Chapter 27
Rena and Annie cried out in protest. Grace had handed the drawings over without much thought, so their strong reaction caught her off guard. Scratching her head awkwardly, she tried to calm the situation.
“H-How about I draw each of you one by one?”
“Really? Are you serious? Please draw me!”
“Me too, my lady!”
“Uh… what do I do now?”
While Grace was thinking about the composition, Annie scurried over to the tea table, picked up a teacup, and struck a pose.
“I want mine like this.”
Grace chuckled and picked up her pencil. Annie looked adorable with the teacup gently raised to her lips, striking a slightly sassy pose.
“My lady, don’t forget I’m next!”
Rena’s shout and Sally’s smiling face as she admired the drawing she had already received made Grace feel warm inside.
“Drawing… It really is a good thing.”
Her heart swelled. She was able to give others the same joy and emotion she had felt when she first saw Letius’s drawings. The fact that the three people who were always by her side were now smiling because of her made her genuinely happy.
Soon, Grace started sketching outdoors.
First, she drew the garden in the back. Snow-covered trees and garden structures filled her sketchpad.
Her second subject was the front view of the duchy. She figured she could capture the entire building from the front gate. As she headed toward it, the entrance to the forest caught her eye.
“The forest…”
Seeing it brought back memories of when she had first arrived at the estate. While walking with Annie, she’d been drawn into the forest as if under a spell and had gone deep inside, captivated by its beauty.
“I want to draw it…”
A soft longing bloomed in her heart.
She couldn’t say she wasn’t scared—she had nearly died being chased by a wild animal. If Frederick hadn’t shown up at just the right moment, she would’ve been torn apart, her body unrecognizable. But still…
“It was so beautiful…”
Grace reached her hand out toward the forest.
Maybe it would be fine as long as she didn’t go too deep. Last time, the animal had only appeared after she had wandered too far in…
“Don’t go into the forest alone.”
She remembered what Frederick had said not long after they got married. He’d warned her that beasts and monsters lurked in the forest.
So maybe it would be okay… as long as she wasn’t alone. If someone came with her, maybe…
“Frederick.”
That evening during dinner, Grace spoke up.
“I want to go to the forest.”
“The forest?”
Frederick put down his utensils and looked at her, surprised by the sudden request.
“What for, all of a sudden?”
“I-I want to sketch…”
Sketching in the forest? Wasn’t she scared?
He remembered the first time he met her—her face had gone pale after being chased by a wild beast.
“Why do you want to go?”
“It’s beautiful…”
Frederick didn’t answer right away. Had there been any recent sightings of snow ghouls?
Regular wild animals weren’t a big issue—he could just assign a guard. But if it was a snow ghoul, they’d need the elite knights. Things had been quiet since the last sweep, but considering the wall had once been breached, they needed to stay vigilant.
Honestly, it was safest to avoid the forest entirely.
“……”
But seeing Grace’s expectant face made it hard to say no.
“Then… I’ll go with you.”
Frederick finally spoke after some thought.
“Y-You will?”
“It’s dangerous to go alone.”
“Really?”
Grace’s eyes sparkled.
“Thank you, thank you!”
‘She doesn’t even stutter when she says that anymore.’
Frederick thought to himself. Ever since their lessons began, her speech had improved noticeably. She could now say common phrases without any hesitation.
“Alright. Are you free tomorrow?”
“Yes, yes! That sounds great!”
Grace clasped her hands together and nodded eagerly. Seeing how delighted she looked, Frederick felt glad he agreed. There was something charming about watching her like this.
The next afternoon, Frederick and Grace headed to the forest together.
“Wow…”
Grace smiled brightly as she walked through the forest.
It felt like reliving the awe she’d felt the first time she saw it. She took slow, careful steps, marveling at the tall trees and the many uniquely shaped rocks.
Frederick silently walked beside her, sword at his side. He glanced at her glowing face.
“She’s still so strange to me.”
To him, the forest had always been a battlefield or a hunting ground—nothing more. The same likely went for his fellow knights. He had never seen anyone admire the forest’s beauty like this.
So this is what drawing means to her… When that painter who did his portrait had asked to sketch the landscape, he might’ve made a similar expression to Grace’s. But for Frederick, this kind of emotion was unfamiliar.
“If you find a spot you like, let me know.”
“Okay…!”
Snapped out of her reverie, Grace began searching seriously for a good place to sketch.
No wild beasts, monsters, or snow ghouls showed up as they walked.
“Over here.”
She chose a spot where a wide clearing sat between thick clusters of trees. The white snow sparkled in the sunlight, and the distant, uneven hills and scattered rocks gave the area a unique feel. But something else caught Grace’s eye more than anything.
“Over there… the flowers.”
She pointed to three blue flowers growing nearby. They were the same kind she had seen the first time she entered the forest. Blooming alone in the snow, they were just as beautiful now as they were then.
“So… pretty.”
Her cheeks turned pink. Last time, she had to flee before she could get a proper look at them. But now, with Frederick by her side, she felt safe. No matter how big or scary a creature appeared, he would protect her—she felt that for sure.
She stepped closer and reached out to touch the petals. Their soft texture made her smile.
They were even more graceful and beautiful up close.
“I… wanted to see them again…”
“You like flowers?”
“Mm… yes.”
“They’ll be everywhere near the duchy come spring. Flowers are everywhere, after all.”
To Frederick, flowers were decorations—nothing special. Seeing her so happy over three flowers hidden deep in the forest felt strange.
“They’re different.”
“Hmm?”
“They’re all alone… but doing fine.”
Grace’s eyes held quiet certainty as she looked at the flowers.
“Even though it’s so cold… other flowers won’t bloom… but this one… did.”
“You really are like a flower blooming alone in the snow.”
Out of nowhere, he remembered something Crown Prince Rubens had said to him years ago after the war.
“That’s a compliment, you know. Could you at least smile or something? You’re so stiff.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that.”
“It means you don’t break, even in the harshest trials. That kind of spirit… I admire it.”
Born to a family banished to the North, Frederick had reached levels even the capital’s finest sword masters hadn’t. Rubens had always found him extraordinary.
“Knights these days only look strong. Deep down, most are weak. I can’t trust them.”
“I must decline your offer to remain in the capital.”
“Ugh, always so guarded… you’re too cold.”
He didn’t know why—but now, for some reason, Rubens’ playful face overlapped with Grace’s.
“Um, I’ll sit over here.”
Grace walked away from the flowers and sat on the nearest rock, opening her sketchpad. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she pulled out a pencil from her case.
“……”
The pencil began capturing the scenery on the blank paper. Frederick stood beside her and watched silently. Though he had seen many of her finished sketches, this was his first time watching her draw in person.
“…You’re fast.”
Her hand moved swiftly, sketching the landscape with practiced ease. Seeing the shapes take form, he found himself impressed.
“I practiced a lot… that’s why.”
Grace smiled shyly and continued drawing. Frederick stood quietly by her side until she finished.
“I’m… done now.”
