Princess Shu - Chapter 80

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What was that about?

Valia thought about it all winter. And even though she kept thinking about it, she could not think of anything in particular. The only thing that came to mind was Schuden’s expression being very different from usual.

Numerous thoughts rolled through her mind. As Valia closed her eyes, a gentle wind brushed against her skin.

Valia was quite pleased with the mild weather in the southern territory. If she was not obligated to deal with the affairs of the Duchy and Garth Castle, the southern territory would be good enough to be a place of rest for her. Valia put down her book and stood up. Then, she walked to a wide-open window. She put her hand on the frame and leaned her upper body out of the window.

“It’s always beautiful.”

Valia murmured softly. Just looking at the yard that the skilled gardeners worked hard on made her feel good. While the yard in the capital’s Garth manor might be large, the yard in the castle was even larger still. Looking at the beautiful yard in the afternoon sun, Valia suddenly remembered the sunflower field.

A few days ago, the gardeners said the sunflowers would soon be in full bloom. But since sunflowers are said to be a flower that will stay in bloom for a long time, and since she was busy with her work at that time, Valia decided to delay her visit to the field for when she had ample free time.

‘Now that I think of it, shall I go now?’

It was a relaxing afternoon. Valia had already taken care of everything she needed to and had nothing more to do. After determining to go out, Valia immediately left the study. The maids sitting on chairs outside the room quickly got up.

“Call the carriage for me, and Sir Robin, too. I’m going to the sunflower field in the backyard.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Robin followed Valia closely whenever she went out. After two seasons had passed, Valia had become quite accustomed to his escort.

Valia went down to the second floor, then changed her clothes with the help of a maid. Valia chose a light sky blue dress. Even though it was a dress, it was not heavy to wear. In fact, it being a summer outdoor dress made wearing it feel refreshing.

The thin, light sky blue ruffle fluttered as Valia walked. The dress with white lace ribbons everywhere was the work of Fleur. Valia had not terminated her exclusive contract with Fleur even after going to the southern territory.

Whenever the season changed or whenever a new fashion was released, Fleur Beauty Boutique sent dresses tailored to Valia’s measurements to Garth castle. The payment was, of course, paid fairly.

The difference from when she was in the capital was that there were more indoor and outdoor dresses than banquet dresses. Fleur was a designer who carried out Valia’s requests perfectly.

Valia wore a hat to cover the sun and tied the hat’s ribbon under her chin, Fleur designed and sent the hat as a set so it went well with her clothes. Valia did not wear high-heeled shoes. Instead, she wore navy shoes with low heels that were comfortable for her feet. If the dress was long enough to cover her ankles, Valia would have worn leather shoes that were optimized for walking. She used to wear them a lot when she was a kid. Valia chuckled at the thought.

“Get in the carriage, Madam.”

Robin was half-armed today as well. Valia was sure that he had heard that she was going to the sunflower field, but he still dressed strictly according to code. Valia held back her laughter and held Robin’s hand. Then, she got into the carriage.

A gust of wind flew into the carriage through the window that Valia had left open. Her black hair fluttered long before being tucked behind her ear. Soon, the carriage stopped, and she had already arrived at the sunflower field.

‘It’s a very vague distance.’

The distance between the field and the castle would be too long a walk but too short a carriage ride. The fact that the backyard of a noble castle was this far was surprising from the beginning. After tidying up her hair, Valia was escorted out of the carriage by the young knight. Then, she looked as far away as she could with anticipation.

“Wow…”

There were sunflowers all over.

A golden color seemed to melt away the summer sunlight. The sunflowers were large and full of petals, and they were as tall as, or even taller, than Valia. And whenever the wind blew, it seemed to wave in gold. As the gardener assured, it was truly spectacular.

Valia wished she could see it with Schuden. The disappointment lingered lightly in her mind.

‘It can’t be helped. I’m sure he’s in the capital now. I won’t even ask him to come here even after he comes to the Duchy.’

Soothing her shame, Valia walked to the field of full-blown sunflowers. The scenery was more beautiful than expected and the atmosphere was idyllic.

The drowsy afternoon sunshine softened her heart. The gentle breeze shook her sky blue brim.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Even while the lady of the house went out to the backyard, Garth castle was still busy. The weather was warm and the number of employees passing by was well over 100, so the door was left open, closing only at sunset. A maid walked toward the door to cross from the main building to the annex. Without much thought, the maid rolled up the embroidered tapestry that had been placed on the door facing south out of the entrance.

Then, shock spread across her face.

“Gasp…G, greetings to Lord Garth!”

With the maid’s loud voice, the attention of the employees in the hall gathered to her at once. Soon, their eyes were wide open. The employees who were dealing with their assigned tasks rushed to the door and bowed their heads according to etiquette. Some ran to inform Paul and Sarah.

“Greetings to Lord Garth.”

“Greetings to Lord Garth.”

Schuden Garth was back. The employees were so bewildered that they did not immediately notice that there was no attendant behind their master. Schuden was the only one who was calm and unbothered. Walking alone, he looked around indifferently at his employees.

“Where’s the lady?”

