The carriage, transporting three passengers, glided through the main gate of the royal castle and halted at a junction near the grand hall lobby and a path leading to the back door for wealthy merchants and nobles. Thomas and Althea disembarked at this point.
"Alright then, brother-in-law. I'll head off."
"Althea, be sure to heed your father's words and be a good girl, okay?" With those words, Rohmund affectionately patted his niece's head.
"See you later," Thomas waved farewell to the carriage carrying Rohmund, then took Althea's hand, and together, they commenced their stroll.
"Father, where are we headed? Aren't we going to the castle?" Althea inquired, her tone straightforward.
"Hmm? Oh, of course, we're going to the castle. However, we're a bit ahead of schedule. Since we're here, I thought we could take a leisurely walk through the castle's garden on the way. ...Althea, you enjoy beautiful gardens, don't you?" He asked mischievously, prompting Althea to respond with a smile that bloomed like a flower.
"Yes! I love it!! I wonder what kind of flowers are blooming in the castle garden? I'm looking forward to it! ... Father, let's go quickly!"
The two strolled, marveling at the blooming flowers along the narrow path in the depths of the royal castle garden.
This garden, usually concealed from the public and protected by barrier magic, was a 'Secret Garden' accessible only with the king's permission. Although the barrier magic remained in place today, Thomas and Althea could explore the garden thanks to a magical pass obtained through Rohmund.
"Father, these roses have two colors on one rose. I've never seen anything like it before. They blend and it's so beautiful... Hey, hey, my dress matches too. We're matching, right?"
"Haha, that's right. These 'Two-Colored Roses' are exclusive to the royal castle garden. Moreover, this section of roses is strictly off-limits, so unless you're a member of the royal family, you wouldn't normally see it."
"...? So why can we see it today? Uh, maybe it was a place we weren't supposed to go?"
Watching his daughter's puzzled expression with amusement, Thomas replied, "Today is a 'special day,' so I got permission from His Majesty. So it's okay."
"I see... It's a 'special day,' huh..."
As she admired the 'Two-Colored Roses' that adorned her dress, Althea suddenly turned around.
"...Hey, Father? Did you say something?"
"Huh? No... I didn't say anything. Did you hear something again?"
"Well... I feel like I heard a kind and said 'let's play'..."
Althea sometimes perceived faint sounds. She first noticed it a while ago. Initially, Thomas was surprised and suspicious when Althea claimed she could 'hear something'. However, during Clara's school days, a friend mentioned hearing voices from spirits, and since there was no 'malice,' they observed without worry.
For now, Thomas closed his eyes to grasp the situation.
"...It doesn't seem to be anything bad, so it should be fine."
"If you say so, Father, then it should be okay. But if it's not harmful, I want to play... What should I do?"
Smiling at his daughter who was wondering what to do, Thomas checked the time.
"...Althea, it's about time. We can't keep them waiting, so let's go."
Saying that, he urged her to leave the garden.
"Is that so?... It's a shame, but it can't be helped. Goodbye, Roses and you Roses too. I hope we can meet again."
As she departed, she gently kissed the 'Two-Colored Roses,' then ran after her father. Unaware that someone observed her from a distance...
NOVEL WEB