Again, a familiar silence fell. I scratched my burning cheek face for no reason.
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I didn’t mean to say such a shameful thing. Should I rather think that I’m fortunate that he’s been silent?
Still, it seemed that my sincerity had been conveyed to Rudrick.
A trembling breath was mixed in between the same silence as before.
Soon after, Rudrick’s weeping voice leaked out.
“Me too…”
“…”
“It was nice meeting Dahlia, too. So…”
Rudrick’s sobbing grew louder.
“That’s why I don’t want to separate….”
Only then did I look back.
Before I knew it, Rudrick, who lifted his head, was sobbing with his face buried in his palm. The tears overflowing from his small hand dripped down and wet the floor.
I pushed and hugged Rudrick tightly.
Rudrick, trembling, dug deeper in my arms.
He cried and wept so much that my chest also got wet. Like a child, crying loudly and throwing up the emotions he had been holding back.
Patting Rudrick’s shoulders, who was trembling helplessly, I bit my lips.
Quietly swallowing a part of my heart that I couldn’t bear to say.
‘I don’t want to be separated from you either… ‘
Until Rudrick’s crying calms.
We held each other until we heard our mother looking for us.
To be precise, it looked like I hugged Rudrick, as Rudrick hugged me.
After a long period of time, Rudrick was finally able to stop crying.
Our condition didn’t look very good. Rudrick’s eyes were swollen, and my chest was wet with tears and a runny nose.
Rudrick, who barely came to his senses, seemed embarrassed to see me like that.
Probably, because he was crying out so much in front of me for the first time and didn’t know where he was wiping his tears.
I casually shrugged at Rudrick, who was wiping my clothes with his sleeve.
“If you’re so sorry, you could give me a dress for my birthday later.” I said and just stood up lightly.
Rudrick nodded seriously, perhaps because he understood my joking words as truth.
I held it in because I thought I would laugh at it.
“Dahlia, where have you been… Oh my.”
Both of our mothers covered their mouths as if surprised to see us back holding hands.
Their eyes were directed towards Rudrick’s swollen, puffy face, but they pretended not to know and greeted us warmly.
After that, Rudrick went to wash his face and I changed into a spare dress in the guest room.
When I came out, my mother was waiting for me at the entrance of the mansion.
I realized it only then.
‘It’s really time to go.’
A carriage was standing outside the mansion.
Soon it was time for the Duke to return. Before that we had to leave.
Above all, he seemed to want Duchess Bouser to do so.
Belatedly, I saw Rudrick coming out of the mansion. It was to see us off as we were leaving.
Standing next to the Duchess, who gave her brief greetings, Rudrick still had his head bowed.
I’m sure he’s doing that because he thinks he’ll cry again when he sees my face.
Smiling, I took something out of my pocket.
“Rud, look at me.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to see me? It’s the last time.”
“…No.”
Rudrick barely raised his face. Suddenly, his blue eyes were filled with tears.
I stared into those eyes seriously.
“Rudrick Bouser, make a promise with me.”
“…?”
Rudrick’s eyes grew bigger at my sudden serious appearance and soon nodded.
“Hey, a lot of hard things may happen to you in the future. I’m sure there are times when it’s hard to endure it, and times when you want to give up on everything”
“…Yes.”
“At that time, there’s something you must do.”
I put the prepared handkerchief in his hand.
“Cry just like you did today.”
“…”
“When you’re having a hard time, don’t hold it in and cry like a child.”
“…”
“After you cry, wipe it with this handkerchief. Then you would feel more at ease.”
Rudrick’s eyes shook. He accepted the handkerchief I gave him.
I smiled softly as I looked at Rudrick, who was still looking at the handkerchief.
“And when the handkerchief is wet…”
I held his hand tightly.
“I’ll come to see you.”
At my last words, Rudrick raised his head and looked at me.
I was worried that he might cry again, but Rudrick didn’t cry. Although his eyes were still filled with tears.
He looked at me and smiled. Then he answered softly.
“I’ll be waiting.”
That’s how we parted…
As I rode the carriage and looked back at them.
From the entrance of the mansion, I could see the Duchess, the employees of the Duchess, and Rudrick looking at us.
Rudrick’s face was no longer visible as we were getting farther away. But it seemed certain that Rudrick was holding the handkerchief I had given him.
As if he would never miss it, please do your best.
Watching him like that I prayed to myself.
Until the next time we meet, I hope that the handkerchief stays a little wet, and that little child won’t get hurt too much.
✿
As promised, we often exchanged letters.
I could say we send letters frequently, but in fact, it must have been a rare letter to others.
Because the northern part and the capital were quite far away, it was difficult to send letters, and the communication structure didn’t work well due to the magical waves of the northern part infested with monsters.
Was the only place he could lean on using the top of the north to deliver letters?
Fortunately, our Averine-owned top was attached to the north, so we were able to send letters once or twice a month.
How happy I was to hear this from my father.
Honestly, I didn’t like it, but I wanted something like this, so I sat down at my desk to write a letter right after Rudrick left.
