It was several hours later that the carriage arrived at its destination.
Juliet decided to walk to the address written on the envelope after getting off the carriage.
A picturesque landscape unfolded before her eyes.
Following a white sandy beach where waves crashed, houses were neatly built with only a fence in between. Among them, a petite house with a blue roof, built on the edge of a steep cliff by the coast, was particularly noticeable.
“That’s the house!”
Juliet, full of excitement, pointed towards the house. Roy, upon seeing the house she pointed to, tilted his head slightly.
‘The person Juliet likes?’
While Roy was trailing a few steps behind, Juliet had already arrived at the front door and knocked.
The door opened to reveal a young woman holding a newborn baby.
“Oh my, Miss!”
“Hello, Agnes!”
Juliet greeted her with a broad smile.
* * *
“I didn’t expect you so soon!”
Agnes warmly welcomed them into her quaint mansion.
At the entrance, Roy whispered softly to Juliet,
“So, Agnes was the one Juliet likes.”
“Agnes is my dearest friend.”
When Juliet left for the north with the Duke of Carlyle, Agnes had gone with her. Until Agnes got married and left, she had been a significant source of support for Juliet, who knew no one in the north. She was especially like a sister to the introverted Juliet.
“Why do you ask?”
“I wondered if I was just another friend you liked to Juliet.”
Before Juliet could ask what he meant, Roy smiled mischievously and moved ahead.
Meanwhile, Agnes introduced Juliet to her month-old baby.
“Would you like to hold him?”
“…Can I?”
Juliet, somewhat nervous, awkwardly held the swaddled baby.
Agnes’s baby, said to be a month old, was smaller than expected but quite hefty.
“He’s so warm.”
Juliet, feeling the warmth of a baby for the first time, whispered in awe. Agnes chuckled,
“Babies are usually like that. They have a high body temperature.”
Juliet found the baby fascinating and cute, as he didn’t cry even when held by a stranger. However, she was also afraid of dropping him, so she quickly handed him back to Agnes.
Juliet watched in amazement as Agnes cared for the baby.
Suddenly, a recent memory made Juliet smile.
Would Lennox Carlyle even guess about the things done to help her?
After a moment, she asked:
“Where is Mr. Maurice?”
“Ah, he’s so busy these days. But he’ll be back late tonight!”
Agnes’s husband was a merchant traveling by boat to various continents. This time, however, he wasn’t traveling far and was expected to return soon.
When it was about lunchtime, Juliet asked Roy to bring down the basket they had brought. Inside the basket should have been special sandwiches filled with mashed eggs.
But instead of sandwiches, a baby dragon poked its head out.
“Oh my!”
“Squawk!”
A startled Agnes asked:
“What kind of animal is this, my lady?”
“You…”
The baby dragon quickly hid behind the basket.
To make matters worse, aside from two bottles of cold milk, this mischievous dragon had eaten all the food inside the basket.
* * *
Agnes treated them to a bountiful Eastern-style meal.
The month-old baby and the three-day-old baby dragon seemed to have similar temperaments. The baby dragon behaved obediently when Agnes treated it like a baby.
After lunch, entrusting the baby to a nanny, Agnes took Juliet upstairs.
With a great deal of enthusiasm, as if showcasing her skills after a long time, she said:
“I’ll make you the most noticeable in the village today! Don’t worry! That’s my specialty!”
Agnes had a talent for making Juliet’s thin and easily tangled hair look as smooth as silk threads.
“Oh, please stay still.”
Agnes repeatedly braided and unbraided Juliet’s hair.
“What’s with this hair!”
“I’m sorry…”
During this time, Agnes told Juliet various stories. About how she lived after her marriage and what happened when she settled here.
Despite all that, she didn’t ask Juliet anything about suddenly coming here, why she left the Duke’s house, and why she came in such a hurry.
Nor about the unfamiliar man accompanying her.
It was a relief. Juliet also didn’t initiate any conversation.
When they were almost done getting ready, Agnes took out a flowing dress from the closet.
“The hair is fine now… Try this on. Quickly!”
The dress, known as a Dirndl, was the most common traditional attire seen in the east.
The Dirndl typically had a soft, flowy blouse underneath, and over it, a bodice in dark color that was reminiscent of a corset, topped off with a full skirt.
However, what Agnes presented was somewhat different from the traditional attire Juliet knew.
The short skirt and the blouse emphasizing the neckline, with puffy sleeves reaching the wrists, and the red skirt were appealing. However, what should’ve been a full skirt in a dark red shade was unexpectedly short, revealing her ankles.
“This is the trend now!”
Before Juliet could comment on the dress, Agnes emphasized repeatedly.
