Chapter 15

After quite some time, Ver went out to practice his sword. He held the sword, and with his eyes closed, he tried to collect his thoughts. He wanted to clear out the ideas that kept filling up his head.

Once the air surrounding him settled, Ver opened his eyes and began to strike the scarecrow in front of him. While swinging his sword, he focused on the target with minimal blinking. Only when the straw-filled scarecrow had lost its shape did the movement on his sword stop.

Wielding a sword had always made him calm.

But that tranquility did not last long. The moment he laid his sword down, the same thoughts once again plagued his mind.

To be accurate, the source of his distress was the leather strap in his wrist.

He recalled as her small hand tied it around his wrist and was told it was a keepsake for himself.

And even though she said it was just a token for training her all this time, the strap felt like a leash that tethered his heart to hers.

In the cool night, the wind blew. And the scent carried by the wind reached Ver. It was the scent of Jasmine flowers. Ver’s movements halted at the familiar scent.

It was a scent that reminded him of Cecia.

Ver unconsciously followed the scent. He arrived at the place were the jasmine flowers started to bloom.

Jasmine was a type of flower that began to bloom during the warm spring and was gone before the start of the humid summer. The fact that the Jasmine flowers had started to bloom was an indication that spring had come.

Ver recalled the time when he planted these flowers. In order to prepare as much Jasmine as possible to give as a gift to Cecia, Ver bought them from the market and planted them here.

These flowers, which he planted by himself, contained his heart towards her.

It wasn’t hard to bring an image of her to his mind. Perhaps crying with joy, she would have smiled beautifully in the midst of the bright blooms of these pretty flowers.

The wide landscape was filled with Jasmine flowers. And these flowers now began to bloom one by one.

“Do you know what Jasmine flowers mean? You are mine.”

Cecia’s voice, which spoke shyly as she blushed, tickled Ver’s ear. The memory was still vivid in his mind, as if she were speaking from his side.

“In some Eastern countries, the newlyweds’ rooms are sprayed with perfume made from these flowers. When we get married, let’s fill the room with this flower’s fragrance every day.”

As he watched Cecia dreaming about their future for the first time, Ver had thought he was the happiest man in the world.

But these Jasmine flowers, which were prettier than any other flower in her eyes, would remain unseen by her. A sad smile remained around his mouth.

***

Ver, who was working in his office, got up and headed to the window. A few days had already passed, but Prillance still hadn’t come. Perhaps she felt like she shouldn’t pester him too much?

Ver stopped his urge to write to the Marquis estate at every moment.

As he wondered about when she would come, Ver recalled that it was always Prillance who came to him first. It was short-sighted of him to not have considered this up till now. Hence, if she didn’t come by today, he was planning to go to the Weiand estate himself.

“My lord.”

Ver felt the tension in Albert’s voice as he called for him. He also looked a bit flustered.

“Duke Tonz wants to meet with you.”

“Right now?”

At the moment, there had been no prior appointment with Roman. Nevertheless, he remembered the impertinence he displayed not too long ago. By comparison, this was nothing.

“Please prepare to receive our guest.”

Albert bowed his head and went out to guide Duke Tonz. He could hear the commotion outside. It seemed he was giving instructions to the servants.

Upon hearing the ruckus, Ver recalled how Prillance’s first visit was similar to today. It was a time when he was working like a mad man. Preoccupied with work, he didn’t even go outside.

Then she led him out. And afterward, she continued to visit him for the next few days, but only drank tea.

This time, when he visited her, he thought he should try their tea first. Ver smiled at the thought. Then he left his office to greet Roman.

“You came so suddenly that we weren’t able to prepare properly.”

“That’s alright. I came in such short notice, after all.”

Sitting opposite Ver, Roman held a wide grin on his mouth. It looked like he was in a good mood. However, for a long moment, he was only drinking his tea.

“I heard you were once engaged to Lady Royne.”

Ver’s hand, which held the teacup, froze.

“We had been close since childhood.”

Ver moderated his words.

Being engaged to a close family and being engaged to a loved one had different meanings.

Roman seemed to be interested enough to bring Cecia as his partner to the garden party. Additionally, Ver thought Cecia was attractive enough to warrant it.

“That’s right. Originally, it starts with being close friends.”

Roman said with a light smile. But his words contained a hidden meaning.

“You and Lady Weiand are also close friends.”

Was Roman being sarcastic about his relationship with Prillance? As his mood soured, Ver stared at Roman and frowned. Roman grinned like a Cheshire cat. It seemed like the words he spoke weren’t brought out for no reason.

“Please get straight to the point.”

The Grant family had always disliked the empire’s custom of speaking from one subject to another, as well as speaking words with veiled meanings. The same was true of Ver, who grew up watching such things from a young age.

“You know, you really resemble Marquis Grant.”

Roman thought Ver was the spitting image of Marquis Grant. The Marquis was a man who did not yield even when he was standing against imperial orders. He didn’t know how to speak in veiled language, so he always spoke straight to the point. He judged right from wrong regardless of one’s rank. Therefore, he was an exemplary model and was supported not just by the citizens of his territory, but even the citizens of the empire.

Roman smiled bitterly as he recalled Marquis Grant.

“So I’ve heard.”

“That’s right. Your father was a great knight.”

“I know.”

“Hence, I know you are also a great knight.”

What did Roman want to say? The conversation that began with Cecia had turned into a conversation about his father. Ver had no idea what the purpose of his conversation was.

As Roman drank a sip of tea, Ver observed him and waited for his next words.

“So, how about becoming a knight for the Tonz family?”