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Chapter 52
One Spring Day
Diana Brien thought she would live as a noble and die as a noble.
But she wanted to live a new life. She couldn’t change her fate, but she wanted it to at least be different.
Just like when she brought Philip back to life.
That’s why she had decided: once she sent Guiscard away, she would marry someone else. Not Ferdinand—someone else.
Perhaps a noble from another country, not one from Farnborough.
At that time, Diana also thought of Philip. He was the only change within the fate she once thought unavoidable. Of course, it seemed Philip also thought the same.
Although Diana had grown distant from Philip, she believed that if they talked again, things could be mended. She felt some distance toward him, but she didn’t completely dislike him. Over time, she came to understand Philip.
Had it been the other way around, Diana might have felt hurt as well. She might have even gotten angry. She had written Philip several letters asking to meet, but strangely, he ignored them all.
A foreboding sense crept over her. And then, on one spring day when flowers were in full bloom, Diana finally received a letter from Philip.
“Ann, I’m sorry.”
It was a letter that began with an apology.
That spring day, Philip left for his grandfather’s estate. Watching him go, Diana resolved to give everything up.
✦
Before leaving, Philip had begged Diana to meet him. After much hesitation, she went to him.
It was a day when flower petals danced in the breeze. Blossoms bloomed on every tree, and even the wind carried the fragrance of spring.
The sun was warm, and Diana’s clothing was light. The gentle air, so different from winter’s biting cold, naturally made one smile.
Yet Diana’s face remained expressionless. They didn’t meet at the palace, but instead along a forest path where flower petals rained down. Diana glanced at the violets blooming at her feet. She almost stepped on them out of spite, but in the end, she couldn’t.
“Ann!”
Philip was standing there, smiling brightly.
“You came.”
Diana gave a small nod.
“I didn’t think you’d come. I thought that winter would be our last.”
Philip smiled bitterly.
“Let’s walk a little first.”
Philip nodded at Diana’s words. They spoke as though there was no such thing as parting.
“Ann, has your grandfather been treating you well?”
“Yes. He’s sent me letters now and then through Barrot.”
“That’s good. Now you have family too.”
Philip smiled, as if relieved. His words made the conversation feel awkward to Diana, so she decided to break it.
“Why did you decide to leave?”
Philip’s eyes widened. Unlike him, who skirted around the core of things, Diana was direct.
“Because I’m afraid.”
“…”
“I’ll never become anything here.”
“…”
“All I’ll get are assassination threats from our dear queen.”
Just as Diana had expected.
“Even if you married me, would it still be the same?”
Philip’s eyes widened at her calm question. He looked at her face, then gave a bitter smile.
Diana liked Philip. Seeing him made her feel good. He had been the only one to ever try giving her something when she was young.
She hadn’t thought about it much, but if she were to marry anyone, perhaps this person would be best.
Philip laughed.
“What are you saying, little one?”
But Diana’s expression was serious. Philip’s smile faded.
“You’re right, you wouldn’t say that as a joke.”
“…”
“Ann, do you like me?”
Her eyes widened. Something tried to rise from her heart but caught in her throat. Like a piece of apple stuck there, she couldn’t say a word.
Philip gave a wry smile.
“See? You can’t even answer right away.”
“…”
“You’re just a little girl, and you’re already talking about political marriages? What if someone you love shows up one day?”
“I can’t marry the person I love. That’s my fate.”
“So you’re choosing me because I’m ‘suitable’? That’s a little cruel.”
She had no reply. Philip smiled faintly.
Her feelings were confusing. She liked Philip, but perhaps not in the way he was asking for. She simply felt happy when she saw him. When he gave her candy, she felt like a child again. When she couldn’t breathe, he gave her room to breathe.
But then Philip said,
“Even if you did like me, my answer would be the same. I’m going with my grandfather.”
His words were gentle but firm. Whatever hope Diana had left was shattering.
“My uncle died of illness, and my grandfather has no one left.”
“…”
“And neither do I.”
There was loneliness in his voice. Diana wanted to say “I’m here.” But she couldn’t. Because just as Philip had turned away from her, she too had turned away when she grew weary of their bond.
“Diana, I don’t even have the family ties that bind you down. I’m different from you. Saying we were the same—that was a lie.”
Liar. Diana’s lips trembled. Philip had once told her they were alike. But in truth, they weren’t. She still had Alexa, even if her bond with Emil was strained. And she had a father—who, though not the warmest, still protected her.
Yes, they were different. Philip admitted his lie without hesitation.
“And think about it. If you were to get engaged to me, it would cost lives.”
“…”
“My grandfather’s, mine, and yours.”
Philip brushed her hair gently. The strands slipped softly through his fingers.
“I don’t have that kind of courage. To be honest, I hate that kind of thing.”
He looked at her face and said,
“So don’t cry, Diana. I’m not worth your tears.”
Only then did she realize she was crying.
Philip went on. He said that when Diana was crying because of her grandfather, he had already decided to follow his own grandfather. That when spring came that year, he would leave.
