TAHR 04

Chapter04

The crackling sound of burning firewood spread throughout the bedroom, which was filled with darkness. Although the weather had become quite warm, Marie lit a fire in the fireplace for her young lady, who had come down with a severe cold and body aches.

Sitting in front of the fireplace, Elissa hugged her knees. The warm shadows of the fire gently caressed her face, which was filled with gloom.

Elissa stared blankly at the flames like someone who had lost her soul. Then her gaze landed on the vase by the window.

<Do you like yellow roses that much, my lady?>

A faded old memory appeared over the yellow roses that Marie had arranged beautifully. The background was blurry, but the gray eyes that had looked straight at her were vivid.

<I heard people usually don’t like yellow roses because their flower language has a negative meaning…….>

<People are the ones who decided the meaning of flowers, not the flowers themselves. So there’s no need to care about something like flower language.>

<That’s true, but…… I’m worried that someone might misunderstand.>

<Are you saying that you misunderstand too?>

When young Elissa leaned her face close and asked, Ethan flinched and moved backward. His gray eyes trembled with deep embarrassment.

Elissa liked the moments when his normally colorless gray eyes became filled with the color of his emotions. Even more so when she was the reason for it.

So when she stared intently into his eyes, Ethan’s ears turned red all the way to his earlobes as he shook his head.

<No. How could I dare misunderstand you, my lady? I was only worried about you…… I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds.>

At the time, young Elissa did not know how expensive yellow roses were, which was why she could say something like that.

Ethan, on the other hand, seemed to know how expensive they were, judging by how he had flinched. But he did not say that it would be difficult or that he could not do it.

<Yes. I will definitely give you one, my lady.>

Instead, he spoke with determination, clenching both fists tightly. Young Elissa smiled innocently.

Later, she nearly fainted when she heard from the butler that a bouquet of yellow roses cost almost as much as a servant’s yearly salary.

Elissa even remembered running to Ethan afterward and telling him that he did not have to give her a bouquet of yellow roses, making an excuse that flowers were gifts exchanged between lovers.

She bit the inside of her lip hard.

Could it be that he remembered what I said back then…… and that’s why he gave me the bouquet?

It was common to give someone a bouquet even if they were not lovers. But because they were yellow roses, and because the person who gave them to her was Ethan, she could not get rid of her suspicion.

If that’s the case, if he really gave them to me with that meaning…… why?

Why is he doing this now, after not sending me even a single letter for the past four years?

Elissa could not understand Ethan’s actions at all.

And she did not want to understand them.

She felt pathetic and foolish for worrying so much over a single bouquet he had sent that it was giving her a headache.

Elissa glared at the yellow roses so fiercely that sparks seemed ready to fly from her eyes. Then she suddenly stood up.

She strode toward the window and grabbed the yellow roses that were proudly displaying their full, beautiful appearance.

A small thorn that had not been removed dug into her skin, but Elissa did not even blink. Instead, when she squeezed harder, the delicate petals were crushed miserably.

Still not satisfied, Elissa carried the flowers and stood in front of the fireplace. Along the path she had walked, drops of red blood left painful traces.

Forget it. Forget that bastard.

Having made up her mind, Elissa raised her arm high. The few remaining petals fell one after another.

Because she was putting all her strength into it, Elissa’s arm trembled more than before. The blue eyes staring at the burning flames trembled as well.

Why can’t I throw it away?

Even though I know it will hurt, even though I know I’ll shed tears of blood, why?

Elissa bit her lips tightly because she understood herself even less than Ethan, who had given her the bouquet of yellow roses.

The flames that had comforted her troubled heart just moments ago now danced as if they were teasing her.

“Forget it. I have to forget!”

Elissa shouted loudly as if trying to encourage herself and squeezed her eyes shut.

She succeeded in swinging her arm, but that was all.

The yellow rose that she ultimately could not throw into the fireplace fell beside her foot with a soft thud.

Her face looked as miserable as the rose whose petals had fallen off by more than half.

Elissa sank to the floor just like that and covered her face with both hands.

Until the moon high in the sky tilted far to the side, the trembling of her shoulders did not stop.

When the document was lifted, the Emperor’s seal shone brilliantly.

It was a document stating that Ethan Esteban had been granted the title of Baron.

Normally, when someone who was not the head of a household received a title, they were given a new family name. But Ethan was an exception.

That was because there had never been anyone in the Esteban family who held a title.

Thus, the Esteban family had become House Esteban, a baronial family. Ethan was also scheduled to take over as the head of the family soon.

Though it was called becoming the head of the family, nothing would actually change.

