This kind of courtship is complicated - chapter 11
#11 Is it coincidence or fate?
"Here, Helios."
At first, bellia couldn't believe her ears when she heard those words. It couldn't be Lord Arzen, could it? She thought this and turned around, and then she doubted her own eyes.
It couldn't be Lord Arzen, could it? But when he smiled, bellia finally accepted that the person standing in front of her was Lord Arzen.
There was only one person in the world who smiled like that.
When something you desperately wished for suddenly becomes a reality, the fear that it might be a dream is the first thing to come to mind.
bellia experienced that today, and it took her some time to realize the truth.
"Am I not right? Who else would know Lord Arzen better than I, his grandson?"
bellia's face, which had been somewhat dazed, was instantly brightened by a radiant smile. The corners of her lips curved gently upwards.
"How can such a coincidence happen?"
"Whether it's a coincidence or fate, I don't know. Well, it must be one of the two."
She was a noblewoman, but she had become friends with bellia during their time together, and now she was smiling gently as she slowly got up.
"Klornet Arzen. Remember my name, bellia. I'd love to talk more, but I'm tired today. It was so pleasant to spend time together, and it was a delight to have a friend with whom my heart truly connected."
"Yes, of course. I feel the same way. I'll think of you whenever I walk down the streets of Diviana."
Klornet Arzen, who had become a good friend during their short meeting, appeared somewhat regretful at the news of her departure.
bellia was taken aback by this unexpected news and asked.
"You're inviting me to dinner?"
"Yes. You must come as my guest, bellia."
Klornet Arzen gently patted bellia's hand. It was a warm gesture that conveyed a lot of emotions.
bellia nodded, and Klornet Arzen, who was satisfied with her response, wore an expression of contentment.
Whatever it was, the fact that she had another chance to see Lord Arzen, and the stroke of luck that had brought her a like-minded friend, was undoubtedly a great fortune.
As bellia thought about it, she couldn't help but smile. She had initially thought it would only be a short meeting, but the anticipation of their next meeting made the feeling of regret even more poignant.
So there's no need to be sad, bellia Drevere!
Although she thought it was just for a moment, bellia's gaze lingered on Helios's face.
Since she had first seen him, she had drawn him countless times.
Could it be that if the first snowfall of winter had a soul and added flesh to its bones, it would look just like this man? From his straight nose to his softly closed lips, bellia's gaze slowly descended.
"Don't stare at me like that. If you have something to say, just say it."
His lips, tinged with red, suddenly parted. His gaze remained outside the window.
Startled, bellia asked, "How did you know I was looking at Lord Arzen?"
"I couldn't not know."
It was a very kind but also very concise response.
Ah, of course he couldn't not know. bellia had been whispering Helios's name earnestly after hearing his gentle voice, and she had turned her body in the direction he was sitting.
"In fact, there were so many things I wanted to say when we meet again, but I forgot them all when I saw Lord Arzen's face. If there's anything I want to say right now, it's that I'm very grateful that Lord Arzen remembered my face."
Vellia had too many words on her lips to claim that she had forgotten what to say. When her cheerful voice, which seemed like it would continue endlessly, finally fell silent, Helios turned his head slowly with a wry smile.
"One must be able to forget. Especially when you're a lady who proposed to me right after we met."
The crimson twilight outside the carriage window settled upon his face. Even though they were just making eye contact, it felt like a gust of wind was passing through her heart.
"And..."
Vellia, passing a postal carriage alongside their moving carriage, looked at him with eyes that sparkled like stars.
"Have my letters reached you well all this time?"
"Oh, those letters."
"I sent quite a few!"
"They all arrived safely. But, Vellia."
Helios's kind words were tinged with a sigh and a faint chuckle.
"How about we stop these jokes around this time? It's not that I'm angry, but continuing to tease me is starting to get annoying."
"Really...?"
What on earth was he saying? Vellia had to ponder for quite some time to understand the meaning behind the words she had just heard. So, as always, she carefully mulled over Helios's words while maintaining her gentle demeanor.
"Enduring such rudeness is because you are the daughter of the Duke of Drevere. But even with that reason, there must be a limit, right? Don't you think?"
A jest. So, this man regarded all of her emotions as jests. Vellia couldn't fathom how her heartfelt feelings had been misunderstood.
Was it because of his sudden confession? Or had she written something in her letters that could have led to this misunderstanding?
"You say it's a jest. That's impossible."
"What else is it if Vellia's words and actions toward me right now aren't a jest?"
"I'm inexperienced with such feelings, but one thing is for sure..."
"Stop."
"But I still have things to say..."
"Please stop. Come to think of it, we're not even anything to each other, but engaging in this conversation is quite amusing."
