CH 34

About half an hour later, she heard the sound of Adrian and Dwight coming ashore. Eleanor put on a fresh face and pretended to be unconcerned as she turned over the book.

“Huh? Ellen.”

Dwight, who came up first, put on a happy expression. He brushed his hair and put on a shirt.

“When did you come?”

“Just now.”

“You should’ve called us. What is that basket?”

Dwight asked, pointing to the basket. Eleanor answered briefly without taking her eyes off the book.

“Something to eat.”

“I lived. I thought I were going to die of hunger.”

“I know, right.”

Adrian strode over, picked up a green apple from the basket and took a big bite. He came and stood before Eleanor. A cold drop of water fell on Eleanor’s feet.

Eleanor raised her head. The eyes of the two met. He was still shirtless. Eleanor asked, trying to look only at his golden eyes as much as possible.

“Why are you still standing like that?”

“What, me?”

“Why… are you taking off your clothes?”

Crunch, Adrian took another bite of the apple. He said, stroking his chin slightly towards her.

“Because you’re sitting on it.”

Eleanor glanced down.

“Wasn’t this Dwight shirt?”

“Yep, it’s mine.”

“Sorry. I was mistaken.”

“No worries.”

Eleanor got up quickly and brushed off his shirt. It was very wrinkled from her sitting for quite a while, but Adrian didn’t seem to mind as he sewed his arm and buttoned it up.

“Your face is red. Are you sick?”

Adrian said, staring into Eleanor’s face. She quickly lowered her lashes in response.

“It must have been ripe in the sunlight.”

Then Adrian reached out and cupped Eleanor’s cheeks with his hands. His hand, just out of the water, was cold enough to make her shoulders shrivel. Strangely, however, the cheek he touched became even hotter.

“It’s hot.”

“Your hands are cold.”

“You came all the way here, why don’t you at least dip your feet in the water?”

“I hate the feeling of dirt sticking to my wet feet.”

Eleanor sighed and strode past Adrian, quickening her pace. Her mind was complicated.

‘It’s all because of the damned hormones. Puberty is originally a time when you become a slave to hormones to some extent.’

The thought did quite a bit to calm Eleanor’s mind.She quickly regained her usual composure, ran to Dwight, and began nagging at him. Eleanor’s face was still flushed, but thankfully Dwight didn’t even notice it.

“This is all because of you, Dwight.”

“What did I do?”

“Dunno, it’s just all because of you.”

***

As the strange summer ended and Adrian returned to the Academy, everything slowly seemed to return to normal. But since that day, Eleanor hasn’t joked about ‘grow up and get married’, and she’s stopped messing around with his hair.

Looking back, it was an exceptionally strange day. It was exceptionally hot, Dwight was exceptionally talkative, and Adrian was exceptionally reticent. All that eccentricity made Eleanor dip her toes into feelings she couldn’t understand. It was deeper than friendship and shallower than love.

Like Enoch and Rozia in Adrian’s novel.

“Ellen?”

Eleanor’s flashback was interrupted by Adrian’s voice. He announced that the carriage was ready.

“Ellen, we have to leave.”

“Huh? Ah, alright. Thanks for looking after the kids.”

“I do it because I enjoy it.”

Eleanor took Adrian’s hand and climbed into the carriage. Adrian beckoned the coachman, and the three set off for the Imperial Palace. Sienna stretched her neck out of her window and waved her hand.

“Bye, Uncle!”

The road in front of the Imperial Palace was straight and wide, so the carriage rolled smoothly without rattling. Eleanor stared at the scenery outside the window, moderately tuning into Sienna’s chattering words.

‘The spring scenery seems to be similar to Korea. Of course, fine dust is nowhere to be found here, but still.’

The streets, regularly planted with large cherry trees, were beautiful. For Eleanor, it was a landscape that reminded her of her previous life on the way to work. She’s still working outside, so perhaps there’s not much difference.

Seeing the cherry blossom petals falling like snow falling around the carriage, Sienna let out cheers.

“Whoaa. The petals fall like snow.”

“It’s pretty. Right?”

At Eleanor’s words, Demian quickly nodded his head. A bright red blush appeared on his cheeks, which were slightly plump than before. Eleanor smiled and said.

“Do you know? It’s said that love will come true if you hold the falling cherry blossom petals with your hand.”

“That’s easy.”

“It wouldn’t be as easy as you thought, you know?”

Even if it wasn’t a big deal, the children burst into laughter at whatever was fun. Sienna and Demian sat close to the window and put their arms out through the small window.

In the meantime, the carriage slowly passed the first and second gates of the Omperial Palace. Then the carriage slowly stopped.

‘I’m not sure, but I think we still have to go a little further?’

Eleanor tilted her head. Eleanor, taking the wooden plaque given to her by the Empress from her purse, opened the door of the carriage. A man in a black hat wrapped around an ultramarine cloak held out his arm toward her. Eleanor took his arm and put her foot on the ground.

“Thank you.”