Just in time, the maid who helped Valia change her clothes was in the group of employees that gave their greetings to Schuden. She knew where the lady had gone, and said in a careful voice.

“Your Grace, Madam has gone to the sunflower field in the backyard.”

“…Sunflower field?”

Schuden had never heard of there being a sunflower field before and had long removed the word ‘backyard’ from his mind. He wondered where that was, slightly distorting his eyebrows. Then, Paul rushed in, having heard the news of Schuden’s return before Sarah.

Schuden, of course, did not tell Paul anything about his return. He did not hide it on purpose, he just did not have time for it. Schuden Garth came straight down to the southern territory from the triumphal banquet.

“Your Grace! Why didn’t you inform…”

“Where’s the sunflower field?”

Then, he immediately asked Paul a seemingly incomprehensible question—one that he could not understand immediately. But Paul was a general butler with a fearsome wit. Moreover, he had already heard of where the lady had gone. Paul, who understood his master’s question with only a few blinks, answered in a carefree manner.

“It’s a field just a short way from the castle’s backyard. The lady went for a walk there about half an hour ago.”

“Is there such a thing in the backyard?”

“You once ordered its cultivation to the gardeners while you were giving the order to clear the castle, Your Grace. You told them to plant sunflowers in one spot of the backyard.”

Paul described it as ‘clearing’ but it was actually ‘closure’. And it had occurred a few days when there was almost a storm in Garth castle. The center of the storm was, of course, Schuden. It was then that Paul became the general butler.

Paul was originally a regular butler from a relatively young group. There was another general butler, but he was kicked out overnight. It happened a few days before the death of the former Marquess Garth, and before Schuden went to the capital to be conferred as the new Marquess Garth.

A general butler was treated respectfully in a noble family, but there was no mercy to be found from this cold master. Schuden turned the old castle upside down like a piece of paper. The castle’s atmosphere had become so brutally heavy that it was difficult for even a knight to endure, and Schuden seemed like he would strike any remnant’s head off should they still stay at the castle. Eventually, almost all the loyal servants of the former Marquess Garth were then driven out or went missing.

‘No, there was an overwhelming number of missing people.’

Paul did not want to imagine what had happened to them. None of them would have ended well. It was a vague intuition of his. But in any case, Paul became the general butler, and a new housekeeper was chosen—Sarah. They cleared the huge castle in a few days and went to the manor in the capital with many employees. It was all the will of their new master.

“Did I?”

“Yes, the gardeners said that you gave the order in passing.”

Schuden frowned. After hearing Paul out, he vaguely remembered something like that. It was when the castle was about to be shut down completely. And what he had for the former Marquess Garth was nothing but hatred and vengeance. Thus, all that the former Marquess cared and cherished for were objects of contempt to Schuden.

One of them was the personal backyard of the former Marquess Garth. Schuden had ordered the gardeners to tear down the backyard. And yet, it was not satisfactory to him. So he said in an unpleasant voice.

‘Plant a bunch of sunflowers.’

He did not mean anything in his words. He just spat it out because he thought he would feel better if cheap sunflowers covered the backyard that the former Marquess Garth had cherished so much. He forgot about it after he went to the capital.

But he could not believe that Valia went there. Schuden immediately turned around.

“Prepare the horse.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The horse that Schuden rode to go to the castle was exhausted, it had run nonstop from the road warp. After being brought another horse from the stables by the fast servant, Schuden immediately got on.

He remembered where the personal backyard of the former Marquess Garth was. Though it was not too far away, he could not afford to walk. If he could afford such a thing, Schuden would not have attended the triumphal banquet for half an hour. He would have gone to the territory right away.

After racing with all its might, the horse slowed down shortly after Schuden gave strength to its reins. He clearly saw the sunflower field, it was noticeable even from a distance.

Schuden’s red eyes subsided a little. It was silent. Whenever the wind blew, the golden sunflowers fluttered.

“…”

He suddenly remembered the old days. Growing up, Schuden’s hair became a little reddish-blonde, but when he was young, his hair was bright gold. It looked like melted honey, and also like the sunlight. There was a time when his younger brother said that his hair color was similar to that of a sunflower. So he plucked up a sunflower and put it on young Schuden’s hair. He was excited just by doing so. Schuden grinned and muttered.

“Now I’m even thinking of all sorts of things.”

Schuden swept his hair back. The horse started running again. It was easily a short distance even with a carriage. In the blink of an eye, Schuden found a carriage. The coachman, who was looking at his horse’s horseshoe, suddenly looked up when he noticed a shadow being cast. His expression was dazed only for a brief moment.

“…Gasp! G, greetings to Lord Garth.”

“Is the lady ahead?”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Alone?”

“No! Sir Robin is with her!”

Schuden quickly got off his horse, and the coachman grabbed his horse’s reins. After a long time away, Schuden entered the sunflower field. He could not remember how many years it had been. When he was a child, he used to run to the sunflower field in the village as soon as he woke up. Schuden took a step between those lush sunflowers. His first step was moving toward a sign of life.

Outstretched green stems and golden petals distracted him.

Sunshine. Wind. The afternoon time.

And finally, her.