Chapter 45
Just as I Thought
“How is the temperature?”
Cedric looked at me with a smile.
Inside the conservatory, it was cool. Of all the things that impressed me as I kept dabbing away the heat with my handkerchief, the temperature stood out the most.
My cheeks, flushed from the heat, returned to their normal warmth. A coolness lightly wrapped around my body, peeling away the heat that clung to my skin. The absence of wind wasn’t simply because this was an indoor space.
“It’s perfect. Is this magitech?”
“No. It’s Lady Yuri Laraen’s magic. Since Her Highness seemed hot, I asked Laraen.”
Yuri’s?
I lifted my palm into the air. I couldn’t see or touch anything, but I could feel the temperature against my skin.
It was the temperature of the Loundra Kingdom—neither too hot nor too cold. Just like back then, when Yuri had used magic on me.
“Did Yuri make it cooler? She finds everything such a bother. Even Brother Daymond has to beg and beg just to get her to help when they use magical communication.”
“Well…”
Cedric showed no sign that asking Yuri had been difficult for him.
“Either way, I should thank Yuri. It’s truly cool in here.”
I took another step forward and slowly spun around in place. A faint breeze rose from my movement, cooling my cheeks even more.
The good mood I’d had since waking only kept improving. After completing a full turn and facing Cedric, I smiled brightly.
“Your Highness, I knew this would happen.”
“Yes?”
Cedric, who had been quietly watching me, spoke as he rubbed beneath his eyebrow.
“It’s fortunate that Laraen made a marriage promise.”
I tilted my head at Cedric’s sudden mention of Nanesha and Yuri’s marriage.
“What Laraen cast was a spell that adjusts the surrounding mana to change the temperature. It’s an extremely delicate spell for a human to implement.”
Ah—Cedric was talking about Yuri.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in magic, Duke?”
“I’m not interested, but I can recognize it. Laraen performed an exceptionally precise spell with ease.”
“They say Yuri is an excellent mage.”
They said Yuri was a genius. I had very little mana and couldn’t even sense it, so I didn’t know much about magic, but everyone who understood magic agreed that Yuri did the impossible.
So whenever I spoke about Yuri, I naturally called her an extraordinary mage.
“Yes. Enviably so.”
Cedric said this with his usual composed expression.
“There’s a spell placed here to maintain the same temperature every hour.”
“So it’s the same temperature no matter the season?”
“That’s correct.”
I clasped my hands together. A place that never changed! Cedric continued.
“I’m glad that you like it, Princess.”
“I love it! I never imagined something like this was possible.”
“The construction of the conservatory was delayed beyond the plan, so most of the summer has already passed.”
“But thanks to you, Duke, I won’t be afraid of the rest of this summer—or the summers to come, will I?”
Cedric met my gaze. His calm demeanor seemed to seep into me.
I decided not to run from the summer heat. Just moments ago, I’d had to press my handkerchief to my forehead and chin several times.
I was more sensitive to heat than Cedric, Nanesha, or Yuri. Nanesha joked that I was like northern royalty, but regardless, it was uncomfortable. Experiencing discomfort was different from accepting summer.
And Cedric had created a place to escape the heat, even if only briefly. This was Cedric’s way.
Within that calmness, Cedric extended his hand. It looked like an invitation to escort me, so I placed my hand over his. He led me deeper into the conservatory. We walked down five or six steps.
Turning the corner, a vast open interior appeared. And once again, upon entering the conservatory, I couldn’t help but marvel. Half of it was buried in the ground, and half basked in sunlight. And—
One side of the conservatory was filled with daisies. Low-growing daisies that received sunlight huddled together in clusters.
From half of the domed ceiling, sunlight of different hues streamed down at various angles. Some light was clear, some bluish, and some faintly red.
The ends of the light touched the daisies. When the flowers met the light, they trembled softly against one another. In truth, they were shining. Different lights revealed different facets of them. Both the green leaves and the petals of the daisies sparkled.
The white and yellow daisies scattered atop green leaves looked like stars embedded in the sky, and the cluster of those star-like flowers resembled a Milky Way.
