Chapter 230

Chapter Seventeen: The Fruit Trees in Bloom

“The evening glow with swaying ears of wheat…”

“That light that will never return… is your destiny…”

The song, distant yet close, seemed elusive when heard from afar, but became melodious as I approached the iron gate of the mansion, like gentle spring rain nourishing the heart quietly.

You really have a beautiful voice…

However, she returned earlier than I had anticipated; I thought she would come back at night.

I stood quietly by the iron gate, closing my eyes to listen for a while. After the song ended, I leaped over the fence covered in creeping vines and stepped onto the emerald green lawn, heading towards the honey fruit tree in the courtyard.

Queen Victoria was under that tree.

At this moment, she had taken off her armor and put on a long purple court dress, and somehow brought two brown wooden chairs, sitting comfortably on one of them. Her golden hair, like silk, hung lazily down her back, touching the grass, spreading out and blending perfectly with the lush green.

That figure seemed unreachable like a dreamy elf in legend, yet was only a few feet away from me.

I silently walked behind her, and Victoria turned around suddenly upon hearing my footsteps.

“I’m back.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded slightly, holding up the paper bag containing food and shaking it at her.

“Are you hungry? There’s something to eat.”

“Is it sweet?”

Victoria asked.

“No.”

I sat on another chair, hugging the paper bag to my chest, searching inside while speaking to her, “Bought from the refugees. Sausages, jerky, toasted bread, everything…”

In no time, I found an oily linen bag, opened it, and took out two pieces of hard black jerky. I put one in my mouth and offered the other to Victoria.

“Here, try it.”

Chew… chew…

Hmm, besides being a bit salty, the taste is still acceptable.

Victoria frowned slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out to take it, first smelling it closely before taking a dainty bite.

After a while.

“It’s not good.”

Saying so, she reached out again to take another piece of jerky from the bag, glancing at me indifferently.

“So, you went to the disaster area later?”

“Yeah.” I nodded first, then immediately shook my head, “Didn’t go in, just stayed for a while in the square. Just missed your speech.”

“Oh.”

Victoria responded softly, saying nothing more.

After a brief silence, I swallowed another piece of dry jerky, as dry as wax, and hesitantly asked, “Have all your things there… been taken care of?”

Actually, I wanted to ask about what to do about the Empress Dowager, but couldn’t bring myself to ask.

“There’s always something to be done.”

Victoria raised her head.

She looked up at the honey fruit tree, its branches rustling gently in the breeze, then closed her eyes after a moment.

“I just want to rest.”

Her appearance seemed unchanged from usual. Her fair and exquisite profile, illuminated by the twilight, took on a faint yellow hue, still maintaining her composed demeanor.

But upon closer inspection, I could see the deep fatigue and weariness hidden in her brows.

I knew that Victoria’s emotions at this moment were certainly not as calm as they appeared. She was suppressing herself, habitually hiding her pain deep within, not showing weakness to anyone, not wanting anyone to see her vulnerable side. This mindset had become second nature to her.

Even if she was hurt or sad, she wouldn’t express it like other girls her age. She would simply close her eyes and sit quietly, allowing sorrow to slowly digest in darkness, and then transform it into her own strength.

By dawn, she would carry on, setting out once again.

But…

I put down the jerky in my hand, tilted my head, and extended my greasy finger, gently poking Victoria’s soft face. When she opened her eyes, I hooked my hands around my mouth, pulling my cheeks taut and sticking out my tongue.

“Pfft—”

I made a silly face at her.

“Tehehe~”

Even if we have to start over, that will be after daybreak. Before then, there are only the two of us here. Whatever we do won’t matter to anyone else. So Victoria, smile for me.

But five seconds, ten seconds passed. Even though I strained my face, I didn’t see Victoria’s smile.

She continued to look at me with that same indifferent gaze, her expression unchanged, but her eyes gradually turning strange.

“Uh…”

I felt embarrassed, and my facial muscles started to stiffen.

Yes… At such a time, when she must be so sad, how could I still do something so childish and inappropriate?

Thinking this, I felt discouraged, and instinctively tried to change my expression. But before I could, Victoria suddenly moved like lightning.

“Mm—”

My tongue was tightly pinched and pulled forward.

“Mm, mm! It hurts…”

Victoria’s sharp nails hurt my tongue, causing my buttocks to involuntarily lift from the chair. My head leaned forward, coming very close to hers. I felt her breath on my face as I blinked and looked into her eyes.

“Y-You’re catching my tongue…”

“I used to think you were just a bit foolish.”

Victoria released my tongue after staring at me for a moment. She looked at her fingertip, which had a strand of drool, and wiped it disdainfully on my skirt.

“But I never expected you to be a fool.”

“Pah! What are you talking about? I’m not a fool.”

I just wanted to cheer you up, but now I get scolded…

I turned away huffily.

In my line of sight, a white butterfly fluttered by overhead.

“Ahh!”

Unable to resist, I stood up and jumped towards it, calling out, “Victoria, look! Look quickly! Such a beautiful, big butterfly!”

“It’s just a butterfly. Have you never seen one before?”

“No, I’ve never seen one so beautiful!”

The butterflies from another world are really so beautiful! The snow-white wings are adorned with dark gold patterns, like the most exquisite embroidery in the world.

It seemed startled by me and flapped its wings frantically, rising high into the air before landing on a fully blooming flower on a branch of the honeyberry tree.

“Huh?”

I paused, and when I realized it was indeed a blooming pink flower, I exclaimed in surprise, “The honeyberry tree is flowering!”

Excitedly, I ran back and grabbed Victoria’s wrist, pulling her out of her chair and leading her back to the flowering branch. Pointing upward, I said, “Look!”

The flowers were quietly blooming at the treetop, with jade-green leaves swaying in the evening breeze.

I vaguely remembered that this courtyard was renovated according to the appearance of Victoria’s childhood palace, and she has always taken good care of it. Reckert mentioned that Victoria would come here, to this honeyberry tree, whenever she was feeling down… This place must hold some special significance for her.

I glanced at her secretly.

Victoria softly opened her lips, “Indeed… it’s blooming.”

I saw a slight change in her expression.

Victoria seemed to be smiling… or perhaps she wasn’t. Maybe she just slightly curved her lips, her bright golden eyes shining with a soft yet melancholic light.

“Soon, we’ll be able to eat honeyberries.” I gently tugged on her hand, “You said they were very sweet.”

“Yes, they are sweet. If someone made them into a pie, it would be even better…”

She said softly, her distant gaze making her seem almost lost in thought.

“When I was little, there was also a honeyberry tree in the palace garden. Every spring, I looked forward to it blooming and bearing fruit, then climbing up the branches to pick a few sweet honeyberries… Actually, I don’t like sweet things. Back then, all I wanted was for my mother to make me a honeyberry pie. I loved watching her bustling around the kitchen for me; it made me feel like I wasn’t a child no one cared for.”

“After Father left, everything changed, and the tree slowly withered.”

Victoria squeezed my hand tighter.

“Paillot, tell me… why did it wither?”