Chapter 42

✿

After the awkward meal time, we moved outside the mansion.

I was on my way to the garden’s greenhouse. It feels familiar, but I’d never been there.

“I’ve been a little busy until now.”

When I came to the capital, there was a lot on my mind, so I couldn’t afford to look around the mansion.

As I was walking worriedly looking behind the back of the person in front of me. Sean’s loosely tied, thin, milky hair gently followed his movement.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget about that foolish guy.”

“Your Highness…”

“In the past, you used to chase me around like this.”

“You’ve grown old, too.”

Fortunately, Seian was talking to my father right now. From their blurry words, they seemed to be talking about the past.

To be honest, I knew from before that he wanted to talk to me.

Because Seian seemed like a person who didn’t know how to hide his feelings.

It’s obvious just by seeing his gaze at me.

But, even though I could, I couldn’t talk to him at first.

This was because I didn’t know how to deal with my uncle who was ten years older than me yet.

“I thought I could treat you well yesterday.”

When I woke up after sleeping overnight, all my confidence disappeared.

Not knowing how I felt, I quickly arrived at a transparent glass building

The angled-shaped greenhouse was larger than I thought when I stood in front of it.

“Wow.”

The moment I opened the door, I forgot my worries for a while and exclaimed.

Even in winter, the warm interior, the smell of fragrant flowers, and colorful flowers, the owner of the scent, welcomed me.

I looked up at Aaron walking next to me. Just in time, he was staring at me, too.

“Like my brother and father said. It’s so pretty when flowers are in full bloom in winter.”

Aaron often sent letters after heading to the capital.

Sometimes it was a short greeting, and sometimes a small gift and one or two letters came.

And one day, there was a letter with a few magically preserved flowers.

In his letter he mentioned that the greenhouse of the capital mansion blooms even in winter.

“You must have been sad that there were no flowers in the north.”

Aaron smiled at me as I stared at the greenhouse excitedly.

Well, that’s definitely true compared to here. In the north, more than half of the year was winter.

I have not been able to see the season of flowers.

“But snowflakes bloom in the winter. There are also winter fruits that only grow in the north.”

But I didn’t know that I shouldn’t eat it. Aaron burst into a low laugh at what I added.

“You didn’t eat it, did you?”

“Hey, brother! Who do you think I am? Of course not.”

Of course, I didn’t eat it. I just almost ate it.

“What’s up with my curious little sister? The Erita that I know wasn’t like that.”

But Aaron seemed to believe in my words.

This was because he knew me well, the little me who used to search through the forests in the Grand Palace when I was young.

I went around looking for something. To be exact, something that could be used as a magic material.

“…I actually tried it, but Ellie and Betty told me not to eat the winter fruits. Didn’t they say I’d get a bad stomach ache?

With a subtle smile, I eventually confessed the embarrassing truth at Aaron’s gaze.

“Oh, Ellie and Betty are maids in the northern castle.”

At what I added, Aaron still stroked my head with a smiling face.

“Really? That’s a relief. If you eat wrong, you’ll get sick for two or three days.”

“I don’t like it just thinking about it.”

I shuddered and grabbed Aaron’s arm and walked a little faster.

Looking around various flowers and plants, the distance between my father and Seian was a little wide.

“What are you two talking about excitedly?”

At my father’s words, I smiled awkwardly and rubbed my cheeks. It seemed that it was only two of us who talked to Aaron.

“About what happened in the North… My brother sent me a letter saying that the greenhouse here was pretty.”

I sat down briefly again, repeating what I had said earlier.

Then the waiting servants quickly prepared tea and refreshments and fell far away.

At the same time, I heard from my father.

“It’s amazing. Did he send you a letter, too?”

“Well, I send about two or three times a month, right?”

“It’s usually like that.”

At Aaron’s answer, I glanced at my father. My father’s expression was close to someone running away from home.

Father, who frowned, wrinkles his beautiful forehead, spoke toward Aaron.

“What did Aaron say when he asked you to send me a greeting letter?”

“I was busy then…”

Even with his father’s disapproval, Aaron responded calmly as if not knowing what was the problem.

