TYWML 23

23. A Memory That Came Back (1)
May 23, 2024

〈Alright, Daddy! I’ll be Cass’s friend. But how long is Cass staying with us?〉
〈Well, I’m not quite sure yet.〉

It’d be nice if he could stay for a long time.

Thinking that, Riena went outside and grabbed Cass’s hand without hesitation.

〈Let’s go! I’ll give you a tour of the estate!〉

Cass didn’t look particularly thrilled, but he obediently followed her.

To be honest, Cass wasn’t a fun friend to play with. No matter what Riena did, he barely reacted.

Even when she showed him her favorite horse, Lucy, or her adorable baby brother Aaron who had just been born, or when the nanny brought all sorts of snacks—he showed no interest.

〈Your name is Cass, right? I’m Riena Dyke. Daddy and Raul call me Ria, so you can call me Ria too.〉
〈…….〉
〈Raul is my childhood friend. He lives in the neighboring territory of Verna. He said he’ll come visit soon, so the three of us can play together.〉
〈…….〉
〈Hey, what do you like? I love tomato stew full of beef. Our chef makes it the best. Eating it on a rainy day makes you feel so warm and cozy.〉
〈…….〉

When she was younger, Riena was even more talkative and energetic than she is now.

She would chatter with the staff at the mansion or talk to people in town all the time. So having a friend her age made her incredibly excited.

Raul was her childhood friend, but she didn’t get to see him often. Meanwhile, Cass was living in the mansion with her—how great was that?

But no matter how hard she tried, Cass remained unresponsive.

〈Hey… can you not talk?〉

The nanny beside her gasped and told her not to ask such things, but Riena was completely serious.

〈If you can’t speak, I can bring you a pen. Want to write it down instead?〉
〈My lady, I just said not to say things like that…〉

Riena ignored the nanny, who was now holding her forehead in frustration.

Then, finally, Cass opened his mouth.

〈…I can.〉
〈Huh?〉
〈I can talk.〉
〈Wow! Nanny, did you hear that? He talked!〉

Although Cass didn’t say anything after that, Riena was overjoyed.

At least he wasn’t showing dislike toward her, so she figured they’d get along well.

A few days later, Cass suddenly developed a fever. It was autumn, and the Dyke estate, located in the southernmost part of the region, wasn’t particularly cold, so everyone was surprised.

Countess Dyke was troubled when she saw the feverish Cass.

She worried that he might have caught something contagious, something that could spread to Bianca and Aaron.

Thankfully, the doctor assured them it wasn’t infectious.

〈He has a fever, but no other symptoms. It doesn’t appear to be the flu either. It seems he’s under a lot of stress from suddenly losing his mother and being in an unfamiliar place. Still, just in case, it’s best to keep him isolated from Lady Riena.〉

Count Dyke calmly explained Cass’s condition and warned Riena not to visit Cass’s room until his fever went down.

But Riena wasn’t the kind to follow such instructions.

She kept sneaking into Cass’s room, only to be chased out by the nanny or the maids.

〈My lady, you shouldn’t be here. You could catch the fever too.〉
〈But the doctor said it’s not contagious!〉
〈Still, just in case. You need to leave.〉
〈I want to help take care of Cass.〉
〈I’m already taking good care of him, so please go get some rest.〉

Sometimes she was pushed out by a maid, and sometimes Count Dyke would scoop her up and carry her back.

After several failed attempts at sneaking in, Riena decided to wait for nightfall.

She stayed up and snuck into Cass’s room while the maid briefly stepped out.

〈This is weird.〉

Kneeling beside the bed, Riena rested her chin on the edge and looked down at Cass.

He was breathing heavily, but at the sound of her voice, he slowly opened his eyes.

〈…What is?〉
〈You. You said you’re from the North, right? Then why did you catch a cold? Isn’t the North way colder than here? It doesn’t even snow here in winter, but I heard there’s snow on the mountains in the North even during summer. What’s it called again… permafrost?〉
〈…….〉
〈Are you sure you’re from the North?〉
〈I am… from the North.〉
〈Really? Then have you seen permafrost before?〉
〈I don’t… know.〉
〈It’s either you have or you haven’t—why don’t you know?〉
〈…….〉

Cass closed his eyes, seemingly too tired to continue the conversation. Still, Riena kept chattering beside him.

