Episode 3
The moment she stepped inside the castle before her, a new life would begin. Hebe tried to appear calm, but her heart wouldn’t stop racing. When the carriage came to a complete stop, she stepped down with the help of Mrs. Clemens.
Immediately, a fierce wind blew, whipping her skirts into a mess. Flustered, Hebe stumbled and nearly collided with Mrs. Clemens. Between the heavy clothes and jewelry she wore and the biting wind, maintaining her balance was a struggle.
“I offer you a welcome on behalf of Lord Castri, Miss Haenel.”
When she finally reached the front of the castle, careful not to fall, a group of people stepped forward. Among them, a silver-haired man named Ian introduced himself as the Master’s deputy and greeted Hebe.
He raised a longsword with both hands and held it out toward her. Amidst the chaos of the wind, Hebe recalled that showing the Master’s sword to a guest was a Divenian-style welcoming gesture. She carefully gripped the cold blade and let go. She was so cold her jaw was trembling; she just wanted to go inside as quickly as possible.
“This way, please. I will guide you to the room where you will stay.”
“Should I not pay my respects to the Master first?”
“Lord Castri said that since it is late and you have traveled a long way, it would be better for you to rest rather than go through the trouble of a formal greeting. You will be able to see him tomorrow morning.”
Hebe followed Ian into the hall. Inside the castle, the same white flames were lit in various places, illuminating the surroundings. Sensing gazes directed at her from unseen corners, Hebe felt tense. As they turned a corner into a more secluded hallway, she sensed someone approaching from the opposite direction.
「Hello?」
A child she had never seen before walked toward her. Hebe stopped and looked at the boy. His light brown hair and ruby-red eyes created a peculiar harmony.
“Young Master Eres.”
Before Hebe could respond, Mrs. Clemens spoke first.
“Young Master, shouldn’t you be in bed by now?”
“I wanted to meet the new guest before sleeping.”
The boy, responding in a remarkably polite tone, stepped closer to Hebe.
Ah, so this child is…
Hebe observed her future husband with curious eyes. Eres was small, reaching only to Hebe’s waist, but his gaze and voice were impressively clear. When his eyes met Hebe’s, Eres gave a shy, beaming smile.
“Please go inside now, Young Master. You shouldn’t be wandering around when the night air is this cold.”
At Mrs. Clemens’s nod, Ian tried to coax Eres away. However, Eres quickly dodged his reaching hand.
“I want to greet the lady too.”
With a serious face, placing one hand behind his back and the other on his stomach, Eres bowed to Hebe.
“Welcome to our castle. I hope you find peace and joy in this place.”
Hearing such formal greetings from a young child made Hebe laugh. The fatigue accumulated from the long carriage ride seemed to vanish in an instant.
“I am Eres Gracus.”
“I am Hebe Haenel.”
“You must be tired since it’s late. I’ll guide Miss Haenel to her room.”
“Would you like to just call me Hebe?”
“Hebe… Oh, then will you call me Eres too?”
Watching the two converse, Mrs. Clemens and Ian exchanged troubled glances.
“I won’t be responsible if you are scolded by your father or mother later, Young Master.”
“What did I do wrong to be scolded?”
As if to escort her, Eres held out his hand to Hebe. Hebe felt a sense of intrigue and took his hand. The small, soft skin characteristic of a child was felt through her palm. Meeting him in person made the fact that this child would soon be her husband feel even more unbelievable.
He is cute, though. Just like Mother said, let’s think of it as having a younger brother to look after.
The good thing was that Eres didn’t seem to be the shy type. If he had been awkward or guarded from their first meeting, the prospect of spending ten years here would have felt daunting.
“We’re here! I hope Hebe likes this room.”
Arriving at the door, Eres stood on his tiptoes to grab the handle and opened it. Hebe stepped inside and slowly looked around. A tapestry with elaborate patterns hung on the wall, and a white fire was burning in the hearth opposite the bed. A thick, soft rug covered the floor, absorbing the sound of her footsteps.
“This room is the warmest and brightest. Some rooms have wind coming through the walls, making sounds like ghosts crying at night.”
Eres followed Hebe around the room, eagerly trying to give her a tour.
“Young Master, please return to your room now. I will take you there.”
“No, I don’t want to. I want to stay here a little longer.”
