6. Much Ado About Nothing - 11
6. Much Ado About Nothing - 11
-It was, truly, an endless wait.
Do you know that after that day, you became a single lantern in the darkness of my life? That the promise we made that day came to hold such precious meaning for me.
I knew full well it was nothing but a trivial childhood promise, and yet I could not forget you. Why was that? Was it because it was the only thing I had ever held in my hands since birth, or because it was the only thing that sustained me?
But it wasn't bad. Whenever things were hard and exhausting, I could find contentment just by quietly turning over the memories I shared with you. That alone was enough.
Because there was hope. Hope that at the end of the long solitude and waiting, I could be with him. Because of that hope, I gained the strength to endure any hardship and move forward through those moments.
...Yes. Until I heard the news that he had become engaged to some woman named Sarah Sernad.
And so, everything came to an end. It felt as if the ground beneath my feet had completely crumbled away. That day, the promise, the memories, the vow—everything that had sustained me shattered into pieces.
It was the beginning of a long nightmare, one that would not easily end.
For me, spring was a season that might as well not exist.
****
"My lady, what do you think of this one?"
"...It is lovely, that one as well. His hair is black, so we would likely look quite well together standing side by side."
Bianca stood before the mirror, examining herself from various angles in a black off-shoulder dress. The dress she currently wore had a deep side slit that revealed her alluring legs, and the white frills near the bodice further accentuated the elegance she carried.
Even to her own eyes, her attire was quite satisfactory. It seemed she could stand before him without the slightest embarrassment. She was a woman, after all, and wished always to show only her most beautiful self to the one she loved.
"...By that person, might you be referring to Lord Kain?"
At her maid's puzzled question, Bianca nodded in reply.
"Of course. What other man would there be for me?"
As she spoke, Bianca found herself smiling slightly. Having answered that way made her feel as if she truly were his betrothed.
...No, thinking it over again, she clearly was his betrothed. Though the political dealings between Estel and Castana lay behind their engagement, that fact was not known to the world.
The world believed their engagement to be solely the result of pure love. Because Kain had declared it so at the last banquet. That he loved her. That he would stay by her side forever.
"...Fufu."
Yes. She was his betrothed. In the past, a detestable woman named Sarah Sernad had occupied the place beside him, but that was nothing more than a bygone tale. Because at this very moment, the one who stood with him, who had promised him the future, who had resolved to share everything with him, was none other than her, Bianca.
Therefore, spending time with him was in no way improper. For instance, the simple act of enjoying a stroll together in the small rear garden of House Castana was surely nothing more than a most ordinary affair for two lovers bound by engagement.
For that brief meeting with him, Bianca had been in front of the mirror since morning. She simply could not decide what to wear. What on earth would suit her best? What would make them look like a pair of lovers? Just letting her imagination take flight like that was enjoyable, and there was no room for boredom to even cross her mind.
Originally, she had felt no interest whatsoever in adorning herself. All her usual attire prioritized ease of movement, and not once in her life had she cared about how she might appear to others.
But today, such acts felt exceptionally enjoyable. Just imagining what expression he would make upon seeing her dressed up was enough to make her smile ceaselessly.
It occurred to Bianca that this might be the daily life of ordinary women. Had other women always felt this emotion she was feeling now? Had they casually held in their hands this feeling that made the heart swell just by thinking of someone, this strangely bittersweet emotion?
...But now, there was no need to envy them. Because the day such things would come to pass was not far off.
Tomorrow was finally the day. Tomorrow, the engagement ceremony of Kain von Estel and Bianca del Castana was scheduled to be held at House Castana. All the guests in attendance would surely offer their congratulations on the union between the two prestigious houses. And at its end—
"My lady, my lady!"
"...Ah, you called. What is it?"
Lost in deep thought, she had not even noticed her maid calling her from right beside her.
"My lady. The weather still carries a bit of a chill, so your shoulders might get cold. Would you consider draping at least this? I believe it would suit the dress you are wearing quite nicely."
So saying, the maid handed Bianca a light beige cape shawl. However, Bianca merely shook her head slightly at the sight of it.
"Enough. I need not wear it. I am not so frail as to feel a chill from such trifling cold."
Having received Mana's Blessing from birth, Bianca was not so frail as to shiver from such cold. Moreover, having experienced the extreme cold brought by the Winter Witch ten years later, the spring chill of a late frost felt no different from a cool breeze.
