DHDF 10

chapter 10

“Right. And if anything else makes you uncomfortable, tell Rosalyn. She’ll be happy to help you anytime.”

That seemed to be all he had come for. After hearing about my condition from Rosalyn, the duke rose from his seat and left.
Through the crack of the closing door, I could hear someone informing him about his next appointment.

‘…He came all the way here just for me, even though he’s so busy.’

I hadn’t made that resolution very long ago, and yet my heart was already growing soft again.
To shake off this warm, fuzzy feeling, I decided to do something—anything.

“Um, Rosalyn. Is there a library here? And… can I go there too?”

“Of course. I’ll take you.”

But I couldn’t go out right away—Rosalyn brought me some indoor clothes first.
They didn’t seem much different from pajamas, honestly, but she insisted I couldn’t go out as I was, so I obediently changed.
Naturally, I didn’t forget my gloves either.

The library was quite far from my room—it took up the entire first floor and basement of the North Wing, and it was huge.

‘It’s even bigger than the library in Vallochie.’

Of course, I’d never been allowed inside that one, not being qualified to do so.
But I’d seen enough from the outside to tell how large it was.

I started counting the number of bookshelves, then gave up halfway.

“Is there a particular book you’d like to read?”

“I’ve only ever read fairy tales and newspapers, so… I’m not really sure.”

Actually, even the newspapers I’d read were just ones I’d picked up off the street a few times.

“In that case, may I recommend a novel?”

“Yes, please.”

Rosalyn brought me a green-covered book—over two hundred pages thick. Its title was The Girl Who Lived in the House with the Green Roof.

I sat down where the sunlight streamed in and turned the first page.
I hadn’t expected much, but I was quickly pulled deep into the story.

I was so absorbed that I didn’t even notice when Rosalyn brought me snacks and quietly left.
It was a sandwich with thinly sliced apples and a glass of milk.

I took a short break to eat a piece, then picked the book up again.
I read slowly, but carefully, not skimming over a single line.

For the first time, I was feeling the true joy of reading—when suddenly, tap tap, a soft sound came from the window.

“Hi, Berzene.”

It was Ritema.

His smile was so fresh and bright that I thought I could feel the coolness of dew just by touching his lips.
My eyes were momentarily caught by his glittering red hair.

“See? It was a good thing I gave you a hug, wasn’t it?”

“The doctor said it was thanks to the medicine.”

I said it a little primly on purpose, and Ritema laughed, easy and cheerful.

“Well, you got better a whole day faster because of me.”

Smooth talker, this one. I ended up laughing along.

Ritema grabbed the window sill, hopped inside, and came closer.

“So you were reading. Is it fun?”

He brushed a finger along the spine of the book, looking like he was expecting something.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what he wanted.

“Yes. Rosalyn recommended it—it’s really good.”

“Oh, I see.”

He looked… oddly disappointed.
I hesitated, then spoke, half-guessing what he wanted to hear.

“Of course, um… spending time with you is fun too, Ritema.”

“Wow, me too! We think alike.”

His face instantly brightened. So that was the right answer, huh?
Still, I was a little puzzled—hadn’t he already done whatever he came for?
Did he really need to keep being this friendly?

“Then want to go for a walk with me? It’s my break time right now. Our garden is the prettiest part of the estate—I’ll show you around.”

It wasn’t that I disliked his friendliness—it just felt unfamiliar. No one my age had ever approached me like this before.

My hesitation lasted only a moment.

“Sure. But I should probably leave a message.”

Rosalyn might worry if she noticed I was gone. Luckily, the librarian was nearby, so I asked her to tell Rosalyn and then left.

“Let’s go!”

Ritema walked about half a step ahead of me, clearly in a good mood.
The soft hum of a tune escaped his lips—it was pleasant to hear.

When we stepped outside, a gust of wind swept past us, carrying the scent of flowers from afar.
And then—paradise opened up before my eyes.

“Didn’t I say it was beautiful?”

No, “beautiful” wasn’t nearly enough to describe it.
The harmony of vivid colors and lush greenery made my chest swell with emotion.

“Mother tends it herself. I forget if it’s twenty or thirty gardeners she employs. Every plant species in the world must be here.”

As I stood there in awe, staring blankly at the view, Ritema spoke proudly.

The only flowers I’d ever seen before were the ones in the orphanage’s little patchy garden, or those beyond the fences of small shops—so this was on a whole other level.
The thought that the scenery would change with the seasons filled me with excitement.

“You know, if you suck on this flower, it tastes like honey! I used to pick and eat tons of them when I was little—got scolded for it too.”

I listened to his cheerful stories as we walked together through the garden.

But then, at a fork in the path, someone appeared.

Red hair again—just like Ritema’s. His features were similar, though his pale skin gave him a sharper, colder impression.

‘He must be one of his brothers.’

Ritema spotted him and, instead of letting him pass, stepped directly into his path.

“Where were you?”

“None of your business.”

His tone was curt, but it didn’t really land.

“Going back to your room now?”

“Yeah.”

His brother shifted sideways to pass, but Ritema matched his movement, blocking him again.

“You probably already know, right? She’s Father’s guest. Berzene, this is my second brother, Laote.”

Ah, Laote. Unlike with Ritema, I actually knew a bit about him.

‘Right, he’s the genius one.’

He’d shown extraordinary talent from a young age—magicians had practically fought to claim him, and as soon as he became an adult, he was appointed as the next successor to the Magic Tower.
Though, in the novel, he’d only been mentioned in passing and never actually appeared.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

Laote’s eyelids moved slowly. He didn’t reply—just looked down at me for a moment, then gave a faint nod.

“My brother’s super shy. Don’t mind him,” Ritema said as Laote left without a word.

Shy, huh. That was… a cute way to put it.

“It’s fine,” I said.

Even from that brief moment, I could tell Laote wasn’t the type to care about others.
He’d only looked at me long enough to recognize me—his eyes held no interest, no curiosity at all.

‘He might forget my name right away.’

But that was fine. The absence of hostility was enough to make me feel at ease.
After all, I was living here as a guest—I needed to be cautious.

“Ritema.”

Our walk didn’t last much longer. One of his attendants came rushing up, clearly flustered.

“Lord Vilsen is waiting for you, young master. I remember you said you’d be back ‘soon.’”

“Right. I didn’t realize time would pass this fast. Guess I should stop saying ‘soon’ next time.”

“If you had, I wouldn’t have let you go in the first place,” the attendant replied firmly.
I couldn’t help but think he’d been chosen exactly for that attitude.

“I’ll head back now. Can you escort Lady Berzene for me? She’s the guest who came with Father yesterday.”

“Understood.”

“I still have lessons left, so I’ll go first. I’ll come find you later!”

I waved my hand energetically as Ritema walked away, then turned around.
The man—his attendant—waited patiently for me, then bent down slightly to meet my eyes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I serve young master Ritema—my name is Evan. How should I address you, my lady?”

My lady? The word froze me instantly.

“Just my name is fine,” I said, flustered. “No need for ‘lady.’ I’m Berzene.”

“Yes, Miss Berzene. If you’d like to see more of the garden, I can serve as your guide. What would you prefer?”

The garden stretched on endlessly—there was clearly so much more to see.
Still, I wanted to save the rest for next time, with Ritema.

“I think I’ve seen enough for today. I left the library earlier—could you take me back there instead?”

“Of course.”

As we approached the entrance to the library, Evan seemed to hesitate before speaking quietly.

“…If young master Ritema ever acts unexpectedly and causes you any trouble, please let me know.”