2. Conditions for Marriage

A familiar place unfolded before Rihanel’s eyes.

A cathedral with pointed spires boasting its own grandeur. A small sand playground extending behind it.

And where he stood was in front of an old grayish-brown building located a little distance from the cathedral, with the playground in between.

Located in a small city near the capital, Philodis Cathedral was not very large but was quite frequented by many people in the vicinity.

Behind the cathedral, an orphanage was built in a small building. It was the wish of the parish priest who loved children.

Rihanel’s eyes wavered.

It was so vivid, yet a place that had now completely disappeared.

“Be kind to them, Janet. They’re poor children.”

At the low whisper, Rihanel turned his head. A few steps away, a man was straightening up from his bent position.

The person dressed in a neat suit was Janet’s father, Damon Wilton.

And the girl in a sky-blue dress standing before him was…

‘Janet Wilton.’

Rihanel opened and closed his mouth. He opened it but no words came out. His voice scattered like air bubbles mixed with waves.

Janet slowly blinked her large golden eyes.

Rihanel unconsciously looked straight ahead, following the girl’s gaze. His senses aligned with the girl as a reference point. It was a somewhat dirty feeling, as if his head was being turned by an unknown force.

But it was only natural.

After all, everything unfolding now was a scene from Janet Wilton’s memories.

In the distance, a group of children could be seen. About a dozen children, both boys and girls, were mixed together, running and playing with a ball. Each time the ball rolled, sand rose, making the air hazy as if covered in fog.

Janet shifted her gaze, following the dark apricot-colored ball that moved quickly. It was a subtle movement of her pupils.

“The sponsor is here! You must greet them.”

Father Lapel, the parish priest of the cathedral, called out toward the playground. Two nuns brought out dozens of children from the orphanage. Everyone seemed flustered because the Wilton father and daughter had arrived considerably earlier than expected.

“It stopped……”

Janet murmured softly. The ball that had been rolling and bouncing wildly, as if it would never stop, came to a halt. The children ran over and bowed their heads.

“Thank you, sponsor!”

It was a resounding voice, as if they had been trained. Only one child neither made a sound nor bowed his head.

It was only natural that Janet’s gaze shifted to that child.

The boy holding the ball made from a pig’s bladder stared blankly at them as if his soul had left his body, then startled, quickly bowed his head.

He was a boy about ten years old with dark black hair and blue eyes.

“Now, I’ll distribute the gifts.”

Servants brought out wrapped presents and neatly stacked them behind Janet and Damon.

The children lined up in an orderly fashion, and the boy also awkwardly squeezed in among them. Since the gifts for each child were different, the order had been arranged in advance.

The children each stated their name and politely received their gifts. The servants handed the gifts from behind, and the father and daughter passed them on to the children.

And finally, it was the boy’s turn.

“Nel Siphren!”

He shouted, but with the ball tucked under one arm, he couldn’t properly extend both hands. You should have left the ball behind. When the nun said this, the boy named Nel seemed flustered and rolled his eyes.

“Ah……”

Nel hurriedly put the ball down on the ground, but he placed it incorrectly, causing it to roll away to the side.

The person who picked it up was someone completely unexpected, someone who couldn’t have been anticipated.

“Here.”

Janet thrust a large box into Nel’s arms, as if passing it off.

And immediately ran toward the ball.

“Janet!”

Damon cried out in surprise.

And for good reason—his daughter, who had never played with a ball in her life, that preciously raised girl, was running toward a shabby ball.

And one made from a pig’s bladder at that.

An even bigger problem occurred the next moment.

Whether by mistake or not, the ball touched Janet’s foot and rolled once more. Unfortunately, there was a stone in that direction. The ball, scratched by the protruding stone, burst as soon as Janet picked it up.

It still had liquid inside to keep it from being too light.

Yellow liquid stained the girl’s sky-blue skirt.

Everyone was shocked by this. But Janet neither screamed nor threw away the deflated leather.

She just carried it and walked over here.

“……I told you balls are toys for boys.”

Damon tried to say something else several times but suppressed it and said that instead. It was the most reasonable reprimand he could utter at the moment.

Though it was clearly a scolding tone, this nine-year-old girl answered boldly and clearly.

“I wasn’t playing. You told me to help those in trouble. If your cuff link had fallen and rolled away, I would have picked it up for you too.”

