Stone Thrown into the Lake

Chapter 16

“…Sister.”

Yvor Adela, who had been waiting long before Duran opened his mouth, smiled at the sound of his voice.

“What’s wrong, my Dew?”

Her gaze was locked on his, as if it were made to be a lasting pair. Duran looked sideways, but the feeling of her gaze remained clearly on his skin, as if it were dew and warmth. Eventually, he made eye contact with her again.

“Hmm?”

Yvor urged with a friendly sound. Duran couldn’t answer immediately and hesitated.

The sprouts in Duran Craig’s heart grew well. It may have sprouted slowly, but its growth was speedy. Her eyes, which were trained on him endlessly, became the sun to his sprout, her voice brought a breeze whenever she whispered his name, and her precious touch was like welcome rain. All of that was given by Yvor.

However, it was his heart that allowed the sprout to take root. The roots grew wider and deeper, taking possession of his heart. With the growth of the sprout, came increasing concerns of her reaction to his words. He became conscious of each of his gestures and words.

His sister was a soft and sweet person. She was easily affected by his words, so he couldn’t help but worry, as he didn’t want to hurt her or upset her.

“Dew?”

Yvor’s fingertips touched the back of his hand, before wrapping around Duran’s hand. The gesture was filled with care, as if his hand would break if she gripped it tightly. Duran cleared his throat.

“I want to go out of the castle.”

He looked at the small hand covering his instead of Yvor’s face. It was hard to guess what she thought of his words. Yvor bent her fingers and continued holding his hand. Even if Duran didn’t see it, she laughed because she was happy.

Yvor Adela was delighted. She was so happy that she could do something for Duran. Her heart was full and she felt content whenever he talked about what he wanted.

“Where would you like to go?”

‘Where shall we go?’ Yvor mulled enthusiastically. At his request, she would willingly let him experience the sensation of soaring in the sky.

“No, that’s not it…”

Duran, who was trying to soften his voice, eventually frowned. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t speak with a similar tone. His expression was rigid.

The warmth covering the back of his hand made him aware of all the light movements of her fingers, causing him to frown. What kind of expression should he make? He was hesitant to express himself in ways other than a frown.

“That’s not it. So…”

Duran even breathed in once. He said again, Yvor waited for his next words.

“I wanted to go out alone.”

Yvor blinked. Duran was unable to accept that they had the same eyes, as he was unable to capture such a warm feeling in his.

Yvor became a little sad, and felt ashamed soon after. She misunderstood his request as an invitation for an outing together, and made judgments based on her own wishful thinking. But she managed to listen to what Duran wanted.

‘I see.’ Yvor Adela was apologetic for not being able to stay by his side in the past, so she wanted to be beside him now. Instead of leaving him alone, she was content to be near him as his shadow.

But what about her brother’s, Duran Craig’s, opinion?

“Sure.”

Duran, who became uneasy and was wondering if he should speak up, was relieved at her delayed answer.

“Be careful…”

Her hand which was holding Duran’s, moved slightly. Soon, his heart moved with her hand gesture. Could it be that she was anxious? It was hard to discern the worries that Yvor might have based on her expression.

The emotions that Yvor expresses were things that Duran Craig had given up on at a young age. The warmth that was easily provided to others, cannot be given to him. Since he had no experience in receiving, he was unable to offer any words of comfort, with the exception of the only ones he knew. It was the same ones Yvor whispered repeatedly as she hugged him on the day she met him again.

I love you.

Duran opened and closed his mouth, at a complete loss of what to do. Feeling foolish, he frowned at himself. Her affection for him made him unable to think straight, and instead a feeling of happiness consumed him, as if he were floating.

‘So what should I say?’ It was a complete mystery to him. He’ll be careful? But what was there for him to be careful about?

After contemplating for a long time, Duran Craig opened his mouth.

“I’ll be right back.”

Yvor Adela laughed. His sister listened to him and laughed. He made her laugh. Embarrassed at the surge of pride he felt, he held onto Yvor’s hand impulsively.

◇ ◆ ◇

She refused to send a portrait from the artist sent by the Dunmels, and also had no intention of sending one of her own. The lack of desire to become the prince’s wife was evident, or at least that was what Sidis can conclude. In other words, he was rejected. He got dumped. It will become a perfect target to ridicule Sidis.

“Why?”

Ziark shrugged. He, too, was unsure of the reason. He continued somewhat hesitantly.

“The message from the Salzmia family was too vague. After digging deeper did I find out that the Lady refused to.”

