Chapter 48

After the conversation and meal, Noelle and Amelie took Jeth and Lala to the garden. The queen invited them to her greenhouse, saying, "You two can chat here," and left with the maids and attendants.

Left alone, Jeth and Lala were surrounded by beautiful flowers and their fragrance, but they had no time to enjoy it. They sat down on a white, elegant iron bench. The silk cushions made it comfortable to sit.

For a while, neither of them spoke, but Jeth was the first to break the silence.

"There's something that's been bothering me."

Jeth's tone was heavy.

"Yes, what is it?" Lala replied, looking tense. She tried to lift her face, but her body was stiff, and she felt like she was trembling.

"You said I was a wonderful knight... But could it be that you mistook me for someone else? Brad Bantlin and other young knights also visited the Vionne household. Was it really me? Or did you find it hard to admit a mistake now? Is that it?"

Jeth asked sincerely.

Lala's eyes widened as much as they could.

"Um, Miss Lala?"

Jeth gently looked at the silent Lala. Lala was frozen in shock. Her head felt like it was boiling. Confessing her deep, nauseating love was too embarrassing. But she had to clear up this misunderstanding. She didn't want to ruin her important first love, the arranged marriage, the queen's feelings, or everyone else's feelings because of a misunderstanding. Lala suddenly spoke up.

"There's absolutely no mistake. Since the first time I saw you seven years ago, I couldn't forget you. I always thought you were wonderful... I saw you many times. I don't know the other knights. Well, I've seen them, but none of them were as wonderful as you. Of course, they are all excellent people. But no one held the baby Lucian as tenderly as you did. No one played hide-and-seek with little Lucian as seriously as you did. No one laughed brightly when Lucian was kicked by Zio. And no one rode that beautiful chestnut horse and looked like a god of war, making me stare in admiration many times. I'm sorry for watching you secretly. It must seem creepy that I fell in love with you. But you were so wonderful, and on the days I saw you, I felt light and happy all day. So, in short, there's no mistake."

Lala spoke in a rush and panted for breath. Jeth was stunned, his mouth half-open.

"Um, Sir Jeth?"

Called by Lala, Jeth slowly relaxed his stiffness.

"...It's good to know there's no mistake. Let's start by getting to know each other..."

"Oh, yes. I feel like I know you very well, but you don't know me at all."

"Yes, that's true. This is the first time we've spoken, right?"

"Well, no, I did speak to you a little once..."

"Is that so? I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten."

Jeth apologized, searching his memory. Had he spoken to such a lovely woman before? He couldn't recall.

"I was a messier girl back then. At that time, you and the others were taking care of baby Lucian while carrying firewood. The baby was snugly in a wicker basket. But if left alone, he would cry, so you would hold him from time to time."

Jeth remembered. When Lucian was a baby, the Vionne household was poor. Sariel cut down trees in the back and made firewood. He dried the branches and chopped the logs with a wind magic scythe—though the firewood was quite uneven. They moved the firewood to the shed to keep it dry. Jeth helped, and occasionally held and soothed Lucian. At that time, a girl came. She had come to buy eggs. She helped with the firewood.

Jeth thought women usually helped with childcare, but the girl just kept picking up and carrying firewood. Heinrich wanted to give her all the eggs as a thank you, but she said it was fine as usual and that she had enjoyed helping with the firewood, smiling brightly as she left.

"You helped with the firewood back then?"

"Yes, I did."

Lala smiled shyly in response.

"I see... I thought you were a kind and good girl. You were her."

Jeth smiled at Lala for the first time today. Lala's face turned bright red.

"I'm glad you're my match."

Hearing Jeth say this, Lala couldn't help but shed tears of joy.

Clarice, the maid who had been watching, couldn't help but smile, breaking her usual expressionless face.