Chapter 2 - The Three Years of Heartbreak (2/2)

The only problem was that he wasn’t the young, angelic boy she remembered.

The Arsion in her memories was a very beautiful man. The person in front of her now was also beautiful. However, Arsion’s beauty used to match that of a flower’s, whereas now, the person in front of her had a piercing appearance, much like a blade.

Strangely, She could see Arsion’s face clearly, yet the person standing there was different.

“Si……on…?”

Ariel inhaled sharply.

Before he left, his hair had been a little long, now it was cut short like any other knight. In addition, the soft jawline of a young, graceful boy, now elegantly framed dark eyebrows, big eyes, and a patrician nose.

His face wasn’t the only thing that changed. Arsion used to be on the thin side. The man draped in a robe had a wider, well-structured chest, evident through just a glance.

The body standing in front of her reminded her of the chiseled sculptures around the palace. In addition, before he left, all she needed to do was raise her face slightly to meet his eyes, now she had to crane her neck to the point where it hurt to see his face.

Ariel closed her mouth without realizing. It was definitely Arsion, but it wasn’t the Arsion she remembered.

“Riel?”

Was Ariel worried? Was that why she didn’t say anything? Arsion bowed his head and gazed into her eyes. His voice had gotten much deeper, but Ariel could recognize the familiar tenderness with which he said her name.

“Sion…”

At this moment, they were interrupted.

“Lord Arsion?”

“What? Arsion is here? Where? Where?”

“Oh my goodness, Arsion!”

The moment word spread of his return, the tea party went berserk. People rushed and flocked around Arsion, trying to get in a word or so congratulating him on his return. In the meantime, exclamations of surprise, excitement, and delight came from all over the tables.

The appearance of a large and masculine body might be a bit unfortunate compared to his beautiful appearance in the past, but Arsion was still very much attractive.

The small scar on his face that he received while fighting an evil monster did not diminish his handsomeness, instead it added to his dangerous charm.

It was only until the crown princess stepped in that the disturbance at the tea party calmed down a little.

“That’s why nothing’s going to be sorted out. Let’s go inside the palace, Arsion.”

She heard lamentations from all over the place at the order of the crown princess.

Arsion replied, “I see,” and came to Ariel’s side and whispered.

“I have a lot of work to do here and there, so I think I’ll be back home in a few days. Let’s have a long conversation when I get back. See you later, Riel.”

Arsion, who said so, kissed Ariel slightly on the forehead. Then he turned and escorted the crown princess into the palace.

Ariel stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly at Arsion’s broad back as he retreated. Soon, people like her who were absent-minded came to their senses and began to babble. But Ariel couldn’t hear anything.

She raised her hand slowly and touched her forehead. Arsion’s body temperature seemed to still remain on her forehead. Soon Ariel’s face turned bright red as if it would burst.

Oh, my God.

Ariel lowered her hand from her forehead and covered her mouth.

Indeed, Arsion is back.

* * *

A week had passed since Arsion returned, but he had yet to return to the duke’s estate. Ariel, who visited the main house just in case she could hear the news of Arsion, turned away after hearing that the little duke was not returning from the palace either.

As she was walking in the hallway near his office, Ariel heard the voices from the duke’s vassals gathering and talking.

“As for what reason Arsion hasn’t come back yet, there must be some complicated issues.”

“What’s the matter with the Duke’s successor being held in the palace?”

“You know……if the Little Duke really wants to be a holy knight, then there’s a problem. Because you are the Duke with no other family, you have to set up another successor, but as you know, it’s a matter of interfering with the royal family.”

“What, so he’s really going to be a holy knight?”

“No, nothing is known yet, but there’s nothing else that I suspect he’s up to.”

Listening to them, Ariel cautiously walked down the hall without making any sound.

‘I shouldn’t come to the main house anymore.’

People here wouldn’t give looks of contempt like the people outside the duke’s estate. No, rather, they’d feel sorry and sympathize with her. Ariel, however, found it more difficult to bear those gazes.

When she hurried out of the main entrance, she saw a carriage rushing in. It was a large carriage pulled by eight horses which could be seen from a distance.

‘The Duke?’

