After wandering through the forest, in a place plagued by the absence of the moon and the stars, Lara and Demian began to notice the worsening snowstorm. As white snow piled up on their capes, it was only then when they returned to the carriage
They were silent. After telling the coachman to take them back to the hotel, Lara sat on the carriage seat and closed her eyes. Demian clutched her hand tightly, his grip momentarily strong enough to prevent blood from circulating.
There was no gap between their fingers. It was still a cold winter but haze bloomed from their now ticklish palms.
After returning to the hotel, Lara went straight to her room. Demian walked silently as he followed her. They walked down the hallway, opened the door, entered their room, and closed the door again. The process felt so long to them.
Clack.
The door closed. The room was dark because Lara had turned off all the lights before leaving. Her fingers trembled as she stood still with the door closed. Demian stood behind her and let out a low sigh. Lara whispered to him with her back turned against him.
"There's no one here."
Before she finished speaking, he stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Lara's body. A thrilling pain and dizzying pleasure arose from her waist─the same area that he had held. Her cape and coat flowed down at once. His rough and hot breath touched the back of her neck.
"Lara."
Demian's voice was distorted. Lara could feel the irregular breathing from his chest. She leaned on him and untied the knot of her dress with her own hands.
Hah.
An unknown sigh lingered in the air.
Demian's hand touched Lara's fingers that were loosening the knot. He held her hand from behind, slowly lifted it up, and kissed in between each finger.
At that sudden moment, Lara wanted to see Demian's gaze. She slightly turned and raised her head to the side. She looked at his face.
Then, she quickly regretted it. A maddening blue. A beautiful demon that she could no longer ignore had sacrificed his life to seduce her.
"I don't care if this is a challenge to God."
"Demian."
"Close your eyes."
Demian was born with nothing and wanted nothing. No one understood him and he signified nothing.
"Lara."
Demian said.
Now Lara was his everything. She was the only one in his world.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The next day, Lara got a message from Acerus. The delegation from Hautean was expected to arrive at Dandelion soon, so he suggested meeting them together.
Lara eagerly accepted. She was curious as to who was coming as the representative, moreover, she thought she could hear news about the people she left behind in Hautean.
Lara often wrote letters to her mother, Isadora. But unless she used a military pigeon, any matters of importance were prone to leaking due to how far apart they were. So far, all the letters Lara had sent have been short news telling Isadora not to worry because everyone in Tarragon was doing fine.
Lara sometimes missed her mother when she was alone. She did not realize it when they were close but, now that they were far away, she became more desperate.
After returning to the past, she was determined to be a better daughter to her mother. But now, she wondered what use would that determination be if they were so far away like this.
However, Lara did not have the confidence to complain about how difficult it was or how scared she felt. That was actually much more difficult to do than filial piety.
She could always pretend to be okay even though she was not to please her mother. However, she could never say that she was anxious or scared to death. The moment such words came out of her mouth, she knew that her mother would be more hurt than she was.
While preparing to go out, Lara was lost in thought, thinking of her mother. She opened the door to her closet and pulled out a dark chocolate-brown dress. Then, she wore a dark scarlet jacket on top of it.
"Konny, put my hair up."
"It's cold though? Your neck is going to freeze."
"Do it anyway."
While worrying that Lara might catch a cold, Konny pulled Lara's hair and turned it into a bun with amazing skill.
"Wow! Milady, now that you've styled your hair like this, you really look like Madam Isadora."
"Really?"
"I also hope that if I get married later and have a daughter, she will look like me. Then, we can match our hairpins and pajamas."
"If she takes after your husband?"
"Hmm… His nose should be sharper than mine."
Konny said while pointing to her flat nose. Lara thought that her nose was round and pretty but Konny did not seem to think so.
"Konny, even if you get married, you will still live with me at my house, right?"
"Of course. Is there another job that is easier and has a higher salary than here? You don't know how fortunate I am to be your only maid. If I had a competitor, I would have kicked her out."
"What a lie."
Despite what she said, knowing how affectionate Konny was, Lara burst into laughter.
"Milady, there are people who saw Master Demian out in the morning. They are going to be whispering about that."
