Episode 17
As they passed through the arched entrance, a grand banquet hall—elegantly adorned—unfolded before them.
It was usually reserved for receptions or parties and was one of the most elaborately decorated spaces in the palace.
The chandelier hanging from the ceiling blazed with a brilliance far beyond that of the wall-mounted lamps, each crystal catching and scattering the light.
A thick, deep blue carpet spread across the floor, contrasting strikingly with the white marble tiles and columns, drawing the eye.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
A lavish spread had already been set on the long table at the center.
Despite the host’s modest words, the table looked splendid.
Dishes such as chicken served with a sauce made from stewed wild berries and whole roasted fish seasoned with salt and herbs—all looked delicious.
In the rabbit tribe, where the population was large, fair food distribution was essential.
This rule applied equally to the many children of the chieftain.
Rieber, who had always found meals scarce when dining with the tribe, stared at the food and swallowed hard.
“Please, have a seat.”
The table was large enough to accommodate the entire knight order, leaving plenty of room to spare.
It was completely different in size and layout from the usual dining hall where just the two of them ate.
Sharie glanced around uncertainly, wondering where to sit.
“Sharie. Here.”
Just then, Caissa gently guided her and pulled out the chair next to him.
As soon as she sat down, a dinner napkin was laid neatly on her lap.
The movement was so fluid and natural that she didn’t even get a chance to say she could do it herself.
Though a bit self-conscious, it was undeniably heartening to be treated with such considerate care by Caissa—as his partner.
“Thank you.”
At her gratitude, Caissa’s lips curved in a soft smile.
Watching this whole exchange from across the table, Rieber finally spoke up.
“You two seem closer than I expected.”
The casual tone masked a subtle tension that made Sharie falter for a moment.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
It was her grandfather, seated beside Rieber, who replied.
“I worried when we sent you off to a distant land, but it’s a relief to see your husband treating you so well.”
Today, her grandfather felt strangely unfamiliar—so different from the man she had always known. It was so out of place, it almost felt surreal.
It made her wonder if everything before coming to Barhard had just been a bad dream.
The two men from the Rosevine family treated Sharie kindly throughout the meal.
—
“That was an excellent meal.”
After the meal, Mckakin patted his satisfied stomach and looked around the hall.
Soft velvet carpets covered the floor, and brilliant tapestries hung on the stone walls of the banquet room.
“Truly beautiful.”
The tapestries, made by dyeing countless threads and weaving them into images of various figures and landscapes, were intricate works of textile art.
Due to the region’s tradition of covering shutters with fabric to block out the cold wind, Barhad had developed a renowned textile culture.
It was a rare sight for outsiders.
“I’d like to take a stroll and see more of the castle.”
“I’ll show you around.”
At Mckakin’s request, Kaisa readily agreed.
“Ugh, no thanks. Not me.”
Rieber, however, looked displeased at the sudden proposal.
“I finally got to see my sister after so long. I want to talk to her a bit more.”
“Huh?”
“How about it? You don’t mind, right, sis?”
Unlike the flustered Sharie, their grandfather remained indifferent.
“That’s fine. It’s not like your presence is required anyway. A bit of sibling time will do you good.”
“Well… okay then.”
At first, she was taken aback, but the thought of spending time with her stern grandfather felt more uncomfortable than being alone with Rieber.
“I’ll be in the greenhouse garden with Rieber.”
A hint of disappointment flickered in Kaisa’s eyes.
“Understood.”
But as always, he respectfully accepted Sharie’s choice.
The greenhouse garden, which Caissa had created just for her, was still full of lush greenery.
Outside the thick glass walls, a snowy landscape spread out, contrasting with the warm, moist air inside.
“Whoa, what is this place?”
Rieber, who had followed her, let out a gasp.
“I heard flowers don’t even bloom in Barhad because of the cold. But this?”
“They used magic stones imbued with fire magic to create it.”
