[Side Story] Wind Flower (1)
The people of the Pulan region called the pansy flowers blooming along the mountain ridge ‘Wind Flower.’
At some point, everyone in the village called her that, and when she was young, Yenika also called the beautiful flower a windflower without any doubt.
Open mountain range. When you walk along the ridge area with the clouds occasionally floating through the blue sky and the warm sunlight shining down, you often get the illusion that time has stopped.
As a child, Jenica would happily walk along the open ridge holding her picnic bag tightly, feeling the wind caressing her cheeks.
The wind blows pleasantly across my skin, and soon my shiny, light pink hair flutters. As I surrendered myself to the lukewarm wind that is unique to early spring, a refreshing feeling that is difficult to describe in words enveloped my mind.
If you look up quickly, you will see an alpine area spread out, with only the top edge dyed white by the perennial snow.
Cows graze on the edge of the ridge across the street, and a few butterflies flutter their wings next to the road and sit on the nearby grass to rest for a moment. As I listen to the pleasant chirping of birds, the open sky comes into view again.
Looking at Pulan’s unique peaceful and idyllic scenery, I feel like I’m living in a world where worries and anguish have disappeared.
Jenica Palover was born and raised in such a fairytale landscape.
The girl didn’t realize how great of a blessing it was, but at least she knew that every day was fun.
Even though I thought that if I had someone special to me, I would at least want to walk this path with them… I shook my head wondering what the point of that would be.
The world is too small for Jenica, who is still young. The only people who are precious to me are my family and the village people.
All of the precious people I have in my heart are living happily together in Pulan, so the thought of wanting to introduce this scene to someone else does not have much meaning.
Everyone is probably familiar with the beautiful sight of this ridge.
The girl grabs her beautifully braided hair and reaches out to the sky for no reason.
The sunlight seeping through my fingers tickles the corners of my eyes.
The girl is leaving for Sylvania Academy next year.
Leaving behind Toren Village, which is like a cradle, I go to face a new world. Yenica was too young and the rest of her life was too long to live stuck in a rural village forever.
It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I felt my heart pounding at the thought of encountering a new place and connection.
It’s a feeling I couldn’t feel when I was living in Pulan and just helping out with the ranch work.
After inhaling and exhaling the refreshing air, I feel calm.
After that, what you see is the still wide-open mountain range of Pulan.
This peaceful fairytale world is the starting point and destination of a girl named Yenica Palover.
Even after going out into the world, meeting many people, and experiencing many experiences, the final place where Jenica Palover rests is Pulan.
The girl’s journey goes round and round and she will eventually come back here again.
The girl quietly closed her eyes, leaning against the neatly erected fence on the side of the road.
The beautiful flowers were swaying gently.
The pansies blooming along the ridge were shaking their heads to match the direction of the wind blowing all year round.
That’s why it was called a wind flower.
*
“I guess I’ll have to go to Pulan sometime this week.”
It was on the afternoon of the day Yenika returned to the Baron’s residence that Ed Rosstaylor said something like a bolt from the blue.
Yenika, who is treated warmly and serves as the owner of the mansion, has not yet adapted to her noble status.
It would have been easy to get used to it in two years, but for a girl from a rural village, it was very difficult to control people.
So, since Edgar occasionally took the time to visit Baron’s residence and help manage the mansion, I thought this visit would also be of that level.
It was a good thing that only Jenika could see Ed’s face… but Ed’s unexpected remarks made her have to put down her teacup for a moment.
“….uh?”
For a moment, Jenica couldn’t believe her ears.
Ed Rosstaylor goes to Pulan. I didn’t immediately understand that short and simple sentence, so I had to question it again.
“I have to finish my research before the vacation ends. “I think I’ll have to go there in person to conclude the case about the highest-ranking wind spirit on the Pulan side.”
“Uh, yeah… I see. Ed. But… are you even near Toren Village?”
“That’s why I came looking for you. If you’re going to go there, wouldn’t it be more convenient to go with a local person? Don’t you know Pulan very well? “It’s my hometown.”
