SGC 28

CHAPTER 28

Translator: Rae

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"Pardon?" 

Rozella, who had been gazing at him as though admiring a painting, blinked and widened her eyes belatedly. Edmund repeated himself as if stating something perfectly ordinary.

“If not at a time like this, I will not have the leisure.”

“...”

“Anywhere. We shall go wherever you wish.”

She had never imagined that she might go out privately with Edmund, and the thought left her faintly dazed.

Blinking several times as though detached from reality, Rozella suddenly thought of one place.

She wanted to visit her grandfather’s grave.

But the cemetery lay in a village some distance away, hardly suitable for a casual outing. And to bring Edmund there as well felt like an indulgence too great.

She hesitated and was about to shake her head, but Edmund spoke first.

“I know what you are thinking when you make that face.”

As if he could see into the deepest part of her heart, he urged her gently.

“Tell me. If it is inconvenient, I shall refuse at once.”

His expression was serious. The green eyes fixed solely upon her answer did not waver in the slightest.

Looking as though she might be drawn into them, Rozella finally changed her mind and spoke honestly.

“Then, Ed, if you truly do not mind…”

And she knew well that when Edmund wore such an expression, he always granted her wish.

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The central station of the capital bustled with countless passengers as always. A station official called out loudly to announce departure, collecting tickets from travelers.

Edmund stepped onto the platform leading to the first class carriage and turned, extending his hand.

Rozella looked once at the large hand clad in black leather, then at the dark hair lit by sunlight and the gentle green eyes beneath, before placing her hand in his.

With a firm pull he drew her inside at once, steadying her lightly at the waist. A familiar cool scent lingered from him.

They opened the red polished door and entered the first class compartment. As the noise from outside vanished instantly, it felt as though even her breathing eased.

The horn sounded to announce the departure. Soon after, the body rattled slightly and then began to move slowly. 

Their destination was a small southern village five hours from the capital. A place called Leighton, where Rozella had been born and raised.

Removing the beige bonnet pressed upon her head, she cautiously studied the man seated opposite her.

It had been a long while since she had seen Edmund in ordinary attire. Wearing a black frock coat with a dark gray waistcoat, he looked neither duke nor officer, but simply a young man of his years, composed and at ease.

The shirt beneath his neatly tied cravat stretched across his broad frame. For a fleeting moment Rozella lost herself in the sight, only to twitch her brows when their eyes met.

Kindly pretending not to notice her wandering gaze, Edmund began in a low voice.

“It is fortunate that the weather is fine today.”

The autumn rain had fallen the other day, and she had feared their outing might be postponed. Yet as he said, the sky had cleared from early morning.

“Yes. It is not even that cold. It hardly feels like winter is just around the corner.”

Rozella, who agreed with him, placed her hands upon her knees.

"Ed, thank you for accompanying me today." 

It was the first time she had visited her grandfather’s grave with someone by her side.

Whenever she stood alone before the stone and returned home, she used to feel a quite loneliness trailing behind her. She worried that if her grandfather saw her so forlorn, he would be saddened.

A faint curve touched Edmund’s perfectly shaped lips.

“I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to come along.”

It felt as though the world had paused for this single moment. The happiness of sitting across from him was so overwhelming that Rozella had to steady her breathing.

“What kind of man was your grandfather?”

Breaking the comfortable silence, Edmund asked. Rozella smiled softly and answered in a voice full of affection.

“He was gentle and tender. He was particular softhearted to me and hardly ever scolded me. The neighbors would even warn him that he was spoiling the child.”

She had only learned later, while staying among relatives, that her grandfather had once been an exceedingly strict father to his daughter.

According to them, Catherine had fallen in love with a man before coming of age and run away from home.

She gave birth to Rozella, left the child with her father, and disappeared without ever returning to her hometown.

The grandfather must have thought that your strict temperament was the cause of their emotional conflict. That's why he became a softhearted grandfather who could never speak harshly to his granddaughter.

