Chapter 32
Something, however, was tucked between the books.
Along with a white velvet box about the size of her palm.
“…No way.”
She hadn’t expected Dandelion to be the one to open this mailbox first.
She hurriedly checked the letter.
The neatly folded paper was filled with tidy handwriting that resembled him perfectly.
“Sienna.
I didn’t think you would come today, so I’m leaving this letter instead.
It feels strange.
We didn’t end up meeting, yet I’m not particularly sad.
I feel like you’ll discover this letter tomorrow—or perhaps the day after.
Just like you said, coincidences really are interesting. It feels like the moment before opening a present.
By tomorrow, the days of us being ‘friends who happened to meet in the library’ will probably be over.
You and I will know who the other truly is.
Still, as you said, I’m just me, and you’re just you—so I hope not too much will change.
You’re the only person I have a relationship like this with, too.
Ah, I momentarily forgot why I started writing this letter.
The charm you gave me as a gift truly worked.
Thanks to it, I slept soundly for the first time in a while.
What I left beside this letter isn’t much, but it’s a small return gift.
I chose it thinking it would suit you, though… to be honest, I’m not very confident.
If you don’t like it, you really don’t have to force yourself to wear it. I truly won’t mind.
I’m not good with words, yet this has become a rather long letter.
Isn’t that strange?
Whenever I think of you, the things I want to say just keep increasing.
I’ll stop this uninteresting letter here. Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.
—Dan.”
The letter ended with the name she affectionately called him by.
“Our Dandelion even has pretty handwriting.”
Imagining him waiting here and writing this letter made an uncontrollable smile spread across her face.
Sienna folded the letter again and opened the box beside it.
Inside were rose-gold rose-shaped earrings.
“They’re beautiful.”
The color suited her skin perfectly.
She could instantly feel how much thought he must have put into choosing them.
Sienna removed the earrings she was wearing and immediately replaced them with the ones Dandelion had given her.
Then, clutching the letter and the box tightly in her hands, she ran to Arthur.
“Arthur!”
Arthur, who had been dozing while leaning against the entrance wall, startled and shouted reflexively,
“I wasn’t asleep—absolutely not!”
“I know. More importantly—how do they look? Do they suit me?”
“Uh….”
“Hm?”
Arthur had no idea what she was talking about, but seeing her suddenly radiant expression, he nodded without thinking.
“Yes. They suit you very well.”
Flutter, flutter.
Sienna lightly tapped her feet against the floor.
The party continued until dawn, but Dandelion had been lying on his bed since dusk.
Provincial nobles usually maintained luxurious villas in the capital, but he didn’t.
Maintaining a villa required considerable time and expense.
For just a few days a year, the cost was excessive.
After all, it would ultimately be paid for with the taxes of the people of his territory.
Besides, this year—after earning merit on the battlefield—the royal family had provided him with accommodations, which coincidentally overlapped with the debutante season.
A historic five-story hotel located near the entrance to the road leading to the castle.
Its red brick walls and large terrace facing the castle left a strong impression.
He attended banquets prepared by the king and occasionally demonstrated swordsmanship while staying there.
“…Hah.”
A heavy sigh echoed through the quiet room.
The sky darkened quickly, and an unusually pale moonlight illuminated the terrace.
Dandelion turned over and grasped the shimmering object beside him.
The topaz attached to the dreamcatcher glittered as it caught the moonlight.
The image of her smiling warmly as she handed it to him surfaced naturally.
“Sienna Stern….”
The surname attached to her name felt unbearably heavy.
“A princess, of all things.”
Unbelievable—yet it was reality.
He recalled the days he spent with Sienna.
She was someone who, strangely enough, kept drawing his attention.
At first, it was because she had caught him in a moment he didn’t want discovered.
Then, despite her delicate appearance, the countless scars that marked her body troubled him.
Old scars, and newer ones layered over them.
He worried she might be suffering through something terrible.
Judging by her clothes and manner of speech, she was clearly a noblewoman.
And if so, he wondered—was she being abused by her father, or perhaps an older brother?
He had hesitated countless times over whether to ask.
Of course, Sienna was surprisingly bright for someone who might carry such pain, which reassured him somewhat.
She reminded him of a curious baby rabbit.
Small, white, and especially sparkling-eyed whenever food was mentioned.
More than anything, she probably had no idea how deeply the words she casually tossed his way had resonated with him.
“If we strip away everything attached to our names and just be ourselves—wouldn’t it be okay to have one relationship like that?”
There comes a moment when anyone grows tired of the titles attached to their name—when they start to feel burdensome and unnecessary.