After having a paper in front of me and struggling to figure out what to write, I immediately picked up my pen.
Then I began to write a letter as soon as I thought of it.
「To Rudrick,
Hello, Rud,
Did you make it to the North safely?
It’s a bit awkward to write a letter all of a sudden. I’m not even good with keeping a diary…
But you can’t laugh at me because I’m sending this letter, enduring it.
It’s been a few days since you’ve been gone, so I feel a little lonely.
I guess we’ve seen each other quite often since then.
In the past, I used to play well alone, but you suddenly left, so everything was boring.
Yesterday I was so bored that I slept all day.
My parents must have thought I was very heartbroken.
They said they wanted to take me to a social gathering with children of my age.
It’s annoying, but… Would there be anyone as pretty as you?
I’m worried because my eyes have high standards. Anyway, I’ll let you know if I ever make friends.
I hope you make many wonderful friends there, too.
Of course, I’m not the only one who does it.
Um… There was a lot more to write, but I can’t remember any.
It’s not fun because I feel like I’m talking to myself. I think it’s better to talk face to face.
I wish that day would come soon.
I’ll write to you if something fun happens again. No, I’ll write to you even if there’s none.
You know you have to reply quickly too? You know I’m impatient, right?
See you again. Bye.
~Your best friend, Dahlia.」
.
.
The reply came about a month later.
.
.
「Dear Dahlia Averine,
Dahlia, how are you doing?
Thank you for the letter. I was a little flustered because I didn’t know how to write to you quickly. But I wrote it as soon as possible, so I hope you like it.
I’m living in the North just the same as before.
Waking up, going to class, resting, then training… It’s just the same as usual
So I thought I’d get used to it soon, but strangely, it didn’t work out that well.
Even when I’ve come back, I keep thinking about the times I spent with you.
I couldn’t concentrate well in class… Even though I got scolded like that, I still couldn’t get myself together.
I never knew my room was this big. Why’s the North so cold and empty?
I guess I got used to the time I spent with you in the capital. Now I have to adapt here too, but it’s not easy.
But I still have to try. If I do my job well here, wouldn’t the day when I could meet you come sooner?
So don’t be too depressed. When I think of you being depressed, I also feel bad.
I hope to meet many good friends.
You’re a really cool kid, so you’ll meet a lot of friends like you.
Having fun with friends like that… If you remember, write me a letter sometimes.
I really liked it when I received your letter.
Then I’ll cut it short.
May your path be filled with luck.
—Rudrick Bouser.」
Again, a familiar silence fell. I scratched my burning cheek face for no reason.
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I didn’t mean to say such a shameful thing. Should I rather think that I’m fortunate that he’s been silent?
Still, it seemed that my sincerity had been conveyed to Rudrick.
A trembling breath was mixed in between the same silence as before.
Soon after, Rudrick’s weeping voice leaked out.
“Me too…”
“…”
“It was nice meeting Dahlia, too. So…”
Rudrick’s sobbing grew louder.
“That’s why I don’t want to separate….”
Only then did I look back.
Before I knew it, Rudrick, who lifted his head, was sobbing with his face buried in his palm. The tears overflowing from his small hand dripped down and wet the floor.
I pushed and hugged Rudrick tightly.
Rudrick, trembling, dug deeper in my arms.
He cried and wept so much that my chest also got wet. Like a child, crying loudly and throwing up the emotions he had been holding back.
Patting Rudrick’s shoulders, who was trembling helplessly, I bit my lips.
Quietly swallowing a part of my heart that I couldn’t bear to say.
‘I don’t want to be separated from you either… ‘
Until Rudrick’s crying calms.
We held each other until we heard our mother looking for us.
To be precise, it looked like I hugged Rudrick, as Rudrick hugged me.
After a long period of time, Rudrick was finally able to stop crying.
Our condition didn’t look very good. Rudrick’s eyes were swollen, and my chest was wet with tears and a runny nose.
Rudrick, who barely came to his senses, seemed embarrassed to see me like that.
Probably, because he was crying out so much in front of me for the first time and didn’t know where he was wiping his tears.
I casually shrugged at Rudrick, who was wiping my clothes with his sleeve.
“If you’re so sorry, you could give me a dress for my birthday later.” I said and just stood up lightly.
Rudrick nodded seriously, perhaps because he understood my joking words as truth.
I held it in because I thought I would laugh at it.
“Dahlia, where have you been… Oh my.”
Both of our mothers covered their mouths as if surprised to see us back holding hands.
Their eyes were directed towards Rudrick’s swollen, puffy face, but they pretended not to know and greeted us warmly.
After that, Rudrick went to wash his face and I changed into a spare dress in the guest room.
When I came out, my mother was waiting for me at the entrance of the mansion.
I realized it only then.
‘It’s really time to go.’
A carriage was standing outside the mansion.
Soon it was time for the Duke to return. Before that we had to leave.
Above all, he seemed to want Duchess Bouser to do so.
Belatedly, I saw Rudrick coming out of the mansion. It was to see us off as we were leaving.
