.jpg)
She bought trivial snacks from street vendors and looked at the crude objects displayed on stalls.
They were truly insignificant and trivial things, but Evelyn seemed to find them all interesting. And Cerden was watching Evelyn.
As luck would have it, today was market day. Thanks to that, it was more crowded than usual, and there were more things to see than usual.
"Husband! Try this!"
Evelyn held out a fruit skewer glistening with sugar water. Cerden reflexively opened his mouth.
Sweetness spread throughout his mouth.
Evelyn giggled, watching Cerden's face contort. Then she said solemnly.
"Are you being picky right now? You picky eater! You told Evelyn not to be picky!"
Cerden crunched down and swallowed. It was unpleasantly sweet, but seeing Evelyn smiling brightly made it bearable.
It was worth swallowing.
Looking at Evelyn's pure white smile, he shoved the rest into his mouth. Still sweet. But it wasn't unpleasant. Cerden stuck out his tongue and swallowed all the sugar stuck to his lips.
Evelyn stared blankly at that.
"It's not bad."
Cerden smiled brightly. Evelyn turned her head away.
"L, let's try something else! There are so many amazing things! Is there anything you want to see, husband? Hmm, that looks delicious too!"
Cerden, gazing at where Evelyn's finger was pointing, burst into laughter.
"Scorpions? Really?"
"N, no! Not the scorpions, the one next to it!"
Cerden leisurely followed Evelyn.
"What about Veronica's gift?"
"Ah, that's right!"
Seeing Evelyn's eyes widen, Cerden chuckled again. Whatever act Evelyn was putting on, the essence within seemed pure.
A person who knows how to be happy with small things. A person full of good intentions.
Strangely, he felt that conviction.
Doubt was being erased, and conviction was taking its place.
Pitiable, pitiful, weighing on his mind. A whirlwind of floral breeze swept through his heart.
It was clearly a spring day like any other.
Spring came even on the battlefield. Tender light green sprouts peeked out on the desolate prairie. It was the first spring he had experienced in the capital in a long time.
It was a spring day in May.
In between, there was Evelyn.
A petal fluttering in the air gently fell onto Cerden's palm.
At that moment, Evelyn turned around and smiled brightly.
"Ha."
Cerden let out a hollow laugh.
She's pretty.
He thought.
* * *
Veronica savored her tea.
"Your Highness chose this himself?"
Cerden glanced at Veronica and nodded. Evelyn had foisted it onto Cerden in the carriage on the way back.
It was a high-quality tea with a particularly rich aroma, and the moment she drank it, a refreshing coolness spread throughout her mouth.
"I thought you would choose something childish."
Veronica smiled.
"She chose something to eat, so that's childish enough. And the container was pretty."
Cerden replied monotonously. It was a pink container with a large ribbon tied around it. Evelyn seemed to be fascinated by the container.
No, it seemed like she was acting that way. She seemed to only care about the container and choose any tea, but that wasn't the case.
"I heard it has detoxifying properties."
"Hmm?"
Veronica raised her eyebrows and expressed her question.
"That tea. It's said to have detoxifying properties."
Cerden added once more.
"Your Highness really gave me something precious. How should I express my gratitude? I was thinking of filling the cookie jar you gave me before."
Veronica said in a soft voice.
Evelyn was a clear and transparent person, and being around her made her feel comfortable.
Evelyn wasn't bad.
She might be lacking as a Crown Princess, but she was a good person as family.
She was also cute. And this tea gift was truly Veronica's taste.
"Cookies?"
Cerden hid his cold gaze.
"She'd prefer something else. Like a book."
"A book?"
"Or a puzzle. Something to pass the time. It would be nice if it was pretty. Or even going out together."
"...You know quite a lot."
Veronica said, surprised. Cerden stared at the teacup.
Veronica didn't feel anything strange about Evelyn. It seemed that Cerden was the only one in this palace who felt that strangeness.
It was as if the whole world was deceiving Cerden. Or Evelyn was thorough.
"We're married."
"...Do you really think so?"
Cerden shrugged and placed a small box on the table.
"What's this?"
"A birthday present."
"From who?"
"From me."
"Why...?"
Veronica opened her mouth as if it was absurd. He wasn't the type of person to show such consideration.
Cerden fulfilled his duties and protected Veronica and her mother, but that was it. He wasn't kind or affectionate.
But a gift? And a birthday present at that?
Had the sky split in two?
Veronica stared at Cerden with her mouth agape. Cerden got up as if he had nothing more to say.
He bought the birthday present because of Evelyn.
'Birthday presents are important! If you don't get a birthday present, you'll be sad. If you're sad, you'll cry!'
It was a gift he had bought almost being pushed into it, but seeing the expression of the person who received the gift, he thought it wasn't bad. Just one outing had softened his heart.
Cerden turned his head before leaving the room. Veronica blinked in surprise. Cerden said quietly.
"Happy birthday."
It was the first kind word Veronica had heard from Cerden since she had grown up and become an adult. The teaspoon in Veronica's hand fell with a thud.
Cerden closed the door and left.
Veronica, left alone, moved her lips.
"He, he must be crazy."
What on earth is wrong with him? Cerden had changed. She had to meet Evelyn.
* * *
The next day.
She heard the news about Veronica's birthday. Cherryna and Rosie went out to prepare lunch, and Rozalina went out saying she would eat out.
Rozalina was acting more and more recklessly.
But that wasn't the problem.
Veronica's birthday party had to be enjoyable. But Spelman threw a wrench in it.
"Seriously, he can't tell when to butt in and when not to."
She gritted her teeth. Veronica didn't want a big banquet. She was quiet by nature and didn't have any close young ladies to hang out with, so she wanted to spend time with her family.
It was Spelman who overturned that and prepared a banquet as he pleased. Cherryna and Rosie chattered about it being Spelman's grace.
"Spelman's grace my ass."
She crunched on the candy Cerden had given her.
Her heart, which had been at ease thanks to the almost first outing, felt agitated due to stress.
He definitely had an ulterior motive.
Lext Spelman only moved when he had a purpose to achieve.
Thinking of Duke Spelman made her whole body tremble. She hugged her arms tightly around her body, feeling a strange chill.
"What's his ulterior motive, really."
Evelyn and his wife were the only two who suffered from high fever due to the epidemic. Lext stood by as his wife died.
He didn't save her even though he could have.
As Evelyn's buried memories surfaced one by one, she felt so horrified that her head spun.
'Let her die. It will be more helpful to us if she dies.'
Duke Spelman's conversation with the doctor next to her, who knew about the high fever, remained in her hazy memory. It was a memory that remained before Evelyn's brain was damaged.
'I heard his wife's family went bankrupt due to debt. It might be better to cut ties like this. It's better than being held back. Let's handle it neatly like this.'
Duke Spelman was a person who used everything in his life. Why did she have to remember this? The only reason Evelyn was able to live was probably because Duke Spelman wanted something from Evelyn.
He said Evelyn was smart. He probably didn't expect it to turn out like this.
So it couldn't be Spelman's grace.
"What are you plotting again."
She shouldn't take her eyes off Rosie and Cherryna for a while. He doesn't give her a break.
It was a week before Veronica's birthday banquet.
.jpg)