Theodor Joachim Lef (5)

“I have not seen her. A distinguished guest from the imperial capital is staying in this area, so please withdraw.”

Reichardt spoke in a stern voice, leaving only his eyes visible.

Like the ladies, he invoked a high status.

“W-we apologize. We will withdraw.”

“We shall withdraw.”

“Let’s go.”

At the cold and rigid voice, the women quickly turned and retreated.

The ladies who turned away seemed to mistake him for a knight guarding a great noble.

Among those leaving in haste, complaints burst out again.

“Where on earth did she go!”

“But a distinguished guest from the capital? Who came?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone particularly memorable.”

“Just find Alicia first.”

Reichardt, who had been watching the girls receding with a rumble of footsteps, glanced back at the door behind him.

“…….”

The timid person beyond the door only breathed out tense breaths.

It was a situation where the ladies could have bullied her under the excuse of hierarchy, yet seeing that she only hid while holding her breath was both pathetic and pitiful.

Knock, knock.

After the surroundings grew quiet, Reichardt knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

A person who could not assert her opinion even to those who protected and attended her would hardly respond to the presence of a stranger.

Rustle.

Alicia seemed to flinch in surprise, then, startled by the sound she herself had made, lowered her presence even further.

Listening to the situation with hearing sharpened by concentration, Reichardt gave a bitter smile.

He knocked again.

Knock, knock.

The person beyond the door, who had been hesitating, moved cautiously.

“…Yes.”

Though he knocked again, Reichardt had not expected the other party to answer.

It was an unexpected situation, and he hesitated for a moment.

“I am the owner of that room.”

At Reichardt’s words, the other person inhaled sharply in surprise.

He remained silent while listening to Alicia’s faint movements.

“I’m sorry. I apologize. I… I didn’t come in here on purpose.”

He had wondered if she disliked speaking, but judging by how quickly she apologized, that did not seem to be the case.

“It’s fine.”

“…Th-thank you.”

She seemed shy, but a person with good manners.

“The people looking for you will not come for a while, so please rest as long as you need, Lady.”

Reichardt spoke as gently as possible toward the person who was fidgeting while clutching her dress so tightly that it wrinkled.

“Thank you.”

A thin voice expressed gratitude.

“Then.”

Reichardt briefly wondered what kind of comfort he might offer Alicia, who found it difficult to stand before others, but gave up.

He simply hoped that with time, her fear would fade.

There was no reply to the farewell he offered.

Reichardt listened carefully to locate where his companions might be.

After passing the door and when he had gone quite far away—

“Thank you. Thank you very much, Sir Knight.”

Alicia’s thin voice, sounding as though tears were mixed into it, was faintly heard.

Her timidity—thanking him only after he had gone far away—was both pitiful and amusing.

Reichardt shook his head as he walked down the darkened path.

She was the most extraordinarily timid person he had ever met. Without realizing it, he let out quiet laughter several times.

As Reichardt walked along loosely, he sensed someone approaching and lightly cleared his throat.

At the sound, the approaching shadow bowed gently.

“Are you a guest at the banquet? Have you perhaps lost your way?”

The person who appeared in the darkness wore a neat head covering.

Judging by her attire, she seemed to be a maid of the baron’s household.

“I am a guest, but I have not lost my way. Where is the resting place where the knights who arrived this evening are gathered?”

“They are in the eastern annex of the garden. This direction. I will guide you.”

The maid answered briskly to Reichardt’s question.

“That won’t be necessary. Knowing the direction is enough.”

“Yes, please take care.”

At his refusal, the maid bowed and immediately turned to leave.

Though she did not show it, she seemed busy with work.

Reichardt was about to turn away as well when he suddenly called out to the passing person.

“Wait.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Please prepare tea and refreshments for the guest in the private room of the purple building.”

At Reichardt’s words, a trace of surprise passed over the maid’s face.

“I will prepare them immediately. Is there a particular tea or refreshment you would like?”

“For the tea, Thierry Black, First Flush. As for the refreshments, please prepare something sweet. And give this along with the tea. The night in Rain seems colder than expected.”

Reichardt said this while handing over the handkerchief he carried with him.

“I will prepare it immediately.”

The maid responded more respectfully than before and withdrew.

Handing over the handkerchief and asking for tea to be prepared had both been impulsive acts.

“…Was that unnecessary?”

Reichardt belatedly felt embarrassed, then encouraged himself that helping a weak person was a good thing.

When he joined Roderick and his group, a faint whisper hesitantly echoed from far away.

“Thank you very much, Sir Knight.”

