Chapter 12
“I hear you love books. You’ve read this one often, haven’t you?”
“Yes… I have, but…”
“Then help me. I’m asking.”
Luirene nodded, caught off guard. Did nobles usually make requests like this? She was, after all, a servant. Even if he commanded her forcefully, she was in no position to refuse—yet Hitaon had asked with such courtesy it made her feel awkward.
“If the young master would come inside…”
“No. If we talk in there, we might disturb Grandmother’s nap. So I’d like you to come out here.”
But if she left the bedroom and went all the way around, someone else’s eyes might spot her and his sanctuary would be exposed. As Luirene hesitated, glancing toward the door, Hitaon rose from his spot and brushed off his hands.
“Vault over the window.”
“…Me? Over this?”
“It’s not that high. Easier than you think. I’ll help.”
What he meant by help became clear the moment she stood at the window. Hitaon wrapped his arms around Luirene’s waist and pulled her out in one swift motion, like yanking up a radish. Never expecting such a straightforward method, Luirene gasped and clung to his shoulders.
Still, a man was a man. He didn’t stumble, setting her down safely on the grass.
“I-I was startled.”
“Me too. You’re lighter than you look. Are you eating properly?”
“Of course. I’ve been eating better since I came here.”
Hitaon crouched back in his usual spot and gestured for her to come beside him. After smoothing her skirt, she sat next to him and lifted her head—a gasp escaped her lips.
It was only the difference between being inside the window and outside, but the feeling of nature was so much broader. The view without any frame was wider, greener than the one she’d seen through the square window. The deepening colors of approaching summer bloomed vividly in her eyes.
Above all, it was quiet. Only the small sounds of birds, rustling grass, brushing branches were clear; no artificial presence could be felt. That, more than anything, set her mind at ease.
So this is the view the young master sees. As she was realizing why he frequented this place, having experienced it herself, her left cheek prickled. Hitaon, seated to her left, was staring straight at her. Feeling as though he was chiding her for getting distracted, Luirene hurriedly opened her mouth.
“Um… you know the basic plot, right?”
“Roughly.”
“You’ve never read it?”
“I’ve never finished it. Personally, I don’t really prefer this type of book.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s undignified.”
“Undignified?”
“Doesn’t it feel rather pathetic, watching everything collapse over nothing but love?”
“…They say love is inherently childish.”
“I’m not denying the emotion. I just have a fundamental question—wouldn’t it be possible to achieve both love and honor, depending on one’s efforts?”
It was a perspective befitting a noble. If everything in the world could be resolved so smoothly, tragedies like this wouldn’t be so widely circulated in the first place. There was a reason people said human emotion was the hardest thing to control.
“As you probably know, this book chronicles the love story of Hiorel, a noble officer who lost his name, and Lianel, a clergyman’s daughter. There are many striking scenes, but the most famous among them is…”
“The cabin scene.”
“Yes… you know it well.”
The character Lianel in the work was falsely accused of being a wicked witch and was fated to be burned at the stake. The passionate lovemaking scene she shared with her lover, Hiorel, in a secluded cabin the night before that fate has been talked about to this day because of the deep impression it left on readers. When one mentions Milfiguer, the cabin immediately comes to mind.
The fact that the narrative, which had maintained a dry and restrained style up to that point, only in that scene exploded into an unusually sensual and dense prose style certainly contributed to its impact.
“That’s the kind of scene any man would eagerly go back and watch.”
“Is that from experience?”
“Who knows. It’s not like I’m the one doing it, so I have no reason to get excited like a green boy.”
His indifferent attitude truly seemed far removed from desire. His expression drew a clear line, as if to say it had no connection to his world.
“What was the thesis question again?”
“This one.”
When Hitaon asked about a vague scene, Luirene answered. Conversely, when she pointed out a part she found puzzling, he provided a clear explanation from a noble’s perspective. Hitaon’s workbook, which had been empty, filled up page after page beneath their blossoming conversation.
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