TSMMT Ch 52

A Certain Spring Day

Dianna always believed she would live as a noble and die as a noble. Yet she wanted to forge a new life. She couldn't alter her ultimate fate, but she wanted to shift its path. Just as she had done when she revived Philip.

For that reason, she intended to marry someone else once she set Guiscard free. Someone other than Ferdinand. Perhaps a foreign noble rather than a lord of Panborough.

At that time, Dianna also thought of Philip. He was the only element that had changed within her unavoidable fate. Philip also shared those identical thoughts. Although she was distant from him, she believed their relationship would resolve if they spoke again. She recognized a cold distance toward him, but she didn't hate him completely. Over time, she came to understand him.

If the roles were reversed, Dianna would have felt hurt just like Philip. She might have become angry.

She sent letters to Philip multiple times asking to meet, but strangely, he ignored them.

An ominous premonition lingered. Then, on a spring day when flowers bloomed in full, she received a letter from him.

[Philip] "Ann, I am sorry."

The letter began with an apology. In that manner, on a spring day, Philip departed for his grandfather's estate. Watching this choice unfold, Dianna resolved to abandon everything.

---

Before leaving, Philip begged Dianna to meet him. She hesitated before heading to the location.

A flower-laden breeze fluttered through the air. Blossoms decorated every tree, filling the spring season with fragrance.

Warm sunlight fell, and Dianna wore light clothing. The warm air, a stark contrast to winter's biting wind, naturally brought smiles to people's faces. Yet she remained expressionless.

They met not at the royal palace, but on a forest path showered in falling petals. Purple violets bloomed right at her feet. A sudden flash of spite made her want to crush the perfect blossoms, but she ultimately couldn't bring herself to step on them.

[Philip] "Ann!"

He stood there, smiling brightly.

[Philip] "You came."

She nodded.

[Philip] "I thought you wouldn't come. I thought that winter was our end."

He smiled bitterly.

[Dianna] "Let us walk first."

He nodded at her suggestion. They spoke as if no parting lay ahead of them.

[Philip] "Ann. Has your maternal grandfather treated you well since then?"

[Dianna] "Yes. He occasionally sends letters through Barot."

[Philip] "I am glad. Now you have a family too."

He smiled, his words carrying relief. Dianna found this conversation awkward and uncomfortable. Therefore, she resolved to shatter the comfortable illusion.

[Dianna] "Why did you decide to leave?"

Philip opened his eyes wide at her direct question. Unlike him, who tried to skirt the core issue and talk only about surrounding matters, Dianna was direct.

[Philip] "Because I am afraid."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "I am nothing here."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "Remaining here means I will only face assassination threats from our dear mother—no, the Queen."

It was the exact reason Dianna expected.

[Dianna] "Would your choice remain the same even if I married you?"

Philip opened his eyes wide. Observing her calm expression, he smiled bitterly.

She liked Philip. Being around him brightened her mood. He was the only person who tried to give something to the young Dianna. Though she had never considered it deeply, she thought if she had to marry someone, this boy would be better.

Philip's laughter rang out.

[Philip] "What are you talking about, you little thing!"

However, her expression remained serious. Consequently, his smile gradually faded.

[Philip] "Right, you are not the type to say such things as a joke."

[Dianna] "……."

He smiled while looking at Dianna.

[Philip] "Ann, do you like me?"

She opened her eyes wide at the question. For a moment, an emotion tried to surface from her heart but was caught in her throat. Like a piece of apple stuck in her throat, she could utter no words.

Observing her silence, Philip smiled bitterly.

[Philip] "See, you can't answer right away."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "You little thing, you already speak of political unions? What will you do if you meet someone you love in the future?"

[Dianna] "I am destined to never marry the person I love."

[Philip] "So you chose me because I am a suitable option? That is cruel."

She could offer no reply to his words. Philip wore a deep smile.

