The Physics of Love: Free Romance
The physics of love—free romance. At least in noble society, I'd heard it was rarely permitted. And in romance fantasy novels, pursuing free love meant giving up all sorts of things. Right? Daniela had been all but exiled to the North because of the Crown Prince's little fling. And that triumphant heroine? Hadn't she won her battle in the war of free love? But up here in the North, we embraced it wholeheartedly. Just the idea of it sounded wonderful. When one person loves another, what could possibly matter more?
"So you really eloped together?"
"Yeah, I sent him off to manage the northwest frontier for now, but I'm thinking of calling him back to the center soon."
"Such a thing actually happened. I had no idea, Your Grace."
"No, even so—that's going too far. Running all the way to the northwest frontier? Took real effort to track them down."
Luckily, we needed someone out there anyway, or I might've had to deploy the military. What must it have felt like for a noble lady and a freshly minted young bureaucrat to elope like that? Despair over an impossible love? Who could say. I was a little curious, sure. But since I couldn't just split them up after bringing them back, we settled on sending him back to the frontier as a manager. Their families would kick up a fuss, so I promised to name their child myself in exchange—and just like that, their free romance was sealed.
"What about you, Daniela? Ever dreamed of something like that?"
"....."
Daniela, who had been smiling, suddenly fell silent. Right. That was my mistake. She'd been expelled from the academy because of something just like this. Here was the perfect case to shatter the prejudice that free-love advocates were all paragons of beauty.
"Sorry. That was thoughtless of me."
"No, Your Grace. I... I've always dreamed of it too."
"Really?"
"It's beautiful. Just thinking about it."
"Hmm, Daniela."
The mood turned awkward. I wasn't the type to heal old wounds. Becoming Grand Duke meant I'd had to abandon any hope of free romance myself—too much to give up.
"Maybe it's all the books I've been reading lately, but whenever I think about it, it just feels so beautiful."
"I think so too."
"I guess I lacked the courage."
An uneasy silence settled in. I reflected on the time I'd spent with Daniela. What if we pursued free romance? Like that young bureaucrat fleeing to the northwest. But I had too much to lose—I could never run.
Wait, no. Come to think of it, I couldn't do free romance from the start.
"You know, on second thought, it doesn't matter to me."
"Don't you like free romance too, Your Grace?"
"If I wanted to, I could just do it, right? I don't have some prearranged fiancée or anything."
"When you put it that way... yeah."
Daniela forced a smile. What was going through her mind? If someone told me Daniela had to die for this world to function properly, could I bring myself to do it? No. If that were the case, I would've ignored her from the beginning. But I hadn't, and there was a reason for that.
"By the way, Your Grace."
"Yeah?"
"I feel like I've been in your room too long. Is that okay...?"
"I'm loving it."
"B-but there's decorum to consider, and..."
"It's fine. Didn't the letter from the Bart family say as much?"
I had justification. The Bart family's letter had explicitly left it to my discretion, and sending their daughter here implied this kind of relationship was acceptable. Some might call it greed, but it was free romance all the same.
"They said to handle it as I see fit, remember?"
"Th-that's!"
"I've accepted you, and that's reason enough to keep you by my side. Isn't it great?"
"...."
Daniela nodded. If I'd had ill intentions, she wouldn't be a guest—she'd be dead. But I hadn't, because she was beautiful. Now I could admit it honestly.
"See? In a way, this is free romance."
"Is it?"
"Of course! The Bart family made the introduction, but I couldn't care less about that."
"You're right. When I think about it, being here with you like this..."
"If you said it wasn't, well, nothing to be done."
But that would hurt. If she said no. I gazed at her like a wolf with its tail tucked, waiting. There was something I wanted to hear, but I wasn't about to force it. No, it wasn't the kind of thing you could force. Could I really fall for a woman I'd known for less than a month?
"Hmm, yeah—in that light, it is free romance!"
"Right?"
"Even if it's a bit tangled!"
"Yeah, yeah. We can just untangle it. Like that?"
"Exactly."
The room filled with laughter again. Alfredo entered cautiously, announcing that the bath was ready. Daniela left first to wash up.
"You seem in high spirits, Your Grace."
"Do I?"
"As expected of one who carries the wolf's blood..."
"Enough already. I've heard it too many times."
"Yet the pure, noble blood of the great wolf runs strong in you."
"Fine, let's say that's true."
I sat back at my desk in the study and started reviewing documents. Oddly, I couldn't focus, but I forced myself to, as befitted a Grand Duke.
"Alfredo."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"It's amazing. Can one person really be this beautiful?"
"Knowing that joy makes this old butler happier than words can say."
"Is that so? This northern winter feels the warmest it's ever been."
Could I really find joy in such trivial things? I'd never thought of myself as that warm a person. But this time was different. Something soft and fuzzy.
"Though, in my opinion..."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"No matter what, don't you need to know someone deeply to fall in love?"
"Some folks say that now and then."
"Hmm, I don't know. This feeling..."
Was it love? It felt too sudden. Sure, I wanted to show off the North, wander around together—but right now, there was no time for that. When would we even date?
"This old man doesn't see love that way, Your Grace. Though your words are always close to the truth."
"What do you mean? Now you've got me curious."
"You may not remember, but those lovers who fled to the northwest..."
"I remember. They're still together out there, last I heard."
"So I've heard."
"What a mess it was. Free romance..."
Part good, part bad, maybe. The natural process of falling for someone. Could love exist without that?
"Do you happen to know how long they'd even known each other before eloping?"
"Not exactly. I don't know the details."
"Just two weeks, Your Grace."
"Two weeks?"
"Yes."
I hadn't known that. Could people really throw away their lives for someone after just two weeks? I stared at Alfredo. Was it true, or was he pulling my leg? Either way, such people surely existed.
"I don't know if that's right or not."
"Your Grace, matters of love aren't about right or wrong."
"Still not sure. Feels like more than I can handle."
"I trust the wolf's blood in you, Your Grace."
The wolf's blood. The Wintergard line, heirs to the wolf. How long does a wolf take to choose a lifelong mate? Is it just instinct? I had no idea. I wasn't a wolf—just a man.
"So is that why I want to be with Daniela? The wolf's blood?"
Why was I even asking Alfredo this? The words just flowed out. But if that blood truly ran in me, maybe it explained this pull after such a short time.
"People say love doesn't need much. Isn't that right, Your Grace?"
"I know. I've heard it everywhere. Free romance, yeah?"
"And in this old butler's view, if your heart races, it's probably love."
A racing heart. Different from the thrill facing nomadic hordes. The physical spark when eyes meet. We call it butterflies, don't we?
"Then this feeling makes it all the more enjoyable."
"I'd be honored to know what you mean, Your Grace."
"Something I read in a popular novel, I think."
"Yes, Your Grace."
I slowly scribbled on the paper. From before coming to this world, in the fading haze of old memories, one line surfaced. A famous verse. It aired on TV all the time.
"I'm back."
A woman like a violet flower entered the room, carrying a lovely scent. My heart thudded once, then pounded away.
"First love."
I looked at Alfredo. He was absolutely right.