Damon couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t scold his daughter for acting according to his teachings.

Janet held the wrinkled leather in both hands and turned her head toward Nel.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would burst.”

Nel couldn’t answer. All he could do was tightly close his mouth and shake his head vigorously.

Trying to suppress his pounding heart, striving not to show his rough breathing.

Yes, that’s how it was.

Rihanel let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

A boy holding a beautifully wrapped gift, and a girl holding the remnants of a dirty ball.

The girl was holding the object that reeked of urine, but strangely, it was his own face that turned red.

That ball was made by the boy. He had never thought it was dirty, but suddenly he became embarrassed by its smell.

He had never once thought about his own clothes, but now suddenly his dirt-covered clothes and hair seemed unbearably conspicuous.

But Rihanel at that time didn’t know.

That the sparkling girl hadn’t run to help someone in trouble.

Her pupils were full of life as she looked at the ball, and her face wore a bright smile.

***

“Nel…?”

At Janet’s call, Rihanel, who had momentarily stopped in a daze, came to his senses. Hmm, he let out a low groan and ran his hand through his hair, regulating his breathing.

It was his first time. Seeing Janet’s memories.

But now was not the time to be lost in such reflections. The sensation of water splashing around his thighs was quite cold. He could hear the murmuring of people gathering one by one behind him.

“Come out.”

Rihanel suppressed his voice and grabbed Janet’s wrist, pulling her. But Janet resisted and stood firm. Then she spoke with a desperate voice.

“I need to find the ring. It’s over there……”

“Ah, that thing.”

Rihanel snorted at the woman’s audacity.

Right, she was wearing a ring.

He knew she kept touching the ring finger of her right hand. And that something was fitted on that delicate finger inside the glove.

Was it such a precious item? Precious enough to jump into the water without caring about onlookers. Precious enough to stupidly wade into deeper water without knowing how to float.

And… precious enough to fill that always detached face with so much emotion.

His mood twisted unbearably. Rihanel pulled Janet’s hand sharply and bent down. Janet seemed to hold her breath for a moment as their faces came closer.

“Janet.”

Rihanel slightly raised the corner of his mouth and called her name in a low voice. Whatever she was expecting, Janet slightly relaxed the tension in her body.

Rihanel asked her very softly and kindly.

“Is that ring left behind by your lover who abandoned and hid from you?”

Janet Wilton’s eyes wavered uncharacteristically. Rihanel didn’t miss this opportunity and continued speaking.

Now both his soft voice and gentle smile had turned cold.

“Or is it a token you received after whispering sweet nothings with a prison guard?”

“……Don’t say that.”

“It’s not an unfounded statement, is it? Model prisoner Janet Wilton.”

“Just go back without worrying about me. I’ll look more……”

“How much more do you want to lower my standards? Do I have to endure these kinds of stares because of a fiancée who can’t even take care of her own belongings?”

“……”

Only then did Janet look around. She seemed a bit surprised to discover that quite a crowd of spectators had gathered.

Soon after, she moved her body that had been standing stiffly.

“……I’m sorry.”

Rihanel turned around abruptly without answering. He held her wrist while coming out of the water but tossed it aside as soon as they emerged.

Flan came running with a blanket from who knows where. But Rihanel passed by without even glancing at him and got into the carriage.

Rihanel closed his eyes. He was tired. He had thought he didn’t want to see her face for several days, but he didn’t expect to encounter her in a place like this before even a day had passed.

If he hadn’t had business in Deltz Street. If he hadn’t passed through here.

Just thinking about it made his anger rise. He thought there couldn’t be a worse situation than meeting Janet Wilton here, but he didn’t know why he was so angry.

It was then. Knock, knock, there was a knocking sound, and the carriage door opened. Rihanel’s expression crumpled.

Janet Wilton, wrapped in a blanket, got into the carriage and sat across from him.

“You said you sent the carriage ahead!”

Flan explained defensively and closed the door. Rihanel, sitting with his legs crossed, looked askance at the woman sitting opposite him.

That once-sparkling girl now looked like a wet mouse. All because of that ring. What was so special about that damn ring?

No one opened their mouth during the carriage ride. Rihanel endured the long silence and recalled what gift he had received that day.

He remembered what was in the large box only when they were passing the poplar-lined path leading to the duke’s residence. Rihanel let out a small sigh as he recalled the truth.

It was a ball.