# 33
“How is the lady?” Aachen's hesitant question was clear, making it easy to guess what he meant.
‘He is asking if the Grand Duchess liked the room.’
While Garen was pouring tea into Aachen's cup, he remembered Helen's face and replied:
“She seemed pleased that the room remained warm, and that the Grand Princess’s room was opposite hers.”
“...Really? It was good to get the renovations done.”
Aachen smiled, but his expression froze when he noticed Garen's gaze at him.
“Oh, did the lady inform you about tonight’s dinner with the subordinates?”
“Yes, I did.”
“I'm worried about the banquet.”
Aachen rubbed his knuckles, looking annoyed.
The followers invited to the banquet were mostly former knights who had survived harsh environments, which made them rude.
'I'm afraid they will talk to my wife disrespectfully...'
Although they behaved humbly in front of Aachen, it depended on who they were dealing with.
He was also concerned about the treatment of Helen's vassals' wives.
One, in particular, had previously abused the former Grand Duchess, Rose.
“Of course, Rose is a commoner, and the lady is a princess of Bethstein, so they probably won't act the same way, but… no one knows.”
He wished he could cancel the banquet, but doing so would hurt Helen's reputation in Belzeit.
He could imagine the rumors that would spread, and he got a headache just thinking about it.
‘If things get worse, I can silence them all.’
Aachen clenched his fist so hard that his veins popped out.
An hour later, Helen was in Sheveline's room, putting the baby to sleep.
“The deer asked the rabbit to be a friend, and the rabbit…”
“…”
“Baby, are you asleep?”
Shevellyn, who had been longing for a bedtime story, soon fell asleep in bed to the sound of Helen's soft voice, which sounded like a lullaby.
“Hmm?”
“Yummy… it looks delicious...”
Lying with her little limbs wrapped around her rabbit doll, Shevelyn murmured dreamily, apparently enjoying her dream.
Helen brought another blanket and gently covered Shivalin.
“The Grand Duchess.”
While Helen was watching Shivalin sleep, Elisha quietly approached her.
“What's wrong, Elisha?”
“The Grand Duke is here.”
“Grand Duke?”
Upon hearing the news of Aachen's arrival, Helan got out of bed cautiously, for fear of waking the child.
After combing her slightly messy hair and wrapping a shawl around her, Helen went to the living room, where Aachen, who was sitting on the sofa, got up.
“Madam, is the princess asleep?”
“Yes, it's time for her nap, so she fell asleep quickly.”
When Aachen heard that Shivalin was asleep, he walked quietly, almost standing on his tiptoes.
‘Even though her room is across the hall, and they are separated, he is still very careful…’
He was clearly a caring person by nature.
“Garen used to call Shivalin the Grand Princess too.”
Even in front of the servants, he made sure to call Shivalin the Grand Princess.
“If you'll excuse me, I'd like to show you around the palace.”
“The Grand Duke… personally?”
“Yes, I want to... but if it's uncomfortable...”
For some reason, she had an image of a drooping tail.
“Okay, that's okay.” Helen stifled a small laugh and nodded.
“Okay. Here you go.”
Aachen's face lit up with Helen's approval.
“The central staircase you used earlier is not the only one; there is another staircase on the western side.”
As she left the room, Helen listened to Aachen's explanation as they walked around the entire third floor.
“The library was built on the eastern side when Hestor Castle was first built.”
“So, there must be a lot of rare books that are no longer in circulation.”
“Indeed. This piano room was renovated last year.”
Through the glass window Aachen pointed to, a grand piano appeared.
Helen entered the piano room and played some keys.
Knock, knock, knock.
With the lid closed, the sound was not normal.
‘I was never good at playing, and my mother always advised me to look for a man who could play the piano.’
But Revan was just as bad at playing the piano as Helen.
“It's been a long time since I've seen a piano.”
‘Playing the piano was difficult for me then, and it still is now.’
As Helene turned to leave, Aachen approached her, encircling her in his arms.
“…!”
Helen felt Aachen's warm breath, and her body tensed.
She felt a strange tingling all over her body.
“…The Grand Duke?”
