PB 05

Chapter 05

“Please don’t be so formal, Princess Eliana, Lady Cora. Aren’t you the one leaning on a cane?”
“I didn’t say anything, Count Damian.”
“I see.”

The man called Count Damian spoke gently as he picked up the gloves and dusted them off before handing them to the princess’s maid. The maid, unsure of what to do, accepted them.

Princess Eliana gave Count Damian a slight bow and then gracefully walked away. Cora and the other companions muttered a few flattering complaints, but the princess seemed not to hear them.

Seren knelt there silently, holding her breath until the sound of retreating footsteps disappeared. Only once the count left would she finally be able to stand.

But instead of leaving, Count Damian extended his hand toward Seren.
“Can you get up?”
“Ah… thank you.”

Seren couldn’t bring herself to take his hand. She couldn’t dare place her hand in the grasp of a high-ranking noble like him.

As she staggered, leaning on her cane, Count Damian pulled her hand gently and helped her to her feet.
“Escorting a lady comes before rank.”
“Thank you for helping me.”

She lowered her head in response. Her knees throbbed from the scrapes she got while kneeling on the floor. Count Damian smiled warmly with his gentle hazel eyes. He was a handsome man with a kind expression.
“Don’t dwell on it too much. Princess Eliana probably would have wanted to see you first.”
“I was in the wrong.”
“Did you come to tour the Hundred-Flower Garden?”
“Yes…”

A belated thought occurred: perhaps it had been a mistake. Or maybe coming in a wheeled chair would have been better. If so, the attendants would have moved aside at the right moments.

“Shall I see you off? Or do you want to stay in the garden a bit longer?”
“That’s fine. I’ll return slowly. Thank you for your concern.”

Seren spoke sincerely. Count Damian smiled once more and said,
“Then be careful on your way back.”

Seren bowed once more to express her gratitude. Count Damian, seemingly out of courtesy, strode off in the opposite direction from Princess Eliana.

Only then did Emily and the attendants quickly rise. Emily supported Seren and asked,
“Are you alright, miss?”
“I’m fine. Are you okay, too? You didn’t get hurt?”

She asked the attendant who had been struck on the cheek by the fan. The attendant slightly lowered her head and said,
“I’m not hurt.”

The blood mark etched across her cheek had started to swell red around it—it surely must have hurt. Emily said,
“Let’s go back, miss.”
“Yes. That’s best.”

Seren wanted to return—not to the lavish, unfamiliar palace rooms, but to the cozy home in Estelle.

She gave up walking and sat in the wheeled chair the attendant pushed. Though she felt a twinge of fear, fortunately, they encountered no one on the way back.

“You look somewhat gloomy,” said the man.

Seren sat curled on the bed, idly fiddling with the lace trim of a cushion before looking up and offering a small smile.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to tour the palace? I thought it would have cheered you up.”
“I enjoyed it. Just opening the doors was enough to surprise me. The hallways were like works of art.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“I still feel it’s a place I don’t belong.”

Seren muttered. The Hundred-Flower Garden was beautiful, and the ladies strolling there were no less elegant. It was she who didn’t fit in. A brief visit was enough.

“Seren.”

The man called softly in a low voice.
“I heard the Duchess of Sons sent a letter to your father. You didn’t have to do that. After all, it’s just a train ride, and limping isn’t that hard.”
“Do you miss home?”
“A little.”

Seren loved Estelle—the wide fields, the old but well-kept manor of the small Rhubarb estate. In spring, wildflowers bloomed; in autumn, reeds were cut to decorate the house. And in early summer, the Hill of Skyflowers turned into a wave of green.

“…Hmm?”

A sudden, painful sensation surged through her chest, like water sloshing inside her lungs, and Seren held her breath. She suddenly felt a question arise but couldn’t quite grasp what it was. It was as if a black hole had opened somewhere in her thoughts.

“Seren?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”

She mumbled awkwardly, then remained silent, wiggling her toes.

After a moment, the man said,
“Tell me about home.”
“Huh?”
“Places you like… or dislike. If you miss it, there must be a reason.”
“Hearing it called ‘home’ makes me feel strange. It feels like I’ve left my house.”

Seren smiled faintly. Even without him asking, she felt a bit that way. Maybe it was because some memories were missing, or because she didn’t know why she was here—it felt as if she had left home a very long time ago.

“It’s a modest rural village. About thirty households. Most grow wheat or olives. There’s a forest too. Not big enough for hunting or logging, just a small one with some mushrooms. Some of them are used as medicine.”
“I see. That forest belongs to your father?”
“Yes. Our house has a small orchard and wheat fields, but that alone isn’t enough to maintain the manor, so my father says earning money from the mushrooms is essential.”

As she spoke, Seren began to feel a bit better. It wasn’t rich land, nor did it have any specialty to boast of. It wasn’t particularly beautiful for travelers, and her family had no notable status there. But it was the home she loved and the foundation she relied on. Affection and stability supported her beneath her feet. She didn’t need to shrink herself just because she didn’t fit here. After all, this wasn’t her place.

A soft smile formed on Seren’s lips.
“There’s nothing particularly remarkable, but in spring and summer, wildflowers bloom everywhere. Especially one hill full of skyflowers—I often went on picnics there.”
“Skyflowers… I’ve never heard of them.”
“Come to think of it, there weren’t any in the Hundred-Flower Garden. This is exactly the blooming season. But they’re not flowers that would belong in such a well-kept garden. They’re tiny wildflowers.”

Seren pinched the tip of a flower to gauge its size.
“But their color is always a clear sky-blue. One alone doesn’t seem special, but when the hill is full, it feels as if you’re standing in the sky.”

The man didn’t respond immediately. He seemed either lost in thought or ignoring her words. Seren didn’t mind; saying it made her slightly embarrassed. She loved the Hill of Skyflowers, but it was too small and humble to boast about.

“Tell me more.”
“About what?”
“Your story. What you like, where you played, things like that.”

Suddenly, Seren felt shy.
“I think I talked too much about myself.”
“But didn’t I say I wanted to hear it?”
“Isn’t it only fair if you tell me your story too, Sir?”

She spoke stubbornly, though a part of her wondered if she was being presumptuous. Considering the Duchess of Sons also respected him, he was probably a high-ranking person, even if he was her guardian.

Thinking that, she felt a touch lonely. He was probably someone from another world, closer to Princess Eliana or Count Damian than to her.

The man seemed to think for a moment.
“I don’t have much to tell. Born and raised here, not one to get attached to much.”
“You must have a favorite place, Sir? Please tell me! I’ll go see it while in the capital. Well, among the places I can go.”
“There’s no place you can’t go. Except another man’s bedroom.”

Seren’s face turned bright red at his sudden words.