The last time she had met Edward, Yellodia had been dressed in men’s clothes, stopping her older brother from duelling him. As if that were not enough, she had even thrown herself into Edward’s arms and sobbed her heart out…….
Why was she only thinking of this now?
Edward must have reconsidered this engagement on his way back to his estate that day.
He must have been scheming how to convince His Majesty the Emperor that he could not marry such a violent and brutish young lady.
“To think you would guide me through the garden personally. I am truly grateful for your kindness, my lady.”
Yellodia flinched in surprise and raised her head. Edward wore a faint smile that seemed to appear and disappear. Nowhere in his expression was there any sign that he intended to ask to break off the engagement.
Suddenly, Edward asked,
“Is your knee fully healed?”
“Yes. Thanks to your concern……. My second older brother also sent me an ointment that works quite well…….”
For no reason, Yellodia’s cheeks flushed hot. Her throat felt like it was burning with embarrassment.
“Um, about that day…….”
“Ah, I kept my subordinate soldiers’ mouths tightly shut. You need not worry about any strange rumors spreading.”
“……Ah.”
“It occurred to me belatedly that I had failed to reassure you that day. I have resolved that matter on my end, so you need not worry in the slightest.”
Edward truly seemed to think little of the past incident. Yellodia swallowed dryly.
“Then what about me driving the carriage and going to Navy Headquarters that day as well…….”
“That has already become something that never happened.”
“Is that possible?”
“It is possible in the military. I threatened them that if even the slightest rumor spread, the entire unit would be put through a month of special training.”
Yellodia decided not to ask what the special training entailed. Somehow, she felt she would end up feeling sorry for the soldiers.
“Then, come this way. I would like to show you the ash tree pond. It is the most beautiful place in the manor.”
“I am receiving hospitality beyond what I deserve.”
Yellodia barely managed to compose her gaping mouth and walked ahead, striving not to hurry.
When she glanced back, Edward was following her leisurely. Whenever he saw a beautiful flowering tree, he would pause his gaze there for a moment.
Yellodia muttered without realizing it,
“You’re beautiful…….”
“The flowers, you mean?”
Yellodia let out an “Ah—” and opened her mouth, then covered it with both hands.
“That’s not…… Yes, the flowers…….”
Yellodia mumbled evasively, inwardly making a face like she was about to cry.
The previous incident must have been too intense after all. She could not easily erase the awkwardness and embarrassment.
*Why did it have to be while I was wearing Brother Fabian’s clothes……. Wait, did I say Fabian?*
Yellodia gasped.
Now was not the time for a cozy garden stroll.
When Yellodia turned back to Edward in haste, he deliberately raised an eyebrow.
“Baron, you must be especially careful this evening.”
“What do you mean?”
“At the dinner banquet, my brothers will torment you, I think!”
At Yellodia’s zealous tattling, Edward made a bewildered expression.
“During dinner?”
“Yes! It is not something you should take so lightly. You must be on strict guard against my second brother and my youngest brother. It seems they have prepared thoroughly to torment you.”
“Hmm……. I see…….”
Edward barely swallowed a bursting laugh and nodded calmly. Yellodia’s expression was far too serious to laugh off.
This was Edward, who had maintained his composure even when surrounded by an enemy fleet of eleven ships. He would hardly be flustered at being bullied by his fiancée’s older brothers.
*If they harass me during dinner, will they attack me with a knife or fork?*
Without ceasing his idle musings, Edward looked down at Yellodia.
Yellodia was now looking up at him, her lower lip tightly bitten, worried about something.
Her green eyes were shaded with a deep color, and perhaps due to slight excitement, her soft cheeks were flushed a rosy hue.
“You must be especially wary of my second brother. You might not leave the estate unscathed today.”
Edward burst out laughing without thinking.
“Please do not worry so much, my lady. Being harassed during a meal is no great matter. It happened often when I was a junior officer.”
“It’s not that…….”
“If not that, are you worried I might duel the two of them?”
“That too…… yes. But what worries me more than that is your drinking capacity, Baron.”
Edward stared blankly at Yellodia. His drinking capacity?
Just then, unfamiliar sounds of movement came from beyond the wall wrapped in rose vines.
Edward sensed the presence first and raised his head, and belatedly Yellodia gazed in that direction.
The very next moment, a man with a gentle-looking impression jumped out from beneath the shade of a magnificent hawthorn tree.
His brown hair mixed with a reddish tint was somewhat disheveled, and his complexion looked extremely pale. He was quite thin, but his proportions were so good that he did not appear frail.
The man asked with wide eyes,
“Yedi?”
“Brother Heseudeo!”
Startled, Yellodia ran toward Heseudeo. Heseudeo, who was layered in three outer garments, hurriedly waved his hand.