When Helen called Aachen, he extended his hand and began to play skillfully.
‘He doesn’t even take off his gloves while playing the piano…’
His muscles stirred under his rolled-up sleeves.
'His hands are big.'
Helen compared the size of her hands to Aachen's in a subtle gesture.
The melody played by his large hands was sweet to the ear.
Suddenly, Helen realized that the piece Aachen was playing was a familiar lullaby that her mother had sung to her.
'This is... 'Summer Memory', a song my mother often sang as a lullaby, right?'
Helen felt ashamed as she listened to the nostalgic melody she missed.
“...Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. It's been a long time since I entered the piano room, and my hands moved on their own.”
Aachen pulled his hands from the keys and took a step back, turning away slightly.
“It was a wonderful performance, Duke. How long have you been playing the piano?”
Helen tilted her head slightly and asked.
“I think I started learning to play when I was young. I enjoyed it because it made me feel comfortable.”
Aachen smiled a clear, calm smile as he put the cover back on the keys.
“Oh, there's something I'd like to show you.”
“Something you want to show me…?”
After leaving the piano room, Helen accompanied Aachen to the top of the tallest tower.
There was no reason to refuse, so Helen followed him in silence.
As she stared at Aachen's back, the shape of his shoulder blades became apparent.
She was surprised by Aachen's physical fitness, even though she knew his strength from the carriage ride.
Aachen noticed her distraction, so he slowed down to keep up with Helen.
"my lady."
“..?”
“We arrived.”
Aachen led her to a stunning view of the vast Grand Duchy of Belzeit.
“……”
The view from the highest point was different from what she saw below.
The sky was clear blue, almost within her reach.
As she inhaled deeply, the fresh air refreshed her mind and eased her fatigue.
“It's… very beautiful. Really.”
“I'm glad you love this place as much as I do.”
Aachen whistled lightly, then summoned an eagle, which perched on his arm.
“...!”
The eagle arranged its feathers elegantly before greeting Helen by raising its wing.
“Duke...? This eagle...?”
Helen was startled by the eagle's sudden appearance and felt confused.
“It's a bird called Khan, my father used to raise him. For some reason, he seems to have taken a liking to me.”
Whenever he talked about the former Grand Duke of Belzeit, Aachen had a pained expression on his face.
‘This means that memories are not easily triggered.'
“He is a smart and beautiful eagle.”
Helen patted the bird.
The eagle enjoyed Helen's touch, and soared towards a flag emblazoned with a crest when his eyes met Aachen's.
“Duke, what do the blue rose and white whale on the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Belzeit represent?”
Helen followed the eagle with her gaze, and asked Aachen.
“Parthenos, the grandfather who founded Belzeit, succeeded in growing blue roses, which was thought impossible.”
“Since delphinidin is not found naturally in it, magic must have been used.”
Aachen nodded, lost in thought.
“For this reason, although people do not know it, the meaning of the blue rose has changed among witches.”
“...changed?”
“From something that was thought impossible to a love that, like the blue rose in front of you, will soon become possible.”
He continued, looking at Helen.
“A miracle happened because one did not give up.”
She didn't know that the meaning of the blue rose had changed.
“…It's a wonderful change.”
She was embarrassed by the prejudice she held when she first received his proposal letter.
“The blue roses are in the greenhouse, the green rose greenhouse. It's a restricted area, but please visit it whenever you want.”
“The restricted area means that not everyone is allowed to enter, right?”
Helen asked cautiously, surprised by his suggestion of visiting the Blue Roses.
“Can I... come in?”
“As Lady Belzeit, there is no place in Hestor Castle that you cannot go.”
Aachen spoke confidently as if it were normal, and also explained the white whale accompanying the blue rose.
"Witches tend to hate restrictions. The white whale, also a sacred beast in Belzeit, symbolizes freedom."
At that moment, another breath of wind blew, and a strand of Helen's silver hair touched her cheek.
“I understand. Thank you for the clarification...”
Aachen gently placed the lock behind her ear and whispered in a low, soothing voice.
“The Holy Beast can only be summoned in the waters of Oswaltz...”
“……?”
“Will you accompany me there?”