Chapter 23 : The hand I thought I could never hold again

Riding a wyvern and flying through the sky was an incredibly rare experience, something I had never experienced before.

I believe that, by itself, it was indeed a meaningful experience.

How many people have ever ridden on top of a wyvern and flown through the sky in this world?

“So… you mean… that it showed signs of wanting you to ride on its back, and that’s how you came to the Duchy, is that right?”

“…Yes, Duke Esfelt.”

“Kkhh, what a masterpiece! In my lifetime, I’ve never had guests like you.”

However, the embarrassment of having to explain the whole situation in front of the Duke overshadowed everything else.

Yes. The man sitting before us with the red hair, looking so hearty, is Duke Wilhelm Esfelt.

He is the current head of the Esfelt family, and the one who invited us here.

After hearing our explanation, which was almost unbelievable and not even remotely amusing, he tried to suppress his laughter, clapping his hands in admiration.

It wasn’t sarcasm; he genuinely seemed amazed, which only made me feel a bit awkward.

“Father, this is not something to laugh about. Do you know how surprised the villagers were when a wyvern suddenly appeared over the Duchy?”

On the other hand, Duke Esfelt’s eldest son, Gale Esfelt, who had witnessed the scene and personally brought us to the castle, got angry at his father’s behavior. Yet, Duke Esfelt seemed completely unconcerned.

“Well, there wasn’t much damage, was there? I heard the villagers were actually excited to see one up close for the first time and came out to watch.”

“That’s exactly the problem! With so many people gathering, there’s a real risk of accidents.”

“Sigh, Gale. It’s good that you’re serious, but you tend to overthink things. It’s something we could have let go easily.”

“You’re being too carefree, Father!”

Anyway, this was a situation I would never see in my own family.

It seems that Duke Esfelt is much more gentle-hearted than I expected.

Despite his son’s scolding, he didn’t seem to care at all, shrugging his shoulders, and he remained so generous even when it almost caused chaos in the Duchy.

Honestly, what we did was quite reckless when I think about it again.

“Anyway, I’m grateful for letting us see such a rare sight after so long. What were your names again?”

“I’m Kyle of the Lyard family, Duke Esfelt.”

“And I am Sylvia Eleonore.”

“Mm, I see. You are…”

As I lowered my head and said my name again, Duke Esfelt’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He then looked at Sylvia and nodded.

It wasn’t the kind of unpleasant look someone who calls Sylvia a witch would give. At least, that’s not how I perceived it.

It seemed like he was trying to get a sense of who she was based on the rumors he had heard. After staring at her for quite a while, he finally spoke with a soft smile.

“Rumors are never reliable. Though it’s not something I should say in front of the parties involved, I had heard some gossip about you two, so I was a little hesitant at first.”

The hesitation must have been about whether or not to let us into the Duchy.

The invitation letter mentioned we could bring one person with us, but since I had to notify him beforehand, I had sent Sylvia’s details to the Duchy.

If Sylvia’s existence had been problematic, he could have easily cut us off before that point.

However, he didn’t let the rumors cloud his judgment, and after some consideration, he permitted us entry. That showed me that this man was quite a magnanimous person.

“Well, now that I see you two in person, you really look like a handsome couple. You suit each other well. It’s like the saint and her trustworthy knight.”

“Thank you for the kind words.”

I was a little flustered by the overly sweet compliment that didn’t seem to suit me, but since I also felt that Sylvia resembled a saint, I half-heartedly agreed and thanked him.

“Anyway, I’ve opened this opportunity for young people like you, so feel free to enjoy yourselves. If there’s anything uncomfortable, let me know.”

“Yes, Duke Esfelt.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After exchanging our thanks, we followed Gale Esfelt, who had been standing by, and he guided us to our rooms.

He had been scowling in front of his father earlier, but he quickly changed his attitude and bowed to us.

“I’m sorry for being so harsh on Father earlier. But as the next head of the family, I couldn’t ignore the safety of the villagers.”

It was clear that the red-haired streak was strong in him, as he apologized politely, with his fiery red hair fluttering, which made both Sylvia and I surprised.

“No, I understand. We were actually more surprised by how lenient Duke Esfelt was.”

