Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I canted my head and tightened my grasp on Jade’s sleeve. The brown-haired boy with an affable air about him stared at me blankly, then smiled as he stepped closer and leaned forward.

“I’m Percy, Jade’s student society senior of three years,” he said.

I glanced up and nodded slightly. “Yes, hello,” I murmured.

Percy then gritted his teeth and held a clenched fist over his chest. I wrinkled my brow, perplexed by his reaction.

“Hello, my name is Jax,” said the third boy, who was blond and slightly more ordinary in appearance than the others. “I thought a fairy had descended upon the flower garden,” he added, then lightly grasped my hand and leaned in to kiss it.

My head reared back in surprise. Before I knew it, Jade had lifted me off the ground and away from Jax, whose hand hovered awkwardly. I peered down at him, my legs left dangling midair.

“I apologize, but my little sister is shy around strangers.”

“Oh, I see…” Jax chuckled bashfully, his ears turning red.

Percy patted Jax’s back and laughed, lightening the moment. “Sorry, Jade. It’s because your sister’s too adorable.”

“I understand, but no matter how cute she is, I suggest you keep your hands off her. If not, I will be forced to rectify the situation.” Jade’s death glare belied his gentle voice.

Percy, who seemed rather patient, simply smiled and shook his head. “Haha! That’s a good one, Jade,” he said.

But I don’t think Jade was joking… Is it because he’s the heir to House Lewelton? He’s consistently hostile toward these boys, and yet they haven’t given up on making conversation. They even look a little uncomfortable.

Isn’t Jade younger than them? Even though he looks taller. It’s like they live in a world where status reigns supreme over age. It’s strange, but perhaps this is just the way the aristocracy operates.

* * *

The sunlight that fell on Lenoch Island was warm.

It’s sunny and calm—the perfect weather for a picnic. We were lounging in the shade, an assortment of sandwiches, fruit, cookies, and chocolate laid out before us. A carafe of milk sat beside a freshly brewed pot of black tea.

“We’ll return later, Master Jade. Please enjoy your picnic.” The servants bowed and proceeded to row back to the opposite shore to relax and have their own lunch.

“What an unfortunate coincidence, especially considering I came out to spend some time alone with my sister.”

I sat at Jade’s side, munching on my sandwich, and stared at the “unfortunate coincidence” he was referring to. It was his academy seniors that now sat across from us—the brazen Jax, the agreeable Percy, and the shy Ryan.

“Is the sandwich to your liking?” Jade asked.

“It’s delicious,” I said.

The chef had filled the sandwiches with my favorite ingredients. There were mashed potatoes, boiled eggs, minced meat, and fresh vegetables. While Jade had been nothing but kind to me since I’d been injured, when he raised his head to look at his seniors, his expression completely changed. He glared daggers at them, just as he had at me on the first day we’d met.

“Please limit yourself to one cup of tea and then be on your way,” he said.

Percy sniffled dramatically. “You’re too cold-hearted, Jade. We’re all here to enjoy a picnic, remember?”

“You three simply played truant in order to come here and test your courage, no?”

Percy gasped, pressing a hand against his chest. “Well, listen to that!”

“Aren’t you sharp?” Jax shook his head at his friend, then turned to Jade. “I tried to stop him. Told him we should stay away from the chilling blue rose curse.”

“But why? Blue roses are perfectly to my liking,” Ryan added with a chuckle.

“Your hair looks different today, Leticia,” Jade abruptly said, ignoring the three boys.

I fiddled with my braided pigtails. “That’s right. Marianne styled my hair for me.”

“Marianne? The saint?” Jax muttered. “I can’t believe you can pal around with her whenever you wish…”

“Likewise. After all, the members of House Lewelton are all highly admired,” Ryan said softly.

Hmm, he really does look familiar… But I would never be acquainted with a noble. While living in the back alley, the only people I met were those from the lower village or the train station porters.

“Oh, right! Would you like to hear stories about Jade from the academy?”

“Remember how he fell asleep during the student society initiation ceremony while everyone else was being scolded? You could have cut the tension with a knife…”

Jade sighed. “Please be quiet.”

“Wait, what about that story from the academy ball? When Jade had…” Percy continued to recount fun anecdotes, occasionally tensing and glancing cautiously at Jade’s austere expression. I grinned as I carefully listened to each story. “You should take your sister on a tour of the academy someday!”

