Chapter 16
Rosériel grinned innocently, as if she hadn’t just been shooting daggers moments earlier.
“Heehee, I never said that. My sister’s never even mentioned you, Gabriel!”
She really knew how to kill a man with words.
Her cheerful delivery only sank Gabriel deeper.
“She’s not even… interested.”
Not once had Hildea even brought him up.
“So she really doesn’t care?”
As he looked increasingly dejected, Rosériel pouted—like a grumpy little chick.
“Whatever the reason, she did avoid you, didn’t she? And if anyone tries to push my sister around, I don’t care if it’s the Emperor himself—I’ll smack their butt! She needs time to adjust and decide for herself.”
“That’s not what you said. Didn’t you promise to help?”
“Hmm? When did I say that? If my sister doesn’t want to get close to you, I won’t help.”
Gabriel was stunned. And regretting things.
Had he trusted the wrong ally? Why am I even talking to her?
“Anyway, Gabriel, why do you like my sister? What exactly do you like about her?”
“It’s just…”
“If you say it’s just because she’s pretty, I’ll clamp your lips with a clothespin!”
Her sparkling eyes were overwhelming, and Gabriel instinctively leaned back.
Where had all these people come from, anyway?
Attendants, presumably—popping up from the bushes, in the garden corners, even outside the greenhouse. Their silent watching made him uncomfortable.
“If liking someone means your heart feels like it might burst, then… yes.”
“Aww, come on. That’s so weak! Don’t you even understand your own feelings? Gabriel, you’re such a dummy!”
“…”
This small girl was starting to feel like a formidable opponent. Gabriel’s expression crumpled in defeat.
“Then how about this? When you can’t see her, do you think about her all the time?”
That, at least, he could answer with confidence.
“Yes. When I see her, I feel happy. When I don’t, I keep thinking about her. And I’ve never once considered marrying you.”
“Wooooow… That was clear, but you really said it in a terrible way!”
She said it with a bright smile, and Gabriel decided he wasn’t going to be fooled again.
She looked all innocent, like she couldn’t even pluck a flower—but every word she said stabbed like a thorn.
Worse, she had the upper hand.
And she was the beloved twin sister of the girl he loved.
“Well, I also don’t want to marry you, Gabriel~! So, what else?”
Why was he saying all of this here, of all places, and not to Hildea herself?
Still, Gabriel shyly added,
“Sometimes, I wish… time would just stop when I’m looking at her.”
Each word felt more and more pathetic.
Gabriel had wanted so badly to talk to Hildea even just once. But when their eyes met, she always frowned and ran away.
Hildea really does hate me.
“Wowww, Gabriel, you’re only twelve and you’re already thinking like that? So mature!”
The way she said it, you’d think she was the grown-up.
“But you know what? One of the maids said this—if you fall in love at first sight, don’t just go by looks. You’ve gotta really get to know that person.”
Gabriel had thought the person who knew Hildea best would be her twin sister, standing right before him.
That was the reason he agreed to sit here—to get to know her better.
But then—
“You don’t know, do you? How sparkly and pretty my sister looks when she smiles. Heehee. I know. You’re jealous, right?”
Somehow…
“She pats my cheek so gently. It feels really nice, you know? She told me I’m her favorite person. You’re jealous, huh?”
And again, somehow—
“Ah, you don’t know anything. You don’t know anything about my sister!”
Gabriel’s mood darkened with every word.
‘Is she helping me, or just mocking me?’
He recalled what his knights had once suggested—that it might be better to propose to the bright and cheerful Rosériel rather than the cold, distant Hildea.
‘Utter nonsense.’
How many times had that cursed kid said “You’re jealous” now?
He clenched his jaw, swallowing his irritation, and then said through gritted teeth:
“So what does your sister like? You claimed you’d tell me, and that’s why we’re here, Lady Rosériel. Did you forget?”
“Wowww, you don’t even know how the world works!”
“What?”
“If you want something, you have to show a little sincerity! Why are you so bossy? Who’s the desperate one here again~? Maybe I should just leave~?”
“…”
“When you like someone, the first thing you do is talk to someone who knows them and squeeze out as much info as you can, right?”
“…”
“What they like, where they go, what they’re into—Gabriel, I bet you don’t know any of that. You know nothing about my sister.”
Even Gabriel, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to emotions, could tell at least one thing:
This little girl was teasing him on purpose.
“What do you want.”
“Great! That’s the spirit!”
When he glared at her silently, Rosériel beamed and finally said the thing he’d been dying to hear.
“My sister loves flowers and potted plants. She lines them up on her windowsill—there are over ten now. Oh, and I love shiny things. The more, the better!”
“The second part seems irrelevant.”
