Chapter 10
“The garden is beautiful. Would you like to take a walk?”
After finishing their meal and standing up, the Duke spoke with a smiling face. As always, Rosemary tried to follow behind, but Iseris begged to be let off duty. His playful tone made Liberte laugh before she realized it.
Right, he had promised to deliver the jewel box to her room. So Liberte asked Rosemary to accompany Iseris instead. Rosemary’s green eyes asked if it was all right, and Liberte nodded silently.
After seeing the two of them walk away, she turned back. The Duke smiled kindly and held out his hand. Liberte placed her hand on his and accepted his escort to the garden.
They went down the long hallway and the main staircase in silence. Not a word was spoken. Just a heavy quiet. The silence weighed on Liberte until, at last, the garden appeared past the corridor.
“Ah…”
The garden stretched out before her eyes, night falling over it, but magic lights shone here and there. Stone paths wove between trees and flowers, then disappeared again.
Carefully trimmed trees, flowers in every color glowing under the lights. She let out a small gasp of wonder at the beauty she had never seen before.
Realizing her own voice had been louder than she thought, she glanced quickly at the Duke. His smile remained unchanged. Embarrassed, she coughed lightly and looked away.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
He drew near and asked. There was no need to hesitate—the sight was too wonderful to deny. Entranced by the garden, she softly agreed, and he laughed quietly, as though pleased. Without a word, they began to walk side by side.
“How do you find the first impression of Nort?”
“It is a mysterious place. At dawn, and at dusk.”
He asked while looking at the flowers, and she replied without lifting her gaze. His head dipped slightly, and a warm laugh rang low through the quiet garden. The sound brought a faint smile to her own lips. She hoped it seemed natural enough.
“Is there anything about Nort you are curious about?”
He gestured to a white wooden bench at a fork in the path. Beyond it, a tunnel of roses stood, glowing with soft light like pearls.
Liberte sat, and the Duke stood beside her. She asked what she had been thinking of for some time.
“Since I came by airship, my trail has disappeared. His Majesty must be worried. Is there some way to send word back to the capital?”
“It may take some time, but every few months letters can be sent across villages. Rodel also exchanges letters with his sister that way.”
Relief washed over her. She could at least send word to Oderi. The mention of Rodel brought a faint smile to her lips. That bright child made this moment gentler. But curiosity rose quickly, and she asked:
“How did that child end up here…?”
“Three winters ago, he came saying he wanted to be a knight. He was far too young, so I tried to send him back…”
But the boy had cried and begged desperately, saying he wanted to be a knight. The Duke smiled bitterly as he recalled it. A relative had promised to take care of his sickly younger sister—but only if he returned as a proper knight.
After hearing rumors that even the young could earn titles with enough ability, he had come all the way to Nort.
“There was even a monster of a boy who became a knight at eighteen.”
The Duke’s eyes bent warmly. That “monster,” he said with a smile, was Iseris. With such a precedent, it was hard to refuse outright. For now, Rodel only studied, but soon he would begin sword training, full of enthusiasm.
If he kept at it, he might truly become a fine knight in a few years. The Duke spoke with an unbroken smile.
“Would it be possible for me to borrow the training grounds, perhaps when they are not in use by the knights?”
She asked lightly, and the Duke quickly understood. The words “training grounds” from a princess might have sounded odd, but he only smiled knowingly. He understood the title “Goddess of War” was no empty name.
“I’ll tell Is to make it available whenever you wish.”
Liberte murmured that she would not cause trouble. Rising from the bench, she let him guide her back by a different path. Moss pink flowers grew between the stones, and a stream ran with clear water under a small wooden bridge.
He held out his hand again, but this time she did not take it. When she glanced back, his smile wavered with disappointment, and he looked faintly hurt.
Not wanting to see it, she quickly looked away. She knew she had wounded him. If he was hiding something, she wished he would reveal it soon. His kindness, his smile, and that fleeting sorrow pressed on her heart like a heavy stone.
“Nort feels like a place out of fairy tales.”
She turned her gaze to the rippling water instead. The lanterns and stars reflected there like a dream. The Duke stepped closer as if nothing had happened, smiling as before.
“It does hold many hidden stories.”
The tales of wars with monsters, of dragons living here—those seemed less believable after seeing this peaceful garden. It felt more likely those tales had been invented to keep people away. As she thought this, she looked up at him.
His eyes glittered with wonder at the scene before them, and she could not look away. His eyes shone, just as Iseris’s had on the airship.
“You seem to truly love this land.”
He met her gaze and smiled softly before crossing the bridge. She couldn’t look away in time. Following after, Liberte whispered so faintly it might not be heard:
“Would it be alright if I joined you for walks in the mornings?”
He turned, delighted. The garden was too beautiful to refuse, and she nodded, though she wondered if her softened heart came from remembering his sorrowful face. His smile brightened even more, and she smiled back—though it turned into a bitter one.
Soon they reached the rose tunnel. The heavy fragrance filled the air until it was almost dizzying. Narrowing her eyes, Liberte asked:
“Are you not curious about me?”
The unexpected question made him pause and turn. The lanterns among the roses flickered gently over his face. Even she was unsure why she asked. Perhaps it was her frustration at never knowing his true thoughts.
“It would be a lie to say I have no curiosity.”
He smiled, but said no more. Liberte held her breath, waiting for him to continue. Yet he stepped ahead, out of the tunnel, leaving her alone inside with her sigh. His vague answer only deepened her frustration.
“You call me a guest, but His Majesty has ordered this marriage. Reports will be required. When do you think we should hold the ceremony?”
“Whenever Your Highness wishes.”
She quickened her pace, speaking with a sharper tone. The Duke answered at once, as though he had been waiting for the question. That only angered her more. Guest, whenever you wish—did he take her for a fool? Or was he ignoring the Emperor’s command? She stopped walking, but he kept on ahead. Past the green hedges, the long corridor appeared.
“If I were to never agree to this marriage, what would you do?”
Her voice rang loudly across the empty garden. He halted and turned, meeting her fiery red eyes without flinching. For the first time, his gaze was cold, freezing her in place. She stepped back before she realized it.
“If you do not wish it, then we need not marry.”
His quiet words shocked her. His eyes, like frozen lakes, held hers for a long moment. Then at last, with a soft sigh, he smiled again. The air thawed. Evening wind rustled through the leaves as his gentle voice followed:
“But I will keep waiting, for the day Your Highness’s heart changes.”