“What an excellent idea!”

Jade shook his head without hesitation. “No, thank you. I’d rather not have a swarm of pests around her.”

I chuckled again. The boys were all friendly, but Ryan was especially considerate of me. The longer I watched the kind boy, the more I realized that my initial feelings of familiarity were mistaken. I was definitely imagining things.

“Ryan’s the honor student among the three of us,” one of them said.

“But I’m merely average when compared to Jade,” Ryan clarified.

“You’re just shy to a fault. It was even worse when you were younger, roughly Jade’s age. You could barely talk to anyone back then.”

“One day, when we were fifteen, Ryan was suddenly overflowing with cheerfulness, as if he had turned into a completely different person. I remember wondering what had gotten into him. But gradually he became the person he is today.”

“It’s only because you two have remained my friends all these years.”

It sounded like they had known each other since they were very young. Having friends is a good thing, I see. Will I ever have friends like this?

They chatted excitedly as I listened intently. They told me interesting stories about the capital as if they were competing with one another to win my favor. The conversation meandered from rumors, to clown-filled circuses, to various museums and events. I enjoyed hearing about the world outside, and such stories were always welcome.

“Leticia! After you debut into high society, please attend our family’s ball!” Jax exclaimed.

“But your family’s ball will be in poor taste,” Percy playfully said before turning to me. “If you want the true aristocratic experience, you should come to my family’s banquet first.”

This feels strange, as if I’m being treated as a fellow noble rather than a child.

Jade immediately interrupted the two boys’ banter. “Talking about Leticia’s debut when she’s still this young? Have you no shame? Besides, our father and I will decide which party she will attend from among the invitations she receives.”

“Does that mean I can’t attend?” I blinked up at him pleadingly.

“You can when you’re older. You’ll have to pick wisely, choose somewhere safe.”

“I understand.” I nodded and smiled sheepishly. In the meantime, I’d be grateful to go anywhere, as long as it was somewhere new.

“Ugh, I can’t believe it. How can someone so small and adorable be real?” Percy wept.

“Please don’t take the liberty of referring to other people’s younger sisters as cute with your beastly language,” Jade said.

“Wow, Jade. I’ve never seen this side of you before…”

“Percy’s right,” Jax said. “You always walk around with your nose in the air. I’m surprised you don’t leave a trail of frosty footsteps in your wake. But with family, you’re different.”

I’m only his adopted sister, though. I began to worry about whether I should clarify any misunderstanding.

“Who knows? Perhaps Jade’s become enchanted by the curse of the blue roses,” Ryan said.

I watched the banter between the three boys like a tennis match, enraptured.

“Please knock it off,” Jade mumbled.

“And he’s back.”

“There’s the Jade we know.”

They sounded like a band of fools but in the best way. I pressed my lips together to suppress my laughter.

“I’m going to peruse the roses,” Ryan said. “I’d like to pick a blue rose to give to my younger sister.”

Percy’s smile faded. “Want me to accompany you?”

“No, that’s all right. I’m not foolish enough to believe the legend of the blue roses.”

“It is a rather ridiculous myth, isn’t it? People dying from the scent of roses.”

“Yes, and my younger sister was very fond of roses. Then, if you’ll excuse me…”

Did he just say “was?”

Ryan stood up and strode toward the rose bushes. Meanwhile, Percy and Jax looked down gravely.

Huh? Why is the vibe suddenly so somber?

“Um, is everything all right?” I asked.

“Yes, everything’s fine,” Jax said.

“Truth is, Ryan’s younger sister died last year. When he says he’s picking a flower to give her, he means he’ll lay it on her grave.”

“Oh…”

“Her name was Eliza. She was quite the beauty, you see. She was also… Percy’s fiancée. They knew each other for a long time and had been engaged since they were about your age, my lady.” Jax placed his hands in his lap and gave me a sad smile.

“Her parents were strict, so she grew up on their countryside estate. I wasn’t able to meet with her very often, but she was a lovely young lady,” Percy said.

My heart started to ache. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, “Was she sick?”

If she died young, does that mean she was bedridden, as I was in my past life?

Jax hesitated. Finally, he looked up. “She died from pneumonia.”