Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 57
Izmel slowly raised his gaze. He saw Eleanor, who held onto the railing, looking down at him.
“Did you come without an umbrella?”
Izmel just looked at Eleanor from afar without answering. Eleanor, wearing a light blue dress and a blanket draped over her shoulders, looked a little unreal at this moment. It felt like he was dreaming.
“I thought you had already gone back.”
“Just come up before you talk. You got caught in too much rain.”
Quickly.
Eleanor urged, gesturing to Izmel. Before they knew it, Eleanor’s hair was also wet with rain.
“…Alright.”
Izmel belatedly came to his senses and ran half way up the stairs. Eleanor handed Ismel the blanket she had been covering herself with just now.
“You’ll catch a cold. No matter how warm the day gets, the rainwater is cold.”
“It’s cold. Wear it.”
When Izmel refused, Eleanor lifted her heels and wrapped the blanket directly around his shoulders. It was a clever gesture, as if she was taking care of a child who didn’t listen to her.
“That’s not something you hear from someone with cold water dripping from his hair.”
The blanket, as warm as a body temperature, smelled faintly of Eleanor. Izmel’s heart, which had been pounding anxiously the entire time, slowly calmed down.
“I thought you would have gone back first.”
“I tried to do that. But as I read the book, time flew by. When I came to my senses, it was raining outside.”
Eleanor poured some cooled tea and handed it to Izmel. He calmly took it and drank it.
“Ah! It’s said on the first page not to touch the book, I’m sorry I read that. I was bored waiting…”
When Eleanor apologized, Izmel immediately responded that it was fine.
“I was in a hurry to go to the funeral, that’s why I read the note Luke left late.”
“Funeral?”
“Prince Fernando.”
Eleanor recalled seeing him at the banquet. He was the cousin of the current emperor, a man who seemed strict and strict from his appearance.
“He’s the teacher who taught me when I was young.”
“When you were young?”
“From about the age of five.”
“Wow, it was really young.”
Izmel, leaning against the wall opposite Eleanor, nodded his head slightly.
“At that time, this cabin was my hideout. Now Luke uses it more often.”
Eleanor hugged her knees tightly.
“Was Prince Fernando a good man?”
“He was a strict person.”
Izmel answered, locking eyes with Eleanor. He lifted the corner of his lips.
“Shall I tell you a secret?”
Before Eleanor could answer, Izmel opened his mouth first.
“I hated him for a very long time. I was going to destroy him one day when I became the Crown Prince, as soon as I gained power after I came to the age.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened. Izmel’s expression at this moment was something she had never seen before.
The red eyes that always filled with mischief were sinking heavily, and the smile that was like an elegant crescent moon was broken.
Izmel was secretly surprised that he brought up that incident in front of Eleanor.
It was the first time he told someone about what happened. It’s the first time someone has seen him look so disheveled.
“But I couldn’t do that. No, I could never.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe even as an adult, I was still afraid of him.”
Eleanor’s brow furrowed. She cautiously opened her mouth.
“Did Prince Fernando possibly…”
“If you think about physical abuse, no. After all, I’m the prince, so he couldn’t inflict corporal punishment on me directly. He was always polite to me.”
“Then?”
“Every time I did something wrong, the people who cared for me had to suffer for me.”
Eleanor opened her eyes wide. Izmel laughed bitterly.
“Perfect etiquette isn’t easy to create.”
Eleanor, who was looking at Izmel blankly, asked.
“How are you feeling now?”
“Now? I’m not sure.”
Izmel tilted his head slightly.
“I thought I would feel relieved when a day like this came, yet I’m not.”
“Are you sad?”
“It was a bit more vain than that. I feel a little angry.”
Izmel turned his eyes at Eleanor.
“And at this moment, it just feels calm. Nothing else seems to matter.”
“Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Mmhm, I’m fine.”
Izmel thought for a moment and then continued.
“If I think about it, I’m a little grateful to the Prince. Thanks to that, I was able to be more prepared. I learned something from that time.”
“If you learned something…”
“What kind of position it is to be a crown prince. If I do something wrong, other innocent people suffer.”
I realized that at a younger age than Luke. Aren’t I quite intelligent?
Izmel laughed at the lame joke.
“In that respect, the Prince was a good teacher. I’m even a little thankful. Maybe one day I’ll be able to understand him.”
Eleanor blinked slowly. Izmel was back to his usual, familiar self.
She opened her mouth without realizing it.
“Don’t be thankful.”
“What?”
“Prince Fernando wasn’t a good teacher. The reason Your Highness gained enlightenment during that time was because you’re a great person. It’s not because of him.”
Eleanor’s eyes began to turn red. She continued her words in a tearful voice.
“There’s no need to try to understand. Because what he did to Your Highness was clearly wrong. I’m sure there are ways to teach you the same thing without hurting you.”
Tears welled up and rolled down Eleanor’s cheeks. Surprised, Izmel’s eyes widened to the limit.
