653 Lesson Six: The Garden of Dreams

Odifia was resting herself secluded in her room.

My body and feelings are tired because I have been made to learn different things this morning. Odifia was still unable to find any reward for those things she was being forced to train as your mistress.

As we grow older, we spend less time being divided into things called academia, and instead, more time on courtesy, dance, etc. How to behave like a lady in a social setting where large numbers of nobles gather. Wearing it was now Odifia's proposition.

The only thing Odifia is looking forward to, such as training for Totos rides, comes only once every few days. Instead, if Odifia didn't want it, she was about to be cut off as unnecessary for the training. Odifia wasn't as good at moving her body as her mother, but it still felt more fun to make Totos run than to finally dance with a dance.

(I hate proms because I have to wrap up cramped banquet costumes.... but you look forward to the ball today)

When Odifia thought that way, the door was knocked from the outside.

A long-awaited word is delivered to Odifia's ear, which has risen so well.

"Dear Odifia, Dear Tour-Din, I see you now."

To avoid being scolded by the samurai, Odifia says, "Yeah, go ahead," and gives her a quick answer.

The door opened and Tour-Din showed up.

Pushing and killing the desire to rush right over to you, Odifia lets her pinch the one at her feet.

"Welcome, Tour-Din. I've been waiting for you."

"Yes. It's a hiccup, Odifia"

Tour-Din was smiling at me with a tender face.

When I see such a smile, Odifia is increasingly unable to contain her feelings. But for Odifia to release it, she had to wait for a tough samurai to leave.

"Now relax here until the tailor arrives. Which would you prefer: chach tea or aloo tea?

"Oh, I'll be here, I'll take care of it."

It is not the fashion of Castle Town to let guests have tea. But Tour-Din was a special guest, so the samurai never complained either.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. Speak up when you need us, as we will refrain from doing so during the next period."

"Yes, thank you"

So finally, the samurai left.

Tour-Din smiles back at me. At its chest, Odifia let her jump in full force.

Tul-din, I've been waiting for you.

"Yes, you look well and most importantly, Odifia"

Tour-Din smiled so graciously as he softly held Odifia's back.

It's been about eight years since the two of them met, Odifia is thirteen and Tour-Din is eighteen. Odifia should have been a lot taller too, but Tour-Din was getting bigger than that.

The brown hair that used to be around the chest is now long enough to reach the waist and the face is completely grown up. But that kind look and glance hasn't changed at all. Tour-din remained Odifia's favorite Tour-din.

"Shall I make you some tea? Would you prefer a chatch or an aloof?

"Yeah, more than tea, I'd like to talk to Tour-Din.... Oh, but Tul-din wants some tea?

"No. Then why don't we sit down and talk?"

"Yeah," Odifia nodded, leading Tour-Din to the chair.

The bright sun sliding through the window sparkles the wrapped translucent shoulders of Tour-Din. Below it was the exotic outfit of the eastern people, not very ornamental, but felt more beautiful in Odifia than anyone else.

"Odifia, I was so excited to meet Tour-Din."

Odifia, who usually uses the word "me," also returns to the tone of a toddler in front of Tour-Din. "Me too," Thur-din said to me, smiling at Odifia like that.

"Odifia seems busy these days, too. It must still be hard to be the eldest son of the Marquis."

"Yeah. But since my brother was born, I'm glad. This should keep Odifia from looking for her son-in-law."

"Oh, if the boy hadn't been born, the person who would have been Odifia's companion would have inherited the Marquis."

"Yeah," he nodded, while Odifia caught a slight anxiety.

"Speaking of which... Tool-din, is it time to give you a wedding?

"Huh? No, I don't have any such plans... why not?

"Because in the woods, it's something to give you a wedding before it's 20, isn't it?

"Well," Thur-din said, flailing his mouth.

"You knew Odifia well. Forestside is allowed to wed from the age of fifteen, so if you're unmarried at twenty, you'll be stuck around."

"Tool-din, too, are you stuck?

"No, not so far... but why does Odifia look a little anxious?

As always, Odifia's expression doesn't move like the people of the east. But Tour-Din, like his parents and grandfather, quickly read Odifia's emotions.

"If I give you a wedding, and you have a child, Thur-din will be busy, won't he? Of course, I'm glad Tour-Din is happy... but if we don't get to see each other now, I miss Odifia."

Thur-din said "well" again.

And it wraps Odifia's hands fluttering with warm fingertips.

