Chapter 104 – Rubyana’s Spring Tea Party
“Lady Rubyana!”
Having overcome her Lugimi illness, she looked far healthier than before. Forgetting my worries for a moment, I greeted her with a bright smile. As she came running toward me, a few pink petals carried by the wind had landed on her black hair. I gently brushed them off, and Rubyana gave a shy little laugh.
“Are you feeling all right? Is it okay for you to be outside like this…?”
“Of course it is! But come with me—quickly!”
Without explaining anything, Rubyana grabbed my hand and pulled me along toward the Palace of Trees. Bewildered but unable to resist, I followed her there—only to find several familiar faces gathered together.
Ralz, Ray, Elladin, and Rubyana herself. They had set up a table and chairs in the garden and were in the middle of preparing for a tea party. A lovely pink tablecloth was spread across the table, and on it were black tea, chocolates, cookies, cakes, and fruit—an abundance of little treats. They all welcomed me warmly.
“Everyone…”
For some reason, my chest grew tight. Ray gestured for me to sit down.
“We finally had a bit of time, so we decided to share tea together. Rubyana suddenly rushed off saying she wanted to find Lady Laila—and here you are.”
“Of course! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this day?” Rubyana said cheerfully.
“Lady Laila, please join us.”
“Is your schedule free?”
“Thank you—it’s perfectly fine.”
As I answered each of their questions, Rubyana tugged gently on my sleeve.
“Lady Laila, you haven’t forgotten, right? We promised to have a tea party. It’s not quite summer yet, but it’s rare for all of us to gather like this, so I really wanted you to come too.”
“Of course I remember. I’m honored to be invited.”
“Then come sit here!”
Rubyana looked as happy as could be.
The spring air was warm, with a soft, refreshing breeze drifting through the garden.
In the Palace of Trees, Elladin’s tree was in full bloom. Every branch gleamed with moisture, heavy with clusters of pale pink blossoms. Petals fluttered through the air like drifting silk, so beautiful it almost seemed unreal—something heavenly. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
“…It’s truly beautiful,” I murmured.
Elladin seemed equally entranced by the sight. Ray smiled quietly, and Ralz poured me a cup of tea.
The amber-colored tea released a faint scent of cherries. As I sipped it, warmth spread through my chest, and a gentle smile naturally touched my lips.
“Come to think of it,” Rubyana began suddenly, “there’s something I heard from the royal physician.”
“Oh?”
“When I was sick, apparently… someone brought me medicinal herbs.”
“Herbs?”
That was news to me—and judging by their faces, also to Ray, Elladin, and Ralz. We all looked at Rubyana curiously. She tapped her cheek and tilted her head.
“I think it was the last day of the festival. The palace was pitch-dark because they were opening the Sky Path, so no one noticed anyone coming or going. But when morning came, there was a mountain of herbs piled up at my door.”
“The last day of the festival…?”
Something about that struck a chord in my memory. Rubyana nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes! The royal physician said he was so surprised—those herbs were incredibly rare and in perfect condition. And they were all types used to strengthen the weak or chronically ill. They tested them over and over, even tried them themselves, and they were all genuine. So until you came back, Lady Laila, they kept giving me those herbs as a temporary treatment. I think that’s why I managed to hold out and not lose to the Lugimi disease.”
At that, Elladin and Ralz whispered to each other.
“Maybe… it really was a gift from a fairy or a spirit. You said it was the last day of the festival, right?”
“Ha! I knew it was a good thing to be kind to strangers that day. I even gave up my ice cream money to buy one for a little kid.”
I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
So that’s how it was. Thank you… Asil, Bergo.
They must have done what they could for Rubyana in their own way. A surge of gratitude welled up inside me. If Asil and Bergo hadn’t told me about the dragon, or gone out of their way to gather those herbs, Rubyana might not have been here today.
“Um, Lady Laila,” Elladin asked carefully, “have you been busy lately?”
“Not particularly. Things have been quiet.”
“Really?”
The children exchanged mischievous smiles—as if they were plotting something.
“That’s perfect! Then let’s hold a ball soon!”
“A ball?”