Yenika swallowed dry saliva.
It’s already been 6 years since I became a monk. 4 years at Sylvania Academy and 2 years at the Duchy of Rosstaylor.
I had visited once in a while to see my family, but I had never visited Pulan with Ed Rothtaylor in tow… so I couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
That has to be the case.
The sinister, rosy gaze of the Pulan people penetrates equally regardless of social status.
When she visited last year, the rumors about Ed and Yenika were already far out of her hands.
The rumor that started in the markets and marketplaces rolled like a snowball and grew out of control.
Among them, Yenica and Ed have already finished shopping. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven, a match made in heaven, became opposite partners destined to never exist again.
Rumors are so scary. In particular, after Orte and Sayla came to Aken Island and confirmed their relationship with Ed, it grew even more frightening.
When I visited last year, Yenika also confirmed the rumor, which was getting bigger and bigger…
but Yenika… did not bother to stop it or actively deny it…! I didn’t even say yes!
Because… Actually, I didn’t feel that bad…!
I’m too embarrassed to say this to anyone, but as I was listening to the rumors, I found myself with the corners of my mouth turning up…!
I know that’s a rumor, but…! I know it’s not a very dignified thing to help a rumor grow bigger than necessary, but…! Still, human emotions are not something you can control!
Feeling good is good!
In any case, Ed Ross-Taylor is very busy managing the Duke’s residence and doing academic work at the same time.
Isn’t he a person who has neither the ability nor the need to pay attention to rumors going around in a small village in the far-off region of Pulan? How could a young master from the greatest ducal family on the continent waste his mind on such trivial rumors?
That’s how Yenica Failover rationalized her own aid.
“I have arranged the carriage, so let’s go together next week. “You can leave the management of the Baron’s residence to Belle.”
Now the time has come to pay for that sin…
Yenika forced herself to stop breathing and smiled as she answered with difficulty.
“Eh Ed… I see. You’re coming to Pulan. Haha… Ed, this is your first time at Pulan, right? You will be surprised when you go. It’s truly a fairytale-like place. The scenery is beautiful… hehe…. hehehe….”
But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell them not to come!
On the surface, they are comfortable with each other, but in principle, Yenica Palover is a vassal of Ed Rothtaylor, the duke’s master. The story is that he is Ed Rosstaylor’s subordinate with a clear superior-subordinate relationship.
The reason that Ed and Yenika can talk so comfortably as they did when they were bachelors is entirely thanks to Ed Rosstaylor’s consideration. Thanks to the kindness of Ed, who doesn’t necessarily want to put up a wall with Yenika, Yenika is able to talk to them lively.
However, we cannot escape the essence of the hierarchical relationship. In the end, Yenica is subordinate to Ed, so she has to do what Ed wants her to do.
Ed never orders things that make Yenica uncomfortable or in trouble. However, since academic affairs are public affairs, it would be impossible to reveal Jenica’s circumstances.
So Ed will definitely come to Pulan… and Yenica has no way to stop that.
If so, there is only one route left.
“Ed… that… I’m sorry!!! Sorry! Now Toren Village is… that…!”
Seeing Yenika suddenly lowering her head and apologizing, Ed narrowed his eyebrows and showed an embarrassed face, which was rare.
*
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The silence that lasted for a moment could not have been this heavy.
Yenica sat across from Ed with her eyes closed and her head bowed.
After hearing the explanation of the situation, Ed pulled on the end of the wizard’s robe and gathered his thoughts for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
“To sum it up, Toren Village already knows that we have already finished shopping…”
It seemed as if a ray of electricity passed down Yenika’s spine at those words that came to her in a flash.
Jenica was so out of breath that she had to fan her face with her hand for a moment. This sly reaction did not change even after several years. How would a person do something like this in the first place?
“How on earth did it get to that point?”
“Ed, you know this because you’ve met my parents, but… since there are so many people who like this kind of gossip… how can this snowball roll over and over again? “I’m sorry… I couldn’t do anything about it…”
In fact, it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t use my hand, but Yenika couldn’t say it that way either.
