Chapter 108
A huge field appeared in her vision, where numerous intertwining branches and leaves of a vine nestled in the middle as they obscured the sky from her view. There was a pond next to it, and probably because of that, a bunch of forget-me-not flowers in full bloom were found not too far from it.
Swoosh.
As the wind blew, she could smell the refreshing scent to its fullest.
“This place is beautiful.”
“…”
“Thank you for showing it to me.”
The boy felt a little bashful and slumped under a tree. “How many times will you thank me…”
Adele saw her reflection in the pond, and she was reminded of what Daniel had just said to her. Afterwards, she threw a small stone, distorting the image of herself on the surface of the water.
He’s right though. All the other young girls were gorgeous and beautiful when they debuted. In contrast, I…
She gingerly stroked her face and let out a soft sigh.
The boy, who was spying on her with a side squint, uttered grumpily.
“Beautiful.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t listen to that stupid bastard, foolish.”
“Mn.” Adele laughed sadly. “Well, maybe you’re right in calling me foolish. I was feeling confused and believed his words when I should’ve been mad at him instead because of his rudeness.”
Silence overcame them, with the occasional hum of bugs and fluttering wings.
“My mother…”
“Hm?”
“When my mother told me that I was terrible… I also remained still.”
“…”
“Because I also thought I was one too. So, you’re not a fool.” He scratched his head, wondering if his words even made sense.
Adele’s heart sank at the boy’s clumsy consolation. Because she could see that the recesses of his dark eyes hid the deep solitude and loneliness he felt within him. She recollected the duke’s conversation with his wife earlier and her gaze softened. It’s just that, she didn’t know what to say. But she at least wanted to cheer him up.
Grabbing his hand that still had a lot of scratches on them, the doe-eyed boy quickly resisted her movements and tried to pull his hands away. But seeing her misty eyes, he abruptly ceased his struggle.
“If I was your family…”
“…”
“I would be so proud of you and praise you for having such a great courage, and for always doing your best. So…”
So don’t be offended by the Duchess’ words because they do not reflect who you are. Adele, unable to voice out those last words, encased his hand inside her palms to comfort him.
The boy lowered his head to hide his reddened cheeks,“Me too…”
“Hm?”
The boy seemed to be embarrassed with his words. “If I was your fiancée—”
Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind blow that caused autumn leaves and forget-me-not petals scatter in the sky, but the rest of his words did not reach her ears.
Adele creased her forehead in puzzlement. She faced serious boy’s eyes, which was very much unlike his peers. He was young, but his heart held sincerity. This time, she could now clearly see her reflection within those deep orbs of black, and what she saw made her lips curve up into a subtle smile.
The boy took a handkerchief out of his pocket.“I will return this to you now, so don’t cry.”
She blinked, “I haven’t cried in front of you yet.”
“Well, you look like you cry often, so you might need this more than I do.”
“Dare to tease me? See how I sort you out!” Adele laughed and immediately felt a few pounds lighter.
She wanted to let him know that he can still make jokes and laugh too. Those slightly drooped shoulders and his usual cold expression, Adele was concerned about how burdened he appeared compared to a child his age.
The boy saw Adele smiling lightly and put the handkerchief back in.
“If you say you won’t cry anymore, I’ll give it to you.”
“I don’t think that’s how handkerchiefs work…” People cry all the time, does that mean he would never give it back?
Adele stifled a chuckle.
“…”
“Do you like it?” She asked.
“It’s not that…”
I can’t see you anymore if I return this to you…
The only nobleman in this neighborhood was Baron Lilliand, and the handkerchief was engraved with the baron’s pattern. When he was on the way down the mountain, thinking that he would find the owner soon, he witnessed that idiot badmouthing her.
Can I see her again even if I return this to her?
The boy laughed shyly, finally resembling the appearance a child of his age should have. Adele barely resisted the desire to pinch the boy’s squishy-looking cheeks.
“Oh, right. I was searching for you.” She suddenly remembered what she was here for.
“Me?”
“When are you going to return home? Your parents are—might be worried.”
He scowled, “I already left a letter saying that I was leaving for my swordsmanship training. I can go to the capital alone in time for the academy admission, so there wouldn’t be any problem.”
“Won’t it be hard travelling alone?”
“I have always been alone in the castle, it’s not that hard.”
Adele was truly worried about the boy. But she decided it would be good to respect this child’s wishes. True, the mountain is dangerous, but with his strength, he can probably persist longer than she ever could.
No longer wanting to take him back with her, she instead, extended some help and took some things out of her bag.
“Take this.”
“What’s this.”
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Adele held out a water container, a long cloth, and some ointment. She brought it because she thought he would need a lot if he would start living alone in the mountains until he decides to reunite with his parents.
The boy scanned the items and picked up the headband that came with the cloth. “I’ll take this.”
“…isn’t that a little too useless? Don’t you need anything else?”
“It’s enough.” The boy smiled contentedly at the hair tie on his hand—a light brown string with yellow beads in it.
Adele could not understand what he meant, so she wondered if he would make a slingshot out of it. Deciding to put that tiny detail at the back of her mind, she placed the water and ointment into his pocket.