CHAPTER 59……………………………………….
“You’re not supposed to come in here. Or… are you a lady guest?”
Curly lavender hair, teal eyes. It certainly seemed to be the girl the duke had recently brought along.
“You… uh…”
But her name didn’t come to mind at all. Watching Irenes struggle to speak, the girl asked again.
“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself? They say you should introduce yourself when you meet someone for the first time.”
“Uh, I’m… Irenes Sieren…”
“I’m Laseil Zaen!”
After introducing herself, Laseil asked again.
“So, Sieren… that means the duke’s family, right? Uh… the duke’s family?”
Her tone was awkwardly formal. She clearly hadn’t properly learned the etiquette between nobles yet.
“Yes, the duke’s family… and you can just speak normally.”
That awkwardness seemed contagious. Irenes, also replying awkwardly, looked back at Laseil.
“Do you know the way out?”
“Yes, I’ll guide you.”
Following Laseil, the mansion’s main gate came into view quickly. She must have mistaken the main gate for the back entrance.
‘I’ve never seen such a fancy back gate before.’
That thought made her uneasy again. It suddenly hit her that she was on her way to meet the Duke of Resean. She had heard many times that he was the second most powerful person in the empire after the emperor.
There were even rumors that if he got upset, he could summon storms as a spirit user!
‘Could that really be true?’
Whether true or not, her tension wasn’t going away. As she followed Laseil, Irenes kept adjusting her clothes repeatedly.
Whenever she straightened her jacket, her cravat looked crooked. Straightening the cravat, her hair bothered her.
She finally stopped when Laseil turned back and said:
“You’re fidgeting too much! Can’t you stop?”
“Uh, sorry…”
“What’s bothering you so much?”
“Uh, everything… I think my hair is a bit messy too.”
“Hmm.”
Suddenly, Laseil stepped closer to Irenes. Startled, Irenes leaned back slightly, but Laseil didn’t stop. She circled around, observing Irenes’ hair for a while, then concluded:
“It looks fine. If you grew it down to your waist, it would look amazing.”
“Do you really think so?”
Irenes asked in a small voice. This was the first time she’d received such an evaluation. Usually, people just asked when she would cut it.
“Yes. The color is pretty, and the hair is soft.”
There was no hesitation in Laseil’s voice. She didn’t seem to be flattering her intentionally.
‘I’ve never heard anyone say that before.’
Irenes thought blankly. She had never felt this way from peers in noble society. Most of them spoke in roundabout ways as a form of etiquette.
Of course, Irenes understood that this was how nobles behaved, but…
‘Still, it’s a bit overwhelming.’
She wasn’t used to this kind of direct evaluation. Naturally, it would stick in her mind.
“Ah, we’re here! You just go in through that door.”
Before she realized it, the door to the mansion was right in front of her. Irenes paused for a moment, then looked at Laseil.
“You know, I think you…”
Though embarrassed, Irenes steeled herself to finish the sentence.
“…would look really good with longer hair.”
Laseil’s lavender hair hadn’t yet passed her shoulders. A little more growth could make it resemble a field full of violets.
‘Was that expression… okay?’
Irenes thought again of “a field full of violets” and felt satisfied. It was worth all the books and plays she had read for her education in refinement.
“Really? Are you going to grow your hair?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll look forward to it!”
Laseil smiled brightly and escorted Irenes into the mansion. She realized she herself was also returning to the mansion, which was why she followed.
She barely remembered the conversation with the duke afterward—only a vague sense of extreme nervousness.
But on the way back to the Sieren mansion, she could remember one thought:
‘What does “fidgeting too much” mean?’
It seemed like an idiom used in other regions, but she hadn’t asked. The first visit ended with a single promise and a lingering question.
＊＊＊
Now recalling all of this, Laseil felt quite conflicted. She somehow felt like she had done something wrong. She even found herself making a somewhat ridiculous assumption, probably due to overthinking.
“Could it be… that you grow your hair?”
Thinking back, Irenes always kept her hair long. Using a sword, short hair would have been more convenient, yet she maintained it. It wasn’t just short—her hair reached her waist, and the style had often been remarked upon. After Irenes was appointed as the head of the royal knights, no one objected.
“…That time.”
“Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing.”
Irenes smiled faintly as she replied.
“You said it would look good if I grew it.”
A brief silence followed. Laseil searched for a proper reaction, while Irenes gauged if it was okay to ask a question.
“Does it look good?”
“…Yes, it does.”
Laseil hesitated briefly before answering. At least she could say that much with certainty. It was what she had thought every time Irenes’ silver hair blew in the wind. She had been too embarrassed to say it outright until now…
‘I didn’t need to hold back.’
Apparently, her past self had thought the same.
“Then… is it my turn to ask now?”
Laseil, still in thought, asked. It seemed her turn to pose a question had come.
“Does it suit me?”
“Yes… even prettier than violets.”
‘Violets?’
She must have often thought of violets when looking at Laseil’s hair. Now she remembered all the floral-themed accessories she had received from Irenes.
‘Well, comparing hair to flowers is common enough.’
But hearing “violet” made her heart swell a bit. The flower’s meaning—sincerity and humility—was something she liked. It was charming without being flashy.
Lost in thought, both were silent again.
“Hey! You two over there!”
The silence was broken not by either of them, but by a nearby third party. Other shops had closed, but this stall was still open.
“Want to take a look at the merchandise? Nothing’s selling. I’ll give you some for free, take a few.”
Indeed, the stall was full of goods. Most were hair accessories, with a few brooches here and there.
‘But this…’
Laseil stared intently at the stall. The quality seemed too high for something sold at a territory market. Some even used genuine, expensive gemstones.
‘Ah, has it gotten that late already?’
Looking up at the sky, she understood why. The purple and orange hues were blending in the sky. This was called the “most mysterious hour” in the empire. Non-human beings often appeared at this time.
‘I hope there are some good items.’
Among them were beings who showed favor to humans. The items they handed out usually had some kind of magic attached.
‘Which one would be best?’
Laseil’s gaze stopped at a pair of brooches that stood out. They were delicately crafted with a violet motif. One was purple, the other teal.
“Do you like those? You’ve got an eye for things!”
The shopkeeper said cheerfully.
“They say if lovers each keep one, they’ll never be separated.”
“L-Lovers?”
Irenes stammered. She seemed flustered at the sudden implication that she and Laseil were a couple.