That was a carriage only the Duke of Hastings could ride. Before the carriage could stop and the butler could come out to greet him, the duke opened the door and rushed into the mansion. Then the duke soon came out with something in his hand.

‘That’s….’

Ariel noticed what the wooden box that the duke had brought out was. It was because the duke had shown it to her when she went to the duke’s office with Arsion one day. What did the duke say back then?

“This is the Duke’s seal. It’s only used for important matters.”

But now the duke had brought it out. She then remembered the words of the vassals that she’d heard in the hallway a while ago. The question of successors. Such a problem would certainly require the duke’s seal.

The duke found Ariel standing in the corner while he tried to get in the carriage as if he had to leave again immediately. Ariel, who was about to bow down immediately under the gaze she encountered, stood frozen at the sight of the duke’s darkened face.

The duke turned to Ariel and said with a sigh.

“I’m so sorry, Ariel. I didn’t expect this to happen…….”

“What? What do you mean by that?”….”

“I’ll tell you when I get back. What a mess Arsion is in…… I’m just sorry for you anyway.”

The duke, who said so, tapped Ariel on the back of the hand, muttering, “Everything will be fine,” and then went back into the carriage. Seeing the back of the carriage, Ariel trudged home.

Now there was no doubt about it. The duke rushed out with a seal. He was sorry that he didn’t expect this to happen. She remembered what she heard at the palace. He’ll end his engagement with her and the duke will find her another marriage partner with a lot of money.

Ariel sat on the bed and bit her lips. Now she had to admit it. Indeed, Arsion is about to become a holy knight.

‘……I don’t want it.’

She didn’t even realize she liked him when she was too young. Until she held Arsion’s hand and danced with him for the first time, she didn’t know what she felt for him. However, after their first dance and her partner changed, when saw him smiling and holding hands with another woman, Ariel, for the first time, discovered that she could hate strangers that she didn’t know.

Since then, she had been able to endure even when she heard harsh words about her because she liked Arsion. So, she put up with shamelessness and ignorance of the subject. Even so, she wanted to be next to Arsion. She thought Arsion wanted it too.

‘But… if Arsion doesn’t want to.’

Then should she just give up?

Ariel was lost in thought on her bed when she heard her mother calling her downstairs.

“Ariel, come down for a second!”

When Ariel went down to see what she was calling for, her mother handed her a coat and said,

“I received them from the country yesterday, so I need you to bring them to your sister.”

From honey to dried herbs on the table. There was a pile of things sent by relatives who came to play last time. Ariel muttered in a small voice when she saw it.

“……If that’s the case, you could just get it delivered.”

At those words, her mother clicked her tongue and said,

“I’m asking you because I want you to go outside. It’s not good if a person is stuck in a room like this. Your head will feel worse and you’ll become sick.”

“…….”

When Ariel failed to respond, her mother sighed and said.

“I don’t think it’s just rumors. I can see how disturbed your mind is. Since you were a child, you’ve been with the Little Duke……. But let’s just say it’s a good thing. How many mean words you had to listen to. It’ll be noisy for a while, but it’s better in the long run. Besides, the Little Duke didn’t meet another woman, and he said he’d dedicate himself to the Goddess.”

Ariel pouted at the word.

“A goddess is a woman, isn’t she?”

“Hey, Ariel!”

But Ariel didn’t want to hear anymore, so she quickly put on her jacket and put the stuff on the table in the bag next to her.

“I’ll be back!”

She heard her mother calling her from behind, but Ariel quickly left the house with her heavy bag.

* * *

Her sister, who was already married, lived in a quiet place in the capital. Her sister was usually at home whenever she visited, but no matter how many times Ariel knocked on the door, she couldn’t hear any movement inside.

Since her plan to stay at her sister’s house until evening went up in smoke, Ariel was worried about what she could do with her time now.

Since it’s difficult to continue carrying the large bag, she asked the next door neighbour to hold onto the stuff and left a letter in the mailbox. Turning around, she realized there was nowhere to go. Ariel was not without friends. After debuting in society, out of the many faces she had met, there were people who can be called friends. But she couldn’t think of anyone she could turn to, to tell her troubles right now.

‘I can’t help it.’

Ariel laughed bitterly at the fact that she didn’t have a friend close enough to tell everything. She knew the reason why she didn’t have such a friend the best.