The Esteban family consisted only of the elderly head of the family, whose hair had turned completely white, and his wife.

They did have one child, but apparently, not long after reaching adulthood, the child had died in an unfortunate accident.

Their relatives had scattered in all directions, and no one even knew whether they were alive or dead.

Although they were nobles, the family had no title, wealth, or honor. They were a noble family in name only.

Because of this, the head of the Esteban family readily accepted Ethan, who was not related to them by blood, as their adopted son.

Of course, there was a condition.

They wanted him to take care of them until the day they died.

Not for one or two years, but until their deaths.

Ethan had been about to refuse. He would become a noble anyway once he received his title, and he did not think it was wise to tie himself down with such a condition.

<You can only say that because you don’t know how much people who were commoners and became nobles are looked down upon in this world.>

Howard stopped him firmly.

Although it might only be a matter of appearances, Howard persuaded him that it was better to start out with noble status.

In the end, Ethan had no choice but to accept their offer.

“Ethan Esteban.”

The words that still did not feel familiar even after being repeated dozens of times made Ethan narrow his eyes.

He probably would never get used to them.

If he kept his promise, he would eventually abandon the Esteban family name as well.

“Ethan.”

Ethan had been staring at the document for a long time when he heard a beautiful voice that sounded like the singing of a skylark.

He turned his head.

Under a tree covered in bright pink spring flowers stood a woman with red hair that seemed ready to burst into flames.

“Your Highness the Princess.”

She was Camilla von Martinez, the second princess of the Kingdom of Petra.

She was also Prince Howard’s half-sister.

Camilla had become an adult the previous year, and as soon as she made her debut in high society, she had earned the title of the flower of high society because of her dazzling beauty.

She was also kind, warm, and gentle by nature, so most of the people in the Kingdom of Petra liked Camilla.

“I heard you became a baron. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Despite his curt answer, Camilla quietly laughed behind her hand as if she were delighted by it.

“I should give you a gift instead of merely congratulating you with words, but I happened to hear about it while I was on my way to see His Majesty, so I didn’t have time to prepare anything.”

“It’s all right. I am satisfied simply with Your Highness congratulating me.”

He was not saying it just to be polite.

He genuinely meant it.

He did not know what kind of consequences might follow if he received a gift from a princess, so it was best to receive nothing at all.

“I can’t do that for the hero who saved the Kingdom of Petra.”

Camilla approached him lightly, as if she were walking on clouds, and clasped both of his hands.

Her blue eyes, filled with Ethan’s reflection, sparkled shyly.

Anyone could tell that she looked like a girl who had fallen in love.

“I’ve been thinking for several days about what would make a good congratulatory gift, but I couldn’t think of anything suitable. Is there perhaps something you need?”

She had said she had happened to hear about it on her way to see the king, yet she had also said she had been thinking about it for several days.

The two statements did not match at all.

Ethan gave a silent scoff inwardly.

He knew Camilla was doing it deliberately, which made the situation even more troublesome.

“You really don’t have to. You’re probably busy preparing for the royal wedding, so you don’t need to worry about someone like me.”

It was considered a virtue for royalty to marry early and have many descendants.

Because of this, they usually became engaged around the age of fifteen and held their wedding as soon as they reached adulthood.

Camilla was supposed to do the same, but her wedding had been postponed because of the war.

Now that the war was over, unless something unexpected happened, she would hold the royal wedding sometime this year.

At the mention of marriage, Camilla’s face suddenly darkened.

Her tearful expression was pitiful enough to awaken sympathy even in someone who had none.

But Ethan’s expression remained indifferent.

“Ethan, I…….”

“Not Ethan. Baron Esteban.”

Ethan politely pointed out her mistake and pulled his hand free.

At the same time, the tear that had been precariously hanging at the corner of the princess’s eye fell.

He would have ignored it if she had been someone else.

But he could not do that because Princess Camilla was the king’s most cherished daughter.

Swallowing a sigh filled with irritation, Ethan took the handkerchief from his inner pocket and placed it in her hand.

“I became Baron Esteban today.”

Howard had nagged him so much that a gentleman should always carry a handkerchief that Ethan had reluctantly started carrying one.

He never expected it would be used like this.

“The ink on my title document has barely dried. I sincerely hope you will help ensure that I do not have to return this to His Majesty the King.”

His refusal was gentle, but firm.

Camilla’s head drooped helplessly.

Her hand, tightly gripping the handkerchief, had turned pale.

“Then, I will take my leave.”

Ethan politely bowed and turned around.

He heard the faint sound of sobbing behind him.

But he did not look back even once.