“Yes! Do you know how many people want to see you, Lady Laila? And I’ve made up my mind about something this time…”
Rubyana began to chatter excitedly, and soon Ralz and Elladin joined in. Watching them, I felt as though her illness—and all the pain and tears that had once filled these days—had been nothing more than a bad dream.
“You’ll come to the ball, won’t you?” Rubyana asked, eyes sparkling.
I was about to answer readily, but then hesitated for a brief moment.
“If you weigh the two sides, the scales tilt so clearly…”
Count Schultzman’s stern voice echoed in my mind—firm, unwavering, as though no other path could exist.
But I silently shook my head.
“…Yes,” I said finally.
“Yay!” they cheered in unison, their voices bright and overlapping. I smiled softly.
Spending time with them like this made me genuinely happy. These small, gentle moments filled my heart with warmth and peace.
It was a beautiful spring day. I basked in the sunlight falling softly on my skin and eyelids.
At least for now, I didn’t want to think about anything else.
A Few Days Later
Count Schultzman did not give up easily. Nearly every day, he persistently requested an audience with me. Each time I told him I was still considering, he sighed deeply. His insistence was exhausting, and I eventually refused several of his visits. When he finally stopped for a while, I thought his determination had cooled—but that assumption was wrong.
It turned out, Count Schultzman was not a man to underestimate.
That day, Ray came to see me. I was surprised—he rarely visited my room. As soon as the greetings were over, he got straight to the point.
“I’ve heard from Count Schultzman,” he said.
With just that one line, I understood everything. The Count must have grown impatient after days without a reply and had decided to speak to Ray himself.
My guess was right.
“He told me,” Ray continued, “that His Majesty the Emperor wishes for you to return to the Ulysses Empire.”
“…It seems Count Schultzman’s patience ran out. I clearly asked for time to think…”
“There’s no need to blame him,” Ray said gently. “I half expected this myself. The Empire doesn’t send envoys without good reason.”
He shrugged lightly, and suddenly I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“What will you do?” he asked.
“I…”
I hesitated. He had helped me when I was at my lowest. Leaving for the Empire now almost felt like betraying that kindness.
While I wavered in silence, Ray spoke again—calmly, as though it were the simplest thing in the world.
“If you wish to go, you may.”
“…!”
I looked up at him, my throat tightening.
I had thought long and hard about this. I’d even decided that if Ray asked me to stay, I would. I owed him too much.
But instead, he was telling me to go.
He knew full well how valuable I was to the kingdom—how much it would lose if I left—and yet, he still said it.
When I looked at him in confusion, Ray gave me a quiet smile.
“I know,” he said softly. “If you go to the Ulysses Empire, you’ll be promised far better treatment and support than here. Count Schultzman pleaded with me sincerely—if I truly cared for you, I should let you go.”
“I… I can’t decide that easily,” I whispered. My eyes stung.
“Do you remember?” I said after a pause. “After the trial, when I was completely lost… you were the one who invited me here. Back then, I couldn’t see any path forward, but because of you, I found one.”
“…”
“I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am, Your Highness. If you hadn’t helped me, I’d probably still be in the Ulysses Empire—doing nothing, achieving nothing. That’s why I— I just…”
I lowered my head. My words were clumsy and tangled, but I wanted him to hear my sincerity—how deeply thankful I was.
As I rambled on, Ray remained quiet. I lifted my head slightly.
He was still smiling.
“Thank you, Lady Laila,” he said.
“…”
Tears threatened to fall.
“I’ve always thought,” he continued softly, “that it was truly fortunate you came here. You saved Rubyana’s life—and countless others in the Siwin Kingdom.”
“…”
“So please, don’t think of any of this as a debt between us. I only did what I could—and so did you.”
“I…”
I tried to speak, but he gently shook his head.
“Let me finish. After the trial, when I asked you to come to the Siwin Kingdom, yes—there were political reasons. But there was also… something personal.”
“Personal…?”
I stared at him. The sunlight streaming through the window glimmered over his pale lemon-colored hair. His smile carried a faint, wistful air.
“It’s an old story,” he said quietly. “When I was very young, I once visited the Ulysses Empire…”
And with that, Ray began to unravel a tale from long ago.
