Chapter 63
Royle is returning from the border. Uncle Rett has fully recovered and is heading back to the border, and Royle is taking over in his place on the way back.
He said he would stop by Karzelga and then come to Quinterga for a meal within half a day. Since there wouldn’t be anyone at home, it seemed he was coming to eat with them and pay his regards at the same time.
“My friend is coming back!”
Ellen was excited to see Royle for the first time in almost two years.
Counting their previous life, he had been a friend she had stuck with for over twenty years. They had never gone this long without seeing each other before. He had always lived nearby, a familiar face she could see whenever she wanted.
Of course, they exchanged letters, but since he wasn’t on a leisurely trip, they couldn’t just keep writing like pen pals. After all, Royle had gone off to fight in a war.
Ellen herself had been busy as well. Gloria was supporting the war from the rear, managing territories, and overseeing the household. Ellen had to help her mother manage one part of it.
Even if three months passed without letters, they had documents and information to exchange, so they assumed each other was safe. That’s how their days passed.
“Shouldn’t he have arrived by now?”
Ellen glanced at the clock, then turned back to the mirror.
Wearing a lemon-colored dress, her hair pinned up with a platinum leaf-shaped ornament, Ellen nodded with satisfaction as she looked in the mirror.
“Hmm. Anyone can see I look pretty. Yep.”
Since the teleportation magic circle office had closed and she couldn’t open portals, Ellen had only stayed home working, with no reason to go out except to visit a forest clearing. Dressing up after a long time, she praised herself.
Marsha, standing beside her, mirrored her excitement.
“Of course, milady! Seeing you all dressed up after so long is refreshing. You always wear that riding outfit at the mansion. Riding outfits are for… riding! I really don’t understand why it became everyday wear. Even your normal dresses…”
“Marsha, Marsha! Okay, that’s enough.”
Ellen interrupted Marsha’s sudden scolding.
“See? I dressed nicely today, didn’t I?”
Ellen tried to force a slightly awkward eye-smile.
“Milady, your eye-smile looks really awkward.”
Ellen looked back into the mirror, maintaining the expression. Marsha was right—it was incredibly awkward.
Seeing her ridiculous reflection, Ellen let out a small sigh and glanced down at her dress.
“When I bought this dress, I worried my blonde hair plus yellow dress might make me look like a chick or a blob of yellow. But now I think it suits me better than I imagined, so I like it.”
Ellen glanced at the mirror once more, then toward the window.
‘He should be here by now. Why isn’t he coming?’
It was amazing to think that a friend she had known since childhood, who had become a commander on the battlefield, was finally returning. When she heard Royle had to go to the front, she was extremely worried and unhappy, but it was definitely something to celebrate that he came back safe. Two years had passed, so no matter how he looked, she would be glad to see him.
Ellen hung by the window.
“Milady, come down!”
“Ugh, I won’t fall. I’m not a child.”
“Exactly! You’re not a child, so why are you still hanging on the window? Your dress will get dirty!”
At the mention of her dress getting dirty, Ellen quickly let go of the window ledge.
“You really aren’t a child anymore. You came down immediately at the mention of a dirty dress. Back then, such words wouldn’t have worked at all.”
Marsha laughed as she dusted off the front of Ellen’s dress.
Hearing this, Ellen remembered the days she had waited for Royle as a child. Back then, not knowing that Royle was Eunho, she had been more excited about chocolate cake than him.
While Ellen was staring out the window, she saw someone riding in from the main gate in the distance.
“Is that Royle?”
She squinted to get a better look.
It didn’t seem like him. The silhouette of the person at the gate looked nothing like the Royle she remembered. He didn’t have a flag on his horse, so he wasn’t a messenger either. He looked taller than Royle… who could it be?
After hesitating whether to go down, Ellen adjusted her appearance in the mirror one more time and headed to the first floor.
At the lobby, the visitor was entering through the door opened by a butler. Seeing the tall figure, Ellen’s eyes widened.
“Royle? No, isn’t it?”
It was his face. Compared to the last time she saw him, his features had thickened, but it was definitely Royle. However…
Royle’s physique had grown noticeably. He strode in and froze at the spot where Ellen could see him.
Ellen stepped closer to examine him carefully. Could this really be Royle? He had grown taller than she remembered.