As the green leaves flowed like a river, the white, yellow, silver, and gold daisies became a gently trembling constellation. Were they flowers that looked like stars, or stars that looked like flowers? In the end, they were simply a field of white and yellow daisies.
As I wondered whether he’d gathered all the daisies in the capital, Arsen, a small laugh slipped out. I covered my mouth with my free hand.
“Princess, why are you laughing?”
“Did you gather all these daisies yourself, Duke?”
“Yes. As many as could be obtained in Arsen.”
I was reminded of the stories I’d heard before coming to Owen—tales of my father and mother’s courtship.
“All the flower shops in Arsen must be talking about you, Duke.”
“Why would that be?”
Hmm. I pressed the tips of my fingers to my chin, pretending to think.
“It’s a secret.”
Having gathered so many daisies, of course rumors would spread. The fact that he even asked why made me laugh again—Cedric’s lack of worldly awareness overlapped with my father’s.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it very much! I’ve never seen so many daisies before.”
I liked his kindness. The words You’re very kind, Duke rose right to the tip of my tongue. But somehow, I couldn’t say them—afraid my ticklish feelings might be revealed.
I also wouldn’t ask why he planted all these daisies here.
If I did, Cedric would probably say they were a get-well gift, or a celebration of my recovery, or simply that he was decorating the conservatory and paid attention since I happened to be living in the estate.
All of those would be kind words in themselves, but for some reason, hearing them would make me feel a little disappointed.
I just wanted to enjoy this kindness on my own terms.
“Did you prepare this for me?”
I turned the words I wanted to hear into a question.
“Of course, Princess.”
“Thank you so, so much, Duke. I’m incredibly happy.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
For some reason, my throat felt a little dry.
“Princess, you’re welcome to use this conservatory freely.”
“Thanks to you, I won’t worry about the rest of summer!”
“You may also decorate it however you wish.”
Oh! I pointed with my index finger beside the pile of daisies.
“Then shall we place a rug and an outdoor table around here? And put a pretty tablecloth on it?”
“A fine idea.”
“And for you and me, Duke, we should place two chairs, right?”
“Yes, Princess.”
“And then, sitting at that table, we can look at the daisies—”
I swept my gaze across the conservatory. Inside, there were either wild grasses or daisies.
“Hmm, I suppose we’ll just look at daisies again!”
Inside the conservatory, there was only cool air and a cluster of daisies. Coming here to escape the heat, only to sit and look at flowers that shared my name—it was a bit amusing to imagine.
“There’s a seedling market held every few days. I believe they sell flowers and trees in pots. How about buying seedlings and decorating the conservatory as you please?”
“Will you look at the seedlings with me, Duke?”
I asked, placing both hands over my chest and tilting my head.
“If you wish.”
“Thank you, Duke.”
“Even if you plant other things, this conservatory will still be called the Daisy Conservatory.”
“Because no matter what else we plant, there will be the most daisies?”
“That as well.”
Cedric smiled. It was a smile I’d grown quite used to, yet for some reason, the moment I saw it, my heart began to pound.
Cherry-colored eyes—so beautiful. Those beautiful cherry-colored eyes were looking at me.
When I looked into his eyes, he looked back at me. When I turned my gaze elsewhere and returned it, his gaze returned to me as well. I was reflected in his cherry-colored eyes.
Was everything in Cedric’s eyes—me, and the ground I stood on—tinted cherry red?
I wanted to rise onto my toes to look into his eyes more closely. I wanted to ask why he was so kind to me. But I wouldn’t say something that might fluster a kind host.
The person I like.
I crouched down. Since Cedric hadn’t let go of the hand he was escorting me with, one of my hands remained resting atop his. Instead, Cedric bent slightly at the waist for me.
With the hand not holding his, I gently brushed my palm over the nearest daisies. Each tiny petal was cute and lovely.
The windless conservatory was quiet. The sound of my hand brushing the daisies, the sound of wild grass touching my dress, the sound of my shoes pressing into the soil.
