Supporting Characters Also Need Some Love

CHAPTER 5: HERE, NOW, AND YOU (XXVI)

Part 122

 

Jenny and Franz were sitting side by side in the driver’s seat of the carriage. Today, two days before the National Foundation Festival, held on the first day of new spring, Damian tried on a dress. The light yellow dress suited Damien very well, but Jenny, who didn’t like the accessories she had prepared, thought of the tiara set that would be in the Duke’s dressing room. And when he came out to take the carriage to pick it up, Franz was sitting in the coachman’s seat. Jenny smiled and took the seat next to Franz. She told him to stay comfortably in the carriage, but the corner of Franz’s mouth went up as Jenny sat down next to him, saying that she had something to say and it went well.

 

“Don’t flinch and laugh, because it doesn’t feel good.”

 

As Jenny spoke softly, Franz quickly became intimidated and asked.

 

“What’s wrong, sister? Is something bad happening?”

 

“When on earth is your master coming?” Jenny asked pointedly.

 

Adrian promised Damian. There are only two days left until spring comes. Since Adrian’s position was a position, there was no way that Jenny, who was watching Damien by his side as he gradually withered away without notice, would not know what was going on. Now the days are slowly getting warmer and spring flowers are about to bloom, but there is no word from the person who said he would come, and Damien was becoming less and less talkative. It’s like that just today. It was soon to be the national festival, so we had put together a lovely dress that would fit Demi Ann, but Damian, who was actually decorated like a flower, just smiled soullessly. Jenny went out of her way to go all the way to the duke’s residence because she thought it would be brighter if she wore more sparkly jewelry, but Jenny knew well that jewelry wasn’t what she needed.

 

“The snowstorm is so severe in the north that even Jeonseo-gu can’t fly. I don’t know what’s going on.” When Franz responded flirtatiously, Jenny, who took out her anger for no reason, felt even worse.

 

Already ten days ago, the messenger arrived, finally bringing news that his concubine had died. To be precise, it is said that the remnants of the Romanovs, who could not withstand Adrian’s offensive, cut off the head of their defender as a sign of surrender, and blew off the head of the messenger who came to inform them of their intention to open the castle immediately and surrender unconditionally if their lives were guaranteed. It was news that the offensive was being pushed further. It was so cold that her head froze, Jenny grumbled, asking what on earth she was doing, not even thinking about the people waiting. Franz often saw Damian trying not to show off, but as spring approached, he would look far away and lose words. Now she was going for a walk on Green, which she was quite used to. It was always Franz who accompanied her when she took a walk around the Duke of Bigor’s residence. Franz’s heart ached for the girl waiting for her master, and Jenny’s heart ached as he watched her like that. He wrapped Jenny’s wobbly hand with his thick hand and patted it, then gave the back of his hand a harsh smack.

 

“You’ve been touching me subtly these days. Are you okay?”

 

Franz pouted his mouth while stroking the back of his hand, which had been slapped with a loud sound, with the other hand holding the reins.

 

“You touch me whenever you feel like it, and you don’t just do that to me.”

 

“My, when will I? When will I touch you whenever I feel like it?”

 

“Didn’t you rub my butt last night too?”

 

“What a mess!”

 

Jenny screamed as his face fell. Then he looked around him and lowered his voice.

 

“That’s because your buttocks aren’t soft and your buttocks are bad. And I told you not to say things like that outside, right? Do you want to die?”

 

“There’s no one there anyway.”

 

They had now left the grounds of the Park Mansion and entered the main road. Although no one passed by the carriage, it was not completely deserted. Jenny saw a horse running furiously from the opposite direction and scolded her.

 

“There’s no one there. Can’t you see that person over there?”

 

Franz’s eyes widened as he turned his head to look at the running horse at Jenny’s words.

 

“Chu, my lord?”

 

“What?”

 

Jenny also had a similar expression and looked at the black horse approaching at an embarrassing speed and the person riding on it. A man said to be at war in the northwest came running at a speed as if he were going to hit the carriage, and when he saw Franz and Jenny, he stopped his horse roughly. Purrung came to a sudden stop, raising his front paw high, and Franz unconsciously wrapped his arms around Jenny’s shoulders.

 

It’s Adrian.

 

Even after rubbing her eyes and looking again, it was Adrian.

 

“Master, master, when? Or how did you come? What about the war? Is it over?”

 

“What about Damian?”

 

“What?”

 

When Franz was so dazed that he couldn’t answer, Adrian furrowed his brows and asked again angrily.

 

“Damian, are you at the mansion?”

 

Just as Jenny was about to answer, Ethan arrived, riding like crazy as expected, and called out to Adrian out of breath.

 

“My lord, my dear, please take this with you even if you leave.”

 

When she took out the bouquet of peonies that she desperately held in her arms and handed it over, she urged Adrian Jenny, who had received the bouquet, to answer.

 

“Are you at the mansion?”

 

“Yes, I came out after seeing you in the room.”

 

Adrian turned his head without answering and ran towards the mansion again. Franz, who had been staring blankly at Adrian’s back as he disappeared like the wind, hastily asked Ethan, who was sighing.

 

“Do, are you back? When did you come back? What about the war?”

 

“The war ended last week. A messenger will probably arrive tomorrow. They say he devastated the Romanovs and returned right away, but on the way, everyone else fell behind and only George managed to catch up.”