Though doubtful, Juliet obediently dressed as Agnes suggested.
In the city, apart from children, skirts of such length weren’t worn.
Feeling uneasy in the unfamiliar attire, Juliet kept adjusting her skirt and shoes, earning her a look from Agnes.
“Aren’t you coming with us, Agnes?”
“I can’t. I can’t accompany you today.”
Saying that, Agnes glanced meaningfully at Roy.
“Hmm! Just the two of you go! The moon festival of this village is quite famous.”
The east had a tradition of using a lunar calendar. Therefore, it’s said that the real New Year in the east starts with this Moon Festival.
“So, according to our custom, today is New Year.”
The festival of the first month.
Although it sounds grand, it’s simple.
As the name suggests, it’s a village festival that begins when the full moon rises after the start of the New Year.
The festival in the small village was, as is often the case, more about eating, drinking, and enjoying rather than anything special.
“Have fun!”
Pushed by Agnes, Juliet and Roy set out early in the evening when the festival was in full swing.
“Shall we go?”
With a bright smile, Roy offered his arm.
The two wandered amongst the jubilant crowd, soaking in the festive mood.
As they did, the sun completely set and it turned dark. Living up to its name, the moon in the sky appeared three times bigger than usual.
“Shall we go there?”
“No.”
Juliet pulled on Roy’s arm.
“There’s a lake over there. It’s a better place to view the moon.”
Roy looked at her and said:
“You’ve been here before?”
“Yes.”
Juliet answered briefly and smiled, hoping he wouldn’t probe further.
“Alright. Let’s go there.”
Just then,
“Mr. Roy!”
An unexpected voice stopped them. Juliet recognized the face.
‘Was his name Nathan?’
Nathan ran up and grabbed Roy, paying no attention to Juliet. However, what worried Juliet more was the absence of Elsa, who was always with Nathan.
“My Lord…”
“…Kitan-“
Juliet stepped back, observing their conversation.
She couldn’t grasp the details, but the atmosphere seemed tense. Roy, who had been listening silently, grew more serious.
After a while, he turned to Juliet.
“Juliet, I need to…”
“Go!”
Realizing the urgency, Juliet quickly exclaimed. Roy hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“It’s okay. I can go to the lake alone.”
“…Really, I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright.”
Then the two men left.
It was several hours later that the carriage arrived at its destination.
Juliet decided to walk to the address written on the envelope after getting off the carriage.
A picturesque landscape unfolded before her eyes.
Following a white sandy beach where waves crashed, houses were neatly built with only a fence in between. Among them, a petite house with a blue roof, built on the edge of a steep cliff by the coast, was particularly noticeable.
“That’s the house!”
Juliet, full of excitement, pointed towards the house. Roy, upon seeing the house she pointed to, tilted his head slightly.
‘The person Juliet likes?’
While Roy was trailing a few steps behind, Juliet had already arrived at the front door and knocked.
The door opened to reveal a young woman holding a newborn baby.
“Oh my, Miss!”
“Hello, Agnes!”
Juliet greeted her with a broad smile.
* * *
“I didn’t expect you so soon!”
Agnes warmly welcomed them into her quaint mansion.
At the entrance, Roy whispered softly to Juliet,
“So, Agnes was the one Juliet likes.”
“Agnes is my dearest friend.”
When Juliet left for the north with the Duke of Carlyle, Agnes had gone with her. Until Agnes got married and left, she had been a significant source of support for Juliet, who knew no one in the north. She was especially like a sister to the introverted Juliet.
“Why do you ask?”
“I wondered if I was just another friend you liked to Juliet.”
Before Juliet could ask what he meant, Roy smiled mischievously and moved ahead.
Meanwhile, Agnes introduced Juliet to her month-old baby.
“Would you like to hold him?”
“…Can I?”
Juliet, somewhat nervous, awkwardly held the swaddled baby.
Agnes’s baby, said to be a month old, was smaller than expected but quite hefty.
“He’s so warm.”
Juliet, feeling the warmth of a baby for the first time, whispered in awe. Agnes chuckled,
“Babies are usually like that. They have a high body temperature.”
Juliet found the baby fascinating and cute, as he didn’t cry even when held by a stranger. However, she was also afraid of dropping him, so she quickly handed him back to Agnes.
Juliet watched in amazement as Agnes cared for the baby.
Suddenly, a recent memory made Juliet smile.
Would Lennox Carlyle even guess about the things done to help her?
After a moment, she asked:
“Where is Mr. Maurice?”
“Ah, he’s so busy these days. But he’ll be back late tonight!”
