Night of Eden 56

 Chapter 56

***

Early the next morning, Dana rode out of Belvida's front gate on horseback, her pale face covered by a wingcap and her trembling hands wrapped tightly in riding gloves.

Tobias directed her to circle back along the trail.

It was a fairly long ride, from the forest entrance to the village and near Shore Lake, and at Dana's pace it would take half a day.

Dana stroked the horse's nape reassuringly and pulled the reins to the left. Like a good mare, Pooch followed her lead.

"You'll have to tell him what you and I have done.”

Sitting on the shaking horse, she remembered the events of the night before.

And you?

She should have asked him.

You're the one who's engaged, so how can you be so brazen?

She should have shot back sharply, not mumbled like an idiot.

But Dana didn't say a single word, just grunted.

Why did she feel so frustrated and stupid around him?

She chewed on her cheek, her face turned up to the sky, and a long breath escaped.

Maybe she should try writing another letter. Maybe, as the man had pointed out, she was more comfortable with writing than speaking.

Dana thought for a moment, then shook her head harshly.

No, no, no.

That was not the problem right now.

Fiancée.

Lady Liana.

It was probably because Dana had been consciously trying not to think of her name. The moment she said it, it felt like a scorching hot skewer piercing her entire body.

She couldn't be so brazen.

A mistake, an oversight, thoughtlessness…

Whatever you want to call it, there was no excuse for what happened that day. The fact that the other person was guilty of the same thing didn't diminish her fault.

Why she didn't stop him, why she let him do it again and again, she couldn't understand herself, but it was spilled water and she had to take responsibility somehow.

There was only one way she could think of to make it right.

How much time had passed?

The paved road ended and a dirt path emerged. There was an endless stretch of harvested fields.

Dana nudged Pooch's side and sped up a bit. As they continued on, houses and buildings, large and small, began to appear. The occasional cart and wagon became countless. Snotty-nosed children scampered by, forcing Dana to halt her horse.

Moving cautiously along the brick road, Dana came to a roundabout with a statue of a famous general.

It was the square of Ponoa, the nearest town to Belvida.

She had traveled here before by carriage or boat with the maids, but never on horseback alone. After stopping at the stagecoach stables and leaving Pooch in charge, Dana had to sit on the square steps for a while, her legs giving out. After taking a breath, she looked around again. And then she found it.

<Ponoa Human Resources Office>

Her heart started racing as she looked at the sign.

How dare she come here without a letter of recommendation or a letter of introduction, she thought, she’d just be told off and kicked out. But she couldn't let her fear stop her from trying.

“If it's always sunny, it becomes a desert. It needs rain and wind to become fertile land. The important thing is courage. Those who survive always have courage in their pockets.”

Dana pushed the door open with all her might, remembering her grandfather's words.

***

Tilly sneaked a glance at his Master.

Annoyance and disillusionment alternated in his jewel-like eyes with each flicker of his eyelids.

Perhaps a few days ago, he would have been worried about how he was going to please this unknown man.

But now, he couldn't keep his mind off a strange thought that kept coming back.

Dana Bordon.

It was her.

When he knocked on the door yesterday with dessert, she ran out as if she'd been waiting for the door to open.

At first he thought she was being scolded again.

But when he saw his master standing there with his arms crossed in front of the unpacked boxes, suddenly this painful realization began to hit him like a tidal wave.

First, his master really did eat with that girl. He ordered for two so that they could eat together, not so that he could eat more.

Second, the stationery set he handpicked was not for his fiancée.

And third, he looked like a man who had been rejected. The scene, the circumstances, the context, it was as if he had just been heartbroken....

"When did you say she was coming?"

“What?"

Tilly asked, dumbfounded. Then he blurted out, realizing what Theodore meant.

"Uh... the... the... It's a half-day ride. Tobias said it might take longer, since it's her first outing."

The Master's jaw clenched, and he turned back to the book he had been reading.

At first he seemed annoyed and displeased. When he was teaching, at the lodge, and last night, the way he looked at Dana Bordon had always been filled with negativity.

But no.

Not at all!

Whoosh.

The sound of the wind whistling made Tilly jump again.

