VNC 36

Chapter 36

In Ranied, nestled around the Altai Mountains, snow fell despite it being spring.
In particular, in Kalden, far up in the northern region, the snow was falling without pause.

“It’s amazing every time—how it still snows even in spring.”

The softly piled snow stayed the same no matter how much it was cleared away.
Shuwen shivered in the cold and deliberately stepped into footprints someone else had left.

“I didn’t even get to see snow in winter.”

“Lucenia gets snow in winter too.”

“Yes, it does. But I can count on one hand the times I’ve actually felt it. I was sick so often as a child that my father worried constantly.”

“His Majesty is exceptionally devoted when it comes to his children.”

Shuwen nodded and rubbed her frozen hands together. At Esselian’s instructions before leaving, she had bundled herself up thoroughly, but she hadn’t paid attention to her hands.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shuwen glanced at Esselian’s hand, which swayed beside her and lightly brushed against the back of her hand.

‘Should I just grab it?’

He was wearing gloves, so his warmth wouldn’t really transfer.
But that meant she’d have to take off his glove—and if she suddenly did that, he might be startled.

As Shuwen blew warm breath onto her hands and hesitated, Esselian suddenly stopped in place.
He tugged off one glove and slipped it straight onto Shuwen’s hand.

Ah—this isn’t what I meant.

“Did your maid forget to pack gloves for you?”

“I didn’t think it would be this cold, so I told her not to.”

Shuwen spread her fingers wide.
The oversized glove enveloped her hand, the wool-lined interior melting the chill in her fingers.

“It’s warm.”

“I see.”

Shuwen chuckled softly, then quietly grabbed Esselian’s hand.
She stopped him as he tried to put his other glove on.

“You’re cold too, Your Highness. Let’s each wear one.”

“I’m fine. It doesn’t bother me.”

“But if we hold hands with our ungloved hands, we’ll warm each other up.”

She didn’t seem to realize how foolish that sounded—at least, not the one who said it.

Esselian lifted their awkwardly joined hands slightly.

“We can just buy gloves.”

It wasn’t as though he lacked money, and stalls and shops were everywhere.
But the Grand Duchess didn’t seem to consider buying something new at all.

“I didn’t bring any money with me…”

Shuwen murmured in embarrassment.
She had received money the last time she saw her parents, but Sophie was holding onto it.
And Sophie hadn’t come along on this outing.

“Ah—then I’ll borrow money from you, Your Highness. I’ll pay you back once we return to the castle.”

“I’m not as impoverished as you seem to think. You needn’t worry about that.”

Without letting go of Shuwen’s hand, Esselian led her into a nearby clothing shop.
He picked up a yellow pair of gloves that her gaze lingered on.

“It happens to be my shop.”

He didn’t pay.
Esselian placed the gloves lightly on Shuwen’s hands.

“Let’s say it’s a gift for you.”

“Oh! I’ll use them well. Thank you!”

Raised with the belief that debts must always be repaid, Shuwen didn’t like owing people.
But gifts were different.

Only then did she take off the large glove and put it back on Esselian’s hand, busily slipping on the yellow ones herself.

“They’re pretty.”

It was her first time receiving a gift from a man other than her family or Bedin.
And from Esselian, no less.

Shuwen was deeply moved.

“Why are we going here?”

Esselian led the easily touched Grand Duchess into a nearby café.

“I thought we could rest for a bit. It’s cold.”

She looked like she might collapse at any moment, so he brought her in to warm up.
True to the rumors that she’d been frail since childhood, her cheeks were flushed red from the cold and her lips had turned bluish.

“Then I’ll have cocoa with banana-topped choco Mont Blanc, and a mille-feuille! What about you, Your Highness?”

As soon as the server approached, Shuwen spoke as though she’d been waiting.

“Coffee.”

“Got it!”

Once the server left with the order, silence settled between them.

‘What should I say?’

The quiet was uncomfortable, and Shuwen knew she needed to grow closer to Esselian.
But nothing came to mind.

As she glanced around restlessly, her eyes landed on a vase.

“Do you like freesias?”

Esselian, who had been watching only Shuwen, followed the direction of her finger.

“I like them. They’re pretty, and they smell nice. Their meanings are all good, too.”

“That’s a simple reason.”

“It doesn’t need to be complicated.”

Esselian nodded in agreement and touched a petal.

“I like them too. Freesias.”

“Really?”

Now that she thought about it, he had smiled when he received freesias at the victory ceremony.
So that was why.

With that realization, actions she hadn’t understood before suddenly made sense.

“Why do you like them?”

It wasn’t a question someone who said liking things didn’t need reasons should ask—but she was curious.

Esselian didn’t really categorize things as likes or dislikes.
He’d said he had neither.

Maybe he just hadn’t wanted to tell her.
But still—if a man who claimed to like nothing liked something, there had to be a reason.

“Because of my benefactor.”

His gaze, fixed on the freesias as if recalling something, was strange.

“Did your benefactor like freesias?”

