Chapter 180
“Ahhh! Finally, we’ve reached the capital!”
From the top of a hill overlooking the distant capital, a young man with fiery red hair shouted, his voice brimming with emotion.
His blazing red hair, tousled and windblown, showed the evidence of a long journey.
His face and clothes were caked with dust and dirt.
Yet none of this could hide the cheerful expression on his face.
His bright personality radiated through, revealing the ease and joy of someone who had grown up loved and trusted by good people.
Beside this red-haired young man was another young man on horseback, of an entirely different demeanor, gazing at the capital with a similarly reflective expression.
His jet-black hair, though he had traveled the same path as the red-haired youth, was neat and orderly, and his clothes bore only minimal dust and creases.
The black-haired young man’s eyes were fixed precisely on one spot in the capital.
The imperial palace.
Of course, the two young men were Ruska and Arsel.
They were returning to the capital after five years.
“How long has it been….”
Ruska murmured, his eyes welling with tears.
Next to him stood a carriage piled high with luggage.
Originally meant for people to ride, it was so crammed with goods that there wasn’t even space for a single small child.
This made sense—after all, he was returning from a life in the south, having completely wrapped up the past few years, and naturally had a lot of belongings.
Though it was a grand homecoming, no one could arrive empty-handed.
Gifts for parents, brothers, staff at the mansion, and others had quickly filled the carriage.
Moreover…
Ruska’s face flushed slightly as he saw a box tied with silver and purple ribbons among the gifts.
‘If I give this, she’ll probably scold me, asking why I bought something like this.’
It was obvious.
Knowing Irene’s personality, when he gave her a gift, she would initially look at it as if it were some trivial thing. Then, seeing a gift from someone from the south, from the Terrence family no less—bold move!—she would scoff.
No, that would be the mildest reaction.
‘She might even ignore it entirely.’
Even knowing this, Ruska couldn’t help but buy the gift.
‘That day… I saw her crying.’
It had already been two years since Ruska last saw Irene.
That winter, during the break at the Academy for Gifted Children, Irene had gone south alone to visit her family.
Normally, she would have been with Evie, but that year Evie was absorbed in her studies with Headmistress Seraphina, so Irene returned south alone after a long time.
“While I was at it, I came to see you all too.”
Appearing suddenly at the estate of Count Derushna, Irene haughtily remarked, as if he should feel grateful she had come in person despite her busy schedule.
“Were you coming to tease us while we’re exhausted from training? Enough, go back. Nobody asked to see you, so why are you prying around?”
Ruska, covered in dust and rolling around since morning, couldn’t help but mutter a complaint at Irene.
It was understandable. Upon her arrival, the usual noisy training grounds fell silent, everyone watching her in awe, mouths agape.
He understood why.
In a place filled with the clashing of swords, dust, blood, and groans, Irene appeared in a scarf made of silver fox fur and clothes adorned with delicate, beautiful lace, like someone from another world.
Her shimmering silver hair and now deeper violet eyes glowed as if a single glance and smile could captivate anyone.
In short, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Irene had been exceptionally beautiful since childhood, constantly the subject of gossip. As an adult, her appearance had only grown more radiant, admired and envied by all around her.
Even those who disliked her would grudgingly admit, “Her face is beautiful! But that temper…!”
Her appearance made the harsh training ground seem like the imperial banquet hall in comparison.
“W-What brings you to such a humble place, my lady…?”
Even the notorious ruffians who usually cursed the trainees stammered nervously in front of Irene, blushing at the sight of her.
Ruska, disliking this scene, intended to send her back immediately.
As he approached, Irene smiled warmly and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Ruska’s own voice slipped out bluntly.
“Hey, what are you doing here? This isn’t your place. Go back.”
Waving his hand dismissively, Irene’s previously flower-like expression stiffened.
She ignored him, brushed past, and went to Arsel.
“I’ve brought a letter from Her Highness, the princess, Arsel.”
In her deliberately gentle voice, Irene handed Arsel the letter and left without looking back.
Ruska, stunned, hurried after her.
But she had already mounted the carriage and was about to depart.
“Hey! Irene! Hey! Hey!”
He called desperately, but she didn’t look back and drove off.
Chasing after her and knocking on the carriage, she turned her head away as if she couldn’t bear to see him.
It was then Ruska noticed the tear streak still on Irene’s cheek.
Eventually, Irene left, and Ruska was left alone in the dust.
For two years, she hadn’t come back or responded to any of Ruska’s letters.
Ruska groaned, recalling those long-ago events.
He didn’t think a single gift would calm Irene’s anger, but…
‘I have to see her first.’
His lips protruded slightly.
He was frustrated that she had ignored him for two years, yet still worried about what would happen if she refused to meet him.
Meanwhile, Arsel accelerated again.
“Arsel! Are we heading straight to the palace?”
Ruska followed alongside, asking.
He knew exactly who Arsel wanted to see most.
Without asking, it had to be the princess.
“No, I can’t see her like this.”
“What’s wrong with your appearance?”
In the midst of this, Arsel looked annoyingly handsome.
Ruska scanned him from head to toe.
He took pride in his own appearance, thinking he was fairly good-looking.
But beside Arsel, that confidence shrank like a deflating balloon.
It wasn’t surprising; Arsel’s appearance, like Irene’s, had grown increasingly refined over time.
When he trained in the south, one instructor even remarked seriously to Arsel, “Wouldn’t it be quicker to just use your looks?”
Everyone else training with him nodded without realizing it.
And he had a flawless face, despite being a southern trainee.
‘What a ruthless guy….’
Surely, he would put on a feigned weak act in front of Evie.
“Anyway, it’s good we can return before the princess’s birthday. This year, her birthday banquet will double as her coming-of-age ceremony, so everyone at the palace will be busy.”
Coming-of-age.
At the mention of this, Arsel bit his lip.
One reason he hurried back was because of this.
Soon, Princess Evbien would turn eighteen.
By imperial law, she would officially become an adult.
From that moment, many powers previously withheld would be granted to her, along with new responsibilities.
But above all, Arsel’s concern was about her personal guard.
All royalty choose their personal knights when they come of age.
While it didn’t have to happen exactly at eighteen, it was customary to decide and announce the choice during the coming-of-age ceremony.
Previously, Clovis had chosen Sir Rommel as his personal guard.
Although the Marquess of Lagselv would have been more fitting due to intimacy, he had to inherit his title and train knights, so Sir Rommel, whose skills were comparable, became the personal guard.
‘Everyone’s waiting eagerly to be chosen.’
He had heard that all the palace knights trained diligently to serve the princess.
Especially female knights, as sharing private space would be more comfortable with the same gender.
‘But….’
Arsel gripped the reins firmly.
For such reasons alone, he had no intention of yielding his place beside Evie to the female knights.
If she was still uncomfortable, he would work harder to make her feel at ease.
Thinking this, a gentle smile formed on his face as he recalled Evie.
