This kind of courtship is complicated - chapter 9
#009 - Nightmare
"I'll come back again!"
Ding dong. The sound of a bell hanging on the door resonated cheerfully. Belia had been engaged in various discussions about Mr. Holt and the book she had borrowed last time. Unbeknownst to her, the streets had gradually bathed in the warm golden sunlight.
However, the city streets remained as vibrant as an early afternoon. Laughter from lively children in the park filled the air, and many people sat in open-air cafes, peacefully sipping their tea or coffee.
So, it would be a shame to return now.
In fact, Belia had already come to that conclusion even before arriving at the rental store. With her newly acquired book tucked under her arm, she strolled down the streets of Debeiana, where shops and public facilities lined up one after another. With every exhale, her breath formed a gentle white mist in the chilly air.
The world was changing rapidly, and Debeiana's streets were a place that readily accepted these swift transformations. Just as the dense summer forests of Brichen were replaced by the concrete buildings in the city, Belia found a unique charm in observing the various structures that dotted the urban landscape.
As she walked along the streets, Belia pondered what it would feel like to stroll down this very road with Marquis Helios Arzen on a bright spring day. In her recurring beautiful daydreams, he was naturally there with her.
"Oh, Belia, these flower petals resemble you. Perhaps that's why my time seems to have stopped on this cherry blossom path," Marquis Arzen would say, standing in the middle of the elegant cherry blossom-lined road, gazing into her eyes.
Belia would shyly respond by inserting her name into a line from a play she had seen last spring. "Underneath the Acne Bridge," the play's leading lady had said after hearing similar words, and it had made her feel like she was flying in the sky. If things went as smoothly as in her dreams, she might actually be able to say those words.
Belia smiled softly, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue, perhaps from the cold. It seemed she had only just realized that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning. She made a mental note to include stories about the upcoming spring day in today's letter.
"If there were colors for unrequited love, they would surely resemble the milky-white cherry blossom petals," she thought as she carefully penned her first sentence. After that, she would jot down interesting events from last spring. That way, she could naturally introduce Marquis Arzen to the play "Underneath the Acne Bridge." There had been quite a humorous incident on the day they went to see that play.
"And a reply?" Belia's servant would often ask, shaking her head in response to the recurring question. Belia always shrugged and lowered her shoulders, disappointed that she hadn't received a reply. However, she never felt disillusioned by her emotions for Helios Arzen. She cherished the love she had felt for him since the beginning.
So, writing a letter to Helios Arzen was a task that came with a mix of anxiety and great joy for Belia. It was her only means of recalling the Marquis, whom she had seen only on that dream-like Christmas Eve and never again since. Yet, a single reason was enough to keep writing these letters even without a reply.
As they neared Endis Department Store, the number of people around them increased dramatically. Belia observed lovers holding hands tenderly, followed by happy families with children. The gentle morning sunlight cast a warm glow on her light brown hair, making it appear even brighter than usual.
Lost in thought, Belia didn't notice the bicycle approaching from behind until it whizzed past her, cutting through the wind. An elderly lady standing beside her was startled and clutched her chest.
"Are you okay?"
Belia asked the lady, concerned, unable to move forward. The elegantly smiling lady nodded briefly, and just as Belia was about to resume her walk, the elderly lady suddenly seemed disoriented, furrowing her brow as if in pain, then staggered.
Belia, who was closest to her, quickly reached out to support her. In doing so, the book she was carrying slipped from her grasp, along with the lady's lost hat, onto the pavement.
The lady's attendants, who had been standing nearby, rushed forward to check her condition. In the commotion, Belia, separated from the crowd, looked at the elderly lady with anxious eyes, but then the lady, who had been breathing rapidly, suddenly laughed.
Belia's face had become even redder than before, probably realizing for the first time that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.
When Belia smiled slightly, the lady couldn't help but soften her voice as she spoke.
"I was waiting for my grandson. Miss, do you happen to have some time?"
******
" Waking from a Nightmare"
Helios awoke from his slumber, breathing somewhat heavily. Echoes of Roseyne's horrifying screams reverberated in his ears, and his hands bore the sticky residue of dried blood. Vivid scenes flashed before him, but the touch of the bedsheet under his fingertips and the cold sweat on his forehead eventually reassured him that it had all been a dream.
It clung to him relentlessly.
Years could pass, but the memory of that day remained as vivid as ever. Harnele Manor, Roseyne standing between him and the assassin determined to end his life, the knife slicing into the girl's thigh. The overly distinct past was thrust upon him on this harsh summer day without warning.
Pale sunlight slanted through his black pupils. He could guess that it was past noon. Helios scanned the room again, this time wiping his hair from his forehead. He had overslept compared to his usual early starts.
He had regained his composure, but the day was as cool as his well-defined features.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
A little while later, as the bell rang, his butler and footman arrived. The footman left after placing a glass of water, but it seemed the butler had business of his own and lingered before him for quite some time.
The sound of ice clinking softly in the room, like the color of water, reached him. Helios had to struggle to clear his dry throat before finally lifting his head.
"What is it? Ah, a letter from Miss Belia D'Viore?"
The butler's expression seemed somewhat surprised by the mention of Belia D'Viore's letter, but he soon provided an answer.
"Due to delays in postal deliveries, it is expected to arrive around tomorrow. Should I send someone to fetch it quickly if you've been waiting?"
"No."
There was no need to go through such trouble. It would be a waste of time.
Helios, wiping the moisture from his lips, inquired, "Then what message do you have for me?"
With a faint smile on his face, and an attitude that was both arrogant and polite, just like the well-known Marquis Arzen, Helios asked. The discomfort from the nightmare still lingered, but he kept it hidden.
"Lady Bellia D'Viore is waiting for you. Madam has already left ahead."
"She went out?"
"She decided to go to Debeiana Street with you today."
"Ah."
The promise made a few days ago, which he had forgotten due to his busy schedule, suddenly came to mind. Helios placed the glass he had picked up back on the table.
"Did she say anything when she left?"
"She mentioned she would go ahead and asked you to follow as soon as possible."
"I see."
With a casual nod, Helios stood up.
"I'll get ready to leave after I wash up."
Leaving a brief instruction, he turned around, approaching the window with the drawn curtains. He raised his chin to face the bright world bathed in sunlight. As Helios Arzen gazed into the radiant world, a faint gray shadow cast itself over his head.
Roseyne Levearn. He thought of her name without much enthusiasm.
It was the beginning of a rather unpleasant day.