Chapter 34

Princess didn't force anything upon her, nor did she try to guide her on what was right. Tending the garden was enjoyable. She felt pure joy. There was nothing that oppressed her. All her actions were acknowledged, and her efforts were never ignored. The talk about whether she resembled Sandar or Wolf had become distant. Being beside the petite, beloved Princess made her want to protect her. She felt like she had a place. 'Like I'm a person of value.' Not as Diara, who didn't belong to either Wolf or Sandar. Not as a bean, being pushed away with 'You're struggling, go over there.' Instead, she was involved in everything, and Lirika naturally offered her a seat beside her. "Companion..." She muttered her position without realizing it. 'There will be more companions in the future.' Diara knew this well. Most princesses were like that. Lirika and Attil were unusually few. She wished it could stay this way. She wished she could always be her own Princess. Such thoughts crossed her mind. 'Fjord Barat.' But now that the name of a companion candidate had come up, she couldn't just stand still. Although the Princess had said she was the first, she wanted to secure that position with her own strength. She wanted to be more than just a companion for political exchanges; she wanted to be a true friend. She wanted to be someone truly precious to Princess Lirika. 'I understand why Laub chose the Princess.' Diara understood why he, who had always been alone and out of place, now sat quietly beside the Princess. Then Lirika shouted, "I can jump like Diara!" Brin said, "It's dangerous," but Lirika shook her head. "No, I can do it." She said as she ran past. "If I fall, Laub will catch me, right?" Laub answered without hesitation. "Of course." As soon as he answered, Lirika jumped from the highest point, just like Diara. "Princess!" Brin rushed forward, but Laub was faster. Lirika landed softly in Laub's arms. Laub fell backward to reduce the impact. Brin ran over. "Princess, that was dangerous..." Lirika was panting. She fell much higher and faster than she expected. If Laub hadn't caught her, she would have definitely injured her ankle. But she felt incredibly brave. She laughed with joy. It was a reckless act she wouldn't normally do. She said, "It was dangerous, but I knew Laub would catch me." Lirika asked Laub, "Right?" Laub blinked and smiled. His genuine smile was rare, so Lirika was delighted. He helped her up and stood himself. "I'll catch you anytime." His tone was firm and confident. Is there anything sweeter for a retainer to hear than that their lord trusts them? Even if she fell from a cliff, he would catch her. She didn't want to give up or abandon the position she had earned at the cliff's edge. Laub's words made Brin cross his arms, and Lirika laughed. Diara felt a bit left out and held the Princess's hand. "?" Confused, the Princess still held her hand tightly. Diara, feeling embarrassed, looked away. Brin said, "Shall we go back now? Olang can handle the garden alone now." "Yeah, but I should still check on it from time to time." "Just as a hobby. If you keep this up, your hands will get rough." Concerned, Lirika nodded. 'I'll learn now and when I leave the palace, I'll do it myself.' Maintaining smooth, white hands is also a princess's job. 'Come to think of it.' Thinking of smooth, white hands, Fjord came to mind. 'Diara said that, but Fjord wouldn't just ignore the letter, right?' Is something happening? Maybe nothing is. Worried, Lirika decided to send another letter. * * * Lirika felt something was wrong with her front tooth. 'What is it?' After breakfast, Lirika said seriously to Brin, "My front tooth feels strange." Brin said, "Let me see," and examined her front tooth. "Excuse me." Brin wiggled Lirika's front tooth. "!!" Stiffened, Lirika listened as Brin removed his hand. "We need to pull this tooth." "Pull the tooth?" Lirika asked, and Brin nodded. "A new tooth is coming in. We need to pull the wiggly tooth so the new one can come in nicely." "B-but..." Pull the tooth! Confused and at a loss, Lirika looked at Brin, who said, "Ah, let's try." Lirika opened her mouth, and Brin said, "It seems we have a bit more time. Let's pull it in two days. By then, it will come out easily and painlessly." "Really?" "Really." Reassured by Brin's promise, Lirika sighed in relief. At least she didn't have to pull it right now. After breakfast, Lirika immediately wrote to Fjord. This was already her second letter. With no contact or reply, she thought something might have happened, but Brin reassured her that if the young lord of Barat had an accident, they would know right away. This time, she sent a letter filled with her worries and then went for a walk. It was now mid-summer. Early morning or late afternoon was the best time for a walk. After wandering around the Sky Palace, Lirika returned to the Sun Palace. Attil often went down to the Sky Palace to meet lower nobles, but Lirika lacked the confidence to do so. Even if she met other nobles, she didn't know how to behave. 'But playing tea party with dolls every day...' Playing tea party with dolls was fun, but it would be even more fun with friends. Even if not a companion like Diara, was there no way to make friends? While pondering this, Lirika walked in the garden, holding a new parasol. The new parasol her mother made was light and had a fresh yellow color, which Lirika loved. The roses had already bloomed, and now red azaleas and large peonies were in bloom. "It's been a while, Bird Princess." Fjord suddenly appeared between the garden shrubs. Lirika was startled and looked at him. "Fjord!" Overjoyed, she ran to him but stopped. "Fjord, are you okay?" His face was pale, and there were clear marks of a hit on his mouth. The contrast with his elegance created a strange, almost morbid beauty. Fjord smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. How are you, Princess?" Lirika looked around. Apart from Laub and Brin standing behind, no one else was there. Lirika asked, "You've been waiting for me?" "I've been waiting a bit." Lirika, flustered, approached him. "What happened? Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine." His smile felt strange. Lirika, without thinking, held his hand and flinched. "Fj...ord..." His hand was hot. His face was pale, but his hand was scalding hot. Lirika immediately knew something was wrong. Her face stiffened. "Fjord, let's go to my room right now, and..." She was about to say to call a doctor when Fjord said, "No." "Fjord." "I'm fine." He took a deep breath and spoke softly. "Thank you for inviting me to be a companion. But the Duke strongly opposes it. I proposed it first, and I'm sorry to say this..." He squeezed the hand she held, with a force that hurt. "I don't think I can be a companion." Lirika stomped her foot. "That's okay. Fjord, you don't need to apologize. But are you really okay? No, you're not. Have you seen a doctor?" "Am I okay?" He blinked, as if he hadn't heard the rest. He squeezed her hand even harder. "Am I okay?" As Lirika's face contorted, Laub grabbed his arm. "—!" Fjord twisted the arm that was grabbed, pulled Laub's wrist, and hit his elbow with his other hand. Laub caught the attacking hand with his other hand. In the next moment, without Fjord doing anything, Laub was pushed back, sending Lirika behind him. Lirika saw Fjord's eyes become unfocused. His hair floated in the air, though there was no wind. The air stung. Small pebbles rattled. Alarms rang in her head. "Fjord!" Lirika shouted, and he stopped, turning to look at her. Their eyes met. Lirika looked straight into his confused eyes. His hair slowly settled, and the air softened. Then, like a marionette with its strings cut, he collapsed. Surprised, Lirika tried to run to him, but Laub stopped her. Brin stepped in front of her, and Laub finally checked Fjord's condition. "He seems to have fainted." "Let's take him to the cottage." Lirika said, and Brin asked, "Is that okay?" Lirika nodded. "No one should see him like this. But we can't just leave him here."