Cedric, who had departed for the Rihel territory, reunited with Gabriel in a mansion there.
Only after confirming that both the children and Gabriel were unharmed could he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
They were living comfortably. The mansion was spacious, and there were people to attend to their needs.
He had thought they would merely have a place to stay, but it seemed the Grand Duke was taking more meticulous care of their well-being than he had anticipated.
“Cedric, is the person who helped us the same one who is Julia’s husband…?” Gabriel whispered softly. Being seasoned, Gabriel was quite perceptive.
Cedric nodded with a complicated expression.
“…Yes, I believe so.”
“I see, it is as I thought.”
Gabriel continued, his face clouded with concern.
“Since they are treating us so generously, I must believe that Julia is being well protected too.”
“……”
“However, I worry about her health… She tends to faint easily, and that is my biggest concern.”
Cedric nodded darkly. When the heart was uneasy, the body often followed suit. Therefore, he could only hope that she was at least able to find peace there.
…Though it might be a difficult wish.
After swallowing a sigh, Cedric tried to lift the corners of his mouth.
“Gabriel, if you learn anything about Julia’s whereabouts, please send me word.”
“Don’t worry, just return. I’ll write to you.”
For now, there was nothing he could do. He could only wait for news from Julia.
In that moment, Cedric felt miserable at his own impotence.
At the same time, he grappled with a small feeling filling part of his heart, feeling self-reproach.
His emotions, which should have been solely concern for Julia, were mixed with something unwanted.
It was jealousy. He felt uneasy that she might be swayed by the Grand Duke and never return.
Of course, it was unlikely that Julia would want to stay by the Grand Duke’s side now.
She certainly wouldn’t want that, yet he could not understand why he felt this vague unease.
As Cedric stepped out of the mansion, he took in the world, now fully awash in spring.
Despite such a beautiful day, his heart felt utterly despondent.
He missed the days he walked with Julia. The evenings spent at the monastery, talking about trivial things while feeling the night breeze.
His heart ached intensely. Cedric lowered his eyelids and exhaled deeply.
* * *
Julia had been engulfed in a whirlwind of confusion for some time.
She had resolved to leave this place somehow, but for some reason, her once firm resolve kept crumbling.
Walking across the plains, Julia gazed at the distant forest.
If she ran along that forest for a while, a steep mountainside would appear. Following that down would lead to the road into the village.
She had already memorized the escape route. If she descended the mountain under the pretext of going out, perhaps she could flee.
But…
As Julia lowered her gaze with a troubled expression, she suddenly sensed a strange presence.
“……?”
Startled by a rustling sound, Julia quickly turned her head.
Her eyes widened as she saw a white horse slowly approaching her.
“…Ah.”
At that moment, a scene flashed through Julia’s mind. It was the white horse she had seen a few days ago in the bustling district.
Then a soft voice settled above her head.
“It’s a gentle creature, so it will listen to you well.”
Startled, she turned around to see Fernan standing there, she couldn’t tell when he had arrived.
He continued speaking calmly.
“It’s a riding horse, so it should be suitable for you to ride.”
Julia, still in a daze, looked back at the white horse.
The horse, with its head lowered, was quietly grazing on grass.
“Is it the same horse I saw in the bustling district?”
As she murmured absentmindedly, Fernan, who had stepped closer, brushed the horse’s mane.
“That white horse at that time wasn’t of good breed; I acquired it from somewhere else.”
Now that she looked closely, the horse’s eye color was indeed different.
Unlike the horse from that day, this one had light green eyes.
With its soft, white mane, the horse made a pleasant sound, almost like a purr.
Julia, momentarily captivated by its enchanting presence, quickly composed herself and looked at Fernan.
“I… don’t know how to ride. It would be better to send it back.”
With that, she quietly withdrew her gaze from the horse.
Julia had already received so much from him—excessive luxuries she hadn’t asked for.
Regardless, once she left, it would no longer belong to her, and she didn’t want to receive anything more from him.
Just as she turned to walk away, a low voice emanated from Fernan once more.
“I’ve already given it to you, so there’s no turning back.”
“……”
“If you don’t know how to ride, you can learn.”
As Julia stopped, she turned to face him. Fernan had approached, holding the horse’s reins.
“If you don’t seek it out, this horse will have to sit uselessly in the stable.”
Julia gazed up at him intently. She couldn’t gauge whether he was threatening her or simply stating a fact.
