Leaving the temple, Hilane grabbed a nearby pillar.
“Princess, are you all right?”
“…Lord Nocturne. Why didn’t you stop the Marquess of Rata?”
She asked the captain of the knights why he hadn’t stopped Revan.
“Princess Glazé ordered us to let the Marquess of Rata in if he came.”
“Princess Glazé said that?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Realizing this was all part of Glazé’s plan, Hilane sighed.
‘It would have been nice if she had informed me in advance…’
Hilane hardened her expression and spoke firmly to all the knights.
“Make sure this incident doesn’t leak outside.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The knights stood at attention. Relieved, Hilane walked toward the carriage.
“Elisha.”
As she approached, she saw Elisha.
“Grand Duchess, you’re here?”
Hearing herself called the Grand Duchess by Elisha felt strange. She really was the Grand Duchess of Belzette now.
As she nervously approached the carriage, she heard Aachen’s voice through the slightly open door.
“There’s no need to apologize, princess. Don’t be discouraged. One day, you will be able to speak.”
“……”
“I was the same.”
‘Such a kind person… Does that mean the Grand Duke also had mutism at some point?’
Chevelyn blushed in embarrassment.
Until she remarried, Chevelyn was what worried her the most.
Fortunately, it seemed their start wasn’t bad.
“Grand Duke.”
Hilane announced her arrival and entered the carriage, sitting next to Chevelyn.
Chevelyn clung to Hilane.
Hilane gently stroked Chevelyn’s cheek and spoke.
When the door closed and Elisha climbed into the coachman’s seat, the coachman urged the horses on.
“I was waiting, my lady.”
At Aachen’s words, Hilane replied.
“We plan to go to Robert Station and take a train to Belzette.”
“A train?”
“Using a magic scroll to travel quickly is an option, but it might be too much for the young princess.”
Touched by Aachen’s consideration for Chevelyn, Hilane smiled kindly.
“Chevelyn, it’s your first time on a train, right?”
“!”
“Lyn, what’s wrong?”
Excited at the prospect of taking a train, Chevelyn suddenly began frantically searching for something.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked distressed.
“Lyn? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Princess…?”
Chevelyn pressed her trembling lips together and mouthed desperately.
[ Ruby… Ruby is gone. I left Ruby on the bed! ]
Hilane immediately understood why by reading Chevelyn’s small lips.
“Ruby?”
“What’s Ruby?” Aachen asked, tilting his head.
“It’s the doll my daughter cherishes. I should have made sure to bring it.”
Looking out the window, she saw they were already quite far from Largon Palace to return for it.
‘Chevelyn can’t sleep well without that doll… What should I do?’
As she considered sending Elisha to fetch it later, Aachen, lost in thought, spoke to Chevelyn.
“Princess, who named Ruby?”
The name was given by Chevelyn because the rabbit doll’s eyes looked like rubies.
Chevelyn took a deep breath and mouthed.
[ Cherry did. Huuung… ]
“Can you hold my hand while thinking about Ruby?”
[ Yes… ]
Aachen extended his hand to the tearful Chevelyn.
When Chevelyn held Aachen’s hand, a dazzling light spread out.
Poof!
At that moment, the rabbit doll, which should have been on the bed in Largon Palace, appeared inside the carriage.
Chevelyn stopped crying as if she had never shed a tear.
“Grand Duke, how did this happen?”
Amazed yet joyful at the strange phenomenon, Hilane was surprised.
“If the item has a name, it can be moved by the person who named it thinking about it.”
‘That’s why he asked about the name.’
“Magic is… truly fascinating. Ah, Lyn, shouldn’t you say thank you?”
Feeling calm again, Chevelyn was nodding off, clutching the rabbit doll tightly.
“It’s alright, my lady. Let her sleep.”
When Aachen snapped his fingers to adjust Chevelyn’s uncomfortable sleeping position, Hilane recalled Glazé’s words.
‘How can someone with the blood of the Requor royal family still be alive as a mage?’
Asking him directly would certainly seem strange.
“What is Belzette like?”
So, Hilane asked about Belzette instead.
“…When snow piles up, it’s a very beautiful place.”
Aachen’s reply came a half-beat slow.
“The princess is very lovable.”
Aachen smiled warmly as he looked at the soundly sleeping Chevelyn.
“She is a child full of love. Does the Grand Duke have children too?”
“Yes. My son attends Kimishu Academy and lives in the dormitory there. Even during vacations, he refuses to come home, perhaps he’s already in his rebellious phase.”
Despite mentioning the rebellious phase, Aachen’s lips curled into a faint smile when he thought of his son.
Seeing this, Hilane grew more curious about Luan.
“Is the Grand Duke’s son named Ruan?”
“Yes. In ancient language, it means ‘child of spring.’”
“…‘Child of spring’? That’s interesting…. Chevelyn’s name also has the same meaning in the Baren language. She was born in spring.”
It was fascinating that Ruan had the same meaning as Chevelyn’s name.
“His birth mother gave him that name. Ruan was born in winter, so I don’t know why he’s called ‘child of spring.’”
Aachen spoke about the origin of Luan’s name with a bittersweet smile.
“No matter which season he was born in, perhaps it means they hoped he’d be someone with the warm spirit of spring.”
“Hearing your words, it really does seem that way.”
As Hilane felt more comfortable conversing with Aachen, she asked what she had been genuinely curious about.
What did he mean when he said he couldn’t speak just like Chevelyn?
“…I heard what you said to Lyn earlier. That you couldn’t speak either, Grand Duke.”
Hilane cautiously opened her mouth. It could be a sensitive topic.
“I couldn’t speak from the moment I heard of my father’s death.”
“…Ah.”
“Please wait for her. In her own time, she will be able to speak.”
“Chevelyn is selectively mute. She can only speak when she’s with me. What about you, Grand Duke?”
Hilane confided in him about Chevelyn’s condition.
He nodded in understanding.
“I couldn’t speak to anyone. Not even my mother or long-time relatives.”
“……”
“I didn’t leave my room and hated meeting people at that time.”
‘I heard that the Count of Tiara, the Empress Mikael’s brother, was wary of the Grand Duke, so he wasn’t close to his sisters.’
Hearing that made her think he must have been quite lonely.
“I believe I was able to speak again when I smelled the perfume my father made himself.”
“Perfume?”
“It felt as though my father was waiting for me to return.”
Aachen smiled, as if to say he was fine now.
As Hilane felt sympathy for Aachen, she realized she had let her guard down.
‘I mustn’t. The Grand Duke is that person’s twin.’
Even though they were now married, she had to maintain a certain distance from Aachen.
‘Let’s not share too much personal information.’
“I see….”
Hilane naturally cut off the conversation to prevent it from continuing.
She shifted her gaze and fixed Chevelyn’s disheveled hair as she repeatedly smacked her lips.
While tidying Chevelyn, Hilane noticed Aachen resting his head against the window.
He seemed to be dozing off.
‘He must be tired from the journey here.’
Seeing Aachen asleep brought a gentle smile to Hilane’s face.
Then she noticed a petal on his hair.
As she reached toward his head, a low voice came from below.
“…My lady?”
Aachen called Hilane in a languid voice as he slowly opened his eyes.
“Oh. This is, um, something got on you….”
Hilane spoke, showing the petal she had removed, her voice awkward.
She didn’t know why she felt the need to explain, even though she wasn’t lying and her intentions were genuine.
“Oh, thank you….”
With a rattling sound, the carriage shook.
“!”
“My lady!”
Due to the jolt, Hilane ended up falling into Aachen’s chest.
♡♡♡
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