Side Story Episode 14: ssage
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“Hmm…”
The cheeks, which had turned pale, soon turned rosy like a peach. Her eyes, sparkling as if glazed with syrup, darted about busily, as if she was deep in thought.
If that man was black, this child must surely be white. It was that easy to tell. Silently sipping her tea, Tialing swallowed her laughter.
“I want to hear it. I really do…”
But lissa was afraid.
There had been countless tis when she clinked glasses with Alan. Following his wife’s lead, he had co to enjoy wine, and lissa often mixed water or tea with his drink to share with him.
Nevertheless, she had never seen him completely drunk. Although Alan always spoke sweet words, the thought of hearing his unfiltered thoughts made her sowhat fearful.
“He said that.”
But it wasn’t as if she had been asked for her opinion, and lissa’s hand, which was about to cut the pie, suddenly stopped at the princess’s casual words.
“He said you make him forget the cold.”
“Pardon?”
‘She, lissa…’
Suddenly, tialing closed her eyes.
‘If my life is an eternal winter, she is the one who sprouts and blooms in that winter.’
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the face of a woman who looked like she was about to cry.
Even though she had received such passionate love for so long, she still trembled like this. It was amusing. Very amusing, and thus truly fortunate.
“He looked as if he was unbearably tornted by missing you. It was the most vulnerable I have ever seen him.”
lissa sohow bit her lip, overwheld with emotion.
“Anyway, I chose the hairpin based on the assumption that the person he had talked about for years was the sa person.”
“……”
“I seem to have chosen correctly.”
Her eyes, like those of a young, innocent animal, flickered transparently. The candlelight reflected in those eyes trembled finely in golden hues. No, was it the joy like stars filling those eyes?
lissa, who had been standing still with a blank expression, finally opened her mouth.
“Thank you for choosing the hairpin for .”
“It’s nothing.”
“But… Did you teach him how to use this hairpin to style hair, Your Highness?”
To Alan. Her small voice added with a tremor. It was a trivial matter, but it was a small question she had harbored for quite so ti, now finally taking shape.
Tianling took a sip of her tea and smiled generously.
“We weren’t that close.”
“Then, how are you so fluent in Sournean? I thought you must have learned it from him…”
Tianling rembered. The strange businessman who had crossed the western sea and stood confidently before the Emperor of the continent. His only young son was Alan.
In fact, she had taken a liking to that boy from the first ti she saw him. If asked why, she couldn’t easily answer, but isn’t that the nature of the naïve infatuations of youth?
The unfamiliar businessman and his son had said they would visit regularly. As soon as she heard that, Tianling learned their language. To get closer to him. To have more conversations with him.
In other words, her flawless proficiency in Sournean was all thanks to him. It was also thanks to him that she ca to handle all matters beyond the borders in today’s empire.
Although it took a very long ti, it is amusing that the young boy helped her lay an important foundation for her future ascension to the throne.
Of course, she no longer harbour feelings for him. At least, not as a man.
Regardless of cultural differences or geographical realities, she had accepted long ago that she, as royalty, could not be with him.
So, was there any need to stir the heart of the noble woman who could even lt winter?
Tianling shook her head slightly and put down her cup. The way she subtly lifted her chin while maintaining a perfectly upright posture exuded the dignity unique to royalty.
“I accepted his proposal and ca here to see you.”
“…”
At so point, she had stopped feeling any hostility from her. Perhaps the princess had never disliked her from the beginning.
Nevertheless, her words still made lissa tense.
“Why …”
“Alan wouldn’t have chosen an unworthy woman, but if he had, I intended to tell him without reservation.”
“……”
“When you harbour feelings for soone, you tend to beco blind to everything else.”
Tianling’s voice sounded faint, as if recalling an old mory. And lissa, who had been blinded and deafened by love for a very long ti, understood her words more than anyone else.
Now, expecting an evaluation of herself, she waited with clenched fists as the princess slowly stood up. Her movents were so quiet that not even the sound of the chair moving could be heard.
