Standing next to Bernard, Siorn looked at the flowers Bernard was looking at a moment ago. A sea of flowers were in full bloom creating a spectacular view. Every time the wind blew, the sweet scent of flowers tickled the tip of his nose.

“It is a beautiful flower.”

“It is called Ranunculus.”

Seeing Siorn’s admiration, Bernard informed him of the flower’s name. Siorn looked at Bernard with a slightly surprised look. He wondered when Bernard had been interested in flowers. He tried to think hard about it, yet the combination of the two doesn’t match at all.

“Ranunculus.”

Siorn repeated the name Bernard had given him. Both the appearance and the tone were unfamiliar to him. Silently repeating the word Ranunculus several times in his mouth, he turned his head to look at his younger brother.

Unlike Siorn , who has a quiet and calm personality, Bernard was always energetic and full of confidence.

No matter what troubles or mischief he faced, Bernard never flinched. He had the pompousness to ignore things when others took them seriously. He had the cool-headedness to solve problems step by step without panic, no matter how troublesome it was.

Siorn didn’t show it outwardly, but deep down, he was always jealous of Bernard. And he secretly wanted to be like Bernard. If the people around him knew, there would be words, but it was true.

But what had happened? A light of concern flashed in Siorn’s eyes. Bernard, who was standing next to him now, looked somewhat helpless and even gloomy. He didn’t seem like the brother Siorn had known.

“Bernard.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“You seem to be out of energy these days. Is there something going on?”

Siorn asked cautiously. Bernard turned his head and looked at him. Many indescribable emotions swirled in Bernard’s eyes.

Before long, Bernard turned his head again to stare straight ahead.

“Nothing.”

He just answered insincerely.

“It’s just, it seems like the season is out of place.”

“You mean the seasons?”

Siorn laughed, finding it absurd.

“Since when have you been so sensitive?”

Bernard was silent as Siorn questioned him. He didn’t express it openly, but it was clear that he didn’t want to talk about it any more.

Siorn let out a long sigh as Bernard kept his mouth shut like a clam. Bernard was stubborn and had a strong sense of pride. There was no way he would voluntarily confide his problems to others.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“It’s okay.”

“Sheesh. I was asking because you don’t look okay.”

Siorn said with a pitiful look. Bernard was still silent.

He could tell without even checking. Most likely his older brother, Siorn, was looking at him with worried eyes.

Siorn, the first born, and Bernard, the fittest, had to keep each other in check over the king’s successor position. However, despite this, Siorn always cared for Bernard with all his heart.

A good and upright person. He wasn’t just pretending on the outside, Siorn was truly a person with a pure and clear personality. Is that why? No matter how harsh and precarious life was, Bernard could not hate Siorn in the end.

“As time goes on, I will get better little by little.”

Bernard lowered his gaze and said.

“In that case, everything will be the same as before. As always.”

Someone said so. The vacancy that feels empty now will be filled with something else someday.

He wouldn’t even know that the vacancy would be filled with such a natural change.

He wouldn’t even remember the fact that the place was vacant afterward.

“By the way, what happened to her?”

Siorn, who was standing still, asked as if he had suddenly remembered.

“You know. The woman from Brimdel with auburn hair.”

Concerned that Bernard might not understand what he was saying, he even added a brief description.

Bernard recognized at once who the person Siorn was referring to was. He couldn’t not know It. It was none other than Herietta Mackenzie, the one who made him feel so low.

“She …….”

His voice slightly cracked. It was as if he had swallowed a handful of soaked wads of cotton.

He couldn’t understand it at all. He didn’t even get a question that was difficult to answer, so why did he keep feeling complicated like this?

He quickly cleared his throat and gathered his expression before Siorn’s gaze turned suspicious.

“She went back to her hometown.”

“Hometown? To Brimdel?”

Bernard nodded to Siorn’s question. Siorn tilted his head and narrowed his brows.

“I don’t know the circumstances, but it seems a bit sudden. To think that she decided to return at a time when her country’s situation was not so good…….”

“…….”

“So, did she say she would come back here later?”

Will she ever come back? No, can she come back?

“Well…… I don’t know.”

Nothing was certain.

He should have asked her more. He should’ve been more persuasive.

But he knew that whatever he did in the past, the result would not have been different from now. Still, the lingering regret remains.

“Yes. It must have been difficult for her to give a definite answer.”

Siorn muttered with an affirmative look.

“You must have been pretty sorry. It seems like the two of you got along quite well.”

Despite saying so, Siorn’s attitude seemed insignificant. It was as if he was talking about overdue work. It even had that kind of businesslike feeling, like spitting out what had to be said formally.

Bernard shut his mouth. He didn’t really like Siorn’s reaction much, but he couldn’t just blame him for that. There is a difference in opinion between the person who speaks and the person who accepts it.

Bernard was well aware. It wasn’t that Siorn was mean. If there was a problem, it would be with Bernard himself, not with Siorn.

Want to read more? Up to [12] advanced chapters are available on Patreon:

For update pings, novel discussions and/or to send mistake reports, join our server~!