Helios cut off Vellia's words one-sidedly and flashed his usual brief smile. Then, he turned his gaze back outside the carriage window, signifying his desire for silence. Even though Vellia had been hesitating to speak earlier, she had no choice but to fall silent now.
It wasn't anger, nor was it sadness, yet her heart felt strangely heavy, and her throat felt warm for some reason. She couldn't quite define the emotion she was feeling for the first time.
Clutching the muffler she had left undone in her hand, Vellia struggled with her thoughts. She needed to clear up the misunderstanding, but she found herself unable to speak as she normally would in front of the person who usually made her smile. It was just frustrating.
The carriage continued on, picking up speed as it passed through the boundaries of Bricen and Doveriana and crossed the meadow. As they headed toward the horizon tinged with the colors of twilight, both of them remained silent for their own reasons.
"We're almost there."
After some time had passed and the surroundings darkened, the driver, who had been watching, finally broke the silence. Vellia raised her head abruptly, quickly scanned the surroundings, and replied,
"Please drop me off here."
"What? Right here?"
The driver was surprised by her sudden request. Helios, with a slightly furrowed brow, also looked outside. Beyond the carriage window, a path was visible. Poplar trees lined both sides of the road. The path looked rather dark in the midst of the night.
"Vellia, I'll drop you off in front of your house."
He made the suggestion, but Vellia stared straight ahead, firmly shaking her head. While it might seem like stubbornness to save face after Helios's previous attitude, she had her own compelling reasons not to be seen going to the rental shop. She couldn't speak of it here, but it was imperative that her visit to the rental shop remained a secret.
She couldn't speak of it here, though. Vellia clutched the book she held in her arms tightly. In response to the driver's inquiring gaze about what to do, Helios simply nodded, and the carriage soon came to a halt.
"Thank you. Please give my regards to my grandmother."
"I will."
Formal and straightforward greetings were exchanged. Vellia mostly kept her gaze on the floor, while Helios responded by looking directly at her. His demeanor remained consistently composed, in contrast to Vellia.
The driver got off the carriage first and opened the door for her. Without looking back, Vellia exited the carriage and walked along the path. The wind rustling through the poplar trees seemed to make her eyelashes feel warm, for some inexplicable reason.
Vellia lightly brushed her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling warmth and moisture there. She had been uneasy all this time. Something was amiss. Perhaps it was due to Helios's earlier attitude? Or had she written something in her letters that could have led to this misunderstanding?
"A prank, you say? That's impossible."
"If what Vellia says and does to me now isn't a prank, then what is it?"
"This is the first time I've felt this emotion, and though I'm not sure..."
"Stop."
"But I still have things to say..."
"Stop. I realized that exchanging words like this when we're not even anything to each other is quite ridiculous."
Helios desired silence. Vellia had been mumbling to herself, but she finally had to fall silent. It wasn't anger or sadness, but an inexplicable uneasiness settled in her heart, and her throat felt warm for some reason.
Sometimes words had their own timing. Once a certain period had passed, those words lost their value. Now was the right moment, and there was no greater regret than leaving those words unsaid.
Vellia eventually came to a stop in her tracks. It wasn't like Vellia Drevere at all to simply turn around and leave. She couldn't speak of it here, but she had significant reasons not to be seen heading to the rental shop. So she insisted on not turning back.
Helios suggested, "Vellia, I'll drop you off in front of your house." However, she shook her head firmly, keeping her gaze fixed ahead.
Her request might have seemed like stubbornness to save face after Helios's previous attitude, but she had her own valid reasons. She couldn't speak of it here, but she absolutely couldn't reveal her visit to the rental shop.
"But..."
The driver was puzzled by her sudden request, but Helios, without further questioning, nodded, and the carriage soon came to a halt.
"Thank you. Please give my regards to my grandmother."
"I will."
Formal and straightforward greetings were exchanged.
Vellia mostly kept her gaze on the floor, while Helios responded by looking directly at her.
His demeanor remained consistently composed, in contrast to Vellia.
The driver got off the carriage first and opened the door for her.
Without looking back, Vellia exited the carriage and walked along the path.
The wind rustling through the poplar trees seemed to make her eyelashes feel warm, for some inexplicable reason.
With the back of her hand, Vellia gently brushed her eyelids. She realized that even though she was walking along her favorite path in Bricen, she felt no joy. Her heart was troubled. Something was definitely amiss.
This discomfort persisted as she climbed halfway up the steep path. The carriage was still there, illuminating the path brightly. Each step she took felt heavy, as if a weight was settling with every stride.
Vellia finally came to a halt, remaining in her place. Turning back now was simply not in her character as Vellia Drevere.
Timing was important in speech, just as words had their validity periods. Right now was the right moment, and she had no regrets about speaking up rather than holding back her unspoken words.
Vellia turned around once more. At that moment, Helios also got out of the carriage, holding the red muffler in his hand.