Chapter 60: The princess has no friends (7)

From the sky, the white snowflakes were slowly descending to the ground.

Unlike the white snow, the clouds dispersing it from the sky were grey. Noel, looking up at the sky, briefly questioned the hue of the clouds. But she soon withdrew her gaze and looked around at the world that had turned pure white due to the snow falling on the ground.

Though this wasn’t her first time seeing snow, everything reflected in Noel’s eyes felt new.

With a mere turn of her head, landscapes she had never seen before came into her view. The place where she stood now was not the imperial palace she had always known.

For the first time since her birth, Noel had left the imperial palace. The very first place she had set foot on was Merohim, the heart of the empire’s northern region, known to be blanketed with snow for half of the year.

True to its nickname, ‘The City of Snow’, everywhere she looked, the world was wrapped in snow.

Until now, the emperor had never brought his children on official visits, but for some reason, on this northern tour, he brought along his two children, Orcus and Noel.

Orcus, being analytical, surmised there was a purpose to this trip, considering their father’s reputation as a wise ruler who always had reasons for his actions.

However, unlike him, Noel was simply delighted by the fact that she had left the imperial palace.

Just standing still and gazing up at the snowfall was making her smile.

Though snow also fell in the capital, Luden, this was a different matter altogether.

To Noel, what mattered wasn’t the snowfall, but the novelty of being in a place she had never visited before. No matter how grand Edelweiss’ winter castle might be, it couldn’t compare to the imperial palace. Still, walking through the newness of the winter castle was more delightful for her than being amidst the same old structures of the imperial palace.

As she looked up, aside from the snow, the Tower of Dawn—a symbol of Merohim—captured her attention. Even with clouds swirling around its peak, the light emanating from it pierced through the clouds, shining brilliantly.

Even in Luden, known for its towering edifices, nothing quite matched the scale of the Tower of Dawn. The magic formulas engraved on its soaring walls, gave off an inexplicable mystical aura, justifying its reputation as the Magic Tower.

“So beautiful...”

Naturally, the appearance of the Tower of Dawn piqued Noel’s interest. But that was only due to the mystery of the exterior. She had no desire to venture inside.

The Tower of Dawn was a magical institute, a place where magic was studied and mages were trained. Thus, to Noel, who had more of an interest in martial arts like sword fighting, the tower was merely an ‘impressively constructed building’, nothing more.

Even if she were to enter, what she could access was extremely limited. Even her royal status wouldn’t permit her deeper access. What she could see would be basic magic theories, nothing more.

While these texts inside the tower might seem basic, they were treasures to mages. But for Noel, who didn’t share a passion for magic, these texts were no more captivating than ordinary novels easily found in markets.

“Entering the Magic Tower... It would be nice for brother~”

Gazing at the Tower of Dawn, Noel thought of her twin brother, Orcus. Although they were twins, their talents lay at opposite ends of the spectrum.

To Orcus, magic was as intrinsic as the art of swordplay was to Noel.

For Orcus, the Tower of Dawn, one of only seven magic towers on the continent, must have seemed like a treasure trove.

“Ummm…”

She was indeed happy to be outside the palace, but thinking about Orcus, who had found something he truly loved, Noel couldn’t shake off a feeling of missing out.

No, to be precise, she felt a longing. Though stepping onto an unspoiled snowfield and seeing an unfamiliar view was indeed enjoyable, since she had ventured outside, Noel wished for a new experience related to what she loved.

It had only been a few minutes since she harbored such thoughts. Watching the light emanating from the end of the Tower of Dawn, Noel finally decided to leave her spot.

Though the Edelweiss House was famous for magic, it wasn’t devoid of knights. Noel wondered if the training grounds might offer her something different.

Just as she was about to head to the training grounds, she halted her steps, catching a fleeting glimpse of something from the corner of her eye.

Where Noel looked, a girl with hair as white as snow, holding the brightness of the night stars, was crossing the castle corridor. This wasn’t the first time Noel had seen this girl. Just moments ago, they had exchanged greetings. Noel knew who she was.

“Elena?”

Had she been possessed by something?

Upon spotting Elena, Noel began to follow her, ensuring she didn’t lose sight of her.

Why she followed Elena, even Noel herself wasn’t certain. Maybe she was merely curious about Elena’s destination, or perhaps, she hoped for a brief exchange. It could be a blend of both.

Regardless of the reason, Noel silently followed Elena.

After navigating the long hallway and turning several corners, Elena stopped in front of a door.

As Elena pushed the door open, a warm breeze, unlike any found in the north, wafted out. Accompanying it was a familiar fragrance that tickled Noel’s senses.

Why did the fragrance of the imperial garden flowers present in this winter castle?

Wrapped up in the unexpected atmosphere, Noel forgot to call out to Elena.

By the time she looked back at the door, Elena had already disappeared inside. Instinctively, Noel reached out to the closed door. But the moment she put her hand on the closed door, she I realized that she shouldn’t open it.

“Ah.”

With Elena gone, clarity began to return to Noel’s thoughts.

In the unfamiliar surroundings, a forgotten fact resurfaced: she wasn’t in the Imperial Castle.

Even as a princess, there were lines she shouldn’t cross.

Had she known what lay beyond the door Elena entered, would she have intruded so thoughtlessly? In the first place, it was wrong to follow someone else without saying anything. Overwhelmed by the guilt that belatedly arrived, Noel could only stand there, unable to open the door.

While she could easily walk away, something held her back, and there she remained.