The calm attitude made my father’s eyebrows rise.

“Even if you’re busy, are you busier than your father? Anyway, you look like an unlovable man. When I was young, I had a cute face.”

Aaron also responded without losing.

“If you say so, it’s unfair for me. I’ve sent you letters of regards.”

“Okay. You mean the two-line letter. Seian, don’t you think he’s cold-hearted?”

When asked close to his father’s coercion, Seian smiled awkwardly.

….It has also started. I wanted this to end soon.

That childish confrontation between father and Aaron was not a day or two.

Both of them are indifferent, but I think my father sometimes feels sad because Aaron was more indifferent.

Should I say that Aaron wasn’t interested in everyone fairly?

Of course, I didn’t think that was the only reason today.

“The letters sent by my Father were three lines.”

I sighed at the pointless debate that resulted in a mellow conversation.

As soon as I took a glance at the side, I could see Seian looking restless.

‘Father was also the same. But he has a guest… ‘

I saw my father and Aaron again, but the two seemed to have no time to care about it.

After hesitating for a while, I eventually opened my heavy lips.

“Alright…”

The voice that came out sounded a little awkward.

“Huh? Do you mean me?”

It seemed that Seian feels more sharp than me. I nodded slowly to his question, which expressed embarrassment.

“Yes, would you walk with me for a while?”

Then, he slightly looked towards father and Aaron and turned.

However, Seian didn’t answer easily and just bit his lips.

“Do you not like it?”

You’re right. If I suddenly ask you if you want to walk with me, you may be reluctant.

I hurriedly spoke to him, thinking that my proposal might not be pleasant.

“Of course, if you want to, you could..”

“No, it’s not! Let’s go together.”

Seian, who had hesitated to answer added words so far, he replied quickly as if he had done so. His voice, who came to hang up, didn’t feel urgent.

Surprised by him, I soon got up with a big smile.

“Shall we go now?”

At my recommendation, Seian nodded gently like a puppy following his owner and removed himself from the chair.

Despite his age and size being much more delegated than me, he made me feel like I wanted to embrace him somewhere.

The loosely tied hair probably plays a part in his smooth drooping eyes.

When Seian and I walked at the same time, Father and Aaron’s eyes touched turned to us.

“I’ll walk with him for a moment.”

Strange expressions appeared on their faces.

I felt embarrassed for no reason, so I turned my eyes slightly.

“Do you mean Seian?”

I looked sideways at my father’s question and nodded.

“Yes, I’m going to look around the greenhouse with him. It’s been a while since the two of you talked.”

My father’s gaze passed by me and turned to Seian.

“…Okay. You could show him around.”

Surprisingly, my father’s answer came out gladly.

I tried to press down on the laughter that was about to leak out of my lips, I swallowed it, and turned around gently waving my hand.

“…I’ll be alright, Allan.”

Seian followed next to me. He shared the direction with me at a distance of about two or three steps away.

The sound of the two shoes rang neatly.

How far did we walk? Even the faintly heard voices of father and Aaron disappeared.

I carefully chose the words to say to Seian, who walked silently next to me without saying anything.

“I was flustered because I didn’t even think of it. It’s not that I hate Seian.”

I received all the love of my family, but I was still thoughtless. I sighed unconsciously at my patheticness.

It’s not that I haven’t thought about talking about flowers as if I were explaining them.

If I do that, I’d be able to bring it up naturally. But I didn’t want to.

It’s because I thought I had to apologize first.

I wasn’t happy with the attitude I had toward Seian today as I could feel it clearly.

“Erita.”

However, Seian opened his mouth before I could.

My name he spoke, seems pretty uncomfortable.

After being absent-minded for a while at the strange thoughts, I suddenly came to my senses.

“Yes?”

As I turned toward him with a little surprise, I saw Seian stopping a step or two.

Having met eyes with him, he bit his lips as if to say something.

I waited calmly for his words.

First, you can listen to what Seian says, and then apologize.

“…I’m sorry.”

However, Seian’s words that followed were completely unexpected.