Chapter 112
Aria, running while holding Wilhelm’s hand, collided with someone just as she was about to step onto the balcony. The person who steadied her as she wavered backward was Anna. Following Charlotte’s instructions, Anna had been attending to her own grooming since early morning with the help of the dressing maids. She wore a luxurious green dress befitting a noblewoman and had her hair arranged with pearl accessories. Aria greeted her with a smile.
“Anna, unnie!”
“Our Aria… no, young lady. You look even more like a white rabbit today.”
“Hehe. Unnie, this is Wilhelm. We decided to be friends.”
Wilhelm, who had been staring blankly at Aria laughing and calling Anna “unnie,” only regained his senses when Aria introduced him as her friend. Still holding Wilhelm’s hand tightly, Aria gave it a gentle shake.
“I’m your friend?”
“If we play together, we’re friends. Don’t you want to be friends with Aria?”
“No, I do.”
Wilhelm smiled brightly at the word “friend,” then realized Anna was standing right there and cleared his throat. Aria already having a friend! Feeling proud, he wanted to ruffle her hair, but since this was a formal event—the title conferment ceremony—he restrained himself and just gave a pleased smile.
“Anna.”
At that moment, the Marquis Blanche, who had been talking with Belzard, gestured to Anna. She nodded politely to Belzard and approached the Marquis.
“Marquis Blanche.”
“Did you prepare everything as I instructed?”
“Yes, I checked each detail personally. Don’t worry.”
“You’re very capable, so I’m not worried about your work. What worries me is over there.”
“Huh?”
Following the direction the Marquis pointed, Anna saw Aria holding Wilhelm’s hand and bounding out onto the balcony like a rabbit. Since it was nighttime, going out alone without a guardian was dangerous. Moreover, Aria was currently the most prominent figure in society, and anyone could approach her from anywhere.
“Anna, do you have any other plans afterward?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then could you accompany her as a protector? I don’t feel safe sending just the two of them out alone.”
“Yes, I will.”
Following the Marquis’s instructions, Anna hurried after Aria. Fortunately, Aria’s pace was slow enough that she was easy to catch up to.
“Miss, please wait.”
Aria froze in place and tilted her head, looking back at Anna.
“Miss, Master Wilhelm, I’ll accompany you as your protector.”
“Unnie, why do you keep calling Aria ‘Miss’?”
“In formal settings, we must use proper titles and honorifics.”
“Hiiing…”
Usually, Anna was easygoing and lively. She would lift Aria into her arms when she hugged her legs, push her high on the garden swing, sometimes nearly 90°, and astonish other passing maids with screams. But in formal settings, she strictly followed etiquette. Even with Aria, who was like a younger sister to her, there were no exceptions.
However, Aria seemed to feel a distance when Anna suddenly used the title “Miss” with proper honorifics, her expression turning slightly upset. As Aria’s eyebrows formed a frown, Wilhelm looked around and gently pulled Aria’s hand.
“Let’s go to the Imperial Garden.”
“Huh?”
“I told you I know lots of fun places. Have you been to the Imperial Garden?”
“I went with Mom.”
“The White Peony Garden too?”
“White Peony Garden?”
“There’s a separate White Peony Garden. Normally it’s off-limits, but on official event days like today, it’s open. The flowers are layered and completely white, with petals soft like… well, like you.”
Aria blinked in curiosity, her earlier sulky expression disappearing.
“I’ve never been to the White Peony Garden. But I’m soft like a flower?”
“Uh…”
Wilhelm realized what he had just said, and his face instantly turned crimson. He kept pressing and releasing his lips in embarrassment. Anna, sensing his panic, stepped in naturally to redirect the situation.
“Shall we head to the garden first? Master Wilhelm, please guide us.”
“Y-yes! I’ll lead the way!”
Wilhelm’s face, neck, and even hands were bright red, but he didn’t let go of Aria’s hand.
The White Peony Garden had been cultivated by Emperor Dylan in memory of Sonnet, though very few knew this.
Among them was Empress Cattleya. Just knowing Dylan grew white peonies in memory of Sonnet enraged her. And when others praised the garden as beautiful, she would feel her head heat up dozens of times a day. Since it was personally tended by the emperor, the garden was strictly restricted to the royal family and managers, opening only on official event days.
