For You, for Me (4)

The wedding ended amid the blessings of the assembled guests.

For the reception, everyone moved to the front courtyard of Deharem Mansion. When Ashley tossed her bouquet, Dremes caught it. Beynon promptly scolded her for catching a bridal bouquet when she wasn't even planning to marry. Dremes fired back that Beynon had no way of knowing whether she would marry someday.

The argument sent the guests into laughter. Soon the servants were ushering everyone toward the tables.

Guests stood chatting over food and wine beside tables draped in white cloth. Theorad surveyed the cheerful gathering, then turned to Ashley, who had changed inside the mansion.

She looked elegant in a pure-white evening dress with delicate frills. Yet she seemed unhappy about something and kept fussing with the fabric across her chest.

“I…”

Her face turned red.

The dress had seemed perfectly fine when she'd tried it on the day before. In front of so many people, though, she was suddenly conscious of every glance. She had chosen the most modest, tasteful design she could find, but an evening gown intended to flatter the figure inevitably drew attention to her chest.

Ashley took an unsteady breath and looked at Theorad.

“Do you think this is all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if the guests think I'm indecent for dressing this way? I wouldn't mind if it were only my own reputation. But I'm your wife now. I have to think of your honor too…”

Her words trailed off. Theorad was smiling at her. He took her hand in his, and the reassuring warmth of his touch made her feel a little safer.

“You're worrying over nothing. It isn't so different from what you usually wear, yet somehow you've convinced yourself it's scandalous.”

“But…”

“Stop fretting. Far more people will be saying I've married a beautiful woman than that I've married an immodest one.”

After considering that, Ashley gave a shy nod. Changing again would take far too long anyway.

Theorad waited until she was ready, then escorted her toward the guests.

Professor Roylen, who had been enjoying a glass of wine, set it down and approached at once.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Viscount Theorad, Lady Ashley.”

Theorad returned the greeting with a hand to his chest.

“Thank you. I know you're busy preparing for the senior professor examination. We're grateful you gave us your time.”

“Ha! As though an examination could be more important than your wedding. Besides, I haven't come entirely on my own behalf. Her Majesty the Emperor sends blessings to you both and asked me to attend.”

“Her Majesty?”

“Yes. The gift should be arriving about now…”

Arriving?

Theorad and Ashley stared at Roylen. Then came the distant clatter of hooves.

The sound grew louder. Looking toward the perimeter wall, Theorad saw wagons approaching.

“What in the world…?”

The carts bore the crest of a white lion. They came to a stop in a long, dusty line outside and inside the estate's entrance. There were ten wagons in all; two couldn't even fit into the front courtyard and had to wait beyond the wall.

The guests stared. Theorad was just as bewildered as they were. Roylen drew up proudly.

“These are Her Majesty's wedding gifts to Viscount Theorad.”

It was outrageous.

“Gifts? Considering the state of the empire, how could I accept this much wealth? It's far too much. Please take it back.”

“Don't say that. The imperial household isn't so poor that it cannot reward those who served the new empire. The magic-stone mine is being developed, and another long-awaited imperial project is under way. It's only a matter of time before the treasury is full again.”

“Professor Roylen…”

“You can give me that look all you like. Her Majesty ordered me to take no refusal. The Emperor also said Viscount Theorad would be sure to put the gift to good use.”

Theorad was at a loss. To insist the wagons leave would be to defy an imperial order. But accepting such a vast gift felt equally impossible.

Ashley understood his dilemma. She leaned close and spoke quietly.

“You should accept it.”

“You mean all this money?”

“Yes. It would be difficult for House Deharem to keep or manage so much. We should distribute it as soon as possible.”

“Distribute it where?”

“To the people who need it. You already support orphanages and shelters. You could give to those places, and to the families who still haven't recovered from the Orc Conquest War. If the money helps them live with hope again, it will also bring honor to House Deharem.”

Such a donation would win praise throughout the empire. Common people would see the Deharems as their benefactors; even the great noble houses would have difficulty looking down on them.

