Once they reached the city, Alan slowed his horse, uncertain where they ought to go.
Young women were creatures entirely unknown to him.
Most of the people around Alan were knights of the Third Knight Order. On occasion, he shared a drink with Diana’s father, Wesley, Duke of Gazard.
He knew nothing of the things young women enjoyed or the shops they frequented.
If he had known this would happen, he should have listened more carefully to the knights, no matter how much they teased him.
They would have continued making sport of Alan, but they would also have told him precisely which destinations might delight a young woman upon a date.
(I can charge across a battlefield on horseback without hesitation, yet walking through town with a young woman feels like being thrown unarmed into enemy territory.)
Inwardly, Alan was so flustered that he could almost feel himself beginning to sweat.
“I apologize, but I know very little about shops that might appeal to a young woman…”
In the end, he had no choice but to admit the truth.
Rather than laugh at him, Diana looked up at Alan.
“If you would not mind, might I ask your advice about something?”
“My advice? If I can be of help…”
“I would like to have a new saddle made. Until now, I have always used the same type adopted by the Gazard Knights. But when I cast ice magic, its metal fittings freeze, and the horse seems to find them painful…”
“Ah, I see.”
Alan had only recently witnessed Diana’s skill with ice magic upon the expedition.
When ice magic was cast, the temperature of the surrounding area fell.
A horse in direct contact with the caster would naturally be affected even more strongly.
“A saddle without metal fittings would likely need to be custom made. I know a leatherworker. I will introduce you.”
“Thank you!”
Alan smiled at the delight in her voice and urged the horse forward.
He knew nothing of fashionable dressmakers or cafés, but even a rugged man like Alan could advise her upon a saddle.
(Lady Diana must have noticed my discomfort and tried to put me at ease…)
How could anyone call her a cold and frozen moon?
How could they claim she did not know how to defer to a man?
Alan knew no woman kinder or more considerate than Diana.
The more of her charms he discovered, the harder it became to look away from her.
Whenever he caught himself doing so, he deliberately turned his gaze aside.
* * *
“Thank you, Lord Alan. With your help, I believe it will turn out wonderfully.”
After placing the order at the leatherworker’s shop, Diana’s expression brightened.
The saddle would not be completed for some time, but she was confident that the finished product would satisfy her.
“Please allow me to repay you for your advice.”
“I would like to insist that I be allowed to play the gentleman here… but unfortunately, I know no suitable establishments.”
Diana smiled at Alan as he scratched his cheek.
“Then I will take you to a place I have always wished to visit.”
“Very well. I leave it to you.”
Diana herself was not particularly knowledgeable about the latest fashions in the capital.
But she possessed memories of her previous life.
She still remembered the products that would later become famous and the shops that would grow popular.
Diana led him to a café on the edge of the commercial district.
Its newest desserts would eventually become the talk of the capital, making the establishment explosively popular in her previous life. For now, however, its name was still little known.
Only a scattering of patrons sat inside. When Diana asked to reserve the terrace upon the second floor, the staff readily agreed.
“This is… a fine place.”
The terrace overlooked a garden.
A refreshing breeze blew past, gently stirring Diana’s silver hair until it shimmered in the light.
Alan found himself captivated by the sight. A moment later, he hastily turned away.
Though he knew he must not become conscious of her, he could not help himself.
Diana was his friend’s daughter and seventeen years his junior.
To her, he could be no more than a middle-aged man of her father’s generation.
He told himself so repeatedly, yet the straightforward affection he felt from Diana continued to shake his heart.
He brought the tea that had been served to his lips, hoping to calm himself.
But when he looked forward, beautiful Diana was there.
His heartbeat naturally quickened and warmth spread through his body.
Alan was privately grateful that they had chosen a breezy terrace.
After a gentle silence, Diana spoke quietly.
“Lord Alan… Is life at the royal castle not painful for you?”
The question came without warning.
As Alan considered his place within the royal court, he felt the feverish warmth in his body slowly fade.
“Nothing has changed for me, now or in the past. Besides, all the men in the knight order are easy enough to get along with.”
Alan fashioned a smile for Diana.
She returned it with a look of quiet pain.
The royal palace was by no means safe for Alan.
The attempt upon his life by the Royal Guard had proven that.
Then what could Diana do for him?
She had considered the question countless times, yet her voice trembled terribly when the words finally left her lips.
“…Lord Alan, do you dislike me?”
“What?”
The unexpected question nearly sent the tea he was drinking down the wrong way.
As Alan coughed, Diana watched him with desperate intensity in her eyes.
“The idea that I could dislike you… That is impossible, Lady Diana.”
“Then!”
Diana clenched her trembling fists upon her lap.
(I must not lose my courage now. If I swallow these words, I may lose the chance to say them forever—)
“Then please use me.”
“Use you…?”
Diana’s eyes remained utterly serious as she looked upon the bewildered Alan.
“If you become my husband, you will be able to leave the royal castle.”
The instant she said it, her heart gave a violent leap.
Its pounding shook her entire body, and dampness gathered in her palms.
Her gaze fell naturally, and she bowed her head.
What expression did Alan wear now?
Diana did not possess the courage to look.
