“Buㅡ but where are we going now?”

Walking slowly alongside Aaron, I carefully asked for our destination.

“We’re looking around…”

Considering the size of the mansion I saw  from the outside earlier, I thought it was impossible to roam around the entire mansion in just a day.

Of course, just walking around holding hands with Aaron like this was good enough.

“Oh, I was thinking for a moment about where Erita would like to go first.”

Aaron, who had paused at my question, stopped walking and looked me in the eye.

“If your leg hurts, would you like to rest for a while?”

There was a hint of regret in the corners of his eyes, which looked a bit gloomy.

…As expected, wasn’t there something wrong with the original story?

My father and Aaron are the villains in the original, but they were such good people.

It was strange, no, not just that, it was very strange.

“Oh, no. I’m not that weak….”

“Hmm… If Erita says so.”

We only walked for a few minutes and told him I wasn’t weak enough for my legs to hurt right away, but Aaron, nodding his head, didn’t seem to believe my words much.

Like my father, Aaron must also think of me like some kind of weak cotton candy like being.

“It’s really…”

“Okay. I got it.”

Aaron, who burst out laughing as I mumbled that it’s unfair to not to believe me, gently stroked my head and straightened up.

“Okay. Then should we go to where the library was? Although there are only books, it’s worth reading.”

“Library?”

“Yes. There’s a sofa inside, so it’d be nice to sit and read books together. What do you think?”

For a while I thought about it, but soon Aaron led me.

The solution was the library in front of me, which seemed like it was only necessary to take one more step.

It made me a little sad because he still thinks that my legs hurt when we talked about the sofa, but it wasn’t more important than Aaron’s mind that thought dearly of Erita.

“I like books, too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. There were few books in the orphanage, but…”

“Okay. Then, let’s go and find a book that you’d like and read it together.”

‘Really?’ As soon as I was about to answer Aaron’s question with a smile, I heard other people’s voices behind us.

When I turned my head and looked at the source of the voices, I saw the maids with shining eyes while looking our way.

“You’re laughing..!”

“Oh my…! But he might hear you!’

I couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were whispering, but I think it’s a story about us.

Aaron, who was looking at me, also followed my gaze and looked behind.

“Hey!”

Then they froze and bowed their heads deeply, perhaps because Aaron glared at them.

“Just a second…”

I thought Aaron, who sighed a little, was about to take a step over them, so I deliberately grabbed his hand.

No matter how good Aaron was, he won’t be soft enough to look after the people who don’t even respect the basic manners of the other people.

But I didn’t even think they whispered anything bad, but I thought I would be a little sorry if they got scolded because I turned to look at them….

“I don’t want you to go…”

“Erita?”

“I- I wait to read books!”

Somehow, it looks like I’m begging him.

It was embarrassing, my face was red and I was holding Aaron’s hand.

‘I hope Aaron doesn’t feel bad about my actions.’

Just, I didn’t want him to feel bad about my behavior.

Aaron, who was staring at me with a blank look for a moment, soon burst into laughter and stroked my head one after another.

“My brother’s really nice, too.”

The maids bowed their heads and he told them to leave.

Their steps were very quick as they bowed their heads and left their place.

Pretending that I’m fine but I was hiding my blushing cheeks.

‘Oh really…’

Several times a day alone, my emotions seem to run over me.

“Erita, if you keep your head down like that, it’s hard to continue.”

Aaron’s voice as he said those words felt somewhat laughing.

Should I say I’m glad he wasn’t offended?

Still, I lifted my head with my face still red, and saw Aaron’s beautiful smile.

“Sorry… I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I blocked you…”

But my previous behavior wasn’t right either, so I apologized.

I thought they would feel uncomfortable if they were scolded because of me.

So, it was nothing more than a selfish act, using the heart of Aaron who liked me.

“It’s okay, I like…”

I was embarrassed for a while and blamed myself, but I blinked at Aaron’s words while holding my hand gently.

“What?”

“Erita held my hand like this and said she didn’t want me to go.”

My small soft hand trembled.

“That…”

When I saw Aaron who was happy with my actions, which weren’t out of pure intention, my heart fluttered.

When I couldn’t find words to say, and was just mumbling to myself, Aaron gently grabbed my hand and pulled me.

As I walked along with him like this, I couldn’t help but bit my lip.

Thudㅡ

The library door closed with a heavy sound.

Staring down on the floor, my eyes widened at the scene unfolding in front of me. I couldn’t help but admire it.

“Wow…!”

There were thousands of books and the high ceiling was magnificent.

Contrary to what I thought when the word ‘library’ meant a room with many bookshelves, it was a large space that could even be called a banquet hall.

“Wa-wasn’t it too big?”

“I thought it was just a room…”

“Well, I guess my ancestors, who liked books about 200 years ago, demolished the floors and made them into a library.”

