Chapter 41: 41

TL/N: I used “blue satin waist ornament” in the previous chapters but I decided “satin ribbon” fits better so it will be that from now!

 

*˖:✧ ⑅•.༻♔༺.•⑅ ✧:˖*

The blue satin ribbon belt.

“…..”

Mixed emotions crossed her mind as soon as she saw it.

She got flashbacks of when the war first began, when she escaped the palace, and when she despaired the moment she saw the belt back as a bird.   

Zelle tried to control her shaking and held the belt. The familiar smooth texture of the satin brushed against her fingers. 

It was the only thing she could call her own in this world. 

Now that she got it back she wanted to hold it tightly but all strength escaped her body. 

Zelle could only stare down at the ribbon belt. 

Then she recalled the blue mark Roheneim’s messengers had. 

The blue correlation between the two objects struck her heart. 

She knew it logically didn’t make sense but it just felt like they defined her. 

Gave her identity in this world. 

Zelle clenched her jaw and shrugged to contain her rushing emotions. 

When she was human, Zelle was obsessed with her survival. The blue satin belt only meant one thing to her then. 

Attachment for life. Determination to survive. 

Survival. Survival. Survival. 

But after she became the messenger bird, She learned to live, not to survive. 

Actually living and not just breathing. 

She discovered freedom, relationships, expressions, and fondness. 

Therefore, Zelle could now put one more meaning into the color, blue. 

<The reason to continue living in this world.>

Zelle barely contained her emotions and faced Valhayle. He valued her life and saved her. 

She looked into his eyes and spoke.

“Thank you. For saving me.”

“I only did what I had to.”

Zelle knew he didn’t have to. 

He had a choice and he chose to risk his life to save Zelle. 

She, as a bird, contributed much to the military but it wasn’t enough. 

‘I’m only here because of you.’

For the first time after becoming a human again, Zelle spoke with genuine sincerity.

“I mean it.”

Valhayle’s eyes shook momentarily.

And as if he was startled by his own reaction, Valhayle stood up abruptly and left. 

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

At noon. On the way to pick up the princess back onto the horse. 

Valhayle stared at the princess from behind. 

“…..”

He liked something about her but he wasn’t sure what. 

He also knew it wasn’t proper of him to even think this way but it was just pleasing. 

Pleasing to see Roymonde’s royal heir live, talk, eat, and walk like that regardless of her still being under suspicion.

Valhayle’s gaze traced the cloak that fell from Zell’s shoulders to her ankles.

The navy cloak. 

It was his. 

Valhayle glared at the princess and mumbled. 

“…Yes. It’s the cloak that I like.”

He froze up as soon as he said that and was shocked that he let those words out verbally.

Valhayle’s shoulders stiffened and the sharp pain from his unhealed wound brought him back to his senses. 

Valhayle pressed his shoulder and approached the princess. 

And spoke coldly. 

“Allow me to help you up.”

The princess sighed again, seemingly displeased that Valhayle had to help her up and down every time. 

“Alright.”

After he lifted her up, he got on the horse as well.

And as he did, he smelled the scent of grapes from the princess. 

Valhayle tried his best to focus all his senses riding. 

They rode until Zelle noticed something.

“Sir.”

“Yes.”

“What happened to your shoulder?”

The wound must have re-opened since there was blood seeping through his surcoat.

Zelle frowned and Valhayle reassured her.

“It’s nothing.”

He shuffled his body in discomfort.

Zelle was right behind him so it was impossible to hide it from her and on top of that, she was wearing his cloak so he couldn’t hide it either. 

She lowered her voice and asked. 

“Is this because of me? Because you helped me up and down the horse?”

“No.”

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Zelle became a little upset. 

It was because of him and because of her. She was sick of her incompetence. 

She hid her bitterness and spoke. 

“How did you get injured this time? Through all the protection…”

“It’s just a mere injury from battle.”

“….”

Zelle realized she wouldn’t be able to hear anything beyond this from Valhayle. 