That was why neither the queen nor Ferdinand touched him. Philip couldn’t be her support.
No one could. Just as Philip chose for himself, she too would have to choose. At that moment, Diana realized she was utterly alone.
“One day, far in the future…”
“…”
“When we’re both free, let’s meet again.”
“…”
“And if, even then, when we see each other, we still feel we can stand by one another’s side…”
Philip kissed her forehead.
“Then let’s be together.”
He wiped her tears again and again as he said it. His eyes carried countless emotions. But Philip didn’t reveal everything, and Diana didn’t ask further.
After he left, Diana wept bitterly.
She was angry at that coward, angry at herself for wasting time in petty fights instead of treasuring the little they had left.
Yet, she was used to partings and learned to gather her grief.
Time passed, and she made her decision: she would leave this place.
✦
“Happy fifteenth birthday, my lady.”
Diana rose to her feet. In the mirror stood a pale-faced young woman. She still bore traces of girlhood, but the last softness of childhood had long since faded.
Fifteen. She had passed fourteen and finally reached the long-awaited fifteenth year. Behind her stood her friends.
“Thank you, Lady Novara.”
She smiled, making Baroness Carlea sigh.
“You two are so weird. Why the sudden formality?”
Countess Novara smiled.
“I just wanted to act proper for once. Why spoil it?”
“You should speak sincerely, like me.”
Countess Celano chimed in,
“Diana, there’s no one prettier than you. You’re the best. With your beauty, you could conquer all of Farnborough.”
Diana laughed brightly.
Last year, she had successfully debuted in society. The difference now was that Diana Brien finally had people she could call friends rather than just social acquaintances.
They had approached her two years ago during an estate visit. At first, she thought they were only interested because she was the daughter of the greatest ducal house in the country.
But by chance, while sneaking out to meet her grandfather, she met them on the streets and began spending time with them. Gradually, she became part of their group.
In her past life, Diana had always reigned as society’s unrivaled leader, so this felt new. For once, she had joined a group rather than standing above it.
Friends were strange things. They did everything together, but without false pretenses. In her past life, she thought she needed no such thing. Unless someone was from a family close to her father, she wouldn’t even speak to them. She had been too busy fighting Mirva, fixing finances Mirva ruined, replacing incompetent retainers, disciplining Alexa, and cleaning up Emil’s messes. Diana Brien had no time, nor did anyone approach her.
But now things were different. Back then, with Princess Ionia in seclusion, Diana had stood second only to the queen. Now, with the princess active, her father’s pressure to dominate society was lighter. She didn’t need to draw the queen’s ire.
Even so, it was still a mystery why these girls had reached out. If she hadn’t helped Lady Novara when she fell, she probably wouldn’t have gotten close to them.
“It’s true, Ann. You really are beautiful.”
Her soft blonde hair was adorned with a sapphire hairpin. When she pinned her hair up, her slender neck and shoulders were revealed. Her dress, cut low at the chest, showed a more mature figure. Diana looked in the mirror once more, then stood.
“It’s time to enter.”
The banquet at House Brien awaited. Her friends giggled and followed her. They often teased, calling themselves her maids. Their chatter didn’t bother her.
As they spoke, Diana suddenly stopped. The others fell silent as well. Someone was standing in the hall.
“I’ll escort you.”
Diana looked at the figure before her. He no longer looked like a boy, but closer to a young man. Tall and neatly dressed, he bowed his head to her. Even as he lowered it, his long lashes were striking.
“Father was supposed to come. Where is he?” she asked.
“The master entered first. He ordered me to escort you.”
“That’s unusual. To order a slave to escort.”
Once, such words might have hurt them both. But now, Guiscard knew she wasn’t disparaging him—she was merely noting how strange the situation was.
“The master said the young master would be at the entrance.”
“I see.”
Her relationship with Emil hadn’t improved. Their father had ordered them to at least appear together at the entrance. There was no need to broadcast their sibling strife to the world.
Guiscard placed his hand beneath hers, then raised his head. His violet eyes shone brilliantly.
Over time, those eyes had grown deeper, his black hair darker. His face, with its fine yet strong lines, had become more perfectly sculpted with age.
The years had only made him stand out more. His tall, powerful build surpassed most young men, and his face was an alluring mix of refinement and masculine strength.
Were it not for the slave’s collar around his neck, the noble ladies here would have forgotten he was a slave entirely and run into his arms.
He just keeps getting more handsome.
That face is insane.
Ah, our Ann doesn’t realize a thing.
Her friends glanced between Diana and her slave knight. Anyone who paid close attention could see it: the innocent young lady who knew nothing, and the slave who quietly harbored feelings for her.
The picture was all too clear.
“Ann, w-we’ll stop by the restroom first.”
The atmosphere between them was too much; they felt like they would suffocate if they stayed. So, as always, they withdrew, leaving Diana and Guiscard alone.
“Again? Fine.”
Diana nodded.
The slave knight stole glances at his mistress, hunger flashing briefly in his gaze.
It was on the day when Diana Brien turned fifteen, and Guiscard Lodbrok turned seventeen.
