chapter 11

 

‘It’s comfortable.’

Low-heeled, no. Shoes without heels felt very awkward, but at the same time very comfortable.

‘Is the carpet this soft? My toes don’t hurt! It’s not bulky and it’s not heavy. Oh my God, do the winged shoes worn by the mythical gods look like this?’

For the first time, Elizabeth realized how cramped the shoes she had been wearing were. She had to hold back the thought of wanting to walk around the room. She was an elegant lady, she’d learned that she should not act frivolously under any circumstance.

Her mother said that she would have tea time in the garden with His HIghness the Crown Prince today. Just imagining walking on the hard brick road in the garden with high-heeled shoes would be very painful. But wouldn’t it be a little different with these comfortable shoes?

Leonhardt glanced at Elizabeth. On the plain white carpet, she was walking with a light gait, as if stepping on a cloud.

It was a sunny spring day. Green grass was growing all over the garden, as if a piece of freezing cloud in the winter had been removed, soaked in green paint, and tapped onto the brown ground.

“It’s good for a young child to fool around carefreely like ordinary children.”

“Pardon?”

Just before heading out to the garden, Leonhardt muttered as he looked at Elizabeth, the desire to walk freely under the sun was written all over her face, which she was desperately holding back.

Rustle.

As Elizabeth stepped onto the lawn, startled at the unfamiliar sound she had never heard, she took a half step back.

Rustle.

Then, the sound she had heard a while ago continued again. Elizabeth later recognized that it was the sound of her footsteps. She didn’t make any noise when she wore high-heeled shoes, but she’s now making such loud footsteps! What if His Highness is disappointed?

Before she could fully enjoy the texture of the soft grass, she started worrying about it.

Elizabeth walked cautiously, staring only at the ground, so no footsteps could possibly be heard.

Whenever there was a rustling sound, it was amazing to see the small grass that laid down by her body raised again. She could feel the soil that melted in the warm sun of spring beneath the soles of my feet.

‘I thought dirt roads were more difficult to walk on than well-paved brick roads!’

The spring soil was much softer than the white carpet in her room, and it was a strange smell that she’d smelled for the first time.

Leonhardt felt proud that he had done well by deciding to cross the lawn instead of the well-maintained trail. It might be a bit sad for the Duchy’s gardeners if they saw this, but it’s not his fault.

A table prepared for two was seen in the distance.

Leonhardt broke off, he let go of Elizabeth’s hand, walked with strides, took a seat first, and sat down.

Left alone, Elizabeth stood still with a puzzled expression.

“What are you doing? Come on.”

At Leonhardt’s blunt words, Elizabeth started running in haste. Seeing that, Leonhard gave a satisfied expression.

Even though she had been wearing heeled shoes for a while, she didn’t like the idea of walking in with those heels so as her footsteps wouldn’t make a sound..

‘I can’t do this. If her mother knows, I’m definitely going to be scolded. However… .’

Patter, patter, patter, the sound of footsteps tickling in her ears was just as good to hear as the sound of streams flowing.

The grass that she stepped on with her entire sole was much softer than when she walked with heels. At times, when the grass survived through the winter brushed her ankles, an appalling, ticklish sensation passed through her body to the point of giving her goosebumps.

‘I want to walk a little more.’

It was the first thought that flashed through her mind since she was able to walk on her own. How can walking be so much fun! She could walk on the lawn all day like this.

‘I’m totally obsessed.’

***

Leonhardt rested his chin on the back of his hand and fixed his gaze on Elizabeth from over the table.

Instead of sweet sweets that are perfect for a child’s taste, he longed for cinnamon sweets with a unique salty taste that spread in his mouth. But Leonhardt, who had learned from several experiences what would happen if he ate such a thing with his young delicate body, quietly bit into a cookie full of sugar.

Although Elizabeth fully understood that it was not just rude, but also blasphemy to Leonhardt, her partner on the other side of the table, the thought of wanting to walk on the lawn for another while filled her mind and she couldn’t concentrate on tea time.

Putting down her little teacup and secretly fidgeting her fingers under her table, Elizabeth let out a sigh.

“Isn’t it fun?”

Elizabeth, who had been holding back the desire to run around whilst nervously scratching her thumbs, raised her head. She looked just like a little rabbit peeking out from the bushes, and Leonhardt put on a broad smile.

It was then that Elizabeth noticed that Leonhardt no longer had sad eyes. He was smiling.

Why? What she did today was blasphemous and it’s the only thing she shouldn’t have done as a lady?

“Elysium, no. Elizabeth.”

Without realizing it, Elizabeth sat back with her back straighten. Is it possible that  the Crown Prince intended to rebuke her? Elizabeth was terrified and nervous.

Leonhardt only called her name once, but Elizabeth looked like a frightened rabbit, he felt that bitter taste in his mouth again.

The Duke’d took his advice and brought non-white colored objects into her room. The Duke must have told the Duchess as well, as the dress she wore today was a dress that looked quite comfortable.

And the shoes she was wearing, which he had put on himself, were heelless shoes with ribbons and embroidery on them.

But still, he thought she was lacking something.

She didn’t know how to express her want, her desire for something.

No, she didn’t even know what she wanted.

“Yes, his highness the Crown Prince.”

That calm figure is only an eight-year-old kid. Was this also trained and taught ‘that way’ ?

Thinking about that, indignation swelled up.

“What do my lady usually play for fun?”

“Play… you mean?”

At Leonhardt’s sudden words, Elizabeth’s blue eyes blinked hard and quickly searched for something about ‘play’ in her head.

“Learning how to embroider, read poetry, appreciate paintings… .”

fun… ?

Her little girl, who was only eight years old, tilted her head as if it were the first time she had heard it. Seeing this, Leonhardt wanted to bang his forehead on the table.

However, the band-aid on his forehead had only been removed the previous day, before the first visit to the duke’s residence, so he drank warm tea and managed to control his mind instead of banging his head on the table.

Suddenly, Leonhardt noticed that Elizabeth’s head had turned towards the flower garden.

Come to think of it, she also arranged all the flowers for decoration in his imperial palace.

Did she learn anything about flowers, too, from those lessons for the future Empress?

“Have you ever sat in a flower garden?”

“That… Such absurd behavior is not suitable for a lady.”

“Hmm, right….”

Leonhardt stood up from his seat, and headed to the flower garden.

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Contrary to what he saw with his own eyes, it was quite a distance to walk with a child’s short legs to the flower garden.

In the end, Leonhardt, who had finally arrived in the flower garden after running with all his might, uttered a soundless profanity in the air, then beckoned Elizabeth, who was sitting idly by, trying grasp the situation.

“Come on!”

He didn’t forget to urge her to run, just in case she walked on tiptoes as she did a while ago.