Standing next to the Duchess, who gave her brief greetings, Rudrick still had his head bowed.
I’m sure he’s doing that because he thinks he’ll cry again when he sees my face.
Smiling, I took something out of my pocket.
“Rud, look at me.”
“…”
“Aren’t you going to see me? It’s the last time.”
“…No.”
Rudrick barely raised his face. Suddenly, his blue eyes were filled with tears.
I stared into those eyes seriously.
“Rudrick Bouser, make a promise with me.”
“…?”
Rudrick’s eyes grew bigger at my sudden serious appearance and soon nodded.
“Hey, a lot of hard things may happen to you in the future. I’m sure there are times when it’s hard to endure it, and times when you want to give up on everything”
“…Yes.”
“At that time, there’s something you must do.”
I put the prepared handkerchief in his hand.
“Cry just like you did today.”
“…”
“When you’re having a hard time, don’t hold it in and cry like a child.”
“…”
“After you cry, wipe it with this handkerchief. Then you would feel more at ease.”
Rudrick’s eyes shook. He accepted the handkerchief I gave him.
I smiled softly as I looked at Rudrick, who was still looking at the handkerchief.
“And when the handkerchief is wet…”
I held his hand tightly.
“I’ll come to see you.”
At my last words, Rudrick raised his head and looked at me.
I was worried that he might cry again, but Rudrick didn’t cry. Although his eyes were still filled with tears.
He looked at me and smiled. Then he answered softly.
“I’ll be waiting.”
That’s how we parted…
As I rode the carriage and looked back at them.
From the entrance of the mansion, I could see the Duchess, the employees of the Duchess, and Rudrick looking at us.
Rudrick’s face was no longer visible as we were getting farther away. But it seemed certain that Rudrick was holding the handkerchief I had given him.
As if he would never miss it, please do your best.
Watching him like that I prayed to myself.
Until the next time we meet, I hope that the handkerchief stays a little wet, and that little child won’t get hurt too much.
✿
As promised, we often exchanged letters.
I could say we send letters frequently, but in fact, it must have been a rare letter to others.
Because the northern part and the capital were quite far away, it was difficult to send letters, and the communication structure didn’t work well due to the magical waves of the northern part infested with monsters.
Was the only place he could lean on using the top of the north to deliver letters?
Fortunately, our Averine-owned top was attached to the north, so we were able to send letters once or twice a month.
How happy I was to hear this from my father.
Honestly, I didn’t like it, but I wanted something like this, so I sat down at my desk to write a letter right after Rudrick left.
After having a paper in front of me and struggling to figure out what to write, I immediately picked up my pen.
Then I began to write a letter as soon as I thought of it.
「To Rudrick,
Hello, Rud,
Did you make it to the North safely?
It’s a bit awkward to write a letter all of a sudden. I’m not even good with keeping a diary…
But you can’t laugh at me because I’m sending this letter, enduring it.
It’s been a few days since you’ve been gone, so I feel a little lonely.
I guess we’ve seen each other quite often since then.
In the past, I used to play well alone, but you suddenly left, so everything was boring.
Yesterday I was so bored that I slept all day.
My parents must have thought I was very heartbroken.
They said they wanted to take me to a social gathering with children of my age.
It’s annoying, but… Would there be anyone as pretty as you?
I’m worried because my eyes have high standards. Anyway, I’ll let you know if I ever make friends.
I hope you make many wonderful friends there, too.
Of course, I’m not the only one who does it.
Um… There was a lot more to write, but I can’t remember any.
It’s not fun because I feel like I’m talking to myself. I think it’s better to talk face to face.
I wish that day would come soon.
I’ll write to you if something fun happens again. No, I’ll write to you even if there’s none.
You know you have to reply quickly too? You know I’m impatient, right?
See you again. Bye.
~Your best friend, Dahlia.」
.
.
The reply came about a month later.
.
.
「Dear Dahlia Averine,
Dahlia, how are you doing?
Thank you for the letter. I was a little flustered because I didn’t know how to write to you quickly. But I wrote it as soon as possible, so I hope you like it.
I’m living in the North just the same as before.
Waking up, going to class, resting, then training… It’s just the same as usual
So I thought I’d get used to it soon, but strangely, it didn’t work out that well.
Even when I’ve come back, I keep thinking about the times I spent with you.
I couldn’t concentrate well in class… Even though I got scolded like that, I still couldn’t get myself together.
I never knew my room was this big. Why’s the North so cold and empty?
I guess I got used to the time I spent with you in the capital. Now I have to adapt here too, but it’s not easy.
But I still have to try. If I do my job well here, wouldn’t the day when I could meet you come sooner?
So don’t be too depressed. When I think of you being depressed, I also feel bad.
I hope to meet many good friends.
You’re a really cool kid, so you’ll meet a lot of friends like you.
Having fun with friends like that… If you remember, write me a letter sometimes.
I really liked it when I received your letter.
Then I’ll cut it short.
May your path be filled with luck.
—Rudrick Bouser.」