Eres shook his head stubbornly and plopped down on the bed. Hebe spoke to Mrs. Clemens and Ian, who both looked like they had a headache.
“Let Eres have his way. I’d like to talk with him as well.”
“But you must be tired and need rest, My Lady.”
“I’m fine; I took a nap in the carriage earlier.”
After a brief hesitation, Mrs. Clemens and Ian offered a compromise.
“Then please stay together only until you finish your meal. We will bring the meal up now.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“We will come to fetch the Young Master later.”
Once Mrs. Clemens and Ian left and they were alone, Hebe went and sat beside Eres.
“But Hebe, you speak our language very well.”
“My mother is from this country.”
“I see. I studied Irenian so I could greet Hebe when we met.”
Eres shyly recited a few basic Irenian phrases. Hebe smiled and stroked Eres’s hair.
「You’re good. I’d believe it even if you said you were Irenian.」
“I’m glad Hebe says so.”
“I mean it. I was worried about what to do if I couldn’t communicate with the person I’m marrying.”
Hebe took in Eres and her surroundings with a renewed sense of awareness. Everything she saw and felt—even the flow of the air—was strange and foreign, making the reality of leaving home hit home vividly. Eres, who had been staring at Hebe, spoke up.
“Um… Hebe, you know…”
Seeing Eres hesitate, Hebe asked.
“What is it? Go ahead.”
“We are to be married now.”
“Well… yes.”
Eres, fidgeting with his hands, looked straight at Hebe.
“They say that when you marry and become husband and wife, you become the closest people in the world.”
“That’s right. They say couples are connected because their souls resemble each other.”
“My wish is that Hebe doesn’t dislike me.”
Hebe smiled quietly, finding it adorable that Eres had voiced his feelings with such difficulty.
“I know you’re being forced to marry me because of the oracle. So I’m a bit worried that Hebe might hate me.”
“Is that what you were worried about?”
Right now, Hebe didn’t exactly dislike Eres, nor did she like him. How could one feel such emotions for a child met for the first time? While she was contemplating how to tell him that the marriage was just a formality and that they should spend the next ten years like siblings, Eres grabbed her hand.
“I want to get along well with Hebe. I’ll work hard to be a good husband.”
Looking at Eres, who was blushing and speaking earnestly, Hebe felt a sense of pity. In truth, this child probably hadn’t wanted this kind of marriage either.
“Don’t worry so much. I want to get along with you too, Eres, so I’ll try my best.”
Hebe reassured him, stroking his hair. His slightly curly brown hair wound around her fingers.
“Let’s get along well, Hebe.”
Eres was visibly delighted by Hebe’s positive reaction. Feeling hot from the fire, Hebe took off the heavy hat she had been wearing until then. Pins fell onto her skirt in a shower. Eres watched intently as Hebe adjusted her disheveled veil.
“Hebe’s eyes are the same color as my fire.”
“Is your fire not white, Eres?”
“My fire is different from my father’s. Shall I show you?”
Eres held out his palm in front of Hebe. Soon, a small green flame rose above his small hand. Hebe was startled at first, then looked at the fire with admiration.
“I think it’s a prettier green than my eye color. Is it not hot?”
“Not at all. Do you want to try touching it?”
Hebe brought her hand over the fire Eres held out. It felt like nothing, as if she were just moving through the air.
“It really isn’t hot.”
“Right?”
As Eres smiled proudly, he suddenly began to cough.
“Eres, what’s wrong?”
When the coughing showed no sign of stopping, Hebe tried to call for someone, but Eres stopped her.
“It’s okay. This happens sometimes.”
“Is it because you used your power?”
Hebe asked, recalling what Mrs. Clemens had told her. Eres tried to say something but coughed again. Seeing his small face turn pale as he gasped, Hebe lifted Eres’s head and laid it on her lap. She stroked his chest until the coughing subsided, and Eres gradually stabilized.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, I’m okay. I showed Hebe an embarrassing side of myself.”
Eres gave an awkward smile, his ruby eyes blinking.
“It takes a toll on your body, so don’t use your power recklessly from now on.”
“…Why can’t I control fire like my father?”
Eres muttered a small monologue to himself in a dejected tone. Not knowing what to do in such a situation, Hebe simply continued to stroke Eres’s hair.