“Don’t come near me, Yedi. You might catch my cold.”
“You haven’t fully recovered?”
“I’m fully recovered, but just in case, keep your distance for now. If I were to pass this cold to you, oh, by Hesus and Ionell I swear, our older brothers won’t leave me alone. Of course, neither will His Majesty the Emperor.”
At Heseudeo’s exaggerated words, Yellodia burst out laughing without realizing it.
However, the color of Heseudeo’s face as he looked at her froze stiff in an instant. It was immediately after discovering the unfamiliar man standing behind Yellodia.
“Who is it? Who dares to be alone with Yellodia?”
“Brother!”
Yellodia frantically stopped Heseudeo, who was trying to draw the long sword at his waist.
Heseudeo was now more surprised by Yellodia rushing toward the gleaming blue sword than by the unfamiliar man.
“Yedi? It’s dangerous! Get back.”
“That’s not it, that person is my fiancé. Baron Adrian.”
“What……?”
In an instant, Heseudeo’s face turned cold, as if frost had descended.
“Your fiancé.”
Heseudeo’s green eyes blazed blue with wariness toward the stranger.
Even facing such a Heseudeo, Edward bowed politely. It was as though he could not see the blue-gleaming sword at all.
“Nice to meet you. I am Edward Kieri Adrian.”
“I am Heseudeo Fritz Sabie. Seeing you meet alone with a young lady who has not yet held her engagement ceremony, and without a guardian at that, it seems you know nothing of noble etiquette.”
It was a familiar routine. Yellodia groaned inwardly.
“It’s not the Baron’s fault; we happened to be taking a walk and…….”
“Yedi, you stay quiet.”
At Heseudeo’s sharp warning, Yellodia pouted and glared at him.
Here we go again.
Ever since the engagement was decided, her older brothers had been beside themselves, treating Edward like a would-be thief or bandit.
This engagement had been carried out purely by the will of His Majesty the Emperor, and not a trace of Edward’s personal desire had entered into it.
How desperate must he have been to request to call off the engagement at a banquet hosted by His Majesty the Emperor?
By this point, Yellodia couldn’t help but feel anger boiling up.
“He is my fiancé. Show some courtesy to someone who has received a title from His Majesty the Emperor. Strictly speaking, his rank is higher than yours, Brother.”
“Yedi. But I still…….”
Just then.
“Everyone is here, I see. Dinner preparations are complete. The Young Count and the Second Young Master are waiting in the parlor, so please come at once.”
At the butler’s sudden appearance, Heseudeo turned to him with a furrowed brow. It was clear he was displeased by this untimely interruption.
Yellodia seized the opportunity to hook her arm around Heseudeo’s left arm.
“Let’s go quickly, Brother.”
“Yedi, if you act as you please…….”
Yellodia acted as if she heard nothing. After glancing back, she walked on obstinately.
Heseudeo, who had been making a troubled expression, walked along with her as if he could not win against her.
The butler led them from the very front, and Edward followed leisurely from the very back.
“…….”
The siblings walking arm-in-arm down the narrow path looked very intimate.
Edward’s fiancée was an astonishingly frank and pure woman. She did not hesitate to speak her mind.
Without a doubt, she must have grown up basking in her family’s love.
A soft smile formed at the edge of Edward’s lips, then vanished.
As soon as they arrived at the main building of the manor, the butler guided Edward to the cloakroom. There, with the help of a servant, Edward tidied his disheveled hair and attire.
Once tidied, Edward was again guided by the butler toward the dining room.
In Edward’s hand as he exited the cloakroom was a large bouquet of roses, and the moment she spotted the flowers, Yellodia’s cheeks turned pink.
“Oh my, you bought roses?”
“Yes. I felt sorry for coming empty-handed last time, and my subordinates recommended the largest flower shop on Ionell Street. I wonder if you will like them.”
“White and yellow roses! They are truly beautiful. It seems the roses grown in greenhouses are already in splendid bloom.”
It was the first time in her life she had received flowers from a man outside her family.
If she placed them in the crystal vase in her bedroom, the room would brighten.
Yellodia tried hard to hide her excitement and meekly held out both hands.
Just then. Suddenly, a large, bony hand snatched the bouquet from Edward.
“Ah……!”
Yellodia’s eyes went wide.
“How did you know I like flowers? You have better taste in gifts than you appear, Baron.”
“……Brother Heseudeo!”
“Hans, decorate these in the annex parlor. I want to look at them alone, so an inconspicuous place would be best.”
Heseudeo grabbed a passing servant and immediately foisted the bouquet off on him. Yellodia stared blankly at Heseudeo, dumbfounded.