Chapter 111
The lower village was as crowded as it was in the day.
Between the trees, ribbons strung with tiny flags fluttered like flower petals. Below them, in the plazas and streets lined with torches, vendors rushed out to hawk their goods.
“Crayfish fritters! Try our crispy freshwater crayfish fritters!”
“Knot bracelets! Bracelets made in the traditional Penmewick way!”
The crowd and energy were beyond imagination. Nerys had never seen so many people out in the street before.
No, to be exact, it was her first time among them. On the day of her wedding parade with Abelus in her previous life, she’d seen a thicker crowd than this, but then, she’d only waved at them from afar.
People in all kinds of clothes surged like waves. Nerys walked among them, slightly dazed. If Cledwyn hadn’t stayed close by her side, keeping her from bumping into others or getting swept away, she would have lost her way long ago.
Still, she didn’t mind. The vitality of the people, their excited voices.
“Fresh apple juice from this morning! We press it right here!”
In Maindulante, apple farming was important. Because it was a cold region, fruits that could be stored through the winter were valued.
She’d never heard of an event to award the best apples until coming to Maindulante. Apples were an important food for the rest of the empire, but only here were they held in such regard.
The local lords took pride in their own apples and developed varieties suited to the colder climate. Maybe thanks to all their care, the apples here really did taste better than those from the south.
“Two, please.”
As Nerys glanced at a stall where fresh apples were being juiced, Cledwyn spoke up immediately. Nerys quickly shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
“You’ll get thirsty walking around. I want one too.”
Since he said he’d drink as well, she couldn’t keep refusing. The vendor beamed as he took the money, but when he realized who his customers were, his eyes grew wide.
“I’ll make it extra tasty! …Huh?”
Market-goers didn’t have time to pay attention to others, but with the stall lit up, the vendor recognized the Duke from the recent tournament preliminaries.
His gaze soon shifted to the blonde lady beside him. At the sight of those jewel-like eyes, he swallowed hard.
“Don’t mention us to anyone else.”
Cledwyn casually put his finger to his lips as he spoke. The vendor, stunned, nodded.
“Y-yes!”
Their juice had more apples in it than anyone else’s. Cledwyn smiled as he saw this, placed extra silver coins on the cart, and took the juice. It was twelve times the usual price.
“Let’s go.”
As she followed Cledwyn away from the stall, Nerys glanced back to see the vendor gaping in shock at his luck.
Similar things happened several times.
After one circuit around the stalls selling food and trinkets, both their hands were full. If Nerys showed interest in anything, Cledwyn immediately paid for it, then the vendors would throw in extras, and then Cledwyn would pay again.
“Did you really bring this much money out?”
“Once a year, it’s nice if a few of my people get especially lucky.”
It was a fine thing for a lord to say. Stories about his generosity would spread by tomorrow. Still.
“There’s no need to buy so much in the first place.”
Nerys felt sorry and awkward and didn’t know what to do. But Cledwyn seemed unconcerned.
“It’s not like I’m buying anything that grand.”
The problem was he bought grand things too. Nerys was speechless, but Cledwyn was wearing the stubborn look he wore when he’d made up his mind.
“We sure have a lot. Want to sit there for a bit?”
He pointed to the fountain at the center of the lower village. They hadn’t walked much, but the crowd was tiring, so Nerys gladly let herself be led to the fountain’s edge.
Trickling. The clear stream shone red in the torchlight. Nerys felt refreshed as she nibbled on the cookie she’d bought earlier, washing it down with tart apple juice.
Everything was delicious. When Cledwyn saw her eyes go round, he chuckled.
That sound made her feel shy. She lowered her gaze and wondered if she’d done something strange.
“Is it good?”
“Yes. You seem used to the market—do you come out here often?”
“This is my first time since I became an adult. When I was little, I came out with Aidan.”
The night market, naturally, was held at night. No matter where in the continent or the empire, it wasn’t an hour when noble children would be out. Nerys tilted her head.
“Did the adults just let you?”
“No one cared about me.”
A strange answer. But that attitude made her heart ache. Nerys held back a sigh.
‘Of course.’
After the former Duke’s death, he’d have had no mind for festivals, so he must be talking about when he was ten or so.
“What about Ellen?”
“The whole castle was a mess. After Mother died, all sorts of people wormed their way in, and Ellen had to keep house while rooting them out. We were pretty good at sneaking out, too.”
Cledwyn shrugged and tried to sound joking, but Nerys found it unfunny.