Her best friend since she was a child had always been Arsion. Arsion did not hide anything, he had no reason to. Arsion understood and comforted her to the point where she thought he was her alter ego.

Such Arsion was now leaving her and trying to walk his own path.

Ariel was disappointed by that. Arsion was inseparable to herself, but to Arsion, he could easily abandon her. So she had to understand and support Arsion’s decision, but she only wanted to hold onto him and resent him.

Ariel, who was walking down the street, had to bow in a hurry as she passed by the cake shop she used to go to. Because there were quite a few faces she knew. And then at the hat store. And at the stationery store.

‘Why am I seeing so many people I know today?’

She was going to stay out as long as she could because she was going to be nagged by her mother even if she went back. This was why she wanted to spend her time somewhere.

At that time, Ariel’s eyes, which were teary, saw a familiar store.

‘There!’

Ariel’s eyes caught the secondhand bookstore, which she had visited several times. That place was run by an elderly woman who didn’t pay much attention to the customers who visited.

No one would mind her sitting there reading all day. Thinking so, Ariel opened the door and went inside.

As expected, the owner, who was reading the book at the counter, nodded slightly and welcomed the customer. Ariel stroked the cat, who approached her, and turned inward.

The smell of old books emanating from bookshelves filled with them put Ariel’s mind at ease. In a place like this, no one who knew her would walk by. Thinking so, Ariel sat in a chair in the corner.

Looking around the bookshelf, she saw some books she was curious about. She can pick a suitable number, check them out, and then purchase the decent ones to bring back home.

Thinking so, Ariel took out the books bearing titles that stood out to her from the bookcase and put them on the table in front of the chair where she sat.

Tak.

Then, her hand slipped and a book fell onto the floor. Ariel bent down and picked up the book that fell.

“……Huh?”

Then she saw a book stuck in the bottom shelf covered with dust.

“……What kind of book is this?”

The reason why the book stood out among the many books was that it had a purple velvet cover that looked very luxurious. And on top of it, it had a gold pattern that was elegant and delicate enough to match up with the velvet.

At a glance, it was a very expensive book made for a noble’s small collection. But if that was the case, she wouldn’t have been so interested. Because, there were even more luxurious books at the duke’s house.

Ariel reached out and took the book. Her eyes scanned the back and cover of the book.

“……There’s no title?”

The title wasn’t written anywhere in the book. Was it a notebook made to look like a book? But then the owner wouldn’t have allowed this in their store. With a curious look, Ariel looked over the thick cover of the book.

Fortunately, it seemed that it was not a notebook as there were printed letters visible on the inner cover. Ariel unwittingly read the title.

“Things to do at night……?”

It was a title she had never heard of. As soon as Ariel tried to open the book, she heard someone approaching. Ariel hurriedly closed the book and sat in a corner, hiding her presence. It was two young ladies near her age who approached where she hid.

Did they also want to avoid people’s prying eyes like Ariel? The two came into the corner and sat down without giving a glance to the bookshelf. Then they started talking.

“Is that true? Does he want to be a priest?”

“Yes, he said he’s going to the temple next week. So he came to say goodbye for the last time… You know it too. How much I liked him.”

Ariel swallowed her breath upon hearing the story. The woman sniffling across the shelf was in a similar situation to herself.

“Horrible man. If you’re going to be a priest, don’t be interested in me. You confessed that you liked me at the festival, and now you’re a priest!

“Hey, hey. Be quiet.”

The woman who came in with the lady hurriedly stopped her crying friend. Then, as encouragement, she asked her friend.

“You’re not gonna see him become a priest anyway, are you?”

“Of course. I can’t let him go. I’ll never let him go. So help me. There’s got to be a way to stop him from becoming a priest.”

Ariel’s eyes widened at the words. What does she mean, a way to stop him from becoming a priest? Is there such a way? If there is such a way….

Ariel swallowed her breath and listened more to the conversation across from her.

“Yeah, there’s a way. I don’t know if you want to do it.”

“What should I do? I’d do anything to stop him from becoming a priest. What do I need? Money? People?”

When the crying woman asked, her friend answered firmly.

“No, all you need is your body.”