Episode 20
‘It’s nice.’
Ashlyn sat at the old fountain and thought. The warm spring breeze tousled her hair, carrying the scent of blossoms from the abandoned garden nearby.
She flipped through the newspaper in her hand. Even the soft texture of the paper was satisfactory.
“I didn’t realize you enjoyed reading the newspaper,” a voice suddenly said.
Ashlyn looked up. A tall, smiling man affectionately caught her eyes.
“My lord.”
“Do you like it?”
Tevet asked as he took a seat beside her. Ashlyn, looking down at the newspaper in her hand, honestly candidly.
“Yes.”
At that he let out a low, contented laugh, as if he was in a really good mood.
“If there’s a newspaper you particularly like, tell me. I’ll buy you the publisher.”
“No, no. That’s okay.”
Ashlyn shook her head in a hurry. She almost nodded along to the words that flowed like water.
‘Deri was right on the mark…’
The twisted smile of the laughing sorcerer flashed in her mind. Ashlyn slightly lowered her head.
“What are you thinking that’s making you smile by yourself?”
“Oh,” she fumbled in response to the gentle whisper, embarrassed that the corners of her mouth went up without realizing it.
Tevet gazed at Ashlyn with affectionate eyes.
“The wizard’s treatment seems to be working.”
“…”
“Let me know if anything comes to mind.”
“Not yet… nothing.”
His shoulders, inflated with expectation, sank slightly. Ashlyn fidgeted with her fingertips.
“I see.”
Though his voice sounded somewhat lonesome, he didn’t lose his smile.
“That’s all right. We can just keep the wizard around.”
It was fortunate that Derion wasn’t around to hear those words.
“Doesn’t he get on your nerves?”
“No. He’s a good man.”
Ashlyn replied without hesitation.
Although cynical and gruff, Derion was naturally a good person.
Wizard Derion Frey, who’d been her close confidante.
However, Ashlyn also valued Derion as a friend.
“..a good man.”
“What’s wrong?”
Sensing a subtle change beside her, she turned and met his eyes. Tevet smiled.
“It’s nothing.”
It was a sweet, knowing smile, enough to halt all thoughts.
The scent of flowers wafted over the wind.
Flowers bloomed in this desolate place, too.
At that moment, the newspaper she loosely held flew away in the wind.
“Ah.”
Ashlyn reflexively stood up.
The thin paper caught on the vines near the fountain.
It was an abandoned garden forgotten even by the gardeners. The vines, untouched for a long time, had grown wildly, entwining themselves as they pleased.
As Ashlyn reached for it…
“Ashie.”
In no time, Tevet, who had approached unnoticed, gently held back her arm from behind.
“It’s dangerous with all these thorns.”
A low voice settled in her ears.
Only then did her eyes catch the sharp, menacing thorns.
“My Lord!”
Ashlyn exclaimed in surprise, for Tevet, without hesitation, pushed through and picked up the newspaper that had fallen on the thicket.
“Thorns… in your hand.”
Thorns as thick and long as needles were embedded all over his hands. Ashlyn furrowed her brow.
“You should have just left it be.”
“If I had, wouldn’t you have reached out yourself?”
“…”
“I have a trained body, so I’m fine. It’s better than your hand getting hurt.”
He muttered in a matter-of-fact tone. Ashlyn was momentarily at a loss for words, then quickly came to her senses.
“Show me your hand.”
She didn’t know what kind of bush it was. If these were poisonous thorns, it would be a big problem. Ashlyn bit her lip.
Yet, the person in question merely shrugged with an indifferent expression.
“It’s going to hurt.”
Ha. He let out a short laugh at Ashlyn’s words.
“No one gets hurt while pulling out a thorn from their palm.”
“You never know.”
However, faced with Ashlyn’s determined expression, Tevet eventually had no choice but to extend his hand.
Ashlyn took out a handkerchief from her embrace and wiped the wound on his hand. Then, with a delicate touch, she removed the stubborn thorns one by one.
“You were reading the news from the south, I presume.”
Tevet’s gaze suddenly fell on the crumpled newspaper.
“Yes.”
Tevet’s eyes sank coldly in response to the answer. Ashlyn, focused on pulling out the thorns, didn’t notice this change.
“What did you read?”
“It seems the atmosphere in the south is chaotic. Pirates are appearing at sea, and fever is in fashion. With last year’s poor harvest, it seems there might be a food shortage.”
