Chapter 5. Return
Days passed in tears and despair until the day of Clarion’s debutante finally arrived.
“Congratulations on your debut, Lady Clarion.”
Considering the state of the nation, Roa’s debutante was held in a very modest manner. Everyone in her family knew she longed for Aizen, who had gone to the battlefield and never sent word back. With no desire to seek a new fiancé, Roa decided to forgo the ball and invite only a few acquaintances.
“Roa.”
Bellanis, who had married and left for the southern territory, came to celebrate Roa’s debutante. Seeing the one friend she could truly lean on, Roa felt tears threaten to spill at any moment. Still, since it was her day of celebration, she forced herself to smile.
“Bellanis. Thank you for coming such a long way. How is life in the south?”
“It’s much warmer and nicer than here. There are also so many delicious crops grown only in the southern lands.”
Unlike her own grand and splendid debutante, Bellanis felt pity for Roa’s simple ceremony.
“Do you still not have anyone you’re discussing marriage with?”
Roa gave no reply. As her debut approached, more families had requested marriage talks. But Roa rejected every one of them without even looking into who they were.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce you to someone good. If you’re open to it…”
“No. I’m fine.”
Roa cut off Bellanis’ offer immediately. She fiddled with the ruby pendant around her neck. Bellanis guessed there was someone Roa still longed for, and so she didn’t press her further.
“Once your debut is over… I’ll formally ask the Earl of Clarion for your hand.”
It had been the day she once eagerly awaited. But their promise was not fulfilled, and instead, it became the most sorrowful and dreary debutante.
Two years passed since Roa’s debut. Nearly two years without a single word from the man who had promised to marry her. She turned twenty, but nothing had changed except that she was now past the usual age of marriage. Each day, she spent weeping listlessly, and the despair never ceased.
“The Grand Duke of Trone and his son, Shucat Trone, have been reported killed in battle.”
The Hayden Empire lost a great force, but their sacrifice was not in vain. Their deaths fueled morale and gave reason to push the war forward aggressively, eventually driving it to its conclusion.
Roa, at last, let go. Aizen would not return. She still couldn’t forget him, but in time, she told herself she would be fine.
Though she grew older and her marriageable age passed, she wasn’t ready to look at another man. The Clarion family respected her feelings and waited without pressure.
“Kailon has returned.”
That day marked the return of Kailon, who had been abroad studying landscape design. Six years ago, he became famous for designing the natural-style garden at the Trone estate.
Even the Emperor of Hayden had coveted his work. With imperial support, Kailon had gone abroad to refine his skills, and now he had come back.
“The war will soon be over, and peace negotiations will follow,” Kailon announced upon his return.
“In memory of the late Grand Duke Trone and as a symbol of his wish to end wars, His Majesty has asked me to landscape the Imperial Palace gardens in the same natural style.”
Kailon had achieved his dream of becoming the Imperial Court Gardener. Roa was happy for her brother, but thoughts of Aizen still lingered. He, too, was the second son of the Trone family, and she had once wished he could live freely, doing what he loved, just as Kailon did.
Not long after returning, Kailon left again for the capital to begin work. A few days later, a letter arrived saying he had safely reached the Imperial Palace. Roa opened the one addressed to her.
**“Roa. I arrived safely. I’m writing this while resting after greeting His Majesty. The palace is far more magnificent than our estate.
Do you remember when we visited the Trone estate six years ago? Back then, we only met Shucat Trone, the Grand Duke’s heir. But it turns out there was another son. I didn’t know at all since I never saw him.
He left home at a young age to become a knight. Surprisingly, he earned great merit in this war. He hasn’t returned yet, but when he does, he’ll be recognized for his achievements and succeed his late father as Grand Duke.”**
Roa couldn’t finish reading. The son who left home young to become a knight—surely that was Aizen Trone, the man she had promised to marry.
He was alive. After all this time with no news, he had survived. She didn’t know how much he had changed, but she didn’t care. She was grateful simply that he lived. Even if their promise had long since become void, that alone made her heart overflow with joy.
She immediately wrote back to Kailon.
It had been a long journey, both in distance and time. Aizen finally returned to the Hayden Empire. His first destination was the Imperial Palace to seek an audience with the Emperor.
He had shown incredible strength in battle, far beyond what anyone expected from a newly knighted soldier. Many believed it was the loss of his father and brother that awakened such power. But in truth, their deaths did not drive him.
It was Roa Clarion. The woman he had waited four years for and finally won the heart of—only to be forced away to war before their promise could be sealed. With her in his heart, he could never give in, no matter the trial.
He hadn’t cared for military glory. The only thought sustaining him was to survive and return to her side.
By now, she must have made her debut. Perhaps she even had another fiancé. The thought only drove him to end the war quickly and rush back to her.
In the palace, Aizen bowed before the Emperor, who promised him any reward he desired—titles, lands, gold, and jewels. Everything was ready for him. But all Aizen truly wanted was the daughter of a count.
After his audience, Crown Prince Yudar guided him through the palace.
“You’ve returned safely. Welcome back, Grand Duke Trone.”
Aizen’s gaze toward Yudar was cold. To hide his eyes, he bowed his head before the prince.
“You must be grieving, having lost both father and brother, and yet you stood firm and won honor. There will never be another strength like yours.”
The reason was simple. The Empire had once sought a marriage alliance with Trone for military power. But Yudar had broken it off on a whim, sparking conflict that escalated into war. His careless words and actions had driven countless lives to the battlefield.
“If there’s anything you want, just say the word. You will be treated as a most honored guest.”
Yudar showed him around the palace, wasting time Aizen could barely tolerate. His teeth clenched in frustration.
“Ah. There is one place I must show you.”
He led Aizen into the secret rear garden of the palace. Aizen followed silently, eyes fixed on the prince’s back.
But when they stepped into the garden, Aizen’s gaze lifted involuntarily. Before him stretched a garden of towering, untouched trees—raw, natural, and unshaped.
His eyes widened. It reminded him of the Trone estate’s garden where he first met Roa, and the courtyard of the Clarion estate where they made countless memories.
There had only been two natural-style gardens in all Hayden. Now, one had been recreated here, in the palace itself.
“Whose work is this?” he asked, still staring in awe.
“Oh? You recognized it? We brought in a new gardener to commemorate the end of the war. He is none other than Kailon, the one who landscaped your family’s garden.”
Kailon. Aizen knew the name well.
“My name is Roa Clarion. I’m the sister of Kailon, the one who designed this beautiful garden.”
Not a single word she had spoken was something he forgot. His clenched jaw loosened, and a faint smile touched his lips.
“He may be the son of the Earl of Clarion, but he entered royal service as a gardener. His Majesty has even granted him the title of baron.”
“I wish to meet him.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll gladly arrange it. Tonight, I’ll prepare a meeting for the two of you.”
It was fate. To return from war and immediately encounter Roa’s brother in the palace—Aizen could see it as nothing else.