The fact that a foreign maid had to run the castle after marrying in was not normal. It meant there was truly no one else to trust.
‘So that’s why.’
She finally understood the peculiar informality with which Cledwyn could just sit down anywhere. His childhood had been so unlike that of other nobles.
Nerys, feeling oddly thirsty, finished her juice. Cledwyn looked right at her and gave a short laugh.
“You don’t need to make that face.”
“What kind of face am I making?”
“A worried one.”
Can my expression be read that easily? Nerys had never heard that before and tilted her head. When Cledwyn chuckled again, she felt teased and shot him a glare.
“You’re joking, right? I’m not making that face.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
Cledwyn gave in so easily that Nerys felt a twinge of annoyance. Who ever ‘let her off’ like that?
She tried to put on a dignified expression. Lately, her chest hurt for no reason… meddling in other people’s family affairs and such. She didn’t feel like herself.
Come to think of it, whenever she’d acted oddly, it was when Cledwyn was around, or when she was thinking of something related to him. Really…
‘Strange person.’
Cledwyn looked at her and suddenly spoke softly.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m alright now.”
“Okay.”
“No, really. Ask me why.”
“Why—?”
Just then, the crowd pressed in so close that they could only talk by shouting.
Even with the Duke right there, the crush was so dense that no one recognized him. Even if there were an evil dragon among them, it would go unnoticed.
“Hey, hey!”
“Don’t push!”
Perhaps because everyone knew you’d fall in the fountain if you got pushed, people avoided bumping into Nerys and Cledwyn. But the small plaza around the fountain was packed solid.
Perhaps to make space, Cledwyn moved closer to Nerys than before.
Thump, thump.
Nerys thought, whose heart is that, beating so loud?
Gradually, it grew darker. At first, Nerys thought it was because there were so many people, but then she realized the torches lighting the market were going out.
Neighborhood children clustered around the fountain, singing. Adults stood together, looking up at the sky. Little by little.
It grew darker.
As the torches went out and the starlight grew brighter, the sky was still not all that bright—the clouds hinted at rain in a few days.
The moonlight was blocked by passing clouds. And at last.
The plaza was swallowed by darkness.
Nerys knew what this was. Tonight, there was to be a fireworks display at the castle. The night market was open for this reason.
The lights were going out to give everyone the best view of the fireworks. Soon, they’d start, and when it was over, the torches would all be lit again.
She knew all this.
And yet.
‘…I’m scared.’
If she’d known there would be a time when all the lights would go out, she wouldn’t have come.
It wasn’t complete darkness, but she was scared. It was an old, old habit.
A habit from when she was afraid of tomorrow.
A habit from when loneliness pierced her heart.
From when she lived through endless pain by sheer will alone.
All around, people chatted excitedly, looking forward to the fireworks. Watching their joy, Nerys clenched her fists.
Even if she wore a dress her mother made and went to a festival like in her childhood dreams, she could never have that kind of ordinary happiness.
Some wounds never heal.
At that moment, someone grabbed her hand.
No, calling it ‘someone’ was strange. Who else could it be?
Nerys looked at Cledwyn. His hand was big, warm, and strong. Her mind froze.
Fweeeoooo.
A whistling sound came from afar. And then.
Cledwyn’s face, looking at her, lit up in the firework’s glow.
It was strange. There were still crowds everywhere, and the fireworks illuminated them too. But in her sight, there was only one person.
As if he was shining a light into her endless darkness.
‘Ah.’
Nerys realized.
Why she, who thought she had no room left in her heart for others, still cared about his childhood.
Why she’d been so curious, why her heart had hurt for so long.
‘You make my heart ache.’
When your heart aches, it means your heart has gone to someone.
The crowd by the fountain had gone quiet to watch the colorful fireworks. Cledwyn answered the question she hadn’t finished asking.
“…When I was in despair, there was someone who reached out their hand to me.”
Fweeeoo. Fweeoong. Popopopang.
The sky filled with beautiful fireworks. The night breeze, just for a moment, carried the scent of apples.
Even with the noise, only one voice reached her in a peculiar silence.
The lingering sweet-and-tart taste and scent of juice in her mouth.
The warmth and strength of the hand holding hers.
The dazzling fireworks behind him, and the incredibly, incredibly handsome person facing her.
A gentle gaze she could never mistake.
Feeling all of it, Nerys screamed inside.
No.
I can’t.
‘I’m not allowed.’
This was a serious problem.