There are degrees of shame. No matter how much we communicate with each other, there are limits. It’s no different from saying out loud, “I want to be with you after all the shopping.”
From Jenica’s point of view, there is an overwhelming desire to cross the line with Ed, but there remains a line that is clearly difficult to cross between Ed and Jenica.
The line that is most apparent on the surface is ultimately the difference in status.
There is an unbridgeable gap in status between Yenica, who started out as a commoner and holds the title of baron and barely received a territory on the border, and Ed, who was born as a duke and received protection from the imperial family.
Who Ed’s partner will be is an important political agenda that ultimately affects the entire dukedom, so it is not easy for Yenika to take over that position carelessly.
Ed also knew that Yenika was feeling a great burden due to the gap, so he did not force her to do more work than necessary.
However, just because she was Jenica, she had no intention of just being the hostess of the baron’s house and being protected by gold and jade.
How about using this opportunity to use the rumor about Pulan as a pretext to cross the line?
A strange possibility that she would never have imagined before came to mind, and she swallowed dry saliva.
“In fact… the rumor spread as quickly as it could… and it wasn’t until now…! That’s not it! If I say that, I might end up being a liar and an unreasonable person for not actively denying it…”
“That’s how it is?”
“Yeah… I was so sick of wondering what to say, so I just didn’t deal with it… This is why the rumor got to this point. “I never imagined it would grow out of control…”
“Then I come here now and say, ‘We are just a lord and vassal. Don’t misunderstand.’ “What happens if you announce it?”
“…Well… The village people won’t say anything, but they must feel very sorry for me deep inside…”
Thinking about it, Yenika also felt a little dizzy.
Oh, our Yenika must have been very lonely… Imagine that…
Well, Master Ed is a wonderful and dependable person… It’s worth having such feelings…
I’m sorry… Yenika… .! Because I don’t recognize your loneliness…!
You were lonely! That’s the age!
Since you’re still young, you don’t have to worry about becoming an old maid! He is a beautiful and capable nobleman… Why was he in such a hurry…
Let us understand… Yenika too… I wouldn’t have wanted to tell such a lie…
“I’d rather kill you…”
Thinking of the pitiful and warm gaze of the villagers, Yenika said, pulling out her hair.
“I just imagined it too and it’s so horrible I feel like I’m going to throw up. “Yenika.”
“It’s okay… I’m self-employed, so it’s something I can handle, Ed… Don’t worry too much…”
Ed looked at Yenika, whose complexion had turned pale, and then took a deep breath and looked at the document in his hand. threw them on the desk.
“Anyway, it’s just a matter of me getting along. is not it?”
“huh? What do you mean, Ed?”
“You just have to take action with the feeling that the rumors are roughly correct. Since this is directly related to your authority as a baron… I will go along with it a little bit…”
There is no need to go along with these ridiculous rumors, but in any case, Ed is a person who cares deeply about Yenica.
“This once, I will somehow act according to the rumors, so from now on, please take your time and resolve any misunderstandings without eroding your authority.”
“Is that so…?”
“okay. Actually, it’s not that difficult. Isn’t it okay to just show the villagers that you feel like you’re on good terms with each other? We were good friends to begin with. “You just have to do it as usual.”
In fact, it is extraordinary for a baron from the border who has just been given a title to start talking to a master of the Rosstaylor family.
“So… what specifically was the rumor about? “I will do everything as is, so talk to me.”
Ed Rothtaylor, who is merciless towards sinful vassals and erring servants, tends to be particularly merciful towards Yenica Palover.
Yenika herself knew this very well, so she was so grateful to see Ed so cooperative that she was on the verge of tears.
“That’s it…”
However, telling Yenika to tell the specifics of what the rumor was… is actually close to torture.
“That…”
Yenika fidgeted with her fingers, then lowered her head and blushed.
There is no way to know how the rumors of a large joint spread got people to blush so much just talking about it.
In the end, all Ed Rosstaylor could do was wait quietly.