“It is Royle… but how did he grow over a handspan in two years?”
Before he left, he had been only slightly taller than her. Now, his head was easily a full head taller. And perhaps from eating protein and exercising at the front, he had bulked up…
“What have you been doing over there?”
“……”
Her surprised words drew no reply. Royle was still staring intently at her.
Had she greeted him first? Feeling slightly awkward, Ellen spoke again.
“It’s been a while. Why are you standing there like a statue?”
“…What do you mean? I was cutting with my sword.”
His words were slower than usual, not the words he normally used.
Ellen wondered why he was acting this way, looking at him carefully. She realized how much time had passed. His features had indeed thickened.
She noticed Royle’s reddened ears and smirked.
“Am I really that pretty? Have I gotten prettier since you last saw me?”
“What are you talking about? That outfit… looks like a chick.”
Ellen pouted at his words.
“Even when I talk, your tone is weird!”
It was their first meeting in a long time, yet everything he said annoyed her. Ellen reached out to pinch his arm once.
But when she grabbed, there was no fat under her fingers—just skin over muscle. Surprised, she looked at his arm.
Ellen felt oddly satisfied, even though it wasn’t her own arm. She decided to let his verbal slip slide this time.
She released his arm, gave him a sharp look, and turned away.
“Come inside quickly. Mom’s waiting.”
“……”
Royle stared at the back of Ellen’s white neck as she walked away and followed her almost hypnotically.
Ellen, noticing how much taller Royle had grown, kept glancing at him during lunch. She remembered almost nothing of the conversation at the table.
“Here.”
After dismissing the maid, Ellen brewed tea herself and placed it in front of Royle.
“Thanks.”
“No injuries, right?”
“Yeah, as you can see. I’m fine.”
“……”
“……”
After the simple exchange, silence fell again. She thought she’d feel only joy, but it wasn’t that simple. They fidgeted with their teacups, awkwardly.
“You haven’t changed.”
Royle remarked as Ellen added three spoonfuls of sugar to her tea. She didn’t usually do that in public, but with Royle or other friends, she didn’t hold back.
“Tea is for sugar,” she said confidently. Royle smiled at that.
In front of Ellen were chocolate cake and orange tart brought by Royle.
“It’s been a while, huh? Chocolate cake and orange tart.”
Royle said with a hint of pride.
“No? I eat them sometimes.”
Ellen, about to grab the cake, froze mid-action.
“Huh?”
“Uncle sent them sometimes. You mentioned it, didn’t you?”
Royle scratched the back of his head, having forgotten.
“Father, when you go home, be sure to call the spirit master. And Doctor every day. And I forgot to tell Banner, have Ellie bring chocolate cake sometimes.”
Royle, unintentionally showing off, gulped his tea and burned his tongue.
“Ah! Hot!”
Ellen shook her head slightly at him, thinking that this made him seem familiar again.
‘Familiar? He’s doing the same old things.’
“Ah, Royle, about that herb you sent…”
Ellen spoke while cutting the cake with her fork.
“I sent it to Serel and Erika, right? Since the teleportation office was closed, I said I’d send it via Neshu’s side. Later, they replied and thought I was declaring a breakup.”
Ellen laughed at the memory, and Royle chuckled along.
“Was it that bad? The soldiers said it was harsh.”
“Do you want some? Want to try?”
“You still have some left?”
Royle sounded surprised.
“Yeah, I couldn’t use much at once.”
“You gave some to the kids and the maids, right?”
“Yeah. Take a handful. You’ll understand why there’s still some left.”
Ellen murmured to remember it and give it to him later.
Royle, watching Ellen smile, asked:
“By the way, when will the teleport magic circle be usable again? Why is the office still closed? Didn’t they suppress the rebellion?”
“The remnants are scattered and causing trouble. They think it’s better to disperse them than gather them in one place, so it’ll remain closed for a while.”
Royle muttered,
“Closed for a while…”
Ellen watched him thoughtfully, noticing his jaw movement as he considered something. His new voice tone seemed slightly deeper.
While Ellen observed, Royle seemed to be calculating something.
“Royle?”
“Hm?”
He raised his head from counting on his fingers.
“Why? Any problem?”
“Ah, not a problem… I was just figuring out the date we should depart.”
“Departure? What departure?”
Ellen asked, puzzled.
