Chapter 18

“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. I also have something I need to take care of.”

Senir laughed as if he didn’t care. When she asked if she could take Sky home, he also laughed like that.

Getting off the carriage, Diana entered the post office.

‘Just who is that person?’

Diana recalled the moment she was asked the request.

[There is a person who wants to see me?]

Diana rolled her eyes as she agonized over who it might be, but no one came to mind.

[Just… What kind of person are they?]

[It’s difficult to say that here.]

Despite Senir’s reluctance to tell her who wanted to meet her, Senir continued to plead for her to accept the request with a desperate look on his face.

[I’m ashamed, but it won’t harm the Lady.]

[…Is that so?]

Honestly, she was confused.

‘But, since he helped me…’

If it weren’t for Senir, who knows what would’ve happened. Diana shivered. It was okay for her to grant him a small request in return.

Diana received a numbered plaque from the postal service employee. The line was short and the employee soon called her number. Coincidentally, he was also the employee who ignored her last time.

‘I did seem to not have any money, but he did say to just send my letter through regular service, right?’

For some reason, she felt her mouth was bitter.

The employee didn’t recognize her. She thought it was natural since it was a place where he usually met dozens of people a day. Diana also didn’t want to be recognized either. However,

“What brings you here?”

“…Uhm.”

She was flustered for a moment.

Was he originally a person who talked like this? He was usually annoyed as he spewed out informal speech, but today for who knows what reasons, he was very friendly.

“Is this your first time coming? Let me know if you need any help.”

“No. Uh, I’m here to find a package.”

Diana held out the certificate of ownership for her package. The employee was very kind to help her with the requisition.

‘…Is it because of my outfit?’

Well, it wasn’t once or twice that this kind of sudden politeness happened after she got her new clothes tailored.

From the horsemen even until the merchants who were selling street juice, they all changed as if they had never ignored her.

Thanks to it, she was able to find her package quickly. After leaving the post office, Diana headed to the alley where she and Senir were supposed to meet.

“Ah, here it is.”

It was the carriage that dropped her off in front of the post office. It was so big that even if it was parked on one side, its presence was still enormous.

At that moment, a man with a nice looking mustache came out of the carriage. The man rubbed his face with a tired look.

“Phew, I was so nervous….”

Muttering alone, the man passed by her. However, the exhausted man suddenly hurriedly turned around.

“…?”

Diana tilted her head at the man’s movement. The frightened man flinched and took a step back. Diana was also flustered.

“Phi-Phi-Phi-Phil… No, no.”

“Are you alright?”

The man’s face became pale as if he had just seen a ghost.

“I’m fine. It’s okay. E-excuse me.”

The man quickly wore his hat and hurriedly moved away.

“What’s that?”

That person was a little strange. Was there something on her face? Diana rubbed her face.

Diana knocked on the door as she approached the carriage. The carriage door opened smoothly.

“You came quickly.”

“Is there something weird on my face?”

“Yes?”

Senir tilted his head as if he had heard something strange, his long eyelashes blinking gracefully.

“Not at all.”

As expected, there seemed to be no problem. As soon as Diana sat in the carriage, it departed right away.

“Did something happen?

“No. Huh?”

Realizing Diana’s question, Senir lightly slapped his cheek with the back of his hand.

As if it was never red, the swelling had completely disappeared. Could it disappear this fast?

“I called a healer.”

“That’s a relief.”

Just who the hell slapped Senir…. No, it wasn’t something she should be concerned about.

“That package is very big.”

“I have a friend at the academy. He sends me a gift every birthday.”

“…Is it your birthday?”

Senir asked with a slightly flustered face.

Not noticing this, Diana asked with excitement.

“By any chance, can I open the package here?”

“Of course.”

When she opened the package, what came out was an object that looked like an oil lamp. How would one use this?

It was when she was turning it around, that Senir, reached out his hand and pressed a part. Soon, light came out of the central bead.

“Oh?!”

“It’s a magic lamp.”

Diana’s eyes sparkled.

“If you press here, it turns on.”

Senir pointed to a slightly protruding metal button. When he pressed it one more time, the light became brighter.

“If you press it one more time, it gets brighter. Press it again and it turns off.”

“Woaah!”

