Chapter 53

“Allen.”

“…Tia? ”

“I’m sorry. I’ve come here a little late. ”

“… ”

“I wanted to meet you in person, but I couldn’t take time out. I’m so sorry, Allen. Were you hurt a lot? ”

Allendis, standing blankly, hugged me all of a sudden. When I was wrapped in his arms, he said with a hoarse voice, “Tia.”

“Yes.”

“Tia, is it you really? Huh? Are you my girl? ”

“Yes.”

“Tia.”

“Yes, Allen.”

Allendis called me endlessly, with no sign of letting go of me. I was stunned when I felt wetness dropping on me.

“Are you crying now, Allendis?”

“I thought I could n’t see you anymore.”

“Oh no, Allen.”

“I thought you closed your heart to me after you didn’t contact me since you mentioned your dream to me. I was impatient again, and I was scared.”

“I’m fine now. I’m sorry to have worried you.”

I carefully stretched out my arms and pat his back. I felt sorry I couldn’t write a letter to him because I wanted to see him in person. I wish I had sent him a letter if I had known he was in this sorry condition.

How much time passed? Allendis released me finally and smiled awkwardly.

I was reflected in his emerald eyes that seemed a little reddish.

“Sorry, Tia. Were you surprised a lot? ”

“Well, a little?”

“I see. Sorry to have surprised you. ”

“No, that’s fine. I’m sorry I didn’t write to you. By the way, you look very busy. Am I interfering? ”

“Nope. You are always welcome at my place. Um, shall we move? There is no place for us to sit here. ”

With a smile, he reached out. When I took his hands and turned around, I saw a shiny silver letter in the middle of the documents that fell on the floor.

‘Huh? Silvery? Few people would write on that colored stationery.’

When I opened my eyes wide, I saw a straight and neat font that looked very familiar to me. ‘Ugh, that’s …’

“Tia?” As he called me curiously, I took my eyes off the letter paper.

However, I couldn’t shake off the afterimages of the silver letter that glimmered before my eyes until I arrived at the reception room as he escorted me. I wasn’t sure because I was a bit away from it, but if I wasn’t wrong, the sender of the letter was definitely someone I knew.

“Please give me a slice of lemon with hot water.”

Shortly afterwards, he spoke with a smile to the maid who came in. The maid, who stood blankly, disappeared after repeating his request.

Why is he doing so? Obviously, the maid was not a rookie, so she knew what his favorite tea was even without him asking for it. Looking at the maid who was disappearing, he turned around and said, “You look much better than when I saw you last, Tia. How has your life been at the estate?”

“WWell, I went through ups and downs there, but it was okay.”

“Good. How about the people there?”

“Well, I saw many of the employees there for the first time, but they were all kind and the knights were good. Well, sometimes there was a clash between Sir Seymour or Carsein, but it wasn’t that bad. ”

“As for Sir Seymour, is he the same knight I saw before?”

“Yes.”

The moment he heard my answer, I felt his eyebrows wiggled. ‘Huh? Does Sir Seymour bother him?’ When I slowly closed my eyes and opened, he was looking at me with a calm expression.

“Got it. By the way, what do you mean when you say Carsein and the knights clashed”

“Well, they had arguments sometimes, but they didn’t duel or have a fist fight.”

“Really?”

“Yes. As you know, the way Carsein speaks is a little rough. At first, they had an argument because of that, but they got along well later. When I said I was leaving, Carsein said he was sorry I had to leave. Come to think of it, I wonder if he was keeping well now. He looked a bit strange when I returned to the capital.”

When I was about to talk about him, the maid appeared and put down a teapot and a mug with hot water. There was also a dish with lemon slices. Allendis looked back at me in a pensive mood and said, “Can you excuse me for a moment, Tia? I have something to bring here. ”

“Sure, go ahead.”

When I nodded gently, he got up with a smile. He was holding a little box when he got back a little while later. What was that? As if he noticed I was curious, he handed the box over to me and told me to open it. When I opened the lid of the wooden box engraved with the cross key, it was filled with blue and purple dried petals.

“What is this, Allen? I think this is the first time I have ever seen something like this.”

“This is a flower that only grows in my estate. It’s called Blue Mellow. ”

After explaining about it in detail, he put dried petals in the teacup. When he poured water, its bright blue color spread out in the tea. It was so beautiful that I exclaimed unconsciously.

“Wow, it’s pretty.”

“You bet. But this is not all. Look at it carefully, Tia. ”

He grabbed a slice of lemon and dropped a few drops of juice onto a blue-green mug.

“Wow! The color has changed… ”

“How about it? Isn’t it pretty?”

The blue color disappeared, and the clear pink color was suddenly overflowing in the teacup. How did this happen? My eyes popped up. When I moved the teacup for a closer look, he chuckled and handed me the box.

“Accept it.”

“Huh?”

“It’s my gift. I prepared it while thinking about you. I’m glad you seem to like it. ”

“Isn’t this precious? You told me it only grows only on your estate.”

“It’s alright. I prepared it for you anyway.”

“Really?”

I smiled broadly at the unexpected gift. When I was about to express gratitude, he shook his head violently while looking at me silently.

“What’s the matter, Allen?”

“I’ve never seen you smiling before.”

“Huh?”

“I mean it’s the first time I have seen you smiling so brightly.”

“Well, do I look strange?”

“Oh, no. Tia, don’t smile like that before others. Okay?”

“Huh? You must be kidding.”

While grinning at him, I looked into the box again. I smelled the peculiar scent of the dried flowers inside the box blended with blue and purple. How amazing! Why does it turn pink?

“Tia.”

“Huh?”

“… Are you okay now? ”

“Well, lots of things happened, but I’m okay now. Thank you for your concern.”

“Yeah, I feel relieved to hear that.”

Allendis nodded, trying to say more. I wondered what he was trying to say, but I didn’t ask.

As I already talked to him a lot, based on my dream, I no longer wanted to tell him about my past.

Drinking the sweet-looking pink tea, I chatted with him about lots of other things.

As he and I didn’t see each other for the past six months, we had so many things to talk about.

I was surprised while refilling the empty mug because time passed so quickly.

I got up in a hurry as it began to dark outside the window. Considering what Lina said, I thought it would be better to go back home before my father came home.

“Allen, I think I should leave now.”

“Ah, it’s this hour already?” He spoke with a wistful expression. I also felt sorry I had to leave.

Saying goodbye to his mother who felt sorry I had to go back, I headed for the carriage with him.

“Let me write to you often. By the way, are you quitting fencing?”

“Well, I’m not quitting it once and for all, but I don’t think I can dedicate my time to it like before.

I think I have to help my father from now on. ‘

“Oh, those documents you worked on were related to your new assignment, right?”

“Ugh? Yes, you’re right.”

Allendis, who seemed embarrassed for a moment, immediately nodded.

I was a little sorry when I thought that our paths were diverging, but I just smiled silently because I already knew that we would choose a different path one day.

“Tia?”