Chapter 194:
The Grand Denouement of Our World
AFTER A ROUND OF TEA, refreshments, and relaxation, silence suddenly fell on the table. All three of them had been tense when they initially sat down. But, after a relaxing teatime, they all sensed mutual calm once again.
“Well, we need to talk about the future.”
The soft smile in Yulan’s voice was so light that it could fly away at any moment. It wasn’t a product of whimsy but of his fresh resolve to finally get a heavy burden off his chest. It revealed an ease of mind that came from knowing that nobody had the right to stand in the way of their future—and that felt good.
“Preparations on our home are well underway, Vio. The land isn’t all that great, but it’ll be quiet and comfortable.”
“Our home… Do you mean—”
“The one I told you about, yes. The house I used to live in… Will that be all right? I was a baby when I lived there, so I mean, it’s not like I even remember it.”
Yulan had resided briefly in the mansion with his birth mother before the Cugurs adopted him. He’d told Violette about that once, long ago, but she’d never been there. Yulan hadn’t returned since his adoption either. In time, however, he’d come to realize that the lands and mansion didn’t belong to the crown, nor to the Cugurs family. They belonged to Yulan himself.
“Of course, you can keep living in this hotel if you wish. But after you graduate, you’ll have much more spare time, and there are only so many things you can do here.”
Ultimately, a hotel was no place to call home, but life there was comfortable. For now, Violette found it convenient and easy that someone else looked after everything. Still, her sheltered upbringing had led to a love of the outdoors, which would surely make her feel constricted there eventually.
“I’ve only been over there to clean and inspect the place,” Yulan continued. “But I thought maybe you and I could go now and see what it’s like inside.”
Everything from the ground up was being arranged for just the two of them. The home Yulan was preparing wasn’t a dollhouse, nor a secret base in the forest. It was a real house. A place they could both call home—where they could live their lives.
“I think…that’s a lovely idea.” The soft warmth in Violette’s voice caressed Yulan’s ears.
She’d never known how fun it could be to discuss the future. Being bound together with her beloved, sharing life… She’d always thought that sort of happiness only existed in fairy tales. At the very least, she hadn’t even been able to fathom such a day ever dawning for her.
After all, she’d vowed to steal away to a nunnery because she hadn’t wanted to burden anyone…and hadn’t wanted to be near anyone.
“I’m sure looking forward to it,” Yulan chuckled. “We still have no furniture, so we’ll have to get that by the time I graduate.”
“I’d love to see the house before it’s furnished,” Violette replied. “Once we get into our half-day schedule, we’ll have plenty of time for that, I suppose.”
“Well…it seems like I’ll be serving on the student council, so I might not get any time off until the holidays.”
“Um…you’re joining the student council?”
“The president and vice president are graduating, and apparently, a number of people nominated me. They’ll still hold a vote, but it seems to be an unwritten rule that if you’re the president’s aide in your second year, you become president in your third year. They pass the torch right before the graduation ceremony, so when the spring holidays roll around, I’ll finally be able to relax.”
“Oh… Well, I know you’ll win anyway, but you have my vote, Yulan.”
“Thanks.”
Yulan wore his typical goofy smile, undercutting the significance of the appointment. The student council president had a heavy workload, but the role came with a lot of authority. The position was highly competitive, and while it was put to a vote, those who received the most nominations always found their way to the president’s chair.
Truth be told, when Yulan entered his first year at the academy, he’d immediately been approached for the position. He adamantly rejected the continual overtures until Claudia ultimately had to step in and encourage the recruiters to give up. The only reason Yulan had now finally said yes to the desperate recruiter was simply that Claudia was leaving. It was his presence that had caused Yulan’s initial adamant refusals. With Claudia out of the picture, he didn’t particularly care one way or the other about taking the role.
“I brought the house’s floor plan along, just in case,” Yulan said. “Where should we put Marin’s room?”
“I don’t care, as long as it’s the closest to Violette’s room,” Marin said.
“I guess that means you do care,” Yulan quipped.
Violette giggled. “I’d feel safest with Marin close by too.”
“All right, then, want to be hallway neighbors? You and I won’t share a bed or anything until I graduate, after all.”
“……”
“Marin, your face has turned to stone,” Violette said.
“I feel very conflicted right now,” the maid muttered.
Yulan laughed merrily.