"Even if you get busy, you won't have less time to meet with Odifia. It's not enough right now."

"... really?

"Yeah, it's true"

Odifia rose out of her chair and hugged Tour-Din again.

Tour-din smells like nuts and vanilla. I also loved this scent of Tour-Din, Odifia. Not a single part of a human being named Tour-Din, such as haters, existed.

"Speaking of which, Odifia also has a sister, right?"

When Odifia finally let herself go, Tour-Din asked as such.

"Yeah. My sister is nine years old. It's just below Odifia."

"Are you nine years old now? So you were born the year before me and Odifia met."

As I miss the old days, that's what Tour-Din said.

"It's incredible that it's been eight years... but you're going to grow up."

"Yeah."

"I never imagined by then that there would be a day to talk about Odifia and the wedding,"

With that word, Odifia was once again a little disturbed.

"... Even if Tool-Din gives you a wedding, will you make a treat for Odifia?

"Of course it is. I hope that if Odifia gives her a wedding and gives birth to a child, she will also eat my sweets."

Such a story, Odifia did not imagine.

My own child eats a treat made by Tour-Din. That kind of didn't seem happy enough to clog my chest.

"It is also thanks to the nobility of the castle town and the people by the woods who have been able to spin the right edge that we can speak of such a fate. I am heartily pleased with that."

"Yeah. And Odifia."

"Marquis Marquis Marquis Malstein and his son Melfried are fine people, and I'm sure Odifia's brother will take over the thought correctly"

"Yeah. If my brother imitates something funny, Odifia hits it"

When Odifia answered that way, the door was knocked again.

"Excuse me. The tailor has arrived."

You've already arrived, Odifia drops her shoulder.

Tour-Din was smiling like a little troubled.

"Um... after all, do I have to wrap up my castle town banquet costume too?

"Yeah. You're gonna stay by Odifia all the time for today's ball, right?

Tour-Din was beautiful enough as it is, but it's hard to join the Castle Town Ball in a woodland costume.

Thur-din, called by the samurai, leaves the room and Odifia will be blurry again by herself. But now I could leap my chest to see what Thur-din would look like back.

Reconciliation had also been achieved with the people of the Wang capital, so that the people of the woodland could visit the castle town at will. Sometimes as a kitchen number for aristocratic meetings and sometimes as a guest of the ball, I frequently visit the castle town. Tour-Din also visited Odifia a a few times a month.

And TOUR-DIN today was a guest of the ball held by Odifia's mother. Just like Asta and the sheikhs in the former house of Fa, they wrap around the feast costumes of the castle town and enjoy the ball. If they were as beautiful as Tour-Din, they would almost wish to dance along with a large number of sawdust lords, but the first had made a commitment to dance with Odifia.

(Looking forward to it. Enjoy as much as the feast that Tour-Din makes feast dishes)

So after about a quarter of an hour, the door finally opened.

Seeing Tour-Din emerge from it, Odifia unwittingly raises her voice, "Wow," and is molested by the samurai she was accompanying. But Tul-din was beautiful enough not to suppress his feelings.

It wraps a pure white banquet costume around a smooth body, which hits the brown smooth skin so hard. Long brown hair was also beautifully jerked off, wearing lots of silver ornaments, like an exotic princess who appeared in a fairy tale.

"There didn't seem to be a problem with tailoring. There is still time left until the beginning of the ball, so be careful not to tarnish your meal"

"Yes, thank you for your help"

Turn to the maid of honor and give her a compliment at will. It was so elegant of the lady herself that it could not be compared to Odifia or anything else.

The samurai went outside, so Odifia rushes to Tour-din. Now he wasn't even allowed to hug him, so Odifia took Tour-Din's hand and revealed her feelings.

"It's so beautiful. Like a real princess."

"Oh, that's not true. 'Cause I'm nothing but your turn."

Tour-din can flatter his mouth like he's in trouble. The look made Odifia feel happy again, reminding me of Tour-Din, who seemed a little weak back in the day.

"... Odifia, you don't like wearing banquet costumes. Because it's so cramped and hard to move."

"Yeah, right. I never thought the feast costumes in Castle Town would be so painful."

"But I found out why people around me wanted to wear banquet costumes. You feel so happy when someone you care about looks beautiful."

Tour-Din stroked Odifia's hair with a grin full of charity.

"I'm always flattered by Odifia's banquet costumes, too"

"Yeah. Tool-din is more beautiful"

"That's not true. Odifia is prettier."