Agnes’s husband was a merchant traveling by boat to various continents. This time, however, he wasn’t traveling far and was expected to return soon.
When it was about lunchtime, Juliet asked Roy to bring down the basket they had brought. Inside the basket should have been special sandwiches filled with mashed eggs.
But instead of sandwiches, a baby dragon poked its head out.
“Oh my!”
“Squawk!”
A startled Agnes asked:
“What kind of animal is this, my lady?”
“You…”
The baby dragon quickly hid behind the basket.
To make matters worse, aside from two bottles of cold milk, this mischievous dragon had eaten all the food inside the basket.
* * *
Agnes treated them to a bountiful Eastern-style meal.
The month-old baby and the three-day-old baby dragon seemed to have similar temperaments. The baby dragon behaved obediently when Agnes treated it like a baby.
After lunch, entrusting the baby to a nanny, Agnes took Juliet upstairs.
With a great deal of enthusiasm, as if showcasing her skills after a long time, she said:
“I’ll make you the most noticeable in the village today! Don’t worry! That’s my specialty!”
Agnes had a talent for making Juliet’s thin and easily tangled hair look as smooth as silk threads.
“Oh, please stay still.”
Agnes repeatedly braided and unbraided Juliet’s hair.
“What’s with this hair!”
“I’m sorry…”
During this time, Agnes told Juliet various stories. About how she lived after her marriage and what happened when she settled here.
Despite all that, she didn’t ask Juliet anything about suddenly coming here, why she left the Duke’s house, and why she came in such a hurry.
Nor about the unfamiliar man accompanying her.
It was a relief. Juliet also didn’t initiate any conversation.
When they were almost done getting ready, Agnes took out a flowing dress from the closet.
“The hair is fine now… Try this on. Quickly!”
The dress, known as a Dirndl, was the most common traditional attire seen in the east.
The Dirndl typically had a soft, flowy blouse underneath, and over it, a bodice in dark color that was reminiscent of a corset, topped off with a full skirt.
However, what Agnes presented was somewhat different from the traditional attire Juliet knew.
The short skirt and the blouse emphasizing the neckline, with puffy sleeves reaching the wrists, and the red skirt were appealing. However, what should’ve been a full skirt in a dark red shade was unexpectedly short, revealing her ankles.
“This is the trend now!”
Before Juliet could comment on the dress, Agnes emphasized repeatedly.
Though doubtful, Juliet obediently dressed as Agnes suggested.
In the city, apart from children, skirts of such length weren’t worn.
Feeling uneasy in the unfamiliar attire, Juliet kept adjusting her skirt and shoes, earning her a look from Agnes.
“Aren’t you coming with us, Agnes?”
“I can’t. I can’t accompany you today.”
Saying that, Agnes glanced meaningfully at Roy.
“Hmm! Just the two of you go! The moon festival of this village is quite famous.”
The east had a tradition of using a lunar calendar. Therefore, it’s said that the real New Year in the east starts with this Moon Festival.
“So, according to our custom, today is New Year.”
The festival of the first month.
Although it sounds grand, it’s simple.
As the name suggests, it’s a village festival that begins when the full moon rises after the start of the New Year.
The festival in the small village was, as is often the case, more about eating, drinking, and enjoying rather than anything special.
“Have fun!”
Pushed by Agnes, Juliet and Roy set out early in the evening when the festival was in full swing.
“Shall we go?”
With a bright smile, Roy offered his arm.
The two wandered amongst the jubilant crowd, soaking in the festive mood.
As they did, the sun completely set and it turned dark. Living up to its name, the moon in the sky appeared three times bigger than usual.
“Shall we go there?”
“No.”
Juliet pulled on Roy’s arm.
“There’s a lake over there. It’s a better place to view the moon.”
Roy looked at her and said:
“You’ve been here before?”
“Yes.”
Juliet answered briefly and smiled, hoping he wouldn’t probe further.
“Alright. Let’s go there.”
Just then,
“Mr. Roy!”
An unexpected voice stopped them. Juliet recognized the face.
‘Was his name Nathan?’
Nathan ran up and grabbed Roy, paying no attention to Juliet. However, what worried Juliet more was the absence of Elsa, who was always with Nathan.
“My Lord…”
“…Kitan-“
Juliet stepped back, observing their conversation.
She couldn’t grasp the details, but the atmosphere seemed tense. Roy, who had been listening silently, grew more serious.
After a while, he turned to Juliet.
“Juliet, I need to…”
“Go!”
Realizing the urgency, Juliet quickly exclaimed. Roy hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“It’s okay. I can go to the lake alone.”
“…Really, I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright.”
Then the two men left.
