Chapter 21
“Alright. Please, come this way and take a look in the mirror.”
Standing before the tall mirror, Rune’s blue eyes trembled faintly.
The uniform of Lepium Academy.
The sensation of the fresh fabric brushing against her skin was soft and refreshing. The neatly fitted gray uniform suited her surprisingly well, even in her own eyes.
In the mirror, beyond her shoulder, she could see Grand Duke Carlo seated in his wheelchair. When their gazes met, he smiled warmly, his expression full of satisfaction.
“Let me see. Yes, it fits you quite well. The deadline must have been tight—thank you for your hard work, Jane Taylor.”
At the Grand Duke’s praise, Jane quietly bowed her head.
Kylian said that accepting help was also a form of courage… but isn’t this a bit much?
Alongside the ticklish flutter of excitement, Rune felt a weight of unease press against her chest from such excessive kindness.
“Thank you, Your Grace. But I haven’t even taken the entrance exam yet… isn’t it a bit premature to have a uniform tailored?”
At Rune’s embarrassed expression, the Grand Duke chuckled with composure.
“Don’t feel burdened. Just think of it as an early gift to celebrate your admission.”
Wheeling himself closer, he gazed at Rune with eyes filled with nostalgia.
“Seeing you in that uniform brings back many memories.”
Under the clear blue sky—his younger self, laughing shoulder-to-shoulder with a dear friend, burning with youthful passion. Memories long faded into the past.
Knock, knock. A light rap on the door broke his reverie.
At the entrance to the drawing room, Kylian leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed. Under his gaze that swept over her, Rune felt a strange sense of self-consciousness and fussed with the crisp lapel of her jacket.
“If you’re done, let’s go.”
After silently watching her for a moment, Kylian tilted his head indifferently and turned away.
“That dry boy…”
Clicking his tongue, Carlo nodded to Rune as if to tell her she could leave.
“I don’t know when we’ll see each other again, but you are always welcome to come visit, Rune.”
Lowering his voice, he added with a mischievous smile, “Next time, be sure to come through the front gate.”
Rune nodded, her cheeks flushed red.
“Your words alone mean a great deal. Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks. It is my joy to show a little kindness to the child of an old friend. But Kylian will scold me if I keep you any longer. Off you go now.”
“Yes, I’ll come see you again.”
Rune bowed deeply and left the drawing room.
“Rune.”
At his call, she turned. With warm, gentle eyes, the Grand Duke spoke softly.
“Please… try not to hate your father too much.”
“To think I’d live long enough to see those two stand together again…”
Carlo sat by the drawing room window, gazing outside. In front of the estate’s main gate stood the black carriage of the ducal house. Kylian opened the door, and Rune climbed aboard.
“It seems worth clinging to this stubborn life of mine after all. Don’t you agree, Jane?”
Jane Taylor carefully packed away her pins and scissors, then rose to her feet.
Watching the Grand Duke’s back lost in thought, she recalled the sensation at her fingertips only moments ago. It was the same instinct she had felt when taking Rune’s measurements.
After decades of tailoring clothes, of handling countless bodies, her hands could not be mistaken.
The structure of a woman’s frame is distinctly different from a man’s.
Hesitating, she cautiously approached and began, “Your Grace, that young one is—”
“I already know. It’s why I called you here in particular. Best to hold your tongue.”
Jane’s eyes widened in surprise. Carlo looked back at her with a kind smile.
“I’ve been moving about too much these last few days—it’s tiring. Please call the steward for me.”
Inside the swaying carriage, Rune cast sidelong glances at Kylian, who sat opposite. His gaze remained fixed outside the window, lips sealed, his expression unreadable.
He who so often teased her now seemed to be deliberately avoiding her eyes. Already feeling awkward in the uniform, Rune couldn’t fathom why Kylian too was acting so stiff.
It would’ve been easier just to ride like Sir Ethan, on horseback.
The carriage was spacious enough to lie down in, yet even so, Kylian’s long legs nearly brushed against hers at the slightest sway.
Fretting about the chance their feet might touch left her back aching with tension.
Oh, whatever.
After all, it wasn’t as though they hadn’t already brushed bare skin before.
Fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, she finally chose to look outside instead. Thankfully, the scenery was captivating enough to scatter her stray thoughts.
The coastal road curved sharply around steep cliffs, dizzying to follow, but the endless expanse of blue horizon made her forget it all.
Soon the sea disappeared from sight, and the carriage entered a forest thick with white-barked trees.
“Ah, a birch forest.”
The slender, pale trunks standing in neat rows were a beautiful sight.
“It’s even more breathtaking in winter.”
Resting his chin on his hand, Kylian replied in a languid tone.