“Woah..!”

“Won’t it be better to call it a library rather than a study?”

I couldn’t help but to say ‘wow’ repetitively.

Did they make the library this big because they just like books so much?

“The three floors have been demolished. There was also a door on the floor where your room was, so you could come here whenever you want.”

They broke down about three floors just to create this library?

I nodded inwardly, thinking to myself that this was worth calling the real ‘library’.

As soon as we opened the door, we passed by the sofa we saw earlier and walked along between the large bookshelves.

‘But where are we going now?’

It was so wide, so I thought I might get lost by adding a little exaggeration.

However, there was no hesitation in Aaron’s footsteps, so we just walked along, looking at the bookshelves hanging from the sides.

“We’re here.”

Curiously glancing around then back ahead at Aaron’s words.

It was the end of the library.

A bookshelf standing on a plain looking wall, and there was a cozy sofa and table.

“It may be a little dazzling, so be careful.”

While looking around, I squinted and looked at the wall to see if there was anything special about Aaron’s words.

There’s nothing dazzling here.

Aaron, who smiled at me, approached a bookshelf and tapped the wooden side repeatedly.

“…!”

Then a dazzlingly beautiful sight was revealed.

What used to be an ordinary wall has been replaced with transparent glass.

The light embracing the pure white sunlight was bright enough to dazzle anyone, and at the same time it was beautiful.

“The outside was…”

Slowly walking towards the wall. My heart fluttered in every step I took.

The outside and this place must have been blocked by a wall.

I carefully put my hand on the cold glass and stared blankly at the unfolding spectacle.

“I wanted to show you this.”

As I slowly turned my head to the voice I heard behind, I saw Aaron approaching me.

“I’ve never seen such a pretty garden.”

Staring out again and muttering to myself.

One day while reading a book, the dream garden I vaguely imagined would look like this.

As my heart swelled, an unknown emotion flooded in.

I even forgot to blink at the feast of colorful scenery painted on the blue ground and Aaron just stared at me like that.

“You, too, liked this place when you were young.”

“…”

“Shall we sit down for a minute?”

Aaron patted the sofa next to him and smiled softly.

As I sat down next to Aaron, he smiled softly and spoke.

“That garden was made by our father for our mother.”

“Father?”

Aaron nodded his head at my question.

“Because Mother liked flowers.”

“Ahh…”

“It must have been my mother’s dream to decorate her own garden.”

While saying those words, Aaron laughed.

Then, did Serbia decorate that garden?

“But when mother touched it, the flowers and the grass and everything withered.

‘What…? How could that happen?’

As I looked at Aaron with a trembling gaze, he understood how I felt.

He sighed and smiled at the same time.

“My mother loved flowers, but she wasn’t talented at cultivating and caring for a garden.”

“Then…”

“So instead of my disappointing mother, our father made the garden himself. This was a kind of magic that he installed for our mother so that she could always look from the inside out.”

Aaron said, staring at the window, and I followed his gaze and turned to where he was looking.

A space where splendor but sophisticated, elegance and loveliness coexist.

In the original, I have also read about this garden.

The first scene where Aslan showed a weak appearance was where he made a lonely monologue.

That was the garden of Serbia.

Somehow I felt like I had a glimpse of Aslan’s secret.

The scene was when his last breath was just around the corner.

When I remembered the original, I felt bad, so I shook my head to wipe off my thoughts.

What happened in the original hasn’t happened yet. So let’s not think about bad things.

After comforting myself, I felt a little better.

When I looked gently to the side, the gaze I encountered was warm.

Biting my lips, I grabbed Aaron’s hand that was next to me and squeezed it tightly.

“What’s wrong?”

I could see Aaron’s puzzled expression, but I just smiled quietly because I was happy.

Even though we met for the first time today, I liked Aaron as much as my father.

So, I would protect neither my father nor my brother from having the same ending as in the original.

Holding his warm hand and determining firmly, I didn’t see Aaron’s eyes sadly looking at me.

✿

“Erita.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to go out to the garden?”

After putting the book aside and having a conversation with Aaron, I answered his call, and my eyes widened at the words that followed.

Actually, I’ve been looking outside for a while…

“I want to go!”

After thinking for a moment, I nodded with an excited face.

Then, Aaron drew a smile like our father looking at me while eating a dessert.

“Do you like it that much?”

The corners of his eyes curved beautifully. I couldn’t help but blush seeing his smile along with his gentle touch.

‘What kind of kid talks like this…’

I’m sure he’ll be the best man in the Empire when he grows up.

Who would have a prettier smile than my brother?

I got up from my seat and glanced at Aaron after cooling down my hot cheeks.

“Shall we go then?”

Aaron’s hand reached out to me politely, like an escort knight.

At this moment, the feeling of being happier than anything else surrounds me.

“Yes!”

Of course, I happily held his hand!