Episode 89
“You’re late!”
Yvonne appeared before him, looking like a mess.
“What happened to you?”
“Huh?”
Yvonne suddenly remembered that she was soaked and covered in mud from the rain.
“I can’t go inside.”
“Why?”
“If I go in now, I’ll make a mess of your room.”
“Hah.”
Hildebrandt felt an odd sense of irritation, as if he barely noticed his own bruised cheek or split lip. She acted as if her state was inconsequential.
“Ow… Hilde?”
“Be quiet.”
He grabbed the sack she was holding and carelessly set it on the table. Then, without a word, he led Yvonne to the bathroom.
“Wash up.”
“Alright. But I don’t have any clothes to change into.”
“I have plenty.”
“Got it.”
She thought his displeasure was because she’d gotten dirt all over the room. But messes could be cleaned up. She smiled at him brightly, seemingly unconcerned.
“Hilde.”
“Close the door and get cleaned up.”
“I’m still pretty, even after getting soaked in the rain, right?”
“….”
“Hmm?”
Yvonne knew she was attractive, so she said it teasingly, hoping to lighten his mood. Her parents would sometimes forgive her if she spoke this way to them.
“You don’t think I’m pretty?”
“….”
“I’m pretty, right?”
“…Just wash up.”
He answered dismissively and left, shutting the door behind him. But she could tell his reluctant response was a yes. So, she cheerfully started to strip and washed herself in the cold water from the bathroom’s ancient pipes.
Meanwhile, Hildebrandt found himself oddly unsettled by the sounds coming from the bathroom.
He pretended not to be affected and went to the wardrobe, selecting clothes for her. Most of his clothing was similar—white shirts, black trousers, and several cravats.
Imagining Yvonne in men’s clothing felt strange, somehow.
“Ah, it’s so cold…”
The sound of water splashing and her soft exclamations filled the room.
“….”
Hildebrandt caught himself listening too intently and sighed. He forced himself to tidy up the tracks she’d left with muddy shoes, then turned to look out the window.
“Ugh…”
What on earth was she doing in there? He focused on the sound of the rain instead, which was now falling heavily. At this rate, some of the lower levels of the palace might even flood.
The downpour carried the earthy scent of wet soil, but despite the closed door, it felt like her scent lingered in the room.
Her distinct fragrance made him wonder if she could be a Guide.
Guides were extremely rare, and even in the vast Bricesis Empire, where most Awakened individuals were of noble blood, only a handful were Guides.
If Yvonne were a Guide…
The Emperor would undoubtedly take an interest in her again.
With a Guide, an Awakened individual didn’t need tranquilizers. Just physical contact could suppress the side effects of their power.
And if they became close enough, one could even monopolize their Guide’s abilities.
But Yvonne and he were only fifteen.
Fifteen.
One could only be crowned Empress upon reaching adulthood.
Empress…
He realized he’d clenched his fists and forced himself to relax.
* * *
“Hilde.”
“Yeah.”
“I need a towel and clothes.”
“The towels are on the shelf, and I left clothes on the bed.”
“Couldn’t you bring them here?”
“No.”
Hildebrandt wanted to do both—bring her the towel and clothes—but he held back. Part of him was genuinely glad to see her.
Yet, he was someone who would eventually have to die, while Yvonne was someone who had to live on without him. If he were kind to her, she’d build memories of him that would only cause her pain.
If he remained a cold and unkind person in her mind, maybe it would hurt less.
But why was that so difficult?
Even as he thought he should’ve kept her out of the room entirely, he found himself listening to her footsteps moving freely about his space.
The sound of her wet feet hitting the marble floor echoed softly. She made her way over to the shelf, paused briefly, then her footsteps shifted toward the bed.
“Hilde.”
“Just get dressed quietly.”
“Okay.”
Her voice rang with a clear, cheerful tone, as if she were smiling.
“Hilde, the clothes are a bit big.”
“….”
“I think they even smell like you—a bit like hydrangeas. It’s really nice.”
“Stop babbling and hurry up.”
“How did you know? Can you see that I’m not dressed yet?”
“Hah.”
He rubbed his face with his hands and turned his gaze back out the window. The sound of the rain outside, mingling with the rustling of fabric as she dressed, made his head feel like it was spinning.
“All done.”
Even when she announced it, he didn’t look back.
“Once the rain lets up, head back.”
“I can’t leave until my clothes dry.”
He knew she was right.
“Then you’ll have to wash them.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it! The maid will bring me fresh clothes tomorrow.”
Her preparedness reassured him slightly. Yvonne was a clever girl, after all. Whoever became her husband one day would be—
Someone I’ll want to kill.
“You’re insane,” he muttered.
“Huh?”
“You’re a nuisance. I told you not to come.”
“I’ll behave. So, does that mean I can come every day?”
“….”
“It’s a bit disappointing, though. I thought you’d like that sort of thing too.”
Whenever she spoke so brazenly, he didn’t know how to respond. It frustrated him, yet his chest tingled as if a butterfly were fluttering inside it.
His heart must have a defect. The way it thudded so foolishly, his face heating, his ears burning, and his mouth going dry—everything pointed to a problem.
And all because of her. She was always so irritating.
“When I marry you, Hilde, we’ll do all kinds of things together.”
“You can save those kinds of things for your future husband.”
“You’ll be my husband, though, won’t you?”
“That’s not a certainty.”
Yvonne fell silent, and he was startled enough by her silence to look back at her. She closed the distance quickly and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
“I told you not to do things like this if you’re going to come.”
“That was about kissing! Hugging doesn’t count.”
She held him tightly, arms clasped around his waist. Although he could’ve pried her hands off his abs, he didn’t. He’d noticed the fresh scrapes and bruises on her hands.
“What happened to your hands?”
“You thought I didn’t know you’d ask me to let go?”
“Don’t let go, then. Just move your head back. You’re making my back all wet.”
“Oh, okay!”
He was lying, of course. He didn’t mind her damp hair against his back at all. In fact, the lingering scent from her wet hair only intensified the suspicion that she might be a Guide.
“Hilde.”
“….”
“Hilde, my heart is racing.”
She pressed her face against his back, nestling closer. Though Yvonne wasn’t particularly short, Hildebrandt was tall, with a build that seemed only to grow stronger despite his confinement in the tower.
“I think I can even hear your heartbeat.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Really?”
She pretended to believe him, but she knew it wasn’t her imagination. Though their pulses were slightly out of sync, his heartbeat thudded as loudly as her own.
“I really, really like you more than anything in the world, Hilde.”
“I told you to stop saying nonsense.”
“Alright.”
Slowly, she loosened her arms around him. He almost reached out to hold onto her, but he stopped himself.
“Hilde, I’ll have to sleep here tonight.”
“I figured.”
“Shall we read together until morning?”
He suddenly realized how reckless he’d been in letting her stay. But when he turned to see her smiling bashfully, his regrets faded. He hated himself for that.
“The books you read and the books I read are worlds apart.”
“Did you think I only read romance novels?”
“No, I’m the one who reads romance novels.”
“Huh? Really?”
“No.”
He didn’t know why he’d joked like that, and the strange feeling it left him with made him nod toward the sack she’d brought.
“Oh, that! That’s our dinner.”
“….”
“It’s a magic-sealed bag, so it’s waterproof.”
“Hah.”
He remembered he hadn’t eaten all day. Strangely, he hadn’t even felt hunger until she arrived.
“Are we dining together, then?”
“Is that so thrilling?”
“No, I’m happy because it’s with you, Hilde.”
Her words made him reach out, almost instinctively, to touch her lips. A droplet of water slid down her hair and rested there.