It was a voice deeply moved with sincerity, yet even the voice of an ant would have been louder.

“…….”

Reichardt, who had been attentively listening just in case, secretly let out a small laugh at that timid expression of thanks.

Though no one paid attention to his reaction, he cleared his throat anyway.

“Ahem.”

It was a strangely memorable moment.

Awakening from a distant memory, Reichardt kissed Alicia’s cheek as she slept.

A smile lingered on his face.

As he stepped down from the bed, Reichardt carefully examined her sleeping face.

He recalled the time when he learned that the timid lady, who left a strong yet unforgettable impression, had sent the anonymous letter that had arrived one day.

At the time, Reichardt had been puzzled and unable to understand.

It was astonishing that the lady who had seemed so weak and fearful was the author of that threatening letter whose every line carried hidden meaning.

At that time, Reichardt had wondered if Alicia Rain was not the person he knew. He had even suspected there might be two Alicia Rains.

Only now did he realize that, in that short span of time, Alicia had possessed countless moments known only to herself.

Thus, the first meeting of the two—something Alicia would likely never know—seemed destined to remain Reichardt’s memory alone.

With a hint of regret, Reichardt kissed the sleeping Alicia once more and left the bedroom.

After finishing his preparations and stepping out of Tech House, Reichardt called Henrik and made a special request.

“Prepare Thierry Black, First Flush for Alicia’s breakfast. Serve it with refreshments.”

Henrik, who always followed the Grand Duke’s words faithfully, cast him a gaze filled with pity.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“I do not know what it is, but it seems Her Highness does not remember it at all.”

Henrik offered warm advice in a gentle voice.

“Prepare it.”

Reichardt spoke with an unwavering tone.

He remained firm and calm.

Though Reichardt himself was not aware of it, whenever the wind grew chilly, he would leave the house in the morning after instructing that Alicia be given “Thierry Black, First Flush, with refreshments.”

“Yes.”

Henrik had gently pointed out that habit of the Grand Duke.

Though he did not know exactly what it was, Alicia did not know at all about the “Thierry Black, First Flush” that was so special to Reichardt.

So his advice was to stop sending such meaningless signals.

But Reichardt seemed to have no intention of accepting that advice.

Henrik looked at Reichardt with pity as he repeated a futile act, then left to prepare the Thierry Black as ordered.

“No matter how many days he sends the tea, will she ever know? If he simply said it aloud, she would know the moment he spoke…”

A capable butler faithfully followed the Grand Duke’s orders.

At the same time, he did not forget to offer gentle advice to his sharp-eared master.

It was a morning when the air touching the tip of one’s nose felt particularly cold.

Introduction

Alicia opened her eyes in the deep night.

It was strange.

For several days now, her eyes had opened on their own in the dim hours before dawn.

She did not wake in shock or pain; her eyes simply opened peacefully.

And after waking, she would suddenly feel startled.

“…….”

Each time she saw the handsome face sleeping beside her, she smiled quietly in admiration.

In the dead of night, suddenly awake, she grinned freely without worrying about her own state.

Reichardt had keen hearing and was sensitive even in sleep.

Even knowing he might wake, Alicia reached out and touched the sleeping man’s face.

Whenever she woke alone in the night and looked at Reichardt, it felt unbelievable.

She often doubted several times whether the situation before her eyes was truly real.

She was happy.

She felt she could not possibly be happier.

After touching Reichardt’s face to her heart’s content, Alicia quietly pulled her body back.

Only the crackling sound of sparks from the quiet fireplace filled the room.

Whether touching Reichardt’s cheek or stepping down from the bed, Alicia was careful.

“Where are you going?”

Just as Alicia turned to leave—

A large hand overlapped her defenseless hand.

At the same time, a long arm wrapped around her waist.

Reichardt, whom she thought was asleep, had already risen and was embracing Alicia from behind.

“…You were awake?”

Reichardt, resting his chin on Alicia’s shoulder, nodded.

“Of course.”

So he had known.

Reichardt had sharp and sensitive hearing.

She knew well that touching him might wake him.

Yet while Alicia quietly smiled and freely touched his handsome face, the man’s expression had not changed even by a single twitch of the eyebrow.

“Since when?”

Alicia murmured softly, her cheek twitching slightly.

In the dark room with all the lights out, she worried whether the face she had made—smiling foolishly while touching a sleeping person’s face—might have looked ugly.

She also deeply wondered whether her hand, which had touched Reichardt’s calm sleeping face, had been particularly rude or improper.

“From the moment your heartbeat grew fierce while you were touching my face.”

Reichardt whispered as he tried to look at Alicia’s stiffened face.