Izmel, uncharacteristically, stuttered and quickly stood up. His bewildered face turned pale.
“…Eleanor, are you crying? I’m really fine. I just went to the funeral, and being in a place with memories from my childhood made me very emotional.”
Izmel walked up to Eleanor and knelt down on one knee in front of her. He reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief, yet the rain-soaked handkerchief was of little help.
Eleanor whispered softly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“You endured it well.”
Izmel slowly blinked. A great stir arose within him. He barely regained his composure and spoke in a soothing voice.
“Right. I endured it well and became an adult. Sometimes I feel like I’ve just grown up physically.”
“That’s the same for me too. Everyone feels that way.”
Eleanor nodded her head in understanding. Izel, who was watching Eleanor sniffling again and again, chuckled softly.
Could it be that he was the one who comforted her in an adult manner just now? Eleanor looked as innocent as a child, rubbing the tip of her nose, which was as red as strawberry wine.
Izmel said.
“I’m glad Luke has a good teacher.”
Eleanor smiled brightly with joy. With a face that showed no signs of crying just moments ago.
At that moment, Izmel’s heart sank. Something inside him collapsed, like a wave crashing over a sand castle.
Izmel didn’t know exactly what was broken inside him. But he knew for sure that he would never go back to the way things were.
“Would Luke think so too?”
“Just because he planned something like this, don’t you think you know how important you are to Luke?”
Eleanor smiled brightly. Izmel’s heart beat rapidly at her laughter.
He knew from a long time ago that he liked Eleanor. At some point, he noticed that his feelings were growing little by little. However, he thought it was something that was within his control.
Izmel always had a plan in his head. He knew exactly what to look like and what to say. How to win someone’s favor and how to deal with embarrassing situations in a mature and graceful manner.
Yet at this moment, sitting in front of Eleanor, he felt just like an unwitting 16-year-old boy. The kind of adolescent boy who doesn’t know what to say or what facial expression to make in front of a girl he likes.
“I hope the rain stops soon. I thought it was just a rain that would pass quickly…”
The rain was still falling, soaking the soil. Eleanor muttered, looking out the window.
“Right.”
Izmel couldn’t take his eyes off Eleanor’s side profile and answered softly.
“I hope it quickly stops.”
Lucas was once again right. Izmel lied to Eleanor.
He hoped this rain wouldn’t stop for a very long time.
***
[It feels like all the couples in Bellium are gathered here.]
Hildegard said as she watched the couples passing by. Dwight smiled when he saw her like that.
[I guess you’ve been here a lot? You’re not lost today?]
[Yes?]
When Dwight, who usually looked at the map often, naturally walked ahead, Hildegard narrowed her eyes. She asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
[So you often come here for dates?]
[No, it’s not like that…]
[I’m kidding. Why are you so taken aback.]
I keep wanting to tease you more.
Hildegard patted Dwight’s arm and smiled.
[A handsome and cute guy like you would of course go on a lot of dates. There is nothing to be ashamed of.]
[No!]
Dwight waved his hand. Truth to be told, it was because he went on an exploration in advance the day before, as he was always embarrassed to get lost on the streets, however, that wasn’t a fact he wanted to reveal.
The two looked around pretty and cute shops and watched boats coming and going on the canal.
Dwight knew well what Hildegard would like. Thanks to this, the conversation between Bellium and Mözen went smoother than ever.
[Dwight, do you have a nickname or something? Everyone calls Eleanor Ellen.]
Hildegard caught Dwight in response to her curiosity.
[There is. But only my mother calls me that. Because I don’t like it very much.]
[I want to know!]
Hildegard’s eyes sparkled. After hesitating for a moment, Dwight whispered softly.
[Dewey…]
[Dewey? How cute. I want to call you that too.]
Dewey, Dewey. Hildegard rolled it in her mouth a few times.
[It’s better if you just call me Dwight.]
[Really? I like it, though, Dewey.]
She shrugged her eyebrows and suggested to him.
[How about this? Instead of me calling you Dewey, I’ll let you call me Hilde.]
How is it? Dewey.
Dwight blushed as he watched her emerald eyes sparkle in front of his nose. He was like a child, and somehow the nicknames he always hated weren’t that bad.
It was then.
[Your Highness the Princess?]
Hildegard and Dwight turned at the low sound of the voice.
[Kaidel? How did you know I was here?]
[I was just passing by.]
Kaidel answered bluntly. Dwight, who was next to Hildegard, greeted him politely.
“Your Grace Duke Valentine.”
“Dwight.”
The two still had a hard time with each other. Kaidel wanted to impress Dwight, and Dwight was still scared of Kaidel. He still did, even now that he knew he had a crush on Eleanor.
Hildegard looked at the two awkward people in turn, and there was a hint of playfulness in her eyes. She suggested, patting the two men on the back.
[Shall we go to dinner together?]