As she passed the door behind which Elena vanished, Noel pondered her inexplicable impulse to follow the girl. A question that felt complex during her pursuit appeared straightforward upon reflection.

The myriad reasons she had contemplated boiled down to a singular, core sentiment.

The answer was simple.

Noel wanted to be friends with Elena.

She was the first girl of her age she had met since leaving the imperial palace.

They had exchanged greetings during their first meeting, but how could that brief interaction be called a conversation? She was curious about Elena’s likes and dislikes, and she wanted to hear stories about this place, Merohim. If Elena wished, Noel could share stories about the imperial palace.

Even the mere act of imagining such conversations filled Noel with joy, even though the person in question, Elena, might not have thought about conversing with her at all.

But Noel was not one to fret over such details.

She had no idea what lay behind the door or when Elena would emerge from her room, yet Noel had made up her mind to wait until Elena came out. Leaning against the wall beside the door, Noel quietly waited for Elena’s return.

How many minutes had passed?

The warmth from the door and the cold air from the corridor mingled, making her eyelids heavy. Moreover, the subtle floral scent permeating the surroundings slowly relaxed Noel’s senses.

“No! I can’t sleep!”

Every time she felt her eyes closing, she would pinch her cheeks to stay awake. But even that seemed to reach its limit, and after a short time passed, she couldn’t resist anymore. Slowly, under the influence of the ambient warmth, Noel’s upright stance crumbled.

Soon, she was completely slumped on the floor.

If anyone had seen her, they would have rushed to wake her up. But either few people passed this corridor, or during her short nap, no servant had walked by. Nonetheless, someone did eventually notice her.

When the sun that illuminated the world disappeared beyond the horizon and the sky begins to turn dark.

Creak-

The door opened, and Elena stepped out. Unlike when she entered the door, Elena’s face had a bright smile like a flower.

“Hmm...”

“!”

However, when she found Noel sleeping by the door as if she had collapsed, the smile instantly disappeared from Elena’s face. Who wouldn’t be taken aback if they suddenly found the princess collapsed in the hallway right in front of their eyes? Lost for words and unsure of what to do next, Elena simply gazed down at the resting Noel.

Such an odd standoff lasted for about 10 minutes. Elena, as if she had made up her mind, bent slightly and reached out her hand towards Noel, whispering, “Your Highness. Your Highness the Princess. Please wake up.“, In a very soft voice.

Of course, it was unlikely for Noel to wake up from such a faint voice.  It was the first time for Elena to muster up the courage to speak to someone other than her family, but even so, it was another matter for Elena’s words to reach Noel’s ears.

In the end, Elena had no choice but to keep calling her until Noel opened her eyes.

***

“Oh.”

“Noel? Why did you suddenly react like that?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just remembered something... something I felt very sorry about.”

Upon hearing Noel’s words, Elena tilted her head, but she soon turned her gaze back to the garden, seemingly not too bothered.

Noel, following Elena’s lead, also began to quietly appreciate the garden spread out in front of her.

With her mouth slightly agape, any hesitation Noel might have felt vanished. Perhaps it was because she had seen her among the flowers, and being surrounded by them made her feel like she was returned to the moment she first became friends with her.

There were piles of things she wanted to ask about, but just sitting by her side brought back memories of that day, so she forgot to ask and lost herself in the past.

Under the expansive sky, flowers of various colors bloomed vividly, enhancing the beauty of the world they could see. Just looking at it gave a refreshing sensation, as if a hole had been punctured through one’s heart.

However, Noel remembered Elena’s garden, which gave the opposite feeling to the current garden she was looking at.

Seeing a butterfly fluttering among the flowers, Noel smiled and said to Elena,

“It’s beautiful.”

At Noel’s words, Elena nodded slightly. Seeing her respond with a bright smile, Noel smiled back and slowly looked up at the sky.

A gentle breeze caressed her hair.

What should she ask first? How did the engagement come about? Or maybe about her current life here?

Gazing at the sky, Noel began to organize her thoughts.

There were so many things she wanted to ask Elena that deciding where to start became a problem. Normally, Noel would’ve just blurted out questions, but now she wanted to take her time, enjoying a conversation with her.

Maybe it was because she never had a problem like this before?

She ended up thinking longer than expected. But what interrupted her train of thought was none other than Elena’s call.

Elena got up from her seat and asked, holding Noel’s hand.

“Noel, would you like to take a walk?”

At Elena’s words, Noel held her hand without hesitation. As Noel held her hand, Elena slowly led her deeper into the garden.

The scenery unfolding inside the garden left Noel in awe once again.

The sensation of walking inside was different than looking from the outside. Walking in the garden felt like entering a painting. Every few steps they took, the changing appearance of the flowers felt like different worlds coming together.

Elena, noticing Noel’s wide-eyed wonder, slightly curved her lips into a smile.

“Come to think of it, when I visited the Imperial Palace before, Noel told me that she would show me the garden of the Imperial Palace. How does it look to Noel? Is the garden of the Imperial Palace as beautiful as this place?”

At her question, Noel stopped looking around her surroundings and looked at Elena. Not because she remembered saying that, but because she didn’t.

‘If Elena comes to the imperial palace next time, I’ll personally guide her through its garden!’

How could she forget the promise made with her first friend? The memory of the crystal garden where they became friends was still vivid.

Realizing she wasn’t the only one who remembered, Noel locked eyes with Elena. The purple irises of Elena’s eyes stared right back. Reflected in those clear eyes was Noel’s own face, to which she brightly smiled and said,

“Of course! If Elena sees it, she will definitely want to live in the imperial castle more than here.”

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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