According to the Empire’s customs, estates are generally named after their family. Therefore, when the owner of an estate changes, the estate’s name changes as well.
Only this ‘Grand Estate’ was the sole estate to have a nickname. Moreover, even when the owner changed, it was still called the ‘Grand Estate’.
The Grand Estate boasted the largest scale among the estates built simultaneously with the nation’s founding. The estate’s sheer size, hundreds of rooms, enormous basement, and even the vast forest and river that served as its garden. Because legislation regarding estate sizes was enacted, the Grand Estate remained the largest estate in the empire even after countless estates were built afterward.
Like all old estates, the corridors were entangled like a maze.
I asked a servant and came up to the second floor.
If this were any other ball, there would be lovers enjoying secret meetings, but perhaps because everyone had gone down to the basement, there were few signs of people here.
I finally picked an empty room and entered. Among the rooms on the second floor, it was one positioned close to the river outside. When I stepped out onto the terrace, I could see the large oak forest connected to the garden.
After surveying the situation, I carefully climbed over the railing. I gripped the bottom of the balustrade tightly with both hands, then gave myself forward and backward momentum before jumping down. I landed on the softly raised lawn, slightly away from the terrace.
The garden, designed to seamlessly connect with the forest that had been in this location for ages, was utterly quiet. I entered the garden that was clearly under control, filled only with bushes and trees. Only the sound of wind through the grass and the faint sound of the tranquil river in the distance flowed softly.
“How could we know what those high and mighty folks are thinking?”
It was when I had entered the entrance of the forest.
At the faint voice coming from inside the dense trees, I quickly hid behind a large tree.
“But the Count has never given such an order before.”
“The young lady must have her own thoughts.”
We’ve never lost anything by following her words. The sound gradually drew closer.
Cold sweat broke out.
If I’m caught, should I knock them out? What if they’re both knights?
I pressed my nose against the tree trunk. I pulled down the Munch mask a bit more to cover my face when—
“Who’s there!”
My shoulders jumped.
The sound of running footsteps bore down right in front of me. With my face pressed against the tree, I thought about what to do next. The smell of the tree touching the tip of my nose made me dizzy.
“Chase them quickly!”
Just then, hurried footsteps came from behind as well. Only after the knights chased after them and left did I realize I wasn’t the one who’d been caught.
Even after the sounds completely disappeared, I remained frozen stiff with my shoulders raised.
“Stefan was right…”
I seem to have become more timid since returning to the past. My chest was pounding wildly.
Rubbing my fluttering chest, I entered the forest. Along the paths, piles of white irises and unknown wildflowers bloomed sparsely.
The scent of spring oak trees was fresh and the air was cool.
Gradually, the sound of water grew louder. A fairly wide river revealed itself.
The stream that would become part of the Roen River was flowing at a fairly rapid current. Moreover, the river at night was black.
I sat perched on a large rock caught in a corner of the riverbank. The moon was in its first quarter, and using the sound of the river as background, I carefully examined the surface that looked like a black mirror.
How much time had passed like that?
“So you were here.”
Below the white mask coated with delicate gold leaf, a slender chin was visible.
“You…”
I was flustered.
“How did you know to come here?”
Besides, entry to the garden was prohibited.
He had come as if he knew exactly where I was.
“Is that what’s important right now? Stefan has fallen into a gambling den. We need to go stop him quickly.”
Rilke answered while pushing up his white mask.
“Come with me quickly.”
I turned my head back to face forward.
“Stefan-hyung isn’t a child.”
“What are you trying to say right now? He’s a Meyer family member. I think we shouldn’t stand by during his crisis. You should go help— Joachim?”
I was already jumping into the river.
“Joachim!”
Ice-cold water engulfed my entire body.
The river water was frigid and fierce. Splash, the sound of water kept pounding and shattering in my ears. I cut through the black river water like that.
I reached my target. More easily than before, I snatched the black form floating downstream. I carefully embraced the cold, heavy thing.
That was a close call.
As Rilke said, there was something else that was important. When I thought I might have missed it, my heart sank more chillingly than when I jumped into the water.
I carefully cradled and supported his head. Hair thoroughly soaked in cold water was matted and stuck to his smooth forehead. Because of the slender eyelashes and pale nape, it felt like an elegant and strong creature had let its long neck droop.
I swallowed water several times. Pulling an adult man of large build through the current was difficult.
Each time I was pushed by the current, I bumped into a body as heavy and solid as a boulder.
My breath rose up to my chin. When I got close to the shore, I checked the person in my arms again.
“Uh—”
Before I knew it, the delicate eyelids were trembling.
Captivated,
I helplessly watched as those eyes slowly opened.
“……”
I carefully put the Prince’s head back into the water.
“Be— Prince Benedict?!”
Rilke came running, cutting through the current.