The master was pulling on his jacket. He pulled on a pair of riding gloves from wherever he'd found them and began to stomp toward the door.

"Master!"

Tilly called after him frantically. His long legs made it hard to keep up with him.

The footman held the door open for him, and he stepped out and headed toward the outbuildings, too hurried to descend the stairs. He was almost ready to run straight to the stables to find his horse.

He must be going to see the girl.

As if he couldn't wait a few hours!

"There, Master...!"

Something happened that brought Tilly to a screeching halt.

A carriage was coming from the end of the driveway.

At the sight of the lilies that marked Hastings family name, Master Edwin stopped dead in his tracks, as did the footman who followed, and as did Tilly.

"Master Edwin... has returned... ?"

The carriage skidded to a halt. The door swung open, revealing a cream-colored parasol and a woman's hand reaching for the handle. The parasol unfurled, its ostrich feather trim swaying gracefully. A woman in a narrow lemon-colored dress stepped onto the ground.

"I'm finally here, Brother Theodore... No, master Macmilan."

Her hair, braided to one side under a black bonnet, was golden all over. Blue eyes sparkled in the bright sun.

***

Dana's steps toward the stables were a little shaky and unsteady.

She wasn’t kicked out. Nor was she laughed at, as if the likes of her were looking for work in the city.

"You don't mind if it's far enough away that you have to take a boat? Then I'll look around Dodge or Upford. But it'll take a while. Come back early next month."

The world was a big place and jobs were plentiful. So many, in fact, that Mr. Patterson, the boss, was getting annoyed.

"......What, is there a problem?"

Dana had to scramble out the door as he stared at her like she was standing there for no reason.

"Hey, young lady, I have very tasty pomegranates, would you like to take a look?"

The bright red fruit in front of her snapped her out of her daze.

Dana slowly turned her head toward the fruit vendor, the vendors bustling along the rows of stalls behind her, preparing their wares for sale.

"Oh, no, I'm fine."

Dana spurred her horse into a trot and rode out of town.

They came to Moss Rock, the starting point of Belvida.

She remembered when she first arrived here, six years ago. How relieved she was to see that big boulder when she finally arrived, after endless walking until her heels were cracked.

“There's a very big rock. It's covered in black moss and you can just tell it's there, and that's where Belvida is. If you walk a little further, there's a side road, and if you take it, you'll get to Belvida much faster.”

She could still hear the farmer's gravelly voice as he showed her the way.

Dana swallowed hard and rode quickly.

It was a fairly steep climb to the safflower trees. Dana shifted her weight to the horse's neck, just as Noah had taught her.

Pooch trotted slowly up the sloping path.

A cool breeze blew in, cooling their faces. Every time the horse stepped on a pile of fallen leaves, a wave of yellow and orange rippled across the ground.

When she finally reached the top of the winding path, she caught a glimpse of Belvida.

People as small as her pinky finger were bustling around.

The one trimming the landscaping was probably Liam, the gardener, and the one carrying a sack of bags over his shoulder was Kenneth, Noah's friend. Carrying baskets full of clean linens and tablecloths were the fellow maids. Head maid Rosi was in the midst of it all, moving around and giving instructions.

Suddenly, something hot burned her cheek.

Dana panicked and quickly wiped it away with her hand.

She thought she was going to live forever....... in this beautiful Belvida.

She swallowed hard, a hot lump forming in her throat.

Could she ever leave? From this heavenly place?

Drip, drip, drip, water hit the bridge of her nose.

Dana hadn't bothered to put her hat that was hanging on her neck over her head, and she was caught defenseless against the rain.

Tsk, tsk, the drops added weight. Thud, thud, thud, thud... The rain quickly became thicker.

Then it was a downpour.

***

"My mother is very impatient, and Elric had a hard time getting a train ticket."

The words were clear and elegant. It was the perfect aristocratic diction, one could not help but recognize.

"We would have gotten here sooner if it hadn't been delayed at Milton Station."

Full lips curved in an arc, turning to Theodore.

"At any other time, I would have been very bored and tired on the stopped train, but the knowledge that the young master was waiting for me made it bearable."