Inside, spring blossoms bloomed in clusters, completely at odds with the winter beyond the glass.
It was something only magic could have made possible.
“That must’ve cost a fortune. Just how expensive were those magic stones?”
Rieber was visibly shocked, clicking his tongue.
“Tea is served, my lady.”
A servant arrived with a cart bearing two cups, a teapot, and light refreshments.
After placing the tea set, he stood beside the royal guard stationed at the greenhouse entrance.
Here, Rieber was clearly just a guest.
As Sharie poured the tea, her brother’s eyes lingered on her face longer than necessary before drifting away.
“Drink up.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Rieber leaned back in his chair and picked up the cup.
After that, no one spoke.
And honestly, it was inevitable.
Even if he was easier to be around than their grandfather, Sharie and Rieber had a deeply awkward relationship.
The little brother who once smiled brightly when she crowned him with flower wreaths had, after hitting adolescence, begun to look at her with the same contempt as the rest of their clan.
Even after all this time, those wounds hadn’t healed.
‘What is he thinking right now?’
She still couldn’t figure out why he had come.
Unlike when she had tea here with Caissa, the air in the greenhouse now felt stifling.
‘Maybe I should’ve just gone with Grandfather…’
Just as Sharie was beginning to regret her choice—
“You seem to be eating well here.”
Ignoring the heat, Rieber sipped the tea noisily and set down his cup with a thud.
“Grandfather seems to think it would be good for the future of the rabbit tribe if you got along with that guy.”
Was that why her grandfather had changed?
Because the granddaughter born without a tail—once considered a disgrace—had suddenly become useful?
“But I don’t agree.”
For the first time in a long while, Sharie looked her younger brother straight in the face.
“If you get too attached, you’ll just end up hurt. So don’t fall for him.”
His droopy eyes, round nose, and tousled silver bangs framed those big eyes filled with emotion.
Though older and taller, his childlike face remained. He still spoke the most painful truths with the same bluntness.
“Grandfather only says that because he plans to use you.”
She couldn’t sit silently any longer.
“What are you trying to say?”
Even to her own ears, her voice sounded icy.
Rieber stared at her with wide eyes as she faced him with a hardened expression.
He seemed shocked by the change in his older sister, who had always accepted everything with meek submission.
Advice from a long-estranged sibling?
“What’s your motive?”
Sharie couldn’t take it at face value.
Sure, she had been afraid when she first came to Barhad.
Not because of the whispered rumors within her clan.
But because she remembered Caissa Graves from her previous life.
Yet, the man she met was nothing like the one she had imagined.
“I only believe what I see with my own eyes.”
Rieber caught her meaning instantly.
“Oh my god, sis. Has your brain gone soft too? Just because he’s being nice now, you trust him?”
Rieber was genuinely upset—so much that he slammed the table and raised his voice.
Even the servant at the entrance glanced over.
“You don’t know anything. That guy you married—no, this whole political marriage shouldn’t have happened in the first place!”
“Why?”
Rieber hesitated, lips twitching like he wanted to say more.
Then, he turned his head away.
“Hmph. Who knows what those cunning snakes are scheming?”
“Rieber!”
Her voice was loud enough that even those without rabbit-like hearing would’ve caught it.
Thankfully, neither the guard nor the servant reacted. Whether they were pretending not to hear or truly hadn’t, she didn’t know.
But she couldn’t allow her brother’s thoughtless behavior to continue—not after everything that had been sacrificed for this political alliance.
“Stop it.”
Rieber, who had been about to snap again, hesitated under her sharp tone.
But he still looked like he had more to say, and Sharie couldn’t help but ask:
“Why did you come here?”
Rieber, pretending to look out at the snowy view beyond the glass, finally confessed.
“Everyone back home was really curious about how you were doing. They figured you’d either been eaten alive by now or were sobbing, missing home. So I begged Grandfather to let me come.”