Dianna pondered this chaotic state of mind. She liked him. However, the sentiment Philip demanded was not that simple feeling of liking him. Being around him brought joy. Looking at the candy he gave her made her feel like she had returned to childhood. Whenever she felt suffocated, he provided a breath of fresh air.

Just then, he spoke.

[Philip] "Even if you like me, my answer remains the same. I will follow my grandfather."

His words were soft yet firm. The faint shred of hope that she could hold onto Philip shattered completely.

[Philip] "My maternal uncle passed away from illness, leaving my grandfather completely alone."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "I have no one either."

Loneliness filled his voice.

I am here, she wanted to say. But she couldn't bring herself to utter the words.

Just as Philip had left Dianna, she had also turned away from him, exhausted by relationships.

[Philip] "Dianna, I don't even possess a family to act as a burden, unlike you."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "I am different from you in that regard. Claiming we were similar was a lie."

Liar.

Her lips trembled. Philip had claimed they were similar. Yet they were fundamentally different entities from the start. Although her relationship with Emil was distant, Dianna still had Alexa. Furthermore, even if it lacked beautiful affection, she still had a father who supported and protected her.

Yes, they were different. Philip readily admitted his lie.

[Philip] "And think about it. If you were to engage to me, I would have to risk my life completely."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "My grandfather, myself, and you."

He stroked her hair. The strands catching between his fingers were remarkably soft.

[Philip] "I lack that kind of courage and grit. To be honest, I detest such things."

He spoke right to her face.

[Philip] "So, don't cry, Dianna. I am not precious enough to warrant your tears."

Only after hearing those words did she realize tears were falling. Philip shared various stories.

When she wept because of her maternal grandfather Anders, Philip had resolved to go to his own maternal grandfather.

He said it was decided that he would leave when spring arrived after the turn of the year. For that reason, neither the Queen nor Ferdinand had targeted him.

Philip couldn't become Dianna's pillar of support. No one could become her pillar. Just as he decided for his own sake, Dianna had to make her own choice. She recognized at this moment that she was entirely alone.

[Philip] "Later, in the future. The distant future."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "When we both become free, let us meet again."

[Dianna] "……."

[Philip] "If we still look at each other then, and if we believe we can stand by each other's side."

He kissed her forehead as he spoke.

[Philip] "Then, let us be together."

Wiping the corners of her eyes, Philip repeated the words over and over. His eyes held a multitude of emotions. He didn't reveal everything, and she spoke no further.

Dianna wept bitterly after Philip left.

She resented the coward, and she felt utterly foolish for wasting their remaining time harboring anger and missing each other. Yet she was accustomed to partings and managed to contain her grief.

Time passed in that manner, and Dianna made her decision: to leave this place.

---

[Novara] "Happy fifteenth birthday, My Lady."

Dianna rose from her seat. The mirror reflected a pale girl. Though she still showed hints of youth, the childish baby fat had vanished long ago.

Fifteen. Passing fourteen, Dianna finally greeted her highly anticipated fifteenth birthday. Standing behind her were her friends.

[Dianna] "Thank you, Lady Novara."

When she smiled brightly, Lady Carlea let out a sigh.

[Carlea] "You two are acting weird. Why are you suddenly being so formal?"

[Novara] "I am trying to be formal for once; why are you ruining it?"

[Celano] "You should speak with sincerity, like me. Dianna, no one is more beautiful than you. You are the best. Your beauty is enough to conquer Panborough."

Dianna laughed out loud. Last year, she successfully debuted in high society. One thing had changed: Dianna Brienne now possessed people she could call 'friends' rather than just social acquaintances.

They were the very ladies who had approached her at the festival two years ago.

Dianna initially assumed they only showed interest because she belonged to the top ducal family in the kingdom. However, by sheer chance, she ran into them on the streets when she secretly went out to meet her maternal grandfather, Anders.

Hanging out together, she naturally integrated into their group. Although Dianna had always reigned at the pinnacle of high society in her past life, this experience was fresh.