"And most crucially, would draping such a thing over my shoulders not make my appearance look far too prim and proper?"
"...Pardon?"
The maid blinked, momentarily failing to comprehend Bianca's words. And Bianca, lightly stroking her flawless white shoulder, smiled softly.
"I know nothing of my man, but I have heard the rumors plenty. Do men not, by their very nature, feel greater interest in what is subtly revealed?"
****
'...Bleak.'
That was the thought that came to me the moment I saw the garden behind House Castana. Even to my eyes—someone with not an iota of interest in garden design and not a shred of artistic sense—the state of House Castana's garden was truly dire beyond words.
Even the Estel Duchy, which could hardly afford a decent budget for garden upkeep due to lack of funds, did not neglect its garden to this extent.
At the very least, the Estel Duchy made an effort to transplant seasonal flowers and shape the flower beds, but in House Castana's garden, it was difficult to find even a trace of such minimal effort. The garden was densely planted with only evergreens, and the only flowers blooming were daisy fleabane and other nameless wildflowers.
Originally, a family's garden was a space used for receiving outside guests, and in a sense, it was akin to a symbol of the house itself. Considering that, House Castana's garden was clearly far from normal.
...Though, come to think of it, if mages who cared for nothing but magic actually harbored the cozy hobby of gardening in secret, that would be far more surprising.
And in that sense, Bianca, who was humming a tune and strolling about saying even this utterly bleak garden was lovely, could not help but seem an oddity even among mages.
I had concluded that all mages were emotionally desiccated lunatics, so I had never imagined Bianca might still possess such girlish sensibilities.
That was when it happened. Bianca, who had been looking around the garden with an exceedingly elated face, smiled gently at me and then quietly linked her arm with my left one.
"...Bianca, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean, what am I doing? I am merely doing what is natural as your betrothed. If lovers do not link arms, are they even lovers? I hope you do not forget: we are, to the outside world, in a romantic relationship."
"....."
At Bianca's reply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, I was at a loss for words. Well, she was right. Linking arms might indeed be an entirely natural thing for an engaged couple. At the same time, it just meant that I was a fool who couldn't even properly hold the wrist of Sarah, my betrothed for many years.
"...More importantly, shall we talk as we walk?"
When Bianca whispered quietly to me, I nodded without a word. We began to slowly cross the garden of House Castana with our arms linked. Though I could not say why, Bianca today felt far gentler than usual.
"Kain. May I ask you one thing?"
"...What?"
"How do I look today?"
Saying this, Bianca clasped her hands behind her back and took a step back from me. Her entire figure, set against the backdrop of wildflowers blooming haphazardly in the garden, entered my eyes.
The first thing my eyes were drawn to was the fact that her white shoulders were casually exposed. Just then, the wind blew. Her hair and black dress fluttered slightly in the breeze. Seeing that sight, a word slipped from my lips before I knew it.
"...Pretty."
"Pretty? Truly?"
Seeing Bianca's eyes sparkle as she stepped closer at my thoughtless compliment, I nodded. And at my utterly meaningless praise, Bianca showed a faint smile.
"I received a compliment... from you..."
As she spoke, Bianca took a step toward the flower bed where the wildflowers grew haphazardly. Then, crouching in front of the flower bed, she gently stroked a flower with one hand.
"Kain, this flower. Could you pick it for me?"
"...Pick it?"
"Yes. I would like it if you picked it and gave it to me. It's not a difficult thing to do. Hurry up and do it."
"....."
It was not a difficult thing, she said, yet I couldn't understand why she wouldn't do it herself and instead ordered me. Was it that, as a precious young lady who grew up pampered, she disliked getting dirt on her hands?
I let out a quiet sigh, picked the nameless wildflower in front of her, and handed it to her. And the moment she received the flower from me, her face brightened.
Really, this girl had the strange hobby of springing sudden requests on people, whether in the past, present, or future.
"...Haah, Bianca. You really do like flowers."
"...Me?"
"Yes. Before, in the garden of the Estel Duchy, you were happily touching the flowers too. Very much so."
I still remember how Bianca, not knowing what to do with herself, stroked the hyacinths blooming in the Estel Duchy gardens.
And at my words, Bianca let out a mischievous laugh, "Heh."
"As if. Kain. You truly know nothing about women."
So saying, Bianca clutched the nameless wildflower I had just picked for her in both hands as if it were incredibly precious and murmured to me in a tiny voice.
"...I actually don't really like things like flowers."