 

“You mean you came today?”

 

“He just arrived. Just now. Don’t even talk. As soon as he arrived, George was crying for help.”

 

“Just now? Are you coming straight from Romanov?”

 

“As soon as you arrived, you washed up, changed clothes, and immediately came running here.”

 

Ethan answered with a sigh, and Franz and Jenny just looked at the back of Adrian, who had disappeared with a puzzled expression.

 

* * *

 

She sat on the sofa and looked out the window and then got up. Ruby and Anna, who were preparing dresses to wear to the national festival, followed her and stood up, looking at her. She tried her best not to look listless, but she guessed she couldn’t fool the maids. These days, everyone was only looking at her.

 

“It’s frustrating. I’ll read a book outside.”

 

He picked up the book he was only pretending to read because he couldn’t see the words and said with a smile. Anna came and handed me the shawl with her passionate expression on her face.

 

“It’s still cold, so don’t stay too long.”

 

“The sun is nice today, I’ll be back soon.”

 

She did her best to speak cheerfully, but Ruby and Anna looked at each other and shared sad looks. She pretended not to notice and came out of the mansion. The sun was really warm. Spring, it seems, was really coming. But why was she still cold? After hesitating in front of the mansion about where to go, she changed her mind and went to Huwon. The flowers planted in the flower bed were opening their buds. Seeing the spring flowers getting ready to burst into bloom made my feelings even more complicated. Everyone is preparing for spring, except her. Covering her cold shoulders with a brush, she turned her eyes away from the flowers.

 

She sat quietly in the pavilion under the cherry tree and opened the book again. It was the first children’s book Ailene completed. It was a warm story with the subtitle ‘Dear Baby’, and it touched even the coldest part of her heart, but today she couldn’t seem to find it. They say it’s still cold in the northwest. So they said the war was not over yet. Spring was coming now, and they promised that it would come before spring, and they would go together to the national festival.

 

‘Adrian you liar.’

 

Tears fell, messing up the neatly written letters. She quickly wiped away her tears. She couldn’t leave tear stains on the beautiful story her friend gave her as a gift. She couldn’t blame Adrian, who was still enduring the cold winter with a stronger heart than her. If it could come, it would already be there. He must be working so hard that you couldn’t even imagine. You are the commander-in-chief, right? She couldn’t become weak like this just because she was away for a season. She didn’t know when he would go on a mission again in the future. Was he going to be like this every time he’s not by your side? He decided to wait bravely and welcome them with a smile, but as the spring breeze blew, his hardened heart was blown here and there. A pleasant breeze tickled her cheek again. She suddenly raised her head in the warm wind carrying the scent of flowers and saw him. It’s clear that it’s vain, but then that vain thing approaches her. And he smiles like a flower, as if he were her Adrian. While she was sitting there unable to blink, something that was clearly a play on the spring wind came up to the pavilion and opened its mouth.

 

“Damian.”

 

She jumped up from her seat. Adrian? Was it really, really Adrian? Without realizing it, she stretched out her hand towards him, but she was afraid that if she touched it, it would crumble and fly away, so she withdrew it again. But then he holds her hand. He lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand. The feeling of his lips resting on the back of her hand pushed away any doubts.

 

It’s Adrian. This was her Adrian. She fucked his mouth with the hand that wasn’t holding him.

 

“Ah oh…”

 

There was so much she wanted to say, but nothing came out. Asked if it was really Adrian, when did he come here, if he had been here for a week, if he was hurt anywhere, he said he missed me so much, but no voice came out and only tears welled up, and Adrian’s smiling face became cloudy. He quickly hugged him, afraid that he would blur and disappear. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. She wiped all her tears on his shirt and patted his back, and all she could hear was a sweet laugh that made her ears melt.

 

Adrian, who had been holding her for a while, took a long breath and said.

 

“I’m home.”

 

“Welcome.”

 

After barely answering while holding back her tears, she kissed the top of his head again. After hugging her so tightly that it took her breath away, he let go of her and took a step back. He lifted the tears from his eyes with his long fingers and lowered his lips to erase the traces of tears. And then he knelt down on one knee. He gave her the bouquet he was carrying and kissed the ring that was beautifully placed on her right hand. Tears once again filled her sweet face that seemed to melt. Adrian, who was sadly watching the tears sliding down his cheeks, opened his mouth with solemn eyes.

 

“Damian, please marry me.”

 

She was nervous, wondering what she was going to say with such a serious face, but then she burst out laughing. When she laughed out loud and said, “Ahaha,” Adrian reflexively laughed along, but his eyes were still solemn. What was this unexpected marriage proposal? She hadn’t even asked him yet if he had a good trip. There was a mountain of stories to tell, but the proposal that went back and forth was unique to him, so she couldn’t stop laughing.

 

She looked down at Adrian, who was smiling with his eyes wide open, and his slightly thin face was full of traces of winter. With those words in his heart, this person must have endured the hardships. She kissed Adrian’s pretty forehead as he looked up at her with eager eyes. ‘Don’t make me wait any longer.’

 

“Yes, we’re getting married.”

 

They laughed together as they faced his face, which bloomed brighter than any other flower. They kissed, enjoying the fragrant wind blowing again and the warm sunlight tickling our faces. Spring was coming. Spring had finally come to her.

 

(End of the main story)

 

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Translator Note: