Adelio’s feelings were complicated by the fact that his daughter’s giggles at Goldman’s stories reminded him of his excitement when he was younger and in love.
Of course, he respected his daughter’s feelings, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for Rudrick.
‘Should I support her after all…’
Adelio rubbed his face bitterly, feeling ambivalent.
His wife, Chloe, must have sensed his mood, because she stared at him for a moment, then smiled softly.
“Don’t worry too much.” (Chloe)
Adelio turned to look at her suddenly. There she was, with a calm smile on her face, unlike the one she’d worn when she’d been talking about Goldman in the heat of the moment.
“I believe in fate.” (Chloe)
“Chloe?” (Adelio)
“Just like the two of us, who might have gone our whole lives without knowing each other, ended up meeting…” (Chloe)
She had my hand in hers before I knew it, a warmth spreading over my fingers.
“I know that eventually everyone will find their destiny, even if it’s far away.” (Chloe)
Adelio stared at Chloe, still. She always wore a playful expression, but he knew that underneath it all, she was as serious and gentle as anyone.
So maybe Chloe was thinking ahead of herself, he thought with a wry smile.
Adelio placed his other hand on top of her intertwined fingers. Still squeezing her hand, he whispered.
“Let’s hope so.” (Adelio)
✿
‘Ugh, why am I so clumsy?’
I realized that if I stayed any longer, I would have to tell my parents the whole story of my love life in front of them, so I left like I was running away.
‘Anyway, don’t worry about my fiancé,’ I said, and was about to walk away, when my mother, who was smiling brightly, suddenly remembered.
‘Should we go on a family trip later?’
I wondered why she said that out of the blue, and then I realized. It reminded me of when I was younger and asked to go to the north for a family vacation.
I ended up traveling alone, but it would be nice to visit with my family later when the weather cleared, and I had time.
I smiled brightly and replied. ‘All right!’
It was only after I had gotten my parents’ permission that I realized the final gateway awaited me.
‘Rudrick.’
Now all that was left was to tell him.
There was no excuse for not telling him right away.
I hadn’t really been sure whether I wanted to go or not, and somehow it seemed like the time to tell him was after I had finished my work.
The moment I told Rudrick, ‘I’m coming with you,’ there was no turning back. It felt like I was giving the final approval to the real decision-maker.
And now that I had completed my task according to plan. Before I knew it, I was at Bouser Castle.
In fact, I had dropped the letter off at the Bouser residence as soon as I asked my parents for permission.
Once they were informed, there was nothing to worry about, and besides, I knew I had to hurry since my departure was just around the corner.
Fortunately, Rudrick had accepted my request for a visit, and presently I was sitting in the reception room waiting for him.
‘Here he comes!’
And shortly thereafter, Rudrick appeared.
It had been a long time since I had seen him since the knighthood ceremony, so I was eager to greet him.
‘Huh?’
That was until I realized something was amiss with his appearance.
Clearly, Rudrick wasn’t himself.
His features were sharper than the last time I’d seen him, partly because he’d lost weight, but more than that, it was his demeanor. The air that surrounded him was strangely stiff and untidy, as if it had been unraveling.
‘Are you a little nervous?’
Especially the way he sat in front of me as if he didn’t care, but couldn’t look me in the eye.
It was so different from the ‘Iron Blood’ and the ‘Slayer of the Battlefield’, that I immediately squinted at him.
I thought it was because we hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and it was awkward, but he didn’t seem to mind when I suddenly hugged him after ten years.
‘Then why is he acting like that today?’
The only thing I can guess was that he had sent the division commander to the mansion to work every day, but was that really the case?
Still, I felt like I must take the fall, so I spoke up, “Are you worried about me?”
When he gave me a puzzled look, I reminded him.
“You were the one who took me to the mansion that day.” (Dahlia)
“Oh.”
Rudrick finally replied, as if he’d just remembered.
“I did.”
And then he was lost in thought again, and I was the one who felt a little dumbfounded.
Couldn’t it be that he was worried about me and just couldn’t get the words out, and he didn’t even remember it?
Then why did you always send the division commander? Feeling unnecessarily grumpy, I blurted out.
“Well, I thought you were worried because you kept sending people even though I didn’t need them. I guess you weren’t?” (Dahlia)
“…I was worried.”
“Then why didn’t you come yourself? I asked the knights, but they all just said they didn’t know…” (Dahlia)
The more I talked, the more I felt like I was complaining, saying, ‘Sorry I didn’t visit,’ so I shut my mouth, which made Rudrick feel even more restless.
It was only after an awkward silence that I finally spoke up, scratching my cheek in apology.
“Sorry. Actually, I realize you’ve been busy, but I was just wondering if you’d like to talk about…” (Dahlia)
“What?”
But after hearing my words, Rudrick’s reaction became strange. As if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have…
I shook my head and blurted out, “I thought you were going back to the North?”
Adelio’s feelings were complicated by the fact that his daughter’s giggles at Goldman’s stories reminded him of his excitement when he was younger and in love.
Of course, he respected his daughter’s feelings, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for Rudrick.
‘Should I support her after all…’
Adelio rubbed his face bitterly, feeling ambivalent.
His wife, Chloe, must have sensed his mood, because she stared at him for a moment, then smiled softly.
“Don’t worry too much.” (Chloe)
Adelio turned to look at her suddenly. There she was, with a calm smile on her face, unlike the one she’d worn when she’d been talking about Goldman in the heat of the moment.
“I believe in fate.” (Chloe)
“Chloe?” (Adelio)
“Just like the two of us, who might have gone our whole lives without knowing each other, ended up meeting…” (Chloe)
She had my hand in hers before I knew it, a warmth spreading over my fingers.
“I know that eventually everyone will find their destiny, even if it’s far away.” (Chloe)
Adelio stared at Chloe, still. She always wore a playful expression, but he knew that underneath it all, she was as serious and gentle as anyone.
So maybe Chloe was thinking ahead of herself, he thought with a wry smile.
Adelio placed his other hand on top of her intertwined fingers. Still squeezing her hand, he whispered.
“Let’s hope so.” (Adelio)
✿
‘Ugh, why am I so clumsy?’
I realized that if I stayed any longer, I would have to tell my parents the whole story of my love life in front of them, so I left like I was running away.
‘Anyway, don’t worry about my fiancé,’ I said, and was about to walk away, when my mother, who was smiling brightly, suddenly remembered.
‘Should we go on a family trip later?’
I wondered why she said that out of the blue, and then I realized. It reminded me of when I was younger and asked to go to the north for a family vacation.
I ended up traveling alone, but it would be nice to visit with my family later when the weather cleared, and I had time.
I smiled brightly and replied. ‘All right!’
It was only after I had gotten my parents’ permission that I realized the final gateway awaited me.
‘Rudrick.’
Now all that was left was to tell him.
There was no excuse for not telling him right away.
I hadn’t really been sure whether I wanted to go or not, and somehow it seemed like the time to tell him was after I had finished my work.
The moment I told Rudrick, ‘I’m coming with you,’ there was no turning back. It felt like I was giving the final approval to the real decision-maker.
And now that I had completed my task according to plan. Before I knew it, I was at Bouser Castle.
In fact, I had dropped the letter off at the Bouser residence as soon as I asked my parents for permission.
Once they were informed, there was nothing to worry about, and besides, I knew I had to hurry since my departure was just around the corner.
Fortunately, Rudrick had accepted my request for a visit, and presently I was sitting in the reception room waiting for him.
‘Here he comes!’
And shortly thereafter, Rudrick appeared.
It had been a long time since I had seen him since the knighthood ceremony, so I was eager to greet him.
‘Huh?’
That was until I realized something was amiss with his appearance.
Clearly, Rudrick wasn’t himself.
His features were sharper than the last time I’d seen him, partly because he’d lost weight, but more than that, it was his demeanor. The air that surrounded him was strangely stiff and untidy, as if it had been unraveling.
‘Are you a little nervous?’
Especially the way he sat in front of me as if he didn’t care, but couldn’t look me in the eye.
It was so different from the ‘Iron Blood’ and the ‘Slayer of the Battlefield’, that I immediately squinted at him.
I thought it was because we hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and it was awkward, but he didn’t seem to mind when I suddenly hugged him after ten years.
‘Then why is he acting like that today?’
The only thing I can guess was that he had sent the division commander to the mansion to work every day, but was that really the case?
Still, I felt like I must take the fall, so I spoke up, “Are you worried about me?”
When he gave me a puzzled look, I reminded him.
“You were the one who took me to the mansion that day.” (Dahlia)
“Oh.”
Rudrick finally replied, as if he’d just remembered.
“I did.”
And then he was lost in thought again, and I was the one who felt a little dumbfounded.
Couldn’t it be that he was worried about me and just couldn’t get the words out, and he didn’t even remember it?
Then why did you always send the division commander? Feeling unnecessarily grumpy, I blurted out.
“Well, I thought you were worried because you kept sending people even though I didn’t need them. I guess you weren’t?” (Dahlia)
“…I was worried.”
“Then why didn’t you come yourself? I asked the knights, but they all just said they didn’t know…” (Dahlia)
The more I talked, the more I felt like I was complaining, saying, ‘Sorry I didn’t visit,’ so I shut my mouth, which made Rudrick feel even more restless.
It was only after an awkward silence that I finally spoke up, scratching my cheek in apology.
“Sorry. Actually, I realize you’ve been busy, but I was just wondering if you’d like to talk about…” (Dahlia)
“What?”
But after hearing my words, Rudrick’s reaction became strange. As if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have…
I shook my head and blurted out, “I thought you were going back to the North?”