She pursed her lips and grumbled out of frustration. 

“I really wasn’t going to say this but you really need to be more cautious. It isn’t good for the soldier’s morale to see their chief commander wounded so often.” 

“I believe I’m being cautious enough.”

“Then why are you getting wounded? Isn’t that just proof that you are being reckless? Think about it. What would happen to Roheneim if it loses its commander?”

Her anger rose again as she spoke.

“It was you who said it would be more dangerous as we get closer to the capital. And that Castle Sirene and Castle Ett are double barriered so a siege would be difficult too.”

She was more enraged about her incompetence during the war but her words came out harshly to Valhayle instead. 

“You must think straight about how–”

“When did I tell you that battles near the capital would be more dangerous?”

Valhayle interrupted her. 

Zelle calmed herself briefly and went over her memories. 

You definitely told me not so long ago. When…

‘I was a bird.”

Zelle chewed on her lips as soon as realized. 

She was always thinking about the things Valhayle had said to her when she was a bird that she started confusing what he had said to her when she was a bird and when she was human. And her concern for him made her lower her guard. 

Valhayle asked again coldly.

“Do you not remember again?”

Zelle immediately shook her head. 

She had to escape this situation before she could apprehend herself for making such a mistake. 

“No. You never said that to me.”

“Then what did you mean by that?”

“The capital is built to be difficult to conquer and since Roheneim is in charge of guarding the Central region, I assumed you’d know.”

“….”

Valhayle remained silent. 

In a split second the atmosphere between Zelle and Valhayle fell cold. 

‘Darn it.’

Zelle rubbed her fingers. She was wearing a cloak yet she somehow felt cold. 

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

After dinner, Valhayle sat behind his desk. 

The pile of documents and long letters just added up day by day. 

Ever since the Eastern region and the Central region regained its freedom from Granoir, the surviving lords of the region constantly sent him letters. 

Some wrote about the strange parts of this war but… Most were petitions.

He was well aware that he is the only person they could think of in the King’s absence. 

But when he read these letters asking all the details of dealing with their duties or petitions demanding their land back, he got migraines. 

However, it was still bearable. 

What wasn’t bearable was the 8th princess Zelleine. 

She told him something as he helped her down the horse earlier. 

‘You don’t have to come by every night, so rest. Don’t stay up again buried in all the paperwork.’

And she hesitantly added. 

‘And… Treat your wound well too.’

Her concerns for him filled his mind. 

We were never in terms to be sharing such concerns for each other.

All his senses were focused on her every word and action and yearned to discover what’s underneath. 

In fact, he was always frustrated by what he was trying so hard to discover from her. 

Was he trying to clear his suspicion or find out some kind of truth or…

Did he want to know the princess herself, her thoughts, and perhaps something beyond that?

He obsessively mulled over her words and was stuck with one thing.

‘Don’t stay up again buried in all the paperwork.’

She spoke as if she knew what was going on inside his tent when he never told her about his troubles or duties. And plus, what she said before that. 

‘It was you who said it would be more dangerous as we get closer to the capital. Plus, Castle Sirene and Castle Ett are double barriered so a siege would be difficult too.’

He mulled over those words and pressed his temples in unpleasantness. The hypotheses forming in his head were too fantastical 

It can’t be…

Valhayle recalled what he had said in the military meeting before. 

‘The battle near the capital will be more dangerous. Especially since Castle Sirene and Castle Ett are double barriered so a siege would be difficult too.’

The princess didn’t miss out on a single word of what he said in the meeting. It was strickingly identical to consider it a coincidence. 

Valhayle scowled. The princess was still with Granoir when that meeting was held. So how can she know? 

First hypothesis. The princess is a traitor. 

She knew about Roymonde’s situation from a spy she planted in Roheneim for Granoir.

Second hypothesis. She had a dream. 

It was hard to believe but the princess said so herself that she saw the bird in her dream.

‘Third hypothesis…’

Valhayle pressed his fist on the table. 

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