Ashlyn murmured whatever came to mind. Tevet nodded in agreement.
“Viscount Evolton must be having quite a headache.”
“Isn’t he just reaping what he sowed? Running such a splendid estate like Enders in such a closed-off manner…”
Ashlyn, who had been speaking in a sarcastic tone, abruptly stopped. She added with a casual face, “…There are criticisms in the newspapers casting doubt on his abilities as a steward.”
“I see.”
A cold sweat trickled down Ashlyn’s back. Tevet, who glanced at her briefly, didn’t seem to care too much about her words.
Ashlyn swallowed a sigh inwardly.
‘Let’s watch what we say, what we say…”
It wasn’t a story a maid who’d never been to the south would tell.
“I’m done, milord.”
She swiftly removed the remaining thorns, pretending to be nonchalant. As she was about to wrap Tevet’s hand with a handkerchief and release it, Tevet’s large hand grasped Ashlyn’s withdrawing hand firmly.
“Is that all?”
“What?”
“The reason for your interest in the south.”
There was a cold glint in his red eyes.
“Then… should there be any other reason?”
Ashlyn asked calmly. A brief silence hung between them.
Tevet, who had been scrutinizing her face, withdrew his gaze and smirked.
“If there’s no other reason, then it’s settled.”
Ashlyn exerted more force to pull out her hand once again, but he did not budge.
“Let’s take the southern newspaper, then.”
Instead, he whispered, intertwining his fingers with hers one by one.
“What?”
“The publisher that I will buy for you.”
“My lord.”
Seeing Ashlyn’s perplexed expression, Tevet shrugged.
“I’m just joking.”
Doesn’t seem like it though…
But pressing further would be comical in its own way.
At that moment, a gentle breeze blew, lightly tousling Tevet’s black hair.
His face, smiling comfortably with his eyes downcast, looked somewhat boyish at first glance.
Come to think of it, it suddenly felt natural to be conversing with him like this.
Was it because of the weather?
She felt that the sharp edges of nerves, which were always tense, had somewhat softened.
“Oh, right. I have something to show you. Come over here.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, Tevet, who’d risen, took Ashlyn’s hand and led her somewhere.
“Milord, where are you taking me all of a sudden?”
There was an irresistible force in the gentle tug of his hand.
The place he led her to was not far from the fountain.
It was at the back of the abandoned garden.
A place even Ashlyn hadn’t ventured.
She hadn’t realized the garden had such a vast space.
Because of that, she’d been unaware about the presence of the small trees that filled it.
“This is…”
Ashlyn gazed at the wide expanse as if mesmerized.
Someone had clearly put in a lot of effort to cultivate this land; rich, red soil stretched out before her.
And the young trees that adorned it… though small now, those trees were undoubtedly…
“Grapevines…”
“That’s right.”
Tevet whispered affectionately,
“I planted them because it seemed like you liked grapes at that time.”
“…”
“The ones at the back are small saplings, they said they’ll bear the most fruit in the next year or the year after.”
He spoke, watching the undulating waves of grapevines. Ashlyn turned her head to look at Tevet’s profile.
“The ones at the front might bear fruit this year. Well, maybe not a lot… but it should be enough for you to enjoy.”
Tevet turned his head.
Their gazes met. His eyes, bathed in the sunset, sparkled like red jewels.
“This summer, I’ll make sure you taste as many grapes as you want.”
His gentle voice lingered in Ashlyn’s ears.
Summer…
She blankly upon the word.
“Of course, in winter too, and next year as well.”
There was an unidentifiable tension on Tevet’s face. His strong jawline moved several times.
As if he had something he really wanted to say, but he was forced to swallow it.
“So…”
‘Don’t leave.’
Why? At that moment, Ashlyn felt enveloped in the illusion that she had heard those words.
But he didn’t add any more words.
Silently, she gazed at the waves before her.
‘He didn’t notice my intention to board a ship to the south, did he?’
The beautiful blue sea of the south came to mind. The continent beyond that sea was a place she hadn’t even seen during her days as a princess.
‘No, most likely not.’
Ashlyn shook her head slowly, as if to shake off her thoughts.
An eternal silence flowed between the two. Only the young grapevines rustled softly, moving their bodies.
Oh the angst is going to be so good bc I can already hear my heart breaking