“That… Whenever we walk around, we always have our arms around each other… When we make eye contact, we kiss each other on the forehead…” “…
”
“Whenever we ride in a carriage together, we always hug each other tightly. … They were leaning on each other with their heads buried in each other’s shoulders…”
“How on earth could a rumor like that come out…?”
“In the first place, rumors don’t spread through a logical process…”
“Meanwhile, you didn’t actively deny it…?”
“Sorry! “I have committed a mortal sin!”
Ed swept up his bangs as if he were dumbfounded and washed his face dry once. I needed to organize my thoughts.
However, it is not that complicated to think about.
“Okay, keep talking.”
“I’m sorry… I feel like my head is getting hot too, so I need to get some rest…”
“It’s okay, take your time.”
“Uhm… It’s just… Yeah, other than that, most of the stories are similar. Wherever we go, we hold hands, or kiss in places that no one can see… And when night falls… um…” “
…”
“… Sorry, this is the area of dirty talk from here on out.”
“It’s good that you managed to maintain your sanity amidst such rumors. “You might feel a sense of humiliation or shame.”
“There is no such thing as goodness in the gossip of the village people…”
In fact, let alone feeling humiliated or ashamed, the corners of my mouth rose and I stamped my foot while imagining the absurdity of living alone as a newlywed. Of course, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it that far.
“Anyway, I roughly knew the situation. “Even if we don’t get along perfectly, we can at least show that we are on good terms, which lends credibility to the rumor.”
“That’s right…”
“But if you do this for no reason, won’t the rumors only increase? “I think it might be poison rather than medicine.”
“That’s not right! Still, if it feels like the relationship is good, then the rumor isn’t a lie at all! If we say that part of the rumor is true, then the rest is exaggerated. My authority will not be harmed… It feels completely different from lying…”
Yenica’s parents, Ortawa Sayla, also know that Ed and Yenika have a good relationship.
If it overlaps well with such eyewitness information, the fact that Ed Rosstaylor and Yenika are more special than expected will be accepted as the truth.
Then there will be no stigma attached to Jenica saying that she abetted such nonsense out of loneliness. It is enough to confirm only part of the rumor.
“Okay… I understand…”
Ed sighed but understood Yenika’s position.
“I will do my best to get along with you, so just cooperate with my research.”
“Ugh… I’m not sure how helpful I’ll be since it’s research work, but…”
“I think it will be of great help. “Merilda, too…”
Yenica glanced down and looked at the documents Ed had spread out.
Materials about Tyr’kalax, the highest-ranking wind spirit.
The story is that the traces of wind left by the giant bear-shaped spirit as it blended into nature are located in the highlands of the Pulan region.
The story of how the giant bear spirit that commanded Pulan met its end also remained as a research topic.
Was the wind that permeated between the ridges of the alpine area of Pulan, where the pastoral land spreads out, also a trace of the highest wind spirit?
When she thought about it, the records written in the research journal that Ed brought with her felt special to Yenika.
The wind of Pulan is warm and cozy.
The girl who had grown up in that wind since she was young was Yenica Palover.
“By the way, if you’re trying to live up to the rumor, I think you’ll have more trouble than me.”
“Yes? Me? No, if Ed suffered more, he would have suffered more… What’s the point of suffering for me?”
“If I showed a hesitant attitude in the first place, wouldn’t it only arouse more suspicion?”
Yenica Failover is not immune to men at all.
In particular, against Ed Ross-Taylor, he narrowed his shoulders and lowered his head as if an electric current was running through his body just by grazing his skin…
If he crossed his arms or kissed his forehead in that position, he would only react in an unnatural way. It was obvious that it would come out.
If I were to push Ed out of shame while having a nosebleed, it would only arouse more suspicion.
“I think you need to get more used to things like skinship in the first place.”
“Yeah, yeah? Does it really have to be that way? “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have to, but if Ed says I have to, I might be prepared to put in the effort to make it happen!”
“The problem is that you are already talking gibberish.”
“But… how do I do something I’m not familiar with!”
