You're Not Going to Ask How I Knew to Come Here?

Chapter 90

"……What?"

Elysia's lips parted slightly in stunned surprise.

Her mind went blank, as if bleached white.

"Who did you say came?"

"Lord Cassian del Farne, the second son of House Farne, has come to see you, young lady."

As the butler repeated the man's name once more in clear confirmation.

"Goodness."

Her heart pounded in her ears.

That man who hated troublesome things.

He braved the night wind at this late hour, made perfect sense of that rambling mess, and came all the way to the duchy's front gate himself?

"I'll go right away."

Elysia grabbed the hem of her skirt and was about to dash down the stairs at once.

Just then.

Tap.

"Young lady."

A gentle, warm hand softly held Elysia's arm.

Even with her mind blank, the maid's gentle voice reached Elysia's ears clearly.

Elysia gasped and turned to look at the maid.

Realizing that this was no way to meet a gentleman at this hour—and that she was far too excited—Elysia gave an awkward laugh.

"My goodness, look at me. Thank you. I was so flustered I almost ran straight to the front gate without a shred of dignity as the daughter of the Duke of Rosenberg."

But the maid smiled brightly and shook her head lightly.

"Not at all, young lady. You may run straight to the front gate just as you are."

"What?"

"However, there is just one thing I'd like to ask. May I?"

"Yes. Ask away."

The maid took both of Elysia's hands warmly and met her eyes.

"That gentleman..."

"……."

"Is he the kind of person who would like our young lady's lively, honest side better—the way she rushes to him without worrying about appearances?"

"Ah……."

"Or would he like it better if you took your time to get ready and walked out slowly, like a proper lady who never loses her grace?"

The question was completely unexpected.

It wasn't a question of etiquette, asking, "Which behavior is proper for a noblewoman?"

It was advice born of affection, asking, "Which side of you do you think he would find more endearing?"

Elysia answered that warm consideration with a bright smile.

"I'm glad I told you after all."

"If I could be even a small support for you, young lady, then that would be truly fortunate, and truly happy, for me."

Elysia, childish as she was, was deeply grateful for the maid's consideration that let her selfishly think only of herself.

But right now.

Just a little.

'Wouldn't it be okay to be a little immature?'

So Elysia decided to care a little more about what she herself wanted, and to be honest with herself.

Elysia stared quietly at the clusters of light beneath the spire for a moment, then voiced the answer aloud.

"That man..."

"Yes."

"No matter what I do, I don't think he'll immediately take a romantic liking to me as a beautiful woman."

"Why do you say that so confidently?"

"Because that man is unbelievably honest."

Elysia's eyes curved beautifully like crescent moons.

"If he had even this much romantic interest or affection in me, he'd definitely have left some opening with that smooth-talking personality of his."

Because she had no such sweet expectations at all, and no confidence whatsoever that they would become lovers right away.

Wasn't that why she'd been so depressed all afternoon?

But.

"Not as a woman, but simply as a person."

"……."

"He'd be far more comfortable seeing me throw off my pretense and act honestly and freely, and he'd want that too."

That man was the type who found stuffy etiquette and hypocrisy to be the most annoying things in the world.

Then the answer was decided.

"All right."

The maid smiled brightly and gave Elysia's back a light push.

"Then all the servants here in Rosenberg will make it so that, no matter how outrageous your conduct is tonight, nobody saw anything."

"What? Ah……!"

"Go on, then. That indifferent yet kind gentleman will be waiting at the front gate for quite a while."

"Yes! Thank you, Emma!"

Elysia thanked her with a bright smile and hurried down the spiral staircase at once.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

* * *

Hasty footsteps echoed from below the stairs.

Imagining Elysia racing down with her skirt fluttering, the maid wore a very warm smile.

'How could she be so lovely?'

The steps of a girl in love are lighter than feathers, and more dazzling than the starlight spread beneath the spire.

Just then, the old butler standing quietly beside her opened his mouth cautiously.

"It still seems quite cold outside. Wouldn't it be best to follow after her and bring her a blanket?"

Even at the butler's words, she gently shook her head.

"No, Butler. Let her be."

"But if she catches a cold……"

"That unadorned, hurrying side of hers is surely the most honest self our young lady would want to show him in full."

