The garden was so beautiful. Everything seems so fairytale. It was obvious Ian let a professional gardener take care of this garden. I couldn't help but look around in awe.
"Do you like it?" Ian asks.
"O--Of course."
Why would he ask my opinion? My opinion doesn't matter though. I already feel guilty just now for disturbing their training.
"I told the gardener to make sure all the flowers bloom beautifully before you came," he speaks.
"W--Why?"
"To make you comfortable here. I don't know much about women but I thought maybe they like flowers or something." he rubbed his neck, looking somewhere else.
Why is he so busy thinking about that? It is not that some kind of someone to him. I'm just a wife.
No more than that. I should be the one who is busy thinking about fulfilling my duty as his wife.
Father always told me to follow any kind of wish my husband wanted. By doing that, I will be a great wife.
Because the wife is...a slave.
"What kind of flower do you like?" Ian asks. His fingertip touched the flower petal.
"What kind...o--of f--flower?" I mumbles.
No one ever asks me what things I like. What things do I love? I never thought of that.
Because I never had time to think about it.
Everything around me is dark. So, I never see something beautiful.
"I...I--I don't--know..." I fiddle with my finger.
Ian glances at me. Maybe he thought I was a boring woman. What kind of woman doesn't have anything she likes? That's not even sparkling?
As I was busy with my thoughts, a daisy flower appeared in front of my face. My shoulder jolts to see it suddenly appear.
"W--What is this?" I ask.
"This is daisy. It looks suit to you. Your hair is white." he slid the daisy flower to my ear.
It makes me freeze.
"You have a unique eye, Maya. A white pearly eyes..." his fingers slowly tracing my cheeks.
We stare at each other as if we are in our world. I don't know but I feel like I'm too caught up by his eyes. As if something pulls my attention to him.
"I promise to you, Maya. I will make you the happiest wife in the world." he smiles.
This is the first time I saw him smile. Instead of making a strict face that could make anyone piss.
He promises.
Why does he promise me that kind of thing? It is supposed to be me who makes that promise. I can't let him do that.
But somehow, he makes me feel something that I don't understand.
I push the door slowly, and peek inside. It is a library. There are a lot of books here. I shut the door close. It seems like there's no one here.
My fingers touch every book on the shelf. It is dusty. It is obvious that no one ever spends their time here. Maybe they are too busy or something.
I grab one book and open it. It was in an ancient tongue language.
Thank goodness I learned how to read ancient tongues. Father will hit me whenever I can't read it.
You ungrateful child!!
My grips on the book tighten as I remember the scene. I shake my head to stop thinking about it.
Calm down, Maya. He's not here.
The book title is The Power Of Elemental.
It is about magic.
When I was a kid, I thought of learning magic and medicine to help people. But of course, it wouldn't come true.
"My Lady?"
My shoulder jolted as I heard someone call me. I looked behind and saw Ruth standing there with one woman.
"We don't expect you to be here, My Lady," Ruth said as he shut the door.
"S--Sorry. Am I...trespassing?" I hug the book to my chest.
They exchange a look of confusion. Then, the woman speaks.
"What? No, of course not, My Lady. You can enter any room in this palace." she smiles.
"O--Oh..."
Ruth notices I'm holding a magic book. "My Lady, did you learn magic?" he asks.
"Huh? O--Oh no, I'm n--not. I--I just...um...looking through I--it."
I shouldn't have touched it freely.
"But...My Lady. That book is in ancient tongue language. You can read ancient tongue?" she looks at me with shock.
"A--A little...b--bit." I look down.
"That was awesome, My Lady!!" the woman praised.
Awesome? It is just a simple skill that everyone can have.
"My Lady, don't you want to learn magic a little bit? Who knows you can use it in the future." Ruth suggests.
Learning magic, huh?
I look at the book. I don't think I'm good enough to learn it. Besides, I was never capable enough to skill in something.
I can't do something without Ian's permission. If I did something without his permission, I would be labeled as an ungrateful wife.
That's what my father calls me.
Ungrateful child.
"My Lady?" Ruth called me again.
I shake my head. "I--I don't t--think I c--can. If y--you excuse me, I--I need to go."
I rush outside and shut the door. Leaving them without letting them speak first.
My back leans on the door. I let out a breath that I don't even realize I hold it in. They must think how rude I am, right?
I notice a book in my arms. Oh right, I'm too rushing that I forgot to put it back.
As I walked back to my room, I noticed Ian and the other guards outside. Everyone is afraid of their king.
I mean...who wouldn't?
Our eyes met making me flinch. He stares at me for so long.
I look away and clear my throat. His eyes are too tempting to look at. I continue walking and it leads me outside.
Ruth's words bothered me. Learning magic huh?