The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 88
The two followed her to a massive corridor leading to the Convent.
The sense of its size came not from its width, which was narrow, but from the ceilings that seemed to rise infinitely high.
Following the corridor, they arrived at a hall filled with countless drawers.
Fezin had initially felt a sense of distaste at the word 'drawer' on the note Rian had given him. But standing here now, he realized his judgment had been born of ignorance.
These were not mere storage units for casual safekeeping.
It was said that the number of drawers had grown this large as they were crafted one by one for those who could not afford a coffin or a plot of land for burial.
The space was solemn. Every time the nuns passed through, they offered prayers for the peace of the deceased who had departed into the sea.
April murmured.
「What do you know, they've been doing just fine. And here I was, struggling.」
Fezin worried over what expression he should wear at her words. However, judging by the sentence structure, it was likely a joke, so he decided to laugh. It seemed to be the right answer, as April followed suit with a smile.
The nun, who had led them to Drawer 35 where the former Lunos couple rested, bowed and took her leave.
April pulled out the drawer, which was about the length of her arm.
Inside were two funerary urns, a small piece of cloth cut from the collars of the clothes the couple had worn, and a book that appeared to be one of their personal belongings.
April stared into the drawer in silence. Then, she spoke with a smile.
「It's been a long time. I've been doing well.」
Despite saying moments ago that she had been struggling, she lied to her parents, telling them she was fine.
「I missed you.」
Muttering those words, April couldn't continue. She bit her lip, then turned to Fezin.
「Make me laugh.」
「Huh?」
「I want to laugh. I don't want to cry.」
Well, she did have to maintain the lie that she was doing well.
Fezin understood. He began to tell her various stories from his time at the Military Academy, things he knew April enjoyed hearing.
Watching April quickly brighten up at his tales, Fezin asked curiously.
「Why do you like stories about the academy so much?」
「I like seeing teenagers wasting their time doing fun things that won't help their future at all.」
This time, Fezin burst into a hearty laugh at her answer.
「Ah, so it's that aspect.」
「Yeah. It looks nice.」
Is it because it's something you never got to do?
Fezin wanted to ask, but he felt it was an inappropriate question to pose in front of the former Head of the Family and his wife.
After emptying Drawer 35 and moving the contents to the carriage, the two took a walk around Noster Monastery.
After viewing the ancient murals of the God of Death carved into the walls, they stepped out into the monastery’s rear garden.
The beach was visible below, filled with black pebbles carved into various shapes by the volcanic rock and waves; the entire landscape looked like a piece of death itself.
The two approached the edge of the cliff where a sense of danger lingered. To a point where it felt as though a single gust of wind might sweep them over.
April, looking down at the sea, spoke.
「Back in the Empire.」
「Yeah, I like you.」
「……That’s not what I was going to say.」
「Ah, so we’re not talking about that anymore?」
At his teasing remark, April made a motion as if to push him.
Fezin clutched his chest and said.
「I’ll actually die if you do that.」
「Do you really think I’d push you?」
「I just felt the greatest fear of death in my entire life.」
「More than when your boat capsized while rowing on a rainy day?」
「Ha, why on earth do kids do such things…」
Fezin shook his head, feeling a sense of shame at the memory of how he had threatened his own life in his youth.
Everyone had agreed with the senior’s opinion that they had to practice in such weather to beat the other schools' rowing teams. It was stupid and arrogant. Then again, was there anything in the world to be afraid of back then?
On the contrary, there were too many things to fear now. But the most terrifying thing of all was the fact that April Runos was standing on this cliff where the wind lashed from every direction.
He was afraid that after she had jokingly told him she liked him, she might not be able to withstand this single gust of wind and fall into that sea. He feared that the God of Death residing in that monastery might recognize that lovely face and drag her away…
While he was worrying, the ribbon of the bonnet April was wearing came undone and flew far away on the wind.
Before April could even take a step to reach out and catch it, she was caught by Fezin and pulled into his arms.
「Please, stop making me so anxious.」
Fezin grumbled, locking his fingers around her waist to hold her steady.
April looked troubled, but her voice came out sharp as usual.
April looked up at his scowling face and asked softly.
「What about you?」
「Me, what.」
「Don't you like me?」
「……」
「You don't like me, yet you spent all that money to get me out of arrest, and even though you knew it was your brother's shame, you found my parents for me? You even came all the way here?」
「……」
「Just how well would you treat someone you actually loved, if this is what you do for me?」
He had worried she might be confused, but she was perfectly fine. Among the questions she was asking, there was nothing Fezin could answer. They weren't even questions to begin with.
Fezin let go of her and clicked his tongue. Then, after a sigh, he ruffled his hair messily.
「Fine, so if I like you, what are you going to do about it? Nothing changes anyway, does it?」
「Well… that’s true. But still.」
「If you still want to hear it, then fine.」
「Yes, I want to hear it.」
「You just heard it.」
「That was a hypothetical. You didn't actually say it. Say it again.」
「Where do you get off giving me orders?」
「I said, do it.」
「Right, following orders is what’s ingrained in my body. You sure have a knack for noticing things like that.」
At Fezin’s words, April burst into laughter.
Now that the matter of finding her parents—which had weighed on her ever since she decided on the funeral—was resolved, she found herself laughing quite often.
Fezin let out a long sigh and spoke while watching her intently.
「I like you. There.」
「How much?」
「Does that matter right now? Why are you tormenting me like this? I’ve been good to you. Then you should be good to me too.」
「I am being good to you right now. I’m letting you say you like me.」
「Wow, our opinions differ greatly.」
Fezin frowned and shook his head as if he were truly being bullied, but as soon as the wind began to blow again, he immediately wrapped his arms around her.
April chided him, finding it absurd.
「People don't fly away in this much wind.」
「Everyone who fell and died because of the wind died thinking exactly that.」
「I suppose that’s true.」
April nodded in agreement. Then, as her hair blew too much in the wind, she swept it back with her hand as if combing it.
Seeing this, Fezin untied his cravat and used it to loosely tie her hair.
But because he had tied it far too loosely, it leaned awkwardly to one side, and he couldn't help but laugh.
April gave his chest a firm smack and said.
「Don't laugh when you're the one who did it.」
She then untied the cravat and tied her hair back up high and tight.
The fog was so thick it was difficult to tell what time it was.
To Fezin, her blonde hair tied with the white cravat felt like the only shining thing on this cliff.
His hand reached toward April’s porcelain-like cheek. Far from avoiding him, April simply closed her eyes.
Fezin’s hand touched her cheek, but then he merely brushed away a stray hair as if that had been his intention all along, and pulled his hand away.
She had pressed him to hear that he liked her, but his words that it couldn't create any change were so true that a belated wave of regret washed over her, making her wonder if she shouldn't have done it.
But she had wanted to hear it. The words that he liked her.
With that one sentiment, she tried to find the answer to all his kindness. Even while thinking that it might not be the case.
