Chapter 105
“Laurea was always healthy, after all.”
Only then did I recall that Danel himself had been frail as a child.
Naturally, I began to wonder. Did Danel also have something he regretted?
As if he could see right through my thoughts, Danel spoke first.
“In my case, it was the very act of going outside.”
“Where did you want to go? The garden?”
“Quite literally, beyond the walls of my room.”
He stepped onto a stone on the path before answering.
“My elder brother, the firstborn, had collapsed with illness hundreds of times before he turned eight, and I too was born weak. Do you think my mother would have allowed me to leave my bedchamber?”
Saying this, Danel held out his hand to me. I took it and stepped onto the stone he had already secured in place.
Only one thought came to mind.
So that was why he could so mercilessly confine others—because he too had once been confined within a room.
I couldn’t help but smile. Just as I had learned to pick locks because of my family, Danel had learned how to imprison people. Thinking of it that way, we were an absurdly well-matched pair.
Danel, who had been gazing at my face, spoke.
“Do you intend to accept the suggestion?”
“Mm. I think it will be fine.”
From the start, it was a proposal with no reason to refuse. After all, it meant we would have time for just the two of us.
Ireneo would enjoy it since no one would be forcing naps on him, the Countess would be happy to finally experience the childcare she had once missed out on… everyone would be satisfied except the Count of Veloce, whose wife’s attention had been stolen away by his grandson.
It was then that Danel brought up something unexpected.
“In that case, would you like to visit the capital?”
At his surprising words, I turned to look at him. My face was reflected in those violet eyes.
“This is the perfect season for traveling. The spring festival in the capital begins next month.”
“The spring festival?”
“Yes. It’s a festival where each of the three main squares is decorated with flowers of a different color. From one of them, the view is directly visible from the townhouse of the Count’s family.”
Danel lowered his eyes slightly, as if recalling something.
“The western square doesn’t have much space for flowerpots, so it is the least adorned. But a long promenade runs along the flowerbeds there. I imagine… Laurea would enjoy it as well.”
“Mm… you seem to know the details quite well. Have you been there before?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
At that moment, Danel’s brows knit slightly.
It was an expression I had grown used to—the look he wore when he was about to speak of something he would rather not.
“…In order to be ordained as a priest, one must spend a certain length of time at the Grand Cathedral.”
“Ah.”
Only then did I understand why Danel had brought up only the spring festival.
‘Because if he mentioned it, I would surely insist on visiting the Grand Cathedral.’
In the capital stood the Grand Cathedral, the headquarters of the monastery where he had spent many years. To be honest, as someone who wasn’t a believer, it wasn’t a place that particularly interested me.
But if it was the place where my husband had spent a significant part of his life, the story was different.
As if realizing my thoughts, Danel looked slightly uneasy.
Without meaning to, I laughed.
“ All right, let’s go. No… I want to go.”
“…You mean the spring festival?”
“Yes, and the Grand Cathedral as well.”
At my words, Danel let out a sigh. He truly must not have wanted to show me the Grand Cathedral.
But of course, Danel did not refuse me.
From that day, we completed all preparations within a week.
Though still too young to understand what “we’ll be back in a month” meant, Ireneo nevertheless sent us off with a bright smile.
And so, we departed on our journey to the capital.
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