Theodore turned to face his fiancée. His eyes blinked slowly, showing no emotion.

Just then, Rosi returned with a new brush, parasol, and hat. Theodore stood back and waited, then accepted the parasol.

"Thank you. Brother Theodore... No, young master Macmilan."

Liana corrected herself quickly.

"Awkward, isn't it?"

Maid Rosi interjected, folding a square shawl diagonally and draping it around the young lady's shoulders before speaking softly.

"The Duchess said it would be hard to change titles all at once, so when it's just the two of you, she said you should just call each other’s names like you did when you were children......."

Rosi blurted out deliberately, watching Theodore's eyes. Liana picked up on it,

"Is that so?" she said, looking back at the maid.

"Yes, she was very worried about the lady before she left. She was worried that you two would be too formal and not be able to grow close, and she wanted to make sure that the titles were as familiar and comfortable as possible."

Liana nodded slowly, then turned to face Theodore again.

"What do you think, Theodore, do you think we should go with what the Duchess said?"

"...As you wish."

Theodore replied nonchalantly. The corners of Liana's mouth curled up gently.

"Then for the time being, I'll call you as I did when I was younger, though my mother was adamant that I should call you Young Master... It's just kind of awkward, all of a sudden."

The two made their way to the front door, Jacob leading the way.

"Huh? I think it's raining."

Once outside, Liana opened her palm to the sky. The tiny dots dripping onto her gloves quickly grew into dozens. Tilly ran over and handed her an umbrella.

"...Shall we just turn around? My brother has to get back to the Shore soon, and if it's raining hard, it'll be dangerous to get there......."

Liana couldn't hide her regret as she said that. Theodore stared at the rain, which was getting thicker by the second, then looked back at Liana.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well... I think I'll go by myself. Belvida's gardens are most beautiful in the rain."

Could he read the disappointment in her tone and expression?

Theodore unfolded his umbrella anyway. He tilted most of the rain shield toward Liana.

A mirthful grin formed in the corners of her eyes.

"How surprised will everyone be? To see brother Theodore escorting me like this."

The raindrops thickened slightly. Liana tucked the hem of her dress, which was sticking out of the umbrella, inside.

"By the way, thank you so much for this, I didn't expect it."

She looked down at the lemon-colored tiered dress she was wearing. It was a bold, sophisticated design with a black bow at the waist.

"All my friends are going crazy with jealousy. You know, I've always been one to wear plain, ordinary dresses, but I can't tell you how many times my brother told me I was going to be the next big thing, and it's all thanks to him."

"A gift so small, so insignificant compared to Nicaea."

Liana’s blue eyes lit up with amusement.

"Did you like it?"

"Of course."

With a hiss, rain pelted the treetops. Liana huddled inside to avoid the spray, and Theodore tipped his umbrella further toward her, one hand in his pocket.

The buttons of his sleeve brushed against Liana's hair. His masculine scent filled the small space.

She took a few more steps, turned her head slightly, and sucked in a deep breath, only after her pulse had calmed slightly did she speak.

"By the way, I'm worried about Pemburg. I hear brother Edwin is going there every day, isn't he?"

She said it just to shake off the flirtatious feeling, but now that it was out of her mouth, she felt a little heavier.

"My mother is not pleased. The eldest son of the Hastings family is doing what an accountant should be doing."

"..."

"I don't understand it either, why is my brother dabbling in the kind of work that lowly businessmen do?"

Her worried gaze flickered to Theodore.

"Do you know why, young master? What is wrong with brother Edwin?"

Theodore didn't answer right away, staring down at Liana, and it wasn't until she was about to ask again that he spoke up.

"Well, I rarely discuss business with your brother."

Hmm, Liana let out a long breath through her nose. Then she pulled her sagging shoulders up.

"By the way, this place is going to be noisy soon, too. For the engagement party, before the polo preliminary

match ......."

Liana chuckled to herself.

"Anyway, I'm the only one who's in a quandary: who should I cheer for, my brother or my fiancé?"

Liana stretched out her arms toward the ground and interlocked her fingers. Even in the heavy rain, her bright smile bloomed like a flower.

***

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