Meanwhile, the horse, which had come closer, looked at her intently.
Then, as if begging for a pat, it gently nudged its nose toward her.
Shoulders tensing, Julia blinked slowly. Without even realizing it, she reached out her hand slightly.
As she carefully stroked the white mane, the horse let out another pleasant sound, as if it were saying it felt good.
Just as he said, it seemed to be a gentle and kind horse.
Julia’s blue eyes began to sparkle subtly.
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
Fernan, who had been observing her closely, subtly encouraged her.
“Um…”
Julia hesitated, her words trailing off. Fernan who had stepped a little closer, looked down at her as if to encourage her again.
While pondering with her hands still on the horse, he slowly leaned down.
Before she could feel flustered by his approaching face, her body was suddenly lifted.
As Julia stared blankly at him, in an instant, she found herself seated on the saddle.
Fernan held her arm to help her straighten her tilted position. Julia, in surprise, grasped the reins.
It was her first time riding alone. Holding the reins tightly, Julia could only freeze.
As Fernan quietly mounted behind her, his solid form quickly supported her unstable body.
“You’ll be fine; just gently squeeze the horse’s sides.”
He said, layering his hands over hers on the reins.
With a slight tremor in her hands, Julia hesitated but eventually did as he instructed.
Soon, the horse began to walk slowly.
Straightening her previously bent posture, Julia looked ahead. The large body behind her provided a sense of stability.
Perhaps due to the elevated viewpoint, familiar scenery appeared different somehow.
As the air opened up, the tension in her stiff body began to ease.
Feeling her body relaxing, Fernan subtly lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Riding isn’t difficult; you’ll learn quickly.”
“……”
“If you want, I can teach you often.”
Strangely enough, Julia thought that the voice coming from behind her sounded unfamiliar.
It was soft and comforting, undeniable in its warmth.
Biting her lip, Julia looked down at the large hand completely enveloping her own.
It was a hand that appeared rough with calluses, yet long and elegantly stretched out. She had never looked at it so closely before.
As she stared at his hand for a long time, memories she hadn’t recalled in ages flooded back.
The day they first met. The memory of him holding her hand for a long time.
Suddenly, Julia wondered if he still remembered that day.
Without realizing it, she found herself speaking.
“Your Highness.”
At her small call, Fernan tilted his head slightly to look down at her.
“Do you remember? Back then, you held my hand like this…”
But her words faded, unable to continue. Now that she had spoken, it felt foolish to have asked.
There was no point in recalling that memory, and there was no need to mention that day to Fernan.
As she closed her mouth, Fernan tightened his grip around her hand.
“I remember, everything.”
“……”
Julia blinked in surprise, taken aback. In the meantime, Fernan continued speaking.
“Your name, we agreed to share it when we met again.”
At the low words whispering in her ear, Julia’s shoulders shifted slightly.
‘If we meet again someday, I’ll hear your name then.’
Julia slightly lowered her head with a nuanced expression.
She was certain that when he met her again, he had said he wouldn’t remember her.
So sometimes she found herself uncertain whether the boy she had met that day was indeed Fernan.
The man she re-encountered was not the one she had imagined, but rather a cold person wrapped in layers of ice.
Yet, he was indeed the same man she had met back then.
Now, she had no intention of assigning meaning to that event. However, it still felt somewhat strange.
As she lowered her head in contemplation, Fernan also fell silent, merely gently stroking her restrained hand.
And Julia, as usual, did not push him away. Instead, she whispered softly.
“I want to run a little faster.”
She didn’t want to be consumed by this tingling feeling that had begun to arise somewhere within her. She felt that if she could run a bit faster, she might be able to forget this feeling.
A response came immediately
.
“Alright, then.”
With that, the horse began to trot. As the wind brushed past her face, Julia squeezed the reins tightly, urging the horse to run faster.
* * *
“Would you like to hear some stories of my adventures?”
“Adventures?”
Fernan responded lightly.
“Sure, there are countless things that happened while I traveled.”
Julia raised her head, intrigued.
“Are you a traveler?”
He chuckled, shaking his head.
“No, I just went on a trip for a while. But if it’s interesting, I’ll gladly share it.”
“Then I want to hear it all!”
Fernan smiled.
As she listened, Julia unconsciously leaned back, letting herself fall into his voice.
With a pleasant feeling blossoming inside her, Julia rested her head back against him.
In that moment, she was no longer concerned with anything else.
