Chapter 233
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 233
It was past midday by the time I finally emerged from Benjamin’s jewelry shop.
He had held me in his arms the entire time, not saying a single word. He was like an anxious child who looked as if he might stop breathing the moment I tried to push him away.
Cradled in Benjamin’s embrace, I gazed absentmindedly at his radiant golden hair and the beautiful lines of his matured jaw and neck.
I tried attaching every flowery description I could think of to him, wondering if such a brilliant shade of gold could even exist elsewhere in this world.
We would likely never see each other like this again.
Even if Benjamin and I were to meet again, this would be the last time we would ever hold each other. Both he and I knew that all too well.
It seemed that people tended to soften as they approached an end.
When I faced death as Han Ina, I had been too busy struggling in a fit of spite to feel this way.
But I found this much better.
His sunset-gold eyes were filled with a lingering, unripened attachment.
It was a look so similar to the one I used to see in the mirror back when I was still breathing as Han Ina.
So, I—Tulia Frezier—must have been projecting my own pathetic past onto this beautiful man.
I saw in him a fragile soul who, despite having grown so much, had yet to escape the nightmares of his childhood.
That was why my wish for Benjamin’s happiness was my absolute, heartfelt truth.
Everyone wants to be happy, after all. I wasn't lying in the slightest.
“Tulia.”
Benjamin finally spoke, his voice thick and strained.
“I will want to see you every day.”
“Now…”
“Now, I suppose I won’t be able to. It will be too painful every time I see your face. Just like it is right now.”
A bitter smile played on his lips.
“I won’t be able to see you for a very long time. But perhaps one day, I will be able to come to you. When the longing finally overwhelms the pain.”
Benjamin’s arms, which had been unable to let me go, finally fell away.
“Tulia.”
He cupped my cheeks gently with both hands.
“When that time comes, I will send a letter. Will you… meet me then? In truth, there are more reasons for us to meet than one might think. Whether as business partners, or…”
Benjamin continued slowly, looking like a man forced to chew on bitter raw grass.
“As the King of Sorsen and the Crown Princess of Brillant.”
“…”
Benjamin surely noticed my heart skip a beat in that moment.
“I can tell by looking into that Crown Prince’s eyes, Tulia.”
“…”
“And I have looked into your eyes for a long time as well.”
“…”
“This elixir is truly difficult. My breath hitches just saying a single sentence like this. Since I don’t think I can speak much longer, I’ll say just one last thing. Tulia.”
With a faint smile, Benjamin pulled me into a sudden, tight hug.
“I hope you are happy. And if you ever grow tired of the Empire, come to me. Anytime. Even if you are an old woman by then, it’s fine.”
“What are you… What did the future Queen of Sorsen do to deserve that?”
“The Queen?”
Benjamin didn’t answer, only offering a faint smile. He didn’t continue the conversation and instead checked the clock.
“It’s time for you to head back. They say inspections in the Imperial Capital have become stricter lately since the Saintess appeared.”
“I suppose so.”
“I’ll see you off. I have a gift for you as well.”
“Is there another gift left, besides those astronomical sums from earlier?”
“I’ve been sweeping up all that money specifically to lay it at your feet anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
His nonchalant remark left me a bit puzzled. Just how much was the amount Benjamin had written down earlier when he said he wanted to buy me?
‘It was an incredible amount.’
Was it not?
Could there have been a mistake in the figures I remembered?
Constantly doubting my own memory, I followed Benjamin toward the backyard.
And then…
‘I suppose it’s natural for my memory to glitch…’
I reflexively raised a hand to shade my brow. My eyes narrowed of their own accord.
I couldn't help it.
Standing in the backyard, catching the glow of the falling dusk, was a massive, resplendent golden carriage.
The chassis was undoubtedly plated in pure gold. Upon that blinding golden base, mythical figures were intricately crafted in platinum—every single one of them an archangel symbolizing protection.
The silver-bright curves of the wheels were elegant, and at every corner of the gently sloping roof, colored gemstones of uniform size were neatly embedded.
It was a magnificent work of art that brought to mind a smoothly rippling river of gold.
It was truly…
“Are you insane? You’re giving me this?”
“Yes.”
“To me?”
“Yes. To you.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“It’s because I like you.”
“…”
“Since you’re the one who raised me, I suppose this is a failure of your education. I never properly learned how to repay someone except with money.”
I stared at Benjamin in silence. He gave his habitual smile, which felt exceptionally warm, perhaps because of the sunset.
“This carriage, Tulia, is something I prepared as your coming-of-age gift.”
“A coming-of-age gift?”
Benjamin nodded. He opened the door himself and escorted me inside.
The interior was even more absurd.
I could overlook the fact that it was filled with beige velvet to soothe the eyes. And fine, I’d even accept that the velvet was the same material used for a King’s ceremonial mantle.
But when I saw the dozens of large pearls hanging along the windows and ceiling of the carriage, I was truly struck dumb.
They possessed a soft, flowing luster like moonlight.
‘Just how much is all of this worth?’
Good heavens. If I just plucked those pearls and sewed them onto a dress, I could dominate the social circle for the entire year.
“Benjamin.”
“Yes, Tulia.”
Just how much did this single carriage cost…?
Could it buy several castles? It was certainly enough to rival the annual budget of a decent-sized kingdom.
“How much did you pay?”
“A fair amount.”
“If it’s a fair amount, then…”
“Sorsen is originally wealthy, and as your former suitor, I am quite well-off myself, so don’t worry about such things.”
“…”
I fell silent. Benjamin said those words with a smile now, but based on my experience earlier, I could easily guess the truth.
Due to the effects of the elixir, he must be feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest every time he spoke of things related to me.
In the end, I changed the subject.
“I doubt even the founding father of Brillant ever received a coming-of-age gift like this.”
Benjamin laughed softly.
“Tulia.”
He spoke as he quietly straightened the hem of my dress.
“I won’t be able to attend your coming-of-age ceremony.”
His head was bowed as he spoke, so I couldn't see his expression or the look in his eyes.
But perhaps it was better not to meet his eyes right now. For his sake, and for mine.
“Benjamin. In Brillant, there’s a custom of giving flowers in return when you receive a birthday gift. You know that, right?”
I removed the hair ornament I was wearing. It just so happened that the piece Adel had chosen for me today was shaped like a small bouquet.
“I’m glad I can give you a bouquet that never withers in return. And I’m glad I can at least give you an expensive flower.”
For the first time, Benjamin let out a short, genuine laugh.
“It feels like I’m receiving an armful of you, so I like it.”
“It’s not a tulip, though.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Benjamin lifted his head.
“Thank you for raising me all this time, Tulia Frezier.”
It happened in an instant.
An overwhelming surge of emotion flared up, filling my chest to the brim. I threw my arms around Benjamin.
“I told you, Benjamin, that I was always the one who saved you. So, I…”
A silence followed—shorter than before, but heavy with density.
“I truly want you to be happy.”
“…”
Benjamin didn't answer. After a moment, like a small animal burrowing into one's arms, Benjamin buried his face in my shoulder, his eyes wet.
“I certainly will.”
His whispering voice seeped into my ear.
“Because that is what you wish for.”