Two years ago, the Perk Empire.
“There’s only a month left to live here.”
One evening, Pristin had no choice but to pause at this word she had heard by chance. As Pristin looked at her mother with a bewildered look, Joanna Lamont asked with a light smile.
“Are you disappointed?”
“What?”
“Your expression is very good to see, Pristin. It’s a very surprised expression.”
“Oh, that’s…”
“You’ve been going out these days. Have you made friends with someone you like?”
Pristin answered bluntly, pulling up the end of her mouth awkwardly.
“I love my time in Perk. My grandmother is here… and my aunt and uncle are too.”
“Yes. I like it here, too.”
Joanna said to Pristin with a smile.
“But your father is not here. We should return. He will miss us.”
“Yes. We should return. We’ve been away for too long…”
The issue that she had buried deep down in her heart and ignored during her time with Jerald refused to hide any longer and asserted its presence.
“Pristin, are you not hungry? You barely ate your dinner today.”
“Mother…”
Ultimately, Pristin called Joanna with a serious face at the end of the meal. Joanna asked with a curious expression.
“What is it?”
“I have something to ask.”
“Hmm? What is it? Ask.”
“Well…”
However, unlike when she confidently called her mother, her lips did not easily part to ask the question. Eventually, Pristin could barely ask the question after testing Joanna’s patience.
“You’re from Perk but you married father, who is from Limburg.”
“Didn’t I?”
“Did you make the decision to leave your homeland first?”
“Why ask such a thing?”
“I’ve always found it fascinating that you two were able to get together despite being from different countries.”
She had been curious but had never asked. However, now that she was in a situation where she could inherit her mother’s case, Pristin was curious. How could her mother think of leaving her homeland and going to far-off Limburg?
“It’s a big deal for you to ask that question. You never asked me when you were growing up.”
“It’s just… I suddenly became curious.”
“Well…”
Joanna opened her mouth after a moment’s reflection.
“Actually, it wasn’t that hard for us to choose.”
“Why?”
“Because your father couldn’t leave Limburg and come to Perk. Your father was the heir to the Lamont family, so things would get complicated if he followed me to Perk. But as I was not the eldest, and in the Perk Empire, it was very common for the bride to move to the groom’s country for marriage, I naturally ended up going to Limburg.”
“But the words and customs are different. You also had to say goodbye to your beloved family.”
“Pristin, baby. Even if you marry someone from the same country, you would be separated from your family.”
“That’s true, but…”
“And customs and things like that didn’t matter much. Fortunately, the Lamont family was not active in central politics. That means I didn’t have to force myself into the Limburg Empire social circle. Other customs besides that were not too difficult to adapt.”
“I see…”
“Yes. Even if I were to go back to that time, I would follow your father to Limburg. I’ve never regretted marrying your father.”
Joanna looked at her eldest daughter’s face with a smile on her face.
“And since I had you. Christine, too.”
A calm smile also appeared on Pristin’s mouth at her mother’s words. But contrary to her expression, her mind was very complicated.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Unfortunately, Pristin’s situation was very different from that of her mother’s. But there was one fact that nevertheless did not change.
“I must speak to Jerald for now.”
Christine, hearing Pristin’s determination, asked in a surprised voice.
“Do you really plan on staying with that man?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I… I didn’t expect you would be with him for so long.”
Upon hearing Christine’s answer, this time Pristin replied in a surprised voice.
“Long? It hasn’t even been a few years.”
“No, my point is… I never thought you’d stay with a man from another country for over a month, let alone think about the future.”
“Are you against it? You said all nice things about him being my destiny at first!”
“No, I’m not saying I’m against it.”
Christine asked with skepticism.
“Isn’t it going to be hard?”
“…”
“You said he was a royal servant. What are you going to do when you go to Limburg?”
“Limburg also has an imperial palace, Christine.”
“Do you think that man will willingly go to Limburg? What about the language barrier?”
“If I come to Perk… I even have relatives there.”
“…Are you really going to marry that man?”
“At least I don’t want to part like this.”
Christine closed her mouth at Pristin’s words. There was a moment of silence between the two. After a long time, Christine opened her mouth again.
“Yeah, well. You do what you want. It’s your life.”
“…You sound sarcastic.”
“Not at all. I felt like I was interfering too much.”