Eleanor slightly bent and straightened her knees.

“Is the library near here?”

The man lowered his voice and replied.

“It takes about 10 minutes on foot. A carriage would take much less than that.”

“Then why did you stop the carriage? Is something wrong?”

Eleanor quickly held out the wooden plaque. The man took it and examined it carefully.

“If it’s this one, I also know it well.”

“We have been granted permission to enter the Imperial Palace. Even His Highness the Crown Prince knows this in advance.”

“Is that so? I guess the two of you are pretty close.”

The man casually shrugged his shoulders. Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows in horror.

“What is that… No!”

“No?”

The man’s voice changed dramatically. The strength in Eleanor’s shoulders drained at the sound of the familiar voice.

“Your Highness!”

Izmel took off his ridiculous hat and threw his cloak over her arm.

“I’m quite disappointed.”

Then Lucas, who was hiding from behind, sprinted past Eleanor. Lucas threw the carriage door wide open and greeted Sienna and Demian. Leaving behind the children’s chatter, Eleanor gave Izmel a small scolding.

“You have no idea how surprised I was to find out there was something wrong. Why did the carriage stop?”

Izmel answered with a single smile.

“I like the day, and the road is nice. Don’t you think it would be okay to walk a little?”

Eleanor looked up at the clear, dust-free sky. A smile crept across Eleanor’s lips.

“I see. It’s just a perfect day for a walk.”

The five of them started walking together on the road where the spring breeze blew gently. The steps of the children walking ahead were vigorous, and the steps of the adults following were leisurely.

There wasn’t much of a conversation between the two, except for Izmel’s intermittent explanations, pointing to spiers and statues. But, surprisingly, it wasn’t awkward. Eleanor was astounded by the fact, yet she didn’t take her eyes off the children.

Izmel, who saw where Eleanor’s gaze was heading, said.

“It seems like they get along well.”

Eleanor let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

“Of course. Because of how close they are, teaching them is getting even harder.”

“I can imagine that. Do Luke and Sienna still fight often?”

“Well, yes, but you know. After an hour, the two of them will completely forget what they were talking about.”

Izmel burst into laughter at Eleanor’s words. Then Demian suddenly turned and approached Eleanor.

“What’s wrong, Demi?”

Eleanor stopped her steps and widened her eyes. After hesitating for a moment, Demian held out a small fist in front of Eleanor.

“What? Are you giving it to me?”

Demian shyly nodded. Eleanor held out her palm, and Demian carefully laid the clasp in his fist on top of it.

It was soft light pink petals.

“My goodness.”

Eleanor’s mouth opened slowly. Instead of continuing her words, Eleanor let out a cough-like laugh. Her muddled emotions welled up.

“Thank you, Demi. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”

Eleanor lightly kissed Demian on the cheek. A bright smile spread across Demian’s face. Demian nodded and ran back to my friends.

Eleanor added, glancing up at Izmel.

“Teaching them is hard, but it’s worth it.”

“Surely.”

Izmel raised the corners of his lips a little more. He stared down at Eleanor and put his hand in his pocket as if he remembered.

“Come to think of it, I also had something I wanted to give you.”

Eleanor tilted her head slightly. Perhaps today is the day she receives gifts.

Izmel placed a round wooden board in Eleanor’s hand. Eleanor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“This…”

“You know it too well.”

Eleanor already had an albatross pattern and a polished round wooden nameplate.

“I already have this, though?”

“It’s different.”

“Does it have a different use?”

“No, it’s almost the same.”

“Then?”

Izmel turned over the wooden plaque that was placed on Eleanor’s palm.

“It has my name engraved on it. It’s different.”

Eleanor looked up at Izmel with suspicious eyes.

“It’s indeed different. Would you really mind giving it to me? There are so many people more important than me.”

“I don’t have a lot of people that come to my mind. For example?”

After thinking for a while, Eleanor said.

“His Grace the Duke of Valentine?”

“Well, Kaidel already has it. Father gave it to him.”

Izmel added with a grin.

“I will give it to the person I want to give it to. Aren’t two better than one?”

This put two of the five cards in the Empire into Eleanor’s hands. It was a huge deal, but Eleanor had no interest in the political power it would bring.

“It’s incredibly glorious, but not as romantic as the one given by another gentleman.”

Eleanor said, slightly raising her hand holding the petals. Izmel acknowledged that and shrugged his eyebrows.

“I learned a lesson from Demian.”

“They heard that love will come true if you catch the falling cherry blossom petals. Aren’t they so cute?”

While Eleanor babbled about what had happened with the children, Izmel’s mind was focused on the petals gently falling from the sky. Taking advantage of Eleanor’s averted gaze, he grabbed it swiftly several times, yet as his fists tightened, the petals flitted past him as if teasing. Even though he clearly knew that it was a superstition, a strange spirit welled up inside him.

‘I’m going to catch it.’

Izmel stretched out his hand toward the sky all the way to the library. Eleanor didn’t know, it was his own struggle.