Pressing close to the window, Rune closed her eyes and inhaled the forest’s crisp fragrance. A small smile naturally curled at her lips.
Snowflowers blooming on bare white trees—her dreamy voice drifted out.
“I wonder what it looks like.”
Unlike the evergreen forests of the northwest that stayed green through winter, here the world would be frozen pure white.
“I’d like to see it someday… Will I have the chance?”
“…If you wish it.”
His eyes were on her now. Meeting the fathomless darkness of his gaze made her chest thrum painfully.
“If you wish it, I will be your key.”
It was as though she could still hear his voice from that day.
If you wish it. The weight of those words had not faded. Rune pressed lightly against her fluttering chest and smiled.
“Yes. I truly hope so.”
Before they realized, their feet had naturally entwined together.
Though the ride was jostling at times, the carriage moved at remarkable speed.
After nearly an hour without pause, the sharp red spires of the Imperial Palace rose beyond the birch forest, appearing and vanishing again between the trees.
“We’ll be in Lepium shortly. Forgive the tedium, but it won’t be much longer.”
Ethan’s cheerful voice came from horseback outside the carriage. As he said, they soon reached the outer walls of the capital.
At the city gate, marked with crimson banners, Ethan exchanged a few words with the guards.
The ducal carriage passed through without inspection. Beyond the rough dirt road stretched smooth cobblestone streets.
Wide, well-kept roads were lined with luxurious shops and grand buildings. Everywhere, ladies with parasols and gentlemen strolled leisurely, enjoying the holiday.
“That must be Leonar Palace.”
Over the northern district, the towering red roof of the Imperial Palace gleamed. Upon its solid walls, crimson banners embroidered with golden lions fluttered. Even from afar, its magnificence was clear.
Rune gave a wry laugh of amazement.
So it’s true—the walls of Este were taller than the Imperial Palace itself.
The palace was certainly splendid, but in terms of sheer height, it couldn’t compare to the marquisate’s fortress walls. Once again, she realized just how absurdly tall those walls had been.
“That there is Lepium Academy.”
Kylian pointed southward.
The Academy stood at the southern end of the capital, facing the Leonar Palace to the north.
Founded with the empire itself, the Academy shared in its long history, and together with the capital’s name, Lepium, it was a true symbol of the Leonar Empire.
Its grand gray-stone buildings exuded a noble dignity befitting centuries of tradition.
Unable to hide her excitement, Rune exclaimed, “It looks like a knight pledging loyalty to the Emperor.”
“A fitting description.”
Kylian glanced at her flushed cheeks, a quiet chuckle escaping him. Did she even realize how much her face shifted with every emotion?
That face was hard to look away from.
Those wide, round eyes, the small parted lips—she was like a child stepping into the world for the first time.
Not an entirely wrong impression.
The carriage rolled into the wide street leading to the Academy.
The rhythmic clatter of hooves filled Rune’s chest with giddy anticipation. Ahead, the Academy’s front gate teemed with crowds submitting applications.
“Please stop here.”
“Why?”
At Kylian’s question, Rune adjusted the strap of her bag and asked back in confusion.
“There’s no need to draw unnecessary attention.”
The black carriage, bearing the wolf crest, was unmistakably that of House Herais.
“Sit down. We’re going straight to the main building.”
“…Pardon?”
As he said, the carriage made no move to slow, racing straight toward the Academy. Recognizing the ducal insignia, the crowd parted like waves.
Rune leaned out the window in alarm as the carriage passed through the towering black iron gates in an instant.
Watching the front gate vanish behind them, she cried in panic, “Wait! We’re supposed to line up to register, aren’t we?”
“Right now, they’re only taking applications for the general program. The officer cadet school already completed its assembly drills two days ago.”
“What…?” Rune’s lips parted, words failing her. At her stunned expression, Kylian only shrugged, perfectly at ease.
“A few days ago, some people came asking for you at the registrar’s office. Likely agents sent by the Marquis.”
“Don’t tell me… you deliberately timed our departure for the very last day?”
So that explained his strange leisure all along! Rune clicked her tongue and rubbed her temple.
Even the Grand Duke must have known…
If he had uniforms made before she’d even sat the exam, it wasn’t such an impossible thought.
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“Did you really need to know? It’s not like you were about to obediently let yourself be dragged back to the Marquisate.”
“Even so, you should’ve given me some warning! The exams are over, the assembly’s finished—how am I supposed to enter the cadet school now?”
“And why not?”
Kylian leaned against the window, utterly unbothered.
“I’ve already spoken to the Academic Office. Adding one more name to the list is nothing.”
Good heavens. She knew he was an arrogant man, but to see how fully aware he was of it!
“I told you before—my name carries considerable weight.”