“On a day when my madness was especially severe, they saved me when I nearly died. Then they disappeared. I don’t remember their face—only the freesias.”

“Ah…”

This wasn’t something Shuwen knew.
It hadn’t appeared in the original story.

Esselian’s past.

“They must be very special to you.”

If it made him come to like a flower, that person had to be special.

Yet that made something Esselian had said earlier harder to understand.

‘They helped me, but not enough for us to share reminiscences.’

What kind of relationship was that?

‘Why do I even care?’

Whether they were his first love or merely a benefactor, it had nothing to do with Shuwen.

‘Esselian likes freesias.’

She carefully memorized the information she’d just gained.
Then she began eating the desserts that had arrived.

“Try some too, Your Highness. It’s good.”

“I don’t like sweets.”

“But it’s good.”

Shuwen cut the Mont Blanc in half and popped it into her mouth.
As she ate, she kept feeling someone’s gaze.

She glanced behind her.

‘That’s strange.’

They were sitting by the window, and the seat behind them was empty.

“Ah!”

What was stranger was that her cup suddenly tipped over on its own.
The mug spilled cocoa as it rolled across the table.

Shuwen jumped to her feet. She’d reacted a bit too slowly, and her coat was soaked.

“Did you maybe hit my cup, Your Highness?”

“No.”

“Did I knock it with my elbow?”

As Shuwen stood there confused, a server rushed over and handed her a towel.
As she wiped her coat, realization slowly dawned in her eyes.

“No way…”

She shook her head and scanned the room.

And then she saw it—
a suspicious figure near a large flowerpot positioned diagonally away.

“No way.”

Shuwen moved closer to the unsuspecting Esselian and whispered in his ear.

“Your Highness, don’t be startled. I think we’re being followed.”

“Followed?”

Esselian’s eyes widened as he looked at the unusually serious Grand Duchess.
He’d been wondering when she’d notice, but he feigned ignorance.

“Where?”

“Gasp—don’t look!”

The moment he tried to turn his head, Shuwen grabbed both his cheeks.
Then she pulled the robe strings tight, nearly hiding his face.

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t look. If someone’s tailing us, we should catch them.”

“No!”

Shuwen knew exactly who it was.
She couldn’t not know.

Aside from Esselian, only Mercheli and Naiven would refuse to give up the medicine.

‘I knew it.’

It would’ve been stranger if he hadn’t followed them.

Mercheli barely appeared in the original story, and he was unpredictable.
If he realized he’d been discovered, he might act rashly.

He was the same man who’d once driven a knife into Esselian’s arm.
If he suddenly stabbed Esselian’s neck and fled, it would be disastrous.

Not that Esselian would fall easily—but still.

“The person following us is… impulsive. Violent.”

Esselian tilted his head.

“You know who they are?”

“Ah—no. We made eye contact earlier, and I just had a bad feeling. He looked dangerous… anyway!”

Shuwen was the one who’d once told Sophie not to judge people by appearances.
She fumbled her words and pulled her own robe strings tight.

“Ah—!”

At that moment, a server passing behind Shuwen screamed.
His steady stride suddenly slipped.

The floor was clean—and not slippery.

The instant Shuwen saw the yellow glow coiling around the server’s legs, she knew it was Mercheli’s doing.

“Oh dear. Are you all right?”

But by the time she realized it, she was already in Esselian’s arms.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

In that brief instant, Esselian had pulled her close, preventing a collision.
The stumbling server froze mid-lunge when Esselian flicked a finger.

Stopping just in front of him, the server looked utterly confused.

“M-my legs… what’s wrong with my legs? Y-Your Grace, the Grand Duke! I’ve committed an unforgivable sin!”

Esselian and Shuwen were still holding each other.
Shuwen looked up at him, then turned her head slightly toward the server.

Then she looked back toward the flowerpot.

The server hurriedly dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
Nearly colliding with the Grand Duke seemed to have terrified him.

“P-please forgive me…!”

Too many eyes were on them.
And “Grand Duke,” no less.

Just as Shuwen tried to pull away, she ended up gripping Esselian’s waist even tighter.
If her face were seen, rumors would spread instantly.

‘No.’

Shuwen hadn’t appeared publicly as the Grand Duchess.
Esselian hadn’t forced her to, either.

She planned to remain unseen for six months.
And today, she’d come out only to comfort him.

In public, he would pretend to be strong—so being recognized would cause trouble in many ways.

“Your Highness.”

Shuwen whispered, lowering her voice as much as possible.

“Let’s just go. We need to leave.”

“You’re still holding onto me. You’ll need to let go.”

“…Can’t we just go like this?”

Esselian looked down at the Grand Duchess clinging tightly to his waist.
Her face, hidden beneath the large hood of her robe, was full of distress.

“You don’t want to show your face?”

“Yes.”

Esselian pulled the edges of her hood together so her face wouldn’t be visible to others.
As he met her eyes, he suddenly looked up at the ceiling and let out a dry laugh.

“You really are like a puppy, my lady.”

“…What?”

An insult, all of a sudden?