She added the instruction with a benevolent smile.

"Instead, we should set out black tea infused with a warming enchantment, in case the two of them have a quiet, private tea time."

"Yes. Understood."

"And please tell the stableman, too, to activate the heating mana stones in the duchy's carriage he'll use on the way back later, so it stays warm."

"I will make sure it is conveyed without fail."

The butler bowed respectfully and withdrew.

The maid slowly turned her head and looked out through the spire's wide window.

In the middle of the moonlit garden, Elysia's small figure could be seen racing toward the front gate, clutching her dress in both hands and almost flying.

"How could that smile be so much like hers?"

The maid's eyes grew moist with a faint longing.

In her mind, the youthful days of the former mistress of this great house, whom she had served all her life, and of the precious friend with whom she had shared her deepest feelings for a lifetime, overlapped.

That radiant woman who was endlessly transparent and brave in the face of love.

* * *

"……."

"……."

The air in front of the iron gate grew strangely awkward.

The two middle-aged guards who had blocked my way were just staring blankly at me, spears in hand, in a silent showdown.

Something.

Something, something.

'Do you play poker?'

Or.

'You guys must have some trick for goofing off on guard duty, so what do you usually use?'

Would the mood loosen up if I tossed out some friendly small talk like that?

But that probably wouldn't work.

Those guys looked like their heads were a fucking mess because they didn't know how to deal with me right now.

It wasn't cold enough to offer, "It's cold out—would you like to come into the guard post and warm up?"

But without a clear pretext, even if he was the second son of House Farne, it would be awkward to let him in with a casual, "Please wait comfortably inside."

If they did something outside their authority and got chewed out by their superiors, their heads would hurt like hell.

'Yeah, yeah. I understand all you guys' awkward little dilemma.'

So I decided, with great generosity, to quietly wait and watch the stars in the night sky.

But then.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

From far away, inside the well-kept garden beyond the duchy's front gate, urgent running footsteps came.

But wait.

'……Huh?'

I narrowed my eyes and studied the silhouette running through the darkness.

That familiar silver hair fluttering as her skirt swished.

It wasn't an illusion.

No matter how much of a romance-fantasy world this was, there was only one woman who could pull off both that silver hair and that look.

What the hell?

What?

No way, was the person herself actually coming out to greet me like that?

'Is this for real?'

The jaws of the guards standing beside me dropped to the floor.

Right.

I was surprised too, so how shocked must you guys be?

Because the Rosenberg young lady, who always waved her fan with impeccable grace, was hurrying toward the front gate while panting for breath.

"Haa, haa……."

Elysia, having run right up to me, was gasping for breath.

Her white cheeks were flushed peach-pink.

"How did you know to come here?"

Elysia looked up at me and smiled brightly.

Her smile in the moonlight was so dazzling that for a moment I almost lost my breath.

"Well……"

Before I could answer, Elysia lightly raised a hand.

"Just a moment."

She snapped her head around and sharply ordered the guards, who were still dazed.

"He's my guest, so I'll take care of him."

"……Ah, young lady!"

"You don't need to follow us."

"Yes! Understood!"

The guards snapped to attention and saluted crisply.

Very crisp command and control.

Elysia turned back and looked at me.

Her violet eyes glittered like jewels.

"Would you like to come inside?"

"……Ah. Yes, sure."

A dazed answer slipped out of me before I knew it.

She was being way too welcoming.

I was grateful, though. But it was a little overwhelming, too.

But this completely unexpected situation strangely didn't feel bad at all; it was a weirdly ticklish feeling.

Step, step.

We walked side by side.

Passing through the huge iron gate, we entered a broad garden path where the scent of grass pleasantly hung in the air.

* * *

The Rosenberg estate was far more beautiful and peaceful than it had looked from outside.

"Thank you for coming."

Elysia, walking beside me, whispered in a gentle voice.

I glanced at her profile.

"You're not going to ask how I knew to come here?"

At my teasing question, Elysia turned and lightly stepped in front of me, cutting me off.

"Do I have to ask?"

"……."

Elysia clasped her hands behind her back and leaned slightly toward me as she asked back prettily.

Ah.

I'm done for.

The thought that her smile was far too beautiful rose up in me.