Saena turned around and gestured to Darielle. Darielle, who had been watching anxiously from one side without daring to join the conversation, quickly approached.

“The basket please?”

“Ah, yes. Here it is.”

She had packed it to bring Yolly along. The fellow who would normally jump up alert at new faces was still sound asleep.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Madam… have a good trip.”

Darielle looked at Saena as if she had something more to say, but Saena turned away without asking since it would likely be about Constantine anyway.

When they entered the building and went underground, Duke Aberdeen was standing with one leg crossed before extending his hand toward the gate. A rippling began to gradually fill the arch-shaped door frame. It was fascinating how the color of the surface inside the door frame was different, perhaps because of the different Guardian Spirit.

“Take my hand.”

Duke Aberdeen held out his hand to Saena.

She reached out her gloved hand to grasp his. Then she stepped into the doorway led by him.

They would first move to the imperial capital’s warp gate before moving on to Aberdeen territory.

* * *

The Aberdeen territory differed from the Kramer territory in many ways.

First, the initial impression was completely different.

While Kramer territory remained cool even after winter and had lots of white rocks, the northwestern land of Aberdeen territory had reddish ground overall and smelled of sulfur. The temperature itself was also higher than Kramer territory.

“See that huge mountain over there? That’s the famous ‘Igni Volcano’.”

An enormous mountain that seemed visible from anywhere in Aberdeen territory.

‘Ah, so that’s Igni Volcano.’

Saena had heard of Igni Volcano.

They say it was the first Duke of Aberdeen’s Guardian Spirit that made this land, which had been uninhabitable except for demonic beasts due to the overwhelming fire energy from that volcano, suitable for human habitation.

Aberdeen territory was based on volcanic terrain, and perhaps because of that, it gave off a somewhat dry feeling.

“You know how famous the hot springs are here, right? You must try them while you’re here. It makes your skin super smooth.”

Though it wasn’t an active volcano, but perhaps not completely dormant either, they said there were many hot springs throughout the area.

“Ah, so the hot springs are famous.”

So that was Floria’s skin secret. Her skin had been so beautiful and fair.

“There’s a place Ria frequently visits, so you can go together.”

Whether his personality was different from Constantine’s, or whether he was trying to be hospitable, Duke Aberdeen didn’t use his Guardian Spirit for transportation and was traveling together by carriage.

When they emerged from the warp gate, a massive four-horse carriage was already waiting, which they boarded together. During the journey, he pointed at various places outside, giving detailed explanations like a tour guide.

“Saena~!”

In the middle of their journey, a high-pitched voice called her name from outside.

“Oh, someone seems to be calling me.”

“Ah. This kid couldn’t wait and came all the way here, I see.”

It was Floria’s voice. She could have waited at the castle, but it seemed she had come out here herself. Saena quickly stuck her head out the window at the unexpected enthusiastic welcome.

“Floria?”

“Kyaa! Welcome, welcome!”

Floria had come on horseback rather than by carriage, wearing light riding attire. Seeing her in this different outfit made her look cute again.

A couple of knights followed behind her as escorts.

“Brother! Switch places with me!”

So that’s why she came on horseback.

Duke Aberdeen seemed somewhat flustered, as if he hadn’t expected this either.

“What, suddenly. Why?”

“What do you mean why? Is she your friend? She’s my friend! Come out quickly.”

“Your attitude is so different from when you were asking about the gate.”

“Hehe. That’s different!”

Watching their truly sibling-like conversation made him seem more like Floria’s brother than Duke Aberdeen.

“We need to stop ‘there’ before entering the castle! We must see it today!”

“Ah, there? Don’t tell me…”

“Yes! We don’t know when it might fade.”

‘There’… What kind of place could it be to cause such reactions?

Though she didn’t know why, Floria seemed determined to take Saena there today.

“Where is ‘there’?”

“It’s a secret! But you can look forward to it!”

Then she smiled brightly, telling her to look forward to it.

“Well, even if you planned and planned, it would be hard to time it like this. You’re lucky, Miss.”

Though she didn’t know what timing he meant, the form of address bothered her.

“I’m not ‘Miss’ anymore.”

“Ah, right…”

But Duke Aberdeen’s expression stiffened slightly as his gaze that had been fixed on empty space returned.

“May I call you by your name?”

Saena pondered for a moment. ‘Miss’ was incorrect, but using her name seemed too familiar.

In the end, only one option remained. Though it felt somewhat burdensome…

“Please call me Duchess.”

“…That would be better, right? Understood.”

“Ah, I said come out quickly!”

Taking advantage of that moment, the impatient Floria urged again.