The Place I Long to Leave, Part 7
A week later, Count Roxen kept his promise. Naturally, he did not come in person. Nor did he send messengers bearing the news. If he could have sent people every time, he would have done so from the very beginning. I had wondered what method the count would use, and the answer turned out to be a carrier bird. It wasn't a pigeon, but a hawk, so perhaps I should call it a carrier hawk?
Normally, carrier pigeons were a one-way means of communication. They couldn't be sent to untrained locations either. That was why I assumed they wouldn't be viable here. Perhaps to solve that issue, a ring engraved with a geometric pattern was fastened to the hawk's leg. It looked like some kind of magic. I knew next to nothing about magic, though.
Once I took the letter and let it go, the hawk soared back into the sky. Sirien, perhaps seeing this for the first time, stared with wide, fascinated eyes. Actually, I wasn't so sure. She said it was amazing that the hawk was flying away... but hawks were flying creatures to begin with.
Still, our primary concern was, of course, Count Roxen's letter.
From Count Liud Roxen,
I hope you are both staying healthy. Though the environment is harsh, I trust that you two will be able to overcome it.
As promised, I am sending this letter with news from home. I am glad to be able to share good tidings.
The opening of the letter was remarkably concise for a noble. It seemed to reflect his practical, business-like nature. Count Roxen was essentially the administrator of the Illencia family. He managed the domains that the Duchess, the lady of the house, did not touch. Most administrative duties—such as the family's finances, private soldiers, and the management of the knight order—passed through his hands. Back when I lived at the castle, I had heard he was an incredibly rational and pragmatic man. The impression I had of him was also that of a rigid, straight-laced administrator.
If I recalled correctly, he had started his work when the current Grand Duke of Ilencia inherited the headship of the family. Count Roxen was also the Grand Duke's half-brother. He had renounced his claim to succession early on to support the Grand Duke. Since a blood relative was not only loyal but also highly competent, the Grand Duke had no choice but to place immense trust in him.
We have made significant progress over the past few days.
We have located and executed the traitors hiding within the territory, and His Grace's army is advancing smoothly. The Demon King Eligos has also been driven quite far back.
At this rate, we should be able to secure your safety in the near future. It may not even take the full three months.
The two siblings rejoiced upon reading the letter. What Count Roxen had delivered was nothing short of hope—the hope that they would soon be able to return to the castle.
“I think we can go back soon!”
The siblings' faces brightened visibly. I loved the fact that those children were smiling so brightly.
The next few days flew by. Buoyed by the thought of their imminent return, the siblings spent each day with far more energy than usual. In the meantime, winter seemed to be slipping away. The signs had been there for a while, and now the weather was finally starting to soften. It wasn't warm enough to melt the snow, but it was much more pleasant for wandering outside. Thanks to that, Sirien began stepping out of the cabin more often. Today, she even begged me to go with her, saying she wanted to take a walk.
“I just got back inside, and I'm tired.”
“Then should we rest for a bit before we go? Do you want to sit here?”
“Can't we just stay inside?”
“You went out with Hena just the other day without any complaints. Why not with me?”
In the distance, Hena, who was busy baking cookies, flinched. I didn't have the confidence to handle the resentment of two girls at once.
“It's not that we can't. Fine. My stomach is full anyway, so let's go.”
“Yay! I'll get ready right away. Just wait a second.”
Sirien scampered upstairs. She was probably going to grab a warm scarf or a coat. Seeing how much she loved walks made her look a bit like a puppy. A gentle, people-pleasing puppy.
Sirien returned shortly after and tugged at my hand.
“Let's go! Walk time!”
“Don't run. You'll fall.”
“I won't fall! Do you think I'm a child?”
Of course you're a child. Is a twelve-year-old an adult? I swallowed the words that rose to the tip of my tongue.
“I guess winter is finally ending.”
“It's still a bit too cold to call it spring.”
“But spring is on its way. Speaking of spring, it makes me want to visit the garden back at the castle. Leheim is warmer than here, so maybe the spring flowers are already blooming.”
Even back at Leheim Castle, Sirien had loved taking walks. She had always been a lively girl. She made sure to go out for a walk at least once a day, even if it was just a short one. Her favorite path, naturally, was the garden. Given her status, she couldn't easily leave the estate, but Leheim's garden was famous for its beauty. The Winter Garden of Illencia, where flowers bloomed all year round.
Gardening was one of the Duchess's few luxuries. The central flowerbed, in particular, was renowned for blooming in breathtaking colors regardless of the season. However, Sirien rarely went to the flower-filled center. Instead, she preferred to walk along the outer edges of the garden. The perimeter was densely planted with trees, as if wrapping the flowers in a protective embrace. Was she remembering those days? Even now, Sirien was walking along the inner edge of the coniferous forest. She had mentioned that she liked the scent of the trees in this forest.