〈You know, my mom died from a fever too. They said it was something worse than that, but it was basically the same thing. Of course, I don’t remember any of it. I was just a tiny baby then—well, a bit older than Aaron is now.〉
〈…….〉
〈That’s why I’m worried about you. What if something bad happens because you’re so weak?〉
〈…I won’t die.〉
〈I didn’t say anything about dying.〉
〈It’s the same thing…〉
〈Is it?〉

Riena quickly changed the subject.

〈Anyway, get better soon. Once you’re better, let’s go play on the hill behind the mansion. There’s a big tree up there—it’s perfect for a picnic under its shade. I bet there are wildflowers blooming now too.〉
〈…….〉
〈Do you know how to ride a horse? If you do, we can ride together. You won’t find a horse as great as Lucy, but I’ll find one that suits you.〉

Though Riena talked non-stop, Cass didn’t show any annoyance and quietly listened.

And so Riena’s chatter continued. Eventually, she realized she might be keeping Cass from sleeping and stood up.

〈I should go now. If they find me here, Nanny will scold me. Sleep well. I’ll come again tomorrow.〉

Just then, Cass—who hadn’t responded properly until now—reached out and grabbed her clothes. She nearly fell over from the surprising strength of his grip.

〈You almost made me fall.〉
〈…Don’t.〉
〈Huh?〉
〈Don’t go.〉

Cass kept his eyes tightly shut as tears trickled down from the corners.

〈Please don’t go.〉

Maybe he was having a sad dream.

Looking down at his small hand clinging to her clothes as if it were his last hope, Riena let out a deep sigh.

〈Sigh… Nanny’s going to scold me.〉

After a moment of hesitation, she climbed up onto the bed.

〈Why are you crying now?〉

She gently wiped his tears away. His skin felt hotter than she expected, but she didn’t let it show.

〈I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay right here, so don’t worry. Just sleep. And don’t cry. Hush.〉
〈Mm.〉

After a pause, Riena pulled him into a hug and closed her eyes.

The next morning, the nanny found the two children asleep in each other’s arms and woke them in surprise. Thankfully, Riena didn’t catch a fever.

From that night on, Riena could feel that Cass had opened his heart to her.

*

Cass was still a quiet boy, but he had improved since they first met.

He remained tight-lipped around Count Dyke and the other household members, but he would speak fairly often when with Riena.

To Riena, Cass reminded her of a kitten she once saw in the mansion garden.

At first, it kept its distance, hiding and being wary—but after getting treats a few times, it approached and rubbed its head against her ankle.

And once Cass had fully recovered, Riena kept her promise and took him to the hill behind the mansion.

〈Cass! Hurry up! Come on!〉

Even as a child, Riena was more energetic and stronger than most boys. She gathered up her dress and ran up the hill.

Her destination was a large tree standing at the top.

She ignored the nanny and Joanna calling out behind her to slow down.

When she glanced back, she saw Cass slowly trudging along. He seemed to be trying to run, but it was hard to tell whether he was walking or running.

〈And you call that learning swordsmanship? Get it together and move!〉
〈Wait… I…〉
〈Sigh.〉

Riena let out a sigh and went back down the hill to hook her arm through Cass’s. Cass’s eyes widened in surprise.

〈You said you’re a year older than me, right? Then why are you weaker than me?〉
〈I…〉

It wasn’t even that harsh, but Cass lowered his head gloomily. His black eyebrows drooped.

〈Sorry. I’m weak…〉
〈Why are you apologizing for that?〉

Cass mumbled awkwardly.

〈Because I’m too slow to play with you properly.〉
〈Well, that part’s true.〉

Riena agreed without hesitation, and Cass slumped his shoulders completely.

Looking at him, Riena once again thought how much he resembled that little kitten from before.