Princess Shu

For a moment, Schuden felt like he was suffocating. The figure in the sky blue dress was so vivid. Valia’s black hair waved in the wind, along with her flowy hat that was the same color as her dress.

But what stuck out the most to him was her white hand. She was reaching out to the sky, trying to touch the golden petals that rose above her head.

Everything was caught in Schuden’s eyes so clearly. What he saw was just her back in and of itself, and he knew it was nothing, but, strangely, his heart kept on aching still. His Adam’s Apple trembled. Schuden stopped at the spot without getting any closer.

‘Someone is approaching.’

Robin sensed Schuden’s presence. While escorting Valia, his expression suddenly became serious. Standing between Valia and Schuden, the young knight quietly raised his hand to the hilt of his sheathed sword. He was ready to draw his sword in case of an emergency. Robin counted to three in his mind and sharply turned his head.

The young knight’s eyes were wide open.

“…Your Grace?”

For a moment, Valia’s fingertips paused. She heard Robin’s voice.

‘Your Grace?’

She looked back in doubt, half nervous and half excited.

“…”

A wind blowing in the air. 

A clear sky in the mellow afternoon. 

And a man looking at her amongst a field full of sunflowers. 

The reddish-blonde color glowed under the sun. The one whom she kept in mind. The one that she thought she would not be able to see until a few days later.

“Valia.”

…He called her name.

After hearing his voice, Valia became aware of the fantasy-like reality. Schuden Garth, Valia’s husband and the man she loved. Valia slowly covered her mouth with both hands. A whispery voice flowed through the gap in her slender hands.

“…Schu?”

There was only one person in the world who called him by that name. But why did he get used to it more than any other name he had been called with before? 

Schuden smiled at her. Valia could not smile with him. 

Her silvery-gray eyes shook, filling with tears. Schuden opened his arms a little toward her. 

Valia ran to him.

Schuden hugged Valia with strength. The tips of her toes were slightly lifted, then lowered. Valia buried her cheeks in his broad, firm embrace. She could not tell if the sound of a loud heart pounding was his or hers.

Valia wondered if that was how it was like to love someone. She felt so happy and glad, but somehow, she felt like crying. She bit the inside of her mouth a little. Otherwise, she felt like she was about to cry.

“When…”

A hoarse voice came out. Valia cleared her throat.

“…When did you get back?”

“I just arrived. I went to the castle, but you weren’t there.”

So he came all the way to the sunflower field. It was better to say that he only stopped by the castle for a moment. He went out as soon as he heard of Valia’s absence, not even taking the time to look at the castle.

“What about the triumphal banquet? I heard it will only end…”

“It will proceed well by itself without my attendance.”

“What? But if you don’t attend the banquet…”

Won’t there be a problem?

Schuden was, of course, the main character of this war. She was glad to see him back so soon, but she could not help worrying about the triumphal banquet. Schuden replied, feeling Valia’s body temperature difference in his embrace.

“But you aren’t there.”

“…”

Valia shut her mouth. Her heart had been pounding from the moment she saw Schuden, and now, it pounded violently at every word he said. If it was not for Schuden, she would have gently pressed her left chest.

Valai wanted to see Schuden’s face and raised her head. But instead, her sky-blue hat came into her view.

‘Oh, right.’

She forgot that she was wearing a wide-brimmed hat. The hat was good for blocking the sun, and now it was even covering Schuden’s face. She had to untie the ribbon on her chin. When Valia released her arms and let go of Schuden, the sky-blue brim had gotten slightly bent.

Then, Schuden came into view. Valia blinked her eyes. The hat she was wearing was usually worn by ladies or noblewomen on picnics, so it was made of soft material. Still, she did not expect it would fold easily like that. Schuden pushed the hat with ease and bent his back.

And he came to kiss her.

“Schu… Hmph.”

Valia could not continue her words. The soft flesh that dug between her lips had wrapped around her tongue. It was neither violent nor lustful, rather, it was a gentle kiss.

Valia hesitated before closing her eyes. She honestly did not have the confidence to refuse the kiss. Their kiss went on for a long time. Her body seemed to melt at the sensations that were gently sweeping, touching, and stimulating her mouth. Valia’s eyelashes quivered.

Schuden kissed Valia a little more and then raised his chin. It was a pity that he had to let go of her lips, but if he did any more, he felt like his inner desires would be revealed. And besides, they were outside, not in their bedroom.

