Chapter 32 : In the Garden on a Moonlit Night

Fortunately, there was no unfortunate incident where I had to lie on Sylvia’s thigh the entire way back to Count’s estate.

After waking up from a nap in a village we stopped at, I felt less tired, so I couldn’t fall asleep and stayed awake the entire time on the carriage.

But, of course, Sylvia still stayed by my side the whole time, as always.

Moreover, since I was constantly on her mind, Sylvia kept asking, “Prince Lyard, aren’t you tired?” and would pat her own thigh.

I couldn’t allow myself to do something so embarrassing twice, so I endured it with superhuman patience, even though sleepiness was creeping in.

She seemed a bit grumpy, but I must be mistaken.

“Ha, we’ve finally arrived. It seems like it was much longer than when I went to Ruben.”

“It’s a distance that takes a full day, after all. Thank you for your hard work, Princess.”

“You too, Prince Lyard. You didn’t have to worry about me…”

“It’s nothing.”

Although Sylvia apologized for following me, I didn’t mind at all.

In fact, I had a rather enjoyable time.

What was originally just a social party to find a connection between the Drake family and the Dawn of Snow ended up being genuinely enjoyable because she was there with me.

It was quite refreshing to have toured the Duchy of Duke with Sylvia in the middle of the trip.

Especially, landing in the Duchy of Duke riding a wyvern was a rare experience that most people might never experience in their entire lives.

I should be grateful to Sylvia for that.

“By the way, your brother hasn’t arrived yet. Do you think he got lost on the way?”

Amidst this, the kind-hearted Sylvia seemed worried about Hassel, who hadn’t spoken much to her.

Ah, come to think of it, I never told Sylvia that Hassel wouldn’t be joining us today.

“He’s probably spending time with the women he’s gotten close to.”

“With women?”

“That’s just how he is. Don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, okay…”

I decided to stop there to avoid being labeled as the type who would gossip about my brother behind his back.

Sylvia was not foolish enough not to understand the meaning of what I said.

She seemed to quickly realize it, and with a small sigh, she turned her gaze away. I didn’t add any more words.

“Well then, let’s go inside. You can use the room you stayed in last time.”

“Is it okay if I stay? I feel like it’s too much of an imposition…”

“It’s fine. My father already gave his permission.”

“Ah…!”

I didn’t know why my father was so kind to Sylvia, but I had already been informed before leaving for the Duchy.

He told me to let her stay in the room she had used before, as it would be quite late and tiring when we returned.

So today, I didn’t need to ask for his permission again, and there was no problem in letting Sylvia sleep.

Sylvia’s expression brightened instantly. She flashed a bright smile and bounced ahead like a joyful child, skipping in excitement.

I followed her silently, with a faint smile, hoping that smile would last forever.

That night, I still couldn’t fall asleep.

I thought I would be able to sleep soundly the day we returned to the castle, but a sudden new worry had arisen.

This worry had started from a conversation I had with Sylvia in the garden before I went to bed.

Given Sylvia’s personality, I expected her to stay a few more days at our estate, but unexpectedly, she said she would be leaving tomorrow. I wondered if something had happened.

Just as I was about to tell her it was fine if she stayed a little longer because I didn’t mind, she spoke up.

• Actually, my father is arranging for someone to come and treat my eyes soon. I’m not sure when, but he said they would be here by the end of the week, so I plan to be at the estate in advance.
• Then, I suppose it can’t be helped.

At first, I accepted this explanation.

It was a similar story to what Sylvia had told me before my regression.

At the time, she had said that she had been able to roam the castle freely for about five years since she left the small room.

That was possible because her father, Creed Eleonore, had invited someone who knew about her eyes’ power and helped suppress it.

So, at the time, I believed that her father hadn’t completely abandoned her.

However, now, doubts were beginning to rise about whether his actions had really been for Sylvia’s sake.

‘He doesn’t seem like the type.’

From what I saw, Creed Eleonore wasn’t the kind of man who would cherish his daughter, whom people called a witch, and go to the lengths of finding a solution for her.

In fact, when I first saw him, he had sold his daughter to another man under the guise of a relationship and treated her like an object.

So how could such a man have gone through the trouble of finding someone to help Sylvia with her eyes?

That made me feel uneasy.

Perhaps there was something I was missing.

As I pondered deeply, the crystal ball on my bedside table began to glow faintly, and my eyes widened.

It was the crystal ball I had received from Vermillion for communication purposes.

Can you hear me?

“Yes.”

I quickly approached the bed, placed my hand on the crystal ball, and poured my mana into it. Soon, I heard Vermillion’s voice from the other side.

This might just be a routine check to see if the communication was working, so I set up a soundproof barrier and calmed myself before asking what was going on.

“What’s going on at this late hour?”

• I have some urgent news to share. It’s about the witch, no, about Princess Eleonore.