“But you are a lovely woman. I can sowhat understand why Alan fell for you.”
lissa looked up at the woman before her, as if hearing sothing completely unexpected. Her heart was pounding. The mont felt even more surreal because her eyes resembled the sumr night sky.
In front of her were a half-cooled teacup, an untouched chocolate tart, and a pumpkin pie.
“Your Highness…”
As lissa belatedly stood up to follow the princess, her chair made a loud, screeching noise.
With a small frown, lissa spoke in a regretful voice.
“Are you leaving already? If I had known you didn’t like sweets…”
“It’s not that.”
“Then, do you perhaps dislike pumpkin…”
“It’s getting late, isn’t it?”
The princess looked so elegant and serene as she said this. It was then that lissa noticed the tightly wrapped belt around Tianling’s slender fra. Her thin wrists were neatly folded over it.
「Are you outside?」
At the princess’s composed voice, the attendants outside responded with a shout.
“It was a wonderful al. I must be going now.”
“…….”
For a mont, lissa was lost in thought, forgetting even to express her gratitude.
A noble birth admired by all. Yet, a life where one couldn’t freely enjoy desserts.
Sohow, her heart felt heavy. The age-old adage that everyone lives by giving up sothing to protect sothing else seed to resonate deeply.
But if not being able to enjoy sweet desserts was rely a matter of ti…
“Your Highness.”
lissa hurried after Tianling as she headed for the door.
“Would you like to take the desserts with you? When you get back to, um, wherever you’re staying—”
“The king of this place has provided a villa.”
“Oh… Then, please have them with tea for breakfast when you return to the duke’s villa. Yes?”
At this, the princess quietly looked back at the hostess. The light from the chandelier shimred quietly over her cold expression.
“I made them especially for Your Highness to taste…”
“…….”
“If you don’t like them…”
“Very well. I will take them.”
lissa’s face, which had been gloomy, brightened at this response. She couldn’t hide the joy that curled her lips into a smile.
“I thought you were angry because I talked too much.”
“People of the empire are generally not very expressive.”
When the princess knocked on the door twice, the heavy dining hall doors swung open. The attendants waiting outside and the mansion’s staff all bowed in unison.
“Sandra, could you pack the desserts for Her Highness?”
“Yes, Countess.”
Smiling brightly, lissa turned back to Tianling and spoke cheerfully.
“Please wait in the drawing room for a mont. I’ll bring them right away.”
“I will guide you.”
At that mont, Alan erged from among the people. Though he appeared as composed as usual, lissa could tell at a glance how relieved he was.
Like a magnet, she flew into Alan’s arms. Seeing this, Tianling laughed quietly, almost like a sigh.
With an air of calm, Alan wrapped his arm around lissa’s waist and said, “I’m glad you had an enjoyable ti, Tianling. The carriage is ready.”
“Yes, I had a pleasant ti.”
Finding his deanor both strange and amusing, Tianling covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed. He seed imnsely proud to have finally made her his wife after all his efforts. In her mories, he had always been busy hiding sothing.
Still, that squirrel-like woman made her laugh as well. Watching her treat her husband like the only miracle in her life made her mouth feel sweet, as if she had swallowed a whole chocolate tart without eating it.
“I wonder when I’ll see you again, Alan.”
“If you visit the Principality again, we will always have a room ready for you.”
Alan said this as he started to walk, followed by Tianling and her attendants.
“Hah, are you suggesting I co twice? You should visit us.”
“I have no plans to visit Hwa anyti soon. With this treaty—”
“Work, you say? I an you should co with your wife, Alan.”
The reception room was adorned with flowers that made one forget the season. As she entered, Tianling, dressed in a sea-blue ceremonial robe, whispered softly.
“When that ti cos, I will serve you tea.”
“As long as it’s not strong liquor, I will gratefully accept, Your Highness.”
Following her lead, lissa also lowered her voice to a whisper, as if sharing a secret between the two won.
Then she looked up at Alan and saw his face frozen in embarrassnt, like a child caught with an old diary.
lissa discreetly patted Alan hip and added in a deliberately affectionate tone.
“The ssage has been clearly received.”
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