"Just ignore them."
"He's going back to prison after sleeping in the warm hotel… He must have hated going there."
"Are you worried?"
"What if he catches a cold? It's cold in prison. I'm going to bring pickled ginger today. I wish I could put a stove in there."
"I don't think you can."
"I think I saw Master Lampion and Master Domino sniffling."
While Konny was worried about the imprisoned Barbarians, a polite knock was heard outside.
"Milady, your guest has arrived."
"I'm going out now."
Acerus had arrived. As soon as it turned into the afternoon, he came to the Lara's Garden hotel by carriage. After getting ready, Lara approached his carriage.
"Hello, Sa…"
"Hello."
Acerus was about to call Lara saintess before quickly closing his mouth. Lara smiled slightly and grabbed his hand to climb into the carriage.
Acerus did not arrive using the Imperial carriage, it was a long-distance travel carriage for ordinary nobles. And what he was wearing was not the usual splendid full-dress uniform for the Crown Prince, but common cotton clothing and a coat for traveling.
"Are you here alone?"
"Yes, I feel bad for the delegation's representative… But I have a reason to deal with this meeting informally."
"Informally?"
"Yes, I got the news that the delegation from Hautean arrived outside Dandelion with the two thousand Barbarians who departed from the Western Gorgon Mountain Range.
"What?"
Lara was surprised and asked.
"How can there be such a coincidence?"
Acerus also smiled with a cornered face.
"So I'm going to meet them in private first."
"The Barbarians?"
"Yes, I wanted to be their friend… But the Crown Prince, Acerus Elin Tarragon cannot just simply side with the Barbarians. The Imperial Family has to move only for the benefit of Tarragon down to the bone."
"Your Imperial Highness."
"But, no matter how I think about it, feigning ignorance is cowardly."
Acerus said seriously.
"So I'm not going to meet them as the Crown Prince but as a knight who fought shoulder to shoulder with them."
"Crown Prince Acerus."
"I don't want to let them hear what has happened to Demian and his friends through someone else's mouth."
He looked bitter.
Lara liked this point about Acerus. A young, strong, just, and passionate Crown Prince. Those were the characteristics of a Prince that only came out in stories. If the world could move in the right direction as he believed, it would be a perfect story. Since he was such a person, he remained as a hero who fought for humans without letting go of the collapsing world.
If Lara was a wandering minstrel who used Tarragon as her stage, she might have created a heroic epic featuring Acerus.
"Honestly, I don't know what to say."
Acerus said with a smile.
Lara could comfort him. She could say that his sincerity would help him or that one day everyone could live peacefully together. But Lara chose to shut her mouth. She did not think it was up to her to comfort him.
"Let's go."
Their carriage ran quickly with several escorts and went out of Dandelion's walls. The Barbarians stopped in the field beyond the Western road.
It was spectacular. Two thousand warriors each wearing a beast's silver-colored fur like cloaks, standing next to their huge warhorses that they had brought along with them. The Barbarians seemed to be trying to settle down there without thinking about entering the city.
If a stranger had witnessed the scene, they might have reported that two thousand intruders were camping outside the city.
Lara got off the carriage and approached the camp with Acerus. There, she met someone unexpected. It was her mother, Isadora, who was taking care of two thousand Barbarians and her one hundred employees like a King.
Her words did not come out well. As Lara paused and hesitated, Acerus turned to her with a quizzical glance.
"Saintess?"
"M, mother?"
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
Lara mumbled as if she was in disbelief. Confused, Acerus asked her again.
Isadora raised her head and looked at Lara's side. She was wearing a dark chocolate-brown coat over red travel wear. As well as silver fur that was given to her by the Barbarians.
"Lara?"
Isadora opened her eyes wide. The people, who gathered next to Isadora, and Acerus, who was escorting Lara, and all the rest of the party were looking at them.
"Mother!"
Lara smiled brightly and ran towards Isadora.
Oh my God.
Lara ignored the muttering that she heard. She was separated from her mother for just one season, she did not even know why she was crying. She thought, perhaps it was because of her mother running towards her and rejoicing like a child as soon as she saw her.