Christine asked, staring at Pristin.
“So when are you going to tell him?”
“Tomorrow. First thing.”
Pristin answered with a firm look.
“I’ll have to tell him right away tomorrow. I can’t take any more time. There’s only a month left. I need to give him time to think. We also need time to discuss.”
“Yes, good.”
Christine said, trying to pull up the end of her mouth. In fact, it was a little sad for her. Perhaps she might have to part with Pristin earlier than she thought. But the important thing was Pristin’s happiness.
“I wish you all the best, Sister. As long as you’re happy, I’m fine with either way.”
“Thank you, Christine.”
There had never been such solid support from Christine.
With a touched expression, Pristin hugged Christine.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The next day, Pristin sought out a maid to send the letter she had lovingly written the day before.
But as Pristin was about to entrust the maid with the letter, unexpected news came.
“Sir Jerald sent you a letter.”
Pristin accepted the letter wondering about it.
“When did it come?”
“It just got here.”
Pristin went back to her room with the letter. Sitting in front of the table, opening the letter, something fell out of the sealed letter. Pristin bent over and picked up the rolling ring.
“What’s this?”
It was a ring. A plain ring with a little gem embedded in it. Pristin wondered and opened the letter.
“…What is this?”
And after reading the letter, Pristin’s expression turned to shock.
Dear Pristin,
Please forgive me for sending a letter in such a hurry. Something unspeakable happened, so I left the Perk Empire in a hurry. I’m terribly sorry. Even though I’m leaving like this now, I’ll definitely come back to find you. I enclosed my mother’s keepsake as a token of my promise.
If you wait for me, I swear I’ll repay you with everything I have. But even if you do not trust me and forget me, I don’t dare to blame you. I’m only filled with an apology.
I’ll keep this brief. I love you, Pristin. And I’m sorry.
– Your Jerald
“He’s leaving? So suddenly?”
Pristin could not at all comprehend the situation. Wasn’t Jerald a servant at the Perk imperial palace with no other ties? He suddenly had affairs to tend to and had to leave the Perk Empire?
Pristin’s head started to hurt in the midst of the incomprehensible situation, but only for a moment. Pristin stood up from her seat as if she could not accept what was happening.
She had to get to the imperial palace.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
“…Yes?”
“I have told you that there is no such servant.”
But when she went to Perk Palace, the answer that Pristin had heard was deeply bewildering.
“That can’t be. He was certainly working at the palace…”
“There are many servants named Jerald in the palace. But none in the diplomatic department.”
“…”
Pristin felt as if she were hit in the back of the head with a hammer. Then where in the world did all her letters go? How did Jerald get her letters?
Pristin muttered, swaying.
“I should go to the diplomatic department.”
“Give up, miss. I think you’ve been conned by a bad fellow.”
“He’s not a bad guy. Jerald is…!”
“Someone who impersonates a palace servant and disappears after leaving a letter can’t be good.”
“…”
Pristin was at a loss for words. He was right. Who could say good things about Jerald in today’s situation?
Pristin, shocked, didn’t say anything for a long time. The servant who had been helping Pristin, as if feeling sorry for her state, offered her some comforting words.
“Don’t be too heartbroken, Miss. The world is vast, and there are many men, so I’m sure you’ll meet a better man.”
It wasn’t a comforting thing to say.
Pristin was eventually forced to leave the palace in despair. She returned helplessly to the Gremlyn mansion, and Christine asked with a worried expression when she saw her.
“What’s up, Sister?”
“…Nothing. I… I need some rest.”
Pristin couldn’t bring herself to share what was happening. Not with anyone. Even if it was Christine, she felt that she wouldn’t be able to defend Jerald in this situation.
She ascended quietly to her room and started crying into her pillow. It felt as if her world had collapsed overnight.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Regardless, she was heartbroken. Although she received a letter asking her to wait, such a hopeless wait was unbearable. She stayed in a constant state of depression after getting Jerald’s letter. Still, holding onto the hope for a reunion, Pristin wore the ring that Jerald had left her, which he claimed was his mother’s heirloom, on a necklace.
Time passed, and the day for the Pristin family to return to the Limburg Empire was drawing near.
But then…
“I think it’s best if we stay here for a while.”
An unexpected situation arose.