“…!”

Before parting ways with him, I had given Vermillion a few instructions, and the most important one was to immediately inform me if anything related to Sylvia came up.

Even though I had asked for it, I never imagined the news would come so quickly.

I was already thinking about Sylvia when the message arrived, so it felt strangely timely, and I eagerly awaited Vermillion’s next words.

• I’ve heard a little, but it seems someone will be contacting her soon.

“Contacting her?”

• I don’t know the details, but I overheard something about her eyes. Apparently, the time has come to plant the seeds…

“Seeds?”

What does this mean? Planting seeds?

Normally, when men say such things to women, it’s used in a crude context, but since the person in question is a member of the Dawn of Snow, I immediately thought it might have a different meaning.

Planting seeds likely means that they intend to harvest something later.

And if this is connected to her eyes, it’s highly probable they are targeting Sylvia.

However, the timing of the Dawn of Snow’s intention to contact Sylvia aligns with the moment someone began working on her right eye… Could all this be just a coincidence?

No, it doesn’t seem likely. Something feels off.

• Sorry for the imprecise information, but I thought I should mention even the smallest detail since you asked for anything related to her.

“Thank you. It’s actually a relief. You’ve helped me clarify things I was pondering.”

I’m glad to be of help. That’s all the information I have, so I’ll end the transmission now.

“Understood.”

As soon as I disconnected from Vermillion, I confirmed that the crystal ball had stopped glowing and got up from my bed.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, but it seems I’ve just received a crucial piece of information on the first day.

It looks like I’ve acquired a valuable piece for the chess game.

“Huh…”

As I reflected on the report from Vermillion and the information I already knew, I began to feel my head heating up, so I let out a brief sigh.

I need to clear my head and think this through more.

Maybe I should get some fresh air.

Whoosh.

I left my room and exited the castle. Despite it being spring, the night air was quite chilly, brushing against my body.

It was somewhat ironic that I had told Sylvia to dress warmly, yet I was outside in just my regular clothes, but I didn’t particularly mind the cold.

If it gets too cold, I could always use a warming spell.

But now, what should I do?

Since there’s no telling what kind of danger might be lurking in the Kaintreche castle, sending Sylvia there alone doesn’t seem like a good idea right now.

Yet, simply accompanying her doesn’t seem to offer an immediate solution either.

The best option would be to keep her at the castle for as long as possible, buying time to figure out a plan. The issue is, how do I persuade her?

After all, from her perspective, someone is coming soon with a solution for her eyes, so asking her to stay behind seems unreasonable.

“…Hmm?”

As I walked, lost in thought, I reached the garden, and in the distance, beneath the bright full moon, I saw a faint silhouette.

It was too blurry to tell who it was at first, so I took a few steps closer to get a better look.

“Ah, Prince Lyard.”

“Princess? What brings you out here at this hour…?”

As soon as she recognized me, she waved happily, and only then did I realize it was Sylvia.

By the way, does she not sleep much?

It was already late, and yet she was out here walking around. I couldn’t help but feel concerned but didn’t show it, and instead, I approached her to have a chat.

“The moon is so beautiful tonight. I thought it would be a waste not to go for a night stroll on a night like this.”

“You really enjoy walking around, don’t you?”

“Hehe, yeah. I guess ‘reckless’ would be a good word for it, huh?”

She teased me playfully, and perhaps because of the advice I gave her the day before, she was wearing a thin coat on her shoulders.

Noticing that I was only dressed in my thin indoor clothes, Sylvia gave me a stern look and spoke up.

“By the way, Prince Lyard, you were the one who told me to wear a coat because it’s cold at night. How come you’re out here in such thin clothes?”

“I’m sorry. I wandered out without thinking, and before I knew it, I ended up here.”

Though I felt a bit unfair, since I had only intended to take a quick walk inside the castle, I bowed my head in apology since I hadn’t followed my own advice.

Sylvia’s initially sharp gaze softened, and soon worry was apparent on her face.

“Was there something bothering you?”

“…Well, yes, a little.”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should lie, but then realized it would be pointless with her, so I honestly nodded in agreement.

Sylvia then stepped closer, placing her hand over her chest with a concerned expression.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Help…”

Normally, I would have immediately said “It’s fine,” shaking my head, but this time, I couldn’t bring myself to respond so easily.

In this case, Sylvia’s help was essential to make a solution possible.

“…Princess.”

“Yes, Prince Lyard?”

“Then, could you do me one favor? If it’s too much, feel free to refuse.”

“Of course. Please, tell me anything.”

Her two differently colored eyes glimmered with sincerity.

She acted as if she was eagerly awaiting my request, so I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I’d like to ask you for something. Could you stay with me, just a little longer?”

“…Huh?”

For some reason, in that moment, I felt as if the cold air surrounding us had dissipated.