“Do you have a friend there?”

“Isn’t she a girl who’s never been out of a country castle? She’s clean in that way.”

Ziark spoke with more certainty than before. She might become his master’s wife, so he looked into her using his connections. However, this line of reasoning became rather questionable to Sidis.

“Then why?”

Sidis Murka couldn’t help but wonder. The position of princess and future queen was coveted universally, including the Lady he was avoiding today, Merley Kleir.

To be more precise, she shouldn’t refuse. That was the case with all daughters hailing from nobility, who would have been raised and educated to perform according to their respective positions and the corresponding duties.

His wife was not chosen based on his preference, just like how neither the eldest daughter of Thiero, who should be in the carriage by now, nor Merley Kleir, wanted to marry Sidis out of love. Everyone did what they had to do, like apples falling to the ground.

“Why do you ask me that?”

Ziark, who didn’t view marriage as pessimistically as Sidis did, replied softly.

“The prince should understand better than I do. ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like that, I don’t need love for life, I don’t want power…’ You’re just a prince, aren’t you?”

“…That makes sense.”

Sidis Murka laughed. While awaiting the day that he too, would fall to the ground like an apple, he had unexpectedly witnessed the transformation of an apple to a butterfly.

His interest was kindled.

◇ ◆ ◇

In the middle of the night, the name that suddenly came to mind stayed persistently. Yvor Adela Gremory-Wundt-Salzmia. Sidis Murka recalled her name once. Mouthing a woman’s name in the middle of the night was very much contrary to his usual demeanour.

The current Marquis of Salzmia famed for his luxury. Sidis perceiving him negatively was due to rumours of his promiscuity surpassing his father’s, and not the fact that the Marquis of Salzmia was a half-fallen family.

Any other memories that Sidis could recall about the Salzmias prior to today’s events were vague. At a young age, the eldest daughter of Salzmia became a ceremonial saint and headed to the provinces, while the younger son was an illegitimate child. Even so, he was remembered as a topic of debate, due to the fact that men with lovers willing to acknowledge an illegitimate child as their own son were rare.

In other words, it was just information, akin to flowers blooming next to the tree. But that had changed in an instant, and information became people. It sparked an interest like never before. Sidis spoke aloud.

“Lady Salzmia. The Lord of Serium.”

Unprecedentedly, he became engrossed in thoughts of an unfamiliar woman, despite not knowing her face or personality. A father that left his child in the care of others, and a mother that went down to the territory with her lover.

Having witnessed the separation of her parents, did she grow up innocently within the confines of a lakeside castle, and decided to refuse? What were the thoughts and desires that were going through her mind, that ended up refusing marriage, love, power and the orders of her father? Sidis Murka started comparing her to his situation.

‘Aren’t we alike?’

Sidis laughed at the fact that he felt a sense of identity with someone he had yet to meet, let alone exchange introductions. Underneath his smile, an unknown feeling welled up in his heart. The forest that had been suppressed thus far shook slowly. A dried up tree fell with a thud at an unidentified place, announcing its existence.

Born as a prince, he had the freedom and resources to obtain everything and become anything he desired. But it was precisely because of that, that he was indifferent to everything except his duty. Sidis Murka was content to live as an apple that would fall to the ground if thrown, until a butterfly flew before his eyes.

“… ….”

Sidis held his tongue unconsciously. Then he tried vocalising the words at the tip of his tongue differently.

“Yvor.”

It was the name of a woman he did not know. It was also the name of whom he wanted to get to know. Yvor Adela. His heart beat to the syllables of her name.

For the first time in his life, Sidis Murka felt an impulse to throw everything aside and run to meet her. Unfamiliar with the concept of desires, he was unaware of how to suppress his whims. In the past, he was not required to control his wants because he wanted for nothing. Now, the feelings he was harbouring for the first time were interesting, and he didn’t want to endure.

Thus, the prince, who had neither wanted nor desired before, surrendered himself to the strange impulse.

◇ ◆ ◇

Editor’s note:

Apples falling to the ground is used to describe that fulfilling one’s duty is as natural as the laws of gravity.

In Sidis’ context, as the prince and the next in line for the throne, he didn’t have the luxury to prioritize his emotions and had always remained indifferent. He thought that everyone was similarly duty bound, until Yvor came along (and shalala he grew heart eyes XD)

In the context of noblewomen, their main duty is usually to marry off and secure alliances for the sake of their family. But when they’re married off, they are considered a part of their husband’s family, hence they are the apple that has fallen from the tree, the tree being their own maiden family.