Roze was the nickname her grandfather had granted her. When he called her in his rough yet affectionate voice, “My little Roze,” she had feared nothing in the world. In childhood, he had been her sky and her shelter.

Lost in memory, Rozella lifted the corners of her lips faintly. Edmund watched her quietly before closing and opening his eyes once.

“He must have been an admirable man, to have raised you so clear and free.”

At those words, she looked at him with slightly widened eyes. Sunlight filtering through the window lent a gentle warmth to his face.

Clear and free. Once, perhaps, she truly had been so. Even she could admit that in those days she had been rather fearless.

But that had surely been because she met the man now before her. It was the time she spent with Ed that had allowed the lonely little Roze, grieving her grandfather, to paint those years in happiness.

As noon passed, the sunlight ripened and carried a touch more warmth.

Beyond the window, golden wheat fields stretched wide. The scenery was familiar. They were nearing the village of Leighton.

Unlike the capital crowded with people and buildings, Leyton was quiet and leisure. Before long, the train came to a stop at the small station.

The conductor rang the bell in each carriage to announce arrival. When she stepped down onto the platform, the nostalgic air sank deep into her lungs. Rozella walked beside Edmund along a road she knew well.

The village was small, and the cemetery lay within walking distance. Once an arboretum, it was less somber than most burial grounds, known instead for its natural beauty.

Passing along a carefully tended path and beyond a red brick wall, they saw gravestones leaning at slight angles, arranged without strict order.

Stepping into the cemetery where visitors were scarce, Rozella soon stopped before her grandfather’s grave.

《Benjamin Everett, remembering the sky that shall forever dwell within my heart.》

Edmund placed the bouquet he carried neatly before the stone. Setting several envelopes beside it, Rozella closed her eyes briefly and prayed in her heart.

She prayed that her grandfather was living peacefully in heaven, and that he would forgive his granddaughter for coming so late.

She did not forget to quietly introduce the man standing beside her, certain her grandfather would recognize the name she had written so many times in her childhood letters.

Edmund stood a step behind her, keeping silent watch. His gaze rested on the name carved in stone and on her small figure before it.

When she finally lifted her head after praying for a brief moment, she turned to him. He nodded as though prepared to wait as long as she wished.

It had been a very long time since she felt such comfort simply from knowing someone stood behind her.

“Hello! Would you like to buy some flowers?”

At that moment, a young girl approached them brightly, holding a basket of flowers against her small frame.

“They are freshly picked just this morning and in excellent condition. I can even make you a bouquet from the prettiest ones!”

Rozella’s gaze naturally dropped to the basket before she looked back at the girl and smiled gently.

The flowers were indeed fresh, and since the child had come to them herself, she could hardly refuse. The girl seized the moment.

“You are such a breathtaking couple, I will give you a discount of one shilla per flower.”

“Really? Thank you!”

She was an adorable child. While Rozella pondered how many to buy, Edmund lowered himself slightly to meet the girl’s eye level.

“Would you give us a bouquet?”

His gentle voice settled softly, and the girl nodded eagerly and began to arrange one at once. She skillfully gathered lilies, ranunculus, and freesias together and held out the finished bouquet.

When Rozella accepted it, Edmund did not even ask the price. Instead, he placed several banknotes into the girl’s small palm. Her eyes widened at the generous sum, and she soon broke into a bright grin.

"Thank you very much!" 

Clutching the money, she turned to leave, then paused and hurried back toward them.

“Since you gave such a generous tip, I will tell you something special.”

A mischievous, innocent smile spread across her youthful face.

“Have you seen the large willow tree outside the cemetery?” 

Searching her memory, Rozella nodded. There had indeed been a great tree rising along the small wooded path beyond the brick wall.

The girl glanced around and cupped her hands around her mouth before whispering,

“They say that two people who share a kiss beneath that willow will remain together forever, even after d*ath.”

***

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