Valia’s silvery-gray eyes looked up at him gently. Schuden liked it when Valia looked at him. He was insensitive to the gazes of others, but her gaze was different. In fact, everything about Valia was unique and special to Schuden. Because she was the woman he loved.

Yes. The woman he loved.

The feelings that Schuden realized he later had were reconciled with heavy enthusiasm. The weight of his muddy past had always eaten him away, but now it was scattered like white dandelion seeds in front of Valia.

When she was in front of him, when she smiled, when she hugged him.

And when she called him.

“Schu?”

Valia opened her mouth, wondering at his staring gaze. The silvery-gray eyes in the sun were shining bright as always.

“Valia.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember what I said before I went to the battlefield?”

“Hmm… The one when you said you had something to say when you came back?”

She precisely pointed it out. Schuden grinned. He felt strangely relieved, and he also formed a weak sense of faith in her. She would not turn away from him. Schuden’s lips moved slowly. His mood was getting strange. As if bewitched by Schuden, Valia could not take her eyes off him.

Then, they heard a rustling sound right next to them.

It was a small sound, but because the field was completely quiet, it was clearly embedded in their ears. Valia’s gaze, which had been fixed on Schuden, turned right to the side. Her silvery-gray eyes widened abruptly.

“My, my apologies!”

Robin immediately stood at attention. The young knight was trying to sneak away like a cat, but his efforts ended in failure. His face was burning hot like it was about to explode.

‘Argh, why did I have to step on the grass?’

It was not intentional. Robin was just trying to get away from them. As quietly as possible while hiding his presence. Then, he stepped on the grass and made a rustling sound.

Robin was never even an assassin, he was a knight who had only walked the standard path, and the youngest of the knights at that. He still did not know how to completely hide his presence.

‘Oh my gosh.’

Valia was in the midst of a panic. The moment she looked at Schuden, she completely forgot about Robin’s existence. The kiss that had just happened passed by like a flash of light. Robin hurriedly excused himself when he saw Valia’s face begin to heat up like a ball of fire.

“M, madam. I didn’t see anything. For real!”

Robin had never gone on a date, nor has he even had a lover. Of course, he was not immune to the display of affection between a man and a woman. To be honest, he gasped and took a deep breath as the two of them kissed. The young knight was so bewildered that he uttered nonsense under his breath.

“So please be rest assured and continue what you’re doing!”

If Carl had seen her, he would have clicked his tongue. Valia covered her lips with one hand, her cheeks were already red. She stepped backward unknowingly but was quickly stopped because Schuden was still holding her. Valia looked at him with her flushed face. She looked like she was asking what to do.

Actually, Schuden did not care whether Robin saw or heard them. But first of all, it was a husband’s job to comfort his bewildered wife. Schuden gently stroked Valia’s back and said to Robin.

“Go and tell the coachman, we will be back soon.”

“Yes, yes!”

Robin immediately turned back and ran. He disappeared in an instant. Valia, who had buried her face in Schuden’s arms, let out a small sigh of relief. Still, she felt lucky that it was Robin who saw her.

‘I can’t imagine if the one standing there was grandfather…’

She might have passed out from the embarrassment. Valia raised her head. She was curious about what Schuden was going to say.

“Schu, what were you trying to say?”

“I will tell you later.”

“Later?”

“Yes. It’s not something that I should tell here.”

‘But wasn’t he trying to tell me about it just now?’

Schuden lightly kissed Valia’s cheek. 

Her cheeks that touched his lips were hot. Her face was already this red. If she were to hear that he loved her, she might even collapse.

She was often shy, so maybe she would be shy this time too.

Schuden had no idea how Valia would react when she heard that he loved her. He knew that she liked him. He believed that she liked him. Otherwise, she would not be able to smile so sweetly, make eye contact with him, and hug him.

But she lacked something to convince him that she loved him.

This was because Valia did not have the characteristic obsession or desire for monopoly that people in love usually have. It was hard to pinpoint it, but she just treated him like a person floating in clouds. She had that subtle feeling.

When Schuden thought about his love for her, he wanted to give a compliment to himself from half a year ago. Because they could not even get a divorce unless they died. That was what a second wedding was like. Valia was Schuden’s wife for the rest of her life. It was a relationship that no one could break.