In the sunlit room, the two stared at each other often.

Even if we haven't exchanged words, Odifia can't stop feeling happy just because Tour-Din is there for us. To tell the truth, I wanted Tour-Din to live in the castle town.

"I'm so excited about today's ball. Everybody must be surprised."

"Yeah. I don't want to attract too many people... but if the forest folks were swamped, I guess they'd just stand out"

"Yeah. Not because you're a forest folk, but because you're so beautiful, you stand out."

Odifia let him say so, gripping Tour-Din's hand all the time.

"The ball, I'm so excited. Enjoy as much as the feast that Thur-din cooks for you"

"Yes, thank you"

"... If Tul-din could attend a ball where he would cook with Tul-din, that would be the most fun. Too bad you can't eat Tul-din's treats."

When Odifia breathed softly, Tour-Din smiled tenderly again.

"You can't attend the feast that day. … but before the feast begins, you can eat my sweets"

"Before the feast started?

"Yes, for example, to the current limit."

Tour-din points to the table. There was a beautiful folding box neatly placed on the table where nothing was supposed to have been placed.

"It's halfway time, but have it if you like. I've been stuffing sweets for Odifia."

Tool-din removed the lid from the fold box.

From beneath it, a seven-colored sweet appears.

Odifia accidentally embraced its body, also forgetting that Tour-Din was wearing a banquet costume.

"Tour-din, daisuki"

◇

"... so I sacrificed it from Yume"

As Odifia finished her talk, Tour-Din, who was listening as she rounded her eyes, smiled gently.

"It's amazing...... does Odifia always remember the content of her dreams so clearly?

"Yeah. Usually it rubs right away. But it's so sweet."

This was a small palace in Castle Town, and it was now the home of the Tea Party.

For Odifia's sake, her mother Eurifia gave us another tea party. After eating the confectionery, the Thur-dins were allowed to take their seats, as was the case at the last tea party.

"I'm sure that's all I was happy about. I guess I've been waiting for the day to see Tour-Din as much as I dreamed."

Eurifia, who was listening together, giggles by the way. Tour-Din looked down in disgrace.

"But surely, both your father and the Marquis will be waiting for a boy to be born next. Then the Marquis is cheap too."

"Oh, so the second princess is already born?

Asked by Asta, who was ascending with the help of Tour-Din, Eurifia nodded "Yes".

"With his current age of two, Odifia's dreams seem to fit. I'd love to have a boy, just like Odifia dreamed."

After stating so, Eurifia smiled and looked back at Odifia.

"But did Odifia feel so bitter about the gesture to be your lady?

"... sorry"

"You don't have to apologize for anything. But when you get older, you know how fun and important it is."

"Yeah......"

"Odifia wants to dance with Tour-Din, right? And to do that, you need to train in dance."

"Yeah," he nodded, then Odifia stared at Tour-Din's face.

"... Thur-din, will you stay with Odifia someday?

"Yeah? Wow, I can't imagine at all how I am joining the feast in Castle Town..."

After saying it that way, Tour-Din smiled fluffily.

"... but if it's with Odifia, I think it sounds like a lot of fun"

Odifia took Tour-Din's hand, feeling all the way up from her seat.

Then Eurifia comes up again with a voice containing laughter.

"If that were the case, you wouldn't even wait for the day Tour-Din turns eighteen. As soon as we have a peaceful relationship with the people of Wang Du, we will invite you."

"Huh? Well, is that so soon?

"Yeah, you're cute enough to wear a banquet costume right now."

Tour-Din was letting his gaze wander in a troubled manner.

Odifia lets him grip his hand.

"If Tour-Din will stay, I'll do my best too"

"Wow, I don't know one thing about the castle town dance..."

"It's okay because some songs don't need a set mould or anything. Even Odifia still doesn't remember a shaped dance."

Tour-Din had such an uneasy look on his face that he eventually shook Odifia's hand back so as to unravel it.

"Right...... in any place, I'm sure it would be fun if Odifia stayed with me"

Those eyes were lit with a softer light than usual.

So Odifia loses patience and rises from her seat. Jumping into Tour-Din's chest, she had soft fingertips on her back, just like in her dreams.

"Tour-din, daisuki"

"Yes, me too, Odifia"

Odifia was wholeheartedly happy to hear a reply she couldn't hear in her dreams.

Mindful that this happy time could last forever, Odifia decided to let herself down to the warmth of Thur-din.