She entered a peer circle of her own accord. Friends were a fascinating concept. They shared everything while remaining honest without unnecessary pretense.

In her past life, she believed she didn't need friends. She refused to speak with anyone who was not the daughter of a family with close ties to her father.

Back then, she openly clashed with Mirva, and after she left, Dianna remained busy filling the void. She labored to replace the untrustworthy servants of the ducal house and restore the finances Mirva had mismanaged. Not only that, she disciplined Alexa and cleaned up after Emil. Dianna possessed no free time. In truth, no one approached her either.

The situation now differed completely from back then. In the past life, Princess Ionia remained in absolute seclusion, leaving Dianna as the highest-ranking lady after the Queen. Thus, she stood at the very top of high society. Now, however, because Princess Ionia's active presence anchored the social scene, her father's pressure to dominate high society lessened. There was no reason to stand out needlessly and invite the Queen's disfavor.

So, why did these girls approach her? It still mystified her. If she had not treated the fallen Lady Novara back then, they would never have become close.

[Novara] "It is true, Ann. You are absolutely beautiful."

A sapphire hairpin adorned Dianna's pale blonde hair. Pulling her hair up revealed a slender neck and shoulders. Wearing a low-cut gown emphasized a mature figure. She studied herself in the mirror and rose.

[Dianna] "It is time to enter."

It was time to head to the banquet hall of the Brienne estate. Her friends giggled and followed her. Dianna let out a short laugh as she watched them. The girls often jokingly called themselves Dianna's ladies-in-waiting. Their constant chatter didn't bother her.

As they conversed, she halted her steps. The others also stopped their chatter. Someone stood waiting in the corridor.

[Guiscard] "I will escort you, My Lady."

She stared at the person before her. The individual standing in front of Dianna looked closer to a young man than a boy now. The tall, neatly dressed man bowed as she studied him. His long eyelashes were strikingly beautiful.

[Dianna] "Father was supposed to come. Where is he?"

[Guiscard] "His Grace entered first. He commanded me to escort you."

[Dianna] "A rare occurrence indeed, commanding a slave to provide an escort."

In the past, these words would have wounded both of them. However, Guiscard now understood that she didn't say this to insult him, but merely questioned the strange situation itself.

[Guiscard] "His Grace mentioned that the young master would be waiting at the entrance of the ballroom."

[Dianna] "Ah, I see."

The relationship between Emil and Dianna had not recovered. The Duke's command forced them to hold hands even if only at the entrance, rather than walking all the way together. There was no need to publicly broadcast that the siblings were on terrible terms.

As she placed her hand upon his outstretched palm, Guiscard lifted his gaze. His purple eyes shone with brilliant light.

Over time, his purple eyes gained an even more mysterious hue, and his black hair darkened further. His face, with its delicate and straight lines, transformed into something as flawless as a work of art.

As the years passed, the slave became an increasingly striking figure. Possessing a physique superior to most young men, a face where delicate features and rugged masculine lines coexisted, he was more charming than anyone else.

If the slave's collar didn't encircle his neck, the noble ladies visiting the estate would have discarded his status entirely and thrown themselves into his embrace.

He keeps getting more handsome. That appearance is insane.

Oh dear, our Ann seems to know absolutely nothing.

Following behind, Dianna's friends watched the slave knight and his companion. The girls could easily surmise the truth: an innocent lady who understood nothing, and a slave harboring deep feelings for her. The picture drew itself perfectly.

[Novara] "Ann, we... we'll drop by the restroom first."

Remaining caught in that atmosphere felt suffocating. That was the shared sentiment among her friends. Therefore, whenever Dianna and Guiscard were left together, the girls made sure to step away on their own accord.

[Dianna] "Again? All right."

Dianna turned and nodded.

The slave knight stole glances, capturing the sight of the master he served. A greedy yearning flashed across his eyes.

It was the day Dianna Brienne turned fifteen, and Guiscard Lodbrog turned seventeen.

---

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