Chapter 9
“Did you have a nightmare?” Hebe remembered seeking out her parents’ room whenever she had a scary dream as a child. She smiled and placed a hand on Eres’s shoulder. “I’ll take you back to your room. How about I stay by your side until you fall asleep?” “Hmm… I don’t want to do that.” Eres let out a nasal whine and shook his head firmly. “But if your nanny or the others find your room empty, they’ll start searching for you.” “Then I’ll go back before sunrise. You know I wake up early anyway, Hebe.” Eres sat on the bed with his arms crossed, acting stubborn. Hebe looked down at the child’s small, white feet peeking out from under his pajamas. If she rejected his request now, it felt as if she’d be disregarding the effort he made to walk through the vast castle holding only a single candlestick. “Then, only for tonight.” “Yay!” The moment the words left Hebe’s mouth, Eres dove into the bed. Hebe covered him with the blanket and tried to return to her desk. “Aren’t you sleeping, Hebe?” “I have to finish these letters, so you go ahead and sleep first.” “Who are you writing to?” “I’m sending them home. Oh, I forgot I need to write to Anke as well.” “Who is Anke?” “A friend.”
Eres got up, saying he wanted to watch her write. Hebe had no choice but to sit side-by-side with Eres at the table. “I’m writing in Irenian, so you won’t be able to understand it.” “I still want to watch you write.” Eres watched Hebe’s hand as she diligently moved the pen. In the silent room, only the occasional crackle of the hearth and the sound of the sharp quill scratching the paper could be heard. “Is this Anke person a close friend of yours?” “We’ve been close since we were young. We went to school together too.” “Do you have many boyfriends, Hebe?” Hebe put down her pen and looked at Eres. His small face was filled with a look of utter seriousness.
“남자 친구도 있고 여자 친구도 있지. 원래 마음이 맞으면 성별과 상관없이 친구가 되는 거니까.” (“I have boyfriends and girlfriends. If you get along well, you become friends regardless of gender.”)
“I don’t have any friends.” “Not even one?” “There’s Panu, but he’s just someone my father attached to me as an attendant.” From Eres’s position as a young master, he likely couldn’t view a slave as a friend. “Have you never gone outside to meet kids your age?” “This castle is big enough, why would I go out?” Hebe felt a surge of pity for him. To Eres, who had been overprotected since birth due to his frail health, no world existed outside the castle walls. She wondered if the reason he clung to her so much was simply because he’d never had the chance to meet anyone else. “Then, Eres, you can be friends with me from now on.” “With you, Hebe?” “I’ll be your best friend.” Contrary to Hebe’s expectation that he would be delighted, Eres’s expression turned sullen.
“난 헤베하고 친구가 되는 건 싫은걸. 헤베는 내 부인이지, 친구가 아니야.” (“I don’t want to be friends with you. Hebe, you are my wife, not my friend.”)
“Why? You can be both a wife and a friend.” It’s not like we’re even married as a real couple anyway. The validity of Hebe’s marriage was only ten years. “I don’t like it. Just be my wife.” Eres shook his head stubbornly and rested his head on Hebe’s shoulder. The child’s red eyes began to flicker. “You’re getting sleepy now.” “Mmm… a little.” “It’s late, so let’s get some sleep.” Once again, she failed to finish her letters. Hebe took Eres back to the bed, promising herself to finish tomorrow. After blowing out the candle, she lay down beside him. Eres tossed and turned under the covers before turning toward her. “You shouldn’t wander around alone at night like this again.” “I understand. Next time I’ll have Panu hold the candle for me. He’s good at that kind of service.” Eres seemed to understand Hebe’s words as a reminder that a young master shouldn’t wander without an attendant. “That’s not what I meant. I mean you shouldn’t come visit like this at night. Sleeping together is only for today.” “Why? We’re a married couple, so we should be together.” Eres looked at Hebe with wide eyes, his sleepiness seemingly vanished. Hebe felt troubled. Did he even know what he was saying? She couldn’t gauge the consciousness level of a ten-year-old.
“부부는 당연히 같은 방을 쓰지만 우린 아직 아니에요.” (“Couples naturally share a room, but we aren’t at that stage yet.”)
“Then when can we be together?” “…When you become an adult.” Hebe answered hesitantly, slightly avoiding Eres’s gaze. “Then can I share a room with you?” “I suppose so.” When he became a twenty-year-old adult, Eres would surely develop feelings for women his own age. By then, she would be twenty-eight, and he would likely see her only as an older sister or a nanny figure. ‘He’ll probably completely forget he ever said these things.’ Hebe patted Eres, telling him to grow up quickly as she imagined ten years into the future. Eres, quietly receiving her touch, yawned a few times and closed his eyes. Exhaustion from waking up early to visit the temple caught up with Hebe, and she began to drift off as well. “Hebe.” “Yeah?” Hebe opened her eyes at the sudden call. Eres mumbled in a half-asleep state.