Ed rested his chin in contemplation for a moment, then stood up and approached Yenika.
“In the end, I don’t think there is any solution other than trying a lot and getting used to it.”
“What!”
Before Yenika could say anything, Ed brushed Yenika’s bangs up to reveal her forehead.
Jenica’s breathing became labored, but she could not resist. Come to think of it, one of the rumors going around was that he kissed her on the forehead every time their eyes met. Is it true that if you want to show that you can do something like that naturally, you have to start practicing now?
I understand the logic, but it is too big of a wall for the naive Yenika.
Ed Ross Taylor is a veteran who has gone through all kinds of life experiences, so he is not in a position to be nervous about coming into skin-to-skin contact with a woman. Rather, it seemed like an act of duty to help Yenika, so he brought his face closer to her without hesitation.
Yenika was on the verge of a nosebleed, unable to withstand the blood flow in her face, but
in fact, the moment she realized that she didn’t really hate the current situation, she closed her eyes tightly.
The moment I was half nervous and half excited waiting for the faint heat to touch my forehead──
– Knock knock.
“Excuse me. master. “About the management schedule of the Baron’s residence while Lady Jenica is away…”
After knocking in a business-like manner, Belle Maia entered the reception room and witnessed the situation.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Bel Maia saw the sight of Edgar stroking Yenica’s forehead… and was silent for a moment.
“I’ll be back in 30 minutes, master.”
After bowing in an old-fashioned manner with the hem of her skirt raised, Belle left the reception room, closing the door firmly again.
“…”
“…”
Ed and Yenika remained silent and slowly regained their senses in the quiet reception room.
Belle Maia came out of the reception room and buried her head against the hallway wall, pressing her temples.
‘I started working as an apprentice maid when I was young, and this year is already my 17th year of experience…’
The work is always done quickly and reliably. That was Bel Maia’s motto, but she got distracted by that policy and made a huge mistake.
‘Oh my… I can’t believe I’m making such a beginner’s mistake…!!’
Basically, most emotional exchanges are done in a heated manner.
As soon as she saw the faces of the two people who had regained their senses thanks to Belle’s appearance, Belle had to swallow a scream along with a feeling of despair.
That timid Baron Yenica had to go to receive work instructions at a moment when progress was about to slow down for the first time in a while… It
would be absurd for an ordinary person to predict such a situation and make moves… but for Maid Belle Maia, who must always be perfect, It felt like such a big mistake.
‘Whoa… let’s calm down…’
Anyway, from Yenika’s perspective, she will be accompanying Ed towards Pulan from now on, so there will be many opportunities to slow down.
On the contrary, Belle feels a bit reassured since she is already ready to bite and suck like that.
In fact, Belle was ready to applaud whoever her master Ed was involved with, but she couldn’t help but feel particularly drawn to Yenika.
She was a complete loser when it came to dating, so she needed someone to give her a little push from behind.
The problem is that Tanya Rosstaylor doesn’t want to let that happen.
Tanya was doing everything she could to make Ed lose all of his personal relationships. If it is for the revival of the Ross Taylor family, there is no way I will leave my brother’s brilliant connections alone.
‘Master Tanya… how does he view the situation…’
Belle tilted her head for a moment.
From Bell’s point of view, all he has to do is assist his master, Ed Ross-Taylor, no matter what happens…
Honestly, Bell’s guess is that if he accompanied Jenica on that long journey to Edgar Pullan, he would cross all the lines before returning. It was. It’s actually harder not to do that.
In the meantime, Ed Rosstaylor has been busy going back and forth between the Duke’s house and Aken Island… but if he
can visit a romantic and beautiful land like Pulan with Yenika on a leisurely schedule… isn’t the game actually over here… ?
Belle rested her chin and was lost in thought for a moment, then shook her head.
In fact, it was a pointless issue for Bell to worry about.
Let’s just get ready to see Ed and Yenika off as they leave for Pulan. A maid has a maid’s duty.
Reflecting on this, Belle adjusted her clothes and walked out across the hallway.