Perhaps because it grew nurtured by Dylan’s love and longing, the peonies were lush and vibrant. Aria’s eyes widened in astonishment at the grand peonies decorating the garden entrance. Wilhelm, delighted by her reaction, said to Anna,
“We’ll play in the garden, so wait here.”
“Understood.”
Wilhelm led Aria by the hand into the garden. But Aria stopped abruptly at the entrance and wouldn’t move. Wilhelm turned to see her pouting face.
“Why do you give Anna unnie commands?”
“She’s a maid. Of course, I can give commands.”
“She’s not a maid, she’s unnie.”
Wilhelm had no maid like Anna to talk to familiarly and keep him company. So he treated her just like any other maid, but Aria, calling Anna “unnie,” didn’t like Wilhelm’s commanding tone. She turned away and let go of his hand.
“I don’t want to explore the garden. Take me to the Grand Hall instead, unnie.”
“Okay. I won’t give orders.”
“Promise.”
When Wilhelm grabbed her hand desperately, Aria extended her pinky.
“Promise.”
Wilhelm linked his pinky with hers, and Aria finally smiled in satisfaction. Seeing her happy, Wilhelm hesitated for a moment, then asked without letting go of her pinky,
“Can I hold your hand again?”
“Yeah!”
Nodding, Aria let Wilhelm grasp her soft, warm hand like a peony petal.
“Unnie, aren’t you going to the ball? Mom went to dance with the Marquis.”
“Well, I wore a dress, but I’m not particularly interested in this kind of event.”
“I want to wear a pretty dress and dance like Mom someday too!”
Aria twirled her skirt and looked at Wilhelm.
“You’re dancing too, right?”
“Huh?”
“Won’t you dance with me?”
“No, I want to dance with you too.”
“Hehe.”
From the balcony, Wilhelm hadn’t taken his eyes off Aria, barely responding unless she or someone else spoke to him. Anna, with experience serving many noble houses since childhood, guessed why Wilhelm acted this way.
‘Master Wilhelm seems to like Aria.’
She nodded knowingly.
‘Our Aria really is cute.’
Indeed, Wilhelm did like Aria. But being young, he misunderstood his feelings of affection as merely wanting to get closer.
Throughout the garden stroll, Wilhelm’s gaze remained fixed on Aria. Her bright blue eyes sparkled under the night sky, making his cheeks flush. At first, she had seemed like any other “white rabbit,” but his impression gradually changed.
‘Cute. Like a fairy of the eyes.’
His heart reacted to every gesture of hers. Even when she turned away in a pout, it seemed cute, and he wanted to indulge her. When the wind lifted her hair, he carefully adjusted it. When his fingertips brushed her cheek, it felt like a spark ignited.
‘Is this what it feels like to be with someone you want to get close to?’
Wanting to be even closer, Wilhelm was caught off guard when Aria suddenly stopped and leapt into his arms.
Surprised, Wilhelm hugged her, noting the pleasant sweet scent, but his joy didn’t last. He noticed her shoulders trembling.
Then he heard a rustling nearby. But he focused on Aria first, patting her shoulders.
“Aria, what’s wrong?”
“……”
“Aria?”
Sensing something was off, Anna approached to check on her. The rustling continued. Aria pointed with her small hand toward an area densely filled with landscaping trees, some as tall as an adult man. Wilhelm and Anna both tuned in to the persistent rustling. Aria whispered in a small voice,
“Someone’s there.”
Wilhelm held Aria tightly.
“I’m scared.”
As soon as Aria spoke, three or four closely planted trees shook violently, as if someone grabbed their branches. Clearly, it wasn’t the wind.
Seeing the trees shake unnaturally, Wilhelm felt his legs weaken and a shiver run down his spine. Holding the trembling Aria, he thought,
‘Can I run while carrying Aria?’
If only he had trained consistently with his brother, he wouldn’t be in this situation. Wilhelm glanced at Anna, who also looked pale.
He swallowed hard. Aria didn’t seem heavy. If he lifted her and signaled, they could sprint out of the garden with Anna.
Anna stepped forward.
“Anna, wait!”
Wilhelm shouted desperately. The trees seemed ready to swallow her whole. But Anna ignored him and drew a dagger from inside her sleeve.
“Master Wilhelm, please step back with the young lady.”