“난 헤베를 만나서 정말 좋아요. 내가 얼른 클 테니까 기다려 줘요.” (“I’m so happy I met you, Hebe. I’ll grow up quickly, so please wait for me.”)
“I see… I understand.” Hebe toyed with Eres’s hair. She, too, became curious about how this little boy would grow. Though his face was sleepy, Eres continued to pour out his inner thoughts without falling asleep. “Honestly, at first, I didn’t want to get married.” “Is that so?” “I even got really angry at Father. But I was curious about what kind of person you were, so I was waiting for you that day.” “Were you disappointed when you saw me?” Eres immediately shook his head. “No. When I met you, I thought it would be okay to be married.” “Why did your heart change so suddenly?” “Hebe, you look just like the fairy from the stories I like.” “Stories?” “I’ll tell you later.” Will he even remember saying this later? Hebe chuckled quietly at Eres’s unexpected confession. Soon, Eres fell asleep, his breathing rhythmic and peaceful.
Though she had held the ceremony with Eres and become a member of the Gracchus family, there were no major changes in Hebe’s daily life. After nearly a month in the castle, Hebe began to feel bored. In such a situation, Philae’s invitation to a weaving circle was a welcome event. “Where is the gathering being held?” “We’re going to Shehnaz’s house. She’s getting married next year, so everyone is helping her with the sewing lately.” “Ah, so you’re preparing the trousseau?” Hebe, who hadn’t had a proper wedding, felt a tinge of envy. If she were back home, she would have started making her trousseau with her mother’s help by now.
When they arrived at the meeting place, a servant guided them toward the inner chambers. An elderly woman sitting on a chair by the door stood up when she saw Philae and Hebe. Philae whispered that she was Shehnaz’s nanny. “Is everyone else here?” “Everyone has arrived except for Lady Esom, who said her daughter has a fever today.” The nanny added in a low voice as she opened the door. “And the Princess is in attendance.” “Her Highness?” Seeing Hebe’s surprise, Philae grabbed her arm and whispered while leaning in close. “Just do as I do when I greet her. She isn’t one to stick strictly to formalities, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Hebe entered the chamber with a pounding heart, following Philae. “Philae! Welcome.” Among the five women gathered in the room, a woman in a turquoise dress greeted Philae warmly. Her gaze shifted to Hebe, who stood behind Philae. “You’ve brought a friend?” “Yes. This is the lady visiting the Gracchus house.” “Please call me Hebe.” When Hebe greeted her, the woman smiled brightly and introduced herself as Shehnaz. “Your Highness, Miss Philae and her friend wish to pay their respects.” Shehnaz led Hebe and Philae before a woman with blonde hair braided into a single strand, wearing a scarlet dress. For a moment, Hebe’s eyes met the Princess’s. Hebe bowed politely, following Philae’s lead. The Princess acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod. “I hope my presence hasn’t made you all uncomfortable.” “It is an infinite honor to have Your Highness here.”
“그쪽이 이번에 그라코우스가에 들어온 사람이라고요?” (“So you are the person who recently entered the Gracchus house?”)
“Yes.” Hebe felt flustered by the Princess’s steady gaze. Seeing the Princess reminded her of the Prince she had met at the temple. If they were siblings, she could see traces of the Prince in the Princess’s face. She suspected the Princess also knew exactly why she had come to this country.
“I heard Lady Esom couldn’t make it today because her child is sick?” As Philae spoke while cutting thread, Shehnaz let out a snicker. “You know that woman is always like that. Whenever there’s a tedious task that requires effort, she uses her child as an excuse to skip.” “I don’t know why she keeps lying instead of just saying she doesn’t want to do it.” “Maybe it’s because she lacks the courage to be honest?” In the humid air, Hebe and Philae took off their veils. The other women were also in comfortable states, having removed their veils and rolled up their sleeves. “Hebe, you said you came from Iren, right? What kind of patterns are popular there?” Shehnaz, who sat next to Hebe, asked. Hebe did her best to explain the patterns currently trending in Iren. Then, Shehnaz asked if she could demonstrate some embroidery so she could see it in person. With everyone watching, Hebe nervously showed them her needlework. “The way you tie the knots is unique.” “It’s a method I learned from my mother, but I’m not sure if it’s specifically Irenian. My mother is from this country.” The women said they liked the pattern Hebe embroidered and volunteered to try it themselves. As the conversation deepened, the initial awkwardness mostly vanished.
