CHAPTER~31
“So, you were here.”
“……D-Duke?”
Frezen had just finished swordsmanship practice at the training hall, and unlike usual, he was dressed comfortably in his training clothes. From him came the faint scent of freshness mixed with sweat.
I stood there, dumbfounded, unable to even greet him at the unexpected appearance.
“Duke!”
Mela excitedly stood in front of Frezen. His gaze naturally dropped to look at Mela.
At the same time, his eyes glimmered with a warm, unusual light as he looked at her.
“Yes, Mela. Have you been well? I’ve been busy recently and couldn’t visit often. Any pain?”
“Uhh, no! Duke, next time if you have time, come with me and Mom to the greenhouse to see the flowers. Is that okay?”
“Of course. Absolutely fine.”
I could hardly get involved in their conversation and had no choice but to quietly watch. They were smiling and chatting as if I didn’t even exist. Since when had they become this close?
“Mom, hurry!”
Amid my thoughts, a cheerful voice pierced through. I snapped back to reality and saw the two of them holding hands, already walking ahead. What was this subtly overwhelming feeling of exclusion?
I hurriedly followed Mela’s urgent hand gestures.
“……”
The two of them walked while chatting softly. Surprisingly, Frezen was walking slowly, matching the child’s pace, unlike his usual brisk steps.
That person, who usually walked so fast… maybe that’s why I just watched their softly chatting backs without intervening.
Suddenly, a strange flutter rose in a corner of my heart. Their backs looked just like a harmonious parent and child. It felt as if they were truly family.
“……Weird.”
***
Fortunately, Mela quickly fell asleep, saying she had classes tomorrow.
One thing that lingered in my mind was that Mela was unusually tight-lipped about her lessons.
I felt unsettled that I couldn’t hear more, but since Mela was sleepy, there was nothing I could do.
I carefully snuck out of Mela’s room and moved quietly to go to my own bedroom.
“Evlyen.”
At that moment, a familiar voice called me from behind.
Frezen detached himself from the wall and approached me. Startled by how quickly he closed the distance, I unconsciously stepped back.
“Ah, you didn’t leave?”
“No, I have something to tell you.”
With that, Frezen grabbed my wrist before I could ask anything.
***
“I thought we’d talk in the study, but the bedroom….”
Ironically, he didn’t take me to the study but the bedroom. I had expected the study for a conversation, so the unexpected choice felt awkward.
“What’s with that expression? You look like you came somewhere you shouldn’t have.”
“Well, naturally. It’s night.”
Unlike me, hesitating nervously, Frezen gave a relaxed smile.
“Sorry, but to others we’re a married couple. Didn’t we even share the same bedroom briefly before?”
“Just for one week.”
“Yes, whether one week or one day, sharing a bedroom means we can come and go freely. Relax.”
“……”
Startled by his words, I almost hiccuped. I quickly covered my lips and steadied my breath.
Perhaps because it was night, Frezen felt more teasingly sly than usual. I instinctively stiffened, sensing I would be swayed no matter what was said.
“……”
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I entered Frezen’s bedroom. His room had always been large, unchanging. One might think it looked empty at first glance.
It wasn’t decorated with typical aristocratic ornaments or framed pictures.
Yet it perfectly suited his personality of disliking unnecessary things.
“Still the same. Aside from furniture, nothing else in the Duke’s bedroom.”
The consistency felt familiar and somehow comforting. Here, it felt as if time had stopped five years ago.
“You know, I hate clutter.”
Frezen casually answered while lighting incense on the table. A fresh, warm forest scent spread. He had brought it from the Eastern Continent, having suffered from insomnia all his life.
Seeing him still light incense gave me a strange feeling. I averted my gaze and continued speaking.
“I know. Still, it’s reassuring that at least one thing hasn’t changed in Norscal. Your bedroom.”
“It has changed.”
Frezen unexpectedly answered instead of agreeing. My eyes widened in surprise.
“Eh? What is it?”
‘There’s hardly anything different from five years ago.’ How could it have changed? He didn’t bring new decorations, did he?
“Where… exactly?”
As I strained to find the difference, Frezen’s lips moved, playful expression on his face.
“The bed. It’s been a long time since it was replaced. Someone broke it.”
“Gah.”
“About five years ago, I think.”
“Cough, cough!”
My throat tightened. If I had been drinking tea, it would have been a disaster.
“You remember? Five years ago. I thought I had completely forgotten.”
“……”
There was no way I could forget. That day was still etched in my mind, indelibly.
“Hmm, well? I have no idea what you’re talking about, Duke.”
But I pretended not to know, stubbornly playing dumb. I didn’t want the mood to sour by digging into that day.
Frezen smiled slyly, maintaining a calm face.
“If you insist, I could remind you of that day in detail so you can remember…”
“Ah! Stop it, drop it!”
Hearing him say he’d tell the story made me snap and stand up. I should have kept pretending not to know. Regret flushed my face and ears.
Sighing softly, I sat back down.
I really can’t lie properly in front of this man. I thought grumpily.
“So? Surely what you wanted to tell me isn’t just this? You could have said this any other day.”
“Well, it’s not completely unrelated. And what I want to say fits this moment perfectly.”
“Hah. It’s been over five years anyway. What connection could there be?”
Wait, is he going to demand compensation for the bed being broken now? No, he would have asked at the time of the divorce.
No matter how cold and principled, he wouldn’t cruelly dredge up past matters.
“I thought you might be looking for this.”
Alert, I watched as Frezen pulled something from the desk drawer and placed it before me.
A glass jar held small, luscious red Andra berries, the ones I had been searching for.
“Sorry, but this is the best I can do for now. It’s not the season, and the ground is frozen, so I can’t grow more properly. Is this enough?”
I had been about to ask about Andra berries anyway, and he gave them without my asking! Excited, my mouth curved into a smile.
“Yes, of course! This is more than enough! I don’t need a huge amount right now… wow.”
This amount was enough for at least three days’ worth of medicine.
Then the remaining spots on Mela’s body would disappear quickly.
“Thank you, Duke!”
Perhaps too excited at the thought of healing Mela, I forgot everything else. But Frezen didn’t respond at all, no reaction whatsoever.
“……”
Confused, I looked at him, and he stared back silently, as if looking at a strange person.
“……Ahem, well, I suppose it’s natural, since it’s a business relationship.”
Feeling embarrassed, I looked away and replied curtly as usual.
Yet Frezen still didn’t respond. I asked, half in protest,
“…Why? Did I get something on my face?”
Finally, he spoke.
“It’s the first time.”
“……”
“Seeing you smile so brightly like this. So I just watched.”