This was Benelia's last resort. Theorad had rejected her offers of land and a higher title, so she had found another way to raise his house's standing. There was one thing the Emperor hadn't accounted for: Theorad's understanding of what charity ought to be.

“I see. Her Majesty hasn't placed any conditions on how the gift must be used. That would be a fine way to spend it. But we should make every donation anonymously.”

“Anonymously?”

“Yes. Once people know who helped them, they may feel they owe their benefactor something. If they go out of their way to repay us, we've defeated the whole purpose. Better that they never know who gave the money.”

For a moment Ashley wondered whether he was joking. His gaze was calm and unwavering.

She smiled and nodded. She was a little disappointed, but she respected his decision.

“All right. I'll help you choose where to send the donations.”

“Thank you for understanding. Then…”

Theorad turned to inform Roylen that he would accept the Emperor's goodwill. Something stopped him.

Someone who was almost always nearby was missing.

…Linea?

Where had she gone? He couldn't remember seeing her at any point after the wedding ceremony, including at the reception.

He searched the guests, then the servants moving among them. There was no sign of her.

An uneasy feeling settled over him.

“Professor, have you seen Linea?”

“Linea?”

“The elf maid who's usually with me.”

“Oh, her. I remember her because she was sitting beside me at the ceremony. Just after the marriage was declared, she got up as though she'd made up her mind about something. I thought perhaps she had some preparation to attend to. She left before the ceremony ended… Has something happened?”

Theorad had no answer. He couldn't begin to guess why Linea had disappeared.

Ashley, however, had an idea what Linea might have been thinking when she left. She released Theorad's hand and looked up at him with sudden urgency.

“Go to Linea's room.”

He hesitated.

“There's no time. Hurry!”

Theorad nodded and ran toward the mansion. Whatever choice Linea was about to make, he had to reach her before it was too late.

---

He took the stairs at a run and climbed all the way to the attic without stopping. Sweat soaked his skin by the time he shoved the door open.

“Linea!”

No answer.

The windows stood wide open; the curtains stirred in the breeze. Otherwise the attic was empty.

Breathing hard, Theorad stepped inside. His gaze passed over the room and stopped at the maid's uniform on the desk. A cat-paw-shaped choker rested on top of it.

This…

He had bought it for Linea at the Golden Chicken clothing store.

His hands trembled as he lifted it. He turned the little paw half a rotation. Mana shimmered from the ornament, opening a square display with three recorded files.

Theorad breathed out shakily and selected the most recent recording.

“Um…”

Linea's voice.

“I didn't know I'd ever use this for something like this… Is it working?”

There was a faint rustle, as though she'd lifted the choker closer to her mouth.

“Theorad. I'll assume you're listening and tell you what I need to say. First, congratulations on your wedding. I wanted to tell you in person, but I couldn't. I had to go back in a hurry…”

“Yes. I really had to return urgently.”

Her voice dwindled, then steadied with an obvious effort.

“You know, I'm someone rather important in the Great Forest. You could compare my position to that of an emperor in a human empire. Everyone there respects me. They're waiting for me.”

The recording couldn't conceal her trembling.

“So… I suppose I have to go back. I'm not saying this on a whim. I've thought about it carefully for a very long time.”

Her breathing sounded loud between the words. Tears were threatening to break through her practiced calm.

“After all, my place isn't here. It's in the Great Forest. That's why I'm returning. There isn't any other reason. Really…”

She couldn't seem to continue. Theorad could picture her seated alone, wiping tears from her cheeks as she spoke into the choker.

“So…”

Silence followed. Theorad gritted his teeth. At last, her voice came again, scarcely more than a whisper.

“So… goodbye.”

The recording ended.

The attic fell silent.

Theorad stared at the choker. His fist closed around it so tightly that the ornament began to crumple. Grief contorted his face.

He could not make sense of a farewell that, to him, sounded false from beginning to end. Yet Linea was gone, and he had not been there to stop her.

“…Why do you have to make me so miserable?”

The words fell into the empty room and vanished.

Still unwilling to abandon even the smallest possibility that she remained nearby, Theorad looked back toward the open window.

Only the curtains swayed there, moving gently in the breeze, with no one left to draw them closed.