“Exactly, Duke Esfelt. It was my thoughtless behavior. I was so excited about riding the wyvern that I didn’t even think about the aftermath…”

“I would have wanted to ride it too. Honestly, I envy you. When I was younger, I used to see wyverns flying around the Duchy and thought it would be amazing to ride one.”

“Though I still think that way now,” he said with a wry smile, softening the situation and even defending Silvia, who was blaming herself.

It may look like it, but it seems the Duke’s blood runs strong in his son.

Even in this awkward situation, his smooth handling showed it.

“Anyway, these are the two rooms you can use. Please rest well. Next time we meet, just call me by name.”

“Thank you, Gale.”

“Thank you very much.”

After being shown our rooms, we split up to unpack and decided to meet again outside the castle.

Originally, we arrived two days early to give Sylvia a chance to experience something new.

So, even though we were tired, we had to keep moving today.

What did I say to her?

No matter how much I tried to recall, I couldn’t guess, so I showed my confusion. At that moment, Sylvia blushed and suddenly hid her face.

“Ah, no…! I must have misunderstood. I’m sorry, Lord Lyard.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I did act in a way that could be misinterpreted.”

She hurriedly apologized, but I didn’t mind it much, so I shook my head.

Since my gaze was already in that direction, it wasn’t completely unreasonable for her to have misunderstood.

Anyway, was that the end of the conversation?

I thought as I began to move forward.

“Mom, look over there! That girl has different colored eyes.”

“Shh, don’t talk about such things recklessly.”

“As expected, she has ominous eyes…”

“Indeed. Why on earth did the Duke invite a witch here…”

“You’ll get in trouble if you keep talking like that.”

Breaking free from our little world, I started hearing murmurs from around me, and the unpleasant comments I didn’t want to hear naturally drifted into my ears.

It seems that news of Sylvia’s arrival had spread throughout the Duchy, whether by word of mouth or some other means. Due to the difference in our social standings, they couldn’t openly insult her, but they were whispering behind our backs.

The insults directed at me had become so familiar that they didn’t even stir any emotions anymore, but hearing them aimed at her made my fists clench.

I felt a sudden urge to rip out the tongues of those who were speaking nonsense.

“…I’m sorry, Lord Lyard. I was careless. Maybe I should go find an eye patch and wear it.”

Of course, Sylvia had heard the whispers too, so she gave a bitter smile and apologized as though everything was her fault.

Then, true to her words, she hurriedly began to walk off, seemingly looking for a merchant who sold eye patches.

Suddenly, without thinking, my hand shot out.

I knew full well it wasn’t a hand I should touch, and I knew I shouldn’t be touching it again.

But a sudden thought struck me, telling me I couldn’t let her go just like this. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her delicate hand, as if it were going to break at any moment.

“L-Lord Lyard…? Why are you…”

Paht.

With her red cheeks, Sylvia asked about my intention, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I cast a spell and created a thin barrier around us.

It was a soundproof barrier, one often used when people want to have secret conversations.

Not only did it block sounds from going out, but it also blocked sounds from coming in. With this, there was no way Sylvia would have to hear unnecessary things anymore.

As she realized that the world around her had gone silent, Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at me.

“While we walk here, stay by my side. I can’t stop their mouths, but I can do at least this much… I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Ah….”

I spoke as emotionlessly as I could, and Sylvia, who had been looking at me in awe, finally lowered her gaze.

Only then did I realize I had been holding her hand all this time, and I was startled, trying to pull my hand away.

But then, once again, Sylvia gripped my hand, as if not allowing me to let go, and with the brightest smile I had seen from her, she spoke.

“You told me to stay by your side. What if the one who said that tries to let go of my hand?”

In the end, that day, no matter how many excuses I tried to come up with, I couldn’t escape from Sylvia’s grip.

Once, it was because I might get lost in an unfamiliar place, so there was no choice.

Once, it was because I used my own words as an excuse.

Once, it was because my hand was cold from the late spring chill, so it couldn’t be helped.

Even though I knew they were rather flimsy excuses, I didn’t let go of Sylvia’s hand.

Perhaps, in the end, I wanted to hold her hand, using her flimsy excuses as a justification.