When she pressed the button, the light faded.

Diana pressed the button just as Senir taught her.

“Whoa.”

Press and admire, press and admire. For a long time, Diana simply sat there pressing the magic lamp’s button crazily.

Suddenly Senir bowed his body.

Diana was surprised by the sight of Senir’s platinum blonde hair suddenly coming close and leaned back. Straightening up his body back, Senir immediately spoke in an apologetic tone.

“I’m sorry for surprising you.”

Senir handed her a card.

“It’s because this fell down.”

“Huh? Ah, somehow there was no card. Thank you.”

[Happy 13th Birthday. Thessior Fabre.]

“If it’s Thessior Fabre, then is he the second son of Count Fabre?”

“Yes. Do you know him?’’

“I’ve never met him. Just….”

Senir made sure to choose his words lightly.

“All I know is that Count Fabre’s eldest son died in an accident, and his second son went to an academy.”

“Aha.”

“You must be a close friend.”

“Uhm… Yes. I think it’s like that.”

“Think?”

“It’s been so long since I saw his face. When was the last time we saw each other?”

Diana counted with her fingers.

It had been more than five years since her mother passed away. She kept sending and receiving letters like this, but honestly, she wasn’t confident they were friends.

Even if one day, no letter came, she thought there was nothing she could do about it.

“It’s because Thessior is a noble…”

Diana let out a deep sigh.

“…and I’m a commoner.”

“Can’t nobles and commoners be friends?”

“Of course, I think it’s possible. That’s what I think, but now… I don’t know anymore.”

The more she was by Atticia’s side, the more her confidence shrank like a balloon leaking.

“Did something happen?”

Senir asked knowingly. With a little bit of investigation, Atticia Bordeaux’s way of treating Diana was easily dug up. Of course he knew why she thought like that.

If Diana wanted to retaliate against Atticia, Senir was confident in achieving that wish. No, he was hoping she would wish for it.

It was quite an interesting thing. He wanted to do it not because of a deal or necessity, but simply because his heart wanted to do so.

“No.”

However, the answer he wanted didn’t come out. Senir’s face stiffened slightly.

“It’s just… There are things that I can’t do with just my efforts.”

Although she was bitter, Diana smiled softly, as if it couldn’t be helped.

“I see.”

Senir felt a sense of regret. Usually, he didn’t care. But somehow, if it was for Diana, he wanted to do whatever she wanted.

Diana looked out the window of the stopped carriage.

“Have we arrived already?”

“No, we haven’t arrived.”

Then why did it stop?

Senir opened the carriage door and got off first. The hem of his light ivory robe lightly got caught on the chin of the carriage before dragging down slowly.

Senir reached his hands out to Diana, who was about to get off.

“We’re going to ride the gate. Have you ever used it?”

“Yes? What did you say we’re going to ride?”

Tilting his head, Senir said.

“Gate. By any chance, do you not know what a gate is?”

“No. No, it’s not that… “

Even for the Baron Bordeaux family, the gate wasn’t something that could easily be used. It was only once a year when they went to the archipelago to attend the imperial ball, did they use it.

And in the case of maids, servants, and knights, they were sent up by carriage, not by gate.

“Isn’t it expensive?”

“The gate?”

Senir asked back as if her words were rather surprising.

“….”

Diana remained silent.

‘Right. They said Senir’s family is rich, right?’

She felt their distance again. She gave up trying to understand.

“It’s ready. You can depart right away.”

Inside the building, the aide whom Diana saw once came out. Senir received something opened by the aide and approached Diana.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Diana, who was about to take a step back, stopped when she saw the thing Senir held. It was a gray robe.

Senir put the robe on Diana’s shoulders and pulled up the hood. More than half of her face was now covered.

“Uhm, why do I need this…?”

Diana pulled back the hood out of frustration.

“Where are we going?”

“Heimden.”

“…Yes? What did you say? Heimden?”

The Heimden Archipelago. It was the Capital of the Heimbraden Empire.

Senir pulled the hood back up on Diana. Her face was now covered again. The pouting Diana eventually gave up.

“You’re going to send me back, right? I can’t come back alone.”

“Of course.”

Senir smiled and continued to talk.

“If you want to go back, you can go right ahead.”