To the west of the mansion was a garden for Sereia’s mother. His father built it. So that her mother who was bedridden after a serious illness, could view it from her bed.
When Sereia was ten, she had thought that her father was evil. How dare he remarry not long after her mother’s death. But now, she knew he loved her in his own way.
The flowers dominating the garden were all winter flowers. Sereia’s mother lost the ability to walk at the beginning of winter and died before spring. His father must have collected and planted all these beautiful flowers to comfort her a little.
Having just read a story about a second wife who tortures her first wife’s kids, young Sereia was afraid of her new mother and kept avoiding her. Maybe that’s why she was still so distant from her untill now.
It was her stepmother who took care of Sereia’s mother’s garden. She even refused when her husband allowed her to replace the plants with gorgeous spring flowers and recommended a gardener.
Yes, young Sereia always thought that human nature could only be divided into two: good and evil. But now that she was an adult, she understood very well reality is not that simple.
It was early summer, so there were no flowers, only leaves. In the tasteless garden, Sereia saw a tall figure. He was dressed in a navy blue knight’s uniform. His long black hair, which reached to the middle of his back, was tied in a knot.
The figure must have noticed the sound of grass being stepped on. He slowly turned around.
He was a man with a beautiful, well-rounded face. He had long obsidian eyes and a well-developed nose. His lips were thin and well formed.
He had a slightly cruel impression, but his face was blindingly neat. In the past, he was as adorable as a little girl, but now, even with his long hair, he looked strong and dignified—whichever side you want to see from.
Harold Randall scrutinized his eyes at the sight of Sereia. She approached him silently before sitting down on a wooden chair beside him.
This person had come all the way here just to see her. If he wanted to say anything, then Sereia would gladly listen. But Harold remained silent.
Losing her patience, Sereia let out an annoyed sigh and opened her mouth.
“The royal family has prepared a new fiancée for me.”
“…New fiancée?”
Harold looked down at the seated Sereia. His brows furrowed, his face turned sour and slightly intimidating. But Sereia was not afraid. She had been used to seeing that face since childhood.
“Dirk Hertl, a frontier count. Do you know him?” She asked, but Harold didn’t answer.
Instead, his gaze wavered a little. It was clear he knew this Dirk Hertl, but why he behaved like that was something Sereia did not want to know.
This engagement was a royal order. Sereia had no power to resist Dirk Hertl, nor could she run away once she found out what the man’s true personality was like.
She was suddenly disgusted for asking such a meaningless question. And ashamed for taking it out on Harold.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because… Well, it’s just that…”
Harold’s obsidian twin eyes seemed hurt and in pain. Perhaps he felt sorry for Sereia, even though he was the one who broke off the engagement.
It wasn’t Sereia’s fault their engagement had to be annulled, and it wasn’t her fault she had to marry a frontier count either.
It was all because of the man in front of her.
But still. The reason why Sereia couldn’t resent Harold was because she believed that this situation was not the result of the man’s wishes.
Having known Harold for a long time, Sereia was well aware of his personality. Outside and inside. Because if the “love story” as rumored in social circles had actually happened to him, Harold would surely have asked Sereia to end the engagement much earlier.
He was not dexterous enough to be two-timed.
Sereia had a little doubt that it might be…possible, but when he came to see her, his unusually haggard appearance erased any doubts she had.
Sereia looked at her fiancée’s— ex-fiancée’s annoyingly well-dressed face and dropped shoulders.
What does he think of my state now?
Harold reached out his hand.
His long fingers, which were about to touch Sereia’s soft long hair, stopped just before he did so. They stopped moving like a stone. And after a moment, they were lowered without any effort.
“We don’t have a…connection.”
Sereia looked at the leaves of the trees shaking in the wind and muttered to herself.
“Between us was just a verbal promise of our mothers. An engagement at first, and then the thought that we would eventually get married, but it didn’t…happen. It will never happen. We weren’t destined to be that way. That’s all I’m saying.”
Well, Sereia and Harold had some kind of a connection and became engaged. But that connection was not enough for them to become a husband and a wife.
“So you want me to give up on…” A low, angry voice spoke.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. Did you come here to elope me? No, you’re not… I don’t want to either. I can’t choose you and hurt a lot of people.”
If the two families rebel against the king’s order, they will take the houses down. Not only the family but also the servants employed would be out on the street.
Sereia could not be an irresponsible person. She knew, too, Harold adored his brother so much. He would not dare to cause trouble for him, the heir to his house.
“I…wish you all the best.”
Sereia was actually going to complain a little. But when she stared into Harold’s obsidian eyes, which were filled with a mixture of regret, frustration, and disappointment, she felt an irresistible urge to comfort him.
“…Miss Cornelia is still very young. She’s pretty, and I think her love for you is genuine. I’m sure it will work out in time. It depends on you too.”
Sereia mouthed the words to cheer Harold’s up, but honestly, she felt sick instead.
She looked at the man and saw him looking down at her with a raised willow brow.
“Don’t stare at me. I bet you expected me to cry and cling on to you and say I don’t want to leave you, right?”
Sorry, but I am not a sentimental person.
“I wish I hadn’t come…” said Harold with a sarcastic smile.
“You’re right. If the words get out about you coming to see me, Lady Cornelia will be jealous and mad at me again.”
Sereia said back with sarcasm. The smile on Harold’s face disappeared.
A silence.
“Sereia… I’m sorry about this,” Harold apologized in a quiet tone of voice.
“Don’t apologize.”
Sereia covered her desire to cry and stood up.
If she later marries and moves to frontier territory, this might be the last time she would see Harold. She did not want to part with him in tears.
“I have to go.”
“…Yeah.”
Just as Sereia was about to leave where Harold was still standing, she remembered something important.
“The medals…you gave me, can I return that to my aunt?”
In the Kingdom of Lorant, orders are given to those who have served the country well. Some orders were awarded for outstanding performance while attending knight school, while others were given after graduation in recognition of their achievements in the knighthood.
Harold sent his medals to Sereia as soon as he received them—perhaps because she used to be the one who would eventually become his wife.
Sereia have kept them safe. However, she was no longer engaged to Harold, not anymore to be his future wife.
It’s no use for Sereia to have the medals.
“That was for you.”
“But—”
Medals of Honor were not awarded easily. They were earned because Harold was exceptional and had worked hard. The nine medals are a testament to Harold’s 21 years of service.
No matter how hard Harold forced Sereia to keep them, it still felt weird. After all, the two of them will soon be strangers.
If she didn’t want it, she could just throw them away. That’s not going to happen, is it?
When Sereia stared up at the man again, Harold was seen smiling loosely.
“You do what you want.”
And just like that. He then left with slow steps.
As Sereia gazed at the back of Harold’s figure disappearing from the garden toward the gate, she regretted she had stopped for the medals talk.
It would have been a lot better if Sereia was the one who left. And not her who got left behind by Harold like this.
Ong he loves her.. Silly me not reading the synopsis 😂😂😂