Chapter 18: True feelings
The next day, Leon couldn’t come to Diana’s cabin because he had a hangover.
Two days later, in the afternoon, he finally stumbled his way to Diana’s cabin with sleepy eyes.
“I’m hungry. . .”
“Are you okay? How’s your condition?”
“I feel refreshed after sleeping without eating or drinking for a day. But I have to take care of the requests today.”
Diana mixed eggs and milk and dropped them into a frying pan, quickly making scrambled eggs.
“How is it? It should be easy to eat like this.”
“Thank you, Diana.”
Diana sat across from Leon.
Between the two of them, the wedding bouquet from that day was displayed.
She asked him something that had been bothering her.
“Hey, Leon.”
“What?”
“Do you remember what you said to me on the way back from the wedding?”
Leon’s face paled suddenly.
“What?! No way, did I say something strange to Diana. . .?!”
“Oh, no! It’s not that! I just wanted to know if you remember. . .”
“I’m sorry! If I said something you didn’t like, I apologize in advance!”
“N-No. . .You don’t remember?”
“Oh. . .I don’t remember at all.”
“I-I see. . .”
Diana blushed and smiled.
If he doesn’t remember, then that’s fine.
“You’re making wreaths today, right? The village chief said someone will come to pick them up in the evening.”
“. . .We need to get ready and go to the back mountain soon.”
“Can I come too?”
“Yeah. Diana, do you want to try making a wreath too?”
“Yes, definitely!”
After finishing their meal, the two of them walked to the back mountain where the early summer flowers bloomed.
“Let’s try making various wreaths today. It’s a test of skill and to see what the clients prefer.”
“That sounds good. Hey, can you tell me what kind of image you had in mind when you made my flower crown?”
“Huh? What kind. . .Well, I chose something that suits Diana.”
Upon hearing that, Diana’s light footsteps became even lighter.
“My flower crown had a lot of blue and berries, right?”
“I matched it to Diana’s hair color. Using complementary colors to the background makes the flowers stand out.”
“Oh. . .I see.”
Diana was lost in thought, recalling various aspects of the wedding two days ago.
Leon plucked branches and vines from the trees, coiling them into a rope-like shape and stuffing them into a bucket. Diana picked flowers one by one as they caught her eye.
By the time they descended the mountain, the tin bucket was filled with flowers.
They moved to the cabin, filled a bucket with water, and floated the trimmed flowers in it.
They performed the task of wrapping each flower stem with damp cotton and fabric, securing them with thread. As Diana hydrated each flower one by one, she quietly felt moved by the fact that he had made something so elaborate for her, whom she loved.
Leon’s thick, unsophisticated fingers carefully inserted each flower into the circular wreath made of grapevine.
A wreath centered around white flowers, a wild wreath made only with grapevines and colored leaves, a vibrant wreath with various colors, a mini wreath made of nuts, a seasonal flower wreath. After finishing these six, Diana took out tea from the wedding gifts during their break.
Since there were no fancy cups, she poured it into oak bowls.
For some reason, Leon threw in some leftover viola flowers.
Diana laughed and smelled the fragrance. It smelled like fresh grass.
When she added sugar, a luxurious moment arrived.
“Hey, Leon.”
“. . .What?”
“I wish this moment could last forever.”
Leon put down his tea and looked up.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“The wedding, although nerve-wracking, was so much fun.”
“. . .”
“I was also happy to be kissed by you.”
“. . .”
“I never thought that life in the frontier could be this enjoyable. But I wonder what would happen if we couldn’t find any potatoes for food. . .”
“. . .Diana.”
Suddenly, Leon stared at her.
Diana’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up.
“. . .I feel the same way.”
As he said that, his face turned red.
“Um. . .When I’m drunk, I can pretty much guess what I said. . .When I’m drunk, my true feelings spill out. Maybe I said something sweet to Diana that I wouldn’t normally say. . .Right?”
Diana’s ears turned red too.
“But. . .I want Diana to be even happier.”
Abruptly, her complexion changed.
“In a place like this, Diana can’t find happiness.”
Diana hurriedly retorted.
“T-That’s not true. I actually like the life here.”
“But if you live here for a long time, you’ll gradually get used to it and find it boring.”
“Why are you saying such things? Because I――.”
“Right now, it’s just the novelty of the environment. Or maybe it’s just the excitement of running through the flames of war together.”
Despite his harsh tone, Leon’s dull-colored eyes were staring as if searching the depths of Diana’s heart.
And then she realized.
She was being tested by Leon right now.
“That’s not true. Because I. . .”
Diana’s voice trembled as she stood up.
“Leon, I――.”
At that moment,
There was a rapid knocking on the door. Diana hastily straightened herself, and Leon opened the door.
Surely, it must be the customer coming to pick up the wreaths.
“Yes, who might you be ― .”
When the door opened, there stood a man who looked like a wealthy servant.
“I have come to pick up the wreaths, as recommended by the village chief.”
“. . .Understood. Diana.”
Diana took three wreaths and handed them to Leon. She also took three wreaths herself and followed the man’s instructions, heading towards the carriage.
As the two carefully placed the wreaths in the carriage, something happened.
“Oh? Diana, isn’t that you over there?”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Leon and Diana looked up in surprise.
There, waving her hand from the back of the carriage, was a woman dressed in a black lace dress that seemed out of place in the countryside.
It was Diana’s sister, Ilsa.
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