It felt like giant iron weights were attached to both my arms. The unconscious Prince became incredibly heavy once we reached land.
Using my entire body as a lever, I forcibly dragged him out while practically lying on the ground. With a scraping sound of sand, I collapsed as if rolling to the side.
The sky dotted with stars flickered before my eyes. My rough breathing echoed frantically in my waterlogged ears.
“My, my goodness, how did this—”
I had no strength to answer Rilke’s words.
The Prince, like me, was thoroughly soaked and a mess.
I reached out a hand trembling from muscle pain and brought it under his straight nose. It seemed slightly warm, but I wasn’t sure. Since I had put his face in the water one more time, I was secretly very worried.
Why did you have to regain consciousness? You didn’t do that in the past.
Anxiously, I fumbled at my face. When I pulled off and removed the waterlogged Munch hood that was clinging to me, the cold air fully touched my wet cheeks.
“Get out of the way!”
Rilke pushed me aside. Before I knew it, the child was soaked from head to toe.
“—Your Highness? Prince Benedict!”
His bare face with the mask thrown off was visible, and his collar was covered in sand just like mine and the Prince’s.
I was concerned about Rilke frantically shaking the unconscious person’s shoulders, but I just left him alone. I threw the drooping Munch mask beyond the bushes to conceal the evidence.
“Blood… Joachim, blood…!”
Blood stains appeared on Rilke’s hands. Rilke, who had turned pale, belatedly looked for me.
“It’ll be okay. Probably—”
“He’s here! Oh my, my lord! My lord!”
The people I had expected were rushing over hurriedly through the edge of the forest.
The first person to arrive, almost rolling to Rilke’s side, was Count Leroy. A close aide to Prince Benedict.
Count Leroy was bareface, but the people behind him were all masked and dressed in black clothes. The unconscious Prince was also in black clothes. At their appearance of seeming to attack in the darkness, Rilke flinched but stopped.
Watching Rilke rolling his eyes this way and that, I picked off a blade of grass stuck to my nape.
“I found him floating down the river!”
Rilke shouted.
“I… I didn’t know it was His Highness…! What, what on earth is this,”
“Ah, ah, thank you, just a moment,”
Flustered words were exchanged and Count Leroy quickly examined the Prince’s condition.
There was a mage among those in black masks. At the Count’s instruction, a cluster of light formed at the mage’s fingertips. A muted silence followed, as if a mute button had been pressed.
After a moment, a sigh of relief burst from Count Leroy. At the same time, a small lump of ice melted inside me as well.
“Hic, is he safe?”
“Ah… young Lord Meyer. I was out of my mind earlier. Thank you.”
Streams of water fell endlessly from Rilke’s eyes.
“My lord! Are you conscious?”
Perhaps because they were outside, or for some other reason, Count Leroy unusually referred to the Prince only as “my lord.” Rilke also tactfully omitted honorifics and opened his mouth.
“Are you alright? Thank goodness!”
Watching the group surrounding the Prince, I leaned my body against a tree trunk.
It was so awkward that I wished I could just become mulch.
Through the masked people, Rilke’s face holding the Prince’s hand was visible. Even while crying, he was genuinely smiling and rejoicing. Even though he was covered in dirt and soaked, the way he radiated emotion seemed to shine with light.
As for me, I didn’t know what to do. I was secretly moved both in the past and now, but in this situation, I couldn’t express it as if I were blocked up.
That place suits Rilke. Is that why?
In the past, it was also by chance that Rilke was in that place. This time, even though I acted differently, that child found this place like it was destiny.
Five years ago, I also saved the Prince who was floating downstream.
While hiding in the garden to avoid the people coming to catch me, I discovered the Prince floating down. Rilke was beside me then too, and I stood by then too. And although I didn’t go into the water, somehow I was thoroughly soaked and stayed beside the Prince as he regained consciousness.
The me from before had ruminated over this moment again and again.
The truth is, I was the one who saved him. Rilke didn’t do anything. He made no contribution to saving the Prince.
Was it right for that Rilke to become the Imperial Family’s benefactor?
And for thinking such thoughts, I was horribly childish.
Unable to confidently say I was the one who saved him, only questioning it inwardly—that appearance was horribly immature.
My strangely churning insides finally reached this conclusion.
What does it matter who saved him? What’s important is that the Prince is safe.
It’s actually better this way. If I say I saved the Prince, no one will be happy. It’s better this way.
It was just something that happened.
The current me is even less qualified. I did come to this place thinking the Prince might truly be in danger, but when he tried to regain consciousness, I made him more dangerous once more.
It was because of a thought only for my own safety, wanting to go down paths I know as much as possible, wanting to reduce the variables that would change the future.
“If you’re alright, would you like to go to the Count’s estate?”
Rilke, who had become the Imperial Family’s benefactor again, suggested to Count Leroy. It was exactly on the same trajectory as the past. It was a good thing.
