Misfortune ss6

Side story 6

***

The reburial of the late Countess had already been completed under the Colonel's orders.

When Milan relayed those words to her, Delnia was utterly dumbfounded.

They had even handled the reburial of a dead person before leaving. Yet she herself had gone to a place where she couldn't even find a corpse to bury.

“And the Colonel asked me to inquire what to do with the late Count…”

Even more astonishing was the will he had left behind. Asking where his enemy should be laid to rest, such an absurd arrangement...

“There's no need to do anything.”

Contrary to her boiling emotions, Delnia coldly snapped.

Evan Eperne was both Roan's enemy and the criminal who brought down Eperne. He had no right to be buried in the family crypt.

Besides, he himself would undoubtedly have wanted it that way.

"Come to think of it, Sophie isn't here."

Delnia, who had been staring blankly at Marian's grave, belatedly inquired about Sophie's whereabouts.

If she had known Marian was coming, she would surely have made an appearance. Come to think of it, Sophie must have heard the news that Delnia had become Count of Eperne, yet it was strange she hadn't sent even a single message.

Since the connection was severed, did it matter whether she returned to Belfort or not? Delnia hadn't thought of Sophie either, so perhaps it wasn't such a wrong assumption.

"I heard she moved to another region."

But the curt reply that came back was far off her mark.

"Sophie left Belfort?"

Delnia asked back in a startled voice. Sophie, who had been so attached to Eperne and Belfort, had left for another region? It was utterly unbelievable news.

"Then where is she living now?"

"Is it really necessary for you to know?"

For some reason, Roan's reply was somewhat sharp. If she really insisted, he might reluctantly find out, but his tone made it clear he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea.

"I suppose not..............."

Delnia murmured to herself, almost like a sigh.

Thinking about it, he was right. Why, after reclaiming Belfort, had she chosen to retain the servants Roan had hired instead of recalling the old ones?

Delnia wanted people untouched by the influence of the previous Count and Countess—her father and mother. She believed Belfort needed people who didn't know them, who therefore didn't know the Delnia and Roan of the past.

Therefore, there was no reason to revisit severed ties. Leaving regrets as they were and letting the rest flow away was surely the path to peace for all.

Only after acknowledging this truth did her heart finally settle. Simultaneously, the reason she had always wanted to avoid Belfort melted away like snow.

"Thank you."

Only then did Delnia look straight at Roan and offer her thanks. With sincere gratitude toward the man who had made the current Belfort possible.

He merely gave a slight nod in return. His attitude suggested he had done nothing more than what was expected. As if he had done all this just for that one word.

Delnia felt a deep sense of relief at the man's serenity, which showed no trace of regret regarding either Eperne or Belfort.

***

At last, a banquet was held at Belfort Castle to welcome its new master. Still, it was a modest affair attended only by those within the castle walls, closer in scale to a village feast.

The menu filling the long table was relatively simple: cheese, wine, and roasted turkey. Skilled servants played the accordion and music box to lift the spirits.

To those who had just heard the majestic orchestras echoing through the imperial palace, it felt like child's play, but that very simplicity brought unadorned joy. Carried away by the wine and the atmosphere, the two even danced together to the rhythm set by those around them.

As the first day drew to a close, news spread the next morning that Delnia had awakened. Immediately, Roan burst in. Though strictly speaking, he hadn't entered her bedroom; he'd been waiting quietly in the parlor.

Roan had never once crossed the threshold of her bedroom since his return. It was unlikely simply because he was a well-mannered gentleman.

Regardless, upon hearing he was waiting, Delnia hurried to the parlor without even considering changing her clothes.

"What is it about, first thing in the morning?"

She asked his business while simultaneously scanning his appearance quickly.

Today, Roan wore a relaxed outfit, not his usual neat uniform. His light-colored, sandy-toned shirt had a couple of buttons loosely undone at the top, and he wore riding breeches that came down to just below the knees, paired with long leather boots.

He even wore a dark brown hunting cap on his head and held leather gloves in his hand. To anyone watching, he looked ready to head out.

"How about a stroll in the woods?"

He drove the point home with a suggestion perfectly suited to his attire. To her, still in her nightgown, it sounded nothing short of puzzling.

"Now?"

Delnia turned her gaze to the window and asked again. But Roan opened his mouth confidently, as if it posed no problem whatsoever.

"Fortunately, the weather is clear today."

It was a rather abrupt statement, hardly a direct answer to her question.

As Delnia continued to stare at him with an unresolved look, Roan shrugged lightly and added.

"It's a rare flower, so it might take quite a while to find it."

"Ah…"

Only then did Delnia grasp his meaning, letting out a short gasp.

Come to think of it, Roan had formally apologized to Delnia right after his return. It was because he hadn't been able to check her letter on the battlefield.

“I know you sent the Belfort Anemone, but the letter…”

Roan seemed so regretful that Delnia couldn't even feel hurt. After all, her earnestness and the letter itself were one thing; whether it actually pierced the harsh reality of the battlefield to reach him was quite another.

Still, she prayed for a miracle, and was grateful that even half of it had come true.

“It's fine. Since you returned safely, that letter did its job.”

Roan even said that letter had strengthened his resolve to survive and return.

For Delnia, that alone was enough, but apparently, it wasn't for Roan.

"Then I'll wait."

The man who had been waiting all this time said it casually, gently pushing her back into the bedroom.

The sound of the door closing snapped Delnia back to her senses. She hurried toward the dressing room. For some reason, she felt rushed.

With the help of a maid who had been waiting, she slipped into a forsythia-yellow linen dress and pulled a wide-brimmed straw hat firmly onto her head. Thus prepared, she stepped outside.

Roan was just receiving a large basket from a servant. It was quite sizable, seemingly filled with today's provisions.

"Please be careful on your journey."

Accompanied by the servants' respectful farewells, the two finally set off.

Warm sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting thin streaks across the earth. A cool breeze blew through the dense trees, carrying the fresh scent of grass.

Their footsteps fell side by side on the dirt path, where sunlight and shade intertwined endlessly.

Perhaps this was precisely why he had wanted to come to Belfort alone first—for a moment like this.

Delnia speculated as she tilted the brim of her hat slightly, surveying her surroundings.

The chirping of birds hiding among the leaves and the occasional rustling of small creatures added a heartwarming charm to the quiet path. The fresh scent of tender green grass and newly blooming flowers tickled her nose.

Her gaze, sweeping over the deepening green landscape, gently settled upon the broad back of the man leading the way.

Not a trace of hesitation could be found in his retreating figure as he pushed through the thickets, clearing a path. It had been like that ever since they arrived here.

To Roan, Belfort was likely just a fleeting place from a very distant past. Yet he seemed like someone who had never forgotten those memories, holding onto them all this time. As if that era had been precious to him.

That was why Delnia, too, walked behind him without question, just as she had back then. Only now, as she gazed at his back, she chewed over the feelings she had to swallow, unable to voice them.

***

"It seems it won't be easy after all. I came back to this place I found before, just in case."

After searching under the bushes for a long while, Roan finally shook his head and declared defeat.

"You came back? So this is where that anemone bloomed back then?"

Before disappointment set in, Delnia was genuinely impressed by his memory. Then, seeing the man nod calmly as if it were nothing remarkable, she lost her words.

To her, it was impossible to understand how he had found it, as the trees and forest looked identical everywhere she looked.

Unlike Delnia, whose astonishment hadn't faded, Roan calmly lifted the basket he had placed on the ground with ease.

"First, we should eat."