“I’m really good at drawing, you know. I’ve drawn tons of pictures of my sister. Super lifelike.”
“…Shiny things. Noted.”
Gabriel forced himself to listen carefully to her chattering, trying hard to memorize every word.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
It was a strange thing.
Gabriel hadn’t been staying at the Hillington estate for very long.
And yet, somehow, no matter where she went, Hildea kept seeing Gabriel with Rose.
‘What kind of coincidence is this?’
In such a large estate, they kept appearing as if they were deliberately sticking within her range of movement.
‘Is this even possible? It’s not like someone’s playing a prank…’
With a sigh, I furrowed my brows.
Rose was my beloved younger sister, so there was nothing wrong with her—but when she was with Gabriel, I couldn’t help but become self-conscious and step away.
That kept happening. I’d turn around from the path I’d been walking, stop doing whatever I’d been planning, and head back.
‘This is uncomfortable. Seriously uncomfortable.’
But strangely enough—just like right now—
“This isn’t a place people usually come to, Duke Belkius.”
There were times when I’d run into Gabriel in places where we shouldn’t have encountered each other.
What is this? He’s not spying around the house, is he?
“…Gabriel is fine.”
His curt response left me speechless.
If he didn’t want to act familiar, he could’ve just said so. But why ask to be called by name, only to spit it out coldly and turn his head like that?
I was annoyed, but there was no need to pick a fight.
“Very well then, Gabriel.”
To that, I even added a polite question:
“Have you been comfortable staying here at the estate?”
It was a formal pleasantry, nothing more.
And since there was no need to try and repair the disastrous first impression I’d made, I didn’t force myself to smile either.
“…Thanks to you, it has been comfortable.”
Now I had to wonder.
Was saying something like that to someone who had never once properly greeted or treated him kindly meant to be sarcastic? Was he mocking me?
The icy silence between us was unbearably heavy. If Rose had been here, she would’ve made conversation bounce along with her bright energy.
‘What rotten luck. Of all people, he had to run into someone like me—the one person who he liked the least. ‘
Even his silent back looked somewhat pitiful.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and quickly spoke up.
“If you have nothing more to say…”
There’s a limit to how long someone can stare off into the distance. A few minutes should be enough.
“Then shall we each go our way? I have things to do as well.”
“Ah.”
“If you were on your way to see Rose, take the right path. I’ll be going left, so we won’t run into each other again. Rest assured.”
I silently prayed:
‘Let’s stop having these awkward encounters.’
I didn’t want to be on bad terms with my future brother-in-law already—wait, huh?
“The flowers…”
Just as I was turning away without any lingering attachment, Gabriel suddenly spoke to me.
“Um.”
“…?”
“The flowers…”
Was it the heat?
His ears seemed unusually red, and as I frowned and looked closer, our eyes briefly met.
I tried to avert my gaze, startled, but even more shocking was the way he immediately looked away, as if he’d seen something he absolutely shouldn’t have.
‘Is that really necessary? He doesn’t have to act like I’m some kind of disease.’
It’s not like I ever planned to marry you anyway.
Every time we ended up alone like this, he would seal his lips tight and wear an openly unpleasant expression, and so every encounter with Gabriel became a bad memory for me.
Looks like today would be the same.
“If you’ve nothing more to say, then I’ll be—”
“Lady Hildea.”
But once again, he cut me off before I could finish.
“I heard… that Lady Hildea likes flowers.”
“……”
My eyes widened.
The way he spoke slowly at first, then rushed to finish as if afraid he’d be interrupted—it made him seem like he wasn’t lying, just nervous.
I glanced at Gabriel from the corner of my eye, but, of course, he didn’t meet my gaze.
What is this supposed to be? Is he… trying to get close to me?
‘Then why won’t he look me in the eye?’
Maybe Rose said something to him?
“Is that true?”
“Hmm…”
“If so, then I…”
The rumor that I liked flowers and potted plants must’ve started because I’d been collecting them while experimenting with my ability.
“Yes, that’s true.”
In truth, I don’t particularly like flowers.
Still, the ones I made bloom using my ability tended to be especially vibrant and fresh, which made them feel oddly precious to me.
But there was no reason—or need—to explain that. I simply nodded.
“But I’m curious why you’re asking.”
“I just… No, I wanted to… I mean…”
“Pardon?”
“Hoo…”
Gabriel let out a long breath, like someone trying to steady himself before speaking.
I knew what it was like to struggle to get words out, so I gave him a moment to think.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s… fine.”
I didn’t know why he was acting this way.
A short while later, Gabriel finally continued, slowly.
“I’m planning to send letters from the battlefield. To Lady Rose as well.”
Ah. So that’s what this was.
He must have been saying out loud what he meant to tell Rose.