“We used to go on picnics with delicious cookies and cake, too. Ah, just thinking about it makes me crave cake. I shouldn't be like this.”
“We might not have cake, but we can at least go on a picnic, can't we?”
“Huh? How?”
“If things outside have improved so much, we don't need to hoard the food in the pantry anymore. We have plenty of supplies, so it wouldn't hurt to indulge ourselves for a day.”
“That sounds wonderful!”
And just like that, our picnic plans were set. Sirien looked ready to run back to the cabin this very instant to fetch Therion and Hena. The only reason she didn't was because a single concern held her back.
“If we start preparing now, it'll be late at night, right? Maybe it's better to do it tomorrow instead.”
“We can just build a big bonfire.”
“Oh my goodness. There's no way Rajen is this smart!”
Look at her, after I went through the trouble of coming up with a good idea. I wanted to make her pay for her cheeky remark right then and there, but an excited Sirien was far too fast. Lacking the energy to chase her, I trudged back. Inside the cabin, Therion was already enthusiastically agreeing with the plan.
Crackle, crackle. The firewood burned. The roaring crimson flames seemed to scatter warmth across the entire world. Every time the wind made the light flicker, our shadows swayed along with it. We were already playing around boisterously. Looking at the shadows alone, it was impossible to tell whether we were dancing or if it was just the wind.
Although Sirien was the one who had initiated the picnic, Therion was the one enjoying it most passionately. Our refined young master shouted at the top of his lungs, holding a cup filled to the brim with orange juice in one hand. Naturally, Sirien followed suit.
“We're going home soon!”
“We're goooing!”
“We're... goooing...”
Even Hena joined in. Though she looked as shy as ever, she swept along with the mood. An outdoor fire always possessed a certain magic that excited people. While the three of them shouted with all their might, I pulled the skewers off the fire. A savory, roasted meaty aroma wafted from them. When it came to food, meat was always the absolute best. No matter the occasion, meat was never the wrong choice.
“Oh, this one is perfectly cooked.”
“Already? Me too, I want some too.”
“Come take a bite. Be careful, it's hot.”
“Okay!”
Therion also came over looking for meat, and Hena carefully selected a skewer for him. We sat in a circle around the firewood, giggling and laughing. It was delicious. It was meat that couldn't even compare to the grand meals we used to eat at the castle. Even though the ingredients were no different from what we usually ate at the cabin, they somehow felt entirely new.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Therion and Sirien forgot all about their noble dignity and devoured the meat, declaring how delicious it was, while Hena wore a soft, pleasantly surprised smile.
“Playing like this at night... I could never have imagined this back at the castle.”
“Forget a bonfire, I wasn't even allowed to touch a candle.”
“I've held a torch before, at least.”
“Really? What was it like? Was it hot?”
“Just enough to feel the heat if you hold it close to your body? It wasn't that hot.”
Sirien stared at me intently. It was easy to tell what she wanted.
“Even if you look at me like that, I'm not making you one.”
“I haven't even said anything yet!”
“Just saying.”
We continued to enjoy our night. Eating, drinking, singing, dancing, playing pranks, and laughing. Even without alcohol, we were drunk on the atmosphere. Therion made a declaration with a joyful heart, yet with absolute sincerity.
“In the end, you guys are the most precious to me. You are my best friends.”
“Me too?”
“You're my sister, dummy. I'm talking to Rajen and Hena.”
Instead of replying, I clinked my cup against Therion's. Seeing the two of us, Hena belatedly held out her cup, and Sirien wasn't about to be left out either. And so, we toasted twice.
“Even after we leave this place, the four of us will always be special. Since we got through the hardest times together, we should share the sweetest moments together, too. So, I have a promise to make, on my name.”
“That's right!”
“Don't say such embarrassing things.”
“Young Master... I was only doing my duty...”
“What do you mean by that? If I make a promise, I keep it.”
The four of us are special. Why did those words resonate so deeply with me? Even as I grumbled, I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my chest.
“Someday, let's make sure the four of us gather like this again. When we do, I'll grant each of you one wish. Anything, as long as it's within my power! I'll be able to do so much more then than I can now, so you can look forward to it.”
“Hey, you know I don't forget promises like this, right?”
“I'm promising on my name! I won't ever forget it either.”
“Then I want to grant wishes too. I bet I'll be much better at it than you, brother.”
“You don't have to turn this into a competition.”
It was a simple promise. But in this